Collegiate Friars: August 2019

Catching up with two young alumni from the Class of 2017: Rachel McCarthy, recently back from Japan, and Ellis Taylor, an American footballer in NYC.

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Rachel McCarthy (shown here in Tokyo) will be a junior at Illinois Wesleyan University in downstate Bloomington.

Fenwick Graduation: 2017

Hometown: Riverside

Grade School: St. Mary School

Current School:  Illinois Wesleyan University

Current Major: English Literature and Psychology

Summer Internship: This summer I was a teaching assistant at Technos College, where I spent an unforgettable seven weeks living in Tokyo and helping English students practice conversations/interviews with a native speaker. I also did a lot of behind-the-scenes planning for the college’s annual cultural exchange event with 10 other sister universities from around the world. 

Career aspirations: I’ve looked at a few different career options in the past two years, but right now I’m exploring the possibility of being an English professor. I’ve always had an interest in academia, and my experience at Technos College taught me the joys of working one-on-one with students to help them blossom. 

Fenwick Achievements/Activities: Lawless Scholar, Illinois State Scholar, Girls Cross Country, Blackfriars Guild and Novel Writing Club co-founder.

Fenwick teacher who had the most influence on you: A better question might be who didn’t inspire me, but one teacher I do think of on a regular basis is Mr. Arellano. Though his speech class was tough, the way he cared for each and every one of his students was readily apparent, and I still think of his encouraging feedback whenever I have to give a major presentation.

Fenwick class that had the most influence on you: My junior year AP Language and Composition class was pivotal in shaping me as a writer. That class pushed me to write critically about a wide range of fascinating, real-world topics, and I loved the freedom we were given to pursue our own interests. As I prepare to spend a year studying English as a visiting student at Oxford University, my heavily annotated APLAC textbook remains a valuable guide to this day.

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2017 Honors Convocation

Congratulations to Fenwick’s Class of ’17!

Academic Achievements

  • ACT Composite 27.3 (highest in school history)
  • 25 students recognized in the National Merit Program
    • 7 Finalists
    • 18 Commended
  • 3 National Hispanic Recognition Finalists
  • 98 Illinois State Scholars (35% of class)
  • 175 Presidential Scholars (63% of class)
  • 7 Evans Scholars
  • 2 appointments to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs​
  • 179 members of the Class of 2017 have been awarded 590 scholarships from 139 universities and foundations. Thus, 64 % of the class has received academic recognition in the monetary amount of over $33,400,000 

Extracurricular Achievements (2016-2016)

  • TEAMS (formerly JETS) – 1st in state among division schools and 1st in the nation
  • WYSE  – 2nd in state STEM competition