President's Perspective

Our winter edition of The Ursu.Lines features our students, faculty, and alumnae “making new life” in a global community. In early fall, Pope Francis spoke to the Ursuline Sisters during their chapter gathering in Rome. He spoke about understanding one another in our complex, global community. From his speech, a vision statement for the Roman Union schools of the United States was created. This statement's theme of a global community moving into new life sets a concise message for our schools to focus on for the next four years. This Ursu.Lines provides highlights of just how Ursuline Academy faculty, students, and alumnae live out this vision through their actions.

Insieme means together. In the spirit of Insieme, our Ursuline community reaches out to understand, listen, and encounter others. When you read about Sr. Rosemary, Karen, Hanan, and Sara, you see people doing just that—living in the spirit of Insieme.

As you turn the pages to see updates about our Ursuline community, you will also see the Board of Trustees’ strategic plan for the next four years. Through the five strategic areas: institutional stewardship, operational vitality, educational innovation, leadership development, and global citizenship, the Academy will move forward toward her tricentennial celebration.

Our strategic plan sets a vision in each area. The needs of the main building are quite significant. The renovation of the main building has been divided into phases to update our physical space to support the project-based Ursuline education we desire. In order to grow and prosper as an educational institution, our facilities, endowment, and enrollment must support the curriculum and projectbased learning our faculty is providing. As we strive to provide STEM and Arts curriculum that require critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity, our faculty need an innovative setting in our historic environment to best serve our students.

Our final area, global citizenship, is alive and well at Ursuline. Read through the featured articles in this magazine and you will see that Serviam continues through our community. As we grow in this area, we embrace the peacemaking of St. Angela along with the responsibility for ourselves, others, and our world.

This edition of The Ursu.Lines shares the story of Ursuline today - a story of trailblazers. Ursuline’s future is very bright.

Blessings,

Karen T. McNay, EdD