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The voices behind ‘Unison’

The voices behind ‘Unison’

by Shannon Dufresne
 

As members of the graduating Class of 2026, Ashling Doherty '26 and Maggie Hyland '26 spent the past year serving as co-editors of Unison, Ursuline's student newspaper. In the reflection below, the pair looks back on the friendships, leadership opportunities, and sense of belonging they found through student journalism and the wider Ursuline community.

Hey Ursuline! Our names are Maggie Hyland and Ashling Doherty, and for the last year, we have been co-editors of Unison, Ursuline's school newspaper. It has been a great honor to serve as co-editors of the paper, but our journey truly started when we both joined Unison in our sophomore year as writers.

We joined Unison because we both had a passion for writing. We started in sophomore year with more simple articles, such as Christmas movie watchlists and study tips for midterms. However, as we continued to write, we found that Unison was incredibly accepting of our voices. This encouraged us to take on bigger pieces, such as Ring Day 2025, and eventually, the article we are most proud of, which was about this year’s Women’s History Month panel, in which we were allowed to interview the panelists and seek advice from them as accomplished career women.

Unison fostered a community for us that we wouldn’t have been able to find anywhere else. Our moderators, Ms. Alyssa Tenore '06 and Mrs. Meg LaBella '83, guided us through each issue, working tirelessly with us and with our Layout Co-Editors, Magnolia Valverde '26 and Caitlin Kirkpatrick '27, to make sure each issue was correctly edited and formatted perfectly. Without them, we would not have been able to accomplish as much as we did. As well as this, our fellow writers made each Unison meeting fun and interesting while supplying amazing pieces that we had the pleasure of reading each issue.

The community that we as co-editors found in Unison is a rare one, but we don’t think we would be mistaken in saying that each member of the Class of 2026 has most likely found a community just like it at Ursuline. Of course, not everyone is editing articles about summer bucket lists and St. Patrick’s Day traditions, but whether it be in Peer Ministry, Ursuline Connections, athletics, or one of the many other clubs at Ursuline, many members of the Class of 2026 have found a community in which they were encouraged to lead others and share their voices, all while being supported by the esteemed faculty that pushes Ursuline students to do their best no matter what.

"Students at Ursuline are always given opportunities to grow not only in scholarship and leadership, but in the Core Values of what it means to be a well-rounded, educated young woman."
- Ashling Doherty '26 and Maggie Hyland '26, Unison co-editors

This is because, whether you started at Ursuline in sixth grade, ninth grade, or anywhere in between, students at Ursuline are always given opportunities to grow not only in scholarship and leadership, but in the Core Values of what it means to be a well-rounded, educated young woman. Many members of the Class of 2026 share the sentiment that Ursuline has prepared us extremely well for college and beyond because of the community it fosters, which aims to educate, inspire, and empower all of its students.

Not only will we miss being Unison co-editors, but we will also miss everyday life at Ursuline and the bond we have as a student body and community. However, we know we are always welcomed back to Ursuline and will always remain part of that same community as alumnae. We want to thank everyone who has helped us grow and prepare for the journey that lies ahead, and we will always remember the incredible foundation that Unison and Ursuline itself provided for us.

Thank you, Ursuline, and congratulations to our fellow members of the Class of 2026! Ac Fui!

Editor's note:

We are grateful to Ashling and Maggie for allowing us to share their reflection through the June edition of the Koala Bulletin. Their words capture many of the experiences, connections, and opportunities that helped shape the Class of 2026 during their years at Ursuline.

Read the latest issue of Unison HERE.

 

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