News

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

Mercy McAuley High School is pleased to announce it has received a $600,000 gift from Terry and Steve Schrantz, longtime supporters of Mercy McAuley and McAuley High Schools, which will be used to fund an endowed academic scholarship. Beginning with the Class of 2029, one high-achieving student each year will be awarded the Terry & Steve Schrantz Family Scholarship, a full 4-year academic scholarship. This gift is part of Mercy McAuley’s transformational capital campaign, which is designed to fund scholarships, campus improvements, and faith and academic program enhancements.

Emmalyn Honan, an 8th grader at St. Ignatius of Loyola School in Monfort Heights, is the first student to be offered the Terry & Steve Schrantz Family Scholarship. Emmalyn, daughter of Stephanie and Mike Honan of Colerain Township, plans to accept the scholarship on January 31, 2025, which is the first day 8th graders can accept high school admission and scholarship awards per Archdiocese of Cincinnati requirements.

“We are thrilled to provide Mercy McAuley High School with this gift that recognizes students with high academic achievements,” says Terry Schrantz, a 1968 alumna and past board member of McAuley High School. “Mercy McAuley High School is known for its outstanding and innovative academic programs and curriculum. It is our pleasure to fund a scholarship that celebrates the strength of Mercy McAuley’s academics and recognizes high-achieving students who choose a Mercy McAuley education – an education that is second to none.”

“We are incredibly grateful to Terry and Steve Schrantz for their generous gift and for their ongoing commitment to the students of Mercy McAuley,” says Brigitte Foley, President, Mercy McAuley High School. “The Terry and Steve Schrantz Family Scholarship will have a significant impact on our students who achieve exceptional academic success. We are thankful to the Schrantz family for sharing our commitment to providing our young women with a rigorous, top-notch education of the highest academic standards.”

Congratulations to senior swimmer Amelia Hlebak, who signed her National Letter of Intent to swim at Franklin College. Way to go, Amelia!

Mercy McAuley High School is pleased to announce a new admissions partnership with Xavier University. Beginning with the Class of 2025, the partnership will provide eligible Mercy McAuley students with direct admission to Xavier University and a merit scholarship offer, along with a stackable scholarship of $1,831.

To be eligible, students must submit a formal application to Xavier University during the fall of their senior year at Mercy McAuley and meet specific admission criteria, such as GPA requirements and leadership/service experience.

“We are thrilled to partner with Xavier University to provide our eligible students with a seamless, efficient admissions process to one of the nation’s finest Catholic universities,” said Lauren Clements, Principal, Mercy McAuley High School. “This new partnership reflects our commitment to providing our students with an innovative, college-prep education of the highest quality. We are confident that this agreement will open new doors for our students and create exciting opportunities for their future.”

Congratulations to the following student athletes, who signed National Letters of Intent to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level!

• Kristen Berwanger - Track & Field - Miami University
• Caroline Moore - Volleyball - Oakland University
• Ashley Sess - Volleyball - Northern Kentucky University

We are so proud of these student athletes, and we look forward to following their college athletic careers!