Student Spotlight: LTHS Senior, Lit Whiz, Future Diplomat

Mary Meg Donnelly grew up in Western Springs. Her sights are set on China.

Having moved to the Village at the age of four months, Donnelly rose through the D101 and Lyons Township school systems, recently being awarded the LTHS Student of the Month in English for December.

A star in her literature class, Donnelly is passionate about novels, foreign languages and her home village. She talked with us about her favorite novels, her college plans, her future in solving the world's problems, and more!

Patch: How’d you get so into literature?

Donnelly: “You always do it starting when you’re little… I’ve always loved reading, love [the Harry Potter] books, Jane Austen, the Boxcar Children when I was little. And now, it’s interesting, I read all these really complicated Russian literature novels in class, and then I come home and I read the worst third-grade level romance novels, because it’s fun and it reminds me why I liked reading to begin with.”

And do you write your own stuff?

“I do mostly essays and stuff, and this summer we were told we had to read a book of poetry and then write our own poems to introduce ourselves… and I really liked it, so I’m getting back into that a little bit more. And I always start stories, and then I never have the will or the time to finish them. But I love writing and the idea of it.”

So why do you think you got the student-of-the-month award?

“I love talking in class, and one thing that I really did like about this year and studying these really philosophical books is that it forces you to think about things you never thought about before… now I’m thinking about all these things and I want to share them in class. [And] I have a pretty good writing style, I guess, and it flows well and I’m good at putting ideas into an essay—those are the reasons my teacher told me.”

Where are you looking at college?

“I think it’s going to be Seaton Hall in New Jersey. I’m sitting on a couple. I’m waiting to find out about an honors program and some scholarship money.”

And will you consider pursuing literature there?

“I think so. I’m really hoping to, at least with some creative writing classes, because I’m getting more interested in it now. I’ve been studying how other people do it, and I’d like to be able to do it myself, and I think it’d be nice to take a couple at least. And I also like foreign languages, so I think I should stick with that a little as well. Right now I’m taking Italian, and I’m planning on taking Mandarin when I get to college.”

Mandarin? Why Mandarin?

“Because I want to go into diplomacy, and it’s the biggest language in the world, and it’s got such great support if you want to go into diplomacy, business, international relations in general… I had a great experience with Italian, picked it up pretty naturally, and decided I wanted to do more foreign languages… I like social justice and I like serving the community so I thought that international relations and diplomacy and solving problems while being able to use a foreign language and work with other cultures would be a great [way to do] that.”

What do you love best about Western Springs?

“It’s such a small little environment, and I’m so fortunate to have gone to McClure for junior high—it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. The school system here is just amazing, and I was so lucky to have that. And I did Theatre of Western Springs when I was little, and the Rec Center, and now I’m a counselor for the camps I did when I was little, so a full-circle deal. It’s a great town to grow up in!”

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