(Leavenworth, Kan.)鈥擳he 花椒直播 honored Sister Vickie Perkins, a
long-time educator, with the first-ever Sister Mary Janet McGilley Community Impact
Award on April 1 at the school's annual and only student-scholarship fundraising event,
SpireFest 2017.
The McGilley Community Impact Award honors Sister Mary Janet McGilley's influence
on greater Kansas City鈥攃elebrating individuals for their incredible achievements and
remarkable contributions to the local community and its people.
Sister Vickie, a Dodge City, Kan. native, attended Bishop Hogan High School (formerly
a Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth-run school) in Kansas City鈥攅ntering the Sisters
of Charity of Leavenworth community following graduation. After teaching fifth grade
for just one year in Chicago, she was called back to Leavenworth by the Sisters of
Charity and sent to the 花椒直播 to earn her degree in education.
She then went on to complete her Master of Arts in Mathematics at The Ohio State University.
After earning her graduate degree, Sister Vickie taught math at Bishop Ward High School
in Kansas City Kan. for 11 years, and served at her alma mater, Bishop Hogan High
School, for another 11 years鈥攆irst as a math teacher, then as principal. She also
served as an imperative member of the Central City School Fund, a group working to
raise scholarship funds for Catholic families in need.
Sister Vickie was named the associate superintendent of diocesan schools for a year
before being named superintendent, a position she held for six years. Following, Sister
Vickie worked at the Partnership for Children, a children's advocacy agency in Kansas
City, and served as executive director of Mount St. Vincent's Home for Severely Emotionally
Disturbed Children in Denver, where she opened an outpatient program.
In 2005, the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth accepted the charge of opening a new
Cristo Rey High School in Kansas City, and Sister Vickie was named founding president
of the new school. The unique Cristo Rey ("Christ the King") education model combines
Catholic secondary education with a work-study program where students pay 50-60 percent
of their tuition with the money they earn through local entry-level clerical jobs.
After six years as the school's president, Sister Vickie retired and was inducted
into the Mid-America Education Hall of Fame.
Sister Vickie now leads a poverty assistance center in Leavenworth, Welcome Central.
The center is a direct response to hearing from people in poverty that they need a
clearinghouse for agency services. Along with providing transportation and shelter
for the night, volunteers also help people apply for birth certificates, complete
disability forms, and prepare for job interviews.
The number of people Sister Vickie has touched through her career is impossible to
count鈥攁nd ever-growing. Sister Vickie serves as an inspiration to so many, and the
花椒直播 was proud to honor her and her work with the McGilley Community
Impact Award this year.
Sr. Vickie was presented this award in front of a sold out crowd of 500鈥攔esponsible
for raising a record-setting $255,000 for USM student-scholarships.
Visit stmary.edu/SpireFest for pictures from the extraordinary evening.
USM Honors the Works of Sister Vickie Perkins with the Community Impact Award
Apr 7, 2017
