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December 4, 2025For 11 years now, the Mount Saint Mary Catholic High School Key Club has volunteered at the J.D. McCarty Center in Norman to decorate Christmas trees. The J.D. McCarty Center works to bring extra light to the lives of children with developmental disabilities.
This year, Key Club, along with math honor society – Mu Alpha Theta – decorated a school tree, decked out with ornaments handmade by students, allowing an injection of Rocket pride to the kids at the center.
“What I enjoyed the most about the tree decorating was the fact that we got to put up a tree that represented the Mount,” senior Bella Yeakley said. “It was also fun to do it with my friends and all the volunteers that came.”
“Volunteering is important for so many reasons,” said Key Club sponsor Kathryn Pickens. “First and foremost, Christ sent us to serve one another, and volunteering in the community is an essential part of being the Body of Christ.
“In addition to meeting the needs of those around us, volunteering builds confidence, strengthens leadership skills and allows us to further develop the gifts God has given us. “Part of Catholic education is ensuring that we are forming a whole person, and giving students a variety of ways to serve others is one way of doing just that.
“I have had Key Club members discover new skills, passions and even career paths through our service projects. I love to see it!”
Students engaged in canned food drive
One of the Corporal Works of Mercy is to feed the hungry. Since Mount Saint Mary is a school founded by the Sisters of Mercy, the school uses the Works of Mercy as a foundation for how the students conduct themselves. To embody the work of feeding the hungry, the National Honor Society hosts a canned food drive every year.
This year, the NHS collected food for Feed the Children, with students asked to donate 30 pounds of food. And there was inspiration: a week of free dress after Thanksgiving break.
The food drive allows students to help others around the holidays so families can have proper meals. It brings a sense of community to not just the school but to those who helped by the drive.
Seniors gather wisdom for journey ahead
Senior year tends to turn everything on its head. Suddenly, students are faced with a million unanswered questions that all have to somehow be answered by the end of the school year, if not sooner. It can be a stressful and trying time for the seniors, who can feel overwhelmed or like they have no control over what’s happening.
To give students more advice and wisdom for their life after high school, senior theology teacher Brian Boeckman has the students do what he calls “The Wisdom Project.” This project is aimed to help students gain insight into things in their lives that they may have questions on, including work/life balance, marriage and staying connected to God.
“I began this project about 17 or 18 years ago so students can learn practical advice and guidance for navigating life's challenges,” Boeckman said.
Today, kids can be glued to phones and devices to the point they struggle to maintain an in-person conversation. For this project, students were asked to interview at least four different people for their different topic areas.
“The interview process of this project encourages students to develop interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence by building connections with people from different backgrounds,” Boeckman said. “Also, interacting with older adults can lead to more positive attitudes toward the elderly, reducing age-related stereotypes.”
At the end of the project, students will take all their quotes from interviews and put them into a slideshow and present it to the class. By doing this, they will be able to share what they learned from those they interviewed with each other. Boeckman said it also makes sure that the stories and advice of the older generations will be preserved.
“My favorite part of the Wisdom Project is listening to the stories and insights of the students as they present their findings from their research and interviews,” he said. “ I always gain new ways to better handle life's challenges and surprises. After the students finally finish the process, it is always good to hear how many of the students enjoyed the project even though the process can get a little overwhelming.”
Thanks to Boeckman, students spend time listening to the advice of older generations and learning ways to better handle whatever situations they may face in their future. This project serves as a reminder to the students and those they interview that good conversations don’t have to be difficult, someone just has to take the first step.
Photo: The MSM Key Club and Mu Alpha Theta decorated Christmas trees at the JD
McCarty Center. Photo Mark Woodward.
Mount themed tree. Photo Lili Currie.