SJP Celebrates Annual Scholars’ Breakfast and Mass

This past Friday, March 17, the Saint Joseph Prep community celebrated its annual Scholars' Breakfast and Mass. Parents, guests, donors, faculty and staff, and the Sisters of Saint Joseph joined the student body for a morning of appreciation and reflection.

After a brief introduction, five SJP students addressed the audience, highlighting not only their own impressive and eloquent work, but also discussing major themes relevant to the day's focus on gratitude, integrity, and connectedness. Isaac Amado ’18, Audrey McDonough ’17, Rafael Mejia ’20, Emmanuella Rene ’19, and Gabriella Ribieiro ’19 did an outstanding job sharing their perspectives and inspiring those in attendance to put aside whatever fear, pain, or doubt may be holding them back, and to strive forward with confidence.

Recently, during Catholic Schools’ Week, the students wrote beautiful thank-you notes to each staff member. To return the favor, Mr. Nunan shared his gratitude for our student body:

Thank you, young women and men of Saint Joseph Prep, for:

1. Your gracious hospitality, learned from the Sisters of St. Joseph, that you exhibit every day; for how you are our best ambassadors, and for what our visiting students and prospective parents say about your mature presence, friendly spirit, and enthusiastic welcome; for how you greet each other, in the hallway or on the field, in the classroom or on the bus, even after having gone a whole two hours without seeing each other; and for leaving no one alone at lunch… or ever.

2. Your authenticity, recognized by all who meet you; for your honest and genuine attempts to be your best selves; for your commitment to learning and scholarship, and for your fervent desire to excel; for your throwing your whole selves into your sport and clubs, even when the day’s activity is long and the night’s sleep is short; for your service to those near and far; for offering your petitions during Chapel so respectfully and reverently; and for holding hands during the Our Father.

3. Your courage; for those times when you share with us your cares and concerns—the burdens you carry and the crosses you bear—with such trust, openness, and freedom; and also for those times when you carry those crosses and bear those burdens with no one knowing your struggles—just you—with such strength, resolve, and grace. You are so inspiring.

4. Your making SJP a second home, a real family; for cheering so loudly when the Student-Athlete of the Month or the latest scholar to gain a prestigious honor is introduced; for applauding after each Chapel Speaker finishes his/her speech…and for applauding again, as the next Chapel Speaker is making his/her way to the podium, just to give him/her that extra boost of support and confidence… that’s pretty cool.

After breakfast, the school community congregated in the Holy Family Chapel to celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph with families and guests. Thank you to entire Advancement and Alumni Departments for organizing such a wonderful celebration! Is it through events like these that we can fully appreciate our many blessings, most especially the people who make up our school community.