For the eighth straight year, Mount St. Mary Academy was represented in the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame “Girls of Distinction” program. Sydney Shalin ’27 was one of five young women chosen from area high schools to attend the 2026 Hall of Fame induction ceremony held on Thursday, August 27, in the Centennial Bank Ballroom at the North Little Rock Event Center.
As one of this year’s Girls of Distinction, Sydney was provided with the unique opportunity to meet the 2026 inductees and help escort them to the stage during the ceremony. According to the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame, the five high school students chosen for this honor each year serve in leadership positions, maintain high academic standards, and strive to make their communities a better place.
“Getting nominated and then chosen as a Girl of Distinction was truly an honor of a lifetime,” Sydney said of the experience. “The ceremony honoring this year’s group of women inducted into the Arkansas Hall of Fame was so empowering because I got to hear many incredible examples of the positive change that happens in the world when motivated women are put in power. Celebrating these inspiring women will forever be a highlight of my life! I will always be thankful to MSM for pushing me to work my hardest and giving me this opportunity to represent our school.”
Sydney has been very involved during her time at Mount. An AP Scholar with Honor, she serves as president of both Belle Ambassadors and the Bring Change to Mind mental health club and is also active in Mu Alpha Theta, Beta Club, Drama Club and Make-A-Wish Club. A member of the International Thespian Society and MSM Troupe #8462, Sydney has enjoyed traveling to Atlanta for the last five years to participate in the Junior Theater Festival with The Anthony School. Outside of school, she also enjoys serving the community. This past summer, for instance, Sydney interned with Get Loud Arkansas to raise awareness about voting, particularly to encourage youth to use their voice in the community.
The Girls of Distinction program was implemented in 2017, and Mount St. Mary Academy is the only school to have had at least one student chosen each year young women have been selected: Stephanie Verdaris ’18 (2017), America Alejandri ’20 and Annie Quo ’19 (2018), Brynne Johnson ’21 (2019), Millie Allgood ’22 (2022), Eliza Jane Null ’24 (2023), and Isabella Nguyen ’25 and Carson Vogelpohl ’26 (2024), and Amelia Byers ’25. The program took a two-year hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid.
The goal of the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame is to honor, in perpetuity, women whose contributions have influenced the direction of Arkansas in their community or the state. It is dedicated to preserving the history of its inductees’ accomplishments and to providing encouragement and inspiration to women across the state by sharing their powerful stories. The Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, founders of Mount St. Mary Academy, were honored as members of the second class of inductees in 2016. Former Mount St. Mary president and CEO Karen Flake ’65 was inducted in 2018, children and families advocate Amy Rossi ’71 was inducted in 2022, and banking and community leader Cathy Hastings Owen ’76 was inducted in 2023.
