So also, you must consider in what manner you must esteem them,

For the more you esteem them, the more you will love them; the more you love them, the more you will care for and watch over them.

And it will be impossible for you not to cherish them day and night, and to have them all engraved in your heart, one by one, for this is how real love acts and works.

- From the Introduction of St. Angela Merici Counsels

Last night we celebrated the treasured, traditional Junior Ring Ceremony with our Class of 2023. I feel a particular connection to this class as I am an advisor for their grade level. I have watched the girls in my advisory and all the girls in this class grow from tentative freshman to juniors standing at the precipice of their final year in high school. It is an amazing privilege.

We welcomed them into Ursuline as freshmen at Convocation. We celebrated their embracing of Serviam as sophomores. When they graduate, we will mark their accomplishments and welcome them into a new relationship with Ursuline as alumnae. And as juniors, we call their names, and they receive their rings to symbolize the unique place they hold at Ursuline.

The calling of names as each girl comes up for her ring has deep resonance for me. This is a moment where we look at them as the individuals they are, even as they are part of their collective class. They select rings that have shared design elements as well as accents that are meaningful to them - the gemstone, the metal, special inscriptions. I think deeply about their names, even as I worry about getting the pronunciation right and stressing the correct syllables. I consider the thought I put into naming my children, and I remember the frustration I felt when my own beloved alma mater could just never get my name right even though I’d been there since kindergarten! I know I didn’t get it all exactly perfect, but I truly hope that the girls know that every time I say their names, they are engraved a little more deeply in my heart.

The milestones of high school are significant. I appreciate being in a place where we are called to pause and consider the growth of our students in unique ways. Thank you for the gift of your daughters and for sharing in these special memories with us.

Sincerely,

Dr. Andrea Shurley
Principal