We are delighted to announce our 2025 Commencement speaker: Ms. Katie Allston, LCSW-C, president and CEO of Marian House, a nonprofit organization co-sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy and the School Sisters of Notre Dame dedicated to providing a holistic, healing community for women and their children who are in need of housing and rehabilitative services. Ms. Allston will speak at Mercy High School’s 62nd commencement exercises at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen on Friday, May 30, 2025. Previous distinguished speakers have included Sr. Helen Amos, RSM, executive chair of Mercy Health Services Board of Trustees; Ms. Mary Ann Scully, dean of the Sellinger School of Business & Management at Loyola University Maryland and former president and CEO of Howard Bank; and Ms. Lenora Henry ’88, executive director of the American Red Cross of Central Maryland.

As a licensed clinical social worker with nearly 30 years of experience, Ms. Allston has dedicated her career to addressing issues such as HIV/AIDS, homelessness, addiction, mental health, and domestic violence. Her commitment to social justice and community impact has earned her numerous accolades, including the 2012 SmartCEO Brava Award, the 2016 Maryland Daily Record's Most Admired CEO Award, the 2016 CLIA Inspiring Voices Award, and the Maryland Daily Record's Top 100 Women Award in both 2017 and 2019. Ms. Allston earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of William and Mary and her master’s degree in social work from University of Maryland Baltimore.

Ms. Allston has contributed her expertise to several boards, including serving on the board of Mandela Enterprise Corporation which supports individuals transitioning from incarceration, and as board secretary for Camp Opportunity Maryland, a summer camp program for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Ms. Allston is also passionate about mentorship and leadership development; she has mentored emerging leaders through the Executive Alliance Program and has served as a field instructor for social work students at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. Ms. Allston is a devoted wife and mother of two, and an active member of her parish, St. Augustine Church in Elkridge, Maryland.

We are deeply proud of our close partnership with Marian House, which has welcomed student volunteers from Mercy over many years, and we are thrilled that Ms. Allston, the leader of a sister Mercy ministry dedicated to lifting up women and children, will inspire our 2025 graduates on their journey to becoming Women of Mercy!