Moments at the Mount: At The Mount, a holiday to anticipate and a retreat to remember

As the calendar pushes toward Thanksgiving, we thought it might be a good time to ask a simple question: what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Annabelle SnyderAnnabelle Snyder, a senior, said she’s thankful for her parents because they’ve taught her everything she knows. Snyder is a part of the Rocket cheer team who advanced to state Nov. 14-15. She added that her family provides for her and are supportive in everything that she does.

Luke Ranck Junior Luke Ranck said he’s thankful for the opportunity to travel to Europe with his family. Ranck is involved in Rocket baseball and robotics.

“I’m very thankful because I’ve traveled out of the country before,” Ranck said, “but going to Europe is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not a lot of people, especially young people, get to experience that.”

Lilly PageFor Lilly Page, a sophomore, her family stands above all.

“Even when I can’t talk to my friends about things, my family is always there for me.”

Page added that she feels very connected to her family, saying she is constantly with them and everyone is very supportive.

“I never feel judged by them,” she said.

Coco VaughnCoco Vaughn, a freshman, is also thankful for her family. Vaughn is a part of the Rocket drama department. She competed with the cast of Mockingbird and was named to the All-State cast.

“My family has always been there for me and has always supported me,” Vaughn said. “They have always supported me in my different interests and hobbies. Really, I’m thankful for how they have pushed me to be my best self.”

Kathryn PickensKathryn Pickens, a math teacher and graduate from the class of 2007, said she is thankful for the sacraments.

“The sacraments are reliable and grace-filled,” said Pickens, who has been a teacher at The Mount for 12 years. “No matter the day, there is Mass available to me.”

She also appreciates that confession is an ever-present way to reconnect with the Lord.

“At any time and in any situation,” Pickens said, “the sacraments provide the opportunity for me to grow in my relationship with Christ and to dive deeper into the life of the Church.”

A Senior Retreat to Remember

On Nov. 12, the senior class went to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Camp to spend the day together. The day consisted of listening to talks from different teachers, including Mark Woodward, math teacher, and Francois Boda, French teacher, as well as engaging in group activities.

Every year, theology teacher Brian Boeckman takes the senior class out to the campsite so the students can grow in their faith with God and in their relationships with each other.

“I think this senior retreat really brought our class together in a way none of us were expecting,” senior Kozette Nguyen said.

“We all got to see a new side of our classmates that we might not have noticed over the past three years, bringing out a rare kind of vulnerability and solidarity. It was a wonderful opportunity to be reminded to take the time to not only be thankful for the time we had together but also for the time we have left.”

“At the end of the day,” said Harrison Durbin, “you could see everyone coming together and helping each other out. Having the time to talk to everyone and be vulnerable had put us all in a good mood.

“It made us closer to each other.”

The day following the retreat, the seniors received an e-mail from Boeckman, reading:

“Our Senior Retreat was the best I can remember and my heart is filled with joy on how blessed I am to experience this wonderful senior class.”

Said Durbin, “After it was all said and done, I was just thinking about how good of a day it was. I’m kind of sad we won’t be able to do anything like that again. At the end of the day it was kind of bittersweet, but mostly sweet.”