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Kindergarten to College
Catholic schools prepare teens for next chapter
by Kathryn Whitaker (published here with permission from the Diocese of Austin)
Thirteen years ago, they walked into the kindergarten door at St. Theresa’s Catholic School in Austin. Ten years ago they posed for first Communion photos. This spring, they graduated from high school.
What was initially planned as a small gathering of 15 former kindergarten classmates, swelled to 32, as the door kept opening and kids continued to pour in, one after another.
The 2006 kindergarten class at St. Theresa’s had 44 students, divided into two classes. Over the years, some would leave town for family reasons, others moved to different Catholic schools or homeschool hybrid programs while others migrated to public schools. But in the end, the families remained in touch.
“We should get the class together before they graduate,” said Kathryn Whitaker, mother of Will Whitaker. It was something she had said a dozen times before to her husband Scott, but with high school graduation looming they knew it was now or never. With a week’s notice, they sent out an invite on Facebook. On Divine Mercy Sunday, the Whitaker kitchen was full of 32 former classmates high-fiving, laughing and poring over old yearbooks.
Of the original class, 10 completed a Catholic education through their senior year in the Diocese of Austin. This fall, they’ll be attending Notre Dame, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Baylor, Duke, The University of Texas, UC-Berkley and Michigan. Their pursuits of higher education will have them studying varied degree plans and subjects, including math, computer science, business, sport management, education, music, linguistics and more.
“There is great value in incorporating my faith into daily life,” graduating senior Amanda Tuerff reiterates about her twelve-year formation in Catholic schools at St. Theresa’s and St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School in Austin. Amanda plans to study business at Ole Miss.
That foundation of faith was planted in kindergarten, all those years ago, and is beginning to bloom as these high school seniors turn the page on a new chapter in life.
“Catholic schools did a good job of preparing me for college by giving me rigor in the classroom while also forming my faith life,” says graduating senior Will Whitaker. Will plans to pursue a degree in sports management at Texas A&M as a member of the Corps of Cadets.
In the valedictory speech at the St. Dominic Savio graduation, Jonathan Shoemaker asked, “So what did we learn these past four years? I think I was exposed to a wide variety of people, ideas and experiences. And, next year we will have lots of freedom to choose our own path.” Shoemaker will be double majoring in math and computer science at MIT this fall.
Each of those former kindergarteners were given a foundation of Christ through simple activities like the living rosary and Mass buddies. Now, as they navigate life after high school, they have opportunities to participate and lead at Catholic campus ministry programs at secular universities and then go out into the world and be disciples. May Christ’s example be with them. And, may our Catholic schools continue to form young adults with conviction, faith and the love of Christ.
