THE URSU.LINES
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION O F URS ULI NE AC ADEMY O F NEW O RLE A N S
2020-2021
STAFF AND CONTRIBUTORS Academy President Dr. Margarita O'Byrne Curtis '69 Head of Elementary Shannon Culotta Head of High School Dr. Tracy Bonday Director of Alumnae Relations Maria Merchan Weidenbacher '05 Director of Communications Christy Jackson Zurcher '00 Director of Enrollment Management Becky McLellan CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND WRITERS Gayle Benson Alicia Brannan Maureen Cremaldi Patricia "Tricia" Fitzmorris Danflous '65 Coti Gayles Jennie Guidry Hannah Hebert '21 Ingeborg Hyde '17 Pat Garin Photographer, LLC Lori Ranner Karen Stiegler '21 L AY O U T A N D D E S I G N Lori Monahan Borden ’88 Lori Monahan Borden Design, LLC
CONTENTS Leadership Center.................................... 6-9 High Resolves...............................................10 Aspirational Art.......................................12-13 Diversity, Inclusion, & Belonging....... 14-18 Service......................................................19-22 New President and Principal.............26-27 The Legacy Project...............................28-29 Macs of 2021...........................................33-47 Alumnae................................................. 49-53 In Memoriam......................................... 54-55
PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served my Alma Mater as Interim Academy President in the 2020-2021 school year. I could have never anticipated that I would conclude my educational career at the very place where it started, where so many valuable lifelong lessons were learned. While this year has been atypical and disorienting in so many ways for all of us, I have never doubted that our efforts are worthwhile, and that together we are responding to a higher purpose. As I look back at what started at Ursuline Academy, I feel fortunate that my “job” as an educator has always overlapped so seamlessly with my “vocation” and my deepest aspirations. In my view, we are collectively engaged in the noblest of tasks: the formation and education of our country’s youth, the awakening of their minds and hearts, so that they can discover ever more faithful ways of being in the world, ever more generous ways of sharing their talents, passions, and perspectives. In the end, Serviam = a fulfilling, purposeful life. As you read through this edition of The Ursu.Lines, join me in celebrating the many accomplishments of this school year. From the renovation of the former library into the Jane Gisevius ’61 Leadership Center, the inception of the Academy nursery - The Lily House, and the vital work of the Academy’s Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Task Force, the Academy is continuously moving forward, adapting to rapidly changing times in relevant, responsible ways. Our efforts to develop our community’s cultural competency and to ensure that our organizational structures, operations, programs, and campus culture foster a sense of inclusion and belonging continue to build momentum. As trailblazers of our time, we continue to live by the same inclusive mission that our trailblazing Sisters brought with them to New Orleans in 1727. Cor Unum,
Margarita O’Byrne Curtis ’69 2020-2021 Academy President
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Jane Gisevius ’61 Leadership Center Want to learn more about giving a planned gift? Contact Mariana Coudrain, Associate Director of Development, at mcoudrain@uanola.org.
On November 9, 2020, the Academy dedicated the Jane Gisevius ’61 Leadership Center. A prayer service of blessing by Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond, Archbishop of New Orleans, preceded the dedication. Honored guests included Dr. RaeNell Houston, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of New Orleans; Ursuline Sisters; family and friends of the late Jane Gisevius ’61, Linda Teijelo Smith ’59, and Phyllis Bunol Jones ’37; and Ursuline Academy Board of Trustees Chair Michael Kimble and Vice-Chair Jessica Kennedy Becker ’89. This leadership center comprises a SmartLab®, collaboration space, robotics lab, and video production studio. The SmartLab® is named in honor of the late Linda Teijelo Smith ’59 and the Robotics Lab for the late Phyllis Bunol Jones ’37. SmartLabs® are fully integrated STEAM learning environments where everything - from the furniture to the curriculum and assessment work together. The learning approach is based on a four phase cycle: explore, plan, do, and share. The curriculum provides personalized learning resources in the following systems of technology: Circuitry, Computer Graphics, Digital Communications, Mechanics and Structures, Robotics and Control Technology, Scientific Data and Analysis, Software Engineering, Sustainability, and Video Production. Curriculum is accessible to kindergarten through twelfth grade so that these teachers can integrate the project-based content into their lesson plans. Ursuline Academy firmly believes that, to succeed in tomorrow’s world, girls must learn to think creatively, articulate their ideas confidently and compassionately, and solve problems
God calls us to learn more about him and the world he has created. St. Angela Merici and the Ursuline Sisters took this message to heart and they sought to follow God in new ways and to bring the great gift of education to girls who would be trailblazers of their time. The mission of the Ursuline Sisters continues in this Leadership Center where the students of Ursuline Academy will have the opportunity to engage in STEM and Media Arts and discover and further their interests so that they can be among the trailblazers who change our world for the better. -MOST REVEREND GREGORY M. AYMOND, ARCHBISHOP OF NEW ORLEANS
collaboratively. Through highly interactive experiences powered by STEM and the arts – and a nurturing community diverse by design – the Academy develops tomorrow’s brightest independent thinkers, innovators, and community builders. This creative, collaborative space promises to bring these future leaders even farther into their educational journey - giving them the confidence to discover what they are capable of achieving. URSULINE ACADEMY | 7 | THE URSU.LINES | 2020-2021
HIGH RESOLVES EXPERIENCE AT URSULINE BY COTI GAYLES
Tell me about your experience with High Resolves. How did this experience enhance or enlighten your understanding of inclusion and diversity? Our school community is taking a closer look at inclusion and diversity more so now than ever in our history. How has this experience helped to make a more inclusive community at UA?
How can you apply what you have learned from your experience in the future?
During the 2020-2021 school year, middle and high school students along with high school staff participated in a High Resolves Peak Experience on Identity and Purpose. The intent of this experience was to assist the Academy in reaching its aspirations of creating a more inclusive school community. “High Resolves is a professionally delivered experience focusing on identity and purpose. Students examine how our socialization influences the perceptions we hold of ourselves and others and the impact it can have on our interactions. Students develop the ability to recognize divisive views and behaviors and practice responding in ways that are inclusive. They create their vision for society and identify how their actions can help make it a reality.”
OLIVIA ELAM
M AYA J O H N SO N
ELLO ZOE SCH
The presentation was interactive - it was more like a workshop than a presentation. We were able to discuss biases and work through certain biases that exist without feeling judged.
The activities were actually fun. We learned that if we are intentional about creating relationships and not judging or operating from our biases, oftentimes we can learn we are more alike than we are different.
I was surprised because I really enjoyed it. I learned a lot about how my classmates view the importance of activism. I didn't know we shared similar views. It was refreshing to be in this space and to be able to discuss biases, race, and class issues with my peers.
If we take the time to get to know each other more, we will learn more about each other and have deeper connections. I keep my card with me from the High Resolves activity to remind me of the importance of not being biased and taking the time to be present with others in our community.
I have attended Ursuline since the first grade and this year, I have felt more heard like my experience matters. I feel that the work of the task force will help students feel more heard and more connected to the school. Also, the school is working to have a more diverse staff which is important.
For me, just realizing that so many others at school share similar experiences and beliefs has helped me this school year to know I have allies at school who support things that I support. It is healthy to agree and disagree in a productive way.
My experience with High Resolves helped me to remember that I can find things in common with anyone. The more you talk or get to know someone, you realize most often that you can find commonalities.
There are so many factors other than race. Race matters, but we have to look at everything in the broader picture. I want to be a healthcare professional that is open and inclusive of everyone.
I want to study architecture, which is a white male dominated field, and I am a black young woman. I know I won’t see a lot of women in this field and especially not a lot of black women. This presentation helped me realize that even though I am entering this field as a minority, I can be very successful and I belong.
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COLLEGE CHOICES
HERE, NEAR AND BEYOND
Danielle Staggers Dyer is Expanding Options for UA Students By Patricia “Tricia” Fitzmorris Danflous ’65
Where did you to go to high school? If you’re smiling when you read that opening line, you know you’ve been asked it a thousand times or made the same inquiry yourself. With much respect for her new Crescent City home, UA Director of College Placement and Global Studies, Danielle Staggers Dyer is working to add a second question to the conversation – “Where did you go to college?” Arriving in New Orleans shortly after COVID-19 isolation effects changed the way of working and educating, Dyer is guiding Ursuline girls in the college process from application through decision. She is not only committed to supporting both students and parents through the often tedious, confusing, and overwhelming college application phase of high school, but also broadening the choice horizon. “The goal is to help our girls become familiar with colleges outside of the usual radius, outside of Louisiana, and outside of neighboring states,” she says. Although COVID restrictions interfered with Dyer’s first year at UA with no oncampus college presentations and no college visits by students, she initiated a college application kickoff last August.
The virtual event featured colleges such as Wesleyan University in Connecticut and Rollins College in Florida, which had not been typical choices in the past. “There is scholarship potential outside the region. I want to be sure that students and their parents are aware of all the options in considering a college with an environment that best fits the student’s personality and academic interest.” A first generation college graduate, Dyer brings a unique perspective to the road less traveled, grounded by a keen awareness of today’s parents who want the best, the safest, and a dreamfulfilling future for their daughters. “I love to give honor to my late mother whose belief in me and her investment in me got me to where I am today,” Dyer reflects. “It is why I do what I do as I remember that ‘to whom much is given, much is required’. It is my responsibility to give that same inspiration and motivation to others as they work to reach their goals.” A graduate of the University of North Carolina with a degree in sociology and a minor in socioeconomic justice, Dyer traveled to the University of Pennsylvania to earn a Master’s in Higher Education. She brings more
than seven years of college advising experience to Ursuline, including service with the National College Advising Corps as well as positions with high schools and community-based organizations In Mississippi, South Carolina, and North Carolina. When you have the opportunity to meet Dyer for a one-on-one or family college counseling sessions, you will know within seconds that her enthusiasm, passion for education, and awareness of individuality is the right fit for the Ursuline community. There is little doubt that she has found a home in the Academy. “When I made the decision to return to the high school setting, I knew I wanted to work in an environment where students were nurtured, an environment where there are pathways, and an understanding of college as the next step,” she states. It’s highly unlikely that “where did you go to high school?” disappears from New Orleans talk, but soon you might be hearing “I went to Ursuline and that prepared me for an incredible college experience in Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa" … the options are limitless. Just check with Danielle Staggers Dyer.
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“The purpose of art is nothing less than
ASPIRATIO This quote from Pope John Paul II, my love for people in recovery, and a generous grant from The Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation fueled the creation of Ursuline Academy’s “Aspirational Art.” The idea: The current addiction crisis in our nation, and more specifically in New Orleans, was at the top of my list. Having been part of a family in crisis and recovery, I have gained intimate knowledge of the recovery process and the strength that comes from being connected to and supported by others. My goal was to send pieces of love and encouragement to those in our city who were fighting the battle of addiction. I also hoped that we could offer this to a women’s facility to “uplift” our sisters in this battle. Through prayer and reflection, the idea took form and the next step was to find such a facility that was in need of our services. Mrs Natalie
Vitrano and I put our creative heads together and came up with a number of concepts. Partnership with Grace House: The only long term treatment facility for women seeking sobriety that I had heard of in New Orleans was Grace House. The CEO Else Peterson was a constant support. Strangely enough, when I made my first contact with Grace House, they were moving into a new facility that had blank walls and a need for art. God has been present in this process from beginning to end. The collaboration with Grace House has continued for the last two years and has been amazing. We are a true partnership in every aspect. The learning: The goal of this project was to demystify the recovery process, teach the students about the steps and slogans of Alcoholics Anonymous, prevent addiction through education, and learn how to create
han the upliftment of the human spirit”
ONAL
a commissioned piece of art using acrylic paints. Pre-COVID, two women from Grace House came to Ursuline to share their story of recovery and speak about their experience working the steps. One of the women had a similar Catholic high school experience as our students. This was surprising to most. The girls were empathetic and were moved to delve into this project with the motivation to be part of the courageous women's healing process. The artwork: Over the past year, we have created over 100 pieces of art for Grace House – one mural, 50 large outdoor paintings, and framed pieces that are hung in therapy rooms, common rooms, and residents’ bedrooms. Student artists illustrated Alcoholics Anonymous' Twelve Steps, slogans, and words of encouragement. In addition, 2,000 postcards were printed with some of the work
ART
to be used as a fundraiser for treatment. The students used professional grade materials that would have been prohibitive had we not received funding. Mrs Natalie Vitrano and I implemented the grant in our higher level art classes. Our projects shifted in accordance with the needs of the facility. In fact, we are currently dreaming up our grant for next year. Reflection: The final step of the project was a reflection page - giving the students a moment to reflect on the project, process, and service experience. The best way to convey what this project has meant to all of us is through the words of one of our artists: “My favorite part of creating this project was knowing that I am helping women - encouraging and supporting them on this otherwise lonely journey.” - McKenna Brannan, Class of 2022 By Maureen Cremaldi, MS Counseling, LPC
DIVERSITY INCLUSION AND BELONGING
“If, according to times and circumstances, the need arises to make new rules or do something differently, do it prudently and with good advice.” - Saint Angela Merici | Foundress of the Company of St. Ursula
A Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) Task Force was commissioned by Academy President Dr. Margarita O’Byrne Curtis ’69 in the Summer of 2020. The group was intentionally inclusive of parents, alumnae, students, faculty, staff, and other members of the extended Ursuline community. It was also very diverse in terms of gender, ethnicity, age, geographic location, and profession. The DIB Task Force was asked to evaluate areas of school life, governance, and operating structures relative to Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Six focus areas were identified: Academics, Admissions, Alumnae/Development, Communications, Human Resources, and Student Life. After evaluating the current state, the DIB Task Force was further asked to provide recommendations to create a more diverse, inclusive, and welcoming Ursuline community, which enables all Ursuline girls to feel they belong, utilizing Ursuline’s mission, philosophy, and core values as a backdrop for recommendations. Recommendations were provided via a strategic plan in May 2021, at which time the task force did sunset.
A L E T T E R F RO M T H E AC A D E M Y P R E S I D E N T June 8, 2020 Dear Members of the Ursuline Community, I return to Ursuline with deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve the institution that launched me on a consequential and fulfilling career as an educator. After more than forty years in the Northeast, I am exhilarated by the prospect of rejoining the community. When I returned to campus this past December for the Sweetheart Induction Ceremony, little did I know at the time that I would be returning to the Academy in this new role. Shortly after the induction, Mariana Coudrain, our Annual Fund Coordinator, kindly gave me an extensive tour of the campus. Walking through the hallways and seeing that magnificent courtyard again after so many years away, filled me with nostalgia and brought back compelling memories of the four years I spent at the Academy. In many ways, this stage of my life was deeply challenging - when I arrived at Ursuline from Colombia, I didn't speak English, and I had left all my close friends and relatives behind in a faraway country. I was a shy, awkward, pimply 12-year old trying to make sense of a brand new reality. Everything around me was foreign and puzzling, and yet, the memory that endures is the warmth and support with which I was met, and the certainty that I was surrounded by teachers - many of them dedicated, kind Sisters - and classmates who cared. Those were some of the most transformative years of my life. I am humbled and energized by the opportunity to get to know all of you and to serve the school in the year ahead. It is clear already, however, that I arrive during one of the country's most tumultuous and challenging moments in recent history. We are wearied by a monthslong pandemic and the unparalleled dislocation, suffering, and anxiety it has wrought here and across the globe. We are also reeling from the loss of life of another black man, at the hands of police, and from the disturbing reaffirmation that systemic racism remains entrenched in our society, undermining a fundamental democratic value: justice for all. Racism, in all its manifestations, persists as a human rights violation, with deep roots in our past. It is with this reality in mind that I also return to my Alma Mater with a renewed, intense awareness of the most critical and urgent task facing those of us who choose the teaching life. To educate (Latin: e, ex= out + ducare= to lead) essentially means to "to lead out," to take someone from one place to another, to actively engage our students' minds, souls, and imaginations, and to lead them toward more enlightened, righteous, just ways of being in the world. As a school anchored in Gospel teachings, it is the formation of our girls' character and the calibration of their moral compass that take precedence over all the other legitimate, but complementary tasks. With the development of academic skills and competencies, our aim is not exclusively to ensure the girls' success in their chosen fields of endeavor, but more fundamentally, to send them out as transformative agents of justice, hope, and optimism in the world. Pope Francis reminds us that our religious aspirations and practices should not be limited to "the inner sanctum of personal life," and that as Catholics, it is our responsibility to address the ills and injustices of our time, to voice our opinions on issues and events impacting our society. For him, "an authentic faith - which is never comfortable or completely personal - always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better than we found it" (Evangelii Gaudium 183). So, the immediate question before us is how we will respond to this most recent manifestation of racial injustice in our midst, how we will demonstrate, not just hashtag that black lives matter. Thankfully, we have strong role models to follow. Ursuline girls are prepared to blaze trails, just like our foundress, Angela Merici, did in her own world more than four hundred years ago. With foresight and courage, she challenged the conventional limits imposed on women of her era - marriage or the convent - and created a new way for them to lead active, independent lives in their communities, addressing the most urgent needs of others. In so doing, she significantly expanded the sphere of action and influence afforded to the women of her time. For centuries, the Ursuline Sisters have built on this powerful legacy, indiscriminately bringing their caring attention and educational expertise to generations of girls, of all races and backgrounds, across the globe. As the first all-girls' Catholic school in the nation, our Sisters were the very first to provide classes for female African American slaves, free women of color, and Native Americans. They also provided the first center of social welfare in the Mississippi Valley and the first boarding school in Louisiana. Ursuline's trailblazing legacy has continued to hold many other firsts - the first female pharmacist, the first to contribute a book of literary merit, the first female law professor at Loyola University New Orleans, and the first African American woman to serve as Chief Judge of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court - to name a few. The Ursuline ability to be the first, identify challenges and seek ways of addressing them with creativity and courage, and to show our contemporaries how to "lead new lives," is a distinctive strain of our DNA, and one we must leverage in the face of our current crisis. Let me briefly outline how we anticipate moving forward in the weeks and months ahead. In consultation with Jessica Kennedy Becker '89, current Chair of the Board of Trustees, I am in the process of appointing the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Task Force, comprising representatives from various constituencies - trustees, alumnae, faculty, staff, students, parents, and friends - with the specific charge of URSULINE ACADEMY | 15 | THE URSU.LINES | 2020-2021
developing a comprehensive strategic plan in the coming months. The overarching goal is to systematically assess all areas of school life, as well as governance and operational structures, and to determine how we can enhance our cultural competency skills and create an ever more inclusive, welcoming community. While the members of the task force will lead the effort and ensure that we make measurable progress, all members of the community will have the opportunity to voice their perspective. I am also working quickly to identify and engage someone in our alumnae or parent base with deep, professional expertise in inclusion work who can guide us in a constructive, sensitive, yet deliberate manner. Ursuline Academy, from its inception, has always aspired to be a community that values and affirms the differences and individuality of each and every girl. We believe that diverse perspectives fuel creative and innovative thinking and problem solving, build empathy, enrich interactions, and provide varied skills and experiences from which the entire school benefits. As a school, we consider cultural competency essential to the pursuit of excellence and success, both on campus and beyond. In this sense, inclusion work is not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do. Given the increasingly diverse world our girls will enter upon graduation, both in college and the workplace, we must equip them with the ability to interact meaningfully and productively with people of different backgrounds and identities. Together we can continue to build on the strongest of foundations - 293 years (how many schools in the country can claim to be preparing for their tricentenary celebration!?) of a distinguished history, with a concise and most powerful motto - Serviam. Ursuline girls are encouraged to work hard, and to learn in order to serve. A wise educator once said that "the test of the worth of any school is the record of service of her alumni." In these troubled, unprecedented times, I cannot think of a more critical need than the disposition to serve - our families, communities, country, and the world. If every Ursuline girl graduates with this aspiration, we will have accomplished our mission. Great numbers of young people have taken to the streets, across the 50 states and around the globe, sometimes at great personal risk, to protest the pervasive racial injustice still in evidence today. They are demanding swift, significant change and questioning our commitment to address the blatant abuse of black people's human rights. Complacency and indifference are the strongest barriers to progress - to justice for all. I hope that together, as one community, we can blaze a trail toward inclusion and belonging.
Cor Unum,
Dr. Margarita O'Byrne Curtis '69 Academy President
The Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Task Force was blessed with the talents of two Ursuline alumnae. Deb Augustine Elam '79 served as consultant for the Task Force and Troi Bechet '79 led the Reconciliation Listening Circle for alumnae.
DEBORAH “DEB” AUGUSTINE ELAM ’79 Deborah Elam (Deb) is the President and CEO of Corporate Playbook™, a company that provides leaders with strategic direction to elevate diversity, inclusion, philanthropy, and culture in the workplace. She also created Dining with Deb™, an innovative dining experience that brings together professional women across racial, religious, and political lines to drive meaningful connections and conversations. Deb is one of the country’s foremost experts in Diversity and a strong advocate for empowering and elevating women in the workplace. During her decorated thirty-year career at General Electric (GE), amongst her many achievements, she led programming which provided high-potential women with the experience and visibility necessary to become leaders. This led to a significant increase in female representation at the leadership level. Deb became GE’s first black female corporate officer and led GE’s philanthropic efforts through the GE Foundation to tackle some of the world’s most critical challenges across health, education, and skill attainment.
TROI BECHET ’79 Troi Bechet is the founder and CEO of the Center for Restorative Approaches. Troi earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of New Orleans and Master’s Degree in Social Work from Southern University at New Orleans and has over 25 years of administrative experience. Prior to her work with CRA, she worked as the Director of the Community Building Initiative at Neighborhood Housing Services, and served as the Director of the New Orleans Theater Association, as well as the Vice President of Operations at the Private Industry Council of New Orleans.
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WHILE THE DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING TASK FORCE FOCUSED ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, THE ACADEMY ALSO TOOK SEVERAL STEPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO FURTHER THIS IMPORTANT WORK. Archdiocese Racial Equity and Justice Task Force Dr. Margarita O’Byrne Curtis ’69 committed to an 18-month position with the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ Racial Equity and Justice Task Force in order to support diversity, inclusion, and belonging efforts throughout the surrounding community.
Curriculum Review A group of high school and elementary school teachers, under the guidance of High School Academic Assistant Principal, Jennie Guidry and Third Grade Teacher, Alicia Brannan, conducted a 1st-12th grade curriculum review to assess both content and pedagogy from an inclusion perspective, and the integration of cultural competency skills into the 1st-12th grade program. The process commenced in October 2020 and involved all teachers. Faculty in early childhood through 12th grade examined their course content and compared it to Louisiana State Standards and ACT College and Career Readiness Standards. The goal was two fold: 1. to confirm that we are teaching the content, and 2. to identify areas in which teachers excel, and areas in which we can improve. A smaller group of faculty also analyzed our standardized test scores over the past 5 years, to analyze trends, and again find areas of strength and areas for growth. Lastly, we reviewed materials in the Social Sciences and Humanities content areas to assess the representation of multicultural authors, literature, and perspectives. Moving forward, faculty will work to ensure vertical alignment within academic divisions - making sure that there is academic growth and consistency from grade to grade.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace Several administrators and faculty members enrolled in a free, virtual, 14-hour certificate program focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace, sponsored by the University of South Florida’s MUMA School of Business.
High Resolves The Academy engaged High Resolves, a global, award-winning organization focused on the development of leadership and citizenship skills, with a particular emphasis on racial literacy, to train students, faculty, and staff. Two sessions were held, one for faculty and staff and the other one for a select number of high school students. The Academy would like to build on this preliminary training in the years ahead.
R.E.A.L. Discussion In May 2021, a group of humanities teachers participated in R.E.A.L. Discussion, a training program that targets the development of inclusive, culturally responsive discussion skills in history, English and religion classes, and that fosters a classroom culture where all students belong, learn, and grow. Intended for middle and high school students, the system encourages evidence-based reflection and identifies the four skills (Relate, Excerpt, Ask, and Listen) that promote meaningful, productive discussions.
Reconciliation Listening Circle In March 2021, Troi Bechet ’79, an expert in reconciliation practices and the founder and CEO of The Center for Restorative Approaches (2008), conducted a Reconciliation Listening Circle for alumnae with the intention of providing an open, welcoming environment for the sharing of experiences and stories of their Ursuline days. As indicated on her website, "Restorative Approaches focus on building, strengthening, and repairing relationships when they are harmed. These approaches offer non-adversarial mechanisms for authentic dialogue that foster connection, understanding, empathy, and healing." We are grateful for Troi’s willingness to facilitate this process on a pro-bono basis. URSULINE ACADEMY | 17 | THE URSU.LINES | 2020-2021
The Legacy Project In collaboration with the Life Jacket Company of New York, a group of 11 high school students completed The Ursuline Legacy Project, an oral history project that focuses on the integration of the Academy in the 1960’s and the experience of alumnae from different backgrounds. Through this project, a database that includes a wide array of testimonials from diverse alumnae of the past six decades was created. In addition, a nearly 20-minute video based on these interviews was produced. The benefits of the project were highlighted by the faculty advisor in an email to participants last fall: “You will be building connections that stretch into Ursuline's past and into its future; through the entire experience of workshop, coaching, interviewing, documenting, and debriefing. You are going to be gaining invaluable skills that not only are going to look very impressive on your college application, but that are extremely relevant and useful in fields like theater, journalism, academia, politics, law, scientific research, business -- the list goes on!”
Xavier Practicum Students In April 2021, the Academy welcomed a group of 12 Xavier University of Louisiana students, who were enrolled in a teacher certification program, to observe classes across different disciplines and grade levels on our campus. In addition, an initial conversation with Dr. Reynold Verret, University President, and other administrators at Xavier took place to consider how the University can support the Academy’s efforts to recruit more diverse faculty and staff in the years ahead.
SCAN THIS QR CODE TO READ THE DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING 2021-2024 STRATEGIC PLAN.
Blanket Drive In her very first year as an Ursuline girl, Junior Morgan Bennett truly embraced the Academy’s motto of Serviam. Bringing a blanket drive to Ursuline - her spirit of serving others was contagious! “Service has always been instilled in me,” she said. “Seeing people having less than I do, I just want to help them. That’s what we need to do – help each other and lift everyone up.” Due to social distancing mandates, this year’s high school service hour requirement proved to be a little more difficult for students. Keeping this in mind, Morgan proposed a blanket drive that would allow students to easily and safely give back to others. Students gathered on campus during the Mardi Gras break and made over 300 blankets. Morgan’s service was not only recognized at school, but citywide as she received a proclamation from the New Orleans City Council. Despite a difficult, rather challenging year, service remained in the hearts of the members of our Ursuline community - living out St. Angela’s vision of servinig others more than we need to be served.
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By Christy Jackson Zurcher ’00 When we think of serving those in need, we often think of donating clothes, preparing meals, and building shelter. Do we ever stop to think that in simply sharing our gifts and talents with others, we are also serving their needs? That’s exactly what elementary music teachers Lauren Benoit Ataei and Lulu Reeks set out to instill in the Academy’s young musicians. Beginning in first grade, all Ursuline girls are given weekly instruction in music. By third grade, they are playing violin, recorder, and xylophone while also learning to read and write music. In fifth grade, they are given the option to choose between strings and general music, continuing to study the instruments they excel in playing. Prior to first grade, early childhood students are also introduced to music - exploring music through play and learning pictorial notation as a precursor to note reading. These skills are carried throughout high school as students are able to continue to perform in orchestra, choir, and also take private piano
lessons. As musical skills are fostered, so are confidence, discipline, and teamwork. In addition to learning how to play an instrument, these Ursuline girls are learning to use the instrument to touch the lives of those who are listening. “Teaching music is often about physical skills and technical accuracy, with an emphasis on performance. While I do teach those things to help our girls shine, I also teach joy, connection, and humanity,” said elementary music teacher Lauren Ataei. Elementary Music teaches Ursuline girls to share in the healing and spiritual power of music. Through singing in the choir at local events, playing handbells in Mass, or playing violin at a nursing home, our girls learn that performing for others is an act of service. In fact, they have been taught that the music they play during Academy Masses isn’t a performance, but rather a gift and an invitation to the Ursuline community to pray and connect more deeply. Orchestra teacher Lulu Reeks said, “We teach
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the girls to pray while we play - to really think about the lyrics when we are performing.” Elementary students have engaged in many cross-curricular projects with music, technology, and art to expand upon core academic topics like citizenship, sustainability, and social justice. After learning about citizenship, first grade students learned the National Anthem to perform on their election day. Third grade students used percussion instruments to describe a character or significant event in their class novel - "Charlotte’s Web." Orchestra students have arranged “thank you concerts” for our dining and janitorial staff, hosted concerts for younger peers, and even recorded performances to virtually share with each other and families during quarantine. The seventh grade strings players turned words of gratitude into music by using a French method of musical
cryptography. Their beautiful music, performed at an Academy Mass, represented some of the things for which they are thankful. As evident in its musical offerings, Ursuline Academy of New Orleans is molding leaders of confidence and compassion to go out and make an impact on our global society. From early childhood through high school, these musicians are finding the confidence to challenge themselves beyond just academics. Their inspiration - the music teachers who personally go out and serve the community through their own God-given talents. Not only are these teachers educating, they are mentoring and bringing to light St. Angela Merici’s words: “Act in such a way that they may always follow your example.” From students to teachers, the Academy’s motto of Serviam is truly lived out in each and every note played.
“Act in such a way that they may always follow your example.” - Saint Angela Merici
From Ursuline to Tulane & Now Yale Ursuline Alumna Strives to be the Change By Ingeborg Hyde ’17
When I was in middle school, I came across a quote by Gandhi: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” My twelve-year-old self thought, “I want to live in a world where all people are happy and compassionate.” I wrote Gandhi’s quote on my bathroom mirror, and each morning, as I brushed my teeth and read it, I promised myself that I would perform a daily act of random kindness to help another person. Unbeknownst to me, this internal desire for a better world led me to start my first public health project. One winter evening, my mom and I were driving under a bridge. I noticed that many homeless people were not wearing any socks. I was so heartbroken by the scene that as soon as we got home, I secretly took a few pairs of socks from my dad’s closet and asked my mom to drive me back to the bridge where I distributed the socks. That day, Happy Feet was born. Happy Feet is a used sock drive that I launched at Ursuline when I was in eighth grade and continued through college. I also recruited 15 students from various local schools who launched the sock drive at their institutions. Together, we have donated over 15,000 pairs of socks to the homeless population of New Orleans. Who would have thought that collecting and distributing used socks would have been the beginning of my fascination with
creating unconventional ways of improving people’s health? This passion for finding solutions to community health problems was my primary motivation to pursue a Bachelor's in Public Health. My belief that public health problems can be tackled from different angles has motivated me to take a rigorous curriculum in not only public health, but in marketing and SISE (social innovation and social entrepreneurship). Looking for a more hands-on experience, I volunteered with the hospital administration of The Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City the summer before my junior year. I attended hospital board meetings, evaluated doctors, interacted with community members on behalf of the hospital, and wrote grants. My biggest accomplishment was playing a vital role in helping secure a one million dollar donation for TBHC through my research on the value of community and hospital relationships. After that summer, I determined that my ultimate career goal would be to work to improve our current healthcare system so that all American citizens could live longer, happier, and healthier lives regardless of their ethnic, social, or financial background. When I was 15 years old, I performed community service in Guatemala City. When I was 17 years old, I traveled to Belize to help build houses for underprivileged families. In both countries, I saw the detrimental effects of a failing healthcare system. While studying abroad in Australia during my junior year, I witnessed how a community could benefit from having a more structured and equitable healthcare system. More than ever, I recognized the importance of having the right healthcare leaders who could make a difference in health outcomes for an entire nation. I have always thought that the strength of a community relies on the existence of equal opportunities for everyone to pursue any passion in any field. This includes someone like me, who comes from third-world country immigrant parents and who would be the first person in the family to pursue a master’s degree. My only ammunition is passion, discipline, creativity, respect, resilience, gratefulness, and a true desire to make health care available to all Americans regardless of their financial ability. As I begin to work towards a Master's in Public Health in Health Care Management from the Yale School of Public Health, I am one step closer to my ultimate life goal: to be the change I wish to see in the world.
INSIDE the MUSEUM
THE SOUNDS OF PRAYER By Christy Jackson Zurcher ’00
Beloved orchestra teacher Lulu Reeks had a special surprise for our Ursuline girls during this year's Academy Mass honoring St. Angela Merici's Feast Day. She played a violin from the campus museum that dates back to 1734. The violin was made by Gavinies of Paris and belonged to Sr. St. Borgia McNair who brought it with her to the convent when she entered the Ursuline Order in 1912. Sister Borgia was born in 1891 in St. Francisville, Louisiana and was a boarding student at the Ursuline Convent on Dauphine Street. As a nun and accomplished musician, she worked in Dallas, Texarkana, and at Springfield (College), where she died in 1940. She played this violin until her death. Since the instrument hadn’t been played in 80 years, it sounded rather muted. After a visit to the luthier, it sounds amazing especially with Mrs. Reeks’ talent behind it. When asked about this wonderful opportunity, Reeks stated: “I use music as a tool to pray. Knowing a sister used this instrument to do the same thing makes it so special. I am honored to be a part of its purpose at Ursuline. It was made with the intention for it to play beautifully. The Sister who played it was an accomplished violinist who played classical and religious music. It is a great instrument, both bright and warm.” Mrs. Reeks' performance is a beautiful example of the model St. Angela Merici calls us to be for our students. As a way to live out the Academy motto of Serviam, "I will serve," she shares her musical talents to build community with others.
Maureen attended Ursuline Academy for 12 years and graduated as a Sioux of 1966. During her time at Ursuline, she was president of Queen’s Players, student director for the first productions in Ursuline’s new auditorium, and also a performer in many productions. Her mother, Edna Mae Mock - famed drama teacher for more than three decades - is both an Ursuline high school and college alumna. In addition, Maureen’s sister, three nieces, two great nieces and granddaughter are all Ursuline alumnae. Maureen attended St. Mary’s Dominican College. After completing her student teaching at Ursuline under the supervision of the beloved Sylvia Probst, she was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in English degree, cum laude, and received the Dominican College Leadership Award. She then received a Master’s Degree in English with distinction from Louisiana State University in New Orleans. Maureen taught English at Mount Carmel Academy, Kehoe-France School and St. Paul School in Covington. At Mount Carmel she and fellow classmate and colleague Joy Fish Eigher introduced several Ursuline traditions, including the selection of rotating class names and mascots. Maureen married Charles Verderame in 1976; together they have two sons, Michael and David. The couple is also blessed with five grandchildren, three in Chicago and two in New Orleans in whose lives they have been deeply involved. In the 1980’s with two small children, Maureen chaired Dominican College’s Annual Alumnae Fund Drive three times, served on the Alumnae Board, and was elected President of the Alumnae Association which presented her their Distinguished Service Award. She initiated and for many years edited Heritage Renewed, the College’s alumnae publication. She has been an active volunteer at Jesuit, St. Paul’s and St. Ann School. When Rummel’s longtime theatre director became ill, Maureen stepped up to direct his final production — proving that the show must always go on! Maureen was the first editor of The Ursu.Lines magazine. She has served on Ursuline’s Alumnae Board and on La Fête and homecoming committees for several years. She chaired a committee for the capital campaign to build the Ourso Gym and has been a Serviam Annual Fund volunteer and coordinator since the initial Serviam Drive. Maureen worked alongside chemistry teacher Sharon Linton and Sister Elizabeth Susan to write grants that led to the installation of technology in the Academy. While Maureen has volunteered in many different capacities throughout the years, she is most known for being the “switchboard operator” or “glue girl” for her class – the Sioux of 1966. Maureen has devoted more than twenty years to organizing her class for reunions, events, annual fund donations, lunch outings and more. She shares good and bad news, asks for prayer requests when needed, and updates classmates’ contact information with the alumnae office. Classmate Jeri Ann Connelly Ferrara said about Maureen, “Maureen is the glue that holds our class together to this day. She keeps us aware of the impact our time together on State Street has had which, in turn, keeps us loyal to supporting the institution that made it possible. Maureen lives what was taught and modeled, and has so deeply rooted a love for Ursuline that she cannot help but live it and share it with all.” Another classmate, Mary Nolan Looney, once said to Maureen, “you kept us in touch with Ursuline long enough for us to become real grownups and really see and appreciate what we had.” In 2016, Maureen wrote an article in The Ursu.Lines titled “Trailblazers of 1966: The Three Women Who Integrated Ursuline,” in which she spotlighted her classmates. Maureen stated, “As a member of that class, I have always expressed pride that it was my class that integrated Ursuline.” After honest conversation and much reflection, Maureen realized that this act of integration was a difficult experience for the three trailblazers. Passionate about making sure that all Ursuline girls feel included, Maureen joined the 2020-2021 Ursuline Academy of New Orleans Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Task Force where she works in the alumnae workstream. Classmate Jeri Ferrara also said about Maureen, “Maureen is ever loyal to Ursuline and to the members of our class. We are able to be better friends than we ever were in high school because she has pulled together this diverse group of Christian women with a shared appreciation for those magic years at Ursuline.” Classmate Connie Casey O’Donnell stated, “For me, the name Maureen Mock Verderame is synonymous with Ursuline. Loyalty and Serviam are much more than just words for Maureen. She lives them.” Through her own actions and the words spoken about her, it is evident that Maureen has made an impact on Ursuline Academy. Her accomplishments, awards, and kind remarks from friends and family are a true testament of her dedication. Ursuline Academy of New Orleans is proud to call Maureen Mock Verderame a Distinguished Alumna.
2020 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA
Maureen Mock Verderame 1966 has been chosen by the Ursuline Alumnae Association of New Orleans, with the approval of the Academy President and the Ursuline Sisters, to be the 2020 Ursuline Distinguished Alumna. This award is annually bestowed upon a graduate of Ursuline Academy or Ursuline College of New Orleans who demonstrates the core values and ideals of an Ursuline education in all aspects of her life. Since 1986, 52 women have received this honor, making it one of Ursuline’s most prestigious awards.
While Alumnae Homecoming 2020 may have looked a little different due to social distancing mandates, our alumnae still enjoyed a morning of prayer and sisterhood. From celebrating class reunions, introducing the 2020-2021 Alumnae Board, and honoring our 2020 Distinguished Alumna, it was certainly a memorable experience for those who were able to attend.
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“Have hope and firm faith in God, for he will help you in everything.” St. Angela, Prologue to the Counsels, 15
From the New Academy President
Dr. Karen G. Jakuback Dear Ursuline Community,
It is with hope and faith that I begin my role as the President of Ursuline Academy of New Orleans. I am thrilled to be a part of the great Ursuline tradition in New Orleans as we stand poised to celebrate our tricentennial. In joining this legacy, I know that I am but a caretaker of the Academy for a moment in time - continuing the work of the many courageous Ursuline Sisters and lay leaders who have gone before me. As a community, we will continue to honor our traditions while always incorporating innovative education and equipping our girls for the future. I look forward to working together with you, the Ursuline community, to envision all that we want Ursuline to be for the year 300 and beyond! I am also very pleased to announce that our new K-12 Principal, Dr. Judy Armstrong has begun her new role. I welcome Dr. Armstrong with enthusiasm and gratitude for the many gifts she is already sharing with the Ursuline Academy community. We have been working together as a team to ensure that fidelity to our mission, faith education, and academic excellence will continue to be the hallmarks of Ursuline education in New Orleans. I am very grateful for the warm welcome I have received from alumnae, students, parents, and staff. I deeply appreciate the members of the administrative team who have worked hard to provide for a smooth transition. I am especially grateful to Dr. Margarita O’Byrne Curtis ’69 for her gift of service to Ursuline during a most extraordinary year. Whether you are brand new to Ursuline or a legacy family, I look forward to many upcoming opportunities to meet each of you in person. Together, we continue to build the Ursuline legacy. Serviam,
Dr. Karen G. Jakuback URSULINE ACADEMY | 26 | THE URSU.LINES | 2020-2021
Left, Dr. Armstrong; Right, Dr. Jakuback
DR. JUDY ARMSTRONG, NEW K-12 PRINCIPAL Dr. Judy Hickman Armstrong began her educational career teaching high school and college biology and math. She has extensive experience in K–12 school and district administration as the St. Joseph Academy Academic Associate Principal, St. Thomas More Catholic School Principal, and Diocese of Baton Rouge Assistant Superintendent. Her Louisiana Department of Education leadership experiences include Supervisor of Secondary Education, Program Manager for Research, and Regional Service Director for twelve parishes in Louisiana with a primary focus on school improvement opportunities for teachers and school board members. She served as a consultant for
School Improvement to support schools in the analysis and alignment of mission effectiveness, student performance measures, and academic programs. Dr. Armstrong holds a bachelor's degree from Louisiana College in Biology and Math, a Master's of Education from Louisiana State University in Supervision and Administration, a Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in Educational Administration and Business, and a Master's of Religious Education from Loyola University. Her most recent honors include U.S. Office of Education, Terrel H. Bell Award for Outstanding Leadership and the National Catholic Educational Association Presidential Award.
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the
legacy project By Lori Ranner
In the spirit of Ursuline’s Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Task Force, and in collaboration with teaching artists from the Life Jacket Theatre Company of New York City, the Diversity of Women Club developed a service-learning project with the intention of highlighting the rich and complex history of our school, built around the personal witness of those who lived it. Using intensive and creative analytical research methods, the ultimate aim of this project has been to create an oral history database of the women who spearheaded the integration of Ursuline Academy in the 1960s, as well as other alumnae from underrepresented communities whose lived experiences will be preserved both to connect the present generation of Ursuline girls with their past and to inspire generations of the future. All interested students were encouraged to apply to participate in this historic project, with an emphasis on pairing students of today with alumnae from similar or shared formative communities and/or identities. Eleven students were ultimately chosen to collaborate virtually during the course of the 20202021 academic year with Oral Historian Nicki Pombier of Life Jacket Theatre Company and Columbia University in New York City. Students attended multiple workshops and mock interviews, learning how to construct and conduct effective in-depth field research according to the academic norms of modern URSULINE ACADEMY | 28 | THE URSU.LINES | 2020-2021
oral history. In this interactive, hands-on laboratory, students practiced formulating and asking thoughtful questions that would inspire alumnae to tell compelling stories and anecdotes about their days at Ursuline Academy. Students also learned how to demonstrate empathy in order to better connect and build rapport with their interviewees, practice active listening skills, and apply those skills for managing difficult interviewing situations. Interviewees represented a wide range of Ursuline alumnae, whose graduation dates spanned the last six decades and many of whom were either grandmothers or mothers of current Ursuline students. One student, Phoenix Wilson, had the opportunity to interview her own mother – comparing their experiences as Ursuline women. Other students enjoyed the opportunity to interview and document the stories of alumnae who have endlessly enriched the Ursuline experience with a plurality of faiths, identities, perspectives, and cultural backgrounds. The interviewees range widely in their contributions to both Ursuline and the wider world: from Rhesa Ortique McDonald ’66 and Ginger Lopez Baptiste ’66, two of the students who spearheaded the racial integration of Ursuline Academy, to the Honorable Nancy Amato Konrad ’59, first woman elected to a parishwide office and the bench in Jefferson Parish, to Christina “CQ” Quintana ’06, literary critic and playwright.
Student participants shared their appreciation for the unique experience afforded by the Legacy Project. “(It) gave me the opportunity to learn more about Ursuline’s history and the diverse stories and experiences that lie at its roots,” said Freshman Faith Calagna. Sophomore Natalie Garner shared that, “the Legacy Project helped me to see that Ursuline alumnae and current students can still connect with each other - even if the Ursuline they experienced was different than the one we are experiencing now.” There are plans to make the Legacy Project archives available virtually to all past, present, and future members of the Ursuline family, as well as to the general public, in advance of the 2027 Tricentennial.
Scan to watch The Legacy Project video.
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Ursuline Academy is dedicated to the moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social growth of each individual. In addition to its strong core values, the Academy strives to instill the ideals of Courtesy, Loyalty, and Courage in all of its students. During the 7th grade promotion, the Academy honored students who exemplified each ideal.
COURTESY
Evariste Dewenter
LOYALTY
Lillian Wiseman
Cambrey Ruffin
7TH GRADE PROMOTION
COURAGE
Social distancing mandates may have shifted our beloved Rally to the spring semester, but it didn’t affect school spirit! The Merry Macs of 2021, along with the Leps, Scotties, Phoenix, and Skips, had a Rally to remember!
“All for one & one for all”
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7 Generations, A LIVING LEGACY Hannah Hebert, Merry Mac of 2021 and a 7th generation Ursuline girl, addressed her class during their ring ceremony.
My grandpa, or Pa-Paw as we called him attended two of these ring ceremonies, one for my grandma and the other for my mom. Today, he gets to watch me from the best seat in the house up in heaven. I’d like to dedicate this to him. In 1934, my great-grandmother, Marjorie Rivet, received her senior ring. In 1969 my Nana received hers and in 1996 my mom received her ring. Today, I get to continue the legacy of six generations of Ursuline girls before me by receiving my ring. This particular ring is very special to me because I have the honor of wearing my mom’s ring from 1996. Nothing makes me prouder to say I am the seventh generation in my family to receive an Ursuline education. When I was choosing high schools, it was a no brainer that I would choose Ursuline and that I would not even bother looking at other schools. It was highly encouraged that I attend Ursuline. My parents still gave me the choice. I looked at other schools, and then I did the spend-a-days. I felt something special happen that day at Ursuline. I can’t describe what it felt like, I just knew this was the right choice and I belonged here. Further along the way, I realized just how special this school was to me. I have pins on my blazer that belonged to my Nana, passed down to my mom, and now I wear them. For graduation, I will wear the pearls my Nonnie wore to her graduation and my Nana to hers, and my mom to hers. I love how my Nana and mom get to experience
their Ursuline days all over again through me and I have a sense of what Ursuline used to be like through them. Doing things my grandmother and my mother had done and talking about it was really cool. I love how my mom and Nana chime in whenever the Hymn to Our Lady of Prompt Succor or the Alma Mater is sung. My Nana still wonders if her personal belongings are still in the bomb shelter. My mom used to tell me stories of spending the night at Ursuline on the 3rd floor when she and my Nonnie would visit my aunt, Sister Teresita and now those rooms are classrooms. One of the best things about being a 7th generation is that I get to share it with my sister Addison. Like most siblings we have our moments, but there will always be a special connection between us forever because of Ursuline. I can’t believe how quickly these five years have gone by. We have grown from wide-eyed 8th graders to seniors. It’s almost time to say goodbye, but for now let’s cherish being here together. While these are not the circumstances anyone had hoped for, I am extremely grateful that we are all together for this occasion. These rings symbolize we are truly seniors. These rings connect us even more as the Macs of 2021 – the 294th graduating class of Ursuline! There are many of us receiving legacy rings today and for others this could be the start of their own legacy of future Ursuline girls.
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Ursuline Academy, founded in 1727, conducted its 294th commencement exercise on May 15, 2021 in The National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor – located on the Academy’s campus. Mrs. Gayle Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans, delivered the commencement address. The ceremony began with a Baccalaureate Mass celebrated by Fr. Nathan O’Halloran. Ursuline Academy’s High School Dean of Students, Sue Dorsey Heidel '85, served as Mistress of Ceremonies, while Head of High School, Dr. Tracy Bonday and Interim Academy President, Dr. Margarita O’Byrne Curtis '69 presented awards and diplomas to the graduating seniors. The valedictorian was Cecilia Barras, the daughter of Renee and Ian Barras. She was a member of Diversity of Women Club, Queen’s Players, Mu Alpha Theta, and National Honor Society. She served as President of Tri-M Music Honor Society and Secretary of Book Club in her senior year. She
has played junior varsity and varsity tennis for several years. Cecilia was awarded Superior Recitalist in the piano division of the New Orleans Music Teachers’ Association Romantic-Contemporary Auditions in 2019. She participated in multiple District Literary Rallies and placed in Biology – advancing to State. She will attend Tulane University in the Honors Program and major in Environmental Biology. The salutatorian was Sophie Chevis, the daughter of Kay and Marcus Chevis. She was the President of National Art Honor Society. She was a member of the Ursuline Sailing Team, Diversity of Women Club, Mu Alpha Theta, and National Honor Society. She participated and placed in the Louisiana District and State Literary Rallies for several years. She will attend Savannah College of Art and Design, where she was awarded the SCAD Distinguished Scholars Award. The following students were ranked, along with the valedictorian and salutatorians, in the top ten of the graduating class: Annabel E. Beatmann, Sydney C. Cuneo, Olivia M. Elam, Madeline K. Ford, Allyson G. Liljeberg, Emily L. Nguyen, Riley K. Talbot, and Paige M. Tschirn. The highest award that Ursuline gives, the CLC Medal, is given in recognition of the senior who, in the opinion of
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the faculty, has exemplified to an outstanding degree the qualities of Courtesy, Loyalty, and Courage expected of the Ursuline student. The recipient of this year’s CLC Medal was Olivia M. Elam. The Edward A. LaFaye Memorial Award is given for outstanding humanitarian service to those inside and outside of Ursuline Academy. It is decided by vote of the senior class. The seniors’ choice for this award was Riley K. Talbot. The Sedes Sapientiae Medal, which takes its name from one of the titles of Our Lady “Seat of Wisdom,” is presented annually to the senior whose scholarship, achievement, and loyalty, in the opinion of the faculty, have been consistent and outstanding. This year’s recipient was Riley K. Talbot.
The other graduates were Taylor G. Adams, Marah T. Alsghair, Audrey C. Baldo, Amanda I. Barrett, Laci M. Barrow, Isabella M. Bazile, Terryce I. Boseman, Jaden V. Boykin, Kelsey M. Brouphy, Fallyn M. Buquoi, Sofia J. Butler, Emily C. Calcagno, Isabel V. Cambias, Leslie E. Castaneda, Megan E. Charles, Jaylyn R. Clark, Kylie E. Clarke, Julia L. Durel, Amelie S. Evans, Erika L. Felder, Claudia C. Guenther, Miranda L. Hartman, Bella G. Harvey, Hannah G. Hebert, Cali R. Isenberg, Maya S. Johnson, Sarah E. Keller, Madalyn D. Kempton, Kennedy A. Kimbrough, Lisa M. Liaci, Nia A. Magee, Nadja M. McGill, Shahadah Z. Muhammad, Cassidy L. O'Brien, Olivia O. Oliver, Emily G. Ott, Elise K. Plaisance, Kirstin R. Plaisance, Emma P. Pond, Abigail E. Ready, Anastasia C. Sauce, Zoe E. Schello, Sarah A. Sixkiller, Arianne Y. Snipes, Hui Ying Stock-Bordnick, Shay E. Trahant, Elizabeth D. Valentino-Richardson, Alexis D. Viellion, Samantha J. Vignes, and Tyrielle J. Williams.
Karen R. Stiegler was selected as the 2021 Cor Unum Award recipient by the Ursuline Alumnae Association. Candidates are judged solely on their love for Ursuline Academy and their honest expression of what the Academy means to them. The 61 graduates earned a total of $8,048,388 in four-year scholarships. URSULINE ACADEMY | 37 | THE URSU.LINES | 2020-2021
61 graduates earned $ a total of 8,048,388 in scholarships & completed a total of 11,915 service hours. Graduates of the Class of 2021 were accepted to the following universities and colleges:
Allegheny College American University Appalachian State University Auburn University Belmont University Bethune Cookman University Berry College Birmingham Southern College Centenary College of Louisiana Claflin University Clemson University Colorado State University-Fort Collins Columbia College Chicago Davidson College DePaul University Dickinson College Dillard University Dominican University of California Elon University Fisk University Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Florida State University Furman University Georgetown University Hampton University Hendrix College Houston Baptist University Howard University Ithaca College Johnson & Wales University, Providence Kenyon College Lafayette College Lane College Lewis & Clark College Louisiana State University Louisiana Tech University Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Chicago Loyola University New Orleans Millsaps College Mississippi State University Mississippi University for Women Nicholls State University Norfolk State University North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Northwestern State University of Louisiana Oglethorpe University Oral Roberts University Pennsylvania State University Randolph College Rhodes College Roanoke College Saint Edward's University Samford University Savannah College of Art and Design Seattle University Seton Hall University Sewanee-The University of the South Southeastern Louisiana University Southern University and A & M College Southern University at New Orleans Spelman College Spring Hill College Stetson University The University of Alabama The University of Arizona Tulane University Tuskegee University Union College University of Alabama in Huntsville University of Denver University of Holy Cross University of Houston University of Louisiana at Lafayette University of Louisiana at Monroe University of Mississippi University of New Orleans University of North Carolina at Charlotte University of Oregon University of Redlands University of Rhode Island University of South Alabama University of Southern Mississippi University of Tampa Villanova University Washington and Lee University Wesleyan University Whitman College Wiley College Xavier University of Louisiana
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LONGEVITY
Longevity awards are presented to graduating seniors who have attended Ursuline Academy since kindergarten or before. Pictured from left to right: Samantha Vignes, Zoe Schello, Anastasia Sauce, Sydney Cuneo, Miranda Hartman, Kennedy Kimbrough, Nia Magee, and Cecilia Barras.
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GRADUATION 2021
OLIVIA ELAM
2021 CLC Medal Recipient The CLC Medal, Ursuline Academy’s highest award, is given in recognition of the senior who, in the opinion of the faculty, has exemplified to an outstanding degree the qualities of Courtesy, Loyalty, and Courage expected of the Ursuline student.
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LEGACIES
Legacies are graduates who have a mother and/or grandmother who is an alumna of Ursuline.
Pictured (back row, from left) are Mary Ann Glorioso Valentino ’37 - not pictured (Elizabeth Valentino-Richardson), Tracey Knight Guient ’87 - not pictured (Kennedy Kimbrough), Stacy Honoré McGill ’90 (Nadja McGill), Michelle Hebert O’Brien ’94 (Cassidy O’Brien), Alison Bourgeois Hebert ’96 and Mary Janet Cambre Bourgeois ’69 (Hannah Hebert), Casey Grace Harvey ’94 (Bella Harvey), Jo-Ann Fazzio Mueller ’57 (Sarah Keller), Ellen Lemoine Plaisance ’92 (Elise Plaisance), Peggy Salvaggio Talbot ’84 (Riley Talbot), and Tracy Tully ’75 - not pictured (Paige Tschirn).
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MRS. GAYLE BENSON, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AND NEW ORLEANS PELICANS OWNER
294
TH
COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER
If I could offer one suggestion to all of you, especially in today’s communication climate of Tweets, texts, and emojis, it would be to take the time to invest in making personal connections with those you work with, your family, and friends. Earlier I mentioned that much of my resilience has been fueled by my faith. I cannot begin to describe to you how essential my Catholic faith has been to me throughout my life and career. It has sustained me through my hardest times and been a comfort and inspiration to me every day. You have been given the blessing of receiving a great education at a historic Catholic institution. As you move on from Ursuline, I hope you will continue to make your faith a priority in your life. I understand the pressures you will be under and how busy you will be as you take your next steps in life. I have found the most important thing I can do is to find time during the day to focus on my faith in little ways that keep me connected and help guide me. The investment you make in your faith will, perhaps, pay the greatest dividends in your life. It certainly has for me.
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KAREN STIEGLER '21 WAS SELECTED AS THE 2021 COR UNUM AWARD RECIPIENT BY THE URSULINE ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION. The award is given to one senior each year. Candidates are judged solely on their love for Ursuline Academy and their honest expression of what the Academy means to them. What does it mean to you to be in the 294th graduating class of Ursuline Academy of New Orleans? If I’m being honest, I don’t have a lot of very strong feelings about Sir Isaac Newton. I don’t imagine that many people do — I think we are all quite content with acknowledging his position as an infamous physicist and moving along with our individual lives. Although Sir Isaac Newton hasn’t exactly touched me personally, he is credited with a popular English metaphor, that is, “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” I think about the giants that used to roam around Ursuline all the time, clumsily stumbling through girlhood and into womanhood. There is physical evidence covering every square inch of campus of all the giants that came before me, and if you decide to start looking for it, you will notice that it is impossible to miss. What does it mean to me, then, to have the privilege of being the 294th graduating class? It means that I have had the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of all of the giants who came before me. By them (the Ursuline Sisters, students, teachers, and more), I am connected to Ursuline from now until the end of my life — and hopefully beyond that through my legacy. I have seen farther because of all 293 classes before me, and every
class that follows in my footsteps will see farther as well. I hope that they see this, and everything I have done at Ursuline, as my expression of love, and express their love as well.
In what ways do you feel your Ursuline education has prepared you for the world in which we live? I am not immune to the downward spiral of doubt that most people fall victim to on occasion. In fact, I would go as far as to say that I have spent more time this year winding down the drain and asking myself if I am “good enough” than I ever have before. This was, and still is, very new to me! Ursuline’s educatory process goes so far beyond the classroom: it is present from the moment you enroll in the Academy until the rest of your life. The lessons you learn from day one, whether they are in the classroom or not, continue to impact you throughout the entirety of your existence. My Ursuline education has taught me to be independent, and a trailblazer, and to not let my doubts cloud my vision. I am persistently reminded through the examples of the women around me to be strong yet gentle, firm yet kind — and supported in my endeavors by the faculty around me. Yet when I started to venture past my life here and took the tiniest steps into my college planning, I was instantly overwhelmed. I caught myself constantly pondering on the questions, “Am I good enough for this school? Am I bold enough for that one? Am I smart enough to do any of this?” I was too anxious to tell anyone about my newfound self-doubt because it felt so unbecoming of me as a student who tries tirelessly to embody the spirit of Ursuline. It’s not that I didn’t think my community
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would support me — I was simply too nervous to make myself vulnerable to the answer to my questions, should it be negative...until all of a sudden, I wasn’t. In a moment of rash decision-making, I confided my doubts in a teacher, who reassured me, soothing my doubt by saying that “other people haven’t the faintest idea how smart [I am].” All at once, the self-doubt left my body, and I was left with the simple solution to all of my questions. I am enough, and I always have been. Ursuline has taught me an infinite amount of lessons in self-confidence — from how to hold myself with pride
look into the doorway. As a freshman, I would meekly linger by the doorway, patiently waiting for the seniors I was on sports teams with to notice me so I could ask for a ride to practice. As a sophomore, I would hear stories of my friends who went in, and be shocked by their boldness. As a junior, I felt more secure; I recall hesitantly asking a senior if I could come in to ask her a question. She immediately said “Of course!” like it was nothing. Needless to say, I was shocked. In a place where I so clearly did not fit in, clearly marked by my status as a junior and the absence of a red sweater, I was welcomed and treated as though I belonged. As a senior now, I am almost too generous. When sophomores linger by the door, I invite them to follow me in as I enter. The most significant value that I have learned at Ursuline is that I always belong here — and everyone does. Pass it along. Something that seems so inconsequential as letting an underclassman into Senior Lounge has the magnificent impact of fostering a loving, welcoming environment where nobody is ever displaced. In a world where we do not always feel welcome, we are oftentimes subject to creating that environment for the wellbeing of everyone. It would be pitiful of me to not bring that lesson into my world beyond these sacred halls!
What one word describes Ursuline and why?
during Open House to how to remove myself from my downward spiral of doubt. However, no Ursuline lesson has prepared me for the world as well as my lesson in vulnerability some months ago. I had never realized before that vulnerability was always the first step. Before I could do anything, I had to make myself vulnerable by reaching out, taking my first steps, and knowing through my classroom instruction and practical experience that I would still be a trailblazer if I fell.
Name the most significant value you learned from Ursuline Academy.
Ursuline, in so many ways, is ever-changing. I feel like I have been a student at Ursuline during a period of rapid growth, change, and new beginnings. For example, I walk down a long hallway full of photographed alumnae, and into a classroom that is undergoing metamorphosis, where students are learning to think critically and weave ideas in new, state-of-the-art ways. As the outside world evolves at a pace so quickly that it is sometimes hard to keep up, Ursuline observes and gradually evolves with it, trying to stay on the same track while still elevating and producing dignified young women. Here, we are constantly moving forward so as not to be left behind. Ursuline graduates are not prepared for the world as it was five or ten years ago — we are prepared for the world of the future. Although Ursuline is developing swiftly, it is not hasty to abandon important tradition. Though Ursuline is ever-changing — truly a good thing — it is cautious, and understands when heritage should not be compromised for innovation. Because of this, we continue to cultivate a unique environment where we stand, feet planted firmly on a line: on our left, we look back and see a rich history; on our right, we look forward and see an equally as rich, opportunity-filled future.
Senior Lounge always seemed like an untouchable place to me. As an eighth grader, I wouldn’t dare even URSULINE ACADEMY | 45 | THE URSU.LINES | 2020-2021
2021 SENIOR SPOTLIGHT ANNABEL BEATMANN was named a 2020 School Winner in the Heisman High School Scholarship competition.
MAYA JOHNSON
was named the November 2020 Student Activist for St. Charles Avenue Magazine. She also won the People's Choice Award for Videos For Change by High Resolves.
SARAH SIXKILLER
received the St. John Berchmans Award for nine continuous years of service at the Altar. In addition, she also received the 2021 St. Ann Altar Server of the Year Award.
OLIVIA ELAM
KATE FORD
received the St. John Berchmans Award for nine continuous years of service at the Altar. In addition, she also received the 2021 Ashley Code Joy of Service Award.
was named a Commended Student in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program.
YING STOCK-BORDNICK
signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer for Sewanee: The University of the South.
TYRIELLE WILLIAMS
signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball for The University of South Alabama.
Celebrating Our Sisters In her Sixth Counsel, St. Angela Merici encouraged her daughters to “act in such a way that they may always follow your example.” As members of the Ursuline community, we have a wonderful example in our own Sisters. With the same heart and conviction as the first Sisters to arrive in 1727, our Ursuline Sisters of today are true models of confidence and compassion.
We are blessed to celebrate the jubilees of the following Sisters:
60 YEARS
Sr. Ginger Cirone | Sr. Mary Anne Holmes
65 YEARS Sr. Peggy Hill
We are thankful for their commitment to the Ursuline Order and we appreciate their contributions to Ursuline of the past, present, and future.
Seated: Sr. Peggy Hill, To her left, Sr. Mary Anne Holmes and right, Sr. Ginger Cirone
MIRACLES
JEREMY AND TAYLOR CABRAL QUINTINI ’02 a son, JOEL MATTHEW SEAN AND CRISTINA RODRIGUEZ DORNAN ’05 a daughter, ILIANA GRACIELA BRAD AND ALISON TRAUTH GUARISCO ’05 a daughter, GIULIANA GRACE TRIPP AND KELLY MCNEIL JONES ’05 a daughter, AMELIA ANNE STEPHEN AND DOMINIQUE SMITH PINION ’05 a son, SEBASTIAN JOSEPH NICK AND STEPHANIE GRAZIANO SATTERFIELD ’05 a son, ELLIOTT HAYES JEREMY AND LINDSEY BROWNING SIMIEN ’05 a son, JORDAN EMILE HAL AND ALI RIVERA MARTIN ’06 a daughter, LAUREL REBECCA
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2
7
8
ABOUT ALUMS
9
1937
1985
2005
1 MARY ANN GLORIOSO VALENTINO ’37 celebrated her 100th birthday on March 21, 2021. She is pictured with her daughters; LISETTE VALENTINO TURPIN ’72, ANN VALENTINO FUSELIER ’63, and Debby Counce.
3 LIZ GLASER BROEKMAN ’85 was honored in New Orleans Magazine as one of the Top Female Achievers of 2021.
4 KATE LABORDE ’05 started a new job working as Chief of Staff for Congressman Andy Biggs (U.S. House of Representatives, Arizona Fifth District).
1941 2 MARJORIE MCKAY C ’41 celebrated her 100th birthday. Her neighbors helped her celebrate with singing, a parade, and even a declaration from Mayor of Covington, Mark Johnson, proclaiming February 8th as “Marjorie McKay Day!”
1998 KIMBERLY BLANKS GARDNER ’98 was recently named St. Tammany Parish Public Schools Assistant Superintendent by Superintendent Frank Jabbia.
1999 ASHLEY FLOYD ’99 was named the 2021 Harry L. Davis Scholarship recipient at the University of Chicago’s Non-Profit Executive Education Leadership Program.
2008 5 CHRISTINE ALEXIS '08 recently had her article "How to Celebrate Black History Month Using Social Media" published in Inc. Magazine. 6 NICOLE HENRY CREPPEL ’08 was recently published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as the second author of "Mandibular Defect Reconstitution: A Contaminated Caprine Model of Bone Regeneration."
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3
3
5
4
10 7 Ursuline is a tradition in this family. Gathered at the wedding of ANNE CERNIGLIA SCHNEIDER ’08 are her sister and two aunts. (Left to right: KRISTINE CERNIGLIA, Mac of ’06; ANNE CERNIGLIA SCHNEIDER, Sioux of ’08; BARBARA CERNIGLIA SMITH, Sioux of ’69; LILLIAN “MIMI” CERNIGLIA HIGGINS, Skip of ’71).
2009 8 Ursuline girls, LAURA MAHER, MOLLY FRANICHEVICH SWISTEL, KATHERINE CANSECO HOLSTEIN, AND LAUREN THIBAULT, Merry Macs of 2009 at The Old Ursuline Convent for Molly’s wedding.
6
11 2016 9 The SKIPPERETTES OF 2016 celebrated their 5-year reunion at Southport Hall.
2017 10 MADISON VISE ’17 recently graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Ocean Engineering and a commission as a Navy ensign. 11 ALANNA AUSTIN, MARGARET (MEG) MACLAREN, AND INGEBORG HYDE (all class of 2017) were three of the 31 students nominated to participate in the virtual commencement ceremony and represent their respective schools as recent graduates of
12 Tulane University. Alanna was chosen to represent the A.B. School of Business, Meg for the School of Liberal Arts, and Ingeborg was chosen for the School of Public Health and Medicine. In addition, Meg and Ingeborg were chosen to be gonfalon bearers, carrying the flags that represent each academic school.
2019 & 1989 12 BAILEY BROUSSARD ’19, KAREN MORTILLARO ’89, AND KATIE GARCIA ’19 found themselves together in Serviam at Second Harvest Food Bank Feeding South Louisiana making lunches for Hurricane Laura evacuees. These Ursuline girls helped make close to 5,000 lunches!
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ALUMNAE MARRIAGES
Abigail Greenbaum ’03 to Mitchell Roniger
Gabrielle Porter ’06 to Kyle Hanson
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Anne Cerniglia ’08 to Matthew Eric Schneider
Molly Franichevich ’09 to Gregory Swistel
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In Loving Memory of Our Ursuline Sister Sr. Peggy Hill Sister Peggy (Margaret Therese) Hill, OSU, died peacefully at Chateau de Notre Dame Nursing Home, New Orleans, LA, on May 14, 2021. The daughter of Arthur Bernard Hill and Irene Elizabeth McLean Hill, she was born on April 25, 1935, in Teaneck, New Jersey. Besides her parents, all but one of her siblings have preceded her in death. They were her twin brother Paul, brothers Richard, Gerald, William, Robert, and Arthur and sisters Colleen Carmichael and Jeanne Marie Minnick. She is survived by her sister Mary Pat (Charlie) Liggio and by many nieces and nephews and their children. Sister Peggy’s family moved to Dallas, TX, where she received her secondary education at Ursuline Academy, graduating in May of 1953. She entered the Ursuline Sisters in that summer and professed her first vows in January of l956. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from the College of New Rochelle, NY, and Master’s degrees from Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH, and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington, NY. Her first teaching assignment was in the elementary and secondary departments of Ursuline Academy, New Orleans, from 1959-65, where she was known as Mother Madeline Marie; after this she became Principal at St. Patrick’s elementary school in Galveston, TX. Other places of ministry were San Antonio and Dallas, TX, and interprovincial service in Thailand and Mexico. In the fall of 2018, Sr. Peggy moved to Chateau de Notre Dame Apartments in New Orleans until she became ill and transferred to the nursing wing of the facility.
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IN MEMORIAM Sisters
Father of
Sr. Peggy Hill, OSU Sr. Mary Ellen Neeves, OSU
Alumnae
Melanie Cassou Vial AMC ’40 Betty Haase Brown ’44 Doris Digby Faler ’44 Joan Glynn ’47 Ophelia Mitchell McMahon "Ann" Cadro ’49 Marcia May Frey Giglio C ’53 Cecelia Dupuy Mooney ’53 Sandra Barthel Manfre ’59 Beverly Sansoni Stallworth Zeller ’60 Kala Thomas Corcoran ’66 Rebecca Casse ’71 Gail Elaine King Stock ’79 Angelique Becker Rothschild ’87 Doni Villavaso ’87 Jennifer Seelig Berning ’92 Jamyra Hall ’98
Sister of
Norma Claire Frey C ’50 Karen Keenan Angelo ’62
Mother of
Lara Clesi Ray AMH Claire Relf LaMothe ’66 Kerrie Turner Lamfers ’71 Sue Ellen Brown Lewis ’74 Tracy Turner Neyrey ’75 Beth Joubert ’80 Robin Turner Krueger ’81 Lucy Fitzgerald Smedstad ’83 Helen Honoree Myers ’84 Tara Clesi Lacour ’84 Marcie Heine O'Dwyer ’86 Susan Heine Ellender ’88 Sharon Honoree Palardy ’91 Ariel Schreiner ’11
Lori Monahan Borden '88 Jennifer Caluda ’89 Christina Schmitz Maciejczyk ’90 Kirsten Schmitz Jarrell ’93 Katie Vanderbrook ’93 Erika Schmitz Hoy ’96 Lisa-Marie Schmitz Baker ’98
Husband of
Marjorie Cambre Reynolds ’56 Gaynell LeCorgne Wright ’58 Joan Pecoraro Burkhalter ’60 Janice Donaldson Grijns ’62 Roberta Rolufs Connelley ’64 Lois Woolverton Bollinger ’65 Teresa Staub Meeuwenberg ’66 Julie Capella Vanderbrook ’68 Sue Ellen Brown Lewis ’74 Gretchen Van Vrancken Blanchard ’91
Daughter of
Carol Grundmann Schwartz ’60
Son of
Mary Eble Eastin ’34 (DEC)
Brother of
Marjorie “Penny” de Boisblanc Daigle ’54
Mother-in-law of Joy Fish Eigher ’66 Patricia Johnson Grantham ’81
Maureen Staub Eide ’68 Mary Jane Capella Silva ’69 (DEC) Peggy Staub Chapotel ’71 (DEC) Kay Capella McKissack ’71 Harriet Staub Cousins ’73 (DEC) Jacqueline Staub Graves ’77 (DEC)
Nephew of
Sr. Maureen Gaffney, OSU ’38 (DEC)
Grandmother of
Maria-Elena Rodriguez Uribe ’01 Kellie Johnson Furell ’04 Cristina Rodriguez Dornan ’05 Jamí Lacour Ishee ’07 Jennie Lacour Roy, PhD ’11 Sarintha “Sissy” Stricklin Encalade ’12 Sarah Belsome ’17 Theresa Myers ’18 Claire Myers ’20
Grandfather of Ashley Morreale ’09
Aunt of
Judith Lightfoot Caliva ’72
Uncle of
Heidi Bostick Murray ’00
Cousin of
Elizabeth Glaser Broekman ’85 Avin Puderer Squires ’05
Father-in-law of Ellen Lemoine Plaisance ’92 Carlee Blamphin Feske ’66
Sister-in-law of Regina Smith Villavaso ’67
Brother-in-law of Adelaide Caneza Sprague ’38 (DEC) Kathleen Krause Alfonso C ’55 Shannon Rolufs Spiller ’60
AME Associate Member, Elementary AMH Associate Member, High School AMC Associate Member, College DEC Deceased HM Honorary Member
If the name of an alumna to whom you are related does not appear here, please call the Office of Alumnae at 504.861.9114 or email us at alumnae@ uanola.org
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While it may have looked a little different, this year’s Spaghetti Fest was a success! Ursuline families drove through campus to purchase delicious dinners, t-shirts, and more!
After a year of strict social distancing regulations, our seniors were blessed with an in-person Senior Art Show held in the Academy courtyard.
Our Ursuline Sisters handed out prayer cards to students and staff on St. Ursula’s Feast Day.
The Merry Macs of 2021 were the first w sto cu mers in the ne campus coffee shop!
Back by popular demand, a new first grade class marketed, produced, and sold slime. They even created their very own logo and remix of the famous Slime Girls jingle!
What happens when a group of Ursuline girls is interested in making music? They start a music club, of course! “Live united” were the words for this year’s St. Angela’s Feast Day.
What an awesome senior surprise! The Merry Macs of 2021 were gifted special blankets by high school administration.
Generations of alumnae returned home to State Street for our very first Alumnae Legacy Night. They walked around campus with their daughters, granddaughters, and nieces - reminiscing and sharing memories of their time at Ursuline.
COVID restrictions couldn’t stop our Fête! While the gala was held virtually, patrons were invited to drive through State Street to pick up their special gifts. Thank you, Pat Garin Photgrapher, LLC, for being a sponsor!
Congratulations to our Ursuline girls who were finalists in the Grades 10-12 Division of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans Year of the Eucharist Art Contest. Out of 263 submissions, they were one of 15 chosen for their division. Left to right: "Receiving Eucharist" by Quyen Nguyen, "Vibrant Sacrifice" by Kelly Nguyen, and "The Eucharist" by Mae-Ying Stock-Bordnick.
Congratulations to our middle school artists, Reina Futagoishi and Marianne Nguyen who placed in the New Orleans Public Library's 2021 Black History Month Art Contest. This year's theme was "New Orleans Activists."
Our 7th grade entrepreneurs created and sold their very own products. Proceeds benefited the homeless population served by Grace at the Greenlight.
Congratulations to Junior Elizabeth Teran on receiving a 2021 Louisiana Region Affiliate Rising Star NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing. Elizabeth was one out of 4,200 chosen from all 50 states.
Ariana Blagrove (left) and Sweden Ledet (right) made school history by winning State Runner-Up in golf! Congratulations to these Ursuline girls and Coach Kyle Albright (center)!
Father Lee Poche inducted the 2020-2021 Extraordinary Ministers during an Academy Mass.
Early childhood students each created an “All About Me” doll after reading the book "Billie and the Brilliant Bubble.” The book highlights, in a fun way, the importance of social distancing in order to keep people from spreading germs. To expand on the book’s dialogue and emphasize Ursuline’s ideals of Courtesy, Loyalty, and Courage, Mrs. Nubia had the students create personal masks for their dolls.
Aw ye Am Thank you to our faculty, staff, and Ursuline girls who collected 3,370 lbs. of food during our annual food drive. A very special thank you to the junior class who helped organize this effort and worked tirelessly to collect, sort, and box all of the food!
Our 2nd grade entrepreneurs made history with the inaugural UA Marketplace! Through crosscurricular, project-based learning, these business women each brainstormed a product, created a logo and slogan, and collectively created a UA Marketplace jingle. They sold their handcrafted home goods to their lower school peers at the campus marketplace. Proceeds from their sales will purchase a Buddy Bench for the playground.
These two friends couldn't pass up the opportunity to go fishing in a big puddle after a lot of rain! We just love how their creative little minds think and explore!
Congratulations to these Ursuline girls who placed in the 2021 Virtual Bach Contest. In celebration of the Month of the Rosary, middle school students made rosaries to represent their own uniqueness. Just like our Ursuline girls, no two rosaries were the same.
Our Kindergarten Ursuline girls celebrated their 100th day of learning in style! Our middle school soccer team won the NOAL 8 v 8 Girls Championship with a victory over Newman 6-1. Congratulations, Lions, on a wonderful season!
A wonderful new addition to this year’s high school curriculum is American Sign Language. Our 1st grade students celebrated our awesome SAGE Dining Services staff. Students conducted one-onone interviews with each team member and created a beautiful display board with fun facts and photos of them.
Congratulations to Junior Anna Atkins on being named a 2021 Carson Scholar! "Anna is among more than 10,000 gifted students from across the country who were chosen because they demonstrated the highest standards of academic achievement, integrity, civic and social responsibility."
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