News

For the 2nd year in a row, Mercy McAuley has been named a Top Workplace by Enquirer Media! Even more exciting - this year, we are ranked in the Top 3 in the Small Employers Category!

The Top Workplaces list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party, confidential survey that measures employee experience and a variety of workplace themes.

Thank you to our dedicated faculty and staff for this tremendous honor! We are truly blessed with the very best employees who are committed to providing our young women with the very best all-girls, Catholic, Mercy education. 

Congratulations to the 81 students who were honored at our annual Academic Awards Night on April 28, 2026! We are very proud of our Wolves' commitment to academic excellence and educational courage! See the full list of students who received awards below.

Mercy McAuley High School is pleased to announce the establishment of a new endowed scholarship, The Patty Morrison Women Lead Honors Scholarship, which will be awarded to students starting in the spring of 2027. This new scholarship, established by 1977 McAuley High School alumna Patty Brueneman Morrison, is the first endowed scholarship for the school’s Women Lead Honors Program. 

The Women Lead Honors Program, unique to Mercy McAuley, offers students innovative opportunities for career exploration and academic achievement. Students in the program are exposed to careers in medicine, law, sciences, technology and business during their freshman year, and then select one of these cohort areas to focus on for their remaining three years. During sophomore, junior and senior year, students explore many careers within their selected cohort through monthly seminars with professionals in these careers. Seminars include meeting with professionals, tours of the medical, law, technology, business, or engineering firms, small group discussions, exposure to modern technology, and hands-on activities.

The Patty Morrison Women Lead Honors Scholarship will be awarded to one high-achieving student participating in the Women Lead Honors Program. This academic scholarship will be awarded to the student at the end of her freshman year.

Patty Morrison is a retired senior executive / chief information officer who has held leadership roles in organizations such as P&G, GE, Cardinal Health, and more. She also has significant board experience, in-depth knowledge of global, enterprise business processes, and extensive experience in cyber security, artificial intelligence, global IT master planning, digital transformation, talent sourcing, project execution, operations, and IT organization leadership.

“The Women Lead Honors Program is helping Mercy McAuley students to have experiences in medicine, sciences, law, technology and business to plan for their futures,” said Patty. “Importantly, it builds their confidence to tackle challenging coursework to achieve their goals. I love immersive learning and am excited to sponsor a scholarship for high achieving students at Mercy McAuley.”

“We are incredibly grateful to Patty Morrison for her generosity and vision behind this new endowed scholarship,” said Mercy McAuley President Brigitte Foley.  “The Patty Morrison Women Lead Honors Scholarship is a transformative investment in our Women Lead Honors Program and our outstanding academics. This scholarship strengthens our commitment to preparing confident, capable leaders for some of today’s most rapidly evolving and highly sought after careers.”

Mercy McAuley High School is pleased to announce the appointment of Dan Wallace as Assistant Athletic Director, beginning in the 2026-27 school year. In this role, Dan will lead the fundraising efforts for the athletic department (including sponsorships and events such as the annual golf outing) and assist with the day-to-day athletic operations. This includes assisting with game and special event management, ordering and tracking uniforms and equipment; scheduling; communication with coaches, students and families; and more.

Dan Wallace is a seasoned educator and athletic professional with nearly 20 years of experience in school leadership, physical education and coaching. Since 2018, he has served as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Lakota East High School, where he developed the program and earned a State Top 10 ranking in 2023. During his coaching tenure at Lakota East, Dan achieved numerous awards, including GMC Coach of the Year, OH v KY All-Star Game Coach, and multiple Sectional and District Championships.

Prior to Lakota East, Dan served as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at McAuley High School for five years, where he led the team to Districts each year and to Regionals twice. He also achieved multiple Coach of the Year honors, including Greater Cincinnati Hall of Fame Coach of the Year, and District Coach of the Year. Prior to coaching at McAuley, Dan served as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Colerain High School for three years.

Throughout his coaching career, Dan has achieved nine District appearances, three District Championships, and three Conference Championships. He is a three-time District All-Star Game Coach, and a two-time Ohio v Kentucky All Star Game Coach.

In addition to coaching, Dan is an experienced educator, having served most recently as a Physical Education Teacher at Lakota East for the past eight years. Prior to his time at Lakota East, he served as a Physical Education Teacher at St. James School in White Oak for 13 years.

“We are proud to invest further in the success and well-being of our student athletes by welcoming Dan to Mercy McAuley,” said Jay Kramer, Athletic Director, Mercy McAuley High School. “Dan’s experience and proven track record of success as an educator, coach, and leader, along with his deep commitment to the development of female student-athletes, make him an excellent addition to our athletic department.  Dan is uniquely qualified to help take Mercy McAuley’s athletic programs to even greater heights, and his experience and passion will help strengthen Mercy McAuley Athletics and provide additional support for our athletes and coaches.”

Dan earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Education, majoring in Sport and Leisure Studies & Physical Education, from The Ohio State University. He earned his Masters in Education/Sports Administration from Xavier University. Dan and his wife, Jody, have two daughters, Rowen and Piper, who currently attend St. James School.

Congratulations to the following students who were inducted into the National Honor Society (NHS) on April 16:

Class of 2027

Elise Bartlowe
Maria Dollries
Caroline Gardner
Marcella Heiert
Reagan Higgins
Nevaeh Hughes
Aubrey Novak
Autumn Pittman
Riley West

Class of 2028

Samantha Able
Ava Alcorn
Grace Anglin
Audrey Bumpus
Audrey Canning
Hannah Clevenger
Evelyn Colaco
Allison Dangel
Sophia Doerger
Josie Gosselink
Emma Grause
Eleanor Heitz
Olivia Henschen
Samantha Jones
Paige Katterjohn
Riley Kief
Elliott Meyer
Lyna Nguyen
Sophia Nguyen
Claire Novosel
Anna Ponting
Isabella Rischmann
Madison Roetting
Madison Roller
Katlyn Roos
Katherine Sagel
Lauren Sanders
Lela Stevens
Jailyn Thornbury
Lauren Turner
Abigayle Wirthwine

National Honor Society (NHS) membership has been the true mark of student achievement for over 100 years, but it goes far beyond a report card. By empowering, championing, and recognizing well-rounded students, NHS provides schools with a values-based framework to elevate a culture of scholarship, service, leadership, and character.

Join the Mercy McAuley Wolves for summer learning and fun at our Summer Sports and Enrichment Camps! For full camp details and to register, CLICK HERE.

Mercy McAuley has been named a Silver member of the 2025 AP School Honor Roll! This achievement reflects our commitments to academic excellence, providing opportunities for students to earn college credits, and maximizing college readiness for our students! We are so proud of our experienced teachers and outstanding students who helped us earn this honor! 

Several of our students earned AP Scholar Awards during the 24-25 school year; congratulations to these Wolves shown in the images below!

Harrington also brings a strong academic foundation, holding a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of South Florida and a Bachelor’s degree in Education with Science from Bedford College of Higher Education in England. This combination of academic preparation and on-field experience uniquely positions him to mentor and develop student-athletes both athletically and personally.

With deep connections throughout the collegiate and professional soccer landscape, Mr. Harrington has helped place players at the collegiate and professional levels and has contributed to the development of tactical analysts for the U.S. Men’s National Team staff. In addition to his role at Mercy McAuley, Harrington also serves as a trainer for Cincinnati Elite FC (CEFC), a prominent youth soccer club in the Cincinnati area known for its strong commitment to player development.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Mr. Harrington into the Mercy McAuley family,” said Jay Kramer, Athletic Director. “We feel extremely blessed to have someone of Derek’s extensive knowledge and exceptional experience leading our soccer program. His track record speaks for itself—he has won everywhere he has gone.”

In his role as Director of Soccer, Harrington will provide leadership, vision, and oversight for the entire soccer program, with a focus on player development, coach mentorship, and building a sustainable culture of excellence. Director Harrington will be responsible for all training programs, tryout structures, and roster planning. He will establish program-wide standards and expectations and ensure consistency in policies, discipline, and communication across the program. He will be an integral part of day-to-day soccer operations, as well as the recruiting, mentoring, and evaluation of coaches. This is a year-round position.

Mercy McAuley looks forward to the positive and lasting impact Director of Soccer Derek Harrington will have on its student-athletes, program, and community.

Thanks to the generosity of just 331 alumnae, current and past families, employees, board members, benefactors and friends, we have surpassed our $5.5 million goal for our capital campaign, Our Path. Our Pack. As of January 1, 2026, we have raised an astounding $5.739,861! We are incredibly grateful to our amazing Mercy McAuley community, for their tremendous support of our students. May campus improvements - such as updated classrooms with new air conditioning and new windows - are already complete or in progress. Thank you so much! Hear from President Brigitte Foley and Principal Lauren Clements in the short video HERE!

Due to the tremendous success of this campaign, we are setting our sites even higher by launching a $4.5 million stretch goal that will fund even more exciting campus improvements – including an on-campus turf stadium, a dedicated Art Wing, and enhancements to our theatre. See renderings of these campus improvements, and find more information about the campaign - including how to make a gift - HERE.

Mercy McAuley is excited to welcome Coach Jayne Dipzinski to the Mercy McAuley Volleyball Program as our Volleyball Skills Development Coach! Jayne, a 2001 McAuley alumna who also works in Mercy McAuley’s counseling office as our College, Career, and Testing Advisor, brings club, high school and collegiate player experience, plus over 10 years of coaching experience to our volleyball program. She will assist with player development on the Freshman, JV and Varsity teams and will be a wonderful resource for the players as they grow in confidence and competitive skill. 

Jayne played club volleyball for Cincinnati Volleyball Club for seven years, with her team earning several National bids and a 3rd place finish in Open Nationals in 1998! She went on to be a three-year Varsity starter at McAuley High School, advancing to the State Final Four during her senior year.  After high school, Jayne went on to be a four-year starter at Mount State Joseph University, earning several awards, including All-Conference Team and All-American. Her Mount Saint Joseph Volleyball Team won the conference all four years and also made appearances in the NCAA Division III Elite 8. 

During college, Jayne began her coaching career at Cincy Volleyball Club and Cincy Classics. When her children were younger, Jayne took a break from coaching, but returned to the court 10 years ago as a boys and girls volleyball coach at St. Ignatius, as well as a club volleyball coach. Her club team recently placed 3rd in the nation at the AAU 2025 Nationals in Orlando, Florida!   

Jayne is married to Andrew Dipzinski, and together they have three children: Drew (senior at La Salle High School), Aili (7th grader at St. Ignatius); and Leah (4th grader at St. Ignatius). Please join us in congratulating Jayne on her new role and in welcoming her to our volleyball program!

Mercy McAuley High School students earned top honors at this year's Harvest Home Fair Art Show, taking home over 30 ribbons for their outstanding creativity and craftmanship! Congratulations to Gwen Agliata, Alex Fischer and Maria Dollries, who were awarded Best of Show ribbons, and to Lilly Hunsche, Atlas Zimmer, and Mamjarra Ndiaye for their First Place ribbons! 

A complete list of of award recipients can be found HERE. Congratulations to all our students whose artwork was featured in the show! 

In a unique and historic collaboration, Cincinnati’s five all-girls Catholic high schools—Mercy McAuley, Mount Notre Dame, Saint Ursula Academy, Seton, and Ursuline Academy—are proud to announce they have been collectively awarded a $2 million STEM education grant over three years from The Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund, Fifth Third Bank, N.A. Trustee. This is the first time that these five schools have collaborated on a joint initiative of this magnitude, reflecting their shared mission of empowering young women. 

This groundbreaking effort began over a year ago when the Presidents from each school came together with the vision of applying for the grant as a unified group of women in leadership. While these schools have historically been seen as competitors, they are now proudly joining forces as collaborators, recognizing that their collective impact is far greater together. United by a shared belief in the power of STEM education to shape the future for young women, the leaders continue to meet regularly as a cohort group, offering support, sharing best practices, and strengthening one another’s efforts. This partnership reflects a deep commitment to lifting each other up for the benefit of all their students. 

The grant allows each school the flexibility to use the funds as they wish to support and/or expand their individual STEM programs. This could include upgrading STEM classrooms, lab spaces and instructional equipment; enhancing current STEM programs and/or extracurricular/career experiences; providing new professional development opportunities for STEM teachers, and more. The five schools will begin utilizing funds from the grant beginning in the 2025-26 school year. 

In a joint statement, the Presidents from Mercy McAuley, Mount Notre Dame, Saint Ursula Academy, Seton, and Ursuline Academy, expressed their gratitude and excitement for this generous grant:

“We are thrilled and grateful to receive this generous grant from the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund. By coming together, our local all-girls Catholic schools are taking a significant step forward in empowering our students in the field of STEM – a field that is traditionally underrepresented by women. This grant marks an incredible milestone in women-focused STEM education and will provide our students with increased opportunities that will help them become high-achieving scientists and innovators.”
-    Brigitte Foley, President, Mercy McAuley High School
-    Michelle Robinson, President, Mount Notre Dame High School
-    Lelia Kramer, President, Saint Ursula Academy
-    Kathy Ciarla, President, Seton High School
-    Patricia Boehm, President, Ursuline Academy

''Empowering young women has been at the heart of the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund since its creation in 1908,’’ said Heidi Jark, managing director of the Foundation Office at Fifth Third Bank. ‘’We are honored to continue that legacy by supporting these five esteemed academic institutions as they advance STEM education for the next generation of female leaders across the Cincinnati region. By channeling our investments into these outstanding programs, we are shaping a future in which young women are not only introduced to STEM initiatives but are also inspired to fully engage with the opportunities these programs provide.”
 

Mercy McAuley High School has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2025 honor by Cincinnati Top Workplaces. This list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage  LLC. The confidential survey uniquely measures the employee experience and its component themes, including employees feeling respected and supported, enabled to grow, and empowered to execute, to name a few. 
   

“Earning the Top Workplaces award is a fantastic honor for us because it comes directly from our very own faculty and staff,” said Brigitte Foley, President, Mercy McAuley High School. “At Mercy McAuley, we know that a successful school begins with a collaborative, empowered and supported team of teachers and staff. I am grateful to our dedicated employees, who make Mercy McAuley an extraordinary workplace while providing our students with an exceptional all-girls, Catholic, Mercy education.”
 

Congratulations to all the students honored at our recent Academic Awards Night! We are so proud of these Wolves for their commitment to academic excellence!

Congratulations to the following seniors, who on April 16, 2025, signed National Letters of Intent to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level!

• Chloe Hamilton - Track & Field - University of Dayton
• Kate Winiarski - Soccer - Mount St. Joseph University

We look forward to following their collegiate athletic careers!

Mercy McAuley High School is pleased to announce the appointment of Jay Kramer as Athletic Director. In this role, Jay will provide leadership and expertise in overseeing the school’s robust athletic program. Jay will begin his role as Athletic Director on July 1, 2025.

Jay has served as Mercy McAuley’s assistant flag football coach for the past two seasons and served as assistant golf coach last season. He previously was employed as I.T. Assistant Manager and Computer Systems Analyst with Greater Cincinnati Water Works, where he served for 30 years.

Over the past 20+ years, Jay has been dedicated to youth sports and has served in a variety of coaching and volunteer roles. In addition to being an OHSAA certified youth basketball referee and baseball umpire, he has coached boys/girls basketball and soccer, boys baseball, girls softball, and boys lacrosse. Jay has also served as a ProCamps volunteer at Xavier University’s Holiday Basketball Camp and Crosstown Collaborative Basketball Camp, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy’s Jonathan India Baseball Camp, Sycamore High School’s Joe Mixon Football Camp, and Moeller High School’s Sam Hubbard Football Camp. For over a decade, Jay served in the St. Jude Athletic Association in the roles of  gym, field and baseball coordinator and web administrator.

Jay has also served in several roles with Greater Cincinnati sports, including Cincinnati Bengals Visiting Team Clubhouse and Sideline Assistant, Cincinnati Open Field Service Intern, Miami View Golf Club Assistant, and LPGA Kroger Queen City Championship Scorer and Course Marshall. He has also volunteered with the University of Cincinnati for the Men’s Basketball Final Four and ESPN GameDay, as well as USA Soccer for the US Men’s and Women’s National Soccer Games. 

Jay received his Master of Science in Sports Administration from the University of Cincinnati. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Information Systems from Xavier University, where he also completed a certificate program to become a Certified Project Manager. Jay is an Elder High School graduate.
    
“Jay’s tremendous passion for Catholic education and youth sports, along with his extensive experience in athletics, make him the ideal candidate to help us take Mercy McAuley’s athletic programs to even greater heights,” said Lauren Clements, Principal, Mercy McAuley High School. “I am confident that our student athletes, coaches, parents, and our school community will benefit greatly from Jay’s leadership and enthusiasm for Mercy McAuley’s athletic programs.”

"I am deeply honored and incredibly excited for the opportunity to lead Mercy McAuley High School’s athletic programs,” said Jay. “Over the past few seasons as a coach, I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the strong sense of community, dedication, and school spirit that make Mercy McAuley such a special place. The passion and commitment of our student-athletes, coaches, and supporters have created an incredible culture, and I am eager to build upon that foundation.”

Jay added, “Athletics play a vital role in shaping young individuals, teaching valuable lessons in teamwork, perseverance, and leadership. I am committed to fostering an environment where our student-athletes not only develop their skills on the athletic fields but also grow as individuals who uphold the core values of a Mercy Education. My goal is to continue inspiring and empowering the young women of Mercy McAuley to strive for excellence in all aspects of their lives—academically, athletically, and personally."

Please join us in welcoming Jay to his new role!
 

Congratulations to the following sophomores and juniors, who were inducted into the National Honor Society (NHS) on April 3, 2025!

Class of 2026
Haley Bonecutter
Kendall Cook
Kara Doenges
Isabella Han
Audrey Neal
Mia Roetting
Rowan Sabers
Grace Siener

Class of 2027
Ella Adams
Lilyana Davis
Isabelle Dunham
Evelynne Durepo
Callie Elmer
Margaret Evenson
Allison Ferrier
Alexandra Fischer
Ella Fisher
Brooke Glazier
Olivia Griffith
Gabrielle Hase
Emily Hodapp
Ava LaFary
Isabella LeCount
Macy Lohbeck
Liv Moeves
Madeline Neyer
Anna Parsons
Sarah Phelps
Rubi Pohlmeyer
Rylie Porter
Sarah Rios
Grace Saylor
Anne Spaeth
Ava Thelen
Sophia Ward
Peyton Wheeler

Congratulations to the following students, who were inducted into the World Language Honor Societies on March 13!

Spanish - Sydney Bouldin, Corinne Cox, Grace Dangel, Lilyana Davis, Evelynne Durepo, Callie Elmer, Allison England, Margaret Evenson, Gabrielle Fago, Caroline Gardner, Ava LaFary, Bailey MacKendrick, Sarah Phelps, Sarah Rios, Jenna Smith, Isabella Spitler, Ava Thelen, Jayla Walker, Riley West

Latin - Gabrielle DiPuccio, Ella Fisher, Marcella Heiert, Madeline Neyer, Anna Parsons, Isabella Roos, Michyala Townsend, Abigayle Wirthwine, Atlas Zimmer

French - Aubrey Novak, Anne Spaeth