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2022 Event

Making A Difference was a joyous night celebrating Mercy education!

If you weren't able to join us in person, click HERE or on the image above to watch our livestream.
Be sure to refresh your page if you don't see the livestream video.

Making A Gift is easy!
Venmo @mercyburlingame
Make an online gift below!

You can still support Making A Difference through Sponsorship or by making a Gift!

Join us for Mercy's biggest fundraiser of the year for tuition assistance!

Our 2023 Making a Difference Benefit will be in-person as well as live streamed. It is truly a celebration of our Mercy community.  This past year we raised a record $400,000 — and our Mercy students need us to continue this level of support and more. We want those who cannot join us in person to still be able to watch and support this very special event from their homes.  

While the requests for financial aid are always greater than our available funding, your generous support gives us the ability to ensure the transformative opportunity of a Mercy education is accessible to as many young women as possible.  Thank you for helping us to build the bridge that makes a Mercy education possible - every gift truly makes a difference.

Tuition for the 2022-23 school year is $25,925. Every gift, no matter how big or small, helps a Mercy student.  100% of your gift goes directly to tuition assistance!

Our Impact 

  • Mercy awarded nearly $2 million in financial support in FY 23
  • Making A Difference makes up 15% of the tuition assistance budget; each gift is matched by 85% of other funding in order to make the most impact and help the greatest number of students.
  • Making A Difference has raised and awarded $3.4 million in aid since its inception in 2004.
  • 99% - 100% of our students matriculate to college
  • In a competitive admissions market, providing increased financial aid packages to more families in need enables more young women in the Bay Area to access a Mercy education.
Sponsorship Opportunities

Demonstrate your commitment to making a difference. 
100% of all sponsorships provide essential funds to Mercy’s tuition assistance program.

Sponsorship Levels:

$25,000+ Catherine McAuley*
Provides a $5,000 award to five students
$10,000+ Platinum*
Provides a $2,000 award to five students
$5,000+ Gold*
Provides a $1,000 award to five students
$2,500+ Silver *
Provides a $500 award to five students
$1,500+ Presidential*
Provides a $500 award to three students
$1,000+ Bronze
(Six reserved seats at Making a Difference)
$600+ Blue & White
(Four reserved seats at Making a Difference)
$300+ Crusader
(Two reserved seats at Making a Difference)
All sponsors will receive recognition on the website, publications and at the event.
*Sponsors of $1,500 or more will have a reserved table for 10 at the event.
$150- Individual ticket

Donations of all amounts are deeply appreciated.

For additional information, please contact Mary Lund, Director of Advancement
at 650-762-1190 or mlund@mercyhsb.com
Mercy's Tax I.D.. #94-1230999

Mercy High School is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your donation is tax deductible as allowed by law. 
The fair market value of the benefits received is not tax deductible as a charitable contribution. 
The fair market value for dinner is $110.

Board of Directors

Mary Schaffer Kircher ’78,
Board Chair
Catherine Dunleavy Rosaia
’72, P’99 G’29,
Vice Chair
Jamie Jweinat Lechleitner ’02, 
Secretary
Bob Grassilli,
Treasurer
Alison Vorsatz ’98
Anne Murphy, RSM, ’69
Bart Gaul P ’12
Caroline Romeo P ’14
Christopher Denten, Esq. P ’23
Jeanine Thorpe ’86
Jennifer Estrella Peneyra ’93
Joan Marie O’Donnell,
RSM, SF ’59
Kathy Barulich Ryan, SF ’78
Lisa Larratt P ’14 P ’20 P ’22
Meghan Chavez Railey ’04
Patricia Waugh O’Connor P ’22
Tricia Arana Mifsud ’91
William Armanino, Jr.

Guest Members

Barry Thornton
Patrick Ruff
Penny Stack Alexander ’78
Randy Wong, M.D., P ’12

Natalie Cirigliano Brosnan  Ed.D.
'02,
Head of School

Making A Difference
Steering Committee

Caroline Romeo, P '14
Catherine Dunleavy Rosaia
'72, P '99
Gina Rosaia Collins '99
Jackie Svedise
Jamie weinat Lechleitner '02
Joann Mahaffey
Mary Schaffer Kircher '78
Martha Phillips, P '25
Natalie Cirigliano Brosnan '02, Ed.D.
Niki Rodrigues Nielsen
Patricia Waugh O'Connor, P '22
Tami Cirigliano Guglielmina

Making A Difference 2026
Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors - $25,000+
Outrageous Foundation
Robert Stewart Odell and
Helen Pfeiffer Odell Fund
Sisters of Mercy - Institute Office of Ministry
 
Gold Sponsors - $10,000+
Tom Culligan and Kirata Samthong, P '28
 
Silver Sponsors - $5,000+
Bob Grassilli
Caroline and
Charlie Romeo, P ’14
Catherine Dunleavy Rosaia ’72 and Wayne Rosaia
Jeanine Thorpe '86 and David Schellhase 
Penny Stack Alexander ’78 and Matthew Alexander
Susan Kerler Kennedy '64
 
Bronze Sponsors - $3,500+
David and Maria Collins, P '15
Frank and Susan Kerler Kennedy '64 
Martha Phillips and Al Taira,
P '25
 
Mercy Table Sponsors - $1,950+
Alison Vorsatz ’98
Andrew and Maggie Demkin,
P '26
Chris and Mary Denten, P ’23
Elizabeth Caserza '77
Gina Rosaia Collins ’98 and James Collins
Jamie Jweinat Lechleitner and Ricky Lechleitner
Jennifer Estrella Peneyra '93
Joe and Lisa Larratt
Junipero Serra High School
Kristine Furrer Crouch '82
Mary Schaffer Kircher ’78 and Matthew Kircher
Meghan Railey ‘04
Mercy Alumnae Board
Mercy Education System of the Americas
Natalie Cirigliano Brosnan ’02, Ed.D. and Neil Brosnan
Niki Rodrigues Nielsen and Erik Nielsen
Sisters of Mercy Burlingame Community
 
Blue and White Sponsors - $1,500+
James and Rose Gogarty
Madeleine Bucher ‘84
Sharon Santini Tallon '69
 
Friends of Mercy - $500+
Angela Simonetti
DevCon Construction
Lorraine Welch Paul
Michael and Mary Bollier Carp '77
Michele O'Connor Tyler ‘68
Patricia A Flanagan
Richard and Gina DeRanieri Wiebe '84