Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart Hosts Annual Congé and Honors Barbara Wood-Prince

Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart hosts  Congé 2013

Saturday, April 27th,  Woodlands hosted its 40th annual major Fundraising Event - Congé 2013

The Event Co-Chairs: Heather Kotlarz, Tom Flint and Lori Rosdalsky and the Live and Silent Auction Chairs: Mary Oelerich and Alison Kohlmeyer did a fabulous job! The room was beautifully displayed with an array of auction items and every detail was carefully thought out... from the Program, the Menu, right down to the Special Congé dessert!  

Tami Rocha, Associate Director of Marketing for Special Events and the Advancement office did an outstanding job as well!  

Congé Co-Chair Tom Flint said, "this year’s event will have a special twist. Congé will honor someone who has made an incredible difference to the Woodlands Academy community. Barbara Wood-Prince, a Board of Trustee member since 2007, will be recognized for her tremendous philanthropic initiatives to Woodlands. Congé is one way we come together as a community to celebrate the special place that Woodlands is and to help financially ensure that the educational mission of Woodlands Academy continues into the future. Woodlands is a place where each girl is encouraged to be a leader. So it’s fitting that we recognize one of our leaders while we raise funds to be solely used to help educate future leaders.”  

Barbara Wood-Prince, an alumna of Woodlands and Convent of the Sacred Heart (Noroton, CT) has been nominated by Woodlands Academy for the 2013 Archdiocesan Development Council IMPACT award which honors a volunteer or staff member whose commitment, energy and vision have promoted Catholic education in the school community of which he or she is a part. A resident of Lake Forest, Barbara co-chaired a multi-million dollar campaign to build a new Science Center to better equip students to pursue study in STEM fields, where women are generally under-represented. Barbara attended elementary school at the Academy of the Sacred Heart, in the basement of what later became Barat College in Lake Forest, the predecessor of Woodlands Academy.

It was a special evening for me as I first "met" Barbara Wood-Prince many years ago over the phone as I did research on alums who had attended the Academy of the Sacred Heart elementary school, in preparation for the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the founding of the school.  After many years our paths have finally crossed, and we met in person at last year's Congé.  Barbara so richly deserved to be recognized and honored this evening for her faithful dedication over the years to Woodlands Academy. 

It was most rewarding to listen to Bridgett Riverol WA'13 speak of the gratitude she has for her Sacred Heart education.  Bridget proudly told us that she has been accepted at Northwestern University and will start this fall. 

I was especially grateful to be seated with Woodlands Academy Board Trustee, Margaret Mary O'Neill Conley, WA'49 and her husband, John who I have known for over 20 years, when we worked together. Additionally, Trustees John Popoli and his wife Chris; Mike Paterson and his wife Ann; and Marni Soderland Mans, WAAA President, were at my table. It was a delightful group and spectacular evening!