True Genius in Action: How Ashley Moore Is Forming Girls to Live in Truth

Middle school girls today are piloting their way through a pressure-filled world around appearance, identity, friendships, social media, and more. Forming young women in truth, dignity, and their God-given purpose has been central to the mission of St. Catherine of Siena Academy since its founding. This summer, Ashley Moore and the team at St. Catherine of Siena Academy brought that mission to a younger audience through Endow’s Defining Dignity study, creating an opportunity for seventh- and eighth-grade girls to grow in faith, friendship, and an understanding of who they are in Christ.

“We heard from parents as well, and a lot of them expressed that there’s a lot out there for high schoolers. There’s high school ministry at every church group, but there’s a gap for middle schools,” she said.

Ashley serves in community engagement and outreach at St. Catherine of Siena Academy in Wixom, Michigan, where she works closely with parishes, schools, and community partners. When the academy began exploring ways to support young girls during the summer months, Endow quickly stood out.

A Personal Connection

Ashley’s parents were cradle Catholics who chose to raise Ashley and her brother in the Evangelical church. When she was about the same age as many of the girls in her Endow group, Ashley asked to enter the Catholic Church.

She had been going to Mass on weekends with her grandparents. She came home one weekend saying, “Mom, I want to become Catholic.” Soon after, both she and her brother entered the Church, bringing the family back to the Catholic faith.

By the time Ashley entered high school, though, she remembers falling prey to many of the same struggles young girls encounter today over identity, purpose and self-worth. Her faith suffered.

“I fell into the pressures, like many girls that we see in the study and at high school age, struggling with insecurities, body image, self-image, and understanding their purpose.”

Today, Ashley sees Endow as an opportunity to help girls encounter the truth about who they are and free them from some of the pressures they face.

Endow as a Solution

St. Catherine of Siena Academy partnered with five nearby parishes to launch an Endow middle school study for seventh and eighth grade girls. Ashley said the program’s focus on faith, saints, and true friendship made it a natural fit.

“What we loved about Defining Dignity [in the True Genius series] was its focus on saints and fellowship. It really captures young girls and tells them that you don’t have to run this race alone,” she explained.

The program was intentionally designed to involve families. Before the study began, St. Catherine of Siena Academy hosted a parent session to go over the content, especially chapter five, which talks about the body, and the Living it Out sections of the study.

“We thought it was important to share that there’s this “living it out” challenge at the end of each chapter that really encourages the conversation to continue at home,” she said.

Meanwhile, the participants had brought photos and used scrapbook materials to create their own personalized notebooks with pens and stickers that they used throughout the summer to record their reflections from the study.

Ashley used an Ave Maria radio interview, social media, and advertising to get the word out and drum up interest. And the girls came out, so much so that the group had to be capped at 15 participants to maintain a small-group environment.

Interest exceeded expectations. Ashley said, “There was so much interest we actually started a waiting list that had about 12 girls on it.”

To further strengthen the program, Ashley recruited four student interns from St. Catherine of Siena Academy: three seniors preparing to study theology in college and one junior. The internship was an opportunity for these young women to gain hands-on ministry experience while serving as relatable role models for the middle school participants.

The interns led icebreakers, assisted in activities, encouraged discussion, and helped bridge the gap for girls who arrived not knowing anyone else. “Having those role models served a great purpose in just making the girls feel comfortable, welcomed, and everyone had a partner. No one had to feel awkward.”

One unexpected benefit was how the girls looked to the interns for guidance on the pressures they face daily. When discussions turned to social media trends, appearance, and fitting in, the high school leaders could offer a current and trusted perspective, providing a much-needed reality check.

“I really saw this as an important way to ground them in their God-given dignity and root them in truth,” she explained.

True Impact

Throughout the summer, Ashley watched girls grow in confidence and in becoming a good friend. She enjoyed teaching them about the saints, especially St. Teresa of Calcutta, sharing the insight that “walking along the street, every person that you see or greet is Jesus.”

Another beautiful moment came during Eucharistic Adoration. Before entering the chapel, the girls were excited and giggly. “And then we came back, and they were just at peace,” Ashley recalled.

While the experience deepened the girls’ prayer life, Ashley was especially moved by one participant’s experience during Adoration.

“One girl said this was the first time she really felt the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. It was the first time she felt Jesus’ gaze,” she explained. “For me, that was worth it, the whole summer. That’s what we wanted to accomplish, deepening their relationship with Christ and each other.”

The program created a safe space for authentic friendships to grow. Ashley shared how one of the girls had found it difficult to connect with others when the study began.

“By the last two weeks, she was opening up, volunteering,” Ashley said. “I really think that this was the power of the Holy Spirit really moving these girls’ hearts.”

What’s Next

The success of the summer study has inspired St. Catherine of Siena Academy to continue building opportunities for girls to grow. “We’re hoping to do Forming Friendships next summer,” she said.

In the meantime, the team plans to stay connected through Advent and Lent events and is exploring retreat opportunities using additional Endow content. St. Catherine of Siena Academy is also considering ways to bring Endow studies to its high school students.

For Ashley, the experience confirmed the value of creating spaces where young women can encounter truth and friendship together.

Surprisingly, she found the study enriching as well. “Even though this was a middle school study, as an adult, I learned so much,” she said.

For those considering bringing Endow youth studies to their schools and parishes, Ashley advises, “Just give it a try. The studies are so well-written.”