Our Values

Our Values – The IHM Charism

At Villa Maria Academy Lower School, our values are important. We strive to maintain a culture which is rooted in the charism of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary which is love, creative hope and fidelity. The charism informs every decision and sets the tone for our relationships with God and with one another.

Love is lived and shared in our efforts to maintain a strong relationship with our God, and in and through the actions of respect and reverence we demonstrate to every member of the human family, especially those we meet every day.

Inspired by our founding story, we define creative hope primarily as a deep reliance on God’s providence. We claim the power of creative hope in our willingness to find a way when no way seems obvious and to believe that everyone can make a difference.

Fidelity calls us to keep our commitments to our loving God and to one another. We practice fidelity in our responsibilities to daily practices, in our loyalty to the academy and to one another. Fidelity calls forth staying power, fostering resilience and perseverance in all aspects of our lives.

Leadership and joyful service are visible signs of our commitment to selfless relationships characterized by respect, reverence, empathy, compassion and concern.

I look back at where I’ve come from, and the education I had from Villa is a defining point of the woman I am today. Being in an all girls environment at such a critical time in my life taught me how capable and strong women can be. I truly believe the values I learned at Villa of determination, compassion, and knowledge are what inspired me to go into my current field of structural engineering. The experiences I had at Villa taught me to be confident in my abilities, even in a field that is traditionally so male dominated. I am incredibly grateful for the exposure Villa gave me to so many different career paths, and for the experiences that shaped me at such a formative time in my childhood.” – M. Dulin ’12