Cornelia Connelly High School

Cornelia Connelly High School

Cornelia Connelly High School, also called the Cornelia Connelly School of the Holy Child Jesus, was a Catholic college-preparatory high school for girls in Anaheim, California. It was the only school like it in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. The school opened in 1961 and helped girls get ready for college for almost 60 years.

Connelly gave students a strong education to prepare them for college. When it closed in 2020, about 124 girls were students there. The school was recognized and approved by groups such as the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the Western Catholic Educational Association, showing it had high academic standards.

History

The school opened in 1961. It was founded by the Sisters of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. The school was named after Cornelia Connelly, who started this group. Students could join exchange programs to visit schools in the U.S., England, Ireland, or Ghana.

In October 2019, the school's leaders decided to close it after the 2019–20 school year. They said fewer students were joining each year, the school owed money, and they couldn't raise enough funds.

Notable alumnae

Some famous people went to Cornelia Connelly High School. Nancy Barry, who finished school in 1967, started and runs Women's World Banking. Gihan Ibrahim, from the class of 2005, is an Egyptian journalist and activist. Casey Johnson, from the class of 2008, swam for the United States at the 2004 and 2008 Paralympic Games and won a bronze medal in the freestyle relay in 2004.

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