SJCS 6th Grader Finds Role Model in ND-Bound Senior

By Bob Castello
SJCS Communications Manager

As is tradition, St. Joseph's Catholic School had a day earlier this month on which seniors were invited to wear T-shirts representing the colleges and universities they will be attending in the coming year.

A photograph is taken of the class and posted on social media, and that picture caught the eye of one Sixth Grade Academy student. Molly Monroe couldn't help but notice that Margo Schellinger was wearing a University of Notre Dame T-shirt.

That's Molly's dream school, and she's already thinking about what it will take to get there.

Molly's father contacted Admissions Associate Jenny Starks and asked if a meeting could be set up between Molly and Margo. Mrs. Starks asked Margo, who was eager to talk with Molly.

"I remember being like that when I was a 6th grader," Margo said. "I love talking about Notre Dame so being able to share that love with somebody that I was like when I was in middle school is really awesome."

Molly came prepared with questions.

"I asked her about her GPA and some of her extracurricular activities and some of the things that helped her get in, some of the things she did here and some of the harder classes that she took," Molly said.

The two Knights share not only an incredibly high level of academic motivation and a love of the university but also family connections to the school.

Margo's father is a Notre Dame graduate who later taught military science for the ROTC at the university. Molly's grandmother, aunt and uncle are graduates, and her cousin will be a freshman in the fall.

Margo, who plans to major in political science and global affairs, said her mindset was similar to Molly's when she was in middle school.

"In 8th grade, I walked into Mrs. Charlton's office with all the courses I was going to take for all of high school planned out," Margo said, "and I was like, 'I think this is what I need to take to get to Notre Dame. Help me tweak this. Let's talk about it.'

"That's why it's really cool. As a 6th grader, I never would have had the courage to ask a senior who was going to Notre Dame to come talk to me. That's a little bit of a difference."