For graduating senior Gracen Armsworthy, growth came from leaning into discomfort.
The senior at St. Mary’s Ryken High School in Leonardtown, Maryland spent four years immersed in theater, choir, athletics and student life, experiences that pushed her outside her comfort zone and shaped her confidence, faith and future plans.
“At first, it’s very overwhelming as a freshman,” Armsworthy said of arriving at St. Mary’s Ryken. “But once you put yourself out there, it’s just such a good family to be surrounded with.”
That sense of community became especially important for Armsworthy, who said she struggled with self-confidence before finding encouragement through extracurricular activities and friendships.
“Everybody in those extracurricular activities builds you up and really supports you,” she said. “I loved being surrounded by such amazing people who not only loved what they did, but also pushed me to become better at what I did and a better version of myself.”
Armsworthy attended St. John’s School in Hollywood, Maryland, from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade before enrolling at St. Mary’s Ryken. She said the school’s supportive environment encouraged students to explore new interests in athletics, fine arts and academics.
“The fine arts department, theater and choir are very welcoming to younger students who just want to find their niche,” she said.
Performing arts became a major part of her high school experience, though Armsworthy said she hopes to carry the confidence and leadership skills she developed through theater and choir into her future studies rather than pursue performing professionally.
A member of the National Honor Society and International Thespian Society, Armsworthy participated in choir, theater, sailing and volunteer service throughout high school. She also earned the 2024 Fall Sailing MVP Award.
Armsworthy earned several academic and artistic honors during her time at St. Mary’s Ryken, including Xaverian Awards, scholarship recognition in theater, piano and vocal performance, and a silver medal on the National Spanish Exam.
This fall, she plans to attend St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where she hopes to study English or education.
Her interest in education grew through her work with children. Armsworthy volunteered as a swim instructor with the American Red Cross and served as a counselor for St. Mary’s Ryken Summer Knights sailing camps, teaching middle school students the basics of sailing and water safety.
“I’ve loved working with them, getting to know them,” Armsworthy said. “That really inspired me.”
She also had an example of the vocation of education at home. Her mother, Shannon Armsworthy, a fourth grade teacher at Father Andrew White School, recently was named a 2026 Golden Apple Award-winning teacher in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.
Armsworthy said balancing academics with multiple extracurricular commitments taught her practical skills she expects to carry into college and adulthood, especially learning how to advocate for herself.
She also learned to see discomfort as part of growth.
“You can’t really grow without having some sort of challenge or discomfort,” Armsworthy said. “It’s like growing pains.”
Friendships formed during her time at St. Mary’s Ryken also helped shape Armsworthy’s confidence. She credited several friends with encouraging her to step outside her comfort zone.
Armsworthy also pointed to two teachers who left a lasting impression on her: choir teacher Kim Norris and theology teacher John Olon.
She said Norris helped her grow as both a musician and a leader, while Olon’s honors senior theology class challenged students to ask difficult questions about faith, purpose and life.
“At the beginning of the year, he told us we could ask him any questions we wanted,” Armsworthy recalled. “Growing up in a Catholic environment, I never really had the chance to test my faith, but he taught us that it was okay to ask those big questions. In fact, it’s a problem when you stop asking them.”
As graduation approaches, Armsworthy said the relationships and encouragement she found at St. Mary’s Ryken are what she will remember most.
“There are so many good people here,” she said. “They always want to support you.”
