January 8, 2019
Court Selects SMA Alumna as Judge
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana recently announced the selection of Dana Marie Douglas as Magistrate Judge for the District, . A 1993 graduate of St. Mary’s Academy, Ms. Douglas has litigated cases in Louisiana state and federal court for almost twenty years, primarily in the areas of commercial, energy, and intellectual property law. While at Loyola Law School, she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Loyola University Public Interest Law Journal. After graduating law school, Ms. Douglas clerked for the Honorable Ivan L.R. Lemelle, United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Read MoreJanuary 11, 2019
Elementary Students Build Their Brain Power
Developing the underlying cognitive abilities through an intensive individualized program is the goal of the BrainPower for Reading Program (BPR) at St. Mary’s Academy. Led by Sr. Mary Ellen Schroder, BPR represents the best practices in education, a result of the Sisters of Notre Dame’s 163 years of educational excellence and experience.
Conducted three times a week in the elementary division, BPR strengthens foundational cognitive skills such as attention, long and short term memory, auditory and visual processing and logic and reasoning, all required as a foundation for learning.
January 19, 2019
SMA Senior Prepares to Knock Out the Competition
Dominique Hagans may be small in stature but don’t be fooled. The diminutive dynamo carries a big punch thanks to her boxing coaches a the Spartan Boxing Club in New Orleans. The mostly male dominated club is run by experienced coaches from the boxing world, including one that worked with pros like Evander Holyfield.
Now, Dominique is fervently training to compete in the The Atlanta Classic-USA Boxing Woman’s only boxing tournament hosted by Sweet Science Boxing Club in Atlanta,Ga. Open to all USA Boxing female divisions and weight classes (pee wee, bantam, intermediate, junior, youth, elite and masters), The Atlanta Classic will take place at the Atlanta Marriott Century Center February 22-24.
The Spartans meet 4 times a week and train 3 hours each day at Milne NORD Recreation Center. While Dominique has only trained for a year and a half, she already has earned a championship belt.
Alumnae Spotlight
Natalia Veronica
Growing up in New Orleans, Natalia Veronica developed an appreciation for art and culture at an early age. The daughter of a seamstress and an architect, she spent countless hours at either a sewing machine or drafting table learning how to sketch and fashion garments. Recognizing their daughter’s tremendous gifts, Natalia’s parents encouraged her artistic development.
In 1994, Natalia enrolled as a freshmen at St. Mary’s Academy where she participated in the Journalism Club and created artwork for class events and competitions. Following her graduation in 1997, she moved to Dallas to study fashion design at The Art Institute of Dallas. Upon earning a degree in fashion design, Natalia continued to create artwork and designs and worked for luxury based companies including Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Prada.
After a lifetime of sketching and painting, she decided to start exhibiting her artwork in various art shows. “As I began showing my paintings in galleries, I realized I wanted more people to be able to appreciate and attain my work,” said Natalia who also started creating limited edition prints of her original works. “I also wanted to find a way to incorporate my love of fashion design, that is when Natalia Veronica was established.”
All of Natalia’s merchandise is named for a personally significant street or moment. She even designed a hand painted handbag called the “Maryite” as a nod to her alma mater. The collection has been featured in many publications and selected for the Kimbell Museum of Art in Fort Worth, Texas.