Voices Ringing Blog /

Editor's Note: This story originally appeared in the Winter 2023 edition of Reflections.  Click here to read the entire magazine.

Mia Harrison ‘23 has her sights set on working in the US State Department using diplomacy to change the world. This year, she revived a club at Archbishop Carroll High School to help her make that dream come true.

Starting a new chapter of the Model United Nations at Carroll was a project she began as a freshman but had to put on hold as the Covid-19 pandemic changed everything about how schools and group events like the Model UN summit operated in Ohio and around the world. Now as a senior, Mia was able to bring that group to life at Carroll with the help of Social Studies teacher Mrs. Courtney (Griffith) Thompson ‘16.

“As long as you have the support and structure in place or a teacher who is enthusiastic about putting it in place, it’s easier than you might think to start
a club like this at Carroll,” Harrison said. “Mrs. Thompson was energetic about getting us involved.”

Harrison and Thompson met about once a month over the summer to lay the groundwork for the rest of the club members and work through logistical
hurdles to register for the conference scheduled for December 2022. Once the school year began, they met two or three times a month with the other 14 club members to prepare resolutions for the countries they chose to represent at the conference: Nicaragua, Fiji, and Nigeria.

The three geographically and politically diverse nations offered the students an opportunity to focus on a specific problem facing those countries and work within the UN’s 17 goals to solve it. The group representing Fiji proposed building more hydroelectric dams to help grow tourism while preserving the country’s natural resources and beauty. The delegation for Nigeria chose to build resource centers for the country’s citizens. For Nicaragua, the delegation led by Mia, the students proposed that the UN oversee the country’s elections to ensure a fair outcome and protect citizens who express dissent over the current regime’s policies.

All three groups presented their country’s resolution. Out of 150 resolutions prepared by students across Ohio, the Nicaraguan delegation was one of 35 to pass the preliminary security council for presentation to the General Assembly for debate to become official UN policy.

“I was ecstatic to be able to present in that room,” Harrison said. “Your bill is read, and other members of the conference either attempt to destroy or support it. I had been waiting to do this my entire high school career, and it finally happened. I felt blessed and grateful that we put this together.”

Although the bill did not become policy, Mia and the rest of the students were grateful for a true cross-curricular experience. After learning about injustices in Central America during Spanish and religion classes, researching their nations and writing resolutions showed the students where the UN Goals and Catholic Social Teaching overlap.

“When you look at the seven components of Catholic Social Teaching, you see that they align very closely with the UN Goals,” Harrison said. “What the goals of the UN and Catholic Church are trying to do are similar to what a lot of people want the world to be like, and Carroll lets it be known that we are working towards those goals.”

Mia Harrison was recognized as an Outstanding Leader at the conference and Maria Camacho '23 was recognized as the runner-up in an essay contest for her response to a prompt about world peace.

Anh Le '24, Charity House, with Mrs. Nicole Druck

Ahn Le is in her first year here from Vietnam and has tackled the challenge coming to a new school.  Anh has made an amazing effort to make new friends and be engaged, and she works very hard in her classes while also learning what life is like being an "American teen".  Anh has also shared traditions from Vietnam such as how her family celebrated their Vietnamese New Year.

-Mrs. Nicole Druck

What activities do you participate in?

I am involved in the International Club and the Spanish Club. I really enjoyed the time doing activities with friends in the clubs. Besides, the field trips of the International Club give me chances to make new friends and enjoy the time with them. The activity I like the most is skating with the International Club.

What's your favorite part of being a student at Carroll?

As a student at Carroll, I feel very happy to participate in many activities which are organized by the school. My favorite activities are House Events because they help me to connect with other friends in my House. House Events help me develop skills to work with other friends and bring us closer to each other.

What should school “do” for you?

School is great now because because it is meeting all my needs. The other students are friendly and nice to me. My teachers help me a lot with any assignments, and they always answer my questions about anything.

What’s a lesson you learned when you overcame a difficult obstacle?

A lesson I learned when I overcame a difficult obstacle was that I can rest when I feel too tired to do something, but I must not stop completely.

What’s your biggest dream in life?

My biggest dream in life is to work a job I like, have a happy life, and have more time to take care of my parents.

Chalsie Fedkow ‘23, Trinity House & St. Helen School Alumna, with Mr. Jim Murray and Mrs. Melissa (Balsom) Fisher ’83

Chalsie is a Trinity Captain and has led the Family Room very well – she plans well and executes those plans to her fullest.  Chalsie also has a Cricut and has made many things this year for Trinity House.  She would not accept money and did it for service hours.  She made posters for the Trinity Cheer in the fall as well as t-shirts and coasters for Christmas presents for the Trinity faculty and staff.

-Mrs. Melissa (Balsom) Fisher '83
 

What activities do you participate in?

I am a Captain for Trinity House. 

What's your favorite part of being a student at Carroll?

My favorite part of being a Carroll student is being able to be a Captain for Trinity House, show other students the Carroll spirit, and inspire them to be there best during their Carroll experience.  The whole community here at Archbishop Carroll High School is a blessing to me.

What should school “do” for you?

What I think school should do for me is make sure everyone here feels welcomed at all times and prepare me for my future in life and education.

What’s a lesson you learned when you overcame a difficult obstacle?

The end of my junior year here at Carroll was a very difficult obstacle for me because I was stressed out a lot with worry about my next step of my high school career.  It’s a big step in our life, but the teachers and counselors here at Carroll helped calmed me down and showed me what each step was like for college.  I was very worried to apply to my dream college, but they told me not to worry because Carroll prepares you very well and can help you get into all of your dream colleges if you strive for it. So, the start of my senior year here at Carroll was not overwhelming because I was accepted into my dream college thanks to the faculty here at Carroll.

What’s your biggest dream in life?

My biggest dream in life is to attend Sinclair Community College and get a bachelor’s degree in interior design, then move on to finding a job as an interior designer.

Editor's Note: This story appears in the Winter 2023 edition of Reflections.  Click here to read the entire publication online.

I have always had an interest in the way our world works. Since I was a little kid, I would read and watch videos about all kinds of random, but strangely fascinating things, such as where the trash goes, what happens to my money after I buy something, or how race cars can go so fast. I was always curious to learn about things and find out how they affected me, or even how I can affect them. So, as I got older and gained a greater understanding and appreciation of the world, it was natural I became interested in politics and how our government works.

What really had me counting down the days until the 2022 Midterms was how dependent our government is on the participation of the people: me.  I would be able to impact real issues that directly make a difference in many people’s lives. I soon realized that in order to make a positive impact, I would need to make informed decisions in who I choose to vote for.  I would need to understand all the facts surrounding an issue and have the ability to argue for myself with credible evidence. When I came to this realization I still felt I had a lot to learn. This is where Archbishop Carroll High School comes in.

I took two classes that I believe did more than enough to make me an informed voter. The first, AP U.S History, I took my sophomore year. While much of the time it was a rigorous, tiring class that made me consider visiting the guidance counselor’s office, I know with hindsight that in reality, it is one of the best things I could have done. It provided so much context and knowledge about many of the issues we face today. It’s impossible to understand current events without understanding the events of the past, and APUSH absolutely helped me to do that. The passion of my teacher, Mr. [Erik] Ramsey ‘93 also fueled my enthusiasm to learn more.

The following year, my junior year, I took AP Government with Mr. [Chris] Sorrell ‘83. I could go on and on about the great things this class and this teacher did for me as a student, voter, and a person, but in short it helped me to apply what I had learned the year before. I learned the processes of our government, and exactly the means through which I was able to express my newly formed perspectives. I also understood the ways other people have been expressing their own perspectives and how I can join them. By the time I had completed the AP test, I felt I was ready to go to the polls and make an informed, positive impact.

After I voted for the first time, I was thrilled to finally be able to participate in something I have become so invested in. I felt that while it was one measly vote, it was an informed, educated, and passionate one. I was now a part of how our government works. The next day I went to tell Mr. Sorrell that I had voted, and he said something along the lines of, “And you’ll keep coming back.”

He’s right.