Testimonials From Three of Our Recent Graduates

"All that we learn, regardless of our grade, leads to Christ in some way. Our education at this school shows us this way very clearly, whether it is in class or occasionally, in our free time. One of the most prominent examples of how all education leads to Christ is History. We, as the eighth-grade class, learn about the Middle Ages, and we recently read about the Magna Carta, which was composed in the 13^th century to counter the tyranny of King John. Under the leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the document justified that the Church is directed by the Spirit of God rather than the materialism of what is here on earth – this is a concept that our class has discussed many times through the year.

Education at the Academy is also the continuation of the path to heaven. Our classes lead us to knowledge, knowledge to understanding, understanding to wisdom, and wisdom leads us to the importance of the ultimate goal—to be happy with God in heaven.

Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We are reminded of this daily in our classes, whether we are learning about Religion or Science. Our education at the Academy not only comes from Christ but leads us to Him, as well. Christ said of Himself, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” These words have become part of our hearts here at this school." -Eli R.

"During my eight years at this school, I have experienced the advancement of an education at its best. From what I have learned at the Academy, I see the classical education model like this – when we are in the lower grades, we learn the starting points for everything such as memorizing math facts, learning how to spell longer words, memorizing poetry, and so on. When we reach the upper grades, we start to move deeper into more serious topics while focusing on what we will need for high school such as algebra, how to write well-structured essays, and memorizing great works of literature such as Shakespeare.

These advancements in our education bring challenges to the students – challenges we all need as students. These academic endeavors, ranging from projects to homework, teach us how to understand, persevere, and master the topics we learn about, and it is during these times that our teachers give us the love and support we need to succeed. Our teachers do this all the time with the same direction of someone like a good friend – the idea of helping someone who is struggling with a bit of a nudge, in the friendly way, to the right direction. Because of this, I am able to find not only purpose in the work I do, but also joy and contentment, which is an important part of a classical education.

The way classical education is structured, integrating subjects throughout the day, helps me and everyone here at the Academy to grow spiritually and academically." -Andrew H.

"I came to the Academy in my fifth-grade year from a Catholic diocesan school; this move changed my view on education entirely and for the better. I relish and enjoy so much of what we learn here and what we do because of the way we are taught; it has enkindled a love of learning in me.

At the Academy, we are discussing so much more than just concepts and definitions in the classrooms. Every day is dedicated to diving deeper into the subjects, sifting through the conflicts of an historical period to make sure we understand it as a whole.

We are not just told what to do, or what to write down; we circulate our ideas through class discussions so that we can learn to think for ourselves in the light of Christ. This is what we call our Socratic Circle discussions, my personal favorite part of the day when we talk about a topic in Religion or the Humanities. It is because of this method that I have a deeper friendship with my peers and can appreciate their thoughts about our faith and how it impacted the world yesterday and still does today.

I am so grateful for the opportunity God had given me to attend the Regina Academy at St. John the Baptist." - Catharine D.