By Kelsey Bugarin, Assistant Principal
From Rocky Mountain majesties to vast corn fields, my family’s choice to relocate may seem questionable to some. Allow me to provide some background: I was born and raised just outside of Boulder, Colorado (to clear the air, I am NOT a CU fan), and fell in love with Jesus Christ and education at a very young age.
God placed it in my heart to pursue education, first as a math teacher, then later as an administrator, to support people as they grow and reach goals they may have thought impossible. Helping students and staff thrive became my ultimate desire, which slowly proved to be challenging in a secular environment. I found myself asking, how can I teach the whole child without addressing their soul through faith?
The more I learned about Catholic education, the more excited I became, and when my good friend told me about the wonderful work Pius X has been invested in for over 60 years, I was immediately drawn to the environment. Still, when made aware that I recently moved, students often respond with a resounding, “why???” My one, simple answer: community.
In the short four months I have been here, it is clear how much the people care about each other at Pius X: seeing students carry their injured classmate’s backpack to class for them, hearing teachers offer prayer intentions during staff meetings, witnessing the resounding faith from leadership that God provides in all things, collaborating with a counseling team that is continually creative to meet the unique needs of students, chatting with parents at football games who welcome me like a neighbor, … Pius is driven by a community that cares.
It is visibly striving from the inside out to focus on faith, integrity, charity, excellence, service and purpose. I am quickly beginning to see where the term “Pius Family” stems from, and it is such a blessing to be a part of.
I know I am only beginning to learn about the breadth and depth of the Pius X community. My prayer is that every family who chooses Pius X feels as welcomed as I have. In my own personal studies right now and reflecting a lot on the return of the prodigal son, finding my “home” and what it means to be there has laid heavily on my heart.
Seeing the father open his loving arms to welcome his lost son home with joy is the perfect example of our Heavenly Father. In this image, though, I begin to wonder, who do you relate to more? The open arms of the father? The resentment of the older son? The humble return of the younger son? I challenge you to reflect on your own “homecoming” with the Lord and how we can welcome our brothers and sisters at Pius.
I am proud to be a Bolt, and my husband and I look forward to the day our own children get to join the Pius family as members of the student body.
