Sister Mary Bourdon
When the Catholic school where Sister Mary Bourdon taught closed its doors, many of her fellow teachers found jobs at other schools. But Sister Mary decided to seek out where the need for a high-quality school was the greatest, so she crossed the Potomac to the underserved Anacostia neighborhood in Southeast Washington, DC. There, Sister Mary started an after-school tutoring program that eventually became Washington Middle School for Girls (WMSG.) The school started in the basement of a local apartment building and now serves 100 students on two campuses. WMSG provides girls in grades 4-8 at risk of leaving school prematurely with a holistic education and the skills needed for success in high school and beyond
