The new Holy Cross High School in Camden opens its doors to students on Aug. 26, but the inaugural principal has been in the building since the spring. Allison Eilers is ready to put all the planning into practice.
Eilers arrived in Kent County at the end of March and has spent the past several months getting Holy Cross ready for opening day. She has been recruiting teachers and students, along with ordering supplies.
“I’m really, really energized,” she said in mid-August. “I believe preparation is key. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but I’m feeling energized. It’s fun to go to work. It’s a true calling. I moved here. It’s not every day I sell my house.”
Eilers grew up about 45 minutes north of New York City. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Mercy College and a master’s from Long Island University. She has a school administration certificate from Wingate University in North Carolina.
After teaching for a few years, Eilers became an instructional coach who worked with teachers. Her work included helping instructors with lesson plans, co-teaching and debriefing. She was an assistant principal when presented with an opportunity to open an institution that featured classical education.
“I love classical education because I had taught it. I saw firsthand the impact that it made on students,” she said.
She began as the dean of students and worked on the culture of that school. They opened a high school, and Eilers was assistant principal.
“I helped open up two brand-new schools within the past five years. It’s been such an amazing experience,” she said.
The school was not faith-based, however, and the former Catholic school student longed to get back into that environment. At Holy Cross, she will be free to speak with students about her faith, which invigorates her.
“I really missed that piece,” she said. “In my previous schools, that was a no-no. And kids really want to know. You have to tell them that’s a great question, but we can’t” talk about it.
“When it’s by itself, you’re only getting half the education. When it’s not being integrated into faith, you’re missing half of it. So, that’s really what drove me here to Holy Cross High School. It was classical, and I could talk about religion.”
Teenagers, she continued, need the ability to talk about Jesus and their faith. It’s important to build those habits when they are young.
“I always say faith is my anchor, but how are you anchoring yourself? When times get hard, life happens, there will be times when you face uncertainty. What do you do? Go to your friends? You have to look inward, and it all comes back to God,” she said.
The building on Dupont Highway had no walls or offices when Eilers arrived. She has been showing it off to potential students and faculty in recent months. Lessard Builders renovated the former Salvation Army Re-Store.
“The building is beautiful,” Eilers said.
Enrollment numbers were not set in stone as August proceeded. Eilers said some families have put off their high school selection until the last days before classes start. She reported that there is a lot of excitement about Holy Cross among future high school students.
Eilers is living nearby and has joined Holy Cross Parish in Dover. She said she loves to run and is awaiting the annual Bishop’s 5K. She has competed in marathons in the past. She likes the outdoors.
Moving from North Carolina to central Delaware had one other advantage other than the opportunity to set the foundatrion at a new school. It is close to many different places, including her family in New York.
“I only have four hours to drive instead of 12,” she said.
