Hello Ursuline families!

As I settle into this new role, I’ve been amused by the number of parents to whom I’ve introduced myself who then responded, “I hope [my daughter] doesn’t end up in your office!” Last year, my own advisory asked, “Are you excited to be the person who tells us all the things we can’t do?” It’s starting to sound as though this position might be the least coveted job on campus.

In my process of discernment last year, I asked former Dean of Students, Kayla Brown, “Why would I consider moving into your role when I love my job as a Grade Dean and teacher?” Kayla’s answer was simple: it would be a wider opportunity to love and serve God and to love and serve our students. I now get to work for Jesus and support the Ursuline mission, not just as a Theology teacher but in all areas of school life, and that is a beautiful opportunity.

This marks my 18th year at Ursuline, meaning I have been at the school for the entirety (or almost the entirety) of your daughter’s life. I’m still trying to figure out how that happened! Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of viewing the Ursuline experience through multiple lenses as a teacher, coach, chaperone, club moderator, and Grade Dean. As a cross country coach, I’ve watched how students navigate balancing extracurriculars and a demanding workload. In my time as a Grade Dean, I loved the lens of being part of a class, losing my voice cheering on the sidelines of a Powderpuff game and feeling both the joyful victories and hard disappointments that accompany our beloved Intramurals season. Serving monthly meals with our students for AIDS Services of Dallas and sharing faith conversations with students on retreat, in Bible Study, or in my office affirmed the work we do to help students discover meaning and purpose in their high school years. Throughout all of this, I’ve also been given the lens of learning how to accept rejection from positions and being okay with making mistakes, something I know many of our girls also experience on the path to a growth-mindset. Lastly, and most importantly, in the past 11 years, I’ve had four diverse children of my own who provide me an invaluable parenting lens through which to view the school, helping me better understand and connect with the hopes and fears of parents.

It’s not surprising that I’ve been thinking recently about the lens through which students, parents, and faculty view Ursuline. Normally at this point in the school year, my Theology classes would be talking about worldviews, specifically in Catholic theology something we call “a sacramental worldview.” To adopt a sacramental worldview is to see the divine in all things, to find God in all things, and that is the primary lens through which I aspire to view my work.

There is a quote that hangs next to the door in my office, reiterating this worldview: “The whole Catholic sacramental life is a training to be beholders […] a lifelong pedagogy to bring us to see what is there, to behold what is always present, in the conviction that if we truly see and fully experience what is there […] we will be encountering grace. We will see the love which undergirds all that exists” (Michael J. Himes). It serves as a daily reminder that every interaction is a moment to encounter God’s love. I hope at the end of this year with all its highs and lows, our students also can testify, “God was here, present in all of this. This year itself was a sacrament and an encounter with grace.” God’s work and grace are the sum of what we do in the Dean of Students Office, not discipline and infractions as one might believe (it’s a desirous job after all!).

My goal is to keep my eyes fixed on loving God and doing what’s best for Ursuline and its students. I hope your daughter does end up in my office, because I’d love to hear about her year, listen to ideas about how we can serve her better, offer her some encouragement or support, or pray with her for her intentions.

Please know of my gratitude for the amazing support of this community as I begin a new journey at Ursuline.

With hopeful anticipation,

Mandy Briones
Dean of Students
469-232-1805