September 19, 2021
It is with extreme sadness, and a heavy heart, that I share a student member of our Mount Mercy family, Ashley Hudson, passed away today, September 20, due to complications associated with COVID-19.
I, along with our entire campus community, extend our deepest sympathies to Ashley’s family, friends, faculty and staff, and peers during this profoundly difficult time. Ashley was an aspiring kindergarten teacher and had dreams of becoming a Mount Mercy graduate.
With a campus as tight-knit as ours, losing a member of our community—especially a student—is deeply painful. Grief counseling services are available free of charge to offer support to our students, faculty, and staff. If you, or someone you may know, needs assistance, please reach out to our Olson Marriage & Family Therapy Clinic by visiting their website or calling 319-368-6493 to make an appointment. We will also be holding a vigil tonight at 6:00 PM in the Chapel of Mercy, and all are welcome. Immediately following, a grief group led by our Marriage & Family Therapy program will be available for anyone interested.
Please join me in lifting up the Hudson family in prayer and honoring Ashley’s memory. As our foundress Catherine McAuley reminds us, "A community in which this universal charity reigns, is capable of surmounting all difficulties.”
Always,
Todd Olson
President