This past February 13 through February 15 four students from Ursuline Dallas: Isabella Bledsoe ‘26, Kara Cao ‘26, Claudia Hazzard ‘26, and Denning Thompson ‘26, traveled to West Harrison, Indiana to participate in the Ursuline Education Network Student Leadership Conference. The Conference included participants from Ursuline Schools in New Orleans, Louisiana; Cincinnati, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky; Wilmington, Delaware.

The Conference centered the tenets and teachings of Saint Angela’s lifelong journey and vision for women serving the world. The conference included activities on self-awareness, education modeled through Saint Angela’s teachings and Serviam as a means of Advocacy.

When asked what students found most valuable, Isabella highlighted “In our conference we discussed Saint Angela’s life and her achievements, something I took away from the conference was this quote: “I am more alive now, than when they saw me in the flesh”. St. Angela must have wanted the Ursuline Education Network to exist, and she knew that as a community of Ursuline girls we would be able to keep it together.”

Denning shares the following: “I discovered what my strengths and weaknesses are, what I’m passionate about, what experiences have shaped my character, and what needs I notice in my community. The conference taught me how to find an intersection of all these things also known as my SHINE - the way in which I can lovingly and enthusiastically serve others. This experience helped me understand that I have the ability to create real change by using the gifts that God gave me just like St. Angela. She saw that there was a need for opportunities and education for women and filled it by leading her company of women, establishing schools across the world. After the conference, I feel empowered to be like St. Angela, a trailblazer who made her mark on the world by serving others.”

Claudia also appreciated the SHINE activity, highlight the following: “This lesson inspired me to assist my community and school by using my own skills and encouraged me to look to future with the newfound knowledge.”

Kara’s experience was transformational as she shares “This conference opened my eyes to St. Angela's teachings and how she successfully led and shaped her company in a way that allowed her spirit to live with us even centuries later at Ursuline Academy of Dallas. The most valuable piece of wisdom that I learned from the UEN Leadership Conference is that in order to lead, we must serve. St. Angela's leadership style was servant leadership, where she focused on empowering other women in her company by serving them.”

A CALL TO LEADERSHIP

As these four students engaged in the Conference centered in the Spirit of Saint Angela, currently serving our Ursuline community as leaders in the National Honor Society, Student Council and Peer Ministry, they share more about their vision for leadership. Isabella expressed knowing that we all have something to share, from our gifts and talents, with our community. She said “As leaders we will always love, listen, and advocate.”

Isabella says “Something I learned from the conference that I would like to share with everyone is this quote. “If service is beneath you, then leadership is above you”. We all have done service and know the suffering globally and locally; we can all be leaders because we all have something special to contribute.”

Denning urges “Being a leader is advocating for others through service. It’s important to remember that you don’t need a title or position to lead because leading comes from little acts of kindness towards those around you, especially listening to others. When we listen more than we talk, we can develop greater empathy and awareness about other people’s experiences. Because at the end of the day, leadership is not about ourselves but others.”

Kara added “As a leader, I think we often associate leadership with power, the idea that leaders just tell you what to do, or that leadership is merely a title. But in reality, leaders put others before themselves, helping nurture others' talents and help others become the best versions of themselves. We can be leaders every day just by uplifting others and fixing their crowns, with or without a title.”

When asked about what she’d like her peers to know following this experience, Claudia says “I would like my peers to know that being a leader is not necessarily about being a participant in clubs and organizations, but about being an advocate for your community and the people around you. Leadership is about the impact you make on people and the change you bring about, not the titles. We can see an incredible example of this from Saint Angela. Her service and dedication to her work and those around her is the embodiment of leadership. Angela saw a need in her community—more opportunities and improved education for women—and worked to advocate for it and bring about change.”