Student turned teacher: a story from St. Rose of Lima School in Crofton
Thank you to Tracey Leader for sharing the below story. We can’t wait to hear more great things from you and from this school!
As an alum and now first-year teacher at St. Rose of Lima School in Crofton, I can only begin to share the many blessings and authentic encounters that this small, rural Catholic School has offered me. [Editor’s note: Crofton belongs to Knox County and has a thriving Catholic school community with less than 1,000 residents) At St. Rose School, I was able to build a strong foundation founded in prayer, service, hope, morals, and love. I had teachers who led great examples of what it truly meant to live out our Catholic faith. My teachers set high expectations for all of us academically, spiritually, and instilled many morals and life-skills. Most importantly, they showed me that God has a plan for my life. The teachers inspired me and helped me discover that God was calling me to be a teacher so that I can help my students grow and develop a relationship with God.
During my education at St. Rose, our parish priest would also visit our classroom weekly. We would have deep discussions, many of which were based on our questions, curiosities, and concerns for our faith. It really showed me that it is better to dig deeper, to wonder, and to ask questions about our faith rather than going through the motions.
Beyond the classroom, St. Rose School offered me the chances to attend mass twice during the week, to encounter Christ in the sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation, and to be fully in the presence of Christ during weekly Adoration. Once a year in sixth through eighth grade, we also attended a religious pilgrimage somewhere in the surrounding area.
I was able to take everything I learned and developed during the eight years of faith-filled education and really branch out on my own as I entered high school, and especially throughout college. College was the first time I had to make the conscious decision to live out my faith where I was not always surrounded by it. This was the first time I really was faced with others who did not have the same beliefs and morals I did. I can truly say that because I learned back in elementary and middle school how precious and real our faith is, that I knew I wanted to live it out for the rest of my life. I was able to go out and find friends around campus that shared their Catholic faith with me, and we were able to keep each other accountable and push each other to live out our faith.
During the end of my college career, I really started focusing on what God had planned for me. Because of the prayer life I had started to develop at St. Rose as an elementary student, I continued to pray, now asking God to help me open my heart and mind to be willing to follow His plan for me. Not knowing where or what His plans were for my life, I turned everything over to Him and placed all my worries into His hands. When I first found out that there was a teaching position open back at St. Rose, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and clarity like I have never felt before.
God has revealed His plan for me, and I could not have been more excited to accept the position as the fourth-grade teacher at St. Rose. I am so grateful that God has called me back to St. Rose with the opportunity to inspire, engage, and enlighten my very own students. I am so eager to share opportunities and encounters with my students as we all strive to grow in faith together. I want to show my students that God has a plan for their lives!
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In the current 2018-19 school year, Father Tim created a theme for the school. These words come directly from John’s Gospel: “… But Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come from Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’” (John 1:46). We, too, can be challenged by these same words: Can anything good come from Crofton? Yes, certainly! Come and see!! Come and see the good things happening at St. Rose! Learn more about the St. Rose of Lima Catholic community: https://saintroseoflimaschoolcrofton.weebly.com/
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To submit your own testimony, simply email Bbonczynski@archomaha.org or visit our Everyday Impact page to submit online.