Student Perspective: Emma O'Connor
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November 13, 2017Here, at St. Michael the Archangel, our mission is to know truth, love God, and serve others. The first day I walked inside the doors of St. Michael, I felt the presence of God when I was welcomed with open arms to be a part of their community. I came to St. Michael’s when my family moved back to Missouri after living in Sacramento, CA for a year. Being a sophomore, I wasn’t necessarily scared of the first day of high school, but I was nervous because of the fact that I was a transfer student. Even though I knew some people from middle school and as family friends, I didn’t know most of the students and staff. That changed when I pulled up to St. Michael and the staff and O’Hara students were outside welcoming everyone to the new school. Welcoming is a word I would definitely use to describe St. Michael and is, without a doubt, a part of their mission.
I was excited to be a part in opening up a new school and see history being made before my eyes. St. Michael’s students have had the chance to make decisions that will stay with St. Michael for the next one hundred years and after. They have given the students a chance to make the school our own. One of my favorite things about St. Michael is the community system. I am fortunate enough to be a part of the JP II community and everyday we gather as a community to pray before we split up into our houses. The community system is a great way for all of us to come together and know we have others around us who are there to support us and love us. From there, we go into our houses and are able to spend time getting to know the people in our house and play games. This time is a great way to build community and to get to know other people from different grades. I also love house time because it gives us a break from the stressors of everyday life and gives us time to enjoy each other’s company. Building a community is a part of St. Michael’s mission.
At St. Michael, however, we aren’t focused on just building our own community, we are also focused on going and helping out our community as a whole. We, as students of St. Michael, get the opportunity to go out into our city community and spend time doing service hours. Personally, I volunteer at a Therapeutic Riding Center located in Independence. I love being able to help kids with special needs and see the smiles on their faces from the moment they get on the horse. St. Michael pushed me to serve others and I came across a wonderful opportunity of something I really have enjoyed doing. Serving others is part of their mission because they want us, as the next generation, to learn the importance of helping one’s neighbor.
Being able to go to a catholic school is important to me because we, as students and staff, are able to pray and talk about Jesus in the classroom and go together as a community to mass. Being able to talk about your faith with others helps to build, not only community, but it helps to make your faith stronger. Seeing that God has given us the opportunity to be a part of this beautiful new school, shows us that He always has a plan in store for us. God has changed my life, personally, in many mysterious ways and this new school is another part of God’s plan for me and my peers. Before I came to St. Michael, I did not realize that everything God does is for a reason. I did not know why God had my family move thousands of miles away from home; however, when I look back I now see that God pulled my family closer together and that experience made me appreciate my home. St. Michael taught me to look at God and his work in different ways than I ever have before. Faith at St. Michael is something that stands out among all other schools. I am thankful for what St. Michael has done for me this year and cannot wait for the many more experiences I will have throughout my high school years.
St. Michael the Archangel Catholic High School
Established in 2017, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic High School is a 21st-century learning environment rooted in the traditions and values of the Catholic faith. SMA is rich in initiatives that lead students closer to the person of Jesus and exposes students to a wide range of hands-on, college-preparatory learning. SMA's faith-based curriculum, athletics, and community provide students with an environment of discovery and discernment of God's plan for their lives.