We recently conducted an interview with GRACE President of the Day, Megan M., a Grade 11 student from Chesterton Academy of St. John Paul II Classical School!
Q: Could you tell us about yourself and your experience at Chesterton Academy of St. John Paul II Classical School?
A: I’ve always gone to Catholic school, from 4K all the way to 8th grade, and Chesterton Academy is a totally different Catholic educational experience, different than anything I’ve experienced before. They do such a great job of taking the Catholic faith and bringing it into the studies. That was never something I could connect before – until reading the ancient books, reading Thomas Aquinas, and these other old writers who were so strong in their faith that they could see it in the world, and now I’m able to do that. It’s made me look for ways to integrate faith into my life.
Q: How has your Catholic faith played a role in your time at Chesterton?
A: It has grown significantly since attending Chesterton. The examples of teachers; I had never seen someone so on fire than some of my teachers and that really pushed me to learn more and confront myself about how I feel about my faith. It made me realize that I really do care about it and I want to grow it farther. I had one of my first amazing experiences in Adoration. I was trying to write something for a class and I was kind of frustrated. I saw the incense swirling and just got this beautiful sense and I knew exactly what to write and how to word my thoughts. I got an amazing reflection out of it that I still read back.
Q: Reflecting on your time at Chesterton, could you tell us what your favorite class or subject has been and why?
A; Weirdly it has become history, which I never really cared much about because I was either bored or it didn’t seem very interesting. But the way we’ve been taught, especially this year, has made it seem like more of a story and you can see it evolving over time. I wasn’t able to make that connection before. Now it’s so much easier to see history and how it reflects to now and how it leads to important events. It’s really cool.
Q: Beyond academics, what extracurricular activities or clubs have you been involved in?
A: I’ve really enjoyed our drama program. I’m in two plays this year. We just finished the first play a month ago and that was such a fun experience. I was working with the class under me which was such a good experience to get to know those kids on another level. Because drama is such a personal thing, you get to see how other peoples’ brains work, you get to learn about them, how they think, how they act, how they move and who they are in a different light and that was really interesting.
Q: As you near the end of your high school journey, what are you most looking forward to after graduation?
A: I’m looking forward to keeping in touch with my classmates and my teachers. If it works out, I would absolutely love to work in the GRACE system. I love my school, I love the values, and I would love to be able to work alongside my teachers or somewhere in the system. I love Catholic education and working with kids. That would be really fun and something I think I would really enjoy.
Q: In what ways do you feel like Chesterton or GRACE has prepared you for the future?
A: At Chesterton we have the Socratic method, which means we are talking and discussing in class, and that pushes you to formulate your thoughts into actual sentences. Sometimes I will have a thought and not know how to word it, but this forces you to do that. So then in other aspects of your life, like when talking to my parents or my sister, I can actually formulate my thoughts into coherent sentences so we can actually have a discussion rather than just talking or not understanding each other. It’s been very helpful.
Q: Can you share any memorable moments from your time at Chesterton that have had a significant impact on you?
A: Just how the students come together and we’re such a family. One of our students had a loss in their family and we all gathered together and went to the funeral together. It was really beautiful just seeing how everybody cares for everybody.
Q: How would you describe the community or camaraderie at Chesterton and how has it contributed to your overall high school experience?
A: There’s a very strong sense of family in the school. If you get along with one of the students and don’t necessarily know their siblings you can go over and have a conversation with the parents or the siblings. I remember when I was in middle school I was always scared of the older kids. But here I have little kids running to come up to me and say “I saw you doing ballroom dancing outside!” and they get all excited and it’s really sweet. It’s nice to not feel so alienated from the little kids and it’s cool to be able to be big siblings to other children. The teachers feel like another set of aunts and uncles and I love all of them. They know when to joke around and when to discipline. They are very good at gauging students and meeting them where they are. I’ve also made such great friends because we all have this commonality of our Catholic faith. We learn the same things, we start to discuss things. I’ve made friendships that will definitely last a lifetime and I’m very grateful for that.
Q: What message or advice would you give to other students considering Chesterton?
A: Don’t be so scared about Latin or philosophy or some of the other more difficult subjects. Even if they’re difficult, they help you to grow your own mind, to learn stuff about yourself. Taking philosophy, I’ve learned how I think, how I’m able to develop information. I was very scared in the beginning and then you realize you’re a lot smarter than you think you are.
Read other stories in the new GRACE Spring 2024 newsletter by clicking the button below.
St. John Paul II Catholic School and Chesterton Academy are of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. They are private Catholic schools serving Preschool and Elementary through high school, adding one grade per year. They have with open enrollment and provide an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually. Learn more by scheduling a visit.
