Leading an institution with nearly 300 years of history comes with both tremendous responsibility and tremendous opportunity. For Laurie Leiva, president of Ursuline Academy of New Orleans, the responsibility is not simply to preserve the Academy’s legacy, but to ensure its mission remains meaningful for the next generation of young women.
Founded in 1727, Ursuline Academy is the oldest continuously operating Catholic school in the United States and the oldest Catholic girls’ school in the nation. For nearly three centuries, its mission has remained rooted in education, service, faith, and deep respect for the uniqueness of each individual student.
As Ursuline approaches its 300th anniversary in 2027, Leiva is focused on carrying those principles forward while preparing students for a world that looks very different from the one the Ursuline Sisters encountered when they arrived in New Orleans.
“You don’t honor a 300-year legacy by simply looking backward,” Leiva says. “You honor it by understanding what has endured, studying how it has adapted to meet the evolving needs of the community, why it still matters, and how you carry those values forward for the young women we are educating today.”
That means giving students opportunities to discover their strengths, develop their voices, and understand that leadership can take many forms. At Ursuline, those lessons begin early. The Academy serves girls from six weeks old through 12th grade, creating the opportunity for relationships, mentorship, and personal growth that can span nearly two decades of a student’s time on campus.
“Leadership requires understanding that your experience isn’t the only experience.”
Leiva believes that continuity is one of Ursuline’s greatest strengths. Students grow up in an environment where they are encouraged not only to excel academically, but to become confident in who they are and recognize their responsibility to the people around them.
“We want our students to know their voices matter,” Leiva says. “Our graduates leave Ursuline prepared for college, confident enough to speak up, compassionate enough to listen to others, and prepared to use what they have learned to make a difference in their communities.”
That philosophy is particularly meaningful in New Orleans. Ursuline has educated generations of women who have helped shape the city, while its student body continues to reflect the diversity of the community it serves.
For Leiva, that diversity is essential to preparing students to lead.
“Leadership requires understanding that your experience isn’t the only experience,” she says. “When young women learn alongside people with different backgrounds and perspectives, they learn how to listen, how to collaborate and how to lead with empathy. Those are skills they will carry with them wherever they go.”
As Ursuline enters its fourth century, Leiva sees her role as both steward and forward-looking leader: protecting the values that have sustained the Academy for generations while ensuring students have the skills, experiences, and confidence they need for what comes next.
After nearly 300 years, the surroundings may have changed. The purpose has not.
