WILMINGTON — The new principal of Ursuline Academy’s Upper School won’t have to learn too many names. The biggest change — other than overseeing the all-girls high school — is moving into a new office at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Franklin Street.
Erin Prada was appointed the principal after eight years at Ursuline. She previously had filled a number of roles, including Spanish teacher, director of the global program and director of strategic initiatives. The seasoned international traveler has found a home about an hour from where she grew up in Montgomery County, Pa.
Since childhood, Prada has been excited about being abroad, and it has played a large role in her professional life. She traveled to England as a high school senior to shadow at a school there. As a junior at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, she spent time in Bolivia. She received a Fulbright Scholarship and studied in Peru, and her master’s degree is from Oxford. She brought some of all of those experiences to Ursuline, where she started after receiving her degree from Oxford.
“I just loved the potential of the global program, what the school did, the network of international schools all over the world, so I just took a chance on Ursuline, and Ursuline took a chance on me,” Prada said in mid-August. “I didn’t expect to be sitting here nine years later, but life has a way of working out that way.”
About halfway through her first year at Ursuline, she assumed responsibility for the global program. Ursuline is part of an international network of schools founded by the Ursuline Sisters.
One of the aspects of working at Ursuline that she appreciates the most is the support the administration gives to its teachers. Prada said she has a “growth mindset, and I love to constantly challenge myself and learn new things and support those around me. I don’t like to be bored.”
She created new courses at Ursuline, including one on global perspectives for seniors and another on revolutionary women that is taught entirely in Spanish. She still hears from alumnae who have connected their experiences in life to the classes they took at Ursuline.
“I know how cool it is from a teacher’s perspective in taking your passion and turning it into a reality and seeing the kids get excited about what you’re passionate about,” she said.
Prada said she loves to understand how people learn and to delve into different styles of learning. The high school she shadowed at in England was an all-boys school that was getting ready to go coed. The headmaster asked her for her opinion on what they could do to help welcome girls to the building.
“I thought, ‘This is really fascinating,’ so I began to seek out those opportunities throughout college,” she said.
“That topic of international education was just always there. Each experience would go just one step further and one step further and one step further. I’ve been in a lot of different schools in a lot of different places as a student and an observer and a teacher, and this is the first place that I found that really checked so many boxes for me, so I chose to stay and grow here.”
Prada said she will try to lead with respect, whether working with students, parents or colleagues. She said her transition in administration adds a layer to the relationship she has with the teachers. She intends to be the person she has always been.
She wants to make sure the Upper School continues to work well with the middle and lower schools. Cohesiveness among the three levels is important, she said. She also will continue to champion the global program, to make sure people know about the international network of Ursuline schools and that it is part of the fabric of the education there. She also wants to work more closely with the student council.
Prada met her husband, Jorge, while working and studying in Peru. The couple live in north Wilmington and have a 1-year-old son, JJ. They are Catholic and are searching for the right parish.
She was a member of the crew team at St. Joe’s, and she used to coach Catholic Youth Ministry basketball at Ursuline and assisted with the high school softball team. She is a big sports fan and will be at as many Raiders games as possible. Prada also likes to participate in athletics.
