Woodlands Academy to wrap up its speaker series

The final of four presentations in "The Resilient Woman Speaker Series" at Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is Friday, April 11, at 10:30 a.m. at the school, 760 East Westleigh Road, Lake Forest.

Retired Sacred Heart educator Connie Solari will discuss "Madeleine Sophie Barat: Resilience in Service to Love." This program is free.

Solari is the author of "Sophie's Fire," a recently released work of historical fiction about the life of Barat, who founded the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1800.

"She was an activist, an entrepreneur, a scholar and a visionary," according to Solari.

After 41 years as a teacher and administrator at Sacred Heart schools in California, Solari recently retired. She currently serves as a volunteer coordinator for the Atherton-Mumbai India Project and is a member of the Formation to Mission Committee of the Sacred Heart Network board.

Solari graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude from UCLA and holds master's degrees in both humanities and educational administration.

The theme for the current school year at Woodlands Academy is "The Resilient Sacred Heart Woman." Graduating women of courage, confidence and compassion is Woodlands Academy's four-year goal.

For more information, visit www.woodlandsacademy.org.