Woodlands Academy students receive Archdiocesan faith, service award

Two Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart students have been honored with the 2026 Golden Rose Award. Senior Giselle Vazquez and junior Nicole Waldman are among the latest recipients of this annual award, which is given to high school-aged young Catholic women in Vicariate 1 of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women. The Golden Rose Award honors young women who demonstrate leadership, spirituality, service and commitment to their parish and Catholic faith.

Vasquez and Waldman, both of whom attend church services in the Waukegan-based Most Blessed Trinity Parish, received their awards during a Feb. 7 ceremony at the Chevy Chase Country Club in Wheeling.

“I never thought I would be given an award so prestigious,” Vazquez said. “The Golden Rose Award signifies that I am on a great track to becoming an even stronger and devoted Catholic … and I am deeply grateful to be given the opportunity to receive something this valuable.”

Vazquez’s parish service includes participating in a drive for products done through her confirmation course.

“It was more than just buying essentials for others; it was the act of helping people in need,” Vazquez said. “As a Catholic, providing aid for others is what plays a vital role in developing one’s understanding (that) there are less fortunate people who need our help. It is here that I achieved a better understanding of how service can contribute to people’s lives in so many different ways.”

The Golden Rose Award recognizes the faith and works of young women in the Archdiocese of Chicago Council of Catholic Women. When Evelyn Getty first became president of Vicariate I, she wanted to reach out to young women and encourage them.

“Since women do get recognized for athletic and academic achievements, I thought the Spiritual achievement should also be recognized,” she said.

Getty believes this honor is a way to show young women how much the Catholic Church will need them in the future and to inspire them to remain active as adults.

“What receiving this award means to me is that I am able to share the guiding principles of my faith with others, such as respect, compassion and love, which is something I believe to be essential to live with,” Waldman said. “I hope that with my service, I can at least show how easy it is to love one another in a time where it is easy to forget something so simple.”

Waldman has been a member of Woodlands Academy’s campus ministry since her freshman year. Her service has included setting up event tables, making holiday announcements and assisting during Mass. She has also been an altar server during Mass and has helped conduct school prayer services.

Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic, independent, day-and-boarding, college-preparatory school for young women of all faiths in grades nine through 12. Founded in Chicago in 1858 and located in Lake Forest since 1904, Woodlands is part of a worldwide network of Sacred Heart Schools that spans the United States and 40 other countries on six continents. To learn more, visit woodlandsacademy.org.