Everything Under The Sun: Archbishop Spalding Students Provide Service To The Community

The last gathering of the class of 2016 in the school auditorium.

Another one of the Baltimore area's parochial high schoolS is ARCHBISHOP SPALDING HIGH SCHOOL (ASHS), located in Severn in Anne Arundel Country. Approximately 1200 students attend this beautiful and modern facility.

Since Archbishop Spalding follows the Catholic faith tradition, many of the students participate in opportunities to put their faith into action. In February, the school community commemorated Social Justice Action Week. It was a time to bring greater awareness to the concept of social justice and also celebrate the ways students were reaching out to help others in need.

For the first time this year, an ASHS Community Service Fair was held, in which 20 different community service organizations participated. Students had the opportunity to learn about the services they provide directly from the organizations' representatives.

Morning prayers during the week focused on Catholic social teaching and students shared their service reflections. The week concluded with the school's Fast & Sleep Out. Students had the option to undertake a 24-hour fast, listened to speakers discussing homelessness and hunger, received information about issues regarding poverty, had time for reflection, and participated in theme-oriented fun and games.

Students at ASHS spend their four years engaged in service to the community both within and outside of the academic curriculum. Some of this year's seniors paused to reflect about the impact.

Kendall Baker said, "Community service is important to me for many reasons. It teaches you compassion and understanding. I find a lot of enjoyment in serving. It is an honor to be able to help better the community and bring smiles to the faces of people in need. To me, community service is a way of giving back and making people feel as though they matter, because they do matter."

Billy Godrick shared, "Service has definitely impacted my life in many ways, but the most valuable lesson I learned was to not take anything for granted....Now every time my mom makes dinner, I remember how lucky I am to have food on the table, a bed to sleep in, a car to drive, a family to come home to, and a roof to live under. I will be forever thankful for these things, the things we take for granted. Although I have made an impact on other people's lives through my volunteer service work, they made an even bigger impact on mine for we are all One in Christ."

According to Alexandra Hodges, "When I first was told we had sixty hours of service to complete by graduation, I was shocked. Sixty hours seemed like a large sum of hours and I figured it was going to be a drag to complete them all. I thought it would be a waste of my time or a chore, but I regret thinking that. It was not. Not even the least bit. I enjoyed all the service opportunities I took part in and I plan to continue participating in service throughout my life."

Greening by Spalding students, who are recycling electrical equipment.

In total the senior, graduating class of 2016 contributed 30,045 community service hours throughout their high school careers. Congratulations and a tip of the mortar board to this group of students with large hearts.