Inés Borromeo '14
The
best thing about being a boarding student is the camp-like feel. By the end of
the year everyone is sad to go and leave the new friends they have made but
excited to see their family again. When you have an older sister that goes to
Catalina who is graduating, it is especially sad. We have a tradition at Class
Night where you say a few words about your sister and how much you are going to
miss her when she goes to college. This makes all the girls emotional and you
can really see how our community feels like a family.
Come
and be yourself and try new things so you that can incorporate yourself into
the community. Don’t be afraid to try something new, and be as active as
possible because it will be fun. Being involved will help you meet new people
and broaden your experience.
The
most important thing I've learned as a boarding student is time management. It
helps me because we have seven classes and each class has homework every day.
We all do sports or the play after school, so we use our free periods wisely
and use our study hours to make sure we get everything done in time for the
next day.
Courtney Gillespie '12
The
best part of living in the dorms is the other resident students. They are all
so full of life and always a joy to be around! I count on them for everything.
My
favorite dorm memory would be Saturday night in the lounge, eating pizza,
watching NCIS and House, and hanging with all the other girls. Candlelight
Mass, Halloween Dinner, and Father-Daughter Weekend are some of my favorite
celebrations at Santa Catalina.
Living
on campus, I have learned to be independent and a problem solver. I feel a
greater connection between myself, students, and faculty. I have also learned
to do my own laundry and to get myself out of bed in the mornings.
My advice to new students is to be confident and be yourself. Try out
for sports, plays, and clubs to make friends. And start saving your quarters!
They become very valuable.
Karli McIntytre '14
The
best thing about being a boarding student is living with your best friends. You
get to be with them 24/7, have sleepovers with them every night, eat dinner
with them, go to school with them. It’s like we’re sisters.
I
love that Santa Catalina is all-girls. I think it’s the best part of this
school. Being in an all-girls school makes it easier for me to learn. I don’t
have to worry about what I’m wearing, if I have makeup on. Teachers act
different when there are no boys around. It’s just that girls and boys learn
differently and this school is tailored to teaching girls. I know a lot of us
are visual learners and are energetic learners; we need enthusiasm and the
teachers definitely give that to us here.
Advice
for new boarding students? Don’t over pack. You don’t need as much as you think
you do. I know you think you need that super cool poster, but you probably
don’t. And leave some clothes at home. It’s really hard to take all of your
clothes back and forth in the beginning and at the end of school. I left three-fourths of my closet at home. It’s just easier that way.
Georgia Sedlack '13
There
are so many things that have changed my point of view about being here at Santa
Catalina. I guess the biggest one, again, is being on your own. Even though you
do have parents around and teachers around you, you really have to be the
decision maker. You have to learn how to manage how much money you have during
the week, how you’re going to get places, how you’re going to get things that
you need, and how you’re going to get things done. Basically having to depend on
yourself, while using the resources around you, is something that Santa
Catalina is teaching me, which I find to be incredibly important and helpful.
It’s
really fun living on campus. When you’re living with your friends and your
teachers, you create whole new relationships and they’re the ones that are
going to last for a really long time. I have already made some really, really
good friends that I’m sure I won’t ever forget. So, embrace your time here and
don’t have any fears because the Santa Catalina community will embrace you and
take care of you.
It’s
a good opportunity to prepare me for college and also help me become more
independent and learn how to do things by myself. I know that I can still call
on other people to help me and know that I’m not completely alone. I feel that
being here at Santa Catalina is preparing me for what lies ahead in college and
then the career world, and is doing so in a way that is educational and
enjoyable.
Two
of my favorite memories at Santa Catalina would probably be Spirit Week and
Kris Kringle, which were both really fun. It’s really cool to see the students
working together to create a fun atmosphere and a good environment. Being
silly, but at the same time being able to still focus during school, is
something I find to be essential because we come to school to learn and to also
create long-lasting friendships among our peers.