I am
passionate about being a positive force in the lives of our students.
It is important to me that our young women connect with their
spirituality and commit to those less fortunate. My connection
as an associate with the Sisters of Mercy allows me to delve deeper
into my own spirituality and gain the opportunity to share the
power of prayer within a community.
Presently, I feel privileged to be the first lay principal of
a Mercy all girls academy founded in 1874. Being the Principal
of St. Mary Academy-Bay View allows and affirms my freedom to
share our faith. Without the bureaucracy and political correctness
of a public school system, I am able to make valuable adjustments
to curriculum, programs, personnel and facilities. At the core
of every decision, my focus is always upon what is best for our
students, faculty and parents.
The freedom to focus on our faith, our morals and values is essential
to the mission of this institution and to me. Our mission's essential
core is to develop strong, independent women devoted to their
faith. My role in this development is to enforce the rules, maintain
a respectful environment, be a supportive presence and provide
a sympathetic ear. At Bay View we model ourselves on the example
of the Mercy's founder, Catherine McAuley. When I reflect on Catherine
I find her to be a woman of courage and conviction. One who looks
at the larger picture, weighs all situations and will spend her
time and energy where she sees it would make a difference to many.
One of our
graduates, Martha McSally, was just recently in the news for sharing
this strength of conviction, bringing her to a public disagreement
with the Secretary of Defense over a dress code that applied only
to female military personnel. She ran a risk of losing her successful
career but stood firm in her conviction that the wearing of an
abaya in Saudi Arabia denigrated her faith. Her faith was so important
to her that she would risk everything she knew and believed. The
source of her courage and faith came from her parents and, hopefully,
from the experiences she had as a Bay View student. Martha McSally
is one person who has recently made a difference for many women.
It is my hope,
that in my position as a Mercy Associate, I can help students
develop a strong, uncompromising sense that recognizes injustice
and empowers them to rectify the wrongs and work to improve our
world. The dream that my influence and that of my colleagues will
affect some of our students in this manner is the reason I remain
diligent to the mission of Catherine McAuley.
