Vitae - Sister Maureen Christopher, IHM
Sister Maureen is a native of Washington, D.C. and a graduate of Holy Name Grade School and of Saint Patrick's High School. She worked for two years at the Navy Yard and then entered the convent of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, (IHM). Sister graduated from Immaculata University with a major in History and a minor in Math. She attended Villanove University and graduated with a M.A. in History. Sister belongs to the National Catholic Education Association; the National Council of Social Studies; and the National Council of Economic Educators.
Sister has fulfilled teaching assignments from 1955 through 1974 in grades one through eight in the Dioceses of Philadelphia, Pa., Norfolk, Va., and East Brunswick, N.J. From 1975 to 1985 she taught at Trinity High School in (Shiresmenstown) Camp Hill, Pa. Sister has been stationed at Bishop O'Connell High School since 1985. She celebrated her Golden Jubilee here in 2005.
Sister Maureen Christopher has been a Reader for the Collegeboard, A.P. U.S. and Comparative Governments for sixteen years and for the Collegeboard A.P. Economics for two years. Sister piloted these courses at O'Connell when they were introduced by the Collebeboard and passed this responsibility on to other teachers in 2000 A.P. Economics and in 2006 A.P. Government.
Sister Maureen has been the receipient of many NEH grants during her teaching career, these include some of the following:
1976 - New Wilmington, PA. - Westminster College -"International Politics"- Dr. Tom Nichols
1978 - Boulder, Colorado, - Univ. of Colorado - "Comparative Politics"- Dr. Ed Rozek
1983 - Allentown, Pa. - Lehigh University - "Man and the Machine in America" Dr. Roger Simon
1984 - New Wilmington, PA - Westminster College "International Politics" - Dr. Tom Nichols
1986 - Bronx, New York, Fordham University - "Jeffersonian Seminar" - Dr. Robert Jones
1988 - Triangle Park, N.C. - National Humanities Center "Colonial History" - Dr. Richard Schramm
1989 - Valley Forge, Pa. - The Freedoms Foundation Award - "The American Judiciary"
1990 - Atlanta Ga. - Emory University - "Henry Adams Seminar" Dr. Patrick Allitt
1992 - Richmond VA. - VCU - "John Marshall and the Judiciary" - Dr. Melvin Urofsky
Sister has taught government and economics on the senior level from 1985 through 2006 and is presently teaching Honors and Regular Government and Principles of Economics. Sister received an award for "Teacher of the Year" in the Metropolitan Area in 1992, given by the Junior Achievement of MetroWashington. The VFW awarded her "Teacher of the Year" in Government in 2005.
Sister Maureen is currently teaching on a part time schedule and hopes to remain at Bishop O'connell for a few more years.