BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      It was about six months early, but it didn’t matter as some 350 persons gathered on Sunday evening at the Georgetown in Boardman to pay tribute to Sister Jerome Corcoran on her 100th birthday.
      The birthday celebration also served as a fund-raiser for Sister Jerome’s Poor, which helps working poor families, and provides mentoring and financial assistance to enable inner city children to complete college or trade school.
      The event raised over $100,000, and brought accolades from around the state to Sister Jerome, who was a member of the first-ever co-ed class at Ursuline High School in 1934.
      Sister Jerome, who joined the Ursuline Sisterhood in 1935, has addressed the needs of children for over 70 years. She taught in parochial schools and Ursuline High School. For 15 years, she supervised education in the Diocese of Youngstown.
      In 1976, she began Millcreek Children’s Center which she directed for 36 years. In 1998 she, Sister Mary Dunn and Developing Potential, Inc. founded a charter school, Youngstown Community School. After leaving that post in 2012, at the age of 96, she founded Sister Jerome’s Poor.
      Last year, Sister Jerome’s Poor provided assistance to more than 400 working poor residents of Youngstown.
      Spry and chipper on the backside of 99-years-old, (she was born Apr. 21, 1916) Sister Jerome told those in attendance that retirement is not an option.
      “I still have a lot to do,” she said after receiving accolades from local, state and national political figures, as well as a Papal Blessing from Pope Francis.
      “Poverty begets poverty, and the only hope to escape it is a good education. I have found this to be true time and again in my decades as an educator and school administrator,” Sister Jerome said.
      Asked about the secret of her longevity, Sister Jerome replied “My parents each lived to be 98-years-old, and that’s a good start. Aside from that, I have no idea.”
     
      Pictured: photo/John A. Darnell jr.
       SISTER JEROME CORCORAN was all smiles as she received an autographed football from Youngstown State University president Jim Tressel on Sunday night during a 100th birthday celebration in her honor that was held at the Georgetown.