Private Schools Guide St. Louis American
OCTOBER 5 – 11, 2023
stlamerican.com
D1
John Shipp carves path to success SLUH Class of 1998 By Ben DuMont Nathaniel Shipp, against daunting odds, never gave up, and never gave in. He grew up before the Civil Rights movement and endured ridicule, including rejection from colleges, because of his skin color – yet he had dreams and persisted. Nathaniel went on to serve in the Korean War, became one of the first Black physical therapists west of the Mississippi River, and served the local Catholic community as a respected deacon. “During his most difficult times, my grandpa said it would have been easy to quit and feel sorry for himself,” says John Shipp SLUH class of ‘98. “But he always persevered and became a better person for it.” In addition to raising John John Shipp in North St. Louis, where he attended St. Engelbert Focus School (now Saint Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist), Nathaniel challenged his grandson to apply to St. Louis U. High. John, however, had planned to attend Cardinal Ritter or a public school with his friends. Nathaniel supported John throughout his entire SLUH journey, funding his education, attending his football games and helping him with his homework. “He was such a champion for me in so many different ways. I give credit to him for the man I am today.” Shipp knew nobody entering SLUH as a John Shipp finished flight school and became freshman, and he was not the a Blackhawk pilot. popular kid he had been in middle school. Eventually, he found a group of friends and thrived, participating in track, basketball and football. Dr. Eric Clark ‘83, President of Loyola Academy of St. Louis who was then the SLUH Dean of Students, was a mentor to Shipp. “Dr. Clark was tough on me and held me accountable. He set higher expectations and didn’t accept excuses. He was a realist that the world was not always going to be fair, and that I had to adapt and be resilient.” As a sophomore at Missouri State, Shipp made a rash decision. He was attending on a football
See SHIPP, D5
Photo courtesy of City Academy
City Academy has offered a unique, outstanding private school education to students for 25 years. It is the only school in the region to provide scholarship support to all students.
City Academy offers exceptional education with bold expectations School celebrating 25th year St. Louis American staff City Academy is celebrating its 25th year in operation after holding its first day of school on September 1, 1999. The school was co-founded in 1999 by Don Danforth and Duncan Marshall on the belief that a family’s geographic location and income should never be a barrier to accessing high-quality education. Originally based in the Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club location on N. Kingshighway before moving across the street to the current campus in 2004, City Academy was the first private, independent school in North St. Louis. It remains the only school in the region to provide scholarship support to 100% of current students.
The school’s mission is to transform children, families and our community through exceptional education and bold expectations that empower children to overcome barriers. The school has a current enrollment of 230 students who come from 40 ZIP codes in the St. Louis area, including Metro Illinois. 42% of its families reside in the city of St. Louis. 87% of its graduates are accepted into independent secondary schools and its number of alumni has grown to 295. Jarrett Young, City Academy head of school, said on the school’s website that a summer road trip with his son gave him time to reflect on his first year in the position. “Glancing out of the car window, I was struck by the vast countryside filled with crops that farmers worked tirelessly to cultivate. At that moment the parallels between their work and the work done by professionals at City Academy was apparent,” he wrote. “During the 2022-2023 academic year, everyone at
See CITY ACADEMY, D2
St. Mary’s High School now named St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School, 4701 South Grand Boulevard, opened its doors under the name of South Side Catholic High School in September 1931. For the first two years, its teachers were Christian Brothers. The first classrooms were small wooden structures located on the property of St. Joseph’s Orphanage. In September 1933, members of the Society of Mary (Marianists) took over the school. A faculty of ten Brothers of Mary taught 275 students. The school moved from the “portable” classrooms to the old St. Joseph’s Orphanage building in 1935, after the building had been remodeled for high school use. The first graduating class numbered 62. Affiliation with the University of Missouri and with the North Central Association was obtained in 1936. Enrollment and faculty grew steadily from 1933, reaching a peak in 1946 with 1,100 students. The name of the school was changed from South Side Catholic to St. Mary’s in 1947.
See ST. MARY’S, D2 FORSYTH
PARTNERSHIP
Forsyth uses ‘culture of challenge’approach
Fontbonne partners with Marian Middle School
Students learn how to accept and face challenges, set goals for themselves, reflect on their experiences and accomplishments, and support their fellow students.
The partnership will provide Marian alumnae with scholarships to Fontbonne, as well as one-on-one mentoring to promote academic success.
Page D4
Page D3