Mary Elizabeth Grimes is rolling along in 2021! She received the YWCA Leaders of Distinction Award in the category of  Education.  Saint Louis University honored her with the Educational Leadership Award during their Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Tribute. And then along came a special tribute of her leadership by STL Made.

 

STL Made created a special article focused solely on Marian Middle School. The launch was during the inauguration week in honor of our nation’s history-making vice president.

STL Made took an interest in Marian because of the unique perspective their young leaders have on the election and inauguration. STL Made masterfully showcases the hopes and dreams of Marian Girls in contrast to the profound challenges they must overcome. Their heartwarming understanding of what it means for Kamala Harris to break the glass ceiling on the second highest office in the nation is a reflection of what it means to be a Marian Girl.

Enhancing our metropolitan region’s national reputation and doing a better job of telling the St. Louis story is critical to attracting new businesses and residents. For that reason, one of Greater St. Louis, Inc.’s eight branded initiatives is to communicate and amplify an authentic and inclusive narrative through the stories of real people who are moving our region forward. We carry out this work as STLMade. It’s a celebration of a region that insists on moving forward by bringing people and ideas together in bold ways that makes this a place where you can “start up, stand out, and stay.”

An essential element of the narrative is reflecting the rich diversity of the St. Louis metropolitan region. This week, to mark this historic occasion of Kamala Harris becoming the first woman and woman of color to serve as Vice President of the United States, the STLMade team has published a new story highlighting the leadership of Mary Elizabeth Grimes and reactions from young women of color from St. Louis about what this historic moment means to them. The story is titled “What’s Possible.” One of the young women sums it up quite well:

“To see Kamala in office, it does feel like a victory for all. I still believe there’s so much more work to do, but just to see her in such a high position in our country, and to be a Black woman — it’s amazing.”

— Naya Tandy, Marian Middle School Alumna