Confidence, friendships, spirituality, fun flow from Aquinas Academy summer program

I felt like God was constantly there and making sure I was having a great time,” he said. “Even though I was away from home, I enjoyed it a lot.”

Bryce Widmer

Annette Harriman and several new friends were trying to build a model out of marshmallows and uncooked spaghetti noodles.

It didn’t go very well.

“I guess I learned that I need to focus more on the process than just the end result,” said Annette, who will be an eighth-grader this fall at St. Peter School in Marshall.

It was one of many lessons for her and 75 other rising seventh- and eighth-graders from Catholic schools throughout the diocese who took part in this year’s Aquinas Academy summer enrichment program. 

The week-long event, sponsored by the diocesan Catholic Schools Office and staffed by teachers, is held on the campus of the Missouri Military Academy in Mexico, Mo.

Its purpose is to provide an environment of learning and experiences that inspire Catholic school students to reach their full potential.

Teachers and principals nominate curious, academically gifted students for the academy each year.

The students stay in residence halls and are kept busy with a mix of organized academic, social and spiritual activities.

They get to choose the subjects they want to focus on.

Course offerings vary each year depending on the expertise of the teachers on staff.

A team of 10 young men and women from the diocese who previously attended Aquinas as campers serve as counselors.

Annette chose sacred architecture and leadership and team building.

“In sacred architecture, we learned what makes churches sacred and what makes architecture sacred,” she said.

She and her fellow building enthusiasts got to render a church blueprint and build a model church, based on the principles they learned.

In leadership and team building, students learned about risk and reward, and what it means to be a leader.

This was Annette’s first time at Aquinas Academy.

“I feel a lot closer to God from going to Mass on days other than just Sunday,” she said. “Being able to receive him and pray more often, it just makes me feel closer to him.”

Annette and the others didn’t just learn and pray, they also played.

“There was some great competition,” she said of events such as the talent show and the kickball tournament.

The winning team got a pizza party.

“Sadly, my team did not win,” she said, “but it was still a lot of fun.”

Annette plans on speaking more openly about her faith and spreading God’s joy more than in the past.

“And I’ve been trying to go to daily Mass more than I did,” she said.

Lines of inquiry

Cecilia White is going into seventh grade at St. Joseph School in Salisbury.

She enjoys science and sports, so she chose chemistry and leadership and team building.

“In the leadership class, I learned that to become a leader, you have to have commitment,” she said.

“That means helping your team,” she continued. “And you don’t give up, and you need to try to be the hardest worker.”

She spoke further of confidence, composure, character, integrity, honesty, respect, positivity and the ability to encourage other people.

“In chemistry,” she said, “I learned that the first step you need to take in science is ask a question. And then you have discovery, which is movement toward what is true.

“You need to be in awe,” she continued. “You need to be amazed at what you encounter. And you need to have appreciation and be thankful.”

She also discovered a bit about herself.

“I learned that I hype everybody up during the games and activities,” she said, “and that I’m good at listening to other people and helping them with a problem.”

Cecilia’s mother, Tricia White, said Cecilia is the latest of six siblings in her family to attend Aquinas Academy.

“They come back excited and extremely tired,” the mother said. “They’re challenged and learn a lot about themselves and what they’re capable of and how they’re supposed to use their gifts for God’s glory.”

Amy Gundy is the leadership and team-building instructor. One of Cecilia’s sisters who previously attended Aquinas Academy wound up inviting Miss Gundy to her wedding last August.

Character building

This was Bryce Widmer’s second time at Aquinas Academy.

He signed up for drama and leadership and team building this year.

“In drama, we learned how to get into character and about different things about theatre and performing,” said Bryce, who’s going into eighth grade at Ss. Peter & Paul School in Boonville.

Leadership and team building helped him learn ways to forge consensus and camaraderie on the field.

“And not just in sports but in different situations,” he said.

People around school and church are taking notice of his growing maturity and knack for leadership.

“I think he tries to do his best, whatever that requires of him, whether in academics, friendships, doing things to help other people,” said Bryce’s father,
Deron Widmer.

Bryce serves as an usher and lector and is often the first to volunteer to serve at Mass.

“He enjoys being there and wants to share that with his friends,” said Mr. Widmer.

Aquinas Academy has helped reinforce all of that.

“He got to meet kids from other parish schools throughout the diocese,” said his mother, Megan Widmer. “It was good for him to be able to spend time with other kids and talk about and compare their experiences.”

Two more students from his school got nominated for Aquinas Academy this year, and Bryce encouraged them to join him.

He said it was a very peaceful week.

“I felt like God was constantly there and making sure I was having a great time,” he said. “Even though I was away from home, I enjoyed it a lot.”

He believes he’s grown spiritually from attending: “getting closer to God by going to Mass every day, meeting new people, stepping out of my comfort zone.”

Balanced equation

This was Orion Nelson’s first venture at Aquinas Academy. He chose the mathematics and leadership and team-building tracks.

One of his most important lessons was that he can be confident and take care of himself.

“It increased my confidence socially and with new people,” said Orion, who’s heading into seventh grade at Our Lady of Lourdes Interparish School in Columbia.

It’s helped him become more easy-going and less fearful of being disliked.

He also expanded his skills and understanding of math.

He said he was particularly aware of God’s presence at Aquinas Academy during Mass and team activities.

“The kickball tournament was very fun, and it was very cool to meet new people,” he said.

He’s convinced that God wants him to be a student who leads others by setting a good example, and to become an adult who positively influences people through good works and acts of charity.

Orion is Catholic and wants to stay that way.

“It means believing in God and letting that belief change you,” he said.

That matters because he wants to spend eternity with God in heaven.

Present!

Annette said her time away was holy.

“You felt God there,” she said. “And the people were super nice. The counselors were amazing.”

As St. Peter School’s newly elected student council president, Annette is convinced that God wants her to be a student leader who helps other people.

She believes God wants her to become an adult who helps other people work through hardships and struggles and get closer to God.

Her faith will have a lot to do with that.

“I think what it means to be Catholic is to love and serve others like God has called us to do,” she said. “It doesn’t just mean going to Mass, but taking what’s in Mass and applying it to your everyday life.”

She said being Catholic matters.

“Whenever you’re going through a hard time, God is someone who completely understands you and knows what you’re going through,” she said. “You can turn to him in prayer. I talk to him like he’s my friend. I also write down my prayers. It makes me feel a lot closer to him.”

“Always there”

Bryce believes God is calling him to be a student who’s ready to step in to help people, “someone to be there for people in their ups or downs.”

“And academically, he wants me to be smart and use that knowledge to help people and give glory to God,” he said.

Bryce believes being Catholic means being a leader and a witness to Christ, “to follow Jesus and to live his life and to share that with other people so that they can experience the same joy and the same life.”

This is important, he said, “because he wants us to be in heaven with him.”

“That means you follow him and help not only yourself get to heaven but also helping others get there, too,” said Bryce.

Cecilia said she came home feeling truer to herself and more prone to give credit to God for everything he gives to her.

She believes God is calling her to become an adult who never stops trying to do her best and is always becoming closer to God.

She believes being Catholic means believing God’s Word, going to Mass every weekend and “trusting the plans he has for us in life.”

“Because he’s always there for us,” she said.

Worth a try

Mrs. White, who’s had six children attend Aquinas Academy, encourages everyone who gets nominated to go.

“I know there are some parents who worry that their kids will be homesick,” she said. “But it’s a great experience and they’re very well taken care of, and they become more confident as a result.”

Bryce said it’s important to be open to trying new things — “maybe a different class or something new you want to try.”

“But also be spiritually open,” he said. “Be ready to go to Mass every morning and to receive Jesus.”

“My advice is to just really be yourself,” said Annette. “Really put yourself out there, especially if you’re scared. That’s how you grow.”

Cecilia suggested being authentic and open to making new friends.

“If you see someone by themselves, go and talk to them,” she said. “They’re probably feeling the same thing you are.”

For those who get homesick, “just remember that God is always there with you,” she said.

diojeffcity.org/school-office/aquinas-academy