St. Michael’s Academy: Phoebe Manalo traveled cross county to land where she belongs

Phoebe Manalo traveled more than 2,000 miles to attend St. Michael’s Academy.

“I was born in Frederick, Maryland, and both sets of grandparents lived 10-15 minutes away,” she said. “The Appalachian Mountains aren’t like the mountains here. They’re more like hills!”

Her education progressed from homeschooling to a private Catholic academy to a public high school. Transitioning to Middletown High School in Maryland was made easier by her athletic endeavors.

“I did really well, but my experience got a lot better when I started doing track and cross country,” Manalo said. “It was something to be proud of, and I loved doing it with my good friends.”

Still, with her senior year looming, she wanted something more.

“When my sister entered the convent at St. Michael’s, I visited her and learned about the school.”

The school and its setting intrigued her. She returned for a vocational weekend.

“We did the same schedule as the nuns in the convent,” Manalo said.

She hungered for a change and wondered if her future involved a commitment to a life dedicated to religious service and contemplation.

“I spoke with the novice mistress and she said it would be good to come to school here,” Manalo said. “It was like a weight was lifted.”

With her family’s blessing, she enrolled as a boarding student.

“It was hard saying goodbye to my family. I’d never even gone to sleep-away camp!”

Once she made the transition she committed wholeheartedly to life and studies at St. Michael’s Academy.

“She’s a bright spot,” said Sister Michael Marie, the seventh- through 12th-grade principal. “She dived into so many different things.”

Those activities included Honor Society, book club, choir and drama, where she served as narrator for the school’s production of “Beauty and the Beast.”

“I feel like I’m getting the most I possibly can from my last year of high school,” Manalo said. “I love all my teachers.”

That affection is reciprocated.

“Phoebe is very well read – it’s fun to have her involved in book club,” Sister Michael Marie said.

Being immersed in a faith-affirming culture made being far from home easier.

“It’s really nice to be around other Catholics all the time – it’s that next level of connectedness,” said Manalo.

That’s not to say she’s spent all her time at the school.

“I’ve been to quite a few malls and downtown,” she said. “And I’ve traveled. Our Students for Life club went to D.C. for the March for Life and we went to Florida for our senior trip.”

She shines academically and in the arts, as well.

“Phoebe is our valedictorian and the head of our senior project,” Sister Michael Marie said. “They’re creating a mural in an indoor hallway.”

Manalo relished every moment of her senior year.

“It’s been an explosion of new experiences,” she said. “Like a whirlwind, but the best whirlwind you can imagine.”

Sister Michael Marie appreciates Manalo’s enthusiasm.

“She’s a positive person who reaches out to others,” she said.

Her future lies before her, but she already has an inkling of what it holds.

“I’ve been offered a scholarship to a college in Boston,” Manalo said. “But I’m pretty sure I’m going to become a nun. I think it’s God’s will for me and it’s the life that suits me best. Someone once told me, whatever you do with your life what matters most is that you help people.”