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December 18, 2025Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. It’s a time to spend with family, watch classic Christmas movies, and know of the inevitability that a perfect wrapping job will be torn to shreds in five seconds.
But it’s also the time of year for families to prepare their hearts and minds for the greatest gift of all: Christ’s coming into the world. Still, there are other great gifts, too, as reflected by members of the Mount to this question:
What is the greatest gift you have ever received and why?
Lydia Cage, freshman
Cage, involved in theater and manager of the JV and JV2 volleyball teams, said the greatest gift she ever received was a locket with a picture of both her dogs – Jasmine and Sirius – on the inside, with their respective paw prints on the outside.
“It was really sentimental because it was shortly after we lost one of them,” Cage said. “It gave me something to hold on to.”
Gabe Homeyer, sophomore
“The greatest gift I ever received was baptism.” Homeyer said.
Every morning before school, Homeyer can be found in the Our Lady of Mercy Chapel. He was in the One Act “Mockingbird” play and on the boys tennis team. He is also the oldest of four, soon to be five, siblings.
“When I was baptized by Deacon Tom at Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in College Station, Texas, on Feb. 7, 2010, my life was changed,” Homeyer said. “In that moment, as just a 2-month-old infant, my very soul was changed. I became claimed by Christ, by God, adopted into his family. Because of my baptism I have also been able to receive the sacraments and grow close to God, especially through Jesus present in the most holy Eucharist.
“This was all because I was baptized! It was undoubtedly the most amazing gift I have ever received!”
Homeyer offered a special thank you to his parents for baptizing him and to God for the awesome gift of baptism.
Kevin Winterrowd, social studies teacher
Winterrowd has worked at Mount for the last five years. His greatest gift: his three children.
“It wasn’t just having the kids that was the blessing. It was the blessing of good, healthy children,” Winterrowd said.
Harrison Durbin, senior
A second-generation Rocket, Durbin is on the yearbook staff and next semester will be working backstage for the musical. Durbin said that the greatest gift he has ever received – outside of friends and family – is his passion for photography.
“I realized that it was more than just ‘taking pictures,’ and there’s so many small niche things you can get into or focus on. I have well over 10 cameras in my collection, some work, most don’t.
“Photography also allows me to capture moments, which is my favorite part of it. I have so many pictures of doing stuff with my friends, or family events, or just times I want to go out and take pictures. It’s something I really, really enjoy.”
Aubree Miller, senior
“The greatest gift I ever received was a vanity my dad built for me,” Miller said. “He painted my initials onto it with flowers. He had also made a matching chair to go with it.”
Miller worked backstage for the One Act this semester and will again for the musical next semester.
“It was the best gift,” she said, “because he had put so much work and time into the gift and it showed his love for me.”