Walking into school, seeing tons of new faces, overwhelmed by everyone laughing and talking with their friends, feeling alone and unsure where to go, Emily Penza a sweet, charismatic girl born in Hammonton, NJ, who transferred from Holy Spirit to Mount Saint Joseph Academy.

Emily is part of the school’s crew team and chess club. Her original reason for transferring to the Mount was her old crew coach, Joseph Welsh, retired. She wants to continue her rowing career into college and she believes that by transferring she will grow more in the sport and set herself up better for the future.

Emily faced challenges with her transition, she was unsure if she made the correct choice and was anxious she would not be able to create relationships with her classmates.

Emily said that her new crew coach, Alanna McCloy, has made her transition from Holy Spirit to The Mount a lot easier.

“From the moment Emily arrived at the Mount, her energy and enthusiasm have been infectious. We are proud to have her as part of our school community and rowing program, and I look forward to watching her legacy unfold both on and off the water,” Kiera McCloy ‘13 said.

“I think definitely, after Founders’ Day, when I got to spend the whole day with my friends and learn more about them….I knew that I had really good friends and that Mount was definitely a really good place for me,” Emily Penza ‘27 said.

“Emily is a really great person. She is super outgoing and I loved becoming closer with her during Founders’ Day,” Hadley Harris ‘27 said.

Before she transferred to The Mount Emily had a typical daily routine. She would wake up very early, head to school, attend eight classes, go to crew practice right after school, and then head home and spend time with her Mom or Dad.

Overall, Emily is super happy she transferred to the Mount. “It really showed me the difference between different schooling and what it looks like to have teachers and admissions who care about you as an individual,” Emily Penza ‘27 said.