Five MFC Scholarship recipients, all students at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, recently met for the first time. Enjoying an evening of conversation are Eleanor Granstrom (l.), Kristine Hellmann, Valarie Schuster, Cecelia Miller, and Alora Rapp-Uptegraph.
by Michelle London
When five University of Iowa students were awarded the Mary Frances Clarke Scholarship for Women, they became part of something that doesn’t happen often—all of the recipients are attending the same school in the same academic year.
For freshman Eleanor Granstrom, the scholarship is an opportunity to pursue her dream of being a writer. For the other four—juniors Alora Rapp-Uptegraph and Cecelia Miller and freshmen Kristine Hellmann and Valarie Schuster—the scholarship has been a bridge to the BVM community they cherish in Dubuque, Iowa, where they all work part-time at Mount Carmel Bluffs.
The Mount Carmel Connection
The four young women were introduced to the BVMs through their part-time jobs. Alora works in culinary service, and Cecelia, Kristine, and Valarie are CNAs. Alice Caulfield, BVM who sponsored three of the girls’ applications, and Marcella O’Rourke, BVM who sponsored Valarie, met them through ordinary moments of daily life—serving lunch, offering care, or simply stopping in for a conversation.
“I didn’t know who the BVMs were when I started,” Kristine says. “But they are such incredible ladies. So kind. I love working with them.”
Though their academic paths differ, these scholars share an Iowa upbringing and a deep connection to the BVMs. Kristine is majoring in music education with dreams of teaching. Alora is an art history major and hopes to work as a museum curator. Cecelia is a psychology major who wants to work as a pediatric oncology therapist. For Alice, the scholarship is a natural extension of the congregation’s identity.
“Providing these scholarships is living the BVM core value of education,” she says.
Alice gets to know the recipients as young women with unique stories.
“I want to know their names, and I want to know a bit about their lives,” she said. “Sometimes it’s just an email, but we keep in touch.”
While the young women are grateful for the financial help, it is the personal connection with the BVMs that they love.
“It feels like people are really caring for us,” Alora says. “It makes you feel supported.”
Eleanor, a native of Evanston, Ill., worried about attending an out-of-state school far from her Chicago roots, but she said the scholarship did a lot to alleviate that concern.
“In a broad sense, it’s opened up opportunities for my future,” she says. “I feel like I have more leeway to figure out what I want to do after college. I’m very, very thankful.”
Alice shares, “That BVM charism rubs off on them. I love when they talk about their ambitions and their goals. These young women are going places.”
Freshmen Valarie Schuster, 18, is a psychology major. Her sponsor is Marcella O’Rourke, whom she met while working at MCB.
“I met her through my job and began helping her with everyday tasks like getting ready for bed,” she writes in her application.
Valarie hopes to become a therapist, helping others with their brain health. She knew U of I was where she wanted to pursue that vocation.
“It is one of the best psychology schools,” she says in her application. “I love their campus.”
The Illinois Connection
Eleanor’s sponsors are Associates Marybeth Coleman and Eileen O’Shea, who are both long-time friends of Eleanor’s family through Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Church.
“They helped us when my dad passed away suddenly when I was in middle school,” she says. “They were very good to us.”
She was attracted to U of I because of its storied literary reputation.
“I mean, this is the University of Iowa,” she says. “They have the Writer’s Workshop!”
New Friends
The scholarship has also connected the recipients to one another. They recently all met to share a meal—a rare break from campus life.
“That dinner felt like a piece of home,” Cecelia says. “It’s been such a blessing to connect with new faces.”
The young women appreciate that the BVM community is interested in how they’re doing. For the students, that BVM legacy is deeply felt.
“It’s really special that so many of them were teachers,” Kristine says. “Now I get their support as I become a teacher myself.”
Alora, Cecelia, and Kristine plan to continue working at MCB during school breaks.
“I love it there,” Kristine says. “I miss the sisters dearly.”
Stepping Out in Faith
The mission of Mary Frances Clarke continues in the lives of young women who carry forward a legacy of service, commitment, and compassion.
“This scholarship has meant so much,” Kristine says. “Financially, academically, emotionally—it’s opened doors and given us a community. It’s phenomenal, and the BVMs are phenomenal.”
Winter Salt 2026: A Life Commended to God
If you would like to receive Salt, contact the Office of Development for a complimentary subscription at development@bvmsisters.org or 563-585-2864.
The post Five Scholars, One Mission: Shaping the Lives of University of Iowa Students appeared first on Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.