By HAYLEY CAMACHO

The start of a new school year is often met with a mix of excitement and anxiety for students. Those feelings are shared by principals as well, who grapple with raising student achievement, listening to uneasy students and helping parents navigate the high school system. For Sr. Jean Marie Humphries, her new role as principal of Academy of Mount St. Ursula (AMSU), the catholic girls high school on Bedford Park Boulevard, is both a homecoming and chance to redefine the school’s role for students and the community.

Sr. Jeannie, as she likes to be called, is by all accounts a Bronx girl. She grew up on Briggs Avenue, and attended AMSU, graduating in 1989. She’s since been on a path towards education that’s not only external but internal, taking on several roles that included a teacher, mentor, curriculum developer and supervisor in elementary and special education within the catholic, public and charter school systems.

Sr. Jeannie attended the College of New Rochelle, where she “fell in love with teaching” while working with students struggling academically.  She earned a BA in Education and MS in Reading and Special Education from the college.  While teaching at St. Philip Neri in Bedford Park, Sr. Jeannie was compelled to explore a religious vocation with the Order of the Ursulines, the group which founded AMSU nearly 160 years ago. She describes her time with the Ursuline Sisters in Ossining as a rigorous but satisfying time. “It was a time of serious prayer and work and also a time to see if this was a good mix for myself and the order.”

Ms. Humphries soon returned as Sr. Jeannie, teaching three more years at St. Philip Neri. “It was important for the students to see me come back as a Sister,” she said. As Sr. Jeannie learned, running into some common misconceptions of being a nun certainly came with the territory.  “When they hear the word ‘Sister,’ they expect someone older,” said Sr. Jeannie. “They also expect to see a habit. But since I’ve been alive, the Ursulines have not been in one. The core of my identity is I’m an Ursuline Sister. I’m part of a group that has a bigger goal than my own concerns.”

Her office has a warm, welcoming feel. Children’s books line the shelves. Among the titles are Thank You Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco, The Oh The Places You’ll Go by Dr Seuss, and You Are Special by Max Lucado, her favorite. They speak of bringing her love of literature to students, but also of its power to inspire. “Stories can really touch your life and your heart,” she said.

Sr. Jeannie grew up on Briggs Avenue and was an only child. Her parents separated and she had minimal contact with her father from age 7 until she turned 20. “We’ve since reconnected and now we have a great relationship,” she said.   Her mother, Angela Welby Humphries, inspired her love of Catholic education and taught at Our Lady of Mercy, St. Angela Merici, Sacred Heart and St. Philip Neri before succumbing to diabetic complications and dying when Sr. Jeannie was 14 years old. She was then raised by her maternal grandmother. The families of close friends of her mother also played an active role in her life and always included her in their own family events. “I always felt loved and cared for,” she said.

Sr. Jeannie was happy for the chance to come back to her alma mater. “I decided I would like to come back to AMSU and see how I might use my gifts and talents to keep AMSU moving forward.”

Much like the Roman god Janus, moving forward will involve looking at the past and planning for the future, but with a Catholic, Ursuline outlook. “What are the core traditions that maintain who we are and what are the habits that we can look to change?” she said.

She said she is inspired and touched by the AMSU community every day. “I just love being here.  It’s a wonderful environment– the faculty and staff is wonderful, they give their all. The ways the students laugh and smile and speak with such poise. They are friendly, kind, wanting to succeed.”

Students and parents are frequently surprised by the fact that she is a young nun.  “When they hear the word sister, they expect someone older,” said Sr. Jeannie. “They also expect to see a habit.  But since I’ve been alive, the Ursulines have not been in one. The core of my identity is I’m an Ursuline sister,” she added. “I’m part of a group that has a bigger goal than my own concerns.”

She is very concerned about the role of technology in the learning process. “They’ve grown up attached to technology, with a phone in their hands,” she said. “How does it affect them as learners? We want to decide as a school community how to use technology and what not to use to make sure they have the best skills,” she said.  “They are the future leaders of our country and world.”

AMSU is the oldest Catholic girls school in New York state. October 2015 will mark the school’s 160^th anniversary in the Bronx.  Currently, the school has 365 students, many of whom are the first generation to go to high school and, eventually, college in the United States. “We have a very diverse population,” said Sr. Jeannie. “Over the years, we have had between 20 and 30 different languages spoken in the school.”

Prior to previous generations of students coming from the area Catholic elementary schools, more of the school’s students come from public and charter schools. “It’s hard for families to meet the financial obligations but they are willing to sacrifice,” said Sr. Jeannie. “They see the value in what we do. We are fortunate with alumna, benefactors and friends that help us develop programs and go forward.”

The school is planning a gala event for its 160^th anniversary next October. There are also plans for smaller events throughout the Bronx and the city to honor its alumnae as well as former and current faculty.

For today, she is very focused on what values AMSU will impart to its students.  She is very concerned with creating a kinder world. “I’m very concerned that our students and their children and grandchildren live in a non-violent world– not just that there’s an end to guns and shooting, but also the way we approach one another. We have to work on how we speak to one another because that permeates everything.”

“My approach is to listen to faculty and students about what questions they have and how to go forward,” said Sr. Jeannie. “I really want to hear from faculty and students and have an open ear and heart to creativity and flexibility.”