Seiker Award
ABOUT THE SEIKER AWARD
The Sheridan Road Alumni Association presents the Sr. Catherine I. Seiker, RSCJ Award during Alumni Weekend. It is given to an RSCJ, Sheridan Road alumna/us, or alumna/us from any Sacred Heart Network school whose life exemplifies, to an extraordinary degree, the values and standards that Sacred Heart Schools represents.
Sr. Catherine Seiker began her relationship with Sacred Heart Schools in 1945 as a teacher. In later years, she worked with school volunteers and served as the Business Manager. Sr. Seiker was a proponent of the Network’s nationwide alumni community. In the 1980s, she worked tirelessly to produce the first Sacred Heart Alumni Directory and also paved the way to organize the Schools' archives. Sr. Seiker passed away in April 2016.
Sr. Seiker’s life impacted so many: the children she taught, and the alumnae and other friends she kept in touch with. Her love of people brought out the best in them and her collaborative nature supported the many projects she managed as treasurer.
AWARD NOMINATION FORM
Please use this form to make a nomination for the 2024 Seiker Award.
The deadline for nominations is April 30, 2024.
Previous SEIKER AWARD RECIPIENTS
2023 Margaret Marotta Newell ASH'73
2022 Joan Merlo ASH'72
2021 Joey Yao H'76
2020 Gladys Saavedra Davis ASH’70
2019 Anthony A. Nichols H'54†
2018 Carol Rae Culliton-Metzger PhD ASH'68
2017 Kathleen Hackett Megan ASH’67
2016 Diane Skowron Evans ASH'70
2015 Daniel Flaherty
2014 Susan Maxwell, RSCJ
2013 Joanne Barranco Steenveld ASH'56
2011 Pamela Hickey, RSCJ ASH'47†
2010 Patricia Nebrida ASH'86
2009 Anita Nagler ASH'73
2008 Kathy McKeown ASH'54† and Margaret Mary Munch, RSCJ
2007 Ginger Tarjan ASH'68
2006 Joan Schneider Wrenn ASH'55
2005 Rosemary Dewey, RSCJ†
2004 William Campbell, Jr. H'62†
2003 Andrea O’Leary Hasten ASH‘71
2002 Mary McMahon, RSCJ†
2001 Rosemary O’Neil ASH'42†
2000 Marty Corbett Kohl ASH'43†
1999 Frances Kimball Regan ASH'36†
1998 Rosalie Kempe ASH'23†
1997 Carita Corbett Rothing ASH'44†
2023 Seiker Award Recipient: Margaret Marotta Newell ASH'73
Margaret Marotta Newell ASH’73 received the 2023 Sr. Catherine J. Seiker, RSCJ Award.
Her service on the SRAA Board began in 1993. She was Vice President from 1999-2001. She is remembered as one of the people who transformed the alumni association, shaping its character, independence and purpose. Building this remarkable community was accomplished at a challenging time after the high school closed.
She stays involved because it keeps her close to her mom, Barbara Szygowski Marotta AHS’51, who was active in SRAA before passing away in 1996. Barbara was so proud that her four daughters attended Sacred Heart. Margaret’s Sacred Heart connection is so strong, it feels like she never left. And being involved with SRAA enlightened her to the amazing history of the RSCJ.
After graduation, Margaret studied art at Mundelein College and received a BA from Northeastern IL University. She worked in marketing and program development at United Airlines, BAI, Spiegel Catalog and Lions Clubs International.
What she appreciates most about her Sacred Heart student experience is that high school classes were small. Students were treated as adults, responsible for their own decisions. Teachers from diverse backgrounds encouraged students to think broadly, discuss differences, challenge assumptions, be individuals and know one’s strengths – all through the lens of Sacred Heart values that included sharing God's love and making the world a better place.