Anchored in Excellence

LAURA O’FRIEL ’06

Vice Principal of Academics

What attracted you to education as a career?

A history teacher is a storyteller. Many readers from large families may agree, if you want to hold attention at the dinner table, you had better recount your day’s events concisely and with a large dash of humor. That experience was the perfect training to become a teacher. Though I explored other careers related to history, nothing matched the energy I felt when engaging with students in a classroom. Many of my MDSA high school teachers made lessons memorable through their wit and unabashed love for their chosen discipline. These teachers also expected us to push through academic setbacks and reach levels of critical thinking beyond what we believed we could achieve. My journey to become a teacher reflected this twofold motivation: the joy of talking about history every day and the desire to recreate the cheerful, challenging learning environment that I experienced at Mount de Sales.

What are your goals for supporting the faculty?

Mount de Sales is blessed with faculty that share in our mission of academic excellence. When I visit classes, I can tell that each activity represents hours of careful planning and creativity on the part of the teacher. That dedication is invaluable. My goal as an administrator is to support our faculty in their daily work by being open to their questions and needs, facilitating collaboration within and across departments, sharing professional resources, and assisting with the smooth running of an academic year.

What keeps you motivated and inspired as an educator?

I am continually impressed by students who stretch themselves academically, socially, and spiritually. Since coming to Mount de Sales, I have worked with all grade levels as a teacher and an administrator. It is amazing to watch our students grow from slightly bewildered freshmen into the confident young women who walk through the windows at graduation.

Post pandemic, what do you see as the greatest evolution/ change in education?

When MDSA moved to 1:1 devices years before the pandemic, our teachers studied ways to integrate digital technology while still honoring the human need for connection. COVID forced schools across the world into staggering levels of screen use, distancing teachers and students from each other. This unexpected experiment proved the hypothesis that Mount de Sales had presented many years before: We need each other to learn. We need each other to grow. I am optimistic that the post-pandemic world of education is more thoughtfully on board with this mission.

If you could summarize the philosophy that guides you as a professional, what would it be?

Ask questions. Observe and learn from those around you. Value the gifts that are offered by each of your teammates and share your gifts with others.

What are your interests and hobbies?

My siblings are spread across different states so we will set up “family dinners” where we all get on a phone call and chat while we cook the same recipe. Once, we also completed a simultaneous art project with laughable results. I love books, movies, classical music, British history, and recently have jumped into dog training with my delightful, intelligent, and, alas, often stubborn, tricolor collie named Reveille.