After 46 extraordinary years, Ursuline Academy of Dallas celebrates the retirement of Leah Schlief-Freese, a beloved ceramics teacher whose artistry and mentorship have shaped generations of Ursuline students.

Leah joined Ursuline in 1979, hired by Sr. Catherine Chandler after a serendipitous recommendation from a colleague at Richland College. What began as a position teaching Pottery soon evolved into a lifelong vocation. With the encouragement of Sr. Ann Barrett, Leah transitioned the course title to Ceramics in the mid-1980s to better reflect the academic rigor and artistic depth of the program.

Throughout her tenure, Leah cultivated a space where students could explore their creativity, develop technical skills, and discover the joy of working with clay. Her classroom (especially the original ceramics studio from 1985 to 2021) became a haven for artistic growth and personal reflection.“The most impactful part of being an educator is watching the students who take the craft of ceramics seriously develop their talents,” Leah shared. “I hope they take away a love of clay as an art form.”

Leah’s influence extended far beyond the studio. She served as Chair of the Art Department for 15 years, represented Ursuline nationally through her work with NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts), and mentored students who would go on to become ceramic artists and educators themselves.

President Dr. Andrea Shurley reflected on Leah’s profound impact, noting that she has “inspired generations,” including students whose mothers once sat at the same wheels. “How much beauty has been brought into the world, how much creativity has been unleashed, how many times has a student been surprised by her own talent because of you?”

As Leah steps into retirement, we imagine her surrounded by her bees and chickens in Rockwall, continuing to create in her home studio—still shaping beauty from clay, just as she has done for nearly five decades at Ursuline.

Thank you, Leah Schlief-Freese, for your artistry, your mentorship, and your enduring legacy. You will be deeply missed, but your influence will live on in every student you inspired.