Kathleen Daigre Meares, Class of 1964

A 1964 graduate of St. Joseph’s Academy, Kathy Daigre Meares earned a bachelor of science degree with a double major in math and physical education from Louisiana State University. She also has a master’s of education degree from LSU with a major in administration.

Meares’ first job was teaching physical education, then math, at Plaquemine High School. In 1976, with three sons under age 3, she decided to take time away from work; daughter Shawn was born the following year. Two years later, she began keeping children in her home. Even with the demands of caring for nine youngsters, she found time to serve as den mother for her boys and coach BREC softball during the spring and summer months.

In 1982, Meares returned to the workforce as assistant principal at the brand-new St. Jude School. Within a year, she was named principal.

After leaving St. Jude in 1992, Meares accepted a part-time job at SJA to teach Algebra I/Geometry. She soon took on the roles of SJA’s registrar and academic coordinator. Five years later, she was named SJA’s full-time registrar. Now in her 16th year at her alma mater, she considers her work a way of life rather than a job. “I love what I do for the Sisters and the girls,” she said.

Meares has been married for nearly 36 years to husband Jim. Their four children, Scott, 35; Jeffrey, 33; Jason, 31; and Shawn, 30 are the light of their lives. Scott, Jeffrey and Jason are Catholic High School graduates; little sister Shawn is a member of the Academy class of 1995. Nine Meares’ grandchildren range in age from 6 years to 4 months.

The Meares are proud of their children’s military service: Jeffrey, Shawn and her husband, Scott, are United States Marines. Shawn and Scott are active duty, stationed in Hawaii after serving two tours in Iraq. 

As moderator of SJA’s Dads’ Club, Meares is most proud of her service to Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry which builds homes in partnership with families in need. Since 2001, Meares has organized SJA students and their dads who spend four weekends each spring building homes as part of Habitat’s Youth Build Blitz. The yearly undertaking is a joint effort of SJA, Catholic, University and Episcopal high schools.

Since the first home was built on Yazoo Street in 2001, SJA dads and their daughters have participated in Youth Build Blitz every year, twice building two homes in the course of the month-long project. SJA students typically log more than 900 hours of service to Youth Build, with their dads contributing another 300. Meares is a constant on the construction site, working alongside the volunteers from dusk until dawn.

Meares has also given her time to mid-city fix-up projects and the St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen. During her years at St. Jude, Meares served on the fair committee each year. She was an active Eucharistic minister for the parish, and her three sons served as altar boys. 

As a participant in SJA’s first-annual Faculty/Staff Service Day in September, Meares traveled to New Orleans to install insulation in a home that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. “All of my time for the Sisters and the school are gifts of time and talent,” she said. “I don’t really think about it being a service. I believe that you do whatever needs to be done at the moment, whether it’s setting up tables to serve lunch for the children or hauling plants for senior citizens or delivering gifts to needy families.”

Meares is delighted that her career path brought her home to SJA. “I had no intentions of being long-term,” she said, “but the feelings of connectedness and peace came back as soon as I returned to campus. It was so good to be with the Sisters again and to follow in the footsteps of Sister Carolyn Brady, who taught me Algebra I. I am now on another journey at SJA, meeting people, encountering and encouraging girls, appreciating where folks are in their journey. I believe that I am who I am because of my family and my SJA connections.”

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