Water Of Life Christian School Reflection

Freshman, sophomore, and junior year of high school could never compare to senior year, though these were the years that molded me! I learned about boys. I experienced my first heartbreak. I got great advice from instructors I will never forget. And those years taught me how to forgive, but never

Some of my favorite memories made in high school thus far are due to my involvement in the Best Buddies program. Best Buddies is offered across the United States and is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the exclusion of people with special needs. I joined the program my freshman year and was selected my junior year of high school to be in the Best Buddies class where I get to develop a closer relationship with all of the buddies. In total there are about twenty-five special needs kids that attend my school. I am proud to attend a school that welcomes these kids and always makes sure to include them in major school events and extracurricular activities. Recently, Tyler, one of the buddies, scored a touchdown while playing with our varsity football team. This was a proud moment for the Best Buddies class because we wanted him to have this amazing experience.

Our goal is to help out in the freedom school in Mount Zion Methodist Church in Longdale. With a lot of courage and inspiration, I couldn’t wait. However, when I reached the church, I entered a comprehensive state of shock; I couldn’t believe my eyes. The freedom school was burned down. As a devoted Christian, I couldn’t believe that someone would burn down a church, the place of God! I stood there

Even though I studied harder than I ever had before, I still did not reach the grade I thought I deserved. He told me it was because the student who shared a desk with me earned a C and it was partially my fault. This lesson taught me that life is not just about reaching personal success but helping others reach theirs too. My schools CFX’s (Companion’s of Francis Xavier) were another way I have lived out service, spirit, and intellect. During summer vacations after my sophomore and junior year, I would spend hours in the sun hammering nails or digging the foundation where a new home would be built. At the end of every grueling day, we would discuss the reasons why this certain group of people were impoverished and the systematic ways that we could fix it. These trips helped me grow as a person and realize my place in today’s society. It also made me look at larger issues in our world such as homelessness and the border issues - I worked in solidarity building homes with people that were impacted by these matters. One of my greatest moments of service and spirit came on my senior year trip. It was Easter Mass and my group was in the

This year has flown by quickly and sometimes I wonder where all the time went. When I first got my classes I was nervous because most of them were honors with two pre-AP classes. I learned that the classes were not hard if I studied and did my work. I wanted to drop out of my English class but my mother convinced me to stay in. My favorite class was science because we were always doing something interesting and I connected well with everyone. I got the opportunity to be in the school’s Show Choir which was amazing. I feel sad because in our Show Choir we are mostly composed of seniors so I got used to them and now I will miss them terribly. I feel like they were my second family.

Every Saturday morning while the majority of the student body is still fast asleep, I am pouring coffee and preparing for work. I am a Student Ambassador, a job which entails guiding prospective students around campus, encouraging them to become a part of the Mount Union family. Not long ago I was in their footsteps; a prospective student searching for the school that would become my home away from home. My dad, an alumni of Mount Union, enthusiastically retold the memories of his experiences at the university. Memories, which he claimed, “shaped him into the man he is today.” Little did I know that I too would follow in my father's footsteps and grow to find a forever home within the Mount Union community.

Students of Tahoma High School, we have spent many years sitting in the same chairs, listening to the same lectures, and walking the same halls. Our years at this school have definitely been ones to remember and we will cherish these memories for many years. Not only should we be proud of what we have accomplished today, but we should get ready to take on the challenges in the future.

As you leave to begin your new college experience, please explain how you expect to continue to use the spiritual lessons that you have learned from your time at St. John’s.

The 2017-18 academic year was a learning experience for me starting middle school. I started St. Mary’s School in the third grade and was used to staying in one class room for most of the day. As I have got older I was ready for the challenge of the middle school experience.

I swung from my brightly colored hammock, camouflaged amongst the other teenagers in their enos. I was famished, uncomfortably hot, and drenched by the pouring rain that fell from the sky and dripped down the bridge of my nose. I didn’t mind though, and neither did the other eleven campers that also futilely attempted to keep their bibles dry while listening to our counselors over the rain. There at Camp Lake Stephens, I learned that sometimes giving up your life can help you find it. The Holy Spirit reigned at camp, and people came there to worship him. For eleven years, I have been growing there, and it’s changed me as a person.

Senior Year… A beautiful ending to some of the longest, hardest, and most difficult years I will ever have to face. Well at least until my senior year of college. It feels like forever since I first step foot in the high school in my hometown. I started this long journey at Columbia City High School as a freshman and sophomore. Then, for my junior year, I chose to study dance. Having a year off of my education was pretty stressful, but it was the best option for me at the time, and I definitely do not regret it. For my senior year, I found Marion High School. MHS has a partnership with Community School for the Arts, giving me many opportunities through my academics and arts.

I don’t know where to start. I’ve been at St. Rita School for a whole decade and it felt like way longer. I know all the friends have today because of this school. The teachers have been such an impact n my life since I was three years old. I could never find words to thank them for all that they have done for me. Each and every teacher has made a different impact on my life, such as helping me with my faith to teaching me how to solve for x. It’s amazing to think of how many memories I’ve made here. Ever since I came to St. Rita School I’ve grown in my faith abundantly. All of my teachers have helped me with my faith. I know I will have support going through my high school transitions but it will never be the same

Continuing into the rest of my high school year, I had many different opportunities to make a difference. I attended 2 more mission trips, each impacting me more, but I also received the chance to be a member of National Honors Society. Being a part of NHS has also opened my eyes to many new experiences. Through NHS, I was able to go to a nursing home and talk to the elders, trick or treat for non perishable food items for the food shelf, and help at a blood drive through the high school, put on by the American Red Cross. No matter what we were doing, my life kept changing and my passion kept growing.

Everyone in their childhood has a moment that stands out and defines who they are. Mine is a moment, but is also part of my background. This came about in my nine year Catholic education. I attended St. James Catholic School from when I was a kindergartner until I graduated eighth grade. I am the third generation of my family to attend St. James, and can still remember my first day as a kindergartner. I walked into school with the same feeling as all of my other kindergarten classmates with a blank face and did not know which direction to go. Kids, who I thought were giants, guided me to class. From that time on I looked up to them as my friends, and could count on them if I needed help. For the next nine years that building was my home, but I can recall a moment in second grade that sky rocketed me in my Catholic faith. This moment was when I made my First Communion.

These past four years have really been a life changing experience. From a childish freshmen not only at school but at home too, to a still sometimes childish senior, one who knows when and how to control himself. This school and its teachers have taught me so many lessons that will not be forgotten any time soon.