Like so many things this spring, the typical format for the culminating presentation for the OLSH Senior Seminar: Felician Values Fulfilled had to be changed due to the closure of campus for the COVID-19 pandemic. This change didn’t seem to phase the OLSH seniors, though, as they adapted and learned to screen share while they addressed panels of faculty members virtually via Zoom.

The content and focus of the presentations remained the same as in year’s past – how the seniors had come to understand and live the Felician Core Values and an illustration of their transformation over the last four years. All freshmen at OLSH (or transfers in their first year at the school) take the mini-course Felician Core Values where they learn about the five values – Respect for Human Dignity, Compassion, Transformation, Solidarity with the Poor, and Justice & Peace – and about OLSH’s heritage as a ministry of the Felician Sisters. The Senior Seminar: Felician Values Fulfilled guides the seniors through putting those Core Values into action and invites them to reflect on how they experience the Core Values in their lives. Throughout the year, seniors completed individual service projects at local organizations, they participated in a water challenge during which they used only a gallon of water for all of their needs throughout the day, and shadowed a professional in a career they wanted to learn more about. They also created a 1365 video to illustrate their spiritual transformation during their time in high school.

While each senior told their personal story in a unique way, a common theme of family carried through, as many credited the relationships they had built with classmates, teammates, teachers, and coaches at OLSH, with supporting their growth - academic, physical, social, and spiritual.

The day was rewarding for faculty, who have watched these students grow over the past four years.