Reflection Paper

My time at Mary Queen of Peace has been unforgettable. I have grown in knowledge, faith, and have grown strong relationships with friends and teachers. Through our class field trips, class bonding experiences, retreats, athletics, and recess I have learned the many virtues that need to be in place for a successful day. We as an Eighth Grade class have shared many memories that I will never forget. Each day we faced a new challenge and we would again and again overcome the obstacles. I have made friends for life here and will miss seeing them every day.

When I first decided to expand my education, it had been so long since I had been to school, and I was very hesitant. I talked at length about my decision with my husband and with his encouragement, decided to enroll but still was not quite sure which degree program to enroll in. I knew that this was something that I had always wanted to do since I obtained my Associates Degree in Nursing, but I did not have the courage, nor did I want to give up the time with my family and children. I second guessed my abilities and my knowledge because it had been so long since I had been in college. Now that my children are about to graduate high school and

Throughout the course of this semester, I have continuously grown as a writer. Prior to taking this course, I had little experience or knowledge when it came to writing. I used to struggle with forming my thoughts into writing, let alone a paper. I was never confident with what I wrote. My writing had no greater purpose other than the assignment. My writing process included: writing my paper, proofreading it, and turning it in. Once the paper left my hands, it also left my mind. Throughout this course we worked with others, visited the writing lab, wrote critiques, and we were able to revise our papers. I believe that all of this is has caused me to grow greatly as a writer.

Pope Francis once said, “An education in the fullness of humanity should be the defining feature of Catholic schools.” To me, this sentiment sums up why a Catholic education is so important for many reasons. I have attended many different types of schools: public, private, Catholic and homeschool as a result of my father’s career in the military. However, only my experiences at Catholic schools provide me with a truly well-rounded education because, at Catholic schools, I receive the opportunity to learn about the amazing gift of God’s love every day during school hours. I love studying Scripture and seeing ways in which God is present in our lives. It is such a special experience to be able to do that in a school environment where you can really learn the fundamentals of our faith, as well as experiencing many different aspects of our Catholic faith, from prayer to Mass as a part of

I was born in Bogota, Colombia where most people are catholics. Thus, I was baptized at the age of five. I also went to a catholic school from kindergarten up to second grade. However, I barely attended church because my parents were busy throughout the week to go to church. Then, at the age of nine my family and I moved to the United State.

Incipiently, my understanding of the faith has grown immensely. Coming to saint joachim school has let me Receive two of the seven sacraments. It also gave me the opportunity to altar serve and or lector. However my faith was at its peak with our 5th grade teacher sister ana rosa. Not only was she a nun but the most loving teacher i have ever had. Always taking us to the convent was and will be my most favorite part of religion.

To begin with, this experience was like no other. Like most Americans that grow up in the south, the only place of worship I have attended during my lifetime is a church. I chose to attend a Mosque not only because I heard that they had just recently open one near where I live,but also because I was curious as to

I began to accompany my mom when she went to pray for family friends, and also when she would go volunteer at events that took place at our church. I met different people from diverse backgrounds who had gone through different tragedies. Through prayers people who had lost a loved a one, or lost hope in bad situation in life had gained new hope once again. It was a beautiful thing to see others experience. We were all so different, but yet so similar when it came to our faith in God. That same faith has helped maintain a positive mentality, and always look towards the bright side in difficult situations within my communities. That faith has become an important part of who I am today. It has helped me immerse myself into trying new things such as helping people and becoming an involved member within my

Before going to Mishawaka Marian, my local Catholic high school, church and God seemed more like a chore than anything. But through those four years, I know that by going through Marian I’ve gained a much deeper knowledge of Christ and how to see him working in my life daily. I’ve had several deep and personal encounters with God and it is through those encounters that I was brought closer to Him and the Christian faith. The most important event that solidified my faith happened first semester of my junior year, when my family got a call from our local hospital saying my grandma was struck by a car and on her way to the emergency room. My whole family’s life was turned upside down by one phone call and things are forever different because of it. Several broken ribs, a broken hip, a major concussion, endless doctors’ appointments and hospital visits later, my grandma was finally back home. We slowly and thankfully began to put the event behind us, but the effect it left on my family will never be able to be put away. Throughout this seemingly endless incident, I learned how important family truly is. I learned great responsibility, how to give and receive help, and not to take a single thing for granted because it could all be gone in just one second. I also felt myself grow nearer to God through this stressful and tragic experience. When you feel like you are alone and have no one to turn to, turn to God. Through Him I am courageously finding my path because I know and trust that God will never leave my side. Through all of these life experiences and memories along the way, I’ve learned so much about myself, how the world works, how God works in my life and where I can begin to see myself fitting into it. It is important to realize that it is through the bad times that we learn the most and

I have been a part of the Catholic religion since the day I was born. As a Catholic from birth, I believe in not only praying to God, but to many different saints and people in Heaven. There have been many times in my life and in my family’s lives where we needed to pray to a saint or a family member who has passed away. I do believe that hear my prayers and answer them. It plays a crucial role in the way I act, the decisions I make, and the people I hang out with. To begin with, it has changed the way I live my life, down to my view of the whole world, how I treat others, how I handle myself.

In addition, I visited a local mosque to experience firsthand a Muslim prayer service. Finally, I interviewed a coworker to discover an inside view of the Islam religion from someone who practices the religion. The coworker has been a Muslim since birth and was very pleased to share his experiences with Allah (God) with me and was happy to answer my questions about Islam.

I went to the Islamic Center of peace in Orlando to learn more about the Islamic religion. I was very curious about learning and wanted more understanding on the subject of Islam. I went there also for the free dinner.

Stubborn is how my Mom would describe my personality. My Dad, on the other hand, always said I was tenacious. He believed our greatest strength can be found by understanding our weaknesses. As a child, he explained that being stubborn is a negative attribute. According to him, people do not like when they meet an inflexible brick wall. Tenacity, on the other hand, can be a powerful tool. It shows people you are determined and persistent. He wanted me to understand that a strength can sometimes be a weakness made to work in our favor. I have always remembered this advice and have used tenacity to achieve many of my life goals.

A few weeks go I was standing awkwardly in the commons area of my church. Teenagers surrounded me all of which were avoiding eye contact, absorbed into their phones. “No worries,” I thought, “It’s all good.” Then, I heard a scream, “Mrs. Farmer!” One sweet young lady grabbed a hold of me so tight I could hardly breathe, but I was so grateful. Then, I realized it was one of my students from the first full year of teaching. This young lady came from the most difficult home life, and I could hardly imagine what she went through, but no matter what–every day she came to school with a bright smile on her face. She inspired me every day as a teacher that year, and seeing her again just brightened my day. What struck me the most about our conversation was that she remembered dancing in my class and how much she loved it, and it meant so much to her. It’s truly moments like that, moments we’ve all had, that remind us why we became teachers–why it’s such a gift.

Our civilizations relies upon people to develop morals and resilience through family, however, what happens when you grow up in an abusive family? Sure, you develop resilience quickly, unfortunately, you may build your moral foundation over a sinkhole. In addition to family dynamics, by age eleven, I survived being hung by a Mexican gang, three dog attacks and a house fire which left both legs covered in second degree burns. Fortunately, at age twelve, I ran away and a couple discovered me sleeping in their garage. Compassionately, they took me in and allowed me to live in a travel trailer on their property.