Goal One – Faith
Given by Meredith '05
As long as I can remember, faith has been the center of my life. It guides me throughout the day and gives me a sense of purpose.
Growing up in a very secular world, expressing my faith has been somewhat difficult; however, after coming to Woodlands I became more comfortable talking about my beliefs. Woodlands allows me to share my faith with anyone I meet and gives me the sense that I will not be judged based on my beliefs.
I never knew what other people thought of my faith until one of my friends asked me about it. This happened on a retreat that all of you know about - Kairos. My friend and I always seemed to have too much fun in class and never ceased to make each other laugh, but faith was never a topic of conversation. She knew that I loved the Lord, but didn't know how to bring up the subject. On Kairos we had a chance truly to talk about my faith, and for the first time, I shared with her what I believed in and then prayed with her. This experience has given me a strength I never thought I could have. Filled with this strength, I am ready to go out, meet others, and share why faith is important in my life.
Goal Two - Intellectual Values
Given by Emma '05
The thing that has shown me that Woodlands fosters a deep respect for intellectual values can be summed up in two words: "Mister Darcy."
Now this may seem a little out of the blue. The freshmen, sophomores, and juniors right now are asking themselves, "Mister Who?" and the parents and non-English teachers out there are having a blast from the past. For those of you who need a brush-up, Mister Darcy is the heartthrob character from Pride and Prejudice who comes off sort of mean at the beginning. Eventually we realize that he's actually a good guy who is destined to be with Elizabeth and soon she realizes it too, and everything turns out great and they end up getting married and living happily ever after. Sorry to the underclassmen for spoiling the ending.
The question is: What does Mr. Darcy have to do with Goal Two at Woodlands? Surely, he's a gentleman, but we learn here at Woodlands not to base the importance of anything intellectual solely on the presence of men. What is unique about Mr. Darcy is that he served as a rallying point of intellectualism for the senior class this semester. Every senior English class is taught by the same teacher, Mrs. Hayes, and we all read Pride and Prejudice as part of the curriculum. In fact, I think every high school senior in the nation reads Pride and Prejudice second semester. It's a rule or something. It's just something you do, like applying to college and suffering from early-onset senioritis. However, the experience of reading about Jane Austen's characters here at Woodlands was amazingly unique. Because of the strong sense of intellectual community here, we were able to take our reading of Pride and Prejudice beyond the classroom. United by a common teacher, a common book, and a common adoration for the charmingly awkward Mr. Darcy, our class became entrenched in the novel. The typical conversation in Canteen didn't concern Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston in US Weekly; it concerned Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy in our Norton Critical Edition. Instead of the usual ceaseless chatter issuing from Ms. Forgione's office, there was silence as each senior sat enraptured, head buried in her paperback copy. Even outside of school we were hooked; we shelled out dollars to see Hollywood's Pride and Prejudice at the movie theater and whipped out public library cards in order to rent the VHS starring Colin Firth as Darcy himself. Pride and Prejudice became the rhythm of our lives, the heartbeat of our class, and the "must-see TV" of our weekday nights. It was incredible to see what a massive thing our entire class had in common when normally our academic and extracurricular interests are spread in entirely different directions.
Something like this is unique to Woodlands because of the intellectual community that exists here. Girls are not considered "nerdy" if they are intellectual or "brazen" if they participate in class. In most schools, there are students who feel a strong connection to the literature they read, but at Woodlands we feel comfortable acting on that connection and using it to bond with our classmates and friends. As we prepare to advance into another academic world, we realize we have been blessed during our years at Woodlands with a deep respect for intellectual values that will promote our academic growth in the future.
Goal Three – Social Awareness
Given by Ashlyn '05
Imagine you are sitting in a room full of noisy, chatting, gang members. However, visualize that instead of guns and drugs in their hands, there are bibles and notes. I am sitting in this room with them every other Saturday morning. This program in which I volunteer is called "Gang Outreach." The experience has changed my outlook on things; you can always change; you can always start over, well at least with God.
Service has been a big part of my high school career. Experiences you have now will affect the opinions and decisions you make later in your life. My experiences have led me to choose social work as my career. A nun once told me that I wanted to be a nun - without the religious life.
I want to do service for the rest of my life… but get paid for it. Many experiences have led me to this decision. I have done two Network summer service projects, one in Houston, and one in Miami. In Houston we learned about the challenges Mexicans face to live in the United States, and the immigration laws that keep them out. We also learned about adoption services, abandonment and HIV babies. In Miami we learned about the Haitians' struggle in our country, and the laws that keep them out. We also learned about asylum laws, agencies that help the poor, and public services.
I also have helped with Habitat for Humanity, collecting and sorting clothes, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters. I have met many different kinds of people. I have changed my opinions about these people as well.
One cold December night, my grandfather's law partner, Mr. Ross, went out to the washroom. Unknowingly, he encountered a deranged homeless man who stabbed him for only $3.93. Our family was very close to Mr. Ross. For a long time after this incident, I did not work with homeless people. I was afraid something like that could happen to me. I also know I shied away from working with homeless people because I know that many deal with mental illness. However, I resumed work with the homeless earlier this spring; and though I am apprehensive, the people I have been working with are really good people who have fallen on bad times.
I hope that I can be like St. Madeleine Sophie Barat. A nun once gave me a medal with a quote from St. Madeleine Sophie Barat on the back, "Be humble, be simple, and bring joy to others". And that is what I hope to do for the rest of my life.
Goal Four – Building Community
Given by Catherine '05
I came to Woodlands at the start of my sophomore year. As a freshman I attended a much larger CO-ED high school in my hometown of Des Moines, Iowa. But, I hated it. There were only a few faces I recognized in a sea of thousands. I felt like no one cared: not academically, not socially, and not emotionally. I knew I couldn't live in an environment like this; so…I transferred to Woodlands and moved away from my family and home. Needless to say, this was a bit of a change.
Being in an all girls environment was…weird. Everyone spoke up in class with no worry of seeming too intelligent to the now nonexistent males in the room. The teachers talked to me and made an effort to get to know me. There was a Woodlands deadline, which was fabulous! But, the best part of coming to Woodlands was the boarding school. To begin with, I had a great roommate who was so unbelievably kind and welcoming to me – although I'm afraid I might have had a negative effect on her study habits. This may be hard for some of the boarders to believe, but I used to actually be a shy and quiet person. However, in the boarding school my sophomore year I made friends quickly with the exchange students, became involved in RCC and spent hours each night dancing with half the sophomore boarders in one of our rooms – occasionally ordering pizza at 11:00 at night – I apologize for the new security system that may have resulted from these actions.
And the amazing thing is it got better every year. I made more friends outside of the boarding school and began to regain all the confidence I had lost freshman year. I participated in activities and started speaking up more in class. Now, I am a senior. I have an amazing circle of friends, and I am so proud to be graduating from Woodlands Academy. Sure it's had its downfalls – like the fact that I've never met my prom date before prom (two years running), but there's so much more I've gained. Where else can I get up at 8:05 in the morning and be on time for homeroom (well, used to be on time), or where else can I dress up like a Spanish man with a somewhat authentic accent and blonde hair?
I guess what I'm trying to say is that Woodlands has been my home for the past 3 years. Communities come in all shapes and sizes, but there are a few traits that distinguish fine communities. They are the places that allow you to thrive and reach your full potential. They support you on each step of your journey, and if necessary, hold your hand. A great community is one that allows you to move on – instilled with an incredible sense of confidence and purpose.
This is what Woodlands has done for me, and now I'm willing and ready to let go and step out into the adventure that awaits me.
Goal Five – Wise Freedom
Given by Vanessa '05
Part of Goal Five concerns making wise choices. In my own life, I have had to make many choices, some easy, like choosing what I want for a snack, and some difficult, like selecting the right college.
As many seniors know, trying to decide on the right college is much like diving into a black hole. There just seems to be no light available. After visiting colleges, applying, and being accepted, I had the painstaking task of making a critical college choice that will affect my entire life. I learned something very important through this whole decision-making process: In order to make the right choice, I had to know myself. During the process, I thought about trying to compel myself to attend a certain school, convinced it was for me, when it really wasn't. Instead I did a reality check: Rethinking the situation, I realized I had to focus on finding the college which would best suit me and forget about its popularity, or what everyone else thought of the college. In the end, I made a wise choice. I found the right college for me, and because of that, I was happy with myself.
This lesson also holds true for just about any situation you might encounter. Anywhere you go, you're going to have to make difficult decisions: it's inevitable. But, it's up to you to make the “wise decision” – the decision that will best fit you. Don't fall into the trap of forcing yourself into a decision with which you're not truly comfortable. Don't just go along with what everyone else may be doing. You must know who you are, know what you need, and make the best decision for you.
