Mrs. Kaitlin Brown May, the new Sacred Heart Greenwich Upper School varsity cross country coach, brings a passion for running and a background of Sacred Heart experience to the team.  Prior to Mrs. May’s career as a coach, she attended the Academy of the Sacred Heart, a Sacred Heart network school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.  Mrs. May shares her experience attending, coaching, and participating as an active member of the network of schools.

Mrs. May has a special connection to Sacred Heart, as she comes from a long lineage of Sacred Heart alumnae.  She believes the network of schools is important because it provides a sense of community that cherishes togetherness just as much as individuality.  Mrs. May touches on the Sacred Heart experience that nurtures the importance of community and fosters personal growth.

“I come from a very large family of which all my cousins and aunts attended the Sacred Heart school in Greenwich,” Mrs. May said.  “I always felt like I was isolated from my extended family, but being at their sister school made me feel closer with them because we shared this special bond.”

The connection between schools allows students and alumnae to share similar experiences.  As there are over 25 Sacred Heart schools in just the North American continent, many students share a common Sacred Heart education, according to www.sacredheartusc.education.  This connection enables people to relate to one another, both through network exchange and coincidental interactions.

“I did not realize the enormity and impact of the network of Sacred Heart schools until I got to college,” Mrs. May said.  “During my sophomore year, I lived in an eight-man.  Four of the other girls went to various Sacred Heart schools.”

Sacred Heart education helped Mrs. May develop into a leader and listener.  Through her encounter with other students and prior students, Mrs. May witnessed that these Sacred Heart values were universal.  Around the world, there are over 150 different schools associated with the Society of the Sacred Heart, leaving many girls impacted in the same way, according to www.sacredheartusc.education.  Even in 41 different countries, these schools share the same mission of spreading love through Christ.  Mrs. May explains that by involving oneself in the network, students are adhering to Goal Four, “The building of community as a Christian value.”

Mrs. May explains how returning to another Sacred Heart school makes her feel like she is home.  She expresses the essence of what it means to be a member of Sacred Heart.  Even nearly a decade after graduation, she still feels like a member of the community, allowing her to have an everlasting connection to the schools. 

“I am the cross country coach and yet, I’m friends with the field hockey coach and have met both the soccer and the swim coach, ” Mrs. May said.  “I think that this is its own community in and of itself.  I think that is something that Sacred Heart does well and more than any other school, especially a big public school.  It allows me to meet new people and other coaches when otherwise the chances would be slim.”

Featured Image by Emily Shull ’25