By Shari L. Marderness
St. Bernard School senior Lauren O’Donnell was recognized as the 2020 St. Edmund’s Honor Scholarship Recipient on October 25th during the 16th Annual St. Edmund’s Medal of Honor Dinner at the Mystic Marriott Hotel.
The scholarship was established in memory of the members of the Society of St. Edmund who served as faculty and staff members of St. Bernard School.
Instituted in 2007, the endowed Saint Edmund’s Honor Scholarship is given annually to a first semester senior of St. Bernard School who has shown, through academics and service, the virtues that St. Edmund heroically manifested in his life.
In her application essay on “The challenges of living a life of virtue in the world today,” Lauren described how experiencing issues with her vision caused her to lose sight of her virtues of patience, obedience and faith.
“There is a reason God has put this obstacle in my path. I believe it is a test for my patience as well as my faith… I still long for my sight to be restored, but until then, I turn to my family, friends, and faith to help me remember who I am, and how much I love the life I live,” she wrote.