Padua Academy alumna, Dr. Emily Nicoll, was in the first graduating class to go all four years in the current St. Anthony’s building. She walked in her cap and gown as a member of the class of 1961. There is no question that Padua has undergone many physical changes over the years from the recent chapel renovations to different school uniforms. Students have come and gone, but the emphasis on sisterhood and community is nothing new.

When reflecting back on her high school experience, Nicoll said, “It was a very good experience for me. There were a lot of nice people and I was very happy with it.”

She especially liked the community and staff. “They were really helping us and that was very nice. It meant so much to me and it was very personal, ” Nicoll said about her teachers. Additionally, she mentioned that teachers wanted to see their students grow as people and gain a better understanding of the subject. “There were so many special things at Padua. The teachers really cared about you and they were extremely capable and I think that that speaks a lot,” Nicoll said.

Nicoll was most impressed with how they were taken care of and remembers that “you felt like everybody liked you. It’s just nice to know that all of those people were so kind.”

Dr. Emily Nicoll, formerly Emily Weber, was actively involved during her high school years. She was athletic and played on the basketball team, but her most memorable claim to fame was how she was in the principal’s office more than the principal was. “I was in trouble a lot of the time, what can I tell you? I spent a lot of time in the principal’s office but I taught her a lot of things she didn’t know.”

She attended Padua when both nuns and dogs were roaming the halls. Talking about the St. Bernards, that were once an integral part of the Padua community, she said that the dogs greatly helped some students who did not seem to fit in that well. “I think that having an animal there helped them in many ways,” Nicoll said.

Nicoll’s two daughter’s followed in her footsteps and both attended and graduated from Padua.