By Kathy Witherspoon, Dean of Student Life
“You are beautiful.”
This simple but powerful phrase was heard throughout Holy Names as we celebrated You Are Beautiful Day this week. This annual tradition invites our community to reflect on the beauty we all have within us. Through an assembly and activities led by members of the LOVE Club, students were encouraged to recognize their own gifts, strengths, and unique qualities. They were reminded beauty shows up in kindness, perseverance, creativity, humor, courage, and compassion. It lives in how we treat others, how we respond to challenges, and how we grow into who we are becoming.
Studies show that a girl’s self-esteem peaks around age nine and then steadily declines throughout the middle school years. Additionally, 90% of women report wanting to change something about the way they look. Being a young woman today is hard. They are constantly bombarded with messages—on social media, in advertising, and even in casual iterations—about how they should look, act, and measure up. Too often, these messages promote unrealistic standards and tie worth to appearance or perfection.
So what can we do? How can we, as a school community, push back against these narratives and create an environment that fosters confidence and resilience? At Holy Names, we are intentional about the culture we build. We strive to create an environment that encourages independence and responsibility. We know students will make mistakes – that is part of growing up. Our goal is to help students learn from them. We encourage students to take healthy risks and try new things, understanding growth is sometimes uncomfortable. We emphasize effort over perfection and progress over comparison. We celebrate accomplishments and victories both big and small.
You Are Beautiful Day may be just one day in the school year, but the message it carries matters every day. Our goal is for all students at Holy Names to see the beauty they have within themselves.