The Caroline Conrad “Crush It” Spirit Award

In conjunction with this year’s Upper School Spirit Week activities, we took special time to honor the memory of former student Caroline Conrad.  During the St. Agnes vs St. Benedict varsity basketball game on February 10 the Caroline Conrad “Crush It” Spirit Award was presented to four students: Caroline Baker Class of 2022, Caroline Weems Class of 2023, Clarice Cox Class of 2024, and Elise Durante Class of 2025.  

The “Crush It” Award was established in 2020 in memory of SAA alumna Caroline Conrad. A 2017 graduate of St. Agnes Academy, Caroline was an outstanding student, artist, and athlete, as well as an important member of both our Bowling Team and Tennis Team. She helped the school win two state bowling championships, and in 2016 won the individual state title and was named Tennessee's Miss Bowling. Sadly, her time on earth was cut short by a tragic accident in 2019.

At the time she was about to embark upon her junior year at Drury University.  She was a key member of the Drury women's bowling team and was a two-time national All-Academic selection by the National Tenpin Coaches Association. In 2018, Caroline was named a Judge Warren White Scholar after posting one of the highest grade point averages as a first-year student at Drury. Though her time may have been short, in the words of Caroline, she "crushed it."

“When I think about Caroline, I think about everything St. Agnes embodies and represents,” shared Upper School Health & PE Instructor and Pep Club Sponsor Carley Bergdoll.  “I had the privilege of teaching Caroline in Health & PE her senior year, and the year after she graduated, she messaged me on Facebook to tell me that she taught her entire orientation group all of the line dances we learned in class. I miss hearing her voice in the hallways and feeding off the spirit and the love she radiated in and out of the classroom. She will always be remembered, and it is an honor to get to pay tribute to her legacy in this way.” 

We were honored to have Caroline’s parents, Craig and Rebecca Conrad, and her sister, Grace, join us for the award presentation. The award is given annually to four young ladies, one at each upper school grade level, who embody Caroline’s spirit. They are students who exemplify leadership, maintain a good rapport with all levels of faculty and students, demonstrate initiative and an exemplary attitude, are self-motivated and exceed the requests and requirements of faculty, go beyond the normal everyday expectation of assisting others within the school and the community, and have the attitude, spirit, and effort to inspire others to be their best.

In addition to the “Crush It” Award, a garden area has been installed on campus in her memory and will be dedicated later this year. It will be a beautiful place to honor her beautiful spirit.