What’s recently happened?
On April 5, several Marquette Catholic High School students returned to the U.S. from a voyage to Japan. They spent 10 days traveling through the most famous parts of Japan on an educational journey, immersing themselves in a new culture. On this journey, they got to try new foods, see famous places, and enrich their lives with new knowledge and experiences.
”It was amazing to experience such a rich culture,” said Senior Saniya Singh.
This trip to Japan is only the most recent of the incredible opportunities that Marquette offers to give their students hands-on learning experiences. Marquette is very invested in creating well-rounded individuals, and this includes giving students the opportunity to increase their knowledge of other cultures and help them to be more aware of others. Last year, students visited Europe, touring Italy, Switzerland, and France.
On Monday, April 8, Marquette held a virtual learning day for the solar eclipse. School administration decided to allow students the opportunity to observe the eclipse from the safety of their homes. This was an incredible experience to give to students, as they were given time to see the astronomical event.
The day after, Marquette students officially returned from Spring Break and jumped back into their studies. They have returned to finish out the last 50 days of the semester.
What’s coming up?
Marquette spring sports are in full swing. The Boys Baseball team has begun its season, winning its first game on April 9 with a final score of 11-2. Unfortunately, in a close game against Culver Academies, the team lost 11-12. However, this is a promising start to the boys’ season, and the games are sure to be very entertaining.
Marquette has brought back their track and field team. They are coached by Science Teacher Brandon Ciolli, who is a Marquette alumni. The team has a meet scheduled for Thursday, April 18.
The Marquette Girls Tennis team is also starting its season. The girls had their first tournament on Saturday, April 13. Junior Alexandria Shoppa won one of her three matches and was also awarded a sportsmanship award.
Marquette softball is preparing for its first game of the season as well. The team is scheduled to play River Forest High School at the Marquette Athletic Complex on Wednesday, April 17.
Staff spotlight:
David Stroud teaches economic classes and Asian studies at Marquette. He helped chaperone the trip to Japan. This trip was very exciting for him, as he grew up in Japan.
In 1992, when Stroud was 17, his family traveled to the United States. His father was a Methodist missionary, and he was sent on mission to the U.S. Stroud decided to stay and finish his schooling in the U.S. In doing this, he had to leave his friends in Japan.
“It was hard to leave everything behind. I, a 17-year-old boy, had to leave my social life,” said Stroud.
Needless to say, when Stroud was asked to chaperone this trip, he was ecstatic. Not only did he get to visit his home in Japan, he also got to share his culture with his students.
“I really enjoyed watching the reactions of my students, and I was so impressed by my students’ willingness to try new things. I was really proud of them. I also loved being able to share some insight with students about the places we visited, such as Hiroshima,” Stroud said.
Stroud loves to share his knowledge with his students. He is always happy when he gets to share his ideas with his kids. He also loves forming bonds with his students through joking and messing around with them.
Stroud encourages his students to live in the moment. He thinks that it’s very important to enjoy life, not just live it.
“Learn the different nuances of fun, joy, and enjoyment so that you can be in the present and live,” said Stroud.
Student spotlight:
Mia Mark is a sophomore at Marquette. She was a member of the student group that traveled to Japan.
“I went on the trip because it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Mark.
Mark loves to travel and experience new cultures. She enjoys enriching her life with new experiences and appreciates the opportunity to make new friends through traveling.
”There were so many great things that happened on the Japan trip, but my favorite part was experiencing new things with the friends that I made,” said Mark.
Mark has seen many places. She has traveled to the Philippines, Thailand, and Canada. She loves to immerse herself in new cultures and learn new things about the world. Her favorite part of going to Marquette is the ability to travel and the opportunity to learn things in a hands-on setting.
Mark is very involved in the extracurricular activities at Marquette. She plays two sports: basketball and softball. She also participates in theatre and choir.
“Try your hardest to reach your goals, experience new things, and don’t let others stop you from doing things that you enjoy,” said Mark.
