Generous Donation Expands Travel Opportunities for Magnificat Students

Thanks to a generous donation from Maureen Rooney ’74, a member of the school’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Advisory Committee, Magnificat students now have greater access to educational travel opportunities.

Rooney’s gift is designed to enable students of color and those from low-income families to benefit from travel abroad and other school-sponsored trips.

“Traveling provides a unique educational experience that can transform lives,” said Janetta M. Hammock, Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. “It exposes students to new perspectives, cultures, and ways of being that can’t be duplicated in the classroom.”

Often times students of color do not sign up for travel experiences because they fear they will not fit in or be welcomed while low-income students believe they can’t afford to travel, Hammock said. Rooney’s gift will break down these barriers and make travel a reality for more Magnificat students. In the spring, Rooney’s gift will help pay for up to 10 students to join the World Languages & Cultures Department’s immersion trip to Costa Rica.

“We are so very grateful for Maureen’s generosity and for her commitment to expanding access to educational travel to our students,” Hammock said.