Sacred Heart Academy has long been educating young women to be leaders. Five years ago, SHA launched the Jean Frazier Leadership Institute (JFLI) to ensure enhanced, formalized leadership programming reached every student. The Institute is unique in Louisville because the authentic leadership experiences such as job shadows, internships and service allow students to take the skills they learn in the classroom into the real world, preparing them for success in college and future careers. The Institute cultivates a leadership culture at Sacred Heart by providing authentic leadership experiences that create empowered leaders who seek to serve others.
The Jean Frazier Leadership Institute and the SHA Alumnae Office partnered to provide a new and exciting opportunity for students to engage with alumnae and friends of Sacred Heart at the first-ever Valkyrie Leadership Luncheon on March 17, 2023. More than 100 current students, alumnae and friends of Sacred Heart gathered to network and connect, allowing students to practice communication and networking skills.
The keynote address was delivered by Christy Ames '90, General Counsel, Executive Vice President of Republic Bank. JFLI Frazier Fellow Grace Guernsey '23 spoke to the attendees about her internship with the Honorable Jessica Moore Spalding '99.
Sacred Heart has launched 13 different leadership programs and initiatives that are open to every student ranging from a freshman mentor program, Lunch and Learns, a multi-day workshop culminating in a mock interview, leadership curriculum in the classroom, and much more. One of the most popular JFLI initiatives is the Charles Kane Family Internship Program where students gain on-site work experience in a career or service setting. More than 50 students in the past two years have completed 40- or 80-hour internships. Read more here about Sacred Heart's Jean Frazier Leadership Institute.
The students who took part in the Valkyrie Leadership Luncheon are Frazier Fellows. These juniors and seniors have committed to completing nearly every program the Institute offers, including:
- Authentic leadership workshops including character strengths, personal finance, presenting yourself, SMART goal-setting, and more
- Personal Finance Course
- Quarterly online leadership modules
- Small-group discussions
- 40- or 80-hour authentic leadership experience or internship
- Leadership Portfolio
- Leadership capstone presentation
Students who complete the program graduate with a certificate of distinction in leadership on their formal high school transcript.
In just five years, JFLI has successfully created a culture of leadership, making a significant difference for Valkyries at Sacred Heart and preparing them for college and beyond. Last year the Class of 2022 was SHA's first class to benefit from four years of leadership programming through the Institute. In just that first class, 20% of graduates received leadership/service scholarship offers in college, representing more than double the previous year. In addition, many seniors, equipped with four years of formalized leadership training, were automatically accepted into a leadership program in college. The results of JFLI are clear; read more here. Our students are committed to their own leadership development, and our alumnae and friends who serve as mentors help make JFLI a successful model of servant leadership.