McKenna’s kindness

Claire Doll
MSMU Class of 2024

(5/2023) I was a freshman at the Mount when I met McKenna, and I was immediately taken back by her kindness.

Not to say that her beautiful, wide grin and sweet, smiling eyes weren’t noticeable—because they are. McKenna radiates joy, and anyone can tell that from a mile away. Or the way she always dresses in bright, long skirts and takes pictures that capture the beauty of autumn or the blossoming of spring. That was noticeable, too. Or even the way her name sounded: McKenna Snow. It’s adorable!

But it was McKenna’s kindness that really stood out to me—the sort of kindness that comes so effortlessly from her, but in some small way, it transforms you. Whenever McKenna would smile at me in the hallway, or exchange small talk while brushing teeth before bed, I always wondered, How can she be so friendly? How is this even possible?

I even have a memory from the first class we had together—Western Civilizations. On the very first day, we were all asked to share a fun fact about ourselves. When McKenna spoke, she told our professor that she loved to write. She loved to write essays and papers for fun, and she wanted to write her own book, someday. I remember thinking how awesome that was, and how McKenna’s hobbies aligned with my own.

I longed to be her friend, and when sophomore year came around, I felt so lucky to join the Emmitsburg News-Journal team. Only then did I notice my friendship with McKenna grow. She welcomed me to the staff so kindly, and she willingly proofread my articles and helped me find a comfortable, great place in my journalism writing. And while she might not know this, after every issue of the Emmitsburg News-Journal would come out, I would always flip right to the Four Years at the Mount page and read her article first. Because not only was she a kind person, or a beautiful soul, but she was also an amazing writer (as you all might be aware of)!

McKenna uses words so effortlessly to paint lovely images and write about her family. From her articles, I know she has lots of siblings who she loves, and parents who she looks up to, and I find it so beautiful that she dedicates her words to the things and people that mean the most to her. In her writing, McKenna prioritizes love and meaning. She takes a prompt—any prompt at all—and manages to turn it into something heartwarming, something that matters within our souls, something that captures the mind and keeps it thinking. We’ve even had to write about the most eclectic and unique topics out there, and McKenna still makes it hopeful and inspiring.

For example, I’ll never forget when we had to write about what we do with the rest of winter. McKenna had asked me to edit her article, and I simply remember reading it and relating to every single word. As a reader, I found truth and value in each word, and I thanked McKenna for being so honest with her writing. Rather than dwelling in the cold, despair of winter, she chose to reflect on finding its beauty and learning from the lessons that winter might give her. If you read anything at all from McKenna, you will find that she is an inspirer. That her words give hope and reflect faithfulness.

As sophomore year passed and my junior year began—McKenna’s senior year, since she is graduating early—I found that we both make a hardworking and great team as Managing Editor and Assistant Managing Editor. One night in December, we were rushing to get edits done before publishing the January paper. McKenna and I both happened to be editing at the same time that night, and we ended up leaving each other notes on our shared Google doc, as if texting through it. It was hilarious, and we caught so many little edits while encouraging each other on the way (it was pretty late that night). McKenna is always willing to edit articles, and the ones that she sends my way, she’ll always thank me and praise me for my work. I just hope she knows how happy I am to do it, and how grateful I am for such a good leader to guide me through the news-journal.

Mount St. Mary’s will surely miss the presence of McKenna on campus. She is a kind soul, a faithful woman, a beautiful writer, and a happy, loving friend. Although we never grew super close during our time together, I still value her for all of these things, and I always wanted to be like her. As I said, she is an inspirer. McKenna leads others with grace and effortlessly makes her mark on so many people.

As she wraps up her time at college and as she prepares to make her way in the real, scary, adult world, I know many things for certain: McKenna will go into this life with an enduring, loving soul that will touch so many people. She will keep her family close to her, and she will keep inspiring. It is easy to assume all these things, because she does it already. And she will keep doing it.

But I also hope and pray that she keeps writing. McKenna’s use of language is stunning, and her writing is so unique in that she can use her kindness and inspiration to reach so many people. I hope she will continue to write about family, about her friends and loved ones, about the beauty of nature in the fall, and about her strong, enduring faith. And I hope she will look back on her time at the Emmitsburg News-Journal with a smile, because she has contributed so much to the staff. I am confident that McKenna will make a lasting impact on this world, and that she will be remembered at the Mount for her kindness, above all else.

Read other articles by Claire Doll