Jocelyn Carraher

When it came time to make her high school choice, senior Jocelyn Carraher knew she wanted to look at Roger Bacon. Her grandparents, John Carraher, RB ’67 and Carol (Abel) Carraher, OLA ’67, were proud alumni, and word of the special things happening at the school had travelled quickly through her St. Ignatius community. When she shadowed, Roger Bacon not only lived up to the lofty expectations, it exceeded them. “I shadowed with Anna Merz, ’20, and I just could not believe how friendly everyone was. Everyone was saying ‘Hi’ to each other in the hallways. People were smiling and laughing in the hallways. It just seemed like a real family,” shares Jocelyn.

It is that sense of family that Jocelyn has enjoyed most during her time at Roger Bacon. “I just love the sense of community. I just don’t think you see anything quite like this at other schools,” says Jocelyn. “It is authentic here, and personalized, and it is something that stays with you after you graduate. I see other alumni, from my grandparents to those who come back and visit, and Roger Bacon is just a personal experience that stays in your heart.”

One of Jocelyn’s favorite stories about the special culture at Roger Bacon comes from her freshman year, when her alumni grandparents visited for Grandparents day. “After mass I was taking my grandparents for a tour of Roger Bacon, and there were a group of upperclassmen in the math hallway working on a project,” explains Jocelyn. “As my grandparents walked by, many of the upperclassmen, who I knew from the soccer team, stopped what they were working on to say ‘hi’ not just to me but to also to introduce themselves to my grandparents. About a day or so later, my grandpa told me how impressed he was that the school he loved as a student was still just as special, and he could tell from these kids I had really found a second family.”

As she begins her senior year, Jocelyn has made the most of her time here. Jocelyn is ranked near the top of her class academically and is an Assisi scholar and member of the National Honor Society. She is a standout on the girls soccer team, and is a member of both student senate and community outreach. Jocelyn was named a senior leader for this school year, a role she is excited to fill with a sister in the freshman class. Her academic and extracurricular efforts earned her the Patrick Wolterman Scholarship for the 2021-22 school year, named after 2005 Roger Bacon graduate and fallen firefighter. As Jocelyn shares, this award has special meaning to her, “My Dad is a firefighter, and he knew Patrick Wolterman, so it was just a tremendous honor to receive this award.” Jocelyn also notes how happy she is to have chosen a co-education school. “It just is what the real world looks like. In grade school, college, and in the work force, you have to work with all kinds of people, why would you not want to do that in high school? I have friends here, like Justin Dinh, ’22, that I will have the rest of my life, and I am better because of this experience,” says Jocelyn.

Jocelyn is also looking forward to her little sister, Ava, beginning her freshman year at RB this fall, and getting to share these friendly hallways with her. As Jocelyn shares, “It will be a lot of fun to have my sister here, and some of my close friends have siblings who will be freshman here also, so its just a lot of fun to see them begin a great high school experience.”

One thing not everyone knows about Jocelyn is her strong interest in the “true crime” genre, in particular those dedicated to serial killers. It is an interest that started watching documentaries with her dad. It is a strong factor in her future plans. “I am really thinking about doing something related to the field of true crime. I am thinking strongly about studying law or forensic science,” shares Jocelyn, “I just think it would be a really exciting career, and something where you are doing something good for the world.”

Jocelyn is looking to continue her soccer career in college, and has started to look at schools such as Tiffin, Capital, and Heidelberg.

As for her senior year, Jocelyn is most looking forward to the Assisi Scholar pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi in the spring. “I am just so excited for this trip, especially since so much of our education here at Roger Bacon is anchored in the Franciscan charism, and learning about St. Francis and St. Clare,” shares Jocelyn. “It will be especially fun because we will be in Assisi on my 18^th birthday this year, and to be in a place as special as Assisi , with my Roger Bacon family, I just can’t imagine a better gift.”