More students. More class offerings. More extracurriculars than ever before. For as much as Duchesne Academy is defined by its Sacred Heart traditions and academic excellence, the past five years have also been marked by growth.
When the Class of 2025 arrived on campus, the student population reached its largest size in school history. Head of School, Meg Brudney rushed to greet as many students as she could before they headed inside for classes.
“We are bursting with new faces but also, bursting at the seams,” said Brudney.
This growth has been carefully managed. Class sizes are curated to ensure the school keeps its strong sense of community while still offering a large number of courses, extracurricular activities, and leadership opportunities for students.
“This is why we are taking a bold step forward. Meeting our goals will enable Duchesne to continue providing the best education possible while remaining at our historic campus,” she said.
In 2022, the popular school review site Niche ranked Duchesne as the #1 all-girls high school in Nebraska.
Excellent academics and strong sense of community attracted Lucy Doyle A’23, to the school.
“I think that the environment at Duchesne is so special and it’s something I didn’t really see at other schools,” said Doyle.
A Bold Step Forward is already producing results for students. Three classrooms were renovated during the summer of 2021 into modern spaces with enhanced technology. The completed spaces have created a sense of excitement among students, according to Doyle.
“They are innovative and reflective of how the school is willing to adapt to the modern world without sacrificing its core values or character,” she said.
This campaign will make a Sacred Heart education accessible to as many academically qualified students as possible. Keeping tuition predictable will help more families send their daughters to Duchesne.
“Our students are better educated and more completely formed when we have young women from varying backgrounds comprising the student body,” Brudney said.
Aid for students can have a life-changing impact. Two scholarship recipients in the Class of 2021 earned complete college scholarships to Brown University and the University of Chicago, respectively.
“Duchesne exposed me to people who grew up differently than I did and taught me that we can have different opinions on topics we discuss but we can still all work together and be a strong community,” said Jayleesha Cooper A’21, now a University of Chicago student.
Student success stories only reinforce Brudney’s drive to meet the campaign’s goals.
“We can’t go back now. We are as strong as we’ve been in decades, now is our time to be bold.”