(Leavenworth, Kan.)—The University of Saint Mary honored Sister Vickie Perkins, a long-time educator, with the first-ever Sister Mary Janet McGilley Community Impact Award on April 1 at the school's annual and only student-scholarship fundraising event, SpireFest 2017.
 
The McGilley Community Impact Award honors Sister Mary Janet McGilley's influence on greater Kansas City—celebrating individuals for their incredible achievements and remarkable contributions to the local community and its people.

Sister Vickie, a Dodge City, Kan. native, attended Bishop Hogan High School (formerly a Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth-run school) in Kansas City—entering the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth community following graduation. After teaching fifth grade for just one year in Chicago, she was called back to Leavenworth by the Sisters of Charity and sent to the University of Saint Mary to earn her degree in education. She then went on to complete her Master of Arts in Mathematics at The Ohio State University.
 
After earning her graduate degree, Sister Vickie taught math at Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City Kan. for 11 years, and served at her alma mater, Bishop Hogan High School, for another 11 years—first as a math teacher, then as principal. She also served as an imperative member of the Central City School Fund, a group working to raise scholarship funds for Catholic families in need.
 
Sister Vickie was named the associate superintendent of diocesan schools for a year before being named superintendent, a position she held for six years. Following, Sister Vickie worked at the Partnership for Children, a children's advocacy agency in Kansas City, and served as executive director of Mount St. Vincent's Home for Severely Emotionally Disturbed Children in Denver, where she opened an outpatient program.
 
In 2005, the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth accepted the charge of opening a new Cristo Rey High School in Kansas City, and Sister Vickie was named founding president of the new school. The unique Cristo Rey ("Christ the King") education model combines Catholic secondary education with a work-study program where students pay 50-60 percent of their tuition with the money they earn through local entry-level clerical jobs. After six years as the school's president, Sister Vickie retired and was inducted into the Mid-America Education Hall of Fame.
 
Sister Vickie now leads a poverty assistance center in Leavenworth, Welcome Central. The center is a direct response to hearing from people in poverty that they need a clearinghouse for agency services. Along with providing transportation and shelter for the night, volunteers also help people apply for birth certificates, complete disability forms, and prepare for job interviews.
 
The number of people Sister Vickie has touched through her career is impossible to count—and ever-growing. Sister Vickie serves as an inspiration to so many, and the University of Saint Mary was proud to honor her and her work with the McGilley Community Impact Award this year.
 
Sr. Vickie was presented this award in front of a sold out crowd of 500—responsible for raising a record-setting $255,000 for USM student-scholarships.
 
Visit stmary.edu/SpireFest for pictures from the extraordinary evening.
 

The University of Saint Mary is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The University of Saint Mary main campus is located at 4100 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kan. USM's Overland Park Campus at 4500 College Boulevard offers evening accelerated graduate and undergraduate degree-completion programs. The university also offers online programs. Visit stmary.edu for more information.