ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – A Delta County school is holding a graduation ceremony for the first time in more than five decades.
Holy Name High School School reopened its doors to students in the fall of 2021.
“That’s 50 years after the original Holy Name High School closed,” Headmaster Mark Surrell said. “We refounded as a Chesterton Academy, which is a slightly different model but the exact same things that the students at the original Holy Name high school were learning—Latin and theology, religion, art, and science.”
According to Surrell, that first year back was something of a leap of faith.
“Students and their families demonstrated a great degree of trust in the Lord, in the school, in the mission that we’re trying to achieve,” he said. “Those families kind of went out on a limb for an untested thing and had really great results from the experience that they got here.”
Friday evening, Holy Name’s first senior class in 53 years graduates.
“It’s electrifying,” said Surrell. “Everybody’s really excited about it. It’s a monumentous occasion.”
Graduating senior Piper Burrows plans to attend the University of Notre Dame to study political science and philosophy. She feels fortunate to have attended the high school for the last three years.
“It kind of just worked out perfectly to where I was able to go there,” she said. “There’s so many people in the community praying for it to happen and just saying how proud they are of us for venturing into it. ‘Lucky’ is what comes to mind.”
Seniors say they’ve learned lessons and skills they can use beyond the classroom.
“Holy Name has definitely helped me meet people in all sorts of areas of their lives,” said Helen McBroom, who is pursuing a biology degree with the goal of earning a doctorate in veterinary medicine. “Learning how to talk to people and express ideas and they express theirs without problems or conflicts is really great.”
“You’re taught how to think and not what to think here,” said fellow senior Roman Zeise. “I’m hoping to be a teacher, and I hope to impose that on my students wherever I go.”
For senior Katelyn Rexford, who hopes to become a speech-language pathologist, Holy Name has prepared her for whatever comes next.
“It’s made me much more faithful of a person,” she said. “It’s made me see that even though I have a speech impediment myself, I don’t think that’s ever going to stop me from doing anything else. We do a lot of speaking challenges at this school, and it’s made me happy that I can do it just as well as anybody else.”
The graduates have also enjoyed some unique educational experiences during their time at Holy Name High School.
“We’ve gone on retreats and a Rome pilgrimage,” Headmaster Surrell said. “We’ve had a lot of great memories and studied some of the greatest books of the Western tradition. Things that a lot of people don’t even touch in college, we’re presenting to our students in a mature and tactful way here in high school.”
As Holy Name sends off these graduates, Surrell is optimistic about this new chapter of the school’s story, which re-establishes the high school as an important part of the community.
“Our biggest supporters and proponents have been the alumni,” he said. “I think they really saw the value and the impact that that education made on their lives, and they felt very strongly that that’s a gift that they wanted to pass on to the next generation.”
Looking to the future, Surrell hopes Holy Name High School continues to grow.
“We’re trying to invite as many people as we can,” he said. “We have a welcome scholarship for next year, so any family that’s new to Holy Name gets $1,000 off of their tuition, and that’s before tuition assistance. Because of the generous donation of some of our benefactors, incoming freshmen from Delta County can get even more scholarships. Some people might be concerned about the expense, but we really want that to be the last thing that gets in the way of someone’s education.”
The seniors say they’re honored to be the first class to graduate from the halls of Holy Name High School in 53 years.
“It’s really an honor to be the first ones to take that first step, and I hope that there are many graduating classes after me,” said Zeise.
McBroom added, “It’s a great opportunity, and we get to leave a legacy.”
Holy Name High School seniors will graduate Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. at St. Anne Catholic Church. A reception with refreshments will be held in the Parish Hall afterward, and Holy Name community members are invited.
Those interested in learning more about Holy Name High School – A Chesterton Academy can call the school office at (906) 398-1155 to learn more or schedule a tour.
