Culture

The school's motto was "Labor Omnia Vincit," hard work overcomes all difficulties. Beyond the work, I also learned to embrace joy, recognize joy, look for joy and be the joy.

Eileen
McLaughlin

We've often heard, and I've even written about how "all I really need to know I learned in kindergarten." It's not untrue, but it might underestimate the adolescent experience and how it shapes who we become.
I had the good fortune to attend Mount St. Joseph Academy in Brighton for my high school years. As I reflect on my personal and professional life, the impact of those four years shines brightly.
Recently, I attended the "Living the Dream" celebration held annually to celebrate the ministries of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston. I was asked to offer testimony, to be a witness. The invitation allowed me to reflect on who I am, who I have been created to be and how the environment in which I came of age influenced the person I have become and the work I do. I am a career educator who spent most of my teaching years in a secondary school classroom. That context left me a lot of time to think about my own high school years.

One moment stands out clearly amid my many high school memories. It was freshman year, and I was crossing the third-floor hallway outside the administrative offices. I was one of nearly 75 freshwomen in the class and had transitioned from my small Catholic parish school to this high school setting. Up until this moment, I was a student whose success depended on paying attention, being respectful and doing my homework -- not a whole lot of heavy lifting. It was an algorithm that resulted in relative success for me in elementary school. On that particular day, as I walked down the hallway, Sister Mary Murphy, CSJ, was walking out of her office. As we intersected, she said to me, "What's going on with you and Algebra?"
Slightly taken aback that she knew who I was and seemed to be aware that I was earning a strong C in honors Algebra I, I put on my most pathetic face and said, "Oh, Sister, it's just too hard for me."
You see, it did seem to require too much for me to succeed in honors Algebra I. I had been respectful, paying attention in class and doing my homework, and still, the best I could muster was a C.
Without pausing, Sister Mary responded, "It's not too hard, you're not working hard enough," as she continued on her way into the front office.
I was stunned. She was right, and I knew it.
I was changed in that moment. I knew someone was watching. I knew what she said was accurate. I was working at a comfortable pace; I wasn't breaking a sweat. I could do more. I could seek out extra help. It wouldn't be easy, but I could work harder.
That moment embodied my four years at MSJA, where I was known, loved, and called to excellence, not only by Sister Mary but by so many of the faculty.
My four years at Mount St. Joseph Academy in Brighton have informed my work as an educator for nearly 30 years. It was a place where I learned about myself, my faith, and the world in which we live. As an adolescent, this environment offered me a space to learn how to navigate the world. The school's motto was "Labor Omnia Vincit," hard work overcomes all difficulties. Beyond the work, I also learned to embrace joy, recognize joy, look for joy and be the joy. The community of adults and students at Mount St. Joseph not only worked hard but also had fun.
I know that school culture is shaped by its leadership. I am so grateful to have learned about leadership from both the religious and lay leaders at Mount St. Joseph Academy. They have served in my own personal Communion of Saints, calling me to more and modeling for me how to live in a way that honors the gifts that I have been given.
We are embarking on the spring graduation season. All across the archdiocese, graduates will celebrate commencement -- both an ending and a beginning. I am grateful for the foundation that my time at Mount St. Joseph Academy provided for me. I am grateful to our Catholic schools for providing an environment in which adolescents can come to know themselves, know the God who loves them and grow into a sense of the person they were created to be.

- Eileen McLaughlin is superintendent of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Boston.

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