Providence Catholic School

Providence

Catholic School

Principal: Dr. Alicia Garcia, PhD

Baccalaureate Mass: Sunday, May 30 at 8 a.m. — Glahn Gymnasium (Providence Catholic School) Commencement: Sunday, May 30 at 9:30 a.m. — Bob Benson '66 Stadium (Central Catholic High School)

Graduation Do’s

and

Don’ts

It’s here. The night you’ve been looking forward to since, like, forever. After 4 years of high school, 13 years of learning and 18 years of living, it’s finally here. Your high school graduation. It’s not like it’s a big deal or anything. And, in an effort to make your evening as perfect as possible, we wanted to offer you a few helpful dos and don’ts to keep in mind while wearing the cap and gown.

Don’t drink or do anything that will alter your attitude, your behavior and your ability to remember every moment of your amazing night. Don’t be late. The last thing you need is a tear in your gown from where you tripped after trying to sprint across the parking lot in a flowy garment.

Dotake pictures. Lots of them. Take them with mom, dad, your sibs, your grandparents, your BFFs and whoever else is willing to stand next to you and mug for the camera. You’ll be glad to have them. Do wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be on your feet a lot that day and presumably, at some point, you’ll be walking across a stage with all eyes on you. And you don’t want to recreate Jennifer Lawrence’s famous fall at the 2013 Oscars.

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Bad hair day? A pimple? A broken nail? It’s all small stuff that you likely won’t even remember in the future. Just remember, right after Jennifer Lawrence fell on the stairs, she was handed an Academy Award.

Providence Students Take A Different Approach To Learning During A Pandemic

By Belia Gonzalez McDonald ‘88, Internship Teacher, Alumnae Director

Students at Providence Catholic School have an opportunity to apply for a year-long internship program during their senior year. Students are placed at companies, firms, and organizations throughout the San Antonio area to learn firsthand about the day to day operations of the field in which they are interested in pursuing. They also participate in the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) mentoring program, where they learn to create a solid business plan and can compete for scholarships. This school year, the pandemic forced changes to the program. The students and their teacher worked together to create experiences beneficial for students about to enter college. Guest speakers including alumnae and community leaders, discussed their career journeys. Each speaker became an amazing resource as they spoke about ups and downs and complete career changes in their lives. After each of the over fifteen class speakers, the students completed reflections and really thought about how their lives could benefit from the lessons the speaker taught. Some examples include: “I learned that I should learn about how I can serve my community in different ways as an adult.” “She spoke to me on a personal level, to the point where I almost cried.” “It’s okay to change and find different interests, but be yourself and do what you love.” “I enjoyed how she talked about how Providence shaped her.” Students also discussed content related to college and career success such as career planning, mock interviews, workplace etiquette, scholarship searches, financial aid, living on a college budget, safety on campus, Clery Act-campus crime reports, and living with a roommate. Due to COVID-19 limitations, students were placed in virtual and or hybrid internship opportunities. Some examples include: San Antonio Football Club/Spurs Sports, Mogas Architectural Firm, KFW Engineering Firm, a design firm, a psychologists office, an ambulatory service, Eagle Veterinary Hospital, and Live from the Southside — a local magazine. Students are slowly able to get more in-person time at their internships, but the experiences gained thus far have been invaluable. Says Mrs. Gonzalez McDonald ‘88, internship coordinator, “These amazing senior women have proven how resilient they are during this pandemic. I am so proud of the way they advocated for and were involved in their own education to make this class a real part of their overall learning experience.” ✪