Alumnae Awards

Maripeg Mita Bruder ‘74 is chair of the board of trustees at the Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center, where she first became involved in 2008 as co-host of one of the organization’s first fundraisers. As time progressed, Mission Kids became Ms. Bruder’s passion; in 2010 she joined the board and two years later was elected as chairman.

Maripeg is passionate about eradicating child abuse and not only in Montgomery County, PA where the organization is based. She understands the devastating effect of the human trafficking of young children and its widespread progression that knows no boundaries. Prevention education efforts are so important to Maripeg that she has been trained in the Darkness to Light program as a facilitator, which allows her to train and empower adults to recognize the signs of, and to prevent, child sexual abuse.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Bruder served as vice president of Carey Limousine in Beverly Hills, California, between 1982 and 1985, as well as a sales representative for Advanced Medical from 1985 to 1988. She draws upon a prior associate degree in marketing and merchandising from Marymount University, which she obtained in 1976. Outside of her primary work endeavors, Mr. Bruder has also dedicated her time to her community, in which she has done fundraising for her local Catholic Church, as well as for the Magee Rehabilitation Center.

Maripeg embodies the sentiment “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” She rolls up her sleeves and gets the work done.

After graduating from Merion Mercy Academy in 1974, Marianne Corr attended the University of Notre Dame where she studied Government and International Relations. She proceeded to earn her law degree at Duke University School of Law in 1981, and began her career at the prestigious Washington, D.C. law firm Jones Day where she was eventually named partner and distinguished herself professionally. In 1992, Marianne returned to Philadelphia to partner in her family’s law firm, Corr Law Offices. During that time she earned a master’s degree in trial advocacy from Temple University Law School. Four years later, she accepted a job at Textron, a multinational corporation, where as vice president and deputy general counsel she supervised all claims and litigation. 

After twelve years at Textron, in 2008, Marianne returned to her alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, as vice president and general counsel, a role in which she directs an office of nine attorneys and four professional staff. A highlight of her career has been to travel to Italy with Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees to hear Pope Francis speak about the importance of Catholic education. “He has a commanding presence and meeting him is a moment I will cherish all my life,” Marianne shares. 

Kristina Stanton McCawley, Associate Director of Development, says of this Distinguished Alumnae Awardee: “Marianne Corr is an inspiration and role model for all the students at Merion Mercy. She exemplifies how reaching for one’s goals entails both personal desire and hard work. By attending Merion Mercy, she was able to discover what fascinates her in life, and she used that to follow her ambitions and reach great heights in the fields of law and education.”

Kirsten Echelmeier Sams is a 1999 graduate of Merion Mercy Academy who has been a staple in the halls of her alma mater. Her love of her high school shows brightly in the many ways she gives back.  

A graduate of the University of Scranton with a degree in Elementary Education and Teaching, Kirsten first spent a year with the Franciscan Volunteers where her primary focus was on prison ministry. She also taught ESL to a large Hispanic community at the parish where she was assigned. Kirsten went on to work at Neumann University for a year as their first Residence Life Campus minister, and followed that with a year teaching first grade at Holy Innocents. In 2006, she found her way to the Gesu School where she taught first grade for nine years. 

During that time Kirsten kept the connection with Merion Mercy alive by helping to coordinate and host the annual Sophomore Day of Service. She also taught the study skills class at MMA’s Summer Academy for girls entering 8th grade. 

Kirsten has always been a constant with the Merion Alumnae Association.  In 2005 she volunteered for the phonathon, assisting the Development Office in fundraising efforts, and contributing to alumnae and school events such as reunions and Sip N Bid.

For the past eight years, Kirsten has given her time and attention to the Alumnae Association Board. During this time, she started Merion’s MaMMAs committee, which encourages alumnae with small children to return to Merion Mercy for family-oriented activities. She pours countless hours into these events and infuses creativity and meticulous care into every task she undertakes, wholeheartedly dedicating herself to those around her.

With her understanding of the mission of the Sisters of Mercy, Kirsten agreed to teach in the Katherine Drexel program, which gives students from underserved communities of Philadelphia and surrounding areas the opportunity to come to Merion Mercy on Saturdays for academic enrichment.

Kirsten is deserving of the Spirit of Mercy award as she embodies the motto to Live Mercy and Seek Justice in her everyday life.

Clare Nicholson Zimmerman ‘04 is a United States diplomat. She joined the U.S. Department of State as a foreign service officer in 2013. During her career she has served as a political officer in Vienna, Austria; an economic officer in Riga, Latvia; and worked in the U.S. consulates in Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana, Mexico. Clare is currently the acting economic unit chief in Santiago, Chile, where she leads a team advancing U.S. economic interests in the country. Clare received the State Department’s Superior Honor Award for her service in Latvia leading the Embassy’s commercial advocacy efforts and coordinating U.S. policy toward the People’s Republic of China. The State Department awarded Clare a Meritorious Honor Award for her work supporting Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s 2022 visit to Riga in the days following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Clare is a certified Equal Employment Opportunity Counselor through the State Department’s Office of Civil Rights. In 2021, she founded and led the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Council at Embassy Riga, working across the Mission to advance these principles in government policy goals and daily operations. Before joining government service, she worked at a Philadelphia nonprofit from 2008-2011 helping homeowners during the foreclosure crisis.  

Clare has a master’s degree in Trade and Investment Policy from the George Washington University where she received a Career Development Fellowship, and bachelor’s degrees in Spanish, History, and International Studies from the Pennsylvania State University. Clare speaks Spanish and on a good day some German and Latvian too. Joining Clare on her adventures around the world are her husband, Drew, and their two diplomats-in-training, Kerry and Maeve.

Clare’s impressive career in public and humanitarian service makes her the ideal recipient for Merion Mercy’s Young Alumnae Award. 

2023 - Bridget Kelly '73

2023 - Lisa Nicolella Farrell '78 and Leslie Drialo Ryan '78

2023 - Jillian Mariutti-Nieder '03