Ursuline Academy embraces the values and the spirit of their foundress, St. Angela Merici.
“We have a pretty amazing foundress,” declares Ms. Peggy Slater, President of Ursuline Academy. “St. Angela’s focus was all about action, and if you see something that needs to be changed, change it.”
Angela saw women as significant agents of change in a world longing for love, unity, and harmony.
Peggy describes the school’s history of cultivating the vine. “We teach these girls to know their value as a woman and their responsibility to take action. We each have different interpretations, but for me, it gets at the heart of the gifts God gave them. We prepare them to share those with the world in whatever way that looks like.”
It’s easy to assume Ursuline is a typical high school. The voices of girls and the things they accomplish are heard around the community. What we don’t often hear about is what is being made possible because of the sparks being lit here.
Kim Vogt, Director of Advancement, explains the work that is happening in preparation for the world that awaits them. It’s much more than wearing a red blazer. “Our culture is not ‘Enjoy these four years because it goes so fast. And wear your dresses.’ It’s not like that. It’s – be prepared. These are your four years to get that level set. Learn that discernment. Learn how to flex those muscles and when to take action.”
“We have the freedom to put class stuff away and have real conversations,” Peggy says, “There is power in discussing what their world is telling them. The girls search their hearts, examine their value system, and consider whether to be drawn into what the culture is saying. It’s a mindset that they will carry forever.”
What is happening here is the work that it takes to be a woman in tomorrow’s world.