Magdalen P., Class of 2023, Studying at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas:
As a member of the graduating class of 2023, there are many things which I have since grown to appreciate from my time spent at St. John Paul II High School. My education at St. John Paul II High School taught me how to engage in academics in a way which cultivated a love for learning. My teachers encouraged deep reflection on what I had learned, as well as the application of that knowledge beyond the walls of the classroom and into my daily life. The curriculum builds a foundation of knowledge for students, not only on the typical subjects of most high schools, but in philosophy and theology as well. With this, St. John Paul II High School prepares its students to enter into the world with the knowledge of how to live well, which is arguably the ultimate aim of education.
The spiritual impact of my education was the product of both enriching theology courses and exposure to daily mass. Having the opportunity to attend mass daily throughout the school week gives students time to reflect and grow in their spiritual lives. St. John Paul II High School instilled in me a desire and habit for daily mass which I continue to fulfill now in my university life. As a small high school, St. John Paul II High School students have the advantage of a close knit community between both peers and teachers. During my time I formed genuine connections with my classmates, and through the seminar style of teaching I was able to engage not only with the subject but with the thoughts and ideas of the people around me. The attentive faculty at St. John Paul II High School establishes relationships in which the teachers have an authentic interest in the good of each and every student. Knowing that the teachers truly cared for our well-being evoked great academic, spiritual and personal growth in my own life as well as the lives of my classmates and is a valuable characteristic of the school.
In order for St. John Paul II High School to thrive, we must have a designated space of our own in which to grow. The future campus of St. John Paul II High School will provide the school with the proper facilities to function on a larger scale and touch more lives. Classrooms better equipped for every subject and space to engage in extracurricular activities and community events will ensure that both the academic side and the community life of the school are able to reach their full potential. As St. John Paul II High School has already managed to accomplish so much in the classrooms which Our Lady of the Valley Parish has generously lent us, I am eager to see how much more we can accomplish with a proper campus, and I am confident that the completion of a building of our own will give rise to the further growth and success of the school and the prospering of Catholic families in Northern Colorado.
