A Reflection from a Prep Educator
Mr. Mark Blystone (Faculty, History Department)
After thirteen years as a teacher at Saint Augustine Preparatory School, I find it surprisingly difficult to write a reflection on the school. There are two difficulties that are actually examples of the same positive trait. The first difficulty is articulating a common theme for the massive amount of experiences that the Prep affords teachers and students. The second difficulty is simply finding a quiet place to reflect. While I describe these as difficulties, they are actually some of the blessings which make the Prep so unique. The tremendous opportunities for growth, and the near-constant activity, are signs that Saint Augustine Prep is not just alive. It is living its life passionately and vibrantly.
In thirteen years, I have taught a number of courses that have enriched me as much as my students. I have traveled from Russia to New Zealand on Third Semester. I have served with students in the heart of Camden and walked with them into the office of their congressman. These are extraordinary opportunities for enrichment but they would not be possible, or unique to the Prep, without a foundation cherished and developed daily in Richland.
Students are always doing something at Saint Augustine. The school is rarely quiet and even more rarely empty (nights and weekends included). Students are engrossed in challenging academics, highly competitive athletics, and enriched by a spiritual life that culminates in weekly Mass. Despite this activity, the campus is a busy one but not chaotic. There is a purpose and it is to develop teenage boys into well-rounded Christian Gentlemen. Chaos does not have a purpose; strenuous growth does.
I have rarely heard a visitor unimpressed with the grounds of the campus or the quality of students walking it. I have countless times heard graduates recall that they felt personally cared for. They were not a number on a form on a secretary’s desk. They are an investment in the future of Western Civilization. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to serve in furthering this investment.
A few quotations I have heard in my time here resonate with me about the Prep experience:
“We talk about a sense of entitlement for kids. Let me tell you what a student is entitled to: A qualified and motivated teacher.”
“This is the first time he came home and actually talked about what he did after school.”
“(Laughter)”