What These 3 Leaders Gained From Their All-Girls School Education‍

In spite of having enduring for almost 60 years and currently ranking as the 4th best private school in Ventura County with a 100% college acceptance rate, all-girls school La Reina announced suddenly in January 2024 that it was closing. Students, faculty, alumnae, parents and the community at large have protested and are raising funds to keep the school open, expressing concerns about the future education of young women in Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

All-girls schools allow young women to take center stage. Without boys in the equation, girls can occupy every spot on the debate and mock trial team, every position on the field, and every role in student government. A recent national survey found that nearly 87% of girls’ school students feel their voices are respected at their schools, compared to just 58% of girls at coed schools. Nearly 96% report receiving more frequent feedback on their assignments, and 93% say they are offered greater leadership opportunities.

Yet these female-first institutions are facing challenges in the modern era. According to the New York Times, enrollment at Catholic schools in the U.S has fallen from a peak of 5.2 million in the early 1960s to around 1.7 million in 2021. Inside Higher Ed reported on another all-girls school closure by the Sisters of Notre Dame, the same organization closing La Reina. The articled pointed to decreasing enrollment, financial pressures, and an aging nun population.

The three women highlighted below graduated from La Reina. All three credit their girls’ school environment with setting them on a trajectory towards great confidence and success in life. They hope to see all-girls schools survive and thrive in the 21st century.

La Reina alum Vicki Chou graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School and became a federal prosecutor for the United States Attorney's Office. She has represented the U.S. in hundreds of criminal cases, including computer and internet fraud, intellectual property, money laundering, bank fraud, tax fraud, immigration, and racketeering offenses. She is now a law partner at Hueston Hennigan LLP, a Fortune 500 company.

“As I watch my three girls grow up, I have realized what a gift it was to have no external constraints on my desires while a student at La Reina,” said Chou in an exclusive interview with me. “My main extracurricular activity in high school was speech and debate. It undoubtedly put me on the path to my current career of being a litigator. Although debate is male-dominated, I never thought about that because our team was all girls. We were proud to be unique.”01:06

Chou goes on to say that her eldest daughter, a first grader, just asked to switch out of chess as her after-school enrichment class because she is the only girl. “It’s hard to know what to do as a parent. Do I tell her to be proud of being the only girl and muscle through, or do I let her switch out?” Chou asks. “We decided to let her switch to a STEM enrichment class, but are definitely hoping our daughters can go to an all-girls school for middle and high school.”

Gabriella Brignardello

While still a high school student at La Reina, Gabriella Brignardello founded Mi Casa de Angeles, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of education in underserved areas of Peru, her father’s home country. Following her graduation as valedictorian in 2012, she earned a BS in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University. She now serves as Vice President at Fika Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund based in Los Angeles that invests across B2B software, fintech, marketplaces, and digital health.

“Going to an all-girls school allowed me to develop a strong foundation of self-confidence before going to college and entering the workforce, which I think really set me up for success at Stanford, Parthenon, WndrCo, and now Fika Ventures,” said Brignardello in an exclusive interview with me. “I was constantly surrounded by strong female peers and mentors, including older students and teachers, who pushed me to be the best version of myself and focus on my goals.”

In her college years and throughout her professional career, Brignardello says, she has continued to gravitate towards groups of strong women, joining a sorority and Stanford Women in Business. These days, she seeks out opportunities to mentor more junior women. “These groups have given me motivation to push myself as a female leader in both my personal and professional life,” she says.

‍Dr. Emily Blodget

After graduating from La Reina, Dr. Emily Blodget went on to earn an MD. She is now an associate professor and board-certified health specialist in infectious diseases at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) School of Medicine. Her clinical interests include HIV and AIDs, transplant infections and infectious diseases. She is the author or co-author of numerous papers in peer-reviewed journals.

“I was given the confidence for higher education starting in high school,” said Blodget in an exclusive interview with me. “I didn't feel intimidated to show intelligence in front of men. This has continued until today in my work life. The faculty fostered our ambitions at La Reina.”

Sourced from Forbes‍