Farewell, Amen to Mount Assisi

It was with heavy hearts that we learned of the impending closure of Mt. Assist Academy, though we can’t say we were surprised at the news. Our daughters, Erin and Cara, attended Mt. Assisi from 2007-09 before transferring to Aurora Central Catholic, in large part because we could never escape the feeling that the school was about to close its doors for good. The fact that it remained open for another five years after Erin and Cara left is a tribute to the commitment of the School Sisters of St. Francis of Christ the King, as well as the entire faculty and staff. During their time at MAA, both girls were involved in the volleyball, basketball and track-and-field programs. Despite traditionally being one of the smallest schools in the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference (GCAC), it always seemed that MAA was competitive in all sports, especially volleyball, where it was annually placed in the GCAC’s top division and more often than not held its own against perennial powers like Mother McAuley. The credit for that goes to longtime Athletic Director June VerSchave, while coaches Mark Murphy, Brad Reynard, Karen VanAssen and Frances Smith were all important parts of our girls’ lives during their time at the school. Erin even went on to play two years of intercollegiate volleyball at Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa. In the end, we will look back on their time at MAA as one that helped form their current personalities and laid a foundation for success that is continuing to blossom in college. For that we will be eternally grateful for The School on the Hill.