“MY EDUCATION AT SAINT MARY’S HAS EMPOWERED ME TO SPEAK MY MIND.”
Jingle All The Way
Meaghan Heatherman’s family Christmas tradition starts out on a good note—when they come together to sing. “Every Christmas Eve, we go to Mass and afterwards we have a party with my family, including my four older brothers and their families, neighbors, and close friends,” describes Meghan. “After dinner, we sing Christmas carols. My favorite is the Twelve Days of Christmas, where we get in groups of three or more, and are each assigned a different day. We have to act out each day as we count down, singing the song. It’s a lot of fun!”
Meaghan is no stranger to the South Bend area. The Tulsa, Okla., native has an older brother who attended the University of Notre Dame, so she has spent some time visiting him across the street. When she began visiting colleges for herself, she knew that Saint Mary’s was the best fit. “Saint Mary’s was a very welcoming and close-knit community where I could get involved and develop my skills.”
Meaghan says she loves being a Saint Mary’s student because the professors and the classes, “challenge you to be the most hands on, intelligent scholar you can be.” With a major in history and minors in religious studies and social work, Meaghan credits Professor Anita Houck in the religious studies department as someone who is determined to help each student understand her course material. “She is a very intelligent professor and is always willing to make time to see her students,” says Meaghan. “She introduces a number of diverse topics and perspectives on each of the areas she covers and makes sure that students have an understanding of different cultures.”
Meaghan is active on and off campus, volunteering at the Center for the Homeless, participating in the history club, and the Annual Fund committee, and Read-to-a-Child, where she visits an elementary school each week to read to a 4th grader. “It is fun to see her progress and how she grows and improves her reading skills each week,” says Meaghan.
Meaghan is looking forward to entering a teaching program such as Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) or Teach for America after graduation. After that, she plans to keep her options open for either teaching or attending graduate school to obtain a master’s degree in non-profit organization.
Whatever she intends to do, she’ll be ready. “The Saint Mary’s history degree has helped me further develop my reading and writing skills. It has helped me to be a leader by promoting human dignity and understanding the diversity of different cultures.”