Too often, I hear complaints of the “single-mindedness” that education at a Catholic school provides. The decision to receive education at a school such as St. Dominic comes down to the values and priorities that a Catholic education should foster in us as young people.

High school is a huge stepping stone in our journeys to discover ourselves and the world around us. Our brains are still developing and we are beginning to branch out from the safety of our homes into the bigger world of society while exploring all the facets of what culture and experience have to teach us.

Our high school experience should be one that creates and deepens the desire for knowledge and curiosity. Without this “hunger,” we cannot truly begin to understand how creation functions and what our role is within that creation.

The better we understand creation, the better we can understand our Creator. Therefore, Catholic education seeks to draw out the desire to know God and each other to the best of our ability.

In addition, attending a Catholic school provides us with passionate, strong mentors in faith. Sometimes, our family, friends and community cannot offer us the best role models for how to live our lives in order to love God and serve each other. When we attend a Catholic school, we are introduced to teachers and staff who have dedicated their lives to be witnesses to Christ. Our teachers are leaders and saints who can inspire and change our lives.

Lastly, a Catholic school gives us the gift of opportunity. At our school, we have the amazing privilege to be able to receive Christ in the Eucharist every single week on Mondays in the chapel. No public school can offer the gift of God himself present with us every single week. We are able to worship and receive the Lord alongside our friends and community in faith, which is an opportunity that no one could pass up.

Although a Catholic school experience can seem sheltered or different, the values, opportunities and role models we meet there are unlike any other education you could ask for.