The St. Mary’s Scholars (SMS) program is a four-year extracurricular program designed to give high-achieving students the opportunity to “develop their abilities to draw and apply connections between academic lessons and the world outside the classroom.”
Each year after the first semester, 50 freshman students are invited to participate in the program based on their GPA and coursework rigor.
(Mona Habayeb ‘24)
The name of St. Mary’s Scholars actually comes from the Good Counsel Motto in Latin, “Faciat Maria Nos Videre”, which translates in English to “Mary, Make us See”. Throughout the course of four years, St. Mary’s Scholars participate in evening sessions where they get to explore topics in the arts, religion, math, and science while also having some fun along the way. One of the hallmarks of the SMS program is the trips the group goes on each June after their sophomore and junior years. The summer after sophomore year, the group travels to Williamsburg, Virginia, where they explore colonial life in America while exploring historic Williamsburg.
But the main event is the trip to New York City taken the summer after junior year. The group visited museums and saw 2 Broadway shows for a deeper exploration of the arts. [I really enjoyed] our New York trip this past summer where we explored the city and saw two Broadway shows. — Sammie Morin ‘24
However, there’s more to the St. Mary’s Scholars program than just the trips and evening sessions. There is also an opportunity to grow personally and socially- which was especially important for the SMS class of 2024 that spent a large portion of their freshman year on Zoom.
And Lucas Benavides ‘24 would agree. “I love SMS because you grow bonds and make great memories with friends and teachers,” Benavides said.
The new SMS members of the Class of 2027 were recently inducted on Monday, March 18, and soon they will have the opportunity to start their own SMS journey.
Certainly the class of 2024 has had many bumps in their journey- but through it all, they have been able to learn more about themselves and the world they live in. As a member of the SMS Class of 2024 myself, I really appreciate having this opportunity to experience the world around me, both the past and present, alongside some amazing classmates. I know we are all grateful to see the world through these unique viewpoint as St. Mary’s Scholars.
(Lucas Benavides ‘24)
Sources:
https://www.olgchs.org/academics/enrichment-programs/st-marys-scholars