Class of 2025: Sparky Kemmo and Joanna McLean, Nolan Catholic High School

Nolan Catholic High School graduates Sparky Kemmo, a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, will attend the University of Notre Dame, and Joanna McLean, a St. Maria Goretti parishioner, will attend University of Dallas.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
 

NTC: What school did you attend before Nolan?

JOANNA: I went to St. John the Apostle [Catholic School in North Richland Hills] since kindergarten.

SPARKY: I went to Indian Springs Middle School in Keller.
 

NTC: What have been your favorite things about Nolan?

SPARKY: Coming from a public school to a Catholic school, I was kind of nervous at first. I'm Catholic myself, but I didn't really know how integrating it would feel. Nolan has not only helped me academically but also helped me grow my faith. What I really like about the school is that they make sure that faith isn't a mere class at school. It's incorporated into everything you do — whether you're going to Mass or prayer before lunch or being able to go to chapel, go to confession. There's always room for faith inside the school.

JOANNA: We have excellent teachers, who are very Christ-centered. In the classes, they teach so well on their specific subject, but they also incorporate faith into everything. In my statistics class, we often talk about philosophy or theology as well and tie it into math.

Also, the Christ-centered friendships at this school. I've met so many amazing young Catholic people here that are so enthusiastic about their faith. That really encourages me.
 

NTC: Has your faith grown in your years at Nolan?

JOANNA: Coming here, it really strengthened that foundation of faith, and I feel like it prepared me to go out into the real world.

SPARKY: So it was kind of weird coming to school where you would pray before lunch or be able to talk about your faith. At my old school, no one would ever pray before they ate; no one ever really talked about faith.

Coming to this school, being able to openly talk about your faith with other people around you and know you're not going to get judged negatively because other people might not feel the same way — it's just really opening, inspiring, not having to fear you're going to get criticized by other people.

Coming to this school I've been able to deeply go through the Bible and understand the whole meaning of the Bible itself and the significance of it to us as well.
 

NTC: Is there an emphasis at the school of growing in character or virtue?

JOANNA: I'm part of LIFE team, which stands for living in faith experience. We grow in virtue together. It's a class period, so we'll usually go to the chapel and pray the Rosary or do lectio divina or the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
 

NTC: Have you cultivated a habit or lesson that you want to take with you to college?

JOANNA: Learning about math and science and history and the arts and literature, but tying all of that into my relationship with God and tying that all into the Catholic faith and just really making sure that's the center. Learning how to grow with others in virtue and lead each other towards Christ.

SPARKY: A really good lesson that I've learned here is that reason and faith are meant to be combined with each other and not stay separate. Any discussion we have in class, we are openly invited to think critically.

Something that I really like as well is that through any uncertainty in my life, when I'm down or anything, I know that I have faith to help me, guide me, through my hard times, by giving me compassion, integrity, hope.

I'm just excited to build relationships with the central idea of respect with everyone else. And it's that same level of community that the school has provided — I'm really willing to bring that same community and connection into the school I go to as well.
 

NTC: What piece of advice would you give someone who will be a freshman in August?

SPARKY: A good piece of advice is just come here with open arms. Coming to the school, I knew literally no one, and I was scared. But people came to me; everyone was so welcoming. Everyone knows everyone. Everyone is willing to be your friend or just get to know you.

From an academic standpoint, having a small student ratio, you also build even better bonds with your teachers as well. I really like that, especially being able to go to your teacher, ask for help, and she actually remembers your name.

So for anyone coming, don't be scared, be happy because you'll always meet new people and you always have God by your side.

JOANNA: Be ready to learn with an open heart and be ready to bring your own individual gifts into the school. It's really amazing that everyone here has their own unique talents, their unique smarts, their unique abilities, and just being able to bring that and incorporate it with everyone else.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you don't understand something in class, all of the teachers here are so ready and willing to help. Everyone's just pushing you for excellence, and everyone's going to be very understanding and helpful.

So don't be afraid, and trust that God does have a really, really good plan for you.