News at St. Catherine's
Wilkinson Honored on St. Catherine's Day
Madison Wilkinson selected by her classmates and faculty.
Madison Wilkinson remembers starting at St. Catherine’s in fifth grade. She recalls wondering if she would fit in, if she was too goofy and how the all-girl environment worked.
But that didn’t last long.
“To everyone in this room sitting out there right now afraid to be yourself because you think you’re too weird or different I’m here to tell you that this community can handle you,” Wilkinson said. “But most importantly there are people sitting around you who are as quirky, if not more so, than you are. So in everything you do be the self you wish to be. Be the interesting, fun, authentic being that you are. I promise you will not regret it.”
Wilkinson was selected by her classmates and faculty as the member of the Class of 2016 who best represents scholarship, determination, courage, hope and faith, the ideals of Catherine of Alexandria. She was honored on Friday in the annual St. Catherine’s Day service, which was held at All Saints Episcopal Church this year because of renovations taking place at St. Stephens.
Wilkinson offered words of advice to her fellow seniors as well as the other students attending the service.
“It is this kind of incredible support that makes this school so important,” she said. “It comes from the girls around you and from the incredibly dedicated faculty that make it all happen. It does not matter if you have been here for 14 years or for two. If you open up this community of incredibly talented, intelligent, funny, witty, creative, and passionate people will embrace you and love you and make you laugh so hard and smile so big that you cry.
“I have watched it happen over and over again as each new school year brought new girls to St. Catherine’s and each one in time became part of our little family we have at 6001 Grove Avenue. I am so unbelievably proud and blessed to be a part of it and I thank each of you for your sisterhood.”
Although St. Catherine’s Day has changed throughout the decades, it is a tradition that dates back to 1924. The revealing of the St. Catherine’s Day honoree is kept secret until the service. Wilkinson’s family snuck into the church after the service began to help keep the surprise. The service, attended by students in grades 4-12 as well as faculty and staff, is also a special time to remember alumnae, faculty and staff who have died over the past year.
Although St. Catherine’s Day has changed throughout the decades, it is a tradition that dates back to 1924. The revealing of the St. Catherine’s Day honoree is kept secret until the service. Wilkinson’s family snuck into the church after the service began to help keep the surprise. The service, attended by students in grades 4-12 as well as faculty and staff, is also a special time to remember alumnae, faculty and staff who have died over the past year.
This year was unique because of the location change. The students, faculty and staff were bussed to All Saints Episcopal Church for the service. It was an effort that took 21 busses – from St. Catherine’s St. Christopher’s, Collegiate and chartered busses.
Located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, St. Catherine’s School is a private, all-girls pre-K, kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school. We provide a well-rounded educational experience for girls from communities across Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico and all of central Virginia. St.Catherine’s all-girls educational experience is rooted in more than a century of history and tradition. From our revolutionary past to our dynamic present, St. Catherine’s has always focused on preparing students for a boundless future.
