Alumni News
Holy Family Academy
An Alumnus’ Perspective
An Interview with Julianna Perrella
By Lucille Fortin
Julianna Perrella, a 2009 graduate of Holy Family Academy who is currently a junior in the nursing program at Franciscan University of Steubenville, graciously agreed to be interviewed by me before returning for her second semester of college. This article catches a glimpse of the heart, mind, and soul of a young Catholic woman, one who is living out what she learned while a student at Holy Family Academy. Following the Socratic style of conversing, I asked Julianna several questions about her experience at Holy Family Academy and in particular about some of the highlights of her life while she was a student here. Julianna’s first comment was that she loved theChristian communitythat she experienced at our school – the entire community of students and faculty. She said, “It was a school community in which I was appreciated not only as a student, but as a whole person. The teachers were not only concerned about my grades; they cared about me, and every student, more than anything else. They saw the value of you as a person and wanted you to grow to your full potential. I could really sense that in my interactions with my teachers.”
When I asked Julianna about her teachers, she replied, “The teachers taught with knowledge and confidence and they explored the subject matter from different angles. It was evident that, as a class, we were alllooking for the truth together, and understanding why it was true. In 11thgrade, Mr. Pietropaoli’s Moral Theology class was very important in helping me grow in my faith. I was given the opportunity to mature as a Catholic person, not just simply knowing what I believed, but why I believed it.”
“Being involved in Socratic seminars was very different from my previous experience in public school in which I attended classroom lectures. Although the method of constantly being asked questions was challenging, I preferred it in searching for the answers. At Holy Family Academy, I was expected to be involved in looking for the truth for myself, to ask questions, and to be an engaged, active learner. The Socratic Method enriched the classroom experience because it got the entire class involved! We had to be alert and ready to discuss the topic at hand, not simply be there as spectators. The Socratic Method helped me to be more actively involved in searching for the truth during my high school years and then beyond that, at the college level and in my personal life.”
The teachers, through the use of the Socratic Method, helped the students arrive at the truth of things, but as Julianna shared, it also allowed for many light and funny moments in class. She said, “There were plenty of good conversations and jokes during class! Many times, the conversations in the classroom spilled out and continued after class in the hallways between the students and faculty.”
I asked Julianna how the prayer life and faith formation at the Academy had touched her life? She answered that, “she felt it was very important that she and her classmates prayed at the beginning and the end of every class together with their teachers, and every morning and at the end of each day as a school community. She found a special strength of faith in the Body of Christ, especially through intercessory prayer. She said, “It helped to direct our lives and put things into perspective –to remember how God sees us as a person. We are more than what we do and what we accomplish.” Julianna loved that fact that the school community was able to attend Holy Mass together in the school chapel. She explained that “it was having heaven on earth together, and it enriched us all as a school family.” We also discussed how praying at the local abortion clinic as a pro-life witness was important to her because as she said, “her age group has been affected so deliberately in this area.”
We continued to talk about the strong sense of unity among her classmates and the Academy in general. Julianna commented that the yearly school hike, the March for Life, the Junior-Senior Drama program, and all the extra-curricular activities helped to cement the students’ friendships which have continued to this day. She said, “The friendships at HFA were very strong, and I have remained friends with my classmates. When I come home from college and attend daily Mass or go pray at the adoration chapel at Ste. Marie Church, I will often see my friends and classmates there without having made plans to do so. I attribute this to the Academy’s influence in our lives and the fact that we were all going in the same direction in our faith life. The pursuit of growing in our Catholic faith has continued after graduation from Holy Family Academy.” Julianna continued, “Having made such good friendships at the high school level at the Academy also led me to seek the same kind of friendships in college. These friendships have helped me become the person that I am proud to be. They are not friendships of convenience, but “true friendships” based on the love of Christ. We are able to really get to know one anotherinstead of simply doing things together.”
I asked Julianna if she had any special memories about school events, or regarding any special visitors at the Academy? Julianna answered that the Drama program had created many great memories for her. She said, “Everyone was taken out of their ‘comfort zone’ and we all had to try something totally new. Drama is a required course and even though not all of the students thought they would like it, overall, we did enjoy the experience as a group. There was a lot of laughter and having fun together with the script, the creation of sets, and the choosing of costumes. Performing a play together allowed us to get to know each other outside of the classroom setting.” Another special memory for Julianna was when Mr. Bobby Schindler came to the Academy in 2006 to speak to the students about the life and death (the public dehydration) of his sister, Terry Schiavo. Julianna said “to hear directly from Bobby about a topic that we cared so deeply about, the dignity of human life, was extraordinary. It was a great honor to hear him speak.” The other special memory for Julianna was when Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R. came to celebrate Holy Mass and visit with the faculty and students. Julianna remembers that “while Fr. Benedict was speaking very softly and gently, you could have heard a pin drop because everyone was listening so intently.”
Julianna ended her interview by saying that, “She feels very blessed and proud to have “grown up” in the formative environment of Holy Family Academy, and that she highly recommends it to all students!”
Thank you and God bless you on your life’s journey, Julianna!