Guests attending the 25th Catholic Education Dinner heard from current and former students as they spoke about the impact attending a Catholic school had on their lives.
The Feb. 5 event, held at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, is the annual fundraising event for Catholic scholarships organized by the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo.
Zay Starks, an eighth grader from Catholic Academy of Niagara Falls, where he serves as class president, is a high honors student, a recipient of the Ralph Meranto Scholarship Award for outstanding character, a peacekeeper within his peer group, and a recipient of the Perseverance Award.
He spoke about how a Catholic education changed his life for the better.
“Throughout my early years of schooling, I was not perfect,” he told the more than 600 people gathered. “I did not always make the right choices. I struggled with academics and my behavior. I was simply lost. There were many phone calls from school that would make my mom cry. Through the power of prayer, and I know my mother prayed a lot for me, and through the patient, caring and invested Catholic teachers who always believed in me, I found my way.”
He credits the school community with providing comfort, support and the motivation to be the best version of himself.
“I remember earlier this school year when my mom told me how proud she was when I received another 100 percent on a Religion test and she commented it was because of all my hard work and perseverance. I told her it was because I just loved God and wanted to please him. This made her cry, but this time they were happy tears.”
Also representing Niagara Falls was Joe Malfitano, an alumni of the former St. Joseph Elementary School.
“Forty-five years ago, my mother enrolled me in St. Joe’s. As a family, we had very little and often relied on church and government assistance to provide the basics,” he told the crowd of teachers, principals and supporters. “My mother was determined to give us a Catholic education and often worked with the school to do jobs to offset tuition. In hindsight, my mother’s choice and sacrifice was one of the greatest gifts I ever received.
“Growing up, my mother was raising my brother and I as a single mother while working multiple jobs just to keep things moving. My father was not around and spent over half of his life in prisons across the country. School was my safe space.”
Malfitano singled out his third grade teacher, Jody Slipko, as a prime example of the care and generosity he received from the community. He recalled her taking him and a friend to have a carefree day playing miniature golf.
“This small act of kindness by Ms. Slipko has never left me,” he said. “Ms. Slipko continues to teach and inspire students at St. Stephen School in Grand Island. Not surprising, she was also a great teacher.”
After high school, Malfitano went on to Buffalo State College, and Temple University Law School in Philadelphia. He has spent the past 25 years in the corporate restructuring industry working with many of the world’s leading companies.
“I will leave you with this,” he said. “Success cannot be achieved alone. Looking back, I have had a lot of luck, but much credit should be given to my family, my Catholic education, and teachers for establishing my core values and work ethic. That guidance set me in motion.”
Quinn Boardman. an eighth grader attending Notre Dame High School in Batavia, spoke about the hope and joy she has in her life after leaving public school.
“There are reasons why I decided to attend a Catholic school and I am happy to share with you why I made this life-changing decision,” she said.
She recalled being teased for her red hair and appearance since early childhood. Things got worse as she matured and acne set in.
“All this was difficult, but I tried my hardest to make sure I didn’t let these comments stop me from being myself. I just wanted to fit in yet fitting in was becoming my greatest fear. I wanted to stand out and be different. Even with this attitude, I still seemed to always get comments from my classmates and, surprisingly, my teachers. If it wasn’t about my personality, it was about my hair.”
Things only got worse. She hated going to school. Anxiety caused her to stop eating.
“As seventh grade went on, my life turned into a rapid downhill spiral. I felt no happiness anymore. I didn’t want to be at school, but I didn’t want to be at home. I didn’t want to be anywhere. I didn’t want to be. I thought running away would help me escape, but I knew I would just be found. I began to feel like I was already dead. Deep down, I still knew I had too much to live for. A voice inside of me somehow inspired me to just keep going.”
While attending a basketball game at Notre Dame High School, she made friends at the Catholic 7-12.
“That night was one of the best nights of my life,” she declared. “I came home that night and started begging my mom to please send me to Notre Dame. Eventually, she was open to letting me shadow for a day. I loved every second of the day. My mom saw how happy it made me. We continued to talk about me going there and my parents started to see how much I wanted this.
“The second I heard I was going to Notre Dame, my whole life lit up. When people at my old school heard I was leaving they cheered. It didn’t matter because I knew I was making the right decision. I am now part of a school where I am supported, cared about and part of a new family. I am so happy I am here and now know that I am beautiful inside and out.
Isabelle Reaska, a senior at Mount Mercy Academy in South Buffalo, has spent 14 years in Catholic schools. She loves the environment.
“The tight-knit communities and the small student to faculty ratio have made me feel as though I play an integral role in every situation, classroom and lesson of which I have been a part.”
Speaking specifically about her high school, Reaska mentioned the opportunities the South Buffalo school offers.
“Mount Mercy has provided me with opportunities beyond what I could have imagined. I have participated in countless clubs, sports, and community service, taken collegiate level courses totaling over two full semesters worth of credits, and traveled to Greece. Yet I believe with absolute certainty that the most important thing I am graduating with is the sisterhood that only Catholic high schools can supply. … There is much to be said for the education I’ve had at Mercy, that I desire to remain connected with such a faith-based institution as I continue through life.”
“The value of a Catholic education goes far beyond the barriers of the classroom and long after the diploma is achieved. It remains a part of the life of every individual who participates in it, and ultimately helps develop one’s personal morals, values, and sense of accomplishment. On behalf of the students who have benefited from this form of education, especially those in Western New York, in whose personal journeys you may have played a role, thank you for your time, dedication, and devotion towards ensuring the best is available for our nation’s future generations.