News Post

St. Joseph’s Academy celebrated the start of the 2026-2027 academic year on August 7 with a mid-morning prayer service. Students, faculty and staff gathered in the Academy Student Center to begin the year with prayers, music and warm welcomes.

Principal Stacia Andricain greeted the large gathering. She asked the students and chaperones who participated in this summer’s mission trips to stand and said the trips accounted for more than 2,500 hours of service to the dear neighbor. 

Andricain said this year’s charism theme, Leadership: Weave One Heart, is built on the core values of collaboration and responsibility. The school community will be called to strive for excellence in all endeavors tempered by gentleness, peace and joy. 

Student Minister Anadele Lagarde, a senior, read the Portrait of a Daughter of St. Joseph by Marius Nepper, SJ. Liturgy Club President Evie Martinez, a senior, read from the Gospel of John, then led the opening prayer. 

Student Council moderator Jennifer Nola, assisted by co-moderator Liz Fontenot, inducted the executive committee members who will lead the student body this year: senior Mary Clement Bourgeois, president; senior Avery Rodrigue, vice president; junior Emma Willman, secretary/treasurer; sophomore Camille Comeaux, historian; and sophomore Eryn Smith, communications coordinator. 

Class presidents introduced their class’ representatives, who were then sworn into office. 

Senior Class President Harper Brown-Rachleff introduced representatives Brenley Cazes, Camille Vaughan, Caroline Kitchen, Cate Barbier, Elle Jumonville, Emma Shuford, Hope Lemoine, Isabella Heck, Kate Broome, Kate Funes, Katie Dinh, Liv Lawrence, Madelyn Campbell, Mary Frances Lemann, Murphey Dreher, Savannah Cruz and Sofia Carreras.

Junior Class President Camryn Houston introduced representatives Addison Pham, Annalise Trahan, Ashtyn Hiebert, Camille Fremin, Camille Hamner, Caroline Hensgens, Cecilia Rumfola, 
Ella Gisclair, Ellie Whalen, Georgia Harriford, Kat Carby, Lexi Sumich, Macy Bruni, Marguerite Uzee, Mimi Boyce, Molly Roussell, Raegan O'Brien, Rileigh Shihadeh, Sarah Boyce and Scarlett Kirsch.

Sophomore Class President Lucy Pierce Ritter introduced representatives Aubrey Berthelot, Ava Ash, Belle Camp, Camille Wilson, Cecilia Hebert, Charley Ann Quarteraro, Charlotte Klar, Corinne Freel, Elise Becnel, Elle Uter, Hannah Schneider, Myka Barker, Rylee Theunissen, Virginia Brown and Rome Robert. 

Class presidents and freshman class representative Anna Cate Bourgeois led their classmates in reading the “State of our H.E.A.R.T.S.” norms that were presented during orientation. Cristina Latiolais led the faculty and staff, while members of the school leadership team recited the final norm. 

H: Honor Responsibilities
E: Encourage Resilience and Inspire Leadership
A: Assume Positive Intent
R: Reflect, Improve, Grow
T: Trust God in All Things
S: Serve Unselfishly

Andricain thanked the facilities staff for their work throughout the summer months to ready campus for the first day of school. She thanked the Help Desk staff for preparing the tablet computers and thanked the Academy’s 12-month staff for their work while the school was closed for summer vacation.

Dean of Academics Aubrey DeJohn welcomed the 265 members of the freshman class. She also welcomed new sophomores Ansley Bright, Gabbi Davis, Lainie LeBas, Sydney Melancon, Lane Pitre, Taylor Rogers and Allie Ross and new juniors Victoria Bergeron, Medelyn Conley, Adelaide Faust, Mary Clare Gautreaux, Amelia Graves, Brooke Holvey, Milan McKenzie, Ava Morrow, Nefeli Parijs and Lainee Pressley.

New faculty and staff members were introduced, including Erica Barbay Badeaux ’98, Academic Center for Excellence tutor; Stephanie Spielman Cargile ’88, president; Meghan DuBois, strength and conditioning director; Sara Ducote ’12, Health and Physical Education; Ava Dunn ’22, Science; Isabel Knaup, assistant campus minister and Theology; Juliette Lemoine ’21, entrepreneurship director; Brendan Mahoney, Theology; Milain Marcel, STEM Lab manager; Catherine Saunders ’21, Social Studies; Lexy Smicker, dance; Peter Smith, maintenance supervisor; Angelle Terrell, Social Studies; Maddy Thibodeaux, class of 2029 counselor; Kristian Kinamore Vukojevic ’09, Theology; Anna Wall ’17, Theology; and maternity substitutes Amy Neck, Family and Consumer Science, and Mary Beth Elfert, class of 2028 counselor.

Dean of Women Christina Richardson said the Sisters who founded SJA in 1868 used their unique gifts in service of others. She said the Academy is built on loving service and strengthened by celebrating the legacies that service has helped create. She said that every Academy student, whether she is part of a legacy or the first Redsticker in her family to attend the school, is part of the SJA community and is forever connected through sacred threads. 

She read from the book Why Not by Kobi Yamada and described the path to leadership as we weave one heart. 

Andricain introduced SJA’s new president, Stephanie Cargile, who welcome the students, faculty and staff to the new school year. 

Lending their musical gifts to the morning were Hugo Andricain, guitar, and Stephen Barrios, percussion.