Alumnae Awards

alum-awards

alum winners

Join us for the 35th annual Alumnae Awards on Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at Bellarmine University, honoring nine women and men for their significant contributions to Sacred Heart Academy.

History of SHA Alumnae Awards: In 1981, Sacred Heart Academy recognized the first SHA Alumna of the Year. The program evolved over the years to include the Valkyrie Hall of Fame (Athletics), Honorary Diploma, Heart Award, and the Ursuline Teaching Legacy Award. The Awards shine a light on both the women and men in our SHA community who are living out the Ursuline core values of Leadership, Service, Community and Reverence.

Selection Process

SHA Alumnae Awards: The President of Sacred Heart Schools, SHA Alumnae Director, Principal and Alumnae Board selection committee review all nominations for the awards and make selections.

Valkyrie Athletic Hall of Fame: The SHA Athletic Director, Principal and Valkyrie Athletic Hall of Fame selection committee review all nominations for Hall of Fame awards. No more than three alumnae and one team annually will be honored.

Congratulations to our 2025 SHA Alumnae Award Honorees!

SHA hosted the 34th annual Alumnae Awards on Thursday, February 6, 2025 at Bellarmine University, honoring eight women and men for their significant contributions to Sacred Heart Academy.

Alumna of the Year: The Honorable Audra Eckerle '84

Heart Award: Elizabeth Ringo Farley '89

Ursuline Teaching Legacy Award: Ruth Dilger Kelly '66

Valkyrie Hall of Fame: Jackie Hafele '10 (soccer), Hilary Kargl Pape '11 (lacrosse), Kristen Henn Parkhurst '09 (field hockey), Nikki Hafele Shook '10 (soccer)

Honorary Diploma: Colonel Mike Hardesty

To view the photos from our 2025 celebration, visit this link. Special thanks to our fantastic photographer, Sarah Ivins '17.

Congratulations to our 2024 SHA Alumnae Award Honorees!

Family, friends, classmates, co-workers, mentors, current students, Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, and Sacred Heart Schools trustees gathered to celebrate the ten distinguished honorees of the 2024 Sacred Heart Academy Alumnae Awards dinner.

Congratulations to:

Alumna of the Year, Beth Stegner Peabody '79

Heart Award winners Michele Oberst '80 and Jenni McMillon Garner '92 and Tom Garner

Ursuline Teaching Legacy Award, Kim Davis '91

Valkyrie Hall of Fame: Krisha Byron '03, Devanny Kuhn Boisvert '08, Maddie Peabody '11, Kristin Matula '13

Honorary Diploma, Jana King

Special thanks to Alumnae Director Megan Brumleve Theisen '95, Alumnae Board President, Christie Leigh Mueller Wells ‘02, and event co-chairs Judy Watson Gordon '76 and Caroline South Schiller '10 for hosting this spectacular event and honoring our Dear Sacred Heart.

To view the photos from our 2024 celebration, visit this link

Congratulations to our 2023 SHA Alumnae Award Honorees!

Thanks to all who came out to celebrate the sacred bonds of sisterhood at the 32nd Annual SHA Alumnae Awards on February 9, 2023. Our powerful 145-year tradition of Ursuline education, excellence in academics, arts and athletics and the unparalleled spirit of the Sacred Heart community were on full display at this year’s event. In a bustling room at the Mellwood Art Center, alumnae, family, friends, classmates, co-workers, mentors, current students, Ursuline Sisters, and trustees gathered to celebrate our nine distinguished honorees (including SHA’s own Bob Wheatley & Donna Bender Moir ’79 and the full 1976 State Basketball Champs!) and share gratitude for our Sacred Heart education rooted in our Ursuline Core Values of Community, Reverence, Service and Leadership.

Honorees included: Karen Cassidy ’74 (Alumna of the Year), Stacy Hennessy ’75 (Ursuline Teaching Legacy Award), Fr. Jim Flynn (Honorary SHA Diploma recipient), Mo McKnight Howe ’04 (Heart Award), Samantha Stallings ’11 (Heart Award) Bob Wheatley (Hall of Fame), Lindsay Boling ’06 (Hall of Fame), Lindsay Gahm ’10 (Hall of Fame), and the 1976 Women’s KY State Basketball Championship Team (Hall of Fame).

Special thanks to the SHA alumnae board and event co-chairs Judy Watson Gordon ’76 and Caroline South ’10 for their hard work on this spectacular event!

We are excited to share the student-made video celebrating our 2023 Honorees:

To view the photos from our 2023 celebration, visit https://www.flickr.com/gp/197675329@N05/462Fpt1DXg