Isabelle Auch ’26 Named Saint Catherine Medal Recipient

Each year Saint Mary’s College awards the Saint Catherine Medal to a rising junior or senior who has demonstrated high standards of personal excellence and scholarship and has contributed to the College community. 

 

On August 20, President Katie Conboy announced senior Isabelle Auch ’26 is this year’s Saint Catherine Medal recipient.

 

The award commemorates Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the patron saint of scholars and especially of women scholars. Kappa Gamma Pi, the National Catholic Honor Society, sponsors the award.

 

To a packed O’Laughlin Auditorium at the College’s annual Convocation ceremony, Conboy cited Auch’s many accomplishments. A nursing major with a full class load, Auch assists in the nursing program’s sophomore lab. A woman of deep faith, Auch also teaches Sunday school in South Bend and coordinates service projects for her fellow cross-country teammates at Our Lady of the Road, a South Bend ministry that serves the unhoused. 

 

A student-athlete on the cross-country team, Auch is an advocate for her fellow teammates. “On a daily basis she shows care and concern for her teammates. Her presence is calming,” Conboy read. “Her awareness and connection with teammates helps strengthen the program and promote a positive and healthy team culture. She is a role model for younger athletes.”

 

One of her nominators said of Auch’s dedication: “I love how she is true to her values, her faith, her commitment to excellence, and her regards for others. Isabelle has a great capacity to give to others in service, leadership, and love. When she signs off on emails, she uses ‘Blessings’ and frequently says, ‘what a blessing’ in our everyday conversations. This outlook on life, one filled with gratitude, is something that is apparent when you meet her. Ultimately, Isabelle is a blessing.”

 

September 6, 2025