NDA helps young women succeed today and in the future

Over a century later, Notre Dame Academy in Park Hills is still standing strong, carrying on its tradition of “educating women to make a difference in the world.”

Jane Kleier, chief communications officer, says Notre Dame Academy (NDA) provides academic excellence that allows young girls to be successful in their futures. With recruitment and admission season in full swing, soon the next generation of NDA girls will be carrying on the same legacy as the many generations before them.

Kleier says a reason NDA is a competitive school is partially due to its “all-girl advantage.”

“I think what the girls like is the sisterhood. The girls recognize that immediately. We had an event [recently] called our Panda Fun Fest and our eighth graders came and they are loud and fun and they are able to be themselves,” Kleier says. “We like to say that they become fearless, curious and enthusiastic in their learning very quickly here because they’re not inhibited by the boys. I think that single gender advantage definitely plays out for the young woman and they appreciate that experience.”

Kleier says not having boys at NDA allows the girls to not be embarrassed to speak up, ask questions and raise their hands.

“Our young women are the president of every club. They’re fully involved. They take charge of everything. Our mission is to educate young women to make a difference in the world,” Kleier says. “But our vision is to graduate leaders through this transformative education.”

Kleier says girls at NDA take charge of their own education and advocate for themselves. If they have a question or need to discuss an issue, they bring it to a teacher’s attention.

“The Sisters of Notre Dame started this school in 1906,” Kleier says. “They were some pretty amazing pioneering women, making sure that young women had education at that point in history, but they understood what it meant for these young women to have an education. They understood the impact that it was going to have. But they also wanted to make sure that young women were taking responsibility for their own education.”

Alumni who come back and visit NDA are often grateful for their education, Kleier says, citing how many girls felt prepared for college.

“What we hear time and time again is just how well prepared they are for college. I think having the rigor in the classroom in high school, while they’re at home and they have the support system in place, makes so much more sense than sending them off to college without that experience,” Kleier says.

Girls who graduate from NDA leave with a rigorous education, a sisterhood and a devoted faith.

“There is a spirit of sisterhood here that is just phenomenal. But the big takeaways are this … the formation that you have here, the work ethic that you develop, the faith component. The faith component is critical to what we do; I feel like we are very much formed in our faith here. The big takeaway is our graduates leave here knowing full well that they are capable of doing anything they choose to do. Our graduates do not see obstacles once they get out of Notre Dame Academy,” Kleier says.