I am largely a product of public education. An educator’s daughter, I was privileged to attend some of the best public schools that Orleans Parish had to offer. As a Lusher Lion, I’d pass the aptitude test to gain acceptance to McMain Magnet school for my secondary education. And it was there that I’d be challenged through exceptional academic rigor and blossom socially; rubbing shoulders with some of the most brilliant young minds in the city. It was 1993 when I got word that the plans for my education would change. I was going to begin my junior year at a new school. In the beginning there was sheer panic. After all, I was in the sunset of my high school career. With the fall approaching, the panic would give way to resolve; a tempered excitement for the chapter that lay ahead.

The Academy of the Sacred Heart is a stately mansion that rests amongst the oak tree lined St. Charles Ave. in New Orleans. Majestic in it’s nature, it has been home to the preparatory school for girls since shortly after its’ founding in 1897. Also called, “The Rosary,” was Catholic, private and and exclusively for girls. Offering education from Pre-K to 12th grade, it is a bastion of tradition that at its root is dedicated to the promotion of a deep and personal relationship with God.

I would enter the hollow halls in the fall of 1993. Independent and assured, I was left to figure out how to navigate through a preexisting sphere. After all, I was everything they were not; Baptist, public school educated and new. A good number of my classmates, affectionately known as “lifers,” had been educated together since the beginning of their schooling. I was late to the party. From the first day, I quickly settled in and began to take in all that this gleaming new environment had to offer. From smocks to jumpers to skirts, female energy controlled the throughways and bridges. A dizzying array of plaid at every turn, we were thrust into a world of an order intent on fostering impressionable girls into well rounded women. Steeped in tradition, I credit Sacred Heart with laying the first seeds of feminism in my heart; encouraging us to be well read, well traveled and spiritually sound. We were inspired to be strong in our voices and confident in our convictions. At the Rosary, I was afforded an unbiased education of other faiths, while developing a personally deep and abiding relationship with God. Together we’d gather to tackle the social ills of our communities. Every Wednesday, we’d spend mornings together making “Hearty Meals”; an effort to end hunger in our city. And never to shy away from a party, we had our “Krewe of Fluff” parade in our front yard during Mardi Gras season. I’ve always needed extra help in math. But it wasn’t until I would meet Ms. Graf, who unselfishly gave her time to ensure my understanding of a concept. She was so devoted to my success that she once had me to her home in order to make up a test I’d previously missed due to performing. Three hours on a Saturday, testing in her living room displayed an immeasurable amount of kindness that I had not experienced in an academic setting previously. The nuns were a particular fascination of mine. I had opportunities to lunch with them and hear stories of their lives before the convent. One in particular, Sr. Karam, shared in great detail the story of her engagement to be married, only to abandon those plans in a devotion to her life’s calling. It was inspiring to say the least. From physics to Fine Arts, there was no facet of our development left uncharted.

Through seasons of growth, strife, discovery and challenge, my time would eventually come to an end in early June of 1995. When the Sacred Heart’s promise was fulfilled, our class of fifty two gathered in the same storied courtyard. At dusk on graduation day, surrounded by our loved ones, receiving our diplomas by candlelight. White gloved in flowing white dresses, with pink rose crowns adorning our heads, we were sent off into the world to conquer it.

Tomorrow marks our annual alumnae weekend where celebrating graduated classes are invited to come back home. It is an entire weekend of events starting with a soiree around the front fountain, luncheons to honor esteemed alum, and culminating with a Sunday mass. It is a fascinating display of all the women that the Rosary had a hand in producing, with alumna dating back to the 1940s in attendance. I can imagine that the pink punch is chilling and the red and white cookies have been iced. While my time was limited at Sacred Heart, all in all, I believe it was well spent. As a believer, I am of the understanding that my steps and circumstances are ordered. God saw fit that I would establish a well grounded foundation in my excellent public school experiences. My McMain experiences gifted me a solid academic footing and life long friendships that have stood the test of time. My Mustang classmates boast some of the best and most talented humans I know to date. In retrospect, my experience at The Rosary gifted me a fine tuning of sorts. It provided a space for personal growth and more importantly, garnered a social education that I am forever grateful. In those hallowed hallways I would go on to memorialize a classmate’s untimely passing and take vows with my husband in the same chapel I’d once missed sitting and standing cues in mass. In my adulthood, I’ve been privileged to meet other women from the Sacred Heart network (which is comprised of 150 schools domestically and abroad). All lovely and of the same strong spirit. I developed and maintained enduring relationships with the beautiful collective of women with whom I have this shared experience. And while we differ greatly in perspective and life experiences, we remain ever loving and supportive of one another. I remain a public education advocate and product. In my experiences, I’ve truly received the best of both worlds. Yet, I am also a proud child of the Sacred Heart. And in many immeasurable ways, better for it.

Happy Alumnae weekend Cardinals ❤️❤️