Maureen’s Message: The Story Behind Every Student
“Every student also travels another road, one that will never appear in PowerSchool. It is the story of family dynamics, friendships, social struggles, successes and disappointments, worries and dreams. It is what happens before they arrive at 8:25 in the morning and what awaits them when they leave at 3:25 in the afternoon.”
By: Principal Maureen Engen
Behind every student is a story
Every Bishop Miege student has something in common.
They come through our doors, attend classes, complete assignments, take tests, and receive grades that eventually find their way into PowerSchool. It is the part of school that is easy to measure. We can see the grade, calculate the GPA, count the credits, and track academic progress.
But every student also travels another road, one that will never appear in PowerSchool.
It is the story of family dynamics, friendships, social struggles, successes and disappointments, worries and dreams. It is what happens before they arrive at 8:25 in the morning and what awaits them when they leave at 3:25 in the afternoon. It is the part of their lives we may glimpse, but can never completely know.
Two roads that somehow merge together each day at Bishop Miege, yet the journey on those roads is different for every student.
When the news came that our beloved senior, Adie Balino, had died, those roads suddenly looked different for all of us.
Something changed.
In the midst of tremendous sadness, goodness became tangible. The Gospel became visible in a way that no lesson plan, textbook, or assignment could ever fully teach.
St. Paul tells us:
“Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves.” — Philippians 2:3
For those days, we watched those words come alive.
Our community became united in heart. Compassion and kindness surrounded Adie’s family and one another. Students checked on students. Teachers stopped what they were doing to listen. Parents reached out. People prayed together, cried together, hugged one another, and simply sat beside someone who needed them.
It seemed as though we looked at one another a little differently, almost as if to say, “I see you. I care about you.”
And whatever grievances we carried, we let them go because life is short. Let’s live in peace.
Carrying Adie’s legacy forward
We are now approaching the halfway point of the semester. Classes continue. Grades will continue to be entered into PowerSchool. Games will be played, tests will be taken, activities will fill our calendars, and the busy rhythm of a high school will return.
But I pray we don’t simply return to the way things were.
Why God chose to bring Adie home when He did will remain a mystery. It is a mystery we are asked to hold in faith, trusting that Adie remains with us in spirit and is now basking in the glory of God, where we all hope one day to be united.
As we move forward together as parents, faculty, staff, and students, my prayer is that the love we have witnessed for one another does not fade with the passing weeks.
May we never forget Adie.
May we continue to hold the Balino family close in prayer.
May we remember that behind every grade, every student, every teacher, and every person we encounter is a story we may not fully know.
And may we never forget that the Lord’s mercy and compassion are new each morning.
Perhaps that is what Adie’s life continues to teach us: see one another, care for one another, forgive one another, and love one another while we have the opportunity.