What did it mean, what difference did it make, for me to attend St. Joan Antida High School?
Attending St. Joan Antida high school was a gift, for a timid teenager to be given attention that was so personal and caring!
The academics were first-rate, but the individualized nurturing we received—by each member of the faculty—is what influenced me the most.
They had such confidence in me, often more than I felt for myself. They set no limits on what I could achieve. They challenged me and pushed me past the boundaries my lazy and insecure teenage self would have set for myself. As a shy, naive ninth grader, I announced that I was going to be a doctor…some students laughed—then over the ensuing years the faculty provided the support I needed to achieve that goal.
Looking back, I have always been amazed that the relatively small size of the school never limited the variety and quality of our educational experiences. I was certainly well-prepared to meet the challenges of a pre-medicine college program; I remember thinking that some of the classes were no more difficult than they had been at St. Joan Antida high school!
I was honored to become the editor of the school newspaper. It taught me basic leadership skills that I used later in life and significantly enhanced my self-confidence.
What always stands out in my memory, too, is the respect that the Sisters and lay teachers showed one another and each of the students. They approached each person with kindness and care, and although I am often not as patient towards others as I would like to be, these are values that I try to emulate.
My years at St. Joan Antida school helped to set a moral compass that surpasses mere rules and regulations, but rather is based on spiritual truth and an intrinsic compassion for others.
I remain deeply connected to the school and have helped to support its mission of educating young women for a better future.
Written by Dr. Claire Jurkowski
Class of 1966
