Sister Dorothy Synkewecz Named a 2011 Lauralton Hall Claven Award Recipient
On April 30, seven notable individuals, including Sister Dorothy Synkewecz, were honored with the Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall’s Claven XXVIII Awards Ceremony at The Patterson Club in Fairfield, Connecticut.
The Claven Award, inaugurated in 1980 on the occasion of the school’s 75th anniversary, is a lifetime achievement award named in honor of Lauralton Hall’s foundress, Mother Mary Augustine Claven. It is the highest distinction given by the school and is conferred every other year on exceptional individuals in recognition of their outstanding example, service, and achievement.
Sister Dot, as she is known throughout the Lauralton Hall student body and larger community, has served the school for nearly 25 years in a range of roles, including school chaplain, outreach coordinator, student advisor, class moderator, and student club faculty sponsor. Described by a colleague as “a Renaissance woman with a rare gift for friendship,” Sister Dot also possesses a strong commitment to peace and justice, a commitment that she shares with her sister, Sister Mary Alice Synkewecz, former president of the Connecticut Sisters of Mercy and present co-director of the Collaborative Center for Justice in Hartford. The organizer of the school’s first Justice Day and a long-time volunteer at Mercy Learning Center (Bridgeport), Merton House of Hospitality, and the St. Vincent DePaul guest center (Middletown), Sister Dot may be best known for her open-door office policy and camaraderie with all.
About the Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall:<br> Founded in 1905 by the Sisters of Mercy, Lauralton Hall is Connecticut’s oldest independent, Catholic college-preparatory school for women. Recognized as Connecticut State Historic Site in October 2010, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Lauralton Hall remains committed to the principles of academic excellence, recognition of the dignity of each person, the education of the whole person, and the promotion of compassion and justice through service to others.
