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Former Villa students adjust, Find new home at St. Mary's
When school officials announced in December 2005 that Villa Maria Academy would graduate its last class in June 2006, tears flowed freely as students couldn't imagine their beloved school closing, but the students have been welcomed at other area schools.
More than one dozen students transferred from the all-girls school in Cheektowaga to co-ed St. Mary's High School in Lancaster where, after initial trepidation, they found new friends and new confidence.
Three students recently spoke with the Times about their experience, and the prevalent theme was how the people at their new high school made them feel at home almost immediately.
Junior transfer Rachelle Besser is one of three former Villa students playing basketball for the St. Mary's Lancers girls team. She is joined by twin sisters Carolyn and Rachel Miller. They are also juniors.
Besser said that even though she already had friends at St. Mary's, transferring to the school scared her.
"I didn't know what to expect," Besser recalled, noting that St. Mary's is a coeducational facility. "It was totally different."
After the first two days, Besser said that she had completely adjusted due largely to the friendly atmosphere at St. Mary's. "I'm fine now," She added.
Sophomore Miranda Lombardo transferred from Mount St. Mary in Kenmore to St. Mary's in December. She spent her freshman year at Villa and the Lancaster resident hoped that the all-girls Mount St. Mary would offer an experience similar to Villa.
"I'm still getting adjusted," Lombardo admitted. "It's hard to transfer in the middle of everything, but the people and the atmosphere at St. Mary's are very helpful."
Senior Alison Bowen of Cheektowaga said that because she has many friends from grammar school attending St. Mary's, her decision was easy, although Besser also helped to convince her.
All three cited St. Mary's people and atmosphere as its strongest assets, noting that everyone "gets along" from freshmen to seniors and students are accepted for who they are.
St. Mary's Director of Enrollment Brendan McDaniels said that all of the Villa transfers "transitioned well," noting that most of the former Villa students were juniors. Bowen was the only senior transfer.
"The other classmates eased the process," McDaniels said. "At least they had some people to lean on."
Although they are more than halfway through the academic year, some of the students say that there are times when they find themselves thinking about their old high school.
Bowen and Besser were soccer teammates at Villa, and both were members of the Lady Lancers team that won the Monsignor Martin League.
For Bowen, memories of fatherdaughter dances remain strong, while last fall's soccer season brought a new challenge.
"I had to play against my former teammates. It just didn't feel right," Bowen recalled. "My friend Christina now goes to (Cardinal) O'Hara and during warmups, we met at midfield and just kind of hugged. It's sad."
Lombardo said she finds herself constantly thinking about Villa because her freshman class's small size enabled the group to become fast friends.
Bowen said that St. Mary's allowed her new opportunities and gave her confidence.
"I was scared coming here, but when I go to college next year, I shouldn't be as scared," Bowen reasoned. "If I can do it here, I can do it in college."
The students said that they try to maintain the friendships they forged at Villa, but they acknowledged that everyone is making new friends at their adopted schools, making it difficult to keep in touch at times.
"If (keeping in touch) is not to be, you'll always have the friendships," Besser said.
The trio remember the last few weeks at Villa as difficult ones, because there were sad faces everywhere they looked.
"It was extremely hard," Lombardo said. "You couldn't look at anyone. Everyone was sad, knowing that we'd all be somewhere else other than Villa."
Bowen noted that because everyone in her class became best friends, closing Villa was similar to breaking up a family.
"Villa was like a home, where you felt comfortable," Bowen said. "The last few weeks were pretty depressing because everyone was so upset."
Looking back on their experiences, the trio advise elementary school students who will endure their own Catholic schools' closings to look forward to a bright future.
Besser experienced a similar situation before she entered eighth grade when her school and another Catholic school merged to become Mary Queen of Angels School.
"I loved Our Lady Help of Christians," Besser said of her former school. "Don't worry about it too much. Better things will come out of it."
Bowen agreed, adding she took the advice of her mother.
"She reminded me that when one door closes, another one opens," Bowen said.
For Lombardo, she said she reminded herself to "cherish the memories" of Villa, because "new memories will be made wherever you go."
How are former Villa students now attending Mount Mercy Academy in south Buffalo and Immaculata Academy in Hamburg faring? Next week, the Times will profile former Villa students at those institutions.
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