From athletics to robotics, mathematics to music, a Woodlands education is as much about what goes on outside the classroom as within it. Our programs encourage each student to try something new and compete to the highest of her ability.
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Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart hosted a public forum March 13 encouraging girls to explore high-level business executive roles. Opened to school-aged girls and their parents throughout the region, this “Imagine Yourself in the C-Suite” program allowed attendees to engage in dialogue with a leading professional and one another. The session featured Claire Pomeroy, MD, MBA, president of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation. An expert in infectious diseases, Pomeroy is a long-time advocate for patients, especially the underserved and those with HIV/AIDS. Tyler Johnson, a 2009 graduate of Woodlands Academy, started the program by interviewing Pomeroy. Those in attendance then had an opportunity to ask questions. “Imagine Yourself in the C-Suite” presentations by female CEOs and executives are meant to inspire achievement, build confidence and encourage girls to forge pathways to excellence.
All 23 Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart participants in both team and individual events at this year’s Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ (ICTM) regional contest are state finals qualifiers. Overall, the all-girls college-preparatory high school from Lake Forest placed third in Division 1A at the 2024 ICTM Region 20 Competition held at Niles West High School in Skokie on Feb. 24. Highlights include first-place finishes by the Geometry team of sophomores Maya Whiteman, Maggie Glunz, Emmy Seliga, Chloe Mensah and Lucy Petherbridge as well as the Junior-Senior 8-person team of Yaya Cabrera, Aanya Sahu, Gianna Keuer, Gracie Jennings, Claire Smylie, Avery Drehkoff, Lauren Janos and Fiona McNulty. The ICTM State Finals will be held April 5-6 at Illinois State University in Normal.
Junior Ring Ceremony, one of the most significant days of a girl’s time at Woodlands Academy, marks the turning point in a student’s time at a Sacred Heart school. The class rings and Philippine Duchesne medals presented at the March 1 ceremony, planned and hosted by the senior class, are reminders of the strong bond students feel within the walls of Woodlands Academy and the entire Sacred Heart community. Senior Aanya Sahu, this year’s WACOR president, opened the program by reflecting on what last year’s presentations meant to her. “It was at this ceremony when I understood the value of all the relationships I formed with the people here at Woodlands,” she said. “Look around. The girls sitting next to you have never left your side, and they never will.” Speaking on behalf of her fellow juniors, Ida Psencik thanked the Woodlands Academy community for its support. “This camaraderie is something I have only ever experienced at Woodlands, where I am surrounded by people who love and care about me and want me to succeed.”