Thursday, as I’m sure many of you know, was Discover UC night at school. The best way I can describe it for anyone who wasn’t there is that it was basically a mini open house. My job was to make sure everyone was comfortable, knew where the cafeteria and bathroom was, and eventually help them get back to where they had parked (even though once you get used to the halls of UC you realize it’s just one big circle, so if you just keep walking, you’ll get to where you need to be eventually). There was a block of time where parents and students got to ask questions – the Student and Parent Panels. I was a member of the Parent Panel, which was a period during the night where parents all came to the cafeteria and asked questions about the school. There were three students, myself included, two parents of children at UC, and Mrs. Farrel, who is in charge of transportation, seated on the Panel. Mrs. Thornton, our Admissions Director, was also available to answer questions, and Mrs. McCoid, a vice principal. So, any question a parent had could very easily be answered. There were questions such regarding tuition, payments, classes, placement, the COOP test and scholarship tests, etc. Personally, I answered two questions and I will share them as well as my answers with you.
The first question was “How does UC prepare students for the college application process?” This was my response, more or less: In the beginning of junior year, your guidance counselors schedule meetings for parents and students to talk about how everyone should be starting the college search, going over financial aid, and all making us aware of the millions and millions of dollars in scholarships available to all those who apply. They give out a timeline to keep us on track and a booklet of all the colleges in the country. Senior year, there are other meetings that talk about things like the common application, scholarships, and what the admission directors don’t want to see in our essays. When I first thought about my major in college, I was really set on furthering my education in the areas of psychology and criminal justice. So, in September, I met with my guidance counselor, Mrs. Jakubik, and we talked about the amount of schooling I would need to complete to get certified and make a decent living. My current psychology teacher also had speakers come into our class to tell us about what psychology actually is as a career, and she told us about all the areas of psychology we can go into. That’s when I realized psychology REALLY isn’t what I want to major in. So now, I’m going to be a business-undeclared major going into college. It’s very different, but at least I didn’t have to tell my mom junior year of college that, ‘guess what? I’m going to switch majors… don’t be mad!’ At that point, I knew what I was looking at in a school so it was time to narrow down my options. I talked to Mrs. Jakubik again about what schools would be beneficial for me to look at and went from there. Once I looked at a couple, I knew right away that I need a small, local college. At that point, I had 5 in mind. Then came the part where I actually had to apply, which was scary to say the very least. It made me feel better to read the emails from Mrs. Jakubik that told me what I needed to do for the common application and how to navigate college websites, but I still had no clue. One day about three weeks ago, I went into guidance with piles of papers and tons of questions. My guidance counselor told me first, I had to get organized. So I made a folder for each of the 5 schools I was applying to. Next, I wrote the essays that each school asked for which was part of the curriculum in my English class. My English teacher was so helpful when it came to essays; she proofread them, told us what we should change and whether or not out topic was a keeper, and was very influential in the process of writing the best possible essays. Then, I printed out an application for each school except two that I filled out online. That’s when I went back to the guidance office. There, I was told step by step what to do and in about half an hour all my applications were in the basket ready to be mailed out. It was without a doubt, the most stressful situation, as far as school goes, that I’ve ever been in (even now, as I’m writing this, I’m feeling the nervous butterflies in my stomach), but my guidance counselor and all the teachers were there for me to point me in the right direction. Now, all I can do is wait. I know that without the help of my teachers and Mrs. Jakubik especially, I would not have been able to get my applications this painlessly OR in time for early action. Because I go to UC and the people there are really backing me up 100%, I was able to be on top of everything I needed to be for college next fall.
The second question came from a mom who wanted to know how UC has helped me “grow in my faith.” I responded that when I came to UC as a freshman, I was lost. I had no idea who I was or what I believed in. Yes, my parents had always gone to church and I went with them every Sunday, but I was just following suit. UC gave me a fresh start and the opportunity to figure out who I am and what I want for myself. I took that opportunity; it was the best decision I’ve ever made and I mean that. I got involved and became an ambassador, which showed me that my passion is people and being social. This role forced me to come out of my shell and become who I am. However, it was more than just being social that has made me grow as a person. Union Catholic and faith is one entity – without faith in God and faith in each other, UC would cease to exist the way I know it. Before I came to UC, I just went to church because I had to. Now, I actually believe that God is a part of my life and has done great things for me, so I go because I want to. If I had not attended UC, I truly believe that I would not have discovered my own identity or grown in faith.
Overall, I think the night was a huge success and everyone walked away with a better understanding of what kind of place UC. As our principle stated at the beginning of the night, “UC is the best-kept secret,” but hopefully more people have discovered and seen firsthand what an amazing place it is after that night.
The reason I titled this blog the way I did is because I think that song really describes high school at UC and am very glad it’s our new theme song. The line that really hits the nail on the head is: “I want a new beginning, one without an end.” That one really gets me because thats what you get when you come to UC. It’s not so much the math equations, vocab words, or worksheets that stay with you as much as the role those 4 years plays in the road to self discovery and overall growth. Over the weekend, I was talking to a close friend and UC alumni from the class of 2008 about how I REALLY don’t want to leave and am going to cry my eyes out come May 30th. His response defines the experience high school here provides and the impact it leaves. He said: “People don’t leave UC. They graduate, but they never leave. A place like UC stays with you wherever you go.”
