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Happening ... in the Local Church
 Carly
O’Connor, left, and Audrey Marrah, both parishioners of St. Joan of Arc
in Kokomo, are co-valedictorians at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame.
(Photo provided) |
 Carly
O’Connor, left, and Audrey Marrah have been classmates since
kindergarten. They both achieved a 4.0 grade point average during their
years at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame. (Photo provided) |
By Caroline B. Mooney
The
Catholic Moment
KOKOMO — Audrey Marrah and Carly O’Connor have spent their lives striving for perfection. College was no exception, as they achieved perfect 4.0 grade point averages to become co-valedictorians in a class of 379 women at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind.
Both are parishioners of St. Joan of Arc Church and graduates of Northwestern High School there. They attended school together since kindergarten. They have been best friends since eighth-grade swim team and they were roommates for three semesters in college.
They share an amazing work ethic, love of God, family and friends. They were to deliver a valedictory speech they co-wrote at their commencement ceremony on May 15.
O’Connor, who received a bachelor of arts degree in English literature, writes guest columns for The Catholic Moment. She said she thought Marrah, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in biology, would be valedictorian.
“The fact that I made it is what surprised me,” she said. “We both realized in the fall of our junior year that this was a real possibility and we were truly hoping to share this honor together. We are both very driven and work hard. We never told each other out loud to work harder, but if one of us was slacking, we led the other by example.”
O’Connor said that in a high school with a lot of cliques, she and Marrah fit into the “smart nerds” group. They were close with six other girls who shared a passion for healthy competition in school.
“I became really involved in youth ministry at my parish in high school,” O’Connor said. “It was a time for me to start growing in my faith and help my community.
“My parents are both amazing in different ways, and they showed me what it means to share your gifts with the world and always do your best for God and for others,” she said. “I am pretty independently driven, so they didn’t have to push me, but they were always good examples for my work and faith life.
“I often had a paper I didn’t want to write, or reading I didn’t want to do, so I just did it for God,” she said. “He put this task before me, so I try to do it the best I can. God always gives me motivation and I try to do well for him.”
“We have both had a strong academic background since high school,” Marrah said. “Our whole class in high school did well academically and it was good preparation for college. We really supported each other, studied a lot and are very motivated.”
She said her parents have always been supportive and, “I was naturally inclined to push myself. I became much more involved in my parish during high school. My faith has really helped me. When I am having a tough day, God helps me through it. I know he’s always there with me, and I try not to get too stressed out and see the bigger picture.”
Her advice to those still in high school or just starting college is to go to classes and get lots of sleep. Marrah aims for seven to eight hours every night.
“Being valedictorian with Carly means a lot and it’s exciting,” she said. “We knew for the past couple years that we both had 4.0s, and I didn’t want to do it without her. We have been through so much together.”
Both girls were active in extracurricular activities at school and St. Joan of Arc throughout high school and college.
At St. Mary’s, O’Connor participated in the Right to Life Club, the Four:7 Catholic fellowship and the Edith Stein Conference, worked as a tutor in the writing center, worked as a resident adviser and studied abroad in Seville, Spain.
Marrah served in campus ministry at St. Mary’s, helped plan the April 2009 Quest Project Conference through the Center for Spirituality, did service work in the South Bend community, served on the committee for Dance Marathon and worked as a teaching assistant in the biology department.
In August, Marrah will travel to Guyana, South America, to volunteer for two years with Mercy Volunteer Corps, which runs an orphanage, a hospital and a vocational school. She doesn’t rule out graduate school in the future.
Marrah’s mother, Jan Marrah, recalls telling her daughter that the world would not come to an end if she ever got a “B” on a report card.
“But she was so self-motivated, we never had to pressure her,” she said. “She has a love of learning and puts her all into it. She is always alert, aware and interested, so she absorbs it.
“The beauty of this is, I don’t think the girls were trying to be valedictorians — their goal was to go into every class and do their best,” Jan Marrah said. “Audrey had a good time, too. They are very well-rounded girls.”
Jeff Marrah said his daughter is a “quiet competitor who works really hard without a lot of fanfare. She is driven in sports as well as academics. She just goes out there and works hard.
“Audrey and Carly are both wonderful,” he said. “They are very dedicated to their faith and are a joy to be around.”
O’Connor will spend the summer in a family life internship at St. Patrick Church, Kokomo.
Starting in August, she will study theology at Pontifical John Paul II Institute at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
“At this point, I am kind of tired of school, but God could talk me into going for a Ph.D.,” she said. She hopes to work in family life ministry at the parish or diocesan level.
“Carly has always been such a blessing,” said her mother, Ann O’Connor. “She’s a beautiful soul and has brought such joy to our family. We’re really proud — this is a great thing for our parish and the Church. They are great girls who live out their faith every day.”
Her husband, Mike, praised their dedication.
“I have watched them both working hard since grade school,” he said. “They are all about doing the best work they can. ... It’s not about them; it’s about what they can do for God. It’s so refreshing to be with them at Mass and know that is somewhere they want to be. They have their priorities in check. They have had awesome blessings along the way. God has been blessing us and they have been trying to honor God — they’re the full package.”
“I believe the girls’ gifts are founded in their wonderful families,” said Father Ted Dudzinski, pastor of St. Joan of Arc and St. Patrick churches. “I have known Carly a little longer and she has been a delight since our first meeting. She is attentive to whatever she does and is a very spiritual person. I am not surprised at her accomplishments. God has given her gifts that she has used wisely. It is going to be a blessing to have her around the parish this summer — she has a contagious spirit.
“I’ve known Audrey since 2006, and she is a very diligent worker,” he said. “She really concerns herself with spiritual life and has great dedication to whatever she sets out to do.
“I am very proud of both of them, and St. Joan of Arc is proud of them,” Father Dudzinski said. “We will keep them in our prayers as they go forward and do great things.”