Spending a day at Dominican is the best way to see the many faces of Dominican.
Dominican is walking down the hallway and laughing with friends about absolutely nothing. It is debating in English class whether or not Hamlet was truthful when saying, “To be or not to be.”
Dominican is a place where young women learn lessons, find truth and gain friends for life. By spending a day at Dominican, middle school girls learn about the many opportunities this high school can offer them.
The Spend-A-Day Program at St. Mary’s Dominican High School allows prospective students see what it is like to be a high school student. The visiting girls travel from class to class with their hosts and learn about the many different things that DHS has to offer.
Managing this program is Ms. Elyse Harrison (’13), recruitment director. She coordinates visits from the nearly 800 students who will spend a day at Dominican this academic year. Ms. Harrison pairs each Spend-A-Day student with a host who has similar interests. To make the middle schoolers feel special upon arriving on Walmsley Ave., Ms. Harrison gives each girl a bag filled with special Dominican treats and a complimentary lunch pass.
DHS students believe that being a Spend-A-Day host makes Dominican all the better. “Giving these young girls the true insight on what Dominican is gives me the best feeling,” said senior Abby Ordoyne. Ordoyne enjoyed spending a normal day at school with her younger cousin, Alexa Walsh, a fifth grader at St. Rita School in Harahan.
Alexa enjoyed seeing Dominican through her older cousin’s eyes. “Spending the day at Dominican has helped me make a choice on where I want to go to high school,” Alexa said. She then told her cousin that she plans on attending Dominican.
Current DHS student Isabella Totorico, eighth grader, said that after spending the day as a seventh grader last year, she felt confident in making her decision to attend Dominican. She said that walking through the schedule helped her decide on Dominican. “I really liked how the schedule rotates, and I would not be doing the same thing every day,” said Totorico.
Walking the halls and meeting the teachers gives the students the chance to see what it is like to be a Dominican girl. Admissions Director Ms. Cathy Rice agrees. She said that the Spend-A-Day program is the most influential factor for students who decide to come to Dominican. It is all about the girls feeling comfortable and at home.
Dominican is truly a second home to all the girls that have walked these halls. And that feeling radiates to the girls that spend a day.
- Morgan Muscarello