The Ursuline School Kicks Off Women’s History Month With “When Women Win”

Women’s History Month at The Ursuline School began with an uplifting presentation by Caroline Adams Miller, bestselling author and one of the world’s leading experts in positive psychology. Miller inspired the crowd of more than 800 attendees, by pointing out that one of the founding principles of the Ursuline order is central to her message about finding ways to flourish and succeed. “Women should care for each other,” she proclaimed, a nod towards St. Angela Merici the founder of the Company of St. Ursula who dedicated her life to the care and education of women and girls.

Miller, a magna cum laude Harvard graduate, top-ranked Masters swimmer, and black belt martial artist, spoke from the heart about the importance of helping each other flourish and succeed. “We are biologically wired to care for one another, tending and befriending is how the Ursuline order was founded,” she exclaimed. 

The informative presentation shed light on the current culture of how women treat one another as depicted in the media. Miller noted the film “Mean Girls” and the television franchise, “Real Housewives” which tend to normalize poor behavior among women. She also referenced the “Disney Rule,” a pervasive idea that finds its roots in the scarcity theory. “You can’t have two princesses in the same room,” she explained. Put simply, it is the idea that only one woman can succeed at a time. This notion gives way to the common practice of women blocking one another or staying silent instead of amplifying another woman’s success.

Miller offered no-nonsense advice on how women and girls can help each other flourish and succeed in spite of current cultural norms. She encouraged attendees to “take joy in another person’s joy” and to “share their stories as a way to give hope,” challenging students to be role models and go out of their way to amplify someone else’s good news. Miller pointed out that by doing so, Ursuline students will amplify goodness and positivity, cultivate positive relationships, and learn that there truly is more than one seat at the table.

Widely known for her pioneering evidence-based approach to goal accomplishment, Miller concluded by encouraging those gathered to further extend the Ursuline mission of serving others by amplifying the success of women and girls. “When we come together with passion and for the right reasons, we can change the world!”