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Mother McAuley's Catherine Rogers Scores A Perfect 36 On ACT

 Catherine Rogers (left) stands beside Eileen O’Reilly, principal at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School in Mount Greenwood. Rogers scored a perfect 36 on her ACT exam.
Catherine Rogers (left) stands beside Eileen O’Reilly, principal at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School in Mount Greenwood. Rogers scored a perfect 36 on her ACT exam.
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MOUNT GREENWOOD — Catherine Rogers, a junior at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School, received the highest possible score of 36 on a recent ACT test.

Rogers, a West Beverly resident, is 2014 graduate of Saint John Fisher School. Her parents, William and Joan Dempsey Garey-Rogers, credited both her elementary school and high school for their daughter's success.

"At Saint John Fisher, Catherine learned to be competent, curious and compassionate. She brought these traits to Mother McAuley and sharpened them as she has been challenged, motivated to succeed and determined to persevere," Joan Dempsey Garey-Rogers said.

Joan Dempsey Garey-Rogers graduated in 1983 from the all-girls Catholic high school at 3737 W. 99th St. in Mount Greenwood. So did Catherine's sister Jenna Garey and five of her aunts.

On average, less than one-tenth of one percent of students who take the ACT earn a perfect score. In the U.S. high school graduating class of 2016, only 2,235 out of nearly 2.1 million graduates who took the ACT earned a composite score of 36.

"This achievement is a testament to [Rogers'] hard work and sets the stage for the advancement of her college and career goals. Beyond excelling in the classroom, Catherine shares her talents with several academic and social clubs at McAuley, earning her the recognition and respect of both teachers and classmates,” McAuley Principal Eileen O’Reilly said.

Rogers is a member of the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, Junior Classical League, Student Ambassadors, Book Club and Math Macs, and she runs cross country and track.

She also is a Catherine McAuley Honors Scholar, a program that recognizes superior academic achievement. Members must maintain at least a 4.09 G.P.A. and complete at least five Advanced Placement classes before graduation, among other requirements.

“Catherine is one of the brightest students I have ever encountered as a college counselor," said Nichole Carey, director of counseling and a college counselor at McAuley.

"Her natural ability partnered with her intellectual curiosity and superior work ethic are some of the things that make Catherine particularly distinguished. I anticipate her college search process will be broad and exciting,” Carey said in a written release from the school.

Outside of school, Rogers serves as a teacher’s aide for the Saint John Fisher School of Religion, and during the summer she volunteers her time at the Chicago Public Library’s Summer Learning Challenge and as a camp counselor at Lake Katherine in suburban Palos Heights.

“I am so proud of Catherine's incredible accomplishment,” Carey said.