Why the Academy?

Ivy McClure Stewart ’90 has been travelling to the Academy since 1978 as a student, a parent, parent of alums, and a faculty member. As her youngest child, Will, graduates she will move on from the Little Acorns classroom, though she will still return to teach French for our littlest learners. She reflects on the past 47 years at the Academy and how her life has been forever changed by this school.

There are hallowed places in this world that are built with more than bricks and mortar — places that carry memory, spirit, and purpose in every hallway and classroom. For me, that place is the Academy of the Sacred Heart. As I reflect on my life, it’s impossible to separate my story from this school — they are deeply intertwined.

I first walked through the doors of the Academy in 1978 as a wide-eyed two-year-old, tagging along as my parents dropped off my older brother to begin his first day of Primary. At the time, I had no idea that the very ground beneath my feet would shape my future in ways I could not yet imagine. I grew up within these walls — learning, growing, and being nurtured into the person I would become. But I wasn’t alone. My three brothers also spent their formative years here, each of us carrying with us the shared legacy of St. Philippine Duchesne: a legacy rooted in profound faith and pioneering spirit.