Many Mercy girls can sympathize with students of Ladywood High school who recently found out their school would be closing at the end of this school year. It’s hard to leave a place they have known to go to a new, strange school where classes, students, teachers, extracurriculars, and policies are different. Choosing a new school will be a big decision for these girls.

Mercy welcomed 21 Ladywood girls into the school with open arms for a special shadow day on Jan. 24.

“The purpose of the day was to show the Ladywood girls and their families a typical day at Mercy,” said Amy Iacobell, Director of Admissions. “We wanted to show them how similar Mercy and Ladywood really are.”

Mercy girls usually take their shadows around the school on tours, take them to classes, explain the schedule, and introduce them to teachers and classmates.

“The goal is to make the visitor feel at home,” said Mrs. Iacobell.

While some students were paired with Mercy girls they know from middle school or extracurriculars, others were matched based on shared interests. Junior Jess Dillon was paired with a junior from Ladywood because of their shared love for robotics.

“This is the first shadow I have ever had,” said Dillon. “You usually get shadows freshman and sophomore year, so this has been fun for me because now I have been able to do this.”

Dillon took her shadow, Jenna Marie Sica, to classes, and she showed her the pool. The two talked about clubs, schedule, and off hours. Sica also visited an APUSH class, which she was specifically interested in, with one of Dillon’s classmates.

Sica said she decided to consider Mercy because it was an all-girls school, and she has heard good things about it. She has also shadowed St. Catherine’s and is still considering all her options.

Along with special attention to the students, Administration, Counseling and Admissions invited parents to meet with them and ask questions. The Admissions staff then took the parents on a tour of the school, giving them the opportunity to see what their daughter would experience during the day. Information on tuition, uniforms, iPads, classes, and sports was also provided.

Mrs. Iacobell believes that some of the Ladywood shadows will be attending Mercy in the fall.

“I think the day went well,” said Mrs. Iacobell. “We received a lot of positive feedback from both the girls and the parents. They loved that the teachers went out of their way to acknowledge them and make them feel welcome. They also thought the Mercy girls were very welcoming and kind.”