Cat Feeney ’25

IT WASN’T UNTIL A PANDEMIC HIT that Cat Feeney had ever heard of Girls Preparatory School. Living in Atlanta and attending a public school there, she was a typical seventh-grader until nothing was really typical again. Her mother is a girls’ school alumna and had competed against the Bruisers when she was in high school, so she knew GPS had a reputation for excellence. When exploring options for in-person learning, the family toured GPS the summer before Cat’s eighth-grade year and quickly made the decision to enroll.

While changing schools and moving to a new town came with the expected anxiety, Cat says, “My girl guide brought me into her friend group, which is still the group of friends I have now. It was really easy to meet people.”

Not one to wait for opportunities to present themselves, Cat took full advantage of all GPS had to offer. While she hadn’t danced since she was 5, she took a dance class in eighth grade and a choreography class as a freshman. “I loved it and might take another class next year,” she says.

Cat also dove into athletic offerings—literally! She joined the diving team with no experience, ran cross country and track, and is now on the rowing team. “Rowing is a lot of work, but you’re with so many awesome people, it makes it fun.” She also discovered a love for strength and conditioning and finds the class helps with her busy sports schedule.

With all her athletic interests, her creative outlet is art. “I cannot draw a person and am not that artistic but love being creative,” she says. You’ll find her in the ceramics studio, hard at work on her latest creation.

Even though her interests are varied and her schedule full, she makes time for fun. As a member of G-Force, Model UN, and Calliope, Cat likes meeting and spending time with girls across the grades, and enjoys football games and dances. “I came from a public coed school, but I like the all-girls environment, and we still have fun with and are friends with boys.” someone who is independent and strong and does things she enjoys.

Trusted Adults On Campus

One question we like each GPS student to answer with a resounding, Yes! is: Do you have a trusted adult on campus? When we asked Cat, she said, “My diving coach, Mrs. King.” Then Cat shared the story of a time when she felt a little overwhelmed and over-committed. She went to Mrs. King and together they looked at her schedule and helped her prioritize her commitments along with assignments and projects that were due. “She was able to help me get organized and formulate a plan so I didn’t get stressed out about it.”