Strake Jesuit - Grad at Grad

The Strake Jesuit Graduate at Graduation

The Strake Jesuit graduate is approaching the threshold of young adulthood. Leaving the world of childhood behind has involved anxiety and embarrassment, and taking fearful first steps into sexual identity, independence, first love or first job. It has also involved physical, emotional and mental development which brought out strengths, abilities, and characteristics which adults and peers began to appreciate. During the four years prior to graduation he began to realize that he could do some things well, sometimes very well, like playing basketball, acting, writing, doing math, fixing or driving cars, making music, or making money. There have also been failures and disappointments. Even these, however, have helped the student to move toward maturity.

Fluctuating between highs and lows of fear and confidence, love and loneliness, confusion and success, the Strake Jesuit student at graduation has negotiated during these years many of the difficulties of adolescence. On the other hand, the graduate has not reached the maturity of the college senior. During his senior year of high school, especially, he is beginning to awaken to complexity, to discover many puzzling things about the adult world. He does not understand why adults break their promises, or how the economy "works," or why there are wars, or what power is and how it ought to be used. Yet he is old enough to begin framing the questions. And so, as some of the inner turmoil of the past few years begins to settle, he looks out on the adult world with a sense of wonder, anxious to enter that world, yet still unable to make sense of it. He is more and more confident among his peers; he can more easily read the clues of the youth culture of which he is a part. Furthermore, he is independent enough to choose his response. As for the adult world, he is still a "threshold person," cautiously entering adulthood.

In describing the graduate we chose qualities under six general categories which seem desirable not only for this threshold period but also for his adult life. These categories sum up the many aspects or areas of life most in accord with living a Christian life as an adult. Whether we conceive these qualities under the rubric of a Man for Others or simply as a developing Christian, they appear to be qualities which characterize the kind of person who can live an adult Christian life in the twenty-first century. These qualities are (I) Openness to Growth, (II) Intellectual Competence, (III) Physically Fit, (IV) Religious, (V) Loving, and (VI) Committed to Doing Justice. All of the characteristics described are in dynamic interaction; the division into the five categories simply provides a helpful way to describe the graduate.

I. OPEN TO GROWTH

The Strake Jesuit College Preparatory student at the time of graduation has matured as a person--emotionally, intellectually, physically, socially, religiously--to a level that reflects some intentional responsibility for his growth (as opposed to a passive, drifting, laissez-faire indifferent attitude about his growth). The graduate is at least beginning to reach out in his development, seeking opportunities to stretch his mind, imagination, feelings, and religious consciousness. Although still very much in the process of developing, the graduate:

is beginning to understand his obligation to himself to actively pursue his own growth as a person; he is developing a desire for integrity and excellence in multiple facets of his life.
in his search for growth is also learning how to accept himself, both his talents and his limitations; his participation in various levels of the school community has assisted this self-acceptance significantly.
is more conscious of his feelings and how they move him, and is more free and more authentic in expressing them; at the same time he is beginning to confront his responsibilities to himself and to others to manage his compulsive or impulsive drives.
is open to a variety of aesthetic experiences and continues to develop the range of his imaginative sensibilities.
is becoming more flexible and open to other points of view; he recognizes how much he learns from a careful listening to his peers and other people who are close to him.
is developing a habit of reflection on his experience.
is beginning to seek new experiences, even those which involve some risk or the possibility of failure.
is exploring career choices and how he wants to shape his life within a frame work of values.
is beginning to open himself to broader adult issues.

II. INTELLECTUAL COMPETENCE

By the time he graduates the Strake Jesuit College Preparatory student will exhibit an appropriate mastery of the fundamental tools of learning and will be well on his way to sharpening his intellectual skills. He is beginning to see the need for intellectual integrity in other areas of concern such as the quest for religious truth and for social justice. The student already:

A. Skills and Attitudes

is developing mastery of logical skills and critical thinking.
is developing greater precision and a personal style in thought and expression both written and oral.
is developing a curiosity to explore ideas and issues.
is becoming more capable of applying what he has learned to new situations and can adjust to a variety of learning formats.
is developing an organized approach to learning tasks and can present a convincing argument in a research report.
is taking pride and ownership in his work and beginning to enjoy intellectual and imaginative pursuits.

B. Basic Knowledge

has begun to develop a general knowledge of central ideas, methodologies, and the systematic arrangement of a variety of intellectual disciplines of knowledge.
has begun to relate current events to some of their historical antecedents and is growing in appreciation of his cultural heritage.
is growing in awareness of the global nature of many current social problems involving human rights, energy, ecology, food, population, terrorism and arms limitations, and their impact on various human communities.
has begun to understand some of the moral ambiguities embedded in values promoted by Western culture.
is beginning to understand the rights and responsibilities of a citizen as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the structure and conduct of government in the United States.
has begun to develop a repertory of images of humanity as presented in literature, biography and history which are shaping a more compassionate and hopeful appreciation of the human community.
is beginning to enjoy learning more about his world from the perspectives of the humanities, religion, and science.
is beginning to develop a critical consciousness by which he can better evaluate the issues facing contemporary society and the various responses to these issues.

III. PHYSICALLY FIT

At graduation, the Strake Jesuit graduate values the ideal of a sound mind in a sound body. He appreciates his physical being as a gift from God and understands the value of working toward the goal of fully developing and maintaining his physical talents. He understands the fundamentals of human physiology and physical development and the fundamentals of maintaining personal health. Finally, he values his body as a treasure that is vulnerable to depreciation and loss if he indulges in inappropriate sexual behaviors or substance abuse. The graduate:

is aware of methods for maintaining personal health and hygiene.
takes pride in his physical appearance.
knows the fundamentals of good nutrition and practices good eating habits.
knows the fundamentals of several lifetime recreational activities.
participates in physical exercise on a regular basis.
knows major local, national, and global health problems and some of their potential solutions.
understands that physical activity helps him cope with stress and tension.
understands and is able to apply basic procedures of accident prevention and emergency care.
understands the biology and psychology of human sexuality.
understands the value of and need for self-discipline.
recognizes the potential danger of using chemical substances and acts responsibly.

IV. RELIGIOUS

Upon graduation the Strake Jesuit student will have a basic knowledge of the major doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church. He will also have examined his own religious feelings and beliefs with a view to choosing his fundamental orientation toward God and his relationship with a religious tradition and/or community. What is said here, respectful of the conscience and religious background of the individual, also applies to the non-Catholic graduate of Strake Jesuit. The level of theological understanding of the student will be limited by his level of religious and human development. More specifically, the graduate.

has read the Gospels and encountered the person of Christ as he is presented in the New Testament.
has a basic understanding of the Church's teaching about Jesus and his redeeming mission, as well as the sacramental expression of that mission in and through the Church.
has had some exposure to non-Christian and non-Catholic religious traditions.
is becoming more aware of his own responsibility to explore and validate his faith and of the choices which that validation implies.
has had some personal experience of God, either in private prayer, on a retreat, in liturgical prayer, or in some other moving experience; he is learning how to express himself in various methods of prayer.
is beginning to form a conscience by which he evaluates his moral choices and can work his way through moral issues with increasing clarity.
has begun to appreciate how a living community and the Eucharist complement each other.
is learning through his own failures of his need for healing by and reconciliation with friends, family, Church, and the Lord.
is at the beginning stages of understanding the relationship between faith in Jesus and being a "man for others," one who is willing to sacrifice his own selfish interest for the welfare and good of others and has some familiarity with Church teaching on social justice.
has had some satisfying experiences of serving others in need through service projects and has come to a sympathetic appreciation of their desire for respect, justice, and love.

V. LOVING

By the time of graduation, the Strake Jesuit College Preparatory student is well on his way to establishing his own identity. He is also on the threshold of being able to move beyond self-interest or self-centeredness in his personal relationships. In other words, he is becoming capable of risking deeper levels of relationship in which he can disclose himself and accept the mystery of another person and cherish that person. Nonetheless, his attempts at loving are still awkward and relatively superficial; he is clearly beyond childhood but has not acquired the confidence and freedom of a mature person. More specifically, the Strake Jesuit graduate:

is learning to trust the fidelity of some friends, members of his family, and some adults of the school community.
has experienced moments when God's love for him as a person began to be felt, however vaguely.
is coming to accept and love himself as he is; he can laugh at himself now.
has begun to come to grips with personal prejudices and stereotypes and communicates more easily with others, especially with peers of other races, religions, nationalities and socio-economic backgrounds.
has experienced the support of various levels of community in the school, including school liturgical celebrations, and has learned to extend himself in building up the school community.
feels more at ease and mature with persons of the opposite sex than in early adolescence and
has experienced the stirrings of romance in some of these encounters.
is beginning to integrate sexuality into his whole personality.
has begun to appreciate deeper personal friendships but is also learning that not all relationships are profound and long lasting.
is beginning to appreciate, through service of others, the satisfaction of giving of himself for other people and thereby finding his life enriched.
is more capable of putting himself in another person's place and understanding what he or she is feeling.
is more in touch with his own feelings and capable of expressing them to close friends.
is more sensitive to the beauty of the created universe and is more caring about life and his natural environment.

VI. COMMITTED TO DOING JUSTICE

The Strake Jesuit College Preparatory student at graduation has achieved considerable knowledge of the many needs of local and wider communities and is preparing himself for the day when he will take a place in these communities as a competent, concerned and responsible member. The graduate recognizes within himself the potential for doing injustice and has begun to see injustices in some of the surrounding social structures. He has begun to acquire the skills and motivation necessary to make a commitment to do justice. Although this attribute will come to fruition in mature adulthood, some characteristics will have begun to appear earlier. When he graduates the Strake Jesuit student:

is more aware of selfish attitudes and tendencies in himself which lead him to treat others unjustly, and consciously seeks to be more understanding, accepting, and generous with others.
is beginning to see, however vaguely, that his Christian faith implies a commitment to a just society.
is beginning to understand the structural roots of injustice in social institutions, attitudes, and customs.
has been exposed to the needs of some disadvantaged segments of the community through community service programs and has gained some empathetic understanding for their conditions of living.
has reflected on his experience of working with and for others in service programs, thereby coming to know himself better and growing in his awareness of those alternatives in public policy which govern the services provided for various segments of the community.
is developing both a sense of compassion for the victims of injustice and concern for those social changes which will assist them in gaining their rights and increased human dignity.
has begun to reflect on public service aspects of the career he might choose to pursue.
is beginning to understand some of the broader demands of community building in his community.
is beginning to understand the complexity of many social issues and the need for critical reading of diverse sources of information about them.
is beginning to grasp that many social issues expand beyond the local community and in fact are national or global in scope; in this way he is beginning to see the importance of voter influence on public policy in local, regional, national and international arenas.
is beginning to realize that the values of a consumer society are sometimes in conflict with the demands of a just society and, indeed, with the Gospel.

CONCLUSION

In presenting this profile, it must also be recognized that the influence of Strake Jesuit on a student's growth is limited. Other influences, frequently out of the control of the school, such as family, friends, the youth culture and the general social environment in which one lives, will hinder or foster the student's growth. But in so far as Strake Jesuit can intentionally bring its resources to bear on fostering the student's growth in the direction of this profile, it will do so.