It’s late morning at La Salle Institute and junior Faith Rainis is commanding an underclass drill team. It’s one of the many leadership opportunities Rainis has experienced this school year. She’ll be an officer at La Salle next year as well.

When Rainis isn’t drilling, she’s focused on her art projects.

“The back image is black and white, and then the two sides are alternating,” said Rainis, pointing to her latest work.

There are just a few days left of school for her, but it’s been a busy first year. Rainis is one of about 75 female students enrolled in La Salle’s inaugural year as a coeducational model.

Just like Rainis, Leilah Neuman also made the transition from public school to private school last year.

The junior says she decided to make the jump to the Troy school for academics, hoping to study and work in medicine after graduation.

“It will teach me the leadership skills that I will need, and it will help me prepare myself for the life after college,” Neuman said.

“We’re really happy with the way the transition is going,” said La Salle Principal Steve Sgambelluri.

He’s expecting the number of girls enrolled at La Salle to increase to more than 100 this fall, now with 10 female sports and many other extracurricular activities available.

“Any time you make a transition in an educational model, there’s going to be time, there’s going to be a need for time, there’s going to be a need for patience for that process to play out, especially in year one,” Sgambelluri said. “You want to do a lot of listening, and observing, and seeing and watching.”

Last month, when Rainis’ older brother graduated from La Salle, it was officially the last all-boys class. Next year, she and Neuman will be part of the first co-ed class to walk across the stage with diplomas in hand from La Salle.

“It’s definitely an honor, I’d say, being in that class and just being the first ones to kind of set the example for the younger grades,” Rainis said.