Beyond The Academy #1

PUBLISHED BY

WINTER 2017

NOTRE DAME ACADEMY

NOTRE DAME ACADEMY

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EDITOR

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NDA TO Z

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DAY IN THE LIFE

Warren Group | Studio Deluxe

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MCDERMOT T SISTERS CREATE OHANA

Frances Barrera ’18 Isabella Rendon ’19

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EMPHASIZING PROCESS OVER PRODUCT IN PERU

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WHERE THE NDA GIRLS ARE…

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CUELL AR SISTERS THINK BEYOND THE CL ASSROOM

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SENIORS REFLECT ON NDA

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Kristin Callaghan DESIGN

ILLUSTRATION

PHOTOGRAPHY

Raynelle Duronslet ’98 Jason Sorge

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DEAR FRIENDS, St. Julie Billiart, spiritual foundress of Notre Dame Academy, once said, “You don’t have to do all the good in the world, just the bit that lies within your power.” These words guide all of the members of our community each day, but they also remain with the more than 6,000 alumnae who called NDA home.

The alumnae profiled here embody the values of Notre Dame Academy and manifest the words of St. Julie Billiart as they seek to make a difference in ways large and small. They demonstrate how our young women not only become sharper students, stronger athletes, and finer artists, but, more importantly, they also grow into faith-filled women of service and integrity.

It is my distinct honor to introduce our newly updated magazine, Beyond the Academy. Perhaps you’ll learn more about our unique community from its pages, or maybe you’ll recognize yourself or a classmate within a story. Best of all, you might recall one of your fondest memories of your time with the Sisters at Notre Dame Academy.

Lilliam Paetzold President/Head of School

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to Learn more about all things Notre Dame Academy in this handy alphabetized list.

Suggest your own additions at beyond@ndala.com.

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Z..

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AP AND HONORS NDA offers 26 honors and AP courses in every discipline. Online options are also available.

Honors options begin in the freshman year.

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BUCK-A-STUFF Wear free dress while you support your community. All donations go directly to organizations near and far—from breast cancer research to our sister school in Uganda.

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D

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Visit campus to feel and see our Catholic faith in action in students and faculty alike. Celebrate Mass with your sisters, participate in retreats, and take responsibility for your own faith journey.

Audition for four levels of dance and take it for PE or VPA credit, or just for fun! Show off your skills with multiple performance opportunities throughout the year.

Our rotating schedule has a study hall built in. Use enrichment period (or E-Period) to visit teachers, meet on group projects, and catch up on homework.

CATHOLIC

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DANCE

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E-PERIOD

GRIT

FRIENDS

Our girls set high goals and work hard to achieve them! Both grit and persistence are key to cultivating growth mindset.

Forge friendships with your future bridesmaids as you navigate the formative high school years with the help of a supportive NDA faculty and staff.

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I

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NDA abides by a student-created and directed honor code. The Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE) awarded NDA’s Honor Council its Exemplar School Prize this year.

Check ours out @regalgryphons!

Social justice, that is. It’s a tenet of the Sisters of Notre Dame, and the focus of the senior religion curriculum.

HONOR CODE

INSTAGRAM

JUSTICE

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LUNCH

Feel like homemade donuts and muffins? Prefer curly fries and paninis? Or how about fresh smoothies and salads? Chef Mark provides a delicious hot lunch and snacks every day. Find a spot on the lawn, on the steps, or in the café.

Lunch is a time for friends, fun, and food!

KAIROS Our four-year retreat program culminates with Kairos senior year. Live the Fourth!

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MOCK TRIAL Looking for an opportunity for writing, analysis, and a little bit of acting in a single competition?

Mock Trial is for you! Put your skills to the test as you craft arguments for the defense or become the prosecution’s best witness.

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NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY Members of the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society offer free peer tutoring at lunchtime for all subjects.

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OVERALL WELLNESS In addition to academic counselors, personal counselors are available for students every day for times when you need a little extra support.

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PENNY LOAFERS Black penny loafers are an essential part of the dress uniform. Wear them with white socks and your burgundy skirt and blazer for liturgies, assemblies, and other special occasions.

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QUEEN’S COUNCIL The members of this 80-person team are the ambassadors at Open House, shadow days, and other events. Look for their signature white sweaters.

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ROBOTICS & ROCKETRY These competitive (and award-winning!) teams are a part of our STEM Pathways (SP2) program designed for students considering careers in engineering.

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THE SOUND OF MUSIC

THINK TANK A small group of students, faculty, and administrators meet regularly to discuss current events and school culture. All students have direct access to key administrators as well.

Our spring musical will be “The Sound of Music.” It’s just one of the many performance opportunities for our singers, dancers, and thespians.

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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

VOLLEYBALL

The UCs and the Jesuit universities are popular choices for college among our graduates, 100% of whom are accepted to four-year programs, and are well-prepared for success in college and beyond.

Dedicated teachers and four years of academic counseling will help get you there.

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WELLADJUSTED Balance is essential to a happy and healthy high school experience. That’s why our faculty considers the whole student when evaluating course requests.

No two students are alike and neither are their schedules!

Choose from 10 varsity sports at NDA. While volleyball and soccer are our most competitive, cross country and softball are no-cut.

Twenty-eight Regals have been named to AllLeague teams, and more than 30 graduates are playing Division 1 college sports.

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Explore career and service opportunities in the medical field in Club Med. You might even analyze an X-ray during one of the many related internship opportunities.

Chronicle the year for and with your classmates as a member of the Royale staff, or simply celebrate its publication on Mary’s Day with a Mass and picnic in the spring.

X-RAY

YEARBOOK

ZEAL Our students demonstrate an enthusiasm for learning both in and outside the classroom.

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MCDERMOTT SISTERS CREATE OHANA

St. Julie Billiart might never have “shared the stoke,” but like Michaela and Cameron McDermott, she knew all about building ohana, or family, within her community.

The sisters’ philosophy echoes St. Julie’s admonition to “do the good that lies within your power.” Through their non-profit organization Making Waves, Michaela ’13, and Cameron ’15, have created an ohana focused on their love for surfing and the ocean for middle-school girls.

“Making Waves is about encouraging and empowering each young woman to make her own wave in her everyday life,” said Cameron.

“Although big picture change is great, it starts with the courage to make small efforts to improve your world everyday.” Conceived around the family dinner table in the summer of 2014, Making Waves has reached hundreds of girls through its “meet ups” and now includes younger sister Delaney ’18, on its leadership team.

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The seeds of the sisters’ service grew from their days at NDA. “I loved my time at NDA and grew into myself there,” said Michaela. “That’s where I was challenged— in academics, athletics, and leadership— to develop my passions, share them with others, and encourage other young women to do the same.”

The unique combination of surfing and young women forms the basis of Making Waves’ success. “Middle school is a time of transition and doubt for many girls,” said Cam. “The act of learning to surf draws them out of their comfort zone. With us, they’re safe enough to fail and be challenged and try again.”

“Surfing not only poses the challenge, but it also provides an opportunity for connection,” added Michaela. “Finding a flow state with nature and the ocean connects you to your spirituality. It forces you to think beyond yourself, to think bigger.”

Although both founders are studying at Gonzaga University—Michaela for her MBA and Cam in marketing and sustainable business—they will continue Making Waves, along with Delaney and the youngest McDermott sister, Elissa ’22.

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EMPHASIZING PROCESS OVER PRODUCT IN PERU

As a volunteer with Jesuit Volunteer Corps International (JVC), Hannah Petersen ’12, is engaged in the radical work of relationship building. Disguised as teaching, counseling, and even speech therapy, Hannah’s efforts focus on accompanying residents experiencing poverty, dislocation and domestic violence in the border town of Tacna, Peru.

“I am building relationships rooted in justice and faith,” said Hannah. “You can’t choose one person over another, because one Body unites us. Good faith requires action, and sometimes that action is lending a listening ear.”

Although she is a long way from Notre Dame Academy, the fire that fuels Hannah’s drive to serve was sparked by Ms. Ma’ake and her experience as president of Campus Ministry. “I loved NDA,” said Hannah. “That’s where I formed my own faith—not my parents’—and developed my passions. Those values are embedded within me now, in the work I’ve chosen, and why.”

Hannah draws inspiration from Tattoos on the Heart by Father Greg Boyle, a memoir she read at NDA. “That certainly was a lightbulb moment,” she said. “The challenge to see the inherent good in others—despite their actions or circumstances—is an opportunity to see the good God in everyone.”

Her time at the University of Notre Dame, where she earned an undergraduate degree in American Studies, continued to feed her desire to serve others. After multiple service trips over four years of discernment, Hannah accepted the invitation to serve with JVC, and now wears many hats in Tacna, including English teacher. She welcomes the challenge of living out the pillars of the volunteer

organization, including simple living within community, focused on faith and social justice.

“Living intentionally and detaching from the material isn’t easy in this day and age,” explains Hannah. “It requires staying present to real people, real places, real moments.

Staying present compels me to focus on the needs as I meet them and begin the slow work of walking alongside communities as we try to shape the world as it should be. I may not see the product, but I’m a part of the process.

And there’s a lot of power in that.”

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where the NDA girls are…

NDA students not only excel in the classroom and in activities on campus, but they also are leaders in organizations in the local community. Look for NDA girls at GOLFING

MAC ROWING IN MARINA DEL REY

LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS

FENCING GIRL SCOUTS RYMAN ARTS PROGRAM

CHEERLEADING AT LOYOLA HIGH SCHOOL IRISH DANCE

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ST. CASIMIR LITHUANIAN SCHOOL

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CUELLAR SISTERS THINK BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Neither of the Cuellar sisters envisioned herself pursuing a career as a teacher during her time at Notre Dame Academy. Both Cristina ’00, and Ana ’09, however, have embraced unique opportunities in education and count aspects of teaching among their greatest accomplishments.

Cristina directs the Corporate Work Study Program at Verbum Dei High School in Los Angeles. As vice president, she manages the placement, evaluation, training, and mentoring of more than 300 young men in the school’s unique work study program. Verbum Dei is the only all-boys school in the Cristo Rey Network, a collection of 35 Catholic, college-prep high schools for underrepresented urban youth.

The program combines rigorous academics and real-world work experience to prepare 100 percent of its graduates for success in college and beyond.

A graduate of Loyola Marymount University, Cristina influences students outside the classroom and helps to equip them with resume-building skills. “It’s not about the work,” said Cristina, “it’s about the people I work with and serve. I’ve realized immense professional and personal growth during my 14 years here at Verb. It’s consumed me in a very special way.”

Like Cristina, Ana has pursued a career in education, but not necessarily as a classroom teacher. Currently in her second year as learning technology specialist at Airbnb, Ana designs learning experiences that enable Airbnb employees to develop the requisite skills to be successful at work, with a focus on how technology can advance and scale learning outcomes. Her work reflects

her studies at Stanford University’s Master’s of Education program and builds on her experience as chief of staff at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship.

“The proximity to learners is exciting,” said Ana, “being able to build learning experiences that cultivate fundamental skills and help others realize a better version of themselves is what motivates me.”

Both agree their current careers reflect the Sisters’ commitment to both excellence and service to others that was gently instilled during their time at the Academy.

“Sister Marie Paul and her big heart welcomed us inside and outside the classroom,” said Cristina. “My relationships not just with teachers but with administrators took on a greater meaning because they valued me as a young woman, a student, a daughter, and a sister.”

“NDA was a time of real academic rigor,” continues Ana. “Academic excellence is a path that has helped me do justice as far as my parents’ struggle. But today, I am even more driven by the prospect of using that experience to help others.”

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seniors reflect on NDA As they experience Kairos, finalize college applications, and savor the last few months of high school, six seniors reflect on their experiences at NDA:

The all girls environment at NDA really encouraged me to find my voice and to not be afraid to share my opinions in the classroom. What sets NDA apart is that we are invested in making ourselves critical thinkers and we aren’t just interested in getting an A. You won’t be ridiculed if you get the wrong answer in the classroom.

Instead, the teachers and your classmates will work hard with you to help you rethink your answer.

PHOEBE COOK ’18

What I love about NDA is the sense of sisterhood. My friends have truly become like sisters to me— celebrating my big and little victories, encouraging me, supporting me, caring for me. I have three sisters of my own, but because of NDA, I can now say I have so many more.

ALLIE DIAZ ’18

I am so blessed to have chosen NDA! A close friend of mine introduced me to the school, and ever since my shadow day I knew this was my place. I have been offered so many opportunities that I would not have had at other schools. I have grown tremendously during my four years here— academically, spiritually, and socially.

NAILAH SMITH ’18

Every time I step foot on campus I truly feel the overwhelming power of sisterhood.

This sisterhood is so incredibly special: it’s a sense of love, loyalty, respect, and encouragement that I have only ever felt here at NDA. We build each other up and celebrate each other’s successes, and we provide a helping hand and a shoulder to lean on in times of distress.

The NDA sisterhood is what makes us the special school that we are, and is something that I will cherish forever.

I love our academic community. I don’t have to worry about my appearance, but can instead focus on fully understanding what I learn each and every day.

My teachers and counselors provide incredible support.

They never fail to offer me the help and compassion that I need, and it has been a huge contributor to my high school success.

As the third of three sisters to attend NDA, I already felt a tie to the school, but when I got the chance to visit on shadow day I saw firsthand what our community is really like. It’s a place where girls help each other with a smile and build each other up. I chose NDA because it represents the type of school I wanted to be a part of—a community of love and acceptance.

MAYA NYQUIST ’18

TALIN TEPPER ’18

CAILYN GENEWICK ’18

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PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE Notre Dame Academy is devoted to “educating young women to make a difference.”

AN NDA GRADUATE IS A WOMAN OF

» faith, who lives Catholic values and witnesses God’s goodness and provident care. » academic excellence, who thinks critically and communicates effectively. » vision and leadership, who collaborates, problem solves, and uses technology ethically. » service and compassion, who makes a positive difference in the world.

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