Every September, the Montrose School Student Government leadership team selects an inspirational theme for the new school year. This year’s theme, ZEAL – enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or objective – sums up the purposeful enthusiasm that Montrose students bring to all their adventures, whether in their studies, sports, theater, clubs or service projects.  

Zeal is not just a passing emotion but a virtue. St. Thomas Aquinas states in his Summa Theologiae that zeal flows from an intensity of love. In a school, we should seek from God the virtue of zeal – to “seek to imitate, where possible, the goodness or excellence we observe in others,” as Monsignor Charles Pope wrote in the Catholic Standard. 

Senior Kate Novack ‘24 invoked the spirit of zeal as she greeted the audience of prospective families at our Admission Open House this fall: “Welcome to what I hope will be your new home – a home where I have felt valued for who I am, the unique gifts and talents I am able to put at the service of others, and the joyful spirit that I, and all my Montrose sisters, feel each day.”

Inspired by this theme, I shared with our students the story of a woman who exemplified zeal: cryptanalyst Elizebeth Smith Friedman, an American war heroine, poet and codebreaker. She took her love of Shakespeare and proficiency at solving puzzles and applied them to intercepting and solving enciphered messages – work that was instrumental in helping the U.S. win both World Wars. 

I asked the girls to think about the question: What are you made for? And I shared Montrose’s answer: You are made for greatness. As they have heard often at Montrose, every student, and indeed every person, is unique, unrepeatable and called by God to discover her noble purpose, in order to transform the world for the good.

As I told the girls:

“God has a beautiful plan for each of you that he wants you to discover. You are at Montrose as a part of your journey to help you uncover some of these gifts. These gifts that you will discover here not only will make you happy – but when they are put at the service of others, as Elizebeth Smith Friedman did, they will make others happy. 

“When Elizebeth Smith Friedman was young, she wrote in her diary: ‘I do not want an ordinary life. I want an adventurous life.’ That is what God has in store for each of you – a  life full of zeal, love and adventure. You are called to greatness. Your challenge is to discover and uncover the gifts and talents in each of your lives and help others do the same. God has designed a life for you that is a treasure hunt, if you have the eyes to see his gifts hidden in every moment of the day.”

Our students learn that to live a life of adventure, it’s important first to trust God to reveal what the next step is as they follow their questions and interests. We encourage them to ask themselves often: “How can my gifts and talents transform the world for the good?” They learn to spend time in reflection and bring their questions and interests to God in prayer, trusting that He will reveal answers to them there. 

At Montrose, everything we do aims to help every girl flourish so she can face challenges and opportunities with the zeal and spirit of Elizebeth Smith Friedman. Our transformational program creates a setting where girls learn to ask life’s biggest questions, the pathway to discovering their noble purpose. Montrose students learn to live in accordance with the words of St. Bernard: “Let your zeal be inspired by charity, enlightened by knowledge, strengthened by confidence.”