Although I don't go to mass every week or pray everyday, I still hold my faith and religion close to me. Being brought up in a Spanish household has its perks and Catholicism is one of them.

I went to a small Catholic School called Saint Ann's which I attended from Pre-k until 8th grade. This school is where my faith started. Whether it was going to church with classmates or paying attention in religion classes in the afternoon I was able to learn about my religion and how God is always active and present in my life and those of other people. Besides teaching us about our Catholic religion Saint Ann's school and it's teachers taught me a way of life that I am so grateful for. Principles were instilled in me and my classmates that showed us how to be respectful by doing small acts of kindness such holding the door open for someone or asking someone how their day was. A sense of morality was developed in each and everyone of us and from a young age we were able to tell the difference between wrong and right.

Many of my friends went to public schools with classes filled with over 300 students but my class barely had 10. My public school friends and their parents were always shocked at how many people were in my grade and saw it as a negative aspect of Catholic School but it was actually a positive trait since it showed us a strong sense of community and my few friends that I spent my years in middle school with became family. Aside from the academic gains that one gets from having a small class size, my classmates or friends became a small team of individuals who helped each other in different fields such as gym class or art class. We became responsible for each other's behavior since we knew each other, and we supported each other for everything. The friendships that I made their will last forever.