Graduates from Yuma Catholic High School thrive in spirit, studies, and service

By Carissa Krautscheid 
 

One of Yuma Catholic High School’s 112 graduates in the class of 2023 was Gracie Heiligenthal.
 

The 17-year-old says, “My favorite thing about Yuma Catholic is the focus on Christ, college, and community. Everything is geared toward bettering students in their academics and helping them reach their full potential. We are taught about faith and Catholicism. All of these things combined with community service make Yuma Catholic stand out.” 

What’s especially unique about Gracie is that she is not Catholic, “Having a Catholic education has helped strengthen my faith. I am able to learn all new things and increase my knowledge about religion. As a Christian, it is nice to hear another perspective and grow in faith and knowledge. Faith is very important to me, and I have spent my life dedicating everything to God and doing my best to follow in his ways and obey his commands.” 
 
Gracie admitted that “attending Mass was a little strange at first because I was not familiar with it, but over time, it became enjoyable and taught me a lot of new things. I enjoyed going to Mass each week. We chose to attend Yuma Catholic since it was the only religious high school available in my area and that was important to my family and I.” Throughout the Diocese of Tucson Non-Catholic students are encouraged to apply to enroll in a Catholic school. It’s widely believed that students find the school’s religious presence enhances their faith. It’s evidenced in the number of converts who have been confirmed at diocesan schools.   
 
Yuma Catholic has been making strides to enliven the Catholic identity of the school. It recently added Kairos retreats as a capstone to students’ senior year. Kairos is a four-day retreat during which students examen their own lives, their relationships with God, and their presence in the community. Sister Mary Teresa Bettag, a co-campus minister, teacher, and athletics coach at the school said, “These have been incredible for creating positive relationships-among the classes themselves and especially with God. We are indebted to Salpointe for helping us get our Kairos program up and running. As with most mandatory activities, there is usually a little bit of resistance to attending at the start. But always afterwards the feedback is so positive as the class bonds and relationships with God are strengthened. It has become an integral part of our senior year, and retreat program.”  
 
Students agree, “Kairos was a very good experience,” said Gracie. “I enjoyed hearing talks about all different topics and learning more about myself and my peers. It was nice to form a smaller group of friends to open up with and express my feelings to.” 
 
In 2016, Yuma Catholic also added Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults classes, known as RCIA; since then, 131 students have been confirmed. Additionally, both Principal Rhett Stallworth and Vice Principal Sherryl Gerber have earned their level two religion certification, which means they are certified as educational and spiritual leaders; the foundation of faith makes a difference in the governing of Yuma Catholic High School. 
 
Next year, Yuma Catholic will be transitioning to a President-Principal model, with Stallworth as the school’s first President and Gerber as the Principal. “The president-principal model allows for each of us to be in roles that play to our strengths. We have a strong collaborative partnership, and we believe that this model will allow us to continue to prioritize academic excellence while planning for growth and long-term vitality,” Gerber said. According to Sheri Dahl, the school superintendent for the Catholic Diocese of Tucson, a principal tends to focus more on instruction, teaching, and learning while the president can manage day-to-day business operations. Yuma Catholic High School is fully enrolled at 525 students and has a long waiting list for interested students.  
 
What’s also unique about Yuma Catholic is that when it came time to select a guest speaker for graduation, students asked for Sister Mary Teresa Bettag. Sr. Mary Teresa teaches theology and public speaking, is the co-campus minister, and coaches track and cross country. As a young nun, she relates well with the students and brings a faithful authenticity to the Yuma Catholic community. It is a rarity at Catholic schools these days to see religious sisters traversing the hallways, and yet their presence in our schools does have an impact. “I loved Sr. Mary Teresa dearly!” shared Gracie. “She was very kind and made my experience at Yuma Catholic so much better. She was an excellent theology teacher and all-around amazing person!” Later this summer, Sr. Mary Teresa will be taking her final vows with the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity.  
 
Born and raised in Yuma, Gracie has grown to love the community and everything Yuma has to offer. Outside of her studies, she is involved in choir, band, and robotics at Yuma Catholic High School. “Music plays a very large part in my life, and I plan to study it in college. I will attend the Kitt School of Music at Northern Arizona University in the fall to study Music Education. I plan to join Bible study and community service groups during my time there so I can surround myself with like-minded people.” 
 
Gracie enjoyed and benefited from Yuma Catholic’s dual enrollment program. A week before her high school graduation, Gracie and 58 of her peers graduated with their associate degrees from the local community college, Arizona Western College. This year, 336 students made the most of Yuma Catholic’s 35 dual credit classes that were offered on campus. The class of 2023 also earned a record number of merit-based scholarships totaling $16 million. 
 
As Gracie takes the next major step in her journey, she will take many pieces of advice and helpful things with her. “One very important thing I will remember is the importance of prayer and trust in God. He will always be there for me no matter the situation. This is one thing Yuma Catholic strives to instill in its students. I will also take with me the importance of taking care of others and obeying God’s commands. His path for us is perfect, and we must follow it in order to achieve the things He has in store for us. I am forever grateful to Yuma Catholic High School for everything they have done for me and for all the tools and life advice they have provided.”