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just in awe of the stellar education the students at Cor Jesu were receiving, and it
I brought my made me feel good about the curriculum and strategies I was using at Marian.”
During her visit to CJA, she even got to reconnect
experience as a with one of her former Marian students, Munta
Cor Jesu student Mohammad-Akhtar ‘22, who was in Dr. Hohlt’s class
at the time.
into my teaching In addition to shining her light through her

at Marian. I knew classes at Marian, Bridget also coached one of
the basketball teams. Her first year of coaching,
what a school like the team lost every single game. But with lots of
Cor Jesu would hard work, the team came back in 6th grade to
win the 2019 CYC City County Championship!
want from a “That was probably one of the most rewarding

student, so I tried moments of my teaching career,” Bridget said. “We
went from being winless to being champions.”
One player on Bridget’s championship team was
to give my students Amirra Burks – a member of CJA’s Class of 2025!
experiences Bridget with Munta “In the last five seconds of the game, I could feel

that would help Mohammad-Akhtar '22 (top) my heart pounding and my adrenaline pumping,”
and Amirra Burks '25 (above)
Amirra said. “As we counted down, I could see Ms.
them thrive in Kelly smiling. When the buzzer buzzed, we all ran and did a group hug!"
"The team got medals and the parents rushed the court. It felt like we
their high school won the NCAA!” Bridget remembered.
classrooms. ” And while Bridget was shining her light at Marian in many ways, she was

–BRIDGET KELLY '08 also in awe of her students – their brilliance, resilience and determination.
“Many of my students had experienced or were experiencing homelessness,
poverty, violence and other struggles, yet they came into school every day
ready to learn,” Bridget said. “I learned from them as much as I hope they
learned from me.”
Bridget taught at Marian from 2017 to 2020. She moved on to pursue her
Ph.D. in International Urban History at Washington University in St. Louis. She
recently completed her first year in the program as a chancellor’s fellow and
received funding from The Mellon Foundation to work on the Divided City
Program with Washington University. Throughout the program, she will take
rewarding moments
courses and conduct research to write her dissertation, which focuses on
broad patterns of Black dislocation and displacement in United States history.
Marian was a wonderful fit for Bridget, and she misses it often, but her heart
was calling her to go back to school and conduct research.
“I love teaching, but I’m also incredibly passionate about St. Louis and
the material segregation of our city,” Bridget said. “I wanted to take the
opportunity to explore that passion as well, and I’m honored to participate
in meaningful work that will hopefully start to undo the divides in our city.”
As for where Bridget plans to shine after completing her degree,
the possibilities are endless. She may pursue a career in public
policy, or may return to the classroom – at the collegiate level
this time. Wherever she goes, she hopes to use her education and
experiences to shine a light on historically blind spots, and she credits
Cor Jesu for giving her the foundation to reach these goals.
“Cor Jesu is an amazing place to discover your passions, your purpose
and how you are brilliant,” Bridget said. “CJA shined a light on my interest in
social studies, which jumpstarted my career path and led me to where I am
now. That passion, plus the confidence CJA instilled in me were such gifts.”

20 Spirit Magazine SUMMER 2021