My Catholic experience

My Catholic education has improved many aspects of my life. I believe that with my Catholic education, I have learned to understand others and walk in their shoes. I have learned how to be a good leader that looks out for the team and listens to others’ opinions. I have also learned to truly accept God in my life and find joy in him. I have found out what it truly means to be a Catholic and how being Catholic doesn’t mean mindlessly reading the Bible and going to church, but spreading the good news of God. It has taught me to love, embrace and accept all people, and helped me find inner peace and stand up again during hard times. It has truly helped me trust in God and let His love guide me on my journey through life.

I came to St. Mary’s-St. Alphonsus in third grade. Before that I had been attending a public school. I had no friends and I felt out of place. I also had a hard time understanding others. I’m someone who enjoys learning, but during my years in a public school my love of learning decreased. Also, my classes were not very challenging. When I was enrolled in Catholic school, the change was immediate. Everyone embraced and accepted me. I grew close to my teachers, classmates and friends. I began to enjoy school again. School challenged me to surpass my limits and to soar higher up into the sky to reach my goals. I started to open up to others and express my feelings and opinions rather than closing myself off and letting others make my decisions for me. I learned not only my studies but life lessons as well. I learned how to love, embrace and accept everyone of different backgrounds and to accept myself as well.

The lessons that I have learned have helped me stand up for what I believe in and let my voice be heard and help other voices be heard as well. It helped me find the courage to be brave for others and myself and to help others in need of help. With these lessons, I can be a good leader and role model for others as well as someone people can open up to and feel safe, welcomed and not judged. My faith has also helped me get up again when I have fallen through hard times, and to help others when they are going through hard times as well. Another thing I love about being Catholic is that it is universal, which means it accepts everyone regardless of race, gender or faith. I hope to live up to this example and to help others to live up to this example.

Finally, my Catholic education has helped me trust in God and let his love guide me throughout my journey in life. As I learn, I am taught the history of my faith, and how others have suffered in the past for me and how it has thrived and prospered for others. I have learned that even though God is merciful, He also lays out tests before us to help us grow stronger and be ready for the real world when the time comes. I have learned that to truly understand your faith you can’t just use your brain, but you must use your heart as well to truly accept your faith and God in your life and heart. To find joy in Him as a teacher, friend and guardian.

My Catholic education has helped me in many aspects of my life. It has given me courage, guidance and peace to help others, love the unlovable and realize that all people are beautiful. My faith has also helped me through hard times. Most importantly though, it has given me a purpose and true happiness in life. That can only come from accepting God and living by his words with all of my mind, heart and soul.

Angella Nguyen is an eighth grader at SMSARCS, and has attended SMSA since the third grade. Angella enjoys art, swimming, reading, math, listening to music and kung fu. Angella would like to become either an anesthesiologist or a neurosurgeon.