Anika Temperante attended St. Catherine University located in St. Paul, Minnesota from 2007-2010. Anika currently lives in Chicago and works in marketing and product development.

Tell us a little about your experiences attending an all girls school. What did you love the most? What would you like others to know about this experience? 

Attending an all girls school was a great experience! I had no idea it was going to impact me the way it did. I transferred schools half way through college and my grade point average immediately went up my first semester at St. Kate’s! The classes were small and I received attention from the teachers in a way I needed.  It was a welcoming environment in every classroom and I didn’t feel the pressure to fit in.  I never felt like I was being compared to other students. I was an individual and each teacher treated me that way. My self-esteem and confidence grew each and every day. I hated school growing up; I never felt I was smart enough. I only focused on the social element of school because my grades were never outstanding. Because I was never an A student, I had terrible self-esteem.  I always felt I wasn’t smart enough or good enough.  I got lost in the shuffle of students and unfortunately, wasn’t able to get the attention I needed at a young age. At St. Kate’s the teachers influenced me and pushed me to not give up. I was there to learn and wasn’t distracted by the social life I once only cared about. I graduated from St. Kate’s with honors and developed the confidence I needed to go out in the real world and become the successful woman I am today.

What is your greatest memory of attending your school? 

My greatest memory of attending St. Kate’s were the great relationships I developed with the teachers.  They were my biggest cheerleaders and their belief in me to succeed pushed me to do better. The curriculum was challenging but because I knew the teachers cared I tried harder and believed in myself.

Do you feel fortunate from this experience? 

I am forever grateful for my time at St. Kate’s.  I saw myself as a different person because my self-confidence and self-esteem grew. I learned about myself during those years that I do not believe I would have learned at a co-ed school. After my experience at St. Kate’s I am a firm believer in all girls’ schools, especially in the early years of education and development.