Stepping out of my comfort zone at Immaculata
Mina Nyalwal
Since I arrived at Immaculata Classical Academy, I have learned to step out of my comfort zone. I started at the school as a sophomore and that year marked my return to in-person education after almost three years.
Adjusting was difficult, to say the least. I missed waking up later, not having to commute to school and napping between classes. The hardest part, however, was re-learning to interact with people my age (which I had never been good at to begin with).
I absolutely despised talking to others, but Immaculata was such a welcoming environment that I could not help but crawl out of my socially awkward shell just a little. However, junior year was the year that pushed my character development.
In the 2023-2024 school year at Immaculata, a rhetoric class was added to the curriculum. It is a class where students can hone their presentation and public speaking skills. Classes participate in debates and performances and individual students present speeches and recitations.
This lovely addition was courtesy of my sophomore year class teacher, Mr. Worthy. Coincidence? Most likely. But I like to think that my hopeless lack of public speaking skills contributed to the addition of rhetoric to our high school classes.
Rhetoric was an uphill battle. I had never done anything like it before, and suddenly I was expected to speak confidently, project my voice and look at my audience. I could hardly look at people when they were talking to me.
Initially, I had no interest in gaining the ability to clearly communicate and firmly believed I had no need of it. Looking back, I see now that God placed me at Immaculata to learn the importance of this skill.
The supportiveness of my teachers and classmates made me want to try to get out of my comfort zone. I put effort into growing my communication skills because I finally had people in my life to encourage me. In the process, I learned that this was something I needed to know how to do if I were to function as a normal human being in the real world.
I am a senior now. I can still barely talk to people, but I’m much better at it than I was two years ago. Most importantly, I, a person who was firmly against doing things I deemed too difficult, am ready to defend Catholic beliefs out in the present-day secular world that is bent on making being a devout Catholic difficult.
Just because an endeavor is burdensome does not mean its pursuit is worthless. This is something I would have never considered had I not attended Immaculata Classical Academy.
Immaculata taught me true charity
Michaela Kenney
Third grade was my first year joining Immaculata. Before Immaculata, I was homeschooled and had very little experience of what it meant to “go to” a school.
At home, I could wake up and start school in my comfortable pajamas. I could take breaks and lunch when I needed to. I could finish my school lessons and homework at my desired speed. I could talk to my siblings or parents whenever I needed to.
But at school, I had to wear certain types of clothing. I couldn’t take breaks whenever and couldn’t communicate or even be with my parents and siblings for a seven-hour period of the day. The transition was hard for me and leaving my home every day to be with people I didn’t know made me anxious.
One of the only reasons I started feeling more comfortable and stopped having anxiety over school was the fact that Immaculata’s teachers and faculty make everyone feel personally welcome. They truly show Christ’s love to everyone in our community and bring us all together in our faith. Whether it was a “good morning” and a smile from a teacher in the morning, or the encouragement and visible happiness from our principal, it helped me feel comfortable being away from home, instead of anxious.
Being in a community like Immaculata, you’re able to trust everyone around you and make life-long friendships. You will learn to love others as Christ does, and that is something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. Immaculata has taught me what true charity is, and for that I am forever grateful.
