Meet Paris, Class of 2024
When Paris was a freshman in high school, she noticed she wasn’t thinking straight. She was a student at another Chicago-area high school and her academics were suffering because she had trouble remembering what she was learning from one day to the next.
Her mom took her to the doctor, where she was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and Graves disease—illnesses that made every day a struggle. At the same time she was navigating these difficult symptoms and diagnoses, a caring teacher at her old school suggested that Paris consider transferring to Josephinum Academy. She commented that Paris might thrive at a smaller school with supportive teachers and countless opportunities—and she was right.
“When I came here [to Josephinum Academy], everyone was so welcoming,” Paris remembered. “It literally felt like family to me.”
Paris immediately got involved with everything The Jo has to offer.
“I’m in a lot of clubs,” she said with a laugh. “K-Pop club, culinary club, Black Student Union (BSU), student government (SGA)...Because of my illness, I couldn’t play any sports during my sophomore or junior years, but I would look at the volleyball team and think, ‘I really want to join!’ My senior year, I finally got to play volleyball and basketball, and those were the best things ever. They made me really energized—and they made me want to come to school every day!”
As a senior this year, she is super excited about Mr. Lewis’s AP pre-calculus class. Throughout her Josephinum education, she loved her anatomy and AP psychology classes. “I loved studying about the human body and the way we think,” she said. “And this year, I can talk to Mr. Lewis about my struggles and catch up on work during his office hours.”
Paris was also part of the Mental Health Peer-Mentor Program (which you can read more about in this Conversation Piece!), which helped her solidify her plans for the future.
“I want to do nursing,” she said. “When I was in the hospital for my thyroid, I noticed how the nurses would take care of me. I want to care for other people; I want to help others, especially in times of difficulty. It’s something that really affected me, so now it’s something I want to do.”
Through her sessions with Nurse Claudia in the Peer-Mentor Program, Paris was able to better understand the deeper meaning of nursing and add some technical knowledge to her own medical experiences. After she graduates this spring, she plans to pursue a nursing degree.
“I’ve had a lot of setbacks,” Paris recalled. “I was not the best student and I had trouble dealing with others. But I’ve had an immense amount of growth because of The Jo. It taught me how to become an adult.”
“The people here—they made me more calm, they helped with my communication. How are you going to succeed? How will you show who you are? The Jo really helps you figure this out.”
“I love the family I have at The Jo. We’re sisters.”