A Martin Moment

There are times at Saint Martin when we are reminded of how we are transforming urban Cleveland one student at a time. Clairesa Bopp, '10, recently provided such a "Martin Moment" in an email to Mary Ann Vogel. Thank you, Claire!

"Now that I have entered the real world, I know that any success I achieve is in part due to my time at Saint Martin.  It didn’t seem like it when I was in high school, but I know now that if it hadn’t been for Saint Martin de Porres High School I would not be the person I am today.  I owe so much thanks to all of the school.  Looking back I can honestly say I enjoyed my classes.  The teachers were excellent! I was blessed to have teachers that made class interesting and engaging.  I’m pretty sure not all high school students can say their class made The Odyssey into a movie or hand build a catapult.   I have so many good class memories and am so thankful for having innovative teachers that truly understood the mentality of high school students. 

I owe so much of my current success to CWSP.  Had it not been for the Corporate Work Study Program, I would have never had the opportunity to enter the professional world as a high school student.  I truly feel blessed to have had the opportunity to enter the work world and ultimately become a young professional at Fifth Third Bank.  Many people at the Bank assume that I am a college graduate.  I love to see the astounded looks people have when they find out that my high school made me the professional I am.  I know without a doubt, the Corporate Work Study Program works!

I am also thankful for the leadership opportunities I got at Saint Martin.  I am extremely thankful that faculty members supported me creating the Student Webpage Club and I was able to be a leader.  The New Orleans service trip was also an extremely significant experience in my life.  I was so fortunate to have that experience.  Although I didn’t build a whole house by myself, being able to put up drywall in one room felt like the biggest accomplishment to me.  Being able to help a disaster stricken community really opened my eyes and allowed me to see what kind of person I want to be.

I will forever be thankful for my time at Saint Martin de Porres High School.  I believe I am a success story and will always acknowledge the school for setting the building blocks in place for me to be a knowledgeable, competent, professional individual.  I want to help continue the mission of Saint Martin de Porres High School.  The best way I can do it now is to act as a mentor to the younger interns that also work at Fifth Third Bank.  If at any time, the school needs my assistance I will be happy to help at any capacity. 

 

I hope in some way this email helps you prepare for the coming school year and can forever be proof that Saint Martin de Porres High School is a truly unique school that gives students the opportunity to grow academically, professionally, and spiritually.  I will always hold the school and the faculty close to my heart. Thank you for everything!"

-Clairesa Bopp

With a Great Moustache Comes Great Responsibility

Today we celebrate the 60th birthday of a truly great man! (the moustache hasn't been around that long, just since Nixon was in the White House.)

Happy Birthday Rich!

We love you and there's nothing you can do about it.

Religious Identity Survey

As part of Ms. Weiss' Theology course, students are asked to participate in a religious identity survey and grad at grad assessment. The Religious Identity Survey is the instrument we use to measure how well we are living our identity as a Catholic school all the while respecting the religious diversity of our community.  Each year, we ask both freshmen and seniors to complete the survey. The Grad at Grad instrument is what we use to assess the religious knowledge of our students.  The freshmen complete it to serve as a benchmark.  When they are seniors, they will complete it again in order to assess what they have learned in their 4 years at Saint Martin. To participate in the survey and assessment, please click below.

Religious Identity Survey

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PYKB563

Grad at Grad Test

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PYQ8DRP

24 International Business Leaders to visit Saint Martin

We are honored to welcome a delegation of 24 international business leaders on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 as part of a visit to the United States through the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program. The group consists of delegates from around the world all of whom have impressive backgrounds in entrepreneurship, business leadership, small business development, and business education.

The group has come to Cleveland for two days and is being hosted locally by the Cleveland Council on World Affairs (CCWA). The goals of the project as outlined by the Department of State are:

• To highlight the economic, political and social factors that influence and encourage the development of small businesses and entrepreneurship in the U.S.
• To explore the role of small businesses in driving economic development, democratization, and stabilization around the world.
• To demonstrate the impact of U.S. small businesses on the local, regional, national and global economies.

The CCWA was selected as a host because of Cleveland’s reputation as a city that highlights the tremendous diversity of the United States. Saint Martin junior Malia Worthy-Crumedy travelled to Brazil with a group from the CCWA this past summer and introduced the CCWA to our unique partnership with the business community, our Corporate Work Study Program.

While at Saint Martin, the delegates will meet with founding president, Rich Clark and Corporate Work Study Program Board Chair and retired Parker Hannifin executive, Jack Myslenski to learn about the economic and academic benefits of pairing our relationship-based innovative curriculum with a program in which students partner with the local business community.