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If you are like me, when you think of the month of May a couple of things come to mind: mothers and graduations. Nothing makes a mother more proud than watching her child walk across the stage to receive a diploma. This diploma could be for successful completion of Kindergarten, eighth grade, high school, college or even an advanced degree. It can be the first diploma or the third; to a mother the sound of her child’s name being read as he or she walks across the stage in a cap and gown is a moment she will always cherish.

Mothers understand what it takes to complete the requirements for graduation at any level. It is through perseverance and hard work that students in our Catholic schools succeed. Our CEF-supported elementary schools graduate 99.9% of their students, sending many of them on to our Catholic high schools, including Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, KS. When you compare the graduation rate of the CEF-supported Bishop Ward High School to the neighboring public high school the success rate is amazing. Bishop Ward’s graduation rate is 99% while their closest public high school has a graduation rate of 70%.

An even more staggering statistic is the rate in which these high school graduates advance to college. An overwhelming 98% of the Bishop Ward graduates attend college while 33% of the graduates of the neighboring public high school attend college. You might be asking, why is there such a difference in the graduation and college attendance rate between Bishop Ward and the public high school down the street? 

It takes more than perseverance and hard work to account for the success of Catholic school graduates. Besides the support of a mother, another reason these students succeed are the teachers they encounter each day. Using the Catholic intellectual tradition, teachers work to educate the whole child: mind, body and spirit. Our Catholic schools have teachers who witness the faith, build relationships with their students, and provide opportunities for students to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer and service. 

For students who are not able to attend our Catholic schools this accomplishment may only be a dream for their mothers. So when Pomp and Circumstance fills the room at graduation, remember the accomplishments of our Catholic school graduates made possible through the support of the Catholic Education Foundation. Think of those who are not be able to attend our Catholic schools. You can make a mother’s dream come true by donating to CEF and making it possible for another student to be a successful Catholic school graduate.