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Building strong foundations for future success

By MICHELLE DELANEY, Globe staff reporter
(Email Michelle)

For every great adventure, an immense amount of preparation is needed. High school is a journey that lays the groundwork for students to go off and start their own adventure.

During their time at high school, students learn traits and habits that will stick with them their entire lives.
The Catholic schools in the Sioux City Diocese have a long history of teaching students how to balance schoolwork, volunteering and extra-curricular activities. With this as a foundation, many Catholic school graduates have advanced forward to prestigious colleges.

Brandon Boldt

Brandon Boldt graduated in 2010 from Kuemper Catholic School in Carroll. He is currently in his sophomore year of college and majoring in biology and pre-med at the University of Notre Dame.

According to U.S. News and World Report, Notre Dame is ranked 19 overall among national universities in the United States. Founded in 1842, Notre Dame is a Catholic college located in South Bend, Ind.

When visiting potential colleges once he toured Notre Dame, Boldt knew that was the right place for him. He explained how the atmosphere was very welcoming, the people were very friendly and that made him feel at home.

“The Catholic community, the religious part of Notre Dame was really attractive too. They have weekly Masses in the dorms and all that stuff,” said Boldt.

Coming from a Catholic high school, the transition to a Catholic college went smoothly for Boldt.

“The theology I learned in high school has helped me here at Notre Dame. I’m used to being surrounded by my religious faith while going to school,” said Boldt. “Looking back at it, I’m really glad that I went to Kuemper and I feel like I’ve benefited from the things I’ve learned there.”

While in high school, Boldt was extremely active. He was in football, basketball, track, tennis, student government, mock trial and large group speech.

At college, he is active in a biology club, a pre-med club and a business club called Net Impact, which allows students to learn about environmentally friendly business and smart business tactics.

After he graduates from the University of Notre Dame, he plans to go to med school.

John Daniels

In 2008 John Daniels graduated from Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City. After high school, Daniels traveled across the country to attend Columbia University in New York.

Columbia University is an Ivy League college that was founded in 1754. According to U.S. News and World Report, it is ranked 4th overall among national universities in the United States.

While at Bishop Heelan, Daniels took every honors course possible. He also played basketball, some football, some soccer and was a member of the science and debate club.

“I’m a big fan of the Catholic school system. I think it’s important to incorporate morals in the academia and everything that encompasses that lifestyle,” he said. “I think it definitely helped make me more disciplined as far as approaching school and extracurricular activities that really helped make a strong foundation to be successful.”

He is majoring in psychology with a concentration on economics. He is also involved with a student run investments fund, which, as he explained, is one of the few student run hedge funds in the country.

Furthermore, he does community service with the Columbia Community Impact program. This program involves tutoring and mentoring underprivileged kids from the surrounding community.

“I think going to a Catholic school, we were definitely made aware of the things that need to be corrected around us, so I grew up always doing service projects,” said Daniels. “As I got up here at college it was just natural for me to look for opportunities to help out and give back.”

Somehow, Daniels also finds time to play for the Columbia Lions basketball team.

While he had offers to play basketball at a couple larger colleges, Daniels always made education his number one priority. He attributes his dedication to education to his family and teachers who always pushed him to do his best academically.

“The teachers really cared at Heelan. If you’re intent on learning then there’s no better recourses provided than at Catholic Schools,” said Daniels.

Morgan Derrig

A 2011 graduate from St. Edmond Catholic School in Fort Dodge, Morgan Derrig, is currently studying at St. Louis University in Missouri.

St. Louis was founded in 1818 and is a Catholic Jesuit College. It is ranked among the top five Jesuit universities in the country.

“I wanted to go to a Jesuit Catholic college because I felt that Saint Louis University would help me grow as an individual by helping me connect with my Catholic faith by showing me a different kind of Catholic, Jesuits,” said Derrig. “Jesuits focus more on serving people, which is a main goal of mine so going to a college that focuses on serving was a plus.”

While in high school, St. Edmond’s helped her make her decision in going to a Catholic college by showing the sense of community a Catholic school has and how people can connect through their faith.

“My religious education has helped me grow morally by teaching me the difference between right and wrong. It has also taught me that even though I may do wrong at some point, I can still change and the Catholic Church is there to help guide me from wrong to right,” said Derrig.

In high school Derrig played tennis, was a member of Respect for Life and she was in the French club. At St. Louis she is in the sorority Gamma Phi Beta which promotes womanhood through love, labor, learning and loyalty.

Triple majoring in pre-law, psychology and international studies, Derrig plans on furthering her education after getting her bachelor’s degree by going to graduate school for international law.

Going to a Catholic high school has helped lay the foundation for these students. It gave them something strong to push off of, as they take what they have learned through their family, parish and school and head towards their goals.