Celebrating Valentine's Day in a New Way at UA

This year, we celebrated Valentine's Day in a new way at UA!  February 14 was Inner Beauty Day, a day celebrating the unique and special beauty in each one of us.  Student Council representatives posted quotes about true inner beauty throughout the hallways to remind each UA student that she is beautiful!

Don't forget to look at the other tabs of the blog for this week's important information!

• Check out the Weekly Notes/Events tab for information on graduation dresses, the UA Bears Winter Sports teams in the State Tournament and more!
• Please be sure to look at the Guidance tab of the blog for important information about pre-college programs for both you and your daughters.
• Look at the Advancement tab and be the first to know about upcoming events, like our Coffee and Conversation with President Whiting and the Fore the Girls Tournament!

Service in Haiti

Last Friday, the Ursuline Academy community learned about the empowering effect of service in Haiti.

Donna Cullinan

Donna Cullinan, a practicing nurse practitioner and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Boston College School of Nursing, came to UA with three of her nursing students from BC on Friday morning.  Cullinan has traveled to Haiti many times over the past ten years to offer her nursing services to those in need.  She is also in charge of the Community Health program for senior nursing students at BC, and through this program brought ten of her students to Haiti in January 2012.

Cullinan and her three students shared stories and photos from their week of service in Haiti, emphasizing the sense of hope in the country as it continues to recover from the devastating earthquake in January 2010.  Cullinan and the students said that their philosophy was to enable the people of Haiti and to help them help themselves.  “Don’t just do, teach,” Cullinan said when describing their approach.  “Respect their culture and traditions and work with them to do it their way, not your way.”

The nursing students emphasized the importance of making a connection with the people, noting that even though they were just students and not certified nurses, they still felt they were able to make a difference by listening and showing that they cared.  In addition to offering medical services and a helping hand, the group also raised money to bring medications like Tylenol(c) and Advil(c) with them to Haiti.

Sue Lawler P '13, '15 '16, Principal Mary Jo Keaney,
Ursuline students, the BC nursing students and Donna Cullinan

The UA students enjoyed the presentation and were eager participants when Cullinan opened the floor to questions.  They asked whether children or adults in Haiti needed more help ("both," the BC nursing students said), and why we don’t hear more about the hardships in the country.  Cullinan left the students with an inspiring message: “All of you can effect change in a positive way,” she told them.

Cullinan is the sister of Bill Lawler P ’13, ’15 ‘16 and Robert Lawler P ’11 ‘15.  Special thanks to Sue Lawler P ’13, ’15 ‘16 for her help organizing these speakers!

Advice from the Experts: Draper Lab Guest Speakers Visit the 9th Grade at UA!

Take chances.  Stay open-minded.  Never limit yourself.

  

These are just a few of the great pieces of advice that Grade 9 students received from three female guest speakers from Draper Laboratory in Cambridge.  The speakers came to talk to the ninth grade students during their Monday Guidance period on January 23 and 30.

Ensign Emily Frost

Ensign Emily Frost is a graduate of the Naval Academy and a current graduate student at MIT.  She conducts research for her master’s degree at Draper, and came to speak to the girls on the 23^rd.  On the 30^th, Melinda Brown, General Counsel, and Beth Mora, VP of Finance and Administration, spoke with the students.

Ensign Frost will be a captain on a Navy ship in Hawaii after she completes her degree at MIT and research at Draper.  Her research involves autonomous planning for unmanned underwater vehicles.

Brown, a graduate of Wellesley College, spoke very highly of all-female education and advised the girls to, “Think in terms of leaving your comfort zone, and explore and try new things.”

Mora also benefitted from all-female education: she received her MBA from Simmons College.  All three women urged the students to fully explore their interests, especially in the sciences.

Melinda Brown, General Counsel (L), and
Beth Mora, VP of Finance and Administration (R)

The girls eagerly plied the guests with questions, from asking if they had taken AP classes in high school, to how old they were when they decided on a profession, to what it is like to be a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field.

"It is one of the goals of the Guidance Department to expose our students to various careers,” said Director of Guidance Mary Ferrucci.  “The Grade 9 students benefited from hearing our speakers talk about their high school experience, as well their colleges and career paths.  And, while still a few years away, I believe it expanded our students’ thoughts about their own college and career process."

Special thanks to Dr. Michael Ricard P ’15 for his help organizing these wonderful speakers!