The Catholic High School of Baltimore has been helping young women learn, grow and prepare for college since 1939, when its classes first began for the fall semester of that year. And since its students started graduating in 1943, the school has produced generations of women doctors, lawyers, teachers, and more — many of whom have gone on to send their own daughters to their alma mater.
The school’s current president, Dr. Barbara Nazelrod, is an alumna herself, having graduated in 1968.
“How Catholic High has changed over the years just makes me smile. Catholic High has been on my radar since I was barely tall enough to look out the window of our home about a mile away and see the school on the hill of Edison Highway,” Nazelrod recalls. “The school has changed in many, many ways, and has remained the same somehow. … Today we educate young women to attend colleges and universities and to embrace ever-growing STEM careers, something not mentioned or expected of young women even a decade or two ago. Catholic High is known for its strong academics, and it’s what we do best.”
2024 marks the third year in a row that The Catholic High School has been awarded with the title of Best Private High School for Girls. In addition to classes focused on the arts, STEM and religion, one of The Catholic High School’s most unique offerings is its Law and Leadership in the Franciscan Tradition program, which focuses on cultivating leadership skills and an understanding of the legal system and criminal justice for students interested in pursuing law.
Many of these programs continue into the summer, with the school’s summer workshops being recognized as the Best Camp.
The Catholic High School is not just a great place for students, either: the third and final award earned by the school this year is Best Place to Work.
“We value our faculty and staff and appreciate all they do to ensure that our young women receive a quality secondary education in preparation for their lives beyond high school,” Nazelrod says of the school’s staff. “Our forward-thinking staff works diligently each day to propel our students to the best colleges and universities while modeling for them the need to lead and help others to ‘let their light shine.’”
