Fall 2017: Heartbeat and Annual Report Fall17 Heartbeat | Page 14

Alums Look Back and Ahead
“Wherever you go, whatever road you may travel, you will
always have a home at Sacred Heart.” That is a phrase that
generations of Sacred Heart alumni are familiar with and one
that is beginning to resonate more with our young alumni
as they continue their journey into the future.
In July, we welcomed the Class of 2013 back to campus for
the first annual Ron Schwartz Memorial Basketball Game
and Fiesta. Four years after leaving Sheridan Road for the
new surroundings of high school, the alums took the oppor-
tunity to reconnect, share memories and enjoy some time
(left to right) Hunter Morgan H’13, Olivia Coletta A’13, Jack Siebert H’13.
together before life takes them down another road—this
time to college.
Prior to the reunion, Julie Montague, Sacred Heart’s Assistant
Director of Development, Alumni Relations, sat down with
Olivia Coletta A’13, who is attending Duke University, Hunter
Morgan H’13, who is going to the University of Chicago and
Jack Siebert H’13, who is attending New York University.
She asked them to reflect on their Sacred Heart experience
through the lens of a high school graduate.
Q: During your four years of high school, did you discover
anything that is unique to Sacred Heart that you may have
never thought was unique when you were a student here?
Q: When you think back on Sacred Heart, is there some-
thing that you really loved about the school?
Hunter: Sacred Heart gave me a foundation that I have been
able to grow from. The school community nourishes stu-
dents through the formative years—I remember the school
being a wonderful, tight-knit, student-centric community.
Eventually, when you get to high school, you’re thinking,
“H oly cow, there’s an outside world.” Sacred Heart gives you
a foundation that prepares you to thrive in that world.
Olivia: I think that the community here is like no place else.
It makes you feel like you’re a part of something bigger than
Olivia: One thing that stood out to me was that I still say just your school; that you are more than just yourself. You
“thank you” to my teacher at the end of class. I distinctly have a purpose and a role and then you move on to some-
remember being in Mrs. Haverkamp’s 6th grade class and we where bigger. At St. Ignatius we talk about Cura Personalis
all said “thank you” to her as she passed out our quiz for the (care for the entire person), and I think that is exactly what
day. She stopped midway through and said, “That’s what I Sacred Heart does. Overall, I think it’s a very loving place and
love about Sacred Heart students. They say thank you even an amazing place to start your formal education.
when we are passing out quizzes and tests.” Sacred Heart
instills manners in its students. That is just one example of
what I’ve brought with me to high school.
Jack: I moved to Sacred Heart in time for 7th grade so my
perspective is a bit different than Olivia’s and Hunter’s. When
I came to visit the school with my family, we were floored
Jack: After graduating from Sacred Heart, I moved on to by how professional the students were and how established
Jones College Prep, a school that has students from many the school was. The history, tradition and community here
different demographic groups around the city. Looking are so powerful. Students grow deep roots within the school
back on things like International Night, Justice Day and all and develop strong friendships with fellow students and
of the other things that Sacred Heart promotes and stands teachers. Even being here for just two years, I found that I
for made me realize that there is so much more to the world. was prepared for the bigger world outside of Sacred Heart.
That was very helpful to me as I got acclimated at Jones. The school gave me a very worldly educational experience.
I am appreciative and grateful to Sacred Heart for that,
particularly because I transitioned into an extremely diverse
high school.