"Holy Names High School, a small, Catholic school for young women, provides an academically challenging college preparatory education in a vibrant learning environment. Our diverse community nurtures spirituality, encourages artistic expression, and promotes justice, preparing the next generation for leadership and service." -HNHS Mission Statement(I can't believe I still remember it by heart!)

If the school's mission statement isn't enough to persuade you to have your daughter take a look at this high school, then hopefully, this review will.

I'm a proud alumna of HNHS (class of 2009). I was leaning toward attending an all girls high school rather than a coed high school, because my main objective was to really focus on my studies. As prissy and prudish as it may sound, I didn't want to deal with easily distracted boys in class or overly competitive girls about social status, boys, fashion, etc. HNHS had the perfect environment to focus on each individual's priorities.

Aesthetically, Holy Names has a nice campus with beautiful architecture. My favorite place was the auditorium; the ambiance was elegant and almost made me forget I was in a school. Overall, the whole school had some sort of dated, old-fashioned feel to it, which I enjoyed.

The education I received was amazing, and until this day, I feel very privileged to have had the teachers who taught me. I've learned lifelong lessons from quite a few of them. In fact, I still keep in touch with some. I really did feel like the teachers' lesson plans were preparing us for college, especially the honors and AP courses. In addition, there were plenty of extra-curricular activities to participate in. I was personally involved with volleyball, the Ambassadors, student council, ASB, and the Multi-Cultural Club. HNHS made it possible for me to balance my activities and school work, and I believe that that was imperative to becoming a well-rounded, young woman. The school is also well known for Midsession, a week of enrichment courses and trips, which was something I looked forward to every year.

With all this said, I highly encourage you to have your daughter attend an open house as well as shadow a student for the day. A shadow day is a great opportunity to understand Holy Names' dynamics. Go Monarchs!