Saint Ursula Academy removes obstacles to help its students grow

Over the last couple years, Saint Ursula Academy (SUA), an all-girls, Catholic, college-preparatory high school in East Walnut Hills, has had a lot to be proud of: Seven seniors this year were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation; 92% of the class of 2022 merited academic, service, leadership and athletic scholarships offering over $23 million; 56 students were AP Scholars; and much more.

So what has led SUA and its students find so much success?

“Saint Ursula Academy is an all-girls school that focuses on best practices from the International Coalition of Girls Schools (ICGS) on how girls learn. And what that really means is creating an environment where the students are challenged academically and personally. Where they are not only challenged but supported in their risk taking so that it is a safe environment to push themselves as far as they can go,” says Mari Thomas, SUA principal.

Being a member of ICGS means removing obstacles and barriers for female students so that they can grow as leaders both in and outside the classroom. SUA was the first school in Cincinnati to join the ICGS, joining six years ago when it was the National Coalition of Girls Schools.

“Not only do we pride ourselves on the research that they conduct in the all-girl learning environment, we embrace that, we learn from it, we try to practice it,” says Thomas.

One of the ways the school has enabled students in this way is with its 80-minute block schedule. This format allows students to have more of a say in what classes they take and helps them to develop their time management skills.

Grayson Rohmiller, a junior at SUA, says the school’s block schedule is why she chose to attend the school.

“[The block schedule] has helped me take all of the classes that I’ve wanted to take so far and even more than that,” she says. “By the end of my time at SUA, I think I’ll have taken six math courses and eight science courses, which there’s no possible way I could have done that at a high school with a traditional schedule.”

For Rohmiller—who also plays varsity tennis, is on student council, is a member of the Girls Athletic Association and participates in several other clubs—this academic freedom has paid off. She recently received a perfect score on the ACT.

“The teachers here at SUA are really supportive and they really care about the subjects that they’re teaching. They’re really motivating. It inspires me to learn and just really take in as much information as I can,” Rohmiller says.

Another student who has both seen and experienced success at SUA is Alex Serger, another junior at the school. She participates in the theater program, the vocal ensemble, several clubs and the Cappies theater review program. Her two older sisters also attended SUA and were valedictorians.

“I definitely feel supported at school. I think that’s a big part of it. When you feel supported and successful at school, I think that’s what can help you to become successful outside of school after that. And I think that support from my teachers and my classmates fuels me to do better in school. I think that gives me more opportunity to branch out and to reach out to different organizations,” she says.