Conner Allender ’25 Receives Sister Catherine McAuley Award

Mount Mercy University graduate Conner Allender '25 received the Sister Catherine McAuley Award during Mount Mercy's 2025 Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 18. Conner received her bachelor's degree with a double major in criminal justice and psychology.

The Sister Catherine McAuley Award is presented to the graduate who best exemplifies our university mission in how they reflect, engage, serve, and live a purposeful life during their time at Mount Mercy. The award is named for Sister Mary Catherine McAuley, who founded the Sisters of Mercy in Ireland in 1831.

Conner was an MMU Ambassador and an officer for Gen 1, a club to support first-generation college students. She was also a participant and eventual peer mentor for Project Connect, which equips students with the knowledge, skills, and resources to be successful at Mount Mercy. In addition, Conner was a student leader for the AmeriCorps Mustang Mentor team where her deep commitment to leadership and civic responsibility earned her the Presidents' Student Leadership Award from Seed Coalition. Finally, Conner was also the founder and president of the student organization Mustangs Unleashed, a club dedicated to promoting, educating, and training service dogs for veterans and first responders.

One nominator said "Since her first day on campus, Conner has shown remarkable dedication to living and modeling the Mount Mercy values. She has spent much of her time on campus in service to others."

In addition to her extracurricular activities, Conner found time to work on and off campus while maintaining high academic standards, truly demonstrating Mercy leadership.

Congratulations, Conner!