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This article appears in the Fall 2025 issue of the Dominican University Magazine.
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Mimi Gorak Murray calls herself a “philanthro-activist:” a person who views an issue through the lens of philanthropy and service and takes action to address it.

She’s been involved in volunteerism, philanthropy and social justice activism for most of her life. Just some of her volunteer roles have included:

–Fifty-four years of local and national service with the Girl Scouts of the USA. She currently chairs the Planned Giving Society for Girl Scouts San Diego.

–An ambassador for Unbound, an international organization that allowed Mimi and her husband, Mike, to sponsor seven residents of Costa Rica and Guatemala and make humanitarian visits to the countries.

–Service on the advisory boards of her local YMCA and People Assisting The Homeless (PATH) in San Diego, the latter earning Mimi and Mike recognition from San Diego’s mayor.

–Membership on the committee of ElderHelp, which assists elderly residents in living independently and with dignity.

Even when traveling, Mimi has found ways to help others. While in Lima, Peru, she learned of a need for soup kitchens in impoverished neighborhoods. Upon returning home, she began fundraising, which led to the construction of kitchens to feed residents of the city.

For the Class of 1970’s 50th reunion, Mimi chaired the fundraising committee, which resulted in the largest class gift to a scholarship endowment in Dominican University’s history.

“Receiving the Caritas Veritas Award from Dominican University is an honor that reflects not only my personal journey, but also the values that have shaped it,” Mimi said.

Kate’s connections to Dominican University run deep: Her mother, who later in life took vows as Sr. Lucille Ziener Coulihan, IHM, is a member of the Rosary College Class of 1936 and received the Caritas Veritas Award at her 50th Reunion in 1986.

It was a special moment, then, when Kate was recognized as an award recipient during her own 50th reunion.

“My first campus visit with my mother and father at the age of 2, and my time spent at both the River Forest and Rosary in Fribourg campuses, were followed by years of participation in various alumni and Dominican University events,” Kate said. “I am ever grateful for the influences the Sinsinawa Dominicans, the faculty and staff had—and still have—on my various volunteer activities.”

As a Rosary student, Kate volunteered for various fundraising efforts for the college and was credited for successfully resuming Rosary’s affiliation with the Kappa Gamma Pi National Catholic Graduate Honor Society. She has been a member of Kappa Gamma Pi ever since and is currently serving as recording secretary of its board. Kate was a featured speaker at Kappa Gamma Pi’s National Convention in Indianapolis this summer on “The Joy of Service.”

Kate has volunteered for several organizations, notably the Northwest Neighborhood Federation (NNF) and the Save Our Neighborhoods/Save Our City Coalition (SON/SOCC), where she held leadership roles and made presentations to two Chicago mayors, a U.S. senator and the governor of Illinois in support of the passage of the Guaranteed Home Equity Assurance Program.

Kate has served as class agent for the Class of 1975 and has helped to facilitate several “milestone” birthday parties.

At Rosary, Mary “Mar” Poelking Sclawy found her niche in publishing, co-producing The Albatross (a counter publication to The Eagle, the literary magazine of that era) and the class yearbook. After college, she was a teacher for four years before moving to Detroit and beginning a second career as makeup editor and copy editor for The Detroit News. At night, she studied law and went on to have a successful, 50-year career as a lawyer.

Using her legal experience, Mar performed pro bono work for a family law clinic and embraced causes like regional land conservancy and saving native plants from destruction by developers. She also volunteered as a substitute driver for her local Meals on Wheels program.

Mar has long served as class agent for Rosary College’s Class of 1965. She also made a commitment to financially supporting the education of new generations of students, contributing annually to Dominican University since her graduation.

“I promised myself when I graduated that I would help future Rosary/�����о��� students be able to attend college, just as others had helped me,” she said. “I was pleased to have my effort recognized.”

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