St. Mary’s has given me so much—engaging classes, countless opportunities in science, music, theatre, leadership, sports, and history, and, most importantly, an incredible community. I believe the community is what makes this school truly special. Every morning when I walk through the doors, I feel a sense of possibility—like I can achieve anything I set my mind to. St. Mary’s makes me believe in myself and in what’s possible Vienna G. SMA '27
Cathedral School '23
We know one thing to be true:
young women are powerful. Believe it. We do.
Our athletics program is also uniquely designed for young women. Our sports program weaves together training that includes both the physical benefits of sports with off-the-field benefits inherent in athletics, including leadership, resilience, and tenacity.
The SMA swim team won the OSAA 6A Three Rivers League championship in 2019.
For the second year in a row, the St. Mary’s alpine ski team finished first in the Mt. Hood League. In 2022, they also captured a 2nd place finish in the Giant Slalom and a 3rd place finish in the overall state competition.
Since girls started racing the 5K in 1993, our cross-country teams have won 18 league championships, made it to state 20 times, brought home 13 state trophies, and won 1 State Team Championship as well as 1 individual State Champion.
The St. Mary’s lacrosse team was the runner-up in the 2019 Oregon Girls’ Lacrosse Association’s state Navy Bracket.
St. Mary’s Academy is tied for the most 6A state golf titles (4) and second for the most overall state golf titles (8).
Faith: St. Mary's Academy provides ample opportunities for educating in the faith, including monthly all-school liturgies and optional weekly masses. We offer a variety of ways for students to pray together, celebrate special occasions and grow in faith as individuals and a community. Recognizing the religious diversity of our students and staff, we utilize opportunities in our prayer services, assemblies, and daily morning prayer to celebrate other religious holidays and traditions whenever possible.
The Ministry Leadership Team (MLT) is a for-credit class that plans prayer services, liturgies, service, and other ministry events throughout the school year.
Service: By leaning on the example of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary and using their core values as a guide, St. Mary's Academy students actively participate in service throughout their SMA experience and are prepared for a life of leadership and service.
Beyond the twice-a-year-class-wide Hands Full of Heart day of service, many students participate in multiple service opportunities throughout their SMA career. We honor that commitment with recognition after four years. Graduating seniors who complete at least 160 verified service hours are recognized with the Service Honor Cord.
Social Justice: Justice Month consists of dedicated events that are intersectional and focused on equity and inclusion. Part of this month includes Unite Day, which consists of student-created and led workshops on issues of equity, identity, and inclusion. From exploring multi-racial identity to climate justice to fast fashion, our community comes together to deepen our knowledge or engage with topics outside our daily experience.
St. Mary's Academy has the most comprehensive leadership program in Oregon. Programs grow and develop based on student voices and the changing world around us. Student leaders speak in their authentic voices, pilot new ideas with confidence, and generate leadership in others. Students develop their skills through hands-on, real world application by engaging in place and project-based learning. All programs are student run and lead.
Program Themes:
Centering Equity & Inclusion
Women of Color in Action (WOCA)
SOC Connect
UNITE Day
Student Equity Team
Mentoring Younger Students
Lead Like a Girl Day
Lead In Freshmen Orientation & Mentorship
Building Community
Spirit Squad
Operation Appreciation
CommuniCare
Advanced Leadership Endorsement (ALE) - The ALE ensures students are able to tell the story of their leadership experience to colleges and employers by identifying what skills they have gained, speaking to those skills, and receiving a credential as evidence.
The SMA Beta Blues is the only all-girls robotics team in the state.
The SMA Science Department is an all female team of faculty, which includes two Ph.D. faculty members.
Every year since 2007, our Science Olympiad teams have placed among the top 4 teams at the State Competition. This includes 9 first place awards. Most recently, they took first place in the 2022 Oregon State Championships and went on to compete in the National Championships hosted by CalTech.
My favorite subjects are STEM classes, and experiencing the all-girls environment allowed me to further explore those passions without feeling out of place or doubting myself. I joined the Robotics team during my freshman year, and the supportive environment pushed me to try out a leadership position this year!" - Juni S. ' 24
The nationally recognized St. Mary’s Academy Marian Singers are the only all-female choir in the history of the OSAA 6A State Choir Competition to be awarded first place. The Marians have advanced to the State Competition every year since 2009, and they have performed twice in our nation’s White House. In 2022, they placed 4th at the State Championships.
Four St. Mary's vocalists and instrumental groups were named 2022 OMEA District Champions.
SMA Visual Art Instructor, Julia Grieve, was named 2022 Exemplary Educator by the Scholastic Arts Association.
SMA students earned many scholastic arts awards, which included 7 Gold Key Awards in 2022.
Escribe Maria, SMA’s Literary-Art Magazine, won “Most Outstanding High School Literary-Art Magazine for 2018” in the national contest sponsored by the National Scholastic Press Association.
