Photo Courtesy of Hayden Welty ’19 | (left to right) Alex Edwin ’19, Matthew Scheller ’19, Atllas Hopkins ’19 and Hayden Welty ’19, students in the Romero Program, attend their first day at their internship, which takes place at the Foundation for Blind Children. Each student in the senior year component of the program partners with a local non-profit.
By Hayden Welty ’19
THE ROUNDUP
Taught by Mr. Will Rutt ’08, Mr. Quentin Orem, Mr. Tim Broyles and Ms. Beth Clarke, the Romero Program incorporates many of the aspects of a Brophy education that make the school so life-giving and worthwhile: community service, retreats, immersions, the religious curricula, prayer and discussion.
Two years ago, I received an email inviting me to apply for this new honors religious course framework that would extend throughout my junior and senior year. At first, I was hesitant; I could be attempting to join a pilot program that may not have wings.
Now I can say my ultimate decision to apply was probably one of the best choices I have made in my life.
I have learned a lot from my Romero experience. It has been one of the most satisfying and fulfilling experiences of my life, giving me new opportunities to grow in ways I never knew possible and allowing me to connect with my peers and my community on a much deeper level.
From Juarez, Mexico to Phoenix, Arizona, the retreats and immersion experiences, interwoven with theology, the class and our own separate volunteer work, have enriched my understanding of the world.
Individualized spiritual direction sessions help participants grow in their faith and become better faithful global citizens dedicated to the cause of justice.
Internships at local non-profits allow students to apply the knowledge they’ve gained throughout their life to an important real-world setting. For me, my awesome praxis site is the Foundation for Blind Children, where I work as a Government Relations Intern for Brophy alumnus Mr. Marc Ashton ’84.
Despite providing an extra honors credit, enrolling in the program is a risk: the experience is time consuming and often difficult. Ultimately, however, the Romero Program is more than worth it, and I would highly encourage prospective sophomores and juniors to apply.
