St. Anthony on the Lake; my home, family, and friends. These words describe my experience here at St. Anthony on the Lake. It has became a place I know in my sleep. I have pretty much grown up at St. Anthony on the Lake. I went to Christian Formation in Kindergarten, and I have been here since first grade. During my time here at St. Anthony on the Lake, I have grown academically, as well as spiritually.

When I came to St. Anthony on the Lake, I wasn’t a very good student. I wasn’t the best reader, and I was very scared to ask questions. As I became accustomed to the setting of things it was easier for me to ask questions, but I still wasn’t a good student. Throughout my years at St. Anthony on the Lake I have learned to get my things done on time. I really learned this in third and fourth grade because I knew I would get in a huge amount of trouble at home if I got an oops. This also taught me to check over my work and bring home the things I needed. This led to me getting better grades. When I came to school here, I was a terrible reader, and it was very hard to concentrate. Over the years I learned how to concentrate by having music on when doing homework or even sometimes talking out loud to myself. For many years I struggled with my reading comprehension, but thanks to the help of the amazing teachers, I was finally able to understand what I was reading. The teachers have been so supportive at St. Anthony on the Lake helping me focus on what I needed to succeed academically and helping me achieve it. I am very thankful that over my years at St. Anthony on the Lake I have grown academically and become a more responsible person.

St. Anthony on the Lake also introduced me to the idea of service and helped me learn that giving to others is better than receiving. I also became more involved in the Church. Throughout my years at St. Anthony on the Lake we have done many meaningful service projects such as Operation Christmas Child, Food Drives, or even going to retirement homes. These projects taught me about the gifts of sharing, helping others, and respect, and they made me a better person overall. These projects opened me up to things I may not have known were going on in the world. When I hear what is going on around the world, I get this feeling inside telling me I have to help even in the smallest way possible. This taught me to respect the things I have. The things I have learned I will carry through the rest of my life. St. Anthony on the Lake also opened my eyes to the things I can do to help in Church. In 5th grade I learned how to be a server, and in 7th grade I got to be a cup minister. Cup minister and serving taught me how to become a better Catholic because I was more involved. It also taught me more about what is going on in mass and helped me better understand how the Church works. The service projects and jobs in the Church helped me grow spiritually. I not only became a better Catholic, but I learned to give in times of need. There are differences between wants and needs, and we need to help those who don’t even get some of their needs fulfilled.  I am very thankful for the opportunity to go to mass every Wednesday and participate in service projects or jobs in the Church because they have helped me grow to become a better Catholic.

The Kingdom of God is Near… Go Make a Difference describes what I’ve learned at St. Anthony on the Lake. I learned we are all going our separate ways, but we will met again one day in the Kingdom of God. Before we meet again, we should try to make a difference in the world. We can do this by working together so we can be the difference we want to see in the world. St. Anthony on the Lake will continue to be a home with family and friends long after I graduate. It has been a great journey of growth, academically and spiritually. I am very thankful to my parents for putting me in a Catholic School so I could learn about giving, and to the teachers for working with me and helping me grow as a person and a student. I am very glad I have spent the past eight years of my life at St. Anthony on the Lake.