New program offers scholarship help for students

IC photo by Christine Young

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Saint Olaf students compare the viscosity of different liquids in Jim Haggart's eighth-grade science lab.

SALT LAKE CITY - The Sponsor-a-Student program developed last year gives an opportunity for people in the Diocese of Salt Lake City to provide a Catholic education for Utah students.

"A Catholic education provides a child with the moral, emotional and intellectual framework upon which to build a productive life," said Christina Vierra-McGill, principal of The Madeleine Choir School.

Many families cannot afford to send their children to Catholic schools," said Holy Cross Sister Genevra Rolf, assistant superintendent of Utah Catholic schools. "With our struggling economy, our enrollment has stayed fairly steady, but the requests for tuition assistance have doubled.

"Most Catholic schools in Utah have their own scholarship programs and solicit funds to support those programs, but Sponsor-a-Student enables individuals in parishes without schools to help provide children in Utah with the blessing of a Catholic education," said McGill.

The education and experience of attending Judge Memorial Catholic High School led alumni Tracy and Erin Conti to give their children the same opportunity they received.

Likewise, Claire Benvegnu and her seven siblings graduated from Judge Memorial. She sent her children to Catholic school because she wanted them to have a good spiritual upbringing. "Judge Memorial Principal Richard Bartman, takes a special interest in each student. The teachers care about the success of their students," Benvegnu said, adding that students are more than ready to go on to college when they leave Judge Memorial.

Erica Martinez, a senior at Judge Memorial, said attending a Catholic school is great, especially for sports. "The Judge community of fans is always supporting our teams," she said.

Leslie Baty is not Catholic, but she chose Blessed Sacrament for her daughter because she loves that it is very religious and she wanted God to be part of her daughter's schooling. "She is receiving an incredible education and I am very pleased. I am impressed with how my daughter has progressed and I feel she is a step ahead of her friends in public school," she said.

Blessed Sacrament's extended day program attracted Mary Kavilia, a member of the United Methodist Church. "The school community is like a family to us," said Kavilia. "We are pleased with the spiritual and academic education our children are receiving."

While Heather Bonn of Saint Olaf Parish sent her children to public school through eighth grade so they could get to know their neighbors and have playmates near by, the Bonn children enrolled at Judge Memorial when they were in the ninth grade to form a social life with other Catholics and for the college prep program.

Crystal and Lance VanDongan sent their daughter and son to Saint Olaf School because it was more diverse than the public schools. Lance is Catholic, but Crystal was not. Their daughter Alex became passionate about the Catholic faith and now Crystal is Catholic and they are involved in many activities.

According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), "Young people are a valued treasure and the future leaders of our church. It is the responsibility of our entire Catholic community to continue striving toward the goal of making our Catholic elementary and secondary schools available, accessible and affordable to all Catholic parents and their children, including those who are poor and middle class."

Through the Sponsor-a-Student program, contributions must be made in the name of a school not in the name of a student. Because the program is using the postage permit from the Madeleine Choir School, the mailings will be received there for this fund.