Lauren Starks is a teacher at John Paul II Catholic School in Overland Park, and a member of the CEF Futures Committee.
Confucius once said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I am fortunate enough to live by this mantra. This is my 6th year teaching in a Catholic school and my 13th year at John Paul II/Queen of the Holy Rosary, as I attended grade school there from K-8 and now teach there. I am fortunate enough to not have only benefited from a Catholic education myself, but to now give my gifts and share my love of Jesus Christ with my students day in and day out, both as a teacher and as a member of the Catholic Education Foundation’s Futures Committee.
A benefit to Catholic education is definitely the smaller class sizes. I love how I am able to connect with each student, every day, on both a personal and academic level. Our expectations are high for the students because we want to see them succeed in high school and beyond. There is no better feeling than a student coming back to visit and telling us how well they are doing in high school because of the preparation they received at John Paul II.
Having worked in both public and Catholic schools, there is a definite difference in culture inside of a Catholic school. All the teachers at my school support one another, are strong in their faith, and put the children’s best interests first. It is truly a joy walking into school each day and seeing God work in all of our students and staff. Students at CEF schools are exceptional; they are not only hard workers but, most importantly, they treat their friends and teachers with kindness and respect.
When I heard about the Catholic Education Foundation Futures group, I was not only excited to meet other young professionals, but to collaborate on ways we could get more kids touched by the gift of Catholic education. It is very impactful to see our group making a difference in the lives of so many families in the area through the Futures Guardian Angel Scholarship Fund. I am one of just a few teachers in the Futures group; it is so wonderful to see all the other members, who because of the positive impact Catholic education had on them, have dedicated their time and talents to helping area children receive those same benefits of a Catholic education. We appreciate all the support we receive from donors to help us in our goal of helping these wonderful students.
