Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy has received a $5 million donation from the estate of a 1948 graduate of the Catholic all-girls school, the institution announced Wednesday.
The gift from the estate of alumna Janet Hart Mitchell establishes the Stella and Louis Hart Scholarship Endowment Fund, dedicated to providing financial aid for students and ensuring that generations of young women benefit from the transformative education that Mitchell cherished, officials said.
“From her very first gift of five dollars to the alumnae scholarship fund, given at a time when she herself had little to spare, to this extraordinary bequest, Janet lived with a deep understanding of legacy,” Academy President Marlena Conroy said. “By honoring her parents through scholarships, she has forever eased the burden for families and opened the doors of the Hill to young women she would never meet, yet in whom she deeply believed.”
Mitchell began attending FSHA in her junior year. The gift honors her parents, Stella and Louis Hart, as well as Sister Mary Benigna Krug, O.P., who served as principal during her years at FSHA.
“We are immensely grateful for Janet, a dear alumna who loved our school profoundly,” said Sister Carolyn McCormack, O.P., the president of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy from 2003 to 2021. “For almost a year, I had the honor of spending meaningful time with her. Through our conversations, what was most touching was her clear affection for the school, even after so many years. Her generous gift will have a lasting impact on future generations of students.”
Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy is an all-girls, Catholic, Dominican, independent, college-preparatory, day and boarding school, located at 440 St Katherine Drive.