By Jessica Easthope
Just a little over a month into the school year and the birthplace of history is the lesson of the day. But the sixth graders sitting in class are making history of their own, they’re the first to attend The Mary Louis Academy (TMLA) Middle School.
“They give me the support and the courage that I need to maybe even make my own club or business or anything. So I feel like that’s just very important, especially as a girl in an all-girls school,” said Ava Ponce.
“To have access to so many different things, to have access to clubs, to have good teachers, it’s nice to have that privilege,” Aisha Ndiay told Currents News.
The middle school represents the start of a new chapter for the all-girls college preparatory school that boasts early access to New York State Regents exams, a rich alumnae network, and several annual ivy league acceptances.
“Mary Louis is a magical place, anyone that comes through our doors, I think, can tell you that,” said the school’s assistant principal Ellie Siwicki.
Siwicki says 375 years after the Sisters of St. Joseph were founded ,each of the middle school’s 43 students is a foundress in her own right. They’re paving the way for a younger generation to enter into a competitive and empowering academic and service-minded environment.
“We’re kind of creating a new path forward,” said Siwicki. “I think that the sisters are proud of us.“
And in addition to all that, the girls are having fun.
“I’m actually excited every day to go to school, I want to leave early,” Ava told Currents News. “I want to be able to learn new things. And I’m never scared to go into school because I know I just belong here.”
“In my class, everyone’s like a big family,” said Aisha. “I feel like I can grow myself as a student at TMLA and like when I get older, I can give that to the world.”
The Mary Louis Academy Middle School is a long way from celebrating 375 years but nonetheless, they say the future is bright.