I never properly thanked everyone at Fontbonne Academy, my high school that became like my second home to me for four years. The place where I learned a lot, dealt with loss, gained new friendships, struggled, and become a strong woman in. The school that takes the mission of “Women of courage made strong” literally, and the school that truly takes care of their own. Before writing this letter I was having trouble trying to properly articulate my feelings on my favorite school in the world, but here it is. I hope after you read this you will be able to get a glimpse of this special place.
Anyone who goes or went to Fontbonne knows about the four R’s: Respect, Responsibility, Reconciliation, and Reverence. If you do not know the four R’s by the time you graduated did you really go to Fontbonne? For each R I have decided to describe how Fontbonne changed my life and has really made me the human being I am today.
Respect: Fontbonne taught me through Social Justice my senior year about the importance of advocating for people, and for never giving up no matter how hard something might be like biology for example. The reasons why we must remained informed on current events and why we must keep an open mind. We wore uniforms every day not to “conform” us (which is what I thought my Freshman year), but to teach us that we must dress appropriately for every occasion. We learned about appreciating all races, ethnicities, and religions through prayer as well as the frequent liturgy.
Responsibility:We must take responsibility for our actions when we are wrong no matter what the cost is. By the end of my senior year, I was no longer afraid of apologizing to people because it a sign of strength not weakness. We would receive detentions for being 10 minutes late for school which is not always a bad thing until one day you are 10 minutes late for an interview then you are out of a job. We conducted research on a social justice topic of our choice to teach us that we must take partial responsibility for this world we live in, and then do something about it. I learned to not give up in times of trouble even when things get hard. When things get hard, that is a sign you must work harder.
Reconciliation: Forgiveness meaning not just others, but yourself. During those four years I made mistakes just like any human being, but through prayer as well as growing up I was able to become a better person. I was able to move on, and become my best self. “Hate is heavy; let it go”.
Reverence: “Respect your elders”, we learn that we must treat every teacher and adult with respect even if we do not particularly agree or like them. You will not always like the people you have to work with, but you do not always have the choice. We had to complete 24 hours a year of community service hours in order to graduate. During that time I learned the value of helping people, and how much one “small” gesture can really influence someone’s life.
To this day I carry Fontbonne everywhere I go, and I believe that because of this school it has prepared me to go into the world a strong woman. I can honestly say I would not be the person I am today without the teachers and the class of 2015 who will forever be my friends. Without the teachers and friends who believed in me more than I did myself I do not think I could have made it. Fontbonne is a special place, and it will always have a huge place in my heart. AND TO THIS WE SAY…Amen.
With Gratitude,
Bettina Mahoney
