Kathryn Maegli Davis Endowed Scholarship Helps Single Mothers Succeed A Legacy of Love

Perseverance, selflessness and a deep commitment to helping others have laid the framework for Kathryn Maegli Davis’ life.

Born and raised in Wisconsin, Davis faced unimaginable loss at a young age. In her 20s she married a naval officer, and just one month after giving birth to their son, her husband was tragically killed in a plane accident. Widowed with a newborn, she returned to Wisconsin, unsure of what her future would hold.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Davis recalls. Although she had no college education, she considered becoming a teacher. That decision led her to Mount Mary and became a turning point in her life. But there were still roadblocks to overcome.

In 2007, after a fulfilling teaching career, Davis and her second husband established the Kathryn Maegli Davis Endowed Scholarship at Mount Mary. The fund provides financial support to single mothers pursuing an MMU degree. To date, it has helped more than 40 women achieve their dreams.

“Not a single one of them [scholarship recipients] has dropped out of school,” Davis said. “I’m very proud of those women and I call them my heroes.”

“I was an adult woman and at that point in 1965, Mount Mary had not accepted any women who had been married. But the registrar said, ‘you can take one class, and if you can pass that class then you will be entered as a student,” Davis recalls.

She aced the class and became a full-time student, balancing her studies with part-time work and raising her son. It took six years, but Davis eventually received her Mount Mary degree.

“When I walked across the stage to get my diploma, I said to myself: Mount Mary, I’m going to pay you back someday,” Davis said.

That promise would later transform into a life-changing gift for other women facing similar challenges.

Davis has led a vibrant life filled with adventure and service. She is a published author of several books, including a memoir of her travel adventures and a Civil War story based on the life of a relative who marched with General Sherman’s army. In addition to her writing, she has been an avid volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House for 25 years and a Mount Mary Board of Trustees member.

But it’s her pivotal years at Mount Mary, she says, that made all the difference.

“During my six years at Mount Mary, I could have never received a better education. The professors and the Sisters were always there for every single student. They gave love, counseling and encouragement,” Davis said. “Going back to Mount Mary to get my education was the smartest thing I ever did.”

Today, Davis continues to meet with her scholarship recipients, sharing stories and tears, and watching as her legacy of education and resilience lives on.