High Resolves

HIGH RESOLVES EXPERIENCE AT URSULINE

BY COTI GAYLES

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.”

Tell me about your experience with High Resolves. How did this experience enhance or enlighten your understanding of inclusion and diversity?

OLIVIA ELAM

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.

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?

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.

How can you apply what you have learned from your experience in the future?

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.

MAYA JOHNSON ZOE SCHELLO

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.