Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/14049
LONGBEACHMAGAZINE.COM 47 prompts incoming freshmen to think about their future. This program involves meeting with students three times a year, talking about college and even taking freshmen to visit college campuses. Students also take the PSAT in their freshman, sophomore and junior years so they are well prepared for the actual test experience by the time their senior year rolls around. An additional college preparation activity takes place the week after classes have ended when St. Anthony High holds an annual college boot camp for those students about to enter their senior year. The students spend five days organizing materials, writing college application essays ahead of time (with English teachers proofreading their work), selecting a number of dream, realistic and backup schools and gathering information on financial aid. "We're doing a heck of a lot here, but, by the end of the week, they are well-prepared to enter that very crazy period of college applications," Schabert said. "I don't want my students having to write a 500-word essay, a night before, without any preparation." You'd think that with so much pressure – not only to do well in classes, but also to participate in school activities and clubs (athletics for some) and having to be constantly preparing for college – the students would be overwhelmed. But the support from the St. Anthony High faculty lessens the pressure. And, for some students, even the most difficult situations can be enjoyable. "One of my biggest challenges this year was AP Calculus," said Class of 2010 graduate Dolan Kay. "The class was really fun, but the work load was immense. Calculus is the toughest course I've ever had in my life, without a doubt. And the AP exam was brutal. But, I had a great teacher and I really enjoyed the class. It's probably the only math class I ever liked. Struggles lead to success, right?" Kay, who was a transfer student from Servite High School in Anaheim, liked the idea of going from an all-boys school to co-ed, but found out that there was more to St. Anthony High than that. "The atmosphere is different here. The faculty, all-around, is dedicated to helping you, which I really loved. If you need something, you can ask one of your teachers, or your president or your principal." For fellow graduate and Valedictorian, Breana Panaguiton, finding a balance between school and extra-curricular activities was complicated. After class, she'd head off to practice in any of the four sports in which she lettered then go home to finish homework and study, and still she managed to pull a 4.3 GPA. "This is something that I had to put a lot of energy to," Panaguiton said. "Our experience at St. Anthony made me aware of a lot of things and made me change my opinion on many aspects of life. Being open-minded, I was able to learn more." While these experiences are unique to Kay and Panaguiton, their enthusiasm echoes that of their fellow graduates and classmates they leave behind. And while the Class of 2010 has set the bar for years to come, none of this would have been possible without the enduring spirit and faith that Maguire, Schabert and the faculty have poured into making the school great. Success stories like this don't happen overnight. In fact, when Maguire first came to St. Anthony HS, nearly 10 years ago, the school was struggling and in danger of shutting its doors. "In the early 2000s, enrollment had shrunk and there were a lot of issues with the City of Long Beach, where there was a perception that the Downtown area wasn't safe," said Maguire, who happens to be a St. Anthony alumna from the class of '67. "We're an old school–this is our 90th anniversary–and at the time, many of the buildings hadn't been maintained over 20 years." 2010 GRADUATION