By Susan Payne
For the first time in Notre Dame Academy’s 75-year history, more girls are graduating and pursuing higher education in traditionally male-dominated fields such as male-dominated fields such as astrophysics, artificial intelligence, cyber security, and engineering.
Last year, 56% of the graduating 2024 class entered college with a STEM-related major — a testament to the all-girl Catholic school’s dedication to equipping young women with the knowledge, skills and confidence to excel in higher education and beyond.
Notre Dame Academy is a modern college preparatory school that emphasizes an exploratory approach and personalized college counseling. Girls are encouraged to embrace their academic potential and a life of purpose, starting in grade six.
Informed by timeless Catholic values, an NDA education reflects the most current, well-researched methods tailored to how girls learn, grow and thrive. Newly expanded to middle school, NDA believes in the relevance of an all-girls education and the importance of girl-only spaces, particularly through adolescence.
With rigorous academics, intentional leadership training and the support of a sisterhood, NDA prepares young women to impact their workplaces, industries and communities. The school’s exploratory approach challenges each student to forge her own unique education path with an academic emphasis that reflects her interests and talents.
Although every NDA graduate entertains acceptances from multiple four-year institutions, NDA prepares young women for lives of purpose for which college is simply a steppingstone. Last year, NDA was the only Catholic school in West Los Angeles to earn the Advanced Placement Platinum with Access Award for its exceptional commitment to AP excellence across all socioeconomic levels.
NDA students are motivated to consider ways to use their gifts to support their community, reflecting the school’s holistic approach to educating young women, encompassing academic preparation, spiritual formation and social-emotional learning while exposing students to a wide array of related career options.
Students explore diverse fields and have meaningful conversations in NDA’s Symposium Series, which features guest speakers. By relying on the expanse of Los Angeles as an extension of the classroom, Regals gain valuable real-world insights through enriching field research and company visits.
“Our students are not only well-prepared academically but have also developed exceptional leadership skills and emotional intelligence because they’ve consistently applied classroom learning to practical situations,” said Lilliam Paetzold, President/Head of School.
“The girls support each other both in class and in between. Those bonds — that connectedness — enable them to build teamwork and life skills, weather challenges, and grow not just as students, but as people,” she added.
Alongside a sisterhood of other students, NDA faculty foster academic excellence and a love for learning, while its competitive athletic program and dynamic arts offerings guarantee a comprehensive middle and high school experience. NDA Regals consistently earn league and conference championships in indoor volleyball, basketball, swim and beach volleyball, a unique offering among high schools.
The school’s dynamic arts programs feature dance, drama and visual arts, encouraging creative expression and offering frequent performance opportunities. Among the school’s student life programs, more than 50% of students hold a leadership position within clubs and organization. NDA students also participate in award-winning co-curriculars such as rocketry, robotics and Academic Decathlon.
NDA students are bright, curious and goal oriented young women from over 75 zip codes. The student body is a diverse microcosm of the City of Los AngelesWhile 70% of the student body is Catholic, the school welcomes students of all faith traditions. With competitively priced tuition, NDA offers tuition assistance.
To learn more about the school, visit https://academy.ndasla.org.
