Seiker Award

2023 Seiker Award Recipient: Margaret Marotta Newell ASH'73

Margaret Marotta Newell ASH’73 will receive the Sr. Catherine J. Seiker, RSCJ Award at Alumni Weekend on October 22. This award is given by the Sheridan Road Alumni Association (SRAA) to an RSCJ, alumna or alumnus whose life exemplifies, to an extraordinary degree, the values and standards that Sacred Heart Schools represents. 

Margaret’s 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.