New construction zones on campus are not the only additions to Naz that are drawing attention.

In a simple black frame reads the following words stated by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “She was beautiful, but not like those girls in the magazines. She was beautiful, for the way she thought. She was beautiful, for the sparkle in her eyes when she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful, for her ability to make other people smile, even if she was sad. No, she wasn’t beautiful for something as temporary as her looks. She was beautiful, deep down to her soul. She is beautiful.”

Hung in most girls bathrooms at Naz, this small change of scenery caught many students’ eyes and sparked the questions: Who posted this quote? And for what reason?

It turns out that Principal Deborah Tracy posted this quote in order remind lady Roadrunners about the true meaning of beauty.

Following the success of previous gender empowerment and equality campaigns such as More Than A Pretty Face and #ME4WE, she says that, “These quotes are ways for young women to build more confidence. Being a beautiful person is not embodied on the outside. Beauty is found when a woman is happy with herself.”

“Following conversations with the girls support group, an extension of the guidance department, we worked together to generate ideas that would remind students of this message. This particular quote embodies the celebration of diversity and beauty, and certainly this message is one that students should always be reminded of and keep with them throughout their day.”

Senior Taylor McClanathan agrees, stating: “The quote makes me feel like I’m worth something more than just a person in the halls. I feel like I belong, and that empowers me to keep going.”

Whether students are fixing their hair, changing for practice, or just washing their hands: as easily as these routines are performed, hopefully the message of every young woman’s beauty becomes acknowledged and accepted by Nazareth students as she looks into the mirror and sees a smile shining back at her.