By Cami Colarossi, NDP Director of Communications
As the 2025/26 school year gets underway, Notre Dame Preparatory School welcomes its first lay Head of School, Dr. Angela Allen. Dr. Allen is NDP’s tenth Head of School since the institution’s founding in 1873, succeeding Sister Patricia McCarron, SSND, PhD, who served as head of school for the past 20 years.
As former Associate Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Richmond, and more recently Associate Head of School at Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville, South Carolina, Dr. Allen is deeply inspired by the opportunity to lead an all-girls Catholic school.
“From the moment I stepped on campus, I felt the strong sense of mission and the deep commitment to nurturing young women of wisdom, integrity, and compassion,” she said. “It was clear to me that NDP is more than a school; it is a community that nurtures each student’s gifts and calls her to something greater.”
Dr. Allen earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Master of Teaching degree from the University of Richmond, and her Doctorate in Education from The College of William and Mary. At the beginning of her career as an educational leader, she served as a principal and assistant principal in Hanover County and Henrico County public schools in Richmond, Virginia.
Dr. Allen understands the significance of her appointment in the living history of Notre Dame Prep and fully embraces the responsibility of shepherding the school’s mission of transformative education well into the 21st century.
“It is an honor to be part of this remarkable legacy,” Dr. Allen said in a community video. “There’s a warmth, a purpose and a deep sense of community that runs through everything here.”
“As the first lay leader in the school’s history, I approach this role with profound respect for the traditions, mission, and faith that have shaped NDP for generations. May God’s grace continue to guide and bless Notre Dame Preparatory School, and may we continue to inspire one another to learn, lead, and serve.”
