On January 24, junior and senior students of Bishop Noll Institute gathered in the school auditorium to celebrate National School Choice Week. This year, the rally featured several speakers who offered encouragement to students as they embark on a new school year.
Lorenza Jara Pastrick, the principal of Bishop Noll, expressed her pleasure at the school’s partnership with MySchoolOptions.
Due to his experience transitioning from homeschooling to attending traditional school, MySchoolOptions Regional Organizing Director Taki Floutsis considers it an honor to promote programs that help students find the best school placements for them.
“At MySchoolOptions, we help families advocate for access to programs like ours,” Floustis said. “We get families connected and inform them about various programs. Indiana has one of the largest school choice programs in the nation, but six out of 10 people don't realize they have an option outside of traditional forms of education. We want to make sure people know what's available. We're here to highlight National School Choice Week but also to highlight Bishop Noll because we really think it’s a beacon of what school choice looks like.”
MySchoolOptions has helped support other initiatives that assist Bishop Noll students and their families, one example being the School Choice Program. This program allows Indiana residents to use their own tax dollars in the form of a scholarship to a school that best fits their student’s educational needs. This empowers caregivers to fund the school they want their student to attend, even if it is located in another town.
Speaking as an alumnus of Bishop Noll, Assistant Director of Marketing and Enrollment at Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana Eric Roldan offered his personal perspective on the importance of appreciating one’s education and making the most of their time in high school.
“This is a great opportunity for you to really reflect on the choice you've been given and be an advocate in the future for the generations of students who will be coming here,” Roldan said. “Whether it's your family members, siblings, cousins, people that went to your grade school, or people who live in your community, spread awareness about the opportunities in the nation and the state for school placement. That will enable them to go to a school that will best fit their needs.”
After the address, the event attendees enjoyed complimentary donuts, juice, and coffee in the school cafeteria. Students enjoyed posing in front of a National School Choice Week-themed photo backdrop for a social media hashtag challenge. Students also completed their National School Choice Week ensemble with branded bracelets and scarves.
