Two members of the class of 2026 at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Caroline Fielding and Maeve Dyer, say their faith and service experiences there have shaped them as they prepare to join several classmates in attending Boston College this fall.
“My faith has definitely grown here,” said Caroline Fielding, who said as a retreat leader there, she was able to connect with her faith to other students. “God is love. That’s the main thing I took away. God is all around and love is all around. There’s a lot of love at Stone Ridge.”
She and her parents, Gabrielle and Christopher Fielding, are parishioners at Holy Trinity in Georgetown along with her twin brother, John, a senior at Gonzaga College High School in Washington who will also be attending Boston College. The family members volunteer at Holy Trinity serving dinner to people in need, including the working poor.
“I’ve gotten to know a lot of guests. It’s really great to interact with them,” she said.
At Stone Ridge, her service has included volunteering with Best Buddies, joining activities and making friends with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “They’re always so kind to me… These are some of the happiest people I’ve encountered,” she said.
Volunteering with kindergarten students at St. Bartholomew School in Bethesda has inspired Fielding to be interested in education as a possible career. “At the end of the day I’m tired, but I’m so happy and energized, because they’re so fun to be around,” she said, adding, “It’s great to see their reading and spelling improved.”
Fielding, who played lacrosse and field hockey for her school, is a leader in the One Love Club there, which promotes healthy relationships for young women.
At Stone Ridge, Fielding’s favorite classes included bioorganic chemistry, engineering and computer science. “I’m definitely a STEM person,” she said.
Maeve Dyer, the daughter of Courtney and Rich Dyer, attends the Church of the Little Flower in Bethesda. She completed a Global Studies Certificate at Stone Ridge and hopes to study international relations at Boston College. This past summer, she participated in an international relations program at Georgetown University, where students learned about diplomacy, humanitarian aid to other countries, and efforts to halt the spread of nuclear weapons.
Her favorite classes there included Advanced Placement government, which she said has proven to be especially meaningful to her as a new voter.
During her years at Stone Ridge, Dyer joined students in an Appalachian Service Project, helping renovate the floor of a home, and she also went on a juvenile justice service trip to Chicago, learning about how minority youth are impacted by the justice system.
Dyer, a captain on her school’s soccer team, also was a leader there in the Gators Go Green environmental club. She was a campus ministry and retreat leader, and as a Social Action leader, she helped educate younger students in the goals of a Sacred Heart education. Dyer did a presentation on solidarity, telling them about her service to the poor in Appalachia.
She liked how Stone Ridge “is so centered on service,” and showed her how, at school and in the community, she can serve others.
As their graduation approached, the two seniors said they had mixed feelings of sadness about leaving Stone Ridge, but excitement about college.
“I do feel pretty lucky that five other girls from my class are going to Boston College, and so is my brother,” said Fielding, who hopes to run the Boston Marathon during her senior year there.
Dyer agreed that it was reassuring to be going to Boston College with her classmates. “I’m glad to know I’ll always have them in my corner. We also know it’s time to break apart a bit and see what’s out there.”
Both students said they would take with them the values of faith, service and community from their high school experience. “What I’ll bring is the importance of service in my life, and finding local communities I’ll work with. At Boston College, there will be plenty of opportunities for that,” Dyer said.
