I have attended Walsh since freshman year. However, it took me a long time to understand exactly what a Jesuit education meant. As my time at Walsh Jesuit comes to a close, I am incredibly grateful that I was able to experience this distinctive education during such formative years of my life. 

Xavier University states that the goal of a Jesuit education is “to help shape students’ minds and heart into a habit of reaching out to the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s.” 

Within four years, I’ve learned that Jesuits are big fans of Latin phrases, and those phrases have heavily impacted the person that I’ve become. 

Cura Personalis means “care for the whole self.” I came into Walsh Jesuit fully focused on my academics and have learned that they only make up a small part of who I am as a person. To me, Cura Personalis means making an effort to develop many aspects of myself and to practice self-compassion. All of my classes have pushed me academically, but the extracurriculars I participated in have helped me grow me in other ways. 

Being on Mock Trial taught me how to advocate for something that I believed in, even if it was an imaginary court case. Donating blood through our annual Blood Drive showed me how I can make an impact on someone’s life, even if I never meet them. Bowling for four years demonstrated the importance of working as a team. These experiences, and many others, have taught me about myself and my place in the world. 

Magis, which is Latin for “more,” has been most evident to me in all of the retreats I have attended. The idea of Magis encourages me to reflect on what I have done and the direction I want to head in throughout countless areas and doing more than what is expected. Within the past two years, I have had the privilege of making three retreats, two Kairos and a Poustinia. These encouraged me to change my outlook towards life. I was able to see how God has been present in my life and explore ways to deepen my relationship with Him. I never placed any value on my spiritual life before these experiences and believe they have improved my relationship with God, myself, and others. 

Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam (AMDG). “For the Greater Glory of God” was the first Latin phrase that I learned that is uniquely associated with the Jesuits. Personally, AMDG means keeping God at the center of all that I do. Through practicing discernment, which was taught to me in my religion classes, I have begun to place God and other values of Jesuit education at the center of all that I do. Looking at problems critically, especially social justice issues, and believing in the importance of engagement in society, along with focusing on God, have shaped me into an intelligent person focused on my responsibility toward the world around me.

I am incredibly thankful for the opportunities that Walsh Jesuit has given to me over the past four years through the values of a Jesuit education. My belief in its importance heavily impacted my decision about where to go for my undergraduate studies. This fall, I will be attending Marquette University, a Jesuit college founded in 1881. I am so excited to see what this new chapter brings and see how my time at Walsh Jesuit has shaped me into the person I am today and will continue to become.