Head, heart and soul
SALISBURY — Sacred Heart Catholic School is a singular place that inspires students to pen beautiful prose encapsulating their time on Lumen Christie Lane in Salisbury, where they have been nurtured in faith, academics, sports, arts and more. As the school year was winding down, Principal Erin Brinkley, an alumna of the school and the winner of its first PTO scholarship essay contest in 2000, took the time to share with the Catholic News Herald three student essays, one written by a 2023 middle school graduate and two by high school senior alumni for this year’s contest.
Sacred Heart a ‘still, warm embrace’
Adam EbrightAdam Ebright, a recent graduate of Sacred Heart School, wrote the following essay for Catholic Schools Week. His words stirred the hearts of the pastor and Mass-goers alike as he read it to the congregation earlier this year:
If Jesus is powerful enough to conquer death, what stops Him from destroying us and all sinners? The question may be something to wonder, but most of the time Jesus makes the answer obvious to us. The most Sacred Heart of Jesus and His love for us is what stops Him from taking everyone that hurt Him out of existence.
This love and care is wonderful, and is the same embrace I get attending Sacred Heart Catholic School.
To me, Sacred Heart is not only a school for education and learning, it is a place with right and just standards, a place of great spiritual and virtuous growth.
Nonetheless, the education is high quality and captivating, and projects lead me to practice other virtues. My freedom and human dignity are supported overall, considering they are the basic principles of human life. With the school and church helping me academically and spiritually, I have almost nothing to worry about when making my Confirmation this year.
This school is the absolute embodiment of its name, Sacred Heart. From my time being here, I was able to meet new people and step out of my comfort zone for the first time ever several years back. The still, warm embrace, like Jesus, invites all to partake in this wonderful school that has given me everything I need. This love and comfort help me make it through day by day. Thank you, God bless, and go, Dolphins.
‘God brought me here’
Kyna Lisette Cortez Zaldivar Kyna Lisette Cortez Zaldivar won the 2023 PTO scholarship essay contest at Sacred Heart. She earned $1,000 to use toward her studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was chosen based on her essay, interview and student resume, which includes grades, service and other awards. In her essay, she tells the story of reluctantly transferring to Sacred Heart as a second-grader. In this excerpt, she explains what a gift it turned out to be:
Why do I call Sacred Heart “The Perfect Beginning” and “The Perfect Ending”? It was the perfect beginning for my journey of becoming the best student I can be and spiritually the best person I can be.
I was introduced to the Sacraments, the Mysteries of the Rosary, and many other Catholic necessities through religion classes. Weekly school Mass allowed me to sit among my peers and listen to readings and homilies which applied to our daily lives as students and children of God.
Being surrounded by a community of people who encouraged me to pray and worship allowed me to openly express my faith with no fear. It was the perfect ending to my life in elementary and middle school because of all the lessons I learned. With each lesson’s help, the cycle I mentioned before continues.
Sacred Heart was the ending of a specific time in my life but the start of a new beginning. Throughout my high school years, the lessons Sacred Heart has given me have stuck through working with coworkers at Romano’s Italian restaurant, speaking in front of the Salisbury Rotary Club without fear, and playing an 80-minute match of soccer at Salisbury High School with vigor and love for the game, and so much more.
I can now confidently say that even though my second-grade self did not know why I came to Sacred Heart, I know that God brought me here to find that new beginning, where the friendships I make and the values I learn would allow for my success in not only my academic endeavors but also in the world as a whole.
‘Love was all around me’
Angelina PiersonAngelina Pierson also wrote a poignant essay for the PTO scholarship contest. She will attend the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. In her essay, she illustrates how prayer and her Catholic education helped her persevere through the culture shock and anxiety she experienced in high school after graduating from Sacred Heart, where she had found “individuality, spirituality, and growth” in a “faith-driven and cultivated community.” Here is an excerpt that shows just how far she has come:
Having spent half of my life surrounded by familiar faces granted me an understanding of the true value of community. The relationships that I hold dearest to me are direct results of Sacred Heart. I was fortunate to be enclosed with friends who I could share my love of God with and build a connection so strong that I consider them family.
I like to believe that my heart comes from Sacred Heart. It comes from the love that the lunch staff put into our meals. It comes from the love of the teachers who drive us toward success. It comes from the encouragement of my friends. It comes from the warm hugs Mrs. Goodman gave me when I was sad.
At Sacred Heart, love was all around me. It has shaped me into the person I am today. I see myself as a person who looks for the colors in a black-and-white world – as someone who searches for kindness in the hearts around me. I find it easy to build relationships and friendships with people because of my experience at Sacred Heart. I can relay my learnings in new settings and create bonds with loving individuals which flourish from a sense of confidence that I never knew existed.
Love was a major component of my chapters at Sacred Heart and was something so unique and beautiful that you could not find anywhere else.
— Annie Ferguson