NOLA’s St. Mary’s Has Been Victorious for 157 years
Just blocks away from Caesars Superdome in the Big Easy, just hours after the Eagles decisive win of Superbowl LIX, The Roadshow for Opportunity kicked off an equally decisive achievement – the outstanding achievement of one of the oldest all-female schools for African-American girls in the nation.
St. Mary’s Academy was a $500,000 Finalist for the 2024 Yass Prize competition, chosen for their sustainable funding model, their transformational offerings, their outstanding results, and their permissionless education.
It was clear from walking through classrooms, from the primary grades to high school, why St. Mary’s has a 100% college acceptance rate for all of their seniors. Whether they were eagerly participating in a friendly competition to review trigonometry or creating their own Mardi Gras float featuring an African-American leader, the energy and curiosity in every room reflected a culture of active learning.
But St. Mary’s Academy is more than just a school. It is a tightly woven fabric, binding multiple generations together with a thread of tradition and excellence since its founding in 1867. For many families, attending St. Mary’s is not just an educational choice but a continuation of a legacy. One alum – who attended St. Mary’s in the 90’s and whose daughter currently attends – describes it as a “family tradition,” where mothers, daughters, and even grandmothers have all worn the same uniform and walked the same halls. This thread of continuity connects the past with the present, ensuring that each new student inherits the values of those who came before them. As student Tatum shared, “I’ve been here since Pre-K, so this has been my home for 14 years.”
But to be clear, this institution would not be able to sustain its 562 students today without Louisiana’s scholarship program, now expanded into the new GATOR program, which provides students with a percentage of their education funding to attend the school of their choice, which is an average of $7,000.
St. Mary’s challenges their students to step out of their comfort zones, producing young women who not only excel academically – earning millions in scholarships and dozens of college acceptances – but who also carry themselves with poise, knowing they are testaments to something greater than themselves.
Decades after graduation they are still having an impact, just like elite private schools that the affluent have enjoyed for years. Alumnae continue to gather, support one another, and cherish the lifelong bonds of friendship, mentorship, and shared experience that were woven during their time on campus. Just imagine if these young women from primarily disadvantaged backgrounds in the city didn’t have that opportunity created by years of civic engagement, alumni support and in recent years, the state’s bold choice program.
“Even though it’s been 32 years since we graduated, my senior class still communicates, we still get together, we motivate each other,” an alum and parent shared. This school is not just a place of learning; it is a home, a community of faith, and a lifelong thread that ties its students to a legacy of excellence for the students in New Orleans.
“There’s no place like this,” one parent declared, capturing the irreplaceable impact of being a “Maryite” graduate. And for former Maryites who have walked its halls, that truth is stitched deeply into their hearts, ensuring that St. Mary’s legacy continues to be woven into future generations.
To enjoy more photos from this incredible visit, please visit the entire gallery here. And be sure to follow along for our next roadshow visit to Rural Schools Innovation Zone on March 25th!