What are your thoughts about the academic experience at Sacred Heart?
The academic program here is definitely challenging. A senior student, reflecting on her Sacred Heart education, once wrote, “I have experienced first-hand how Sacred Heart students stand out in the crowd and how they do make a difference in the world. Right from the start, during our preschool days, we are given choices. It is our choice whether to go to French class, gym class or the playroom. It is our choice what books to read, classes to take, what service projects to commit to. We are always encouraged to take control of our personal growth and intellectual growth. We are given the freedom to choose. As a result, a Sacred Heart student develops courage and confidence…We have an opinion, and we take a stand. We want to take action against injustice and impropriety, and we do. We want to make a difference, and we do. The key? The desire and ambition to take action comes from within us, but the courage, confidence and the positive belief that we can do it has been instilled in us by our strong Sacred Heart education.”
What does being a member of the Sacred Heart community mean to you?
To begin with, there’s a community here of teachers, students and parents who have deepened in me an appreciation of the importance of having friends. I’ve become a better person because of them. I definitely grow in the measure that I feel connected to other people, no matter how young or old they are, no matter where they come from. I see them as gifts in my life, reflecting back to me, each in her or his own way, something of God’s own Beauty, Truth or Love.
Why did you choose to teach at Sacred Heart?
I’ve been here for about forty years, a long time certainly, and so I hasten to add that they’ve been among the happiest years of my life. Why? Because Sacred Heart is a place where I find an abundance of LIFE and LOVE.
What special characteristics of Sacred Heart make it feel like a second home?
It’s often been said by members of our community that Sacred Heart is like a second home. That’s true. Whether you’re a student or a teacher there’s a spirit of respect for the individual, a sense of being known and loved for who you are, and when you have that, it’s certainly easier for us to take risks with one another. I see teachers making themselves available to students who need a little extra support; they’re not just professionally outstanding; they care about their students. That’s what makes them fantastic. That’s what gives quality to an education endeavor like ours.