Montini Catholic senior creates inspiring videos

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Montini Catholic High School senior, Mary Donner (left), pictured with Campus Minister Michael Blanchette. | Contributed photo

Updated: October 31, 2011 10:26AM

Mary Donner is a senior at Montini Catholic High School who has volunteered many hours creating video presentations for the entire school community. Mary created a couple of video presentations two years ago to create awareness and inspire relief action for the earthquake that hit Haiti and she recently completed a Sept. 11 reflection video for the entire school to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the terrible terrorist attacks.

“My motivation (to create these videos) comes from my belief in the power of film and writing, and the powerful impact it can have on people, and in turn, their world,” Donner said on her volunteer-based work. “Multi-media is the face of the future, which will have the power for change — and these videos are the product of guidance and belief from others.”

Although Donner was never asked to do these videos as homework or class projects, she wanted to motivate her fellow classmates and provide a voice for those victims in both events. When the earthquake in Haiti hit the news, Mary had created a video by the very next day, in just a matter of hours after the event had occurred. The attacks on Sept. 11 happened when she was only 7 years old. Mary’s video helped capture the events that occurred that day, 10 years ago, and the effect it has had on those survivors of the victims, as well as all Americans. Donner commented on how creating the Sept. 11 video affected her and the experience she gained from it.

“It made me look at that day with an incredible human perspective,” she said. “What 9/11 meant to me transformed from those images of the towers falling and a fading memory from childhood into something incredibly new and important for us to remember.

“I hope the videos make people look at their lives, the lives of others, and the world differently. I want the students to inspire, because the student body always inspires me with their responses. Whether their response (to the videos) is an action resulting in a cure or merely thinking about the lives we have to live, and the gifts and talents we have to offer to the world,” she added.

Mary Donner is a high honor senior from Oak Brook. At Montini, she is an active member of the National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, and the Thespian Society. Donner is a broadcaster for the school, an editor of the Bronco Rambler newspaper, a Chamber Singer, and a member of the Liturgical Choir, and the Literary Magazine.