By Emily Drooby
Fontbonne Hall Academy teaches high school students and Visitation Academy educates students through eighth grade. However, the two institutions have a lot in common.
They’re both in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, they’re both Catholic and they’re both all-girls schools. They’re also both responsible for the education of two bright young women: Fontbonne’s salutatorian Jenna Polis and their valedictorian, Alyssa DeAngelis.
“You see this young girl, who there she was, I had her in 5th grade, and to see what she has accomplished, it’s very touching to have been part of that,” explained Loretta DeLorenzo, who taught both of the girls while they attended Visitation Academy.
What’s behind the accomplishments of these young women? There are a lot of reasons.
“They definitely helped me develop my study habits,” Jenna told Currents News. “They keep class interesting, and they actually make me want to learn about the topic.”
Jenna and Alyssa also credit the school’s class sizes, their strong curriculums and supportive staff. All of these things blend together to create an environment that empowers the women who attend their schools.
“We try to build confidence in the girls, our girls are very used to public speaking,” Loretta said. “We have a student council, and the girls completely run things.”
“I’ve been to an all-girls school all my life too,” added Alyssa, “so I think that’s really important as well.”
She said that at both schools, the message was always there are no limits to what women can do.
Both girls are now heading off to college on a pre-med track.
The product of two schools that provided them with the tools they needed to be successful in education, and in life.