As thousands of students prove year after year, it is possible to get a good education and develop a strong character regardless of what school you attend --- public, private or parochial.

Nonetheless, members of the high school graduating class of 2009 say that they treasure their Catholic school experience, regardless of when it began (K, 12 or anywhere in between), and are confident it has prepared them to face the challenges that await them as they head toward college, and beyond.

The following students were among those who shared their thoughts on what Catholic education has meant to them:

" To be honest, I initially thought that attending a Catholic high school may have impeded my academic path because generally Catholic schools had fewer courses (and therefore fewer AP opportunities) than a regular public school curriculum. However, after four years at Cantwell, I learned that although courses may be crucial for my education, there is something else that would always be useful in life no matter my stage in life: a good set of morals and a moderate way of life. Every day, I hear advice in the form of prayer and through the occasional announcements the principal makes during the morning. This material is something most people learn throughout the years of their lives, but in a Catholic school, it is presented to me so I can enjoy the benefits as soon as possible."
---Kevin Chan, Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary High School, Montebello

"Being involved in a Catholic environment for nearly the majority of my education has not only helped me to evolve into a stronger individual of faith, but has greatly enriched my understanding and acceptance of the meaning of Jesus Christ. Now that I plan to further my education at Loyola Marymount University, a Jesuit-based school, I'll be able to grow with that same concept of faith I am so accustomed to, but now in a way that will guide and nurture my maturity into the strong-willed, determined young lady I hope to become, with Jesus Christ being the center of all I believe in and the reasons for my accomplishments."
---Sarah Llanes, St. Paul High School, Santa Fe Springs

"I found a place in Providence and Catholic education in general that provides a more personal learning environment. At LMU, where I am headed for college, one of their tenets is educating the whole person. I find that to be true of all my Catholic education experience."
---David Heebner, Providence High School, Burbank

"Having had the opportunity to attend a Catholic high school has been one of the best experiences of my life. I have grown physically, mentally and spiritually. Saint Joseph High School has prepared me to take on everyday challenges, to become academically competitive, and to become all of which I am capable. I definitely want to continue service to my parish and Saint Joseph High School. I want to remain connected to my community and give back."
---Jasmin Ramirez, St. Joseph High School, Lakewood

"Academically, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy nurtured and developed my talents. Take English; in my freshman year many of us had little writing experience, and much of the focus was learning how to write. In sophomore year, we focused more on literary analysis and comparison, learning how to annotate and do research. In our junior year, Mr. Bernstein had us question the author's intentions and what the writer was thinking, while in our senior year Mrs. Reed took us through more of a creative component. I learned the basics and built on them, and while I know I will be challenged in college, I also know that I will be fine.

"I attended Christian pre-school, Catholic elementary school and a Catholic high school, and I am ready to spiritually embrace the Jesuit education at LMU. I have had a good moral and ethical grounding at FSHA, where we learned about world religions, but where we also discussed how we would use our morals and ethics in the real world."
---Marissa Provenzano, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, La Canada Flintridge

"Having attended Catholic school for 13 years, I have found that it provides students with a strong education, but more importantly, it provides a firm religious foundation. It is faith, not education, that enables a person to overcome life's obstacles; therefore, a good education is useless without a strong foundation of faith to guide it."
---Michael DiBernardo, Mary Star of the Sea High School, San Pedro

"The Catholic education that I received allowed me to realize that service and volunteering is an important part of my life and how the things that I do affect many people. God will guide me through the rest of my life by the hand; Lord, I offer my life to you. With the lessons I have learned from Holy Family High School College Preparatory, I will inspire others to achieve their dreams just like the people that helped me."
---Kayleigh Setoda, Holy Family High School, Glendale

"Attending a Catholic high school prepared me, not only academically, but also spiritually for the challenges of college life. The teachers at Damien all promote the growth of the students as individuals and generally care about their success. Being taught true Catholic values led me to make the right decisions in high school, and I know that will continue in college. I decided to attend Georgetown University, a Jesuit institution, because of the strength of its international relations program as well as its Catholic identity."
---Gregory A. Rodarte, Damien High School, La Verne

"The college application process was very challenging and more difficult than I had expected, but also a time for personal reflection on my hopes and dreams for the future. The application process --- writing essays and completing all the numerous forms --- was hard work. But the most turmoil I experienced was in waiting, hoping and praying that the colleges would find me worthy of admissions. In my heart, it was a test of faith. I knew that I belonged at Notre Dame; I knew I was supposed to go there, almost as if it were a destiny.

"But my faith in a purpose - a purpose to graduate from Notre Dame and fight poverty and injustice like so many of the 'Fighting Irish' who have gone before me - clashed with my reason. I worried every moment of every day that I was putting too much faith in something so uncertain.

"The weekend before I was to get my letter from Notre Dame in the mail, I went on a retreat with my parish and was so inspired by the words of faith, hope and love. Faith in my future, wherever that may be; hope, that I can follow God and his calling to serve; and love, wherever I go, there will be love.

"Two days after I got home from the retreat, I got news that I was accepted into Notre Dame. I realized the true inspiration of faith, hope and love, which I believe will be necessary when I go away to college.

"Notre Dame is a Catholic university and I am so fortunate to have struggled in my faith during this application process because it has made my faith even stronger. When I go to Notre Dame I will be ready to continue to grow in faith, hope and love because my Catholic experience during high school has been a challenge, one that I will never forget but will forever be grateful for."
---Madison Hagen, Mayfield Senior School, Pasadena