When Miracle Etim-Andy A’19 and her family were touring high schools, they were in search of a challenging and nourishing place; and they found it at Salem Academy. Miracle said she and her family quickly felt the reverberation of love and care in the halls at Salem Academy and were impressed by the school’s academic stimulation.

“The day I opened my acceptance letter and the purple and gold stars fell to the ground, there was no question as to where I would spend the next four years,” Miracle said.

Once settled as a student at the Academy, she said the dining hall staff played a large role in her success as a student. “Not only did they keep me well fed, but they also frequently reminded me that they were rooting for me and helped pick me up when I was down. I am forever grateful for Ms. Barbara, Ms. Thelma, and all the amazing staff!”

Miracle said theatre was—by far—her favorite class at Salem Academy. She originally tried to sign up for chorus, but the class did not fit her schedule. Sometimes things seem to happen for a reason: instead, Miracle enrolled in a theatre class and liked it more than she could have ever imagined. Miracle cherished the theatre programs so much that she stage-managed four shows and ran lights, sound, or costumes for every other production during her time at the Academy.

What’s Miracle’s favorite memory of Salem Academy outside the classroom?

“I really loved the snow days! They would put out sleds and we would slide down the hills behind the building for hours! We would have snowball fights and make snow angels,” she said.

“When it got too cold, we would come in and enjoy some hot chocolate and brownies in the rec room as our clothes dried. Ms. T was never happy about the piles of wet socks, but we could not have been happier!”

Miracle is pleased with the Academy’s current STEAM focus to prepare students for college and careers. She firmly believes, “technology is the future, and the future is now!”

She said STEAM is especially important because it incorporates art and culture with math, engineering, and technology allowing for students to be more well-rounded and hopefully more culturally component.

“By the time students enter college or their careers, they will be star players in creating a more equitable and interconnected society,” Miracle said.

After graduating from Salem Academy, Miracle went to Catawba College, where she majored in exercise science with minors in computer science and interdisciplinary data science. After Catawba College, Miracle entered the doctoral program at the University of Maryland.

“I was looking for a way to leave my mark on the world that did not require me to sacrifice parts of myself. The information studies Ph.D. program at the University of Maryland welcomed me as my authentic self and has proven to be genuinely invested in the fight for equity in justice in technological spaces and greater society,” she said.

“I am excited to contribute my advocacy skills and academic talents in a space that can nourish me to my fullest potential,” she added. After earning my Ph.D., I plan to become a socio-cultural research scientist. I want to further study how social constructs like race and culture impact a user’s experience with technologies and utilize these findings to guide the ethical and culturally competent design of technology. I want to be a professor and run my own lab.”

With a degree from Catawba College completed and a pending degree from the University of Maryland well underway, Miracle has good advice for young women who are considering attending Salem Academy.

“I will give you the advice I received,” Miracle said. When you close your eyes and imagine your high school experience, what do you see, feel, hear, and smell? What is the weather like and what types of people do you meet? If you open your eyes and you can say you saw Salem Academy, you should turn your vision into reality.”