(The Center Square) – Thanks to a generous donor, Josephinum Academy, Chicago’s oldest all-girls Catholic high school in Wicker Park, is offering full scholarships to incoming freshmen this coming fall.
Staff member Monique Norignton-Joseph, class of 1992, said the new Thrive scholarship has the campus buzzing.
“A fantastic donor-supporter stepped up to make this 100% tuition coverage possible. It has been a wonderful thing,” she said.
The Josephinum college-prep academic program “gives young women strong written and verbal communication skills and a passion to have their voices heard,” the school website says.
Josephinum draws students from 40 different zip codes across the Chicago area.
In 1988, Norington-Joseph’s grandparents enrolled her in Josephinum without telling her that it was an all-girls school.
“I could not believe they were sending me. Honestly, I was angry about it,” Norington-Joseph said with a laugh. “But as it turned out, it was absolutely the best thing for my life.”
The small classes and the warm, caring atmosphere are designed to help every girl to succeed, she said.
“I was not there to impress anyone. I felt comfortable speaking up and using my voice,” she said.
Norington-Joseph went on to the University of Illinois and then to DePaul University, where she received her master’s degree. She is proud to be the first person in her family to graduate from college.
After working in corporate branding and marketing for a Fortune 500 company, Norington-Joseph started a business and then had children of her own. She published her first children’s book in 2016. Three years ago when she moved back to the Chicago area, Josephinum recruited her to be director of student life and partnerships for the school.
Josephinum is not for every young woman, Norington-Joseph said. But for a college-bound girl who wants to focus and have a rewarding high school experience, Josephinum can be life-changing, she said.
“I don’t say this lightly: We have a social-emotional learning program that is really world-class,” Norington-Joseph said.
The basic curriculum includes language arts, math, science and technology. There is also a theater program and a arts program, Norington-Joseph said. She encourages parents and students who want to learn more to visit the campus and check out the website Josephinum.org.