Providence Alumni - Financial Aid Fundraiser

Hi everyone! My name is Emma, and I'm running the May 14th Copenhagen Marathon as a fundraiser for a needs-based scholarship to Providence Catholic High School.

I am so grateful for the chance to have gone to Providence, and I would love to enable students the opportunity to receive such a fantastic and well-rounded education in the most supportive community I can think of. https://www.providencecatholic.org/

Providence's inclusive, faith-based environment allows its students to become better in all aspects of life: academics, athletics, spirituality, leadership, friendship, and more. From the start, you are taught that you are loveable and capable, building students' belief in themselves to achieve big dreams and support each other along the way.

For the 26.2 miles that I will be running, my goal is to raise $2,600. All funds will be donated directly to Providence financial aid.

Any and all support is greatly appreciated!

A bit more back story:

I began my running career at Providence, joining the Cross-Country team in 2011 where I immediately made lifelong friends and found out I had a bit of a knack for running. I then joined the Track team that spring, growing my enthusiasm for sprinting, and began to have my sights set on running in college. The next three years contained plenty of challenges and the opportunity to win races, meets, and conference titles with outstanding teammates.

Throughout my time as a Track athlete at Providence, two things remained consistent: 1) the significant life lessons I learned and 2) the genuine, deep friendships that shaped me into someone I never thought I could be.

1) Life lessons

Under the coaching of Ms. McCuan and Mr. Lenahan, I learned the critical role that grit, integrity, and teamwork play in achieving success and happiness, both in athletics and in life. I was taught how to do the small things well and that giving my best in every moment would bring me to new heights. I also learned how to manage my emotions, especially in the face of hardship and tough losses. These skills have stuck with me as I managed college, new jobs, an MBA, and now living in a new country.

2) Extraordinary friendships

To quote my still best friend and Providence teammate after we had a tough loss at State, "When you figure out love is all that matters after all, it sure makes everything else seem so small." Through trials on and off the track, the friendships formed through strong faith in and support for each other were unlike anything I had experienced. The growth I gained from running for Providence came in huge part from the inspiring teammates I had around me that pushed me to reach scary goals.

Following Providence

After graduating in 2015, I ran Track at the University of Chicago where I majored in English Language and Literature. I ran all three years before graduating in 2018. The time management skills gained from Providence allowed me to manage a difficult class load with 15 hours of commitment to Track each week.

Running was still a part of my life as I began my career in consulting at GEP in Chicago, running the Philly Half Marathon and multiple 5k races with work colleagues. Providence showed me the beauty of working for something bigger than yourself - your teammates - which then became my outlook at GEP as I strived to build a community where everyone could thrive.

With my sights set on Oxford for my MBA, I ended up taking the GMAT 6 times before getting a score that could put me as a potential candidate. Before that last time, I kept telling myself the quote from Coach Lenahan "Not too high, not too low" as I tried to manage my emotions around something that meant so much to me.

Fast forward through a magical year at Oxford, where I even briefly joined their Track team, I have incorporated running into my life here in London where I'm now living and working. As a former sprinter, a marathon is incredibly intimidating. But I'm now supremely motivated because I get to fundraise for something bigger than myself: the chance to help another student attend Providence and experience all of the life-changing lessons and friendships that I had the privilege of experiencing.

Although just one alumn’s story, I have no doubt that Providence has left a handprint on the hearts of so many that had the chance to attend. I hope the same for future generations to come and am excited to hopefully be a part of that growth.