The memory of Helen Sheehy is an ever-present inspiration to her children, who learned the importance of education and philanthropy from an early age. Her legacy inspired a significant collective give to the Washington School for Girls Building Dreams campaign.
“Education opened doors for my mother. She loved school as it gave her a place to go, to learn, to be heard, to form friendships, to play sports, to have fun,” says Tricia Malloy, Helen’s daughter and a member of the Building Dreams campaign steering committee.
Helen and her husband Vince enrolled all five of their children in Catholic schools. Now adults with their own families, Tricia and her siblings Ann Fowler, Betsy Sheehy, Paul Sheehy, and Vince Sheehy credit much of their success and happiness with the foundation they received both at home, in their church community, and in school. During their childhood, St. Bartholomew's Church in Bethesda, MD was the center of life: they attended the parish school, participated in sports through the Catholic Youth Organization, and regularly attended Mass and other church events.
Tricia even recalls regularly baking cookies and brownies with her mother to deliver to the Sisters of Divine Providence who were an integral part of the community. Each of the siblings went on to Catholic schools for high school and remain active members of the Catholic community.
Helen and Vince were deeply invested in each school that their children attended, regularly volunteering, financially supporting, and serving on school boards. They established their foundation, Vincent and Helen Sheehy Foundation, with the primary mission of furthering Catholic education and causes within the DMV, expanding their support beyond the schools that their family had attended. “Our parents talked about Catholic education often and the importance of helping educate children who needed financial assistance like my mom,” Tricia shares.
The story of Helen’s childhood was well known among her children. Helen’s father left his family during the Great Depression, leaving her mother to raise her and her brother with the support of relatives. While she experienced a lot of change in a short period of time, moving from Rhode Island to New York and eventually to Maryland, she found comfort and stability in the Catholic schools she attended in each community.
When her family settled in Maryland, Helen finally had the opportunity to put down roots. With the financial support of others, she attended middle school and high school at the Visitation Academy in Frederick, MD. She thrived at Visitation where she was the valedictorian and became an accomplished violinist. She then received scholarship funds to attend Georgetown Visitation Junior College in DC, a post-secondary program operated by what is now known as Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School. There, her love of reading and music continued to flourish.
Inspired by their mother’s story and their parents’ shared commitment to philanthropy, Tricia and her siblings have generously supported education programs throughout the greater Washington area, both individually and collectively. When Tricia joined the Building Dreams campaign steering committee, she knew that her siblings would be happy to join her in supporting WSG’s strategic plan and new campus project. Particularly, she notes, “We all believe in supporting girls the same as boys,” and share an appreciation for single-sex education.
“Our hope is to help girls who need financial assistance attend a Catholic school that will focus on their needs, educate them, challenge them academically, expose them to DC and beyond and help them develop into responsible, smart, good students who will continue to pursue learning after WSG,” says Tricia. She also hopes that others will be inspired to reflect on the impact of Catholic education on their own families, and consider paying it forward to students at WSG who will be the leaders of tomorrow.
On her siblings’ joint investment, Tricia reflects, “This is kind of a full circle moment. My mom would be very pleased, especially if there is a student who loves playing the violin!”