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December 18, 2025With Christmas approaching and preparations underway, Advent has been a season of reflection and gratitude for many in the Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School community. Because of this, we asked the Irish to recall and reflect on the gifts in their lives that were most meaningful.
Cassandra Banister, junior
For Bannister, this gift was an American Girl Doll she received for Christmas from her grandmother as a little girl.
“Whenever I was a kid, it just gave an opportunity for me and my sister to hang out all the time and play and use our imagination, and every time I see them, I think of her,” Bannister said.
The gift not only allowed Bannister and her sister to connect, but their family as a whole. Following her grandmother’s death, Bannister’s father gifted her a doll to carry on the tradition.
“He just got it for me and you can tell that it really brought him joy,” Bannister said. “Gifting it reminded him of his mom and he got to feel that connection with me.”
Now Bannister shares the dolls with her nieces and nephews when they come to visit.
“It’s just awesome seeing them playing with them,” Bannister said
Taja Egert, Spanish teacher
For Egert, gifting is not so much about what she might receive, but more about what the gift represents. Egert found this to be especially true when she received a handmade card from her cousin with a photo of the two dancing salsa for the first time, and a letter reflecting on the experience.
“Something personalized like that meant the world to me,” Egert said.
The card reminded her that sometimes the simplest things can be the best.
“I think we all need to remember that gift giving doesn’t have to be this grand gesture or expensive gesture,” Egert said
Egert stressed that in many instances, the time people spend with those they love is more valuable than any physical possession.
“Sometimes we forget the little things that make us happy or that gave us joy in our life, and this card helped me remember that,” Egert said.
Ike Harry, junior
Harry’s grandfather died, he received a pressed coin necklace. Harry hadn’t expected to receive anything at the time of his death, making the coin one of his most meaningful possessions.
“Our family, our side barely got anything, so it was surprising that we got one thing from his will,” Harry said.
Of the two sides, Harry said his grandfather was an important person in his life.
“He was one of my favorites,” Harry said.
Brandon Mai, senior
The people in Mai’s life have been the greatest gifts.
“They bring me so much joy and they inspire me to be a better person,” Mai said.
In particular, Mai said he was grateful for his grandmother, who recently died.
“I was very grateful to have my time with her because of the love and support that I got from her, and every time I saw her, she would have a big smile on her face and it would just make us happy,” Mai said. “In the past she’s always been very patient, very kind to us, very caring.”
In addition to his grandmother, Mai is grateful for his two best friends: Tony Huynh and Gia-Luc Nguyen. Both are seniors at Bishop McGuinness.
“They’re always teasing me, but at the end of the day, they’re my best friends,” Mai said. “I always care for them. They always care for me.”
Emma Burch, senior
On Burch’s 16th birthday, she received a letter written in 2008. Its message, from her grandmother, detailed how Burch looked as a baby.
“It allows me to reflect fondly upon my memories with my grandmother, and it later let me be more thankful for having living grandparents in my lifetime,” Burch said.
The letter allowed Burch to feel closer with her grandmother who had died 10 years before.
“It was meaningful to me because I don’t have a lot of memories with my grandmother, and I don’t really know as much about my dad’s side of my family as I do with my mom’s, so it kind of let me be more connected even in loss,” Burch said.