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Claire was in the final steps of planning her wedding with one big to-do left: getting her marriage license for D.C. But Claire and her fiancé found that- with just one week left until their big day - in the face of the government shutdown, issuing marriage licenses had been deemed non-essential.
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With two Masters degrees under her belt and a doctorate in the works, Colette Young '07 is a lifelong learner - a skill she imparts daily to her students as a teacher and coach both at Columbia Secondary School and Columbia University. Beyond the classroom, Colette is an accomplished musician and vocalist, which recently brought her back to DC for a performance at the White House.
After losing her hair to a second cancer diagnosis eight years ago, Carolyn Keller founded EBeauty, a wig exchange program for women battling all forms of cancer. The premise of the organization is simple: A woman who has come to the end of her journey with cancer donates her wig to the organization, which then sanitizes, styles, and repurposes the wig for another woman who has just been diagnosed. It's a beautiful way for the newly diagnosed to feel inspired and connected to the women who have battled the disease before them, and at the same time a cathartic experience for a woman who is ready to let go of what can be a physical reminder of illness.
With a background in the arts, Sophia Labas '14 turned her passion for music into a fundraising career, now working in the Development Office for the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center. She graduated from Boston University with a degree in English in 2017. Sophia recently visited campus to talk with freshman Aesthetics classes about her career and to hear Kenneth Kellogg, an opera singer and friend to Fine Arts Department Chair Kelli Smith, share his story.
Laurie Collins Quirk '74 is an alumna, a Visitation parent, and member of our English Department faculty. She was honored with the St. Jane de Chantal Service Award in 2015. Laurie serves on our Alumnae Association Board and the Salesian Center Advisory Board, and supports the work of the Campus Ministry in daily prayer offerings and retreats.
Read on to get to know Laurie.
