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From the student Christian Service Program to the service
clubs available to students at St. Michael High School, the opportunity
to give back to others is an integral part of a student’s experience at
this local Catholic high school. Even the athletic teams extend their
teamwork practices outside of the playing field and into nursing homes
and mission trips throughout the year.
“Most all of our athletes will make their livelihoods in something other
than sports; yet the character-building and teamwork skills gained
through the volunteer projects that we tackle, in addition to what they
learn throughout their seasons, will be with them for life,” said Tami
Reynolds, St. Michael High School Athletic Director.
The last mission trip that Reynolds led was to the Buras/Port Sulphur,
La area in late May to help continue with the post-Katrina rebuilding
efforts, working with Habitat for Humanity. Instead of just one team
signing up, there were five including football, volleyball, the
nationally-ranked cheer and dance squads, and the state champion girls
basketball team.
“It is amazing to see these young people thinking of someone other than
themselves,” says Abby Tate, St. Michael High School history teacher and
dance team moderator, who helped chaperone the Habitat for Humanity
mission trip. “These volunteer projects, like everything we do at St.
Michael High School, truly reinforce the school’s mission of fostering
the spiritual, intellectual, and personal development of young people as
committed disciples of Christ.” In fact, the combined efforts of all of
the students at St. Michael High School is more than 18,000 hours of
volunteer work over the course of a school year.
The students also worked through their Churches and with organizations
such as Catholic Community Services, Volunteer Baton Rouge, St. Vincent
de Paul, Catholic Hispanic Ministry, and St. James Place and Ollie
Steele Burden nursing homes.
Jessica Lee, who will be a junior when school resumes in August, says
she truly enjoys helping others as she feels it is an integral part of
her Catholic faith. “I also benefit by gaining knowledge, experience and
leadership skills that will help me throughout my life while getting to
really make a difference in the lives of others,” said Lee.
Extracurricular groups at St. Michael High School that provide this
service opportunity in addition to the athletic teams include the Key
Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Ambassador program, the Pro
Life Group, Peer Ministry, and the Student Council. Even academic
organizations such as the French and Spanish Clubs, the National Honor
Society, and the Beta Club get involved in school service projects by
participating in food drives, organizing Easter baskets for
underprivileged youth, and by collecting supplies for our troops abroad.
“Not only was I able to put National Honor Society Vice President,
French Club President, and Cross Country Team Manager on my college
resume, but I also got to make a child smile, hold the hand of an
elderly person as they were clinging to life, and make an impact in the
lives of many others along the way,” said Danielle Fuselier, graduating
senior and St. Michael High School Valedictorian of 2008. |
