Press Release
Award for General Service Goes to Saint Mary's College Senior 
Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary’s College
Notre Dame, Ind.
(574) 284-4579
April 20, 2009 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—The Office for Civic and Social Engagement (OCSE) at Saint Mary's College is pleased to announce that Meghan Larsen ’09 of Coudersport, PA will receive one of the College’s seven unique service and volunteer awards. The awards recognize students who give their time and talent to serve the greater South Bend community.
Larsen, a religious studies and psychology double major, will receive one of five new annual awards named for Sisters of the Holy Cross. The Congregation founded the Catholic, all-women’s college in 1844. Larsen will be honored with the Sister M. Olivette Whalen Award for General Service. Sister Whalen (1907 - 2001) had a missionary zeal that prompted her to serve the needs of the poor, promote the ministry of education and respond to the unmet needs of those in foreign lands. On her way to India in 1941 she was captured and imprisoned for four years. She emerged from the experience an even stronger person. Sister Whalen opened doors for Sisters of the Holy Cross to serve in Brazil, Africa and Israel.
Larsen is a dynamic and active student, full of energy and enthusiasm. Her zest for life is evident her many areas of activity at Saint Mary’s and in the local community. Larsen has been very involved with the Center for the Homeless in South Bend. In 2008 she created a poetry jam at the center, assisting residents with writing and thinking creatively. The jam sessions occurred on Monday nights in a coffee house style setting and the resulting poetry was published at the College. Joe Incandela, professor of religious studies, nominated her for the award and wrote, “That she has taken her Saint Mary’s education and used it to draw out the creativity of those society wishes to discard is something of which I am extremely proud.”
Larsen has been active in Campus Ministry, assisting with lay preaching, special services, praise and worship, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and retreat planning, as well as remaining active with Friends with Sisters, a club that pairs students with Sisters. Her leadership and enthusiasm have been especially important in Small Faith Group/ Praise and Worship, a weekly gathering of students interested in forming friendships of faith and in praising God through song and reflection. Regina Wilson, assistant director of Campus Ministry, who also nominated Larsen wrote, “In all these areas of service, Meghan brings a sense of joy at being with others and she shares her faith in a very infectious and attractive manner. Her service springs directly from her personal experience of Christ and she draws people to herself, not for her sake, but for His.” In her completion of the Lay Ministry Certification program Megan worked with a youth group at Christ the King Church in South Bend. Her concern for children is also reflected in her commitment to Dance Marathon, an annual on-campus event that raises money for Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
Larsen and the other award winners will be recognized at a dinner at the College on Wednesday, April 29.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. The College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary's College ranks among the nation's top liberal arts colleges in U.S. News & World Report's 2009 annual survey. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
