Regals Reconnect on Retreats

faith, service and compassion

Regals Reconnect on Retreats

Notre Dame Academy students have always looked forward to spiritual retreats as a way to connect with each other and their faith. These events took on a new meaning this year, however, when they returned to their in-person format after many months of online classes and virtual events due to COVID-19.

“We wanted students to leave retreats feeling closer to Christ and with an awareness that God is with them through their friends, their classmates, their families, and that they are a cherished part of our community,” said Betsy Ward, director of Mission, campus minister, and theology teacher.

To strengthen that community bond, the campus ministry team and faculty members worked tirelessly to make sure that students had plenty of chances to spend time together and find their own place within the NDA sisterhood this year.

“Students had a need to connect with each other, so we wanted to hold a space for that as well as for their spiritual development,” says Amy Hickl, theology teacher and dean of Faculty.

Each class’ customized retreat combined fun activities, thoughtful conversations, and plenty of unstructured time to just hang out and make those connections outside of the usual school routine. The freshmen listened to and reflected on talks older students gave about taking risks and embracing their unique gifts, messages that particularly resonated after transitioning into high school during such an unusual time. Sophomores enjoyed a Tangledthemed day that helped them identify people in their lives who could help them overcome obstacles, while the juniors centered self-care, prayer, and sisterhood through a show about mermaids called “H2O.”

The entire senior class embarked on an NDA-designed retreat called Petra instead of splitting into two groups as they usually do for the Kairos retreat. Petra combined the most cherished elements of Kairos with new activities, like taking a prayer walk with a partner, to highlight students’ values, sense of self, and relationships with God and each other.

“Because the whole class was there, they had a chance to affirm each other in a really powerful way,” Ms. Ward said. “Coming together outside of the classroom, being together, having some good discussions, and praying together was really, really nurturing for them.”

alum highlight

Regal Sisters Connect In Media

Kristen Rodriguez ’13 and Alyssa Sales ’04 didn’t attend Notre Dame Academy at the same time, but the school’s enduring sisterhood still connects them both.

The alumnae met when Kristen interviewed for a job on Alyssa’s team at NBC. Though they didn’t realize that they were fellow NDA graduates right away, Alyssa recognized something special in Kristen.

“She had this enthusiasm about her, and she was so composed,” Alyssa said.

Soon after Kristen got the job, the two discovered their shared high school connection and the similarities between their NDA experiences. Both dedicated themselves to AP and honors classes, participated in sports—Kristen played soccer, while Alyssa ran track and cross country—and grew as part of the NDA community.

“Being at NDA, you didn’t have to worry about what people thought,” Kristen said. “I was excited to raise my hand in class, even if my answer might be wrong. It allowed me to just be myself.”

Alyssa Sales ‘04

Kristen Rodriguez ‘13

Once they began working together at NBC, the Regal colleagues strengthened their bond and supported each other as they collaborated on publicity for “The Voice,” among other projects. Kristen credits Alyssa with teaching her everything she knows about public relations, and Alyssa admired Kristen’s work ethic and progress. They eventually parted ways when Alyssa moved on to a role at Peacock, NBC’s streaming service, but the separation was temporary.

In July 2021, Netflix recruited Alyssa to be its manager of series awards publicity for its unscripted and standup comedy category. Soon after, a coordinator for unscripted series publicity role opened on her team, and she immediately referred Kristen for the job. Now they’re working and learning together again to develop and implement public relations strategies for this emerging category at Netflix.

“There was a really strong community at NDA, and I feel like it’s a testament to Kristen and me finding these connections and going on a similar path together,” Alyssa said.