Melanie Arellano-Luna is a graduate of Christ the King Catholic School and Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kansas. She was the student speaker at CEF's Gaudeamus event in 2013.
For many of us, Catholic Schools Week is a time to celebrate Catholic education opportunities and be thankful for the students, families, parishioners, community members, and teachers that make it all work. For me, it serves as a time to reflect on the blessing that Catholic education has been for me.
Entering Christ the King my 6th grade year, after five years of public school education, was a life-changing event made possible with assistance from the Catholic Education Foundation. I learned more about a faith I had previously not known and over the next three years, it grew stronger and stronger. In 8th grade, my final year as a CTK Cobra, I made the decision to get baptized and I was surrounded by immense love and support from my family, classmates, and teachers. I carried that love and faith with me to my next step in life, being a Bishop Ward Cyclone. The more I learned about my Catholic faith and the more involved I became in my Catholic education, the more I grew as an individual and student. The grace and comfort I received from the trust I have in my faith allowed me to become a better leader and to further explore my passion for service.
My new-found confidence allowed me the opportunity to be a keynote speaker at the 2013 CEF Gaudeamus Dinner. My interest in service led me to pursue Social Work as a future career. Now, as a senior at Fort Hays State University pursing a Bachelor’s in Social Work with a certificate in Organizational Leadership, I have enjoyed countless opportunities to continue in my love for my Catholic faith, service, and leadership. I am a member of our campus community youth ministry, “Encounter,” I have traveled for service projects, and I have spoken and presented at all sorts of FHSU Tiger events, conferences, and press events. Most recently, I was honored to serve on the Fort Hays State University Presidential Search Committee.
For all of this, I have the many wonderful supporters and donors of the Catholic Education Foundation to thank. Thank you. This Catholic Schools Week, let us take the time to recognize the value that a Catholic education gives to students in our communities – it is an essential stepping stone into stronger faith, leadership, and service.
