My experience attending Catholic school has shaped me into the person I am today. Coming from a public elementary school, I wasn’t sure if I was prepared for a Catholic education. I heard rumors such as “The classes are impossible to do well in” and “There are endless hours of homework every night”. Yet, as soon as I walked through the doors on the first day of school, all my worries went away. I felt at home. The classes were challenging though, but not impossible, such as english with Mr. D’Antonio. His course kept my class on our toes while learning grammar, but we developed good study habits, and are able to diagram any sentence now. By the end of the year, I felt ready for college, and I was only a freshman.

As I reflect on how much I’ve grown as a person and spiritually. I realize a wonderful gift that has been added to my education- GOD. Every morning, starting each class, at the end of the day, and even before a game, our school prays together. We also learn about God by studying the sacraments, the Bible, and the Church during religion class. Mr. DeMeo is my religion teacher this year. He is the reason why I have no doubts about God or my faith. Like most people, I had questions concerning God that seemed to have no answer. For example, I wondered: “Why does God not prove he is real?” Mr. DeMeo taught our class that God cannot straightforwardly prove Himself to us. We have to use our gift of free will to chose to believe.

Our school attends mass together at least once a month too, and we attend retreats throughout the year. The retreats are one of the most important parts of our education because it allows us to bond with one another, get to know ourselves, and discuss our faith. Recently, my Catholic school held its first retreat for students involved with the performing arts called Performers for Christ. After the Mass, the students in theater, stage crew, choir, and band were split into small groups lead by the seniors in our Christian Leadership program. Together we did team building exercises and reflected on God. At one point during the retreat, I was sitting next to my friend Izzy, who said, “We’re lucky to go to a school that practices our faith,”. I had to agree with her, and it was comforting knowing a friend felt the same way as me. We are lucky to go to a school that praises God. We are lucky to go to a school that teaches us more about our religion, and we are lucky to go to a school that practices our belief. Without my Catholic education, I would not know as much about God as I do today, and would not be as strong of a believer.

As I continue on life’s path after Catholic high school- college, career, marriage, family, in good times and in bad times, I will always be able to look back and draw from the knowledge and experiences obtained from a Catholic education.