Also in this Issue
SCIENCE & INNOVATION CENTER IN ACTION: REALITIES OF EXPERIENTIAL PROGRAMMING
FUTURE LEADERS, PRESENT CHANGEMAKERS
THE LASTING IMPACT OF REGIS JESUIT & CATHOLIC EDUCATION
A Place to Belong
Raider
“Rooted in tradition, innovating for the future.”
Located in the new Science & Innovation Center, Magis Hall welcomes visitors to Regis Jesuit High School and is filled with student energy and collaboration.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
DEAR REGIS JESUIT COMMUNITY,
I have the great privilege to staff a KAIROS Retreat each year – this is a retreat all juniors take – and I’m always struck by the volume of students who engage in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Nearly all participate. Our Jesuits do such a great job of inviting our students into right relationships – with God, of course, but also with important relationships in our lives.
KAIROS started at Regis Jesuit in 1994 – seven years after I graduated. Seniors and young alumni routinely tell me that their KAIROS Retreat was the most important experience they had while at Regis Jesuit, followed by the academic preparation they received from wonderfully supportive faculty.
Our faculty and staff captured the essence of Regis Jesuit so beautifully this year by selecting the theme “Rooted in tradition, innovating for the future.” For alums of my generation – KAIROS represents an incredible innovation, while for every alum since 1994 – it’s tradition.
Regis Jesuit’s foundation as a Catholic Jesuit high school remains rock solid, yet our faculty continue to innovate in order to root holistic formation more deeply within our students.
Our students continue to perform service around the metro area, but thanks to our Inspire & Ignite 2025 strategic plan, all students now have the opportunity for a local, national or international immersion into a poor or marginalized community during their senior year. These experiences are nested within a semester-long course where students are challenged to get to know the context of their immersions more deeply before they arrive, and it provides a space for deep reflection when students return. Now more than ever, Regis Jesuit students are both invited and challenged to consider how they will animate the Gospels in their lives and vocations.
It’s these kinds of experiences that inspired our vision for the Science & Innovation Center that opened in January 2024. We could see the transformational impacts of our students’ retreat and service experiences, and we wanted to create more ‘hands on’ opportunities within our academic curriculum. Today, our students are gaining practice in design-thinking and utilizing computer aided design (CAD), both to generate practical solutions for things like bridge-building and prosthetics, as well as to bring artistic creations to three-dimensional life. They are learning every aspect of rockets and spacecraft including propulsion, aerodynamics and orbital mechanics.
We are preparing our students to become innovative leaders and lifelong learners equipped for a rapidly changing world. But we continue to do this with the unwavering focus of our expectations of the graduate at graduation to be intellectually competent, open to growth, religious, loving and committed to doing justice.
Regis Jesuit High School 2025 is at once, rooted in tradition and always innovating for the future. This tradition remains alive and well.
Welcome to this edition of The Raider AMDG,
ON
THE COVER: Regis Jesuit students cross McNicholas Green and Plaza on their way to class, framed by the stunning architecture of the new Science & Innovation Center.
The Raider is published annually by the Regis Jesuit High School Marketing Office. Your comments, opinions and inquiries about the magazine, Regis Jesuit High School, its programs or community members including alumni are welcome to marketing@regisjesuit.com. Story ideas and submissions are welcome as well.
Send address updates to advancementoffice@regisjesuit.com
Also, if you are not receiving our monthly email newsletter, The Raider Connection, and would like to, please update your email address with us. Contact the Advancement Office at advancementoffice@regisjesuit.com or 303.269.8022
or
to students at the
It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other schooladministered programs.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Jessica Riles
Director of Marketing
ASSOCIATE
EDITOR
Cece Carrico
Associate Director of Marketing
PUBLICATION DESIGNER
Kristen Morrison
Multimedia Graphic Designer
CONTRIBUTORS
Barbara Brooks
David Card ‘87
Laura Hall
Paul Miller ‘04
Shane Monaghan ‘09
Christina Ortiz
Fr. Eric Ramirez, SJ
Amanda Samland
Jimmy Tricco
Ryan West
Ian Wuertz ‘15
PRESIDENT
David Card ’87
PRINCIPAL
Jimmy Tricco
VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVANCEMENT
Mindae Russell
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Tom Dobbins
DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS
Paul Muller
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Charisse Broderick King
DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Katherine Fay
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR ACADEMICS
Ryan Williamson
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR FACULTY & CURRICULUM
Tim Bauer '88
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR MISSION, MINISTRY & DIVERSITY
Sajit Kabadi
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR STUDENT LIFE
Bryan Timme
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR STUDENT SUPPORT
Dana Bauer
BOYS DIVISION HEAD
Karen Wuertz
GIRLS DIVISION
Adam Lomas '10
BOYS DIVISION
Mike Doherty
GIRLS DIVISION DEAN OF STUDENTS
Meridith Feik
Science & Innovation Center in Action: Realities of Experiential Programming
By Shane Monaghan '09 FINE ARTS & MEDIA TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
Abby Tewelde '25 spends nearly her entire day in Regis Jesuit’s new Science & Innovation Center (SIC). That’s because the senior, who is interested in a career in STEM, decided to take every science class possible during her final year of high school. During just the first semester, she made ornaments with real silver in them for AP Chemistry, practiced packing a fake wound in Anatomy and Physiology, and tested drug samples in Forensics–all while using state-of-the-art equipment in the building's new lab spaces.
A view of the Science & Innovation Center on the West side of campus which now serves as Regis Jesuit's main entrance
“[The SIC] has given students more resources to explore what they want to do and who they want to be. It opens up so many doors, especially for students like me, who have a passion for this.”
ABBY TEWELDE ’25
Tewelde’s opportunities to explore extend beyond class time. As part of the Society of Women Engineers and STEMblazers Clubs, she has been able to connect with professionals in fields such as weather forecasting and structural engineering. Those groups offer opportunities to hone her skills, including activities like building a gingerbread bridge that was put under a variety of stress tests. During down time, Tewelde and her friends use the building’s numerous student collaboration areas, many of which come equipped with giant whiteboards, to study and bounce ideas off each other.
The SIC’s offerings truly are abundant. In the 8000-square-foot Innovation Center located on the first floor, students use 3D printers, plasma cutters, woodworking and metalworking equipment and cutting-edge software to explore the design and creation process in classes like Maker Lab, Computer Programming, Engineering Principles and Design, and Sculptural Explorations. That portion of the building also hosts the Robotics Team, Rocketry, the STEM club, and the AI Engineering Club, among other groups.
In the brand-new RJ Media lab, students use the latest media creation technology to produce a weekly YouTube broadcast called RJTV, Elevate magazine and the Concordia yearbook. Event spaces, including the Learning Steps and The Gallery, provide areas where
students can hear from guest speakers, which in the past year included author Dr. Carolyn Love and Lt. Col. Tracy LaTourrette, Colorado’s first female fighter pilot.
Fr. Gary Menard, SJ, superior of the Jesuit community at RJ, sees all the classes and experiences offered in the SIC as opportunities to carry out Regis Jesuit’s mission. He notes that the Jesuits have long been interested in science as a conduit to better understanding God, citing the order’s stewardship of the Vatican Observatory as an example. “The SIC fits with St. Ignatius’ whole idea of finding God in all things,” Menard says. “Whether it’s astronomy or computer science or robotics, the more we study it, the more we appreciate the complexity and beauty, the more we come to see and understand God.”
The SIC has also aided understanding on a human-to-human level. Beyond all the tools and resources, one of the things students and teachers appreciate the most about the new building is how it fosters greater connection and collaboration. Chemistry teacher Dr. Sandy Robertson said the new space has helped the science faculty work more closely together, as well as with other departments. The Maker Lab class used the design software Onshape and 3D printers to make dice that Robertson’s classes used to help them better understand chemistry equations.
Students explore endless possibilities in the new state-of-the-art building, fully equipped with cutting-edge technology designed to inspire discovery and innovation.
A student brings science to life through hands-on learning.
Robertson said the multifunctional space has even opened the door for more informal moments of inspiration, as students and teachers see each other creating and conducting fun experiments. “It’s important to show students that this is the kind of thinking and the kind of skills we need as we move forward,” she says. “To have this space be so physical and so accessible and so new is communicating to them this is the direction the world is moving.”
The SIC has already spurred more students to get involved in activities, specifically girls. The Society of Women Engineers, for instance, has seen its numbers increase, and clubs like Robotics have attracted more female students. “The building has definitely brought more people,” says senior Grace Burke '25, who is one of the club leaders for the Society of Women Engineers. “I think it helps that it’s in a building that is seen as co-divisional and not sectioned off by gender. That makes it more accessible.”
Another emerging benefit of the SIC: opportunities for students to take what they are learning beyond the walls of Regis Jesuit. Classes have already been developed in tandem with the school’s Ignatian Immersion & Solidarity Program that have students put their new skills to use in real-world situations. In the Social Documentary class, for example, Mr. Adam Dawkins ‘98 and a group of seniors traveled to Tijuana, Mexico to make short films about immigration.
Student clubs have also sought out ways to help those in need. The STEM Club is working to establish a chapter of e-NABLE at Regis Jesuit. The organization provides prosthetic limbs for people who have lost them or were born without them. With the help of Fr. Menard and Mr. George Mitsuoka, the Director of the Innovation Center, the group used the school’s 3D printers to develop a prototype for an arm, which they hope they’ll be able to tailor to an actual user soon.
For some students, the SIC has even given clarity about a career path. This past summer, Burke interned for Leidos, working on projects related to solar and wind energy. She said the role would not have been possible without guidance from her teachers at Regis Jesuit and her experiences in the SIC. “The SIC was a very clear resource for figuring out what I want to be and do,” she says. “It’s an extension of what makes Regis so special. They care about the whole person and who you are going to become.”
“It’s important to show students that this is the kind of thinking and the kind of skills we need as we move forward. To have this space be so physical and so accessible and so new is communicating to them this is the direction the world is moving.”
SANDY ROBERTSON CHEMISTRY TEACHER
30 3D PRINTERS in the Innovation Center
20 ALL SCHOOL & CLASS MASSES in addition to daily Masses
25,000 DIAPERS DONATED
255 PIES donated and dished out on Pie Day by parents
900 PERSONALIZED PAVERS on McNicholas Plaza
646 COLLEGE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Future Leaders, Present Changemakers
By Cece Carrico ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
In the rapidly changing world, where the challenges of technology, social issues and global crises evolve daily, the values instilled by Catholic education remain a beacon of light. We sat down with Regis Jesuit students to explore their sources of inspiration and what drives them to affect change as they navigate high school.
A view of the east entrance of the Science & Innovation Center, designed to inspire the next generation of problem-solvers
Nick Turner ‘25
Although already a busy senior at RJ, Nick Turner is determining the relationship of proteins or cytokines to the spread of breast cancer at an Anschutz pharmacology lab on the side. Coincidentally, his Senior Immersion site was the hospital across from the lab and speaking to people who his research directly impacts provided serious meaning to his work. He has decided to stay involved in the “people aspect of biology” to remind him why what he is doing is so important in the first place. He credits Regis Jesuit for providing the community outreach opportunity that has been a truly formative experience.
Nick’s sophomore year chemistry teacher encouraged him to apply for opportunities like his current lab assistant role although he was initially scared of rejection. Despite his hesitation, this support changed how he views risks and made him realize that not applying was far worse than rejection. Now, Nick feels more comfortable putting himself out there for opportunities that could and will arise.
Athziri Martinez ‘25
Reflecting on her time at Regis Jesuit, Athziri Martinez ’25 might say that her experience has been nothing short of life-changing. Through numerous retreats, including KAIROS, Athziri has been challenged as an RJ student to look inward and build not only a stronger connection with her peers, but also within herself. Athziri is involved in many aspects of campus life, but one of the most impactful experiences she had was during her immersion trip to Tijuana. While there, she worked on her social documentary project meeting immigrants, lawyers, border patrol and more. As a child of Mexican parents with similar traditions to those she met, Athziri connected with people who, while not so different from her, face daily struggles that most of us cannot imagine. She experienced resilience, courage and what it means to fight for opportunities we often take for granted. According to Athziri, “To be a changemaker means to be someone who can see the world not just as it is but as it could be. Using compassion, creativity and courage to use your calling and put it into action while also inspiring others to do the same."
Carter Ferris ‘27
When Carter was six years old, his brother became a survivor of a school shooting. This horrific experience prompted Carter to start the Regis Jesuit Students Demand Action Club, of which now he is president and includes 100 members. This club meets twice a month and offers a forum to discuss issues related to school gun violence. Carter frequently speaks with Colorado State Representative Eliza Hamrick on prevention solutions for gun violence in classrooms and has attended rallies at the Denver Capitol fighting for justice. When asked what it means to be changemaker, Carter quickly responded by saying, “Somebody who is looking to make a difference in the world and fight injustice.” Not only is Carter a changemaker demanding action, but he is also a leader on the basketball court. For Carter, success is “Being able to look in the mirror and see how much you can change and make a difference. Find something you are passionate about and fight for it to be right.”
Liam Bender ‘27
These days, you will find Liam in the Science & Innovation Center or the Boys Division kitchen. Liam is part of the Robotics Team and the newly-established Baking Club. When Liam arrived at the RJ campus as a freshman, he had over 80 clubs and activities to choose from, but the Robotics Team is where he found his home away from home. Liam states that Regis Jesuit is preparing him for the modern world through his amazing teachers. When asked what advice he would give to another student who wants to make a difference, but doesn’t know where to start, Liam said, “go around and ask people what they need help with. You will be surprised on how many people will take you up on the offer.”
Chloe Chism ‘27
As a member of the Med X Club, Chloe focuses on exploring careers in the medical field and is taking classes that will help her to achieve success. While biology and chemistry have, of course, prepared her for the field she would like to pursue, it’s theology that has helped her learn how to be ethical and culturally sensitive in the medical field. When asked what it means to be a changemaker, Chloe said, “To me, I’ve always loved making a change in social aspects of life, setting new expectations for myself and my peers.” Chloe encourages her fellow peers to set new goals for themselves and join the Med X Club!
CLUBS TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
By Cece Carrico ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
STEMblazers
With close to 30 members, the STEMblazers provide an opportunity for girls to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and math. Through hands-on activities and mentorship, the Regis Jesuit STEMblazers are finding confidence, exploring careers and having fun. Co-moderators Sandy Roberston and Michelle Clock recently led the STEMblazers to victory at the Gingerbread Bridge Competition at the Colorado School of Mines. The STEMblazers placed sixth out of 32 teams including those at the collegiate level, designing a bridge that held nearly 200 pounds! During monthly club meetings, the STEMblazers meet with speakers from different industries and have opportunities for job shadowing, scholarships and internships.
Drone Club
Using the Science & Innovation Center as their homebase, the Drone Club is taking off to new levels. With 20 students on the roster and meetings twice a week, students learn how to fly drones for racing, photography and mapping, either with real drones or with a simulator. The Drone Club is looking forward to competing locally in the 2025-26 academic year and finding sky-high success.
RJTV & Raider Sports Network Club
The weekly show sponsored by RJTV is a can’t miss. With more than 60 members all across grade levels, the RJTV and Raider Sports Network Club writes, produces and anchors the episodes which air each Friday and include highlights from the week. RJTV and the Raider Sports Network Club also broadcast live sporting events on the National Federation of High Schools Network (NFHS). In October 2024, they were awarded an All-Colorado distinction at the J-Day State Journalism Conference at the University of Colorado Boulder, the highest award in the state of Colorado for broadcasting programs. Congratulations to RJTV and the Raider Sports Network Club for this honor!
Mountain Biking Team
Racing down the side of the mountain or on the road, the RJ Mountain Biking Team is stacked with speed! The team races with more than 100 others in the Colorado High School Cycling League. With rigorous training all year round, the league is biking from August through November. Competing at an elite level this year, the team finished second at Regionals and ninth at State. The RJ Mountain Biking Team has high hopes and aims to take home the first-place trophy at State in the 2025-26 season.
“These young STEM-minded women are extremely creative, bright and motivated. We need more women in STEM fields, and this club exposes our students to an array of career opportunities and mentors. It is a perfect combination of incredible people, challenging activities, and college and career preparation!”
MICHELLE CLOCK | CO-MODERATOR, STEMblazers
Invite AI In?
By Jessica Riles DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
In Marci Delimont’s sophomore English class, you might find students receiving individual help from tutors as they work on rhetorical analysis essays and create defensible thesis statements. What might surprise you however is that the tutors are not human.
Using Flint AI, a platform specifically established for the K-12 educational setting, Ms. Delimont, an educator for more than 30 years, can create personalized AI tutors that facilitate 1-1 conversations with students and tailor the learning experience to meet the criteria she sets. The benefit, as she sees it, is that it frees up time for her to meet individually with students while others can continue to move along. Students are not provided answers; they are asked questions that allow them to edit and rephrase their work, based on criteria she pre-sets in the platform, without waiting for her help.
According to Spencer Wagner, an AI specialist and computer science teacher at Regis Jesuit, while many public schools have banned AI, there’s value to inviting AI to the table. To date, there’s only a handful of Jesuit schools exploring the use of AI, but he feels that investigating the potential of the tool keeps Regis Jesuit from being left behind. In fact, every department at Regis Jesuit has been trained in the use of Flint AI. There is an opportunity to experiment, find mistakes and test how the technology might be best utilized to enhance the overall learning experience.
It is easy to wonder how artificial intelligence fits into the overall learning experience at a Jesuit school guided by the values of Ignatian spirituality and cura personalis. How do we stay ahead of the curve and face an unavoidable technological advancement in the current world, all while aligning with our core principles?
Andy Colella, a Regis Jesuit physics teacher, sees value when AI is employed thoughtfully and ethically to support holistic education. While AI handles repetitive tasks or administrative work, he and his
students can focus and engage more deeply on complex topics and learn how to problem solve. He can spend more time on formative assessments and provide tailored lessons and assignments to meet individual learning styles and needs.
Wagner uses a calculator as an example to explain the careful balance of using AI as a tool that enables more higher-level thinking. A calculator can manage mundane math tasks, but students must learn how to problem solve, think critically and build life skills. If AI manages some of the routine work, students have more capacity to brainstorm and pursue innovative ideas that require imagination and human intuition.
Regis Jesuit students are entering an AI-driven future. Creating Men and Women with and for Others requires that we consider that AI is having industry-wide impacts, and early adoption of the technology as a learning tool now is important. From software development to medical imaging and drug discovery, to investment management and marketing, students will face career paths that already use AI to complement human skills.
The timeless tradition at Regis Jesuit requires our educators to stay rooted in the values of compassion, justice, and care for others, but to maintain the commitment to excellence, preparing students for the world they will walk into is essential. With the thoughtful and responsible introduction of AI tools now, students can discern when it should be appropriately used, look for meaningful applications, and reflect on the ethical concerns and stewardship that technology requires.
THIS IMAGE WAS CREATED USING AI IMAGE GENERATING SOFTWARE.
Prompt: High School students integrating AI into their curriculum, boys and girls, photo realistic
The McNicholas Green alive with activity during lunchtime in October, with the Steele Center, Regis Jesuit's performing arts hub, in the background
GAME CHANGERS: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FALL SEASON
Boys Athletics
TENNIS: The Boys Varsity Tennis Team had a solid performance at the 2024 Class 5A Individual State Tournament.The team claimed two State Titles, four second-place finishes and one thirdplace finish. The Raiders also finished as State Runner-Up in the Team Championship.
SOCCER: Undefeated in the regular season, the sixth-seeded Varsity Soccer Team closed out the season with a 14-2-2 overall record making it to the quarterfinals in the State playoffs.
FOOTBALL: The No. 12 Varsity Football Team lost 24-17 in a hard-fought battle with No. 5 Valor Christian in Round Two of the 5A State Playoffs. The team finished the season with an overall 6-6 record.
CROSS COUNTRY: Boys XC had two runners qualify for the State Championships and finished fifth overall at their regional meet.
GOLF: The Boys Varsity Golf Team had a solid performance, finishing second in their regional tournament and 9th overall at the Class 5A State Tournament.
Girls Athletics
FIELD HOCKEY: After a fantastic season, the No. 4 Raiders were dealt a disappointing loss in their Quarterfinal matchup in the Class 5A State Tournament on October 31, ending their run for the State Title.
VOLLEYBALL: The No. 17 Raiders qualified for the Class 5A Regional Tournament. The team finished the season with an impressive 16-8 overall record.
RUGBY: Girls Varsity Rugby Team finished in fourth at the State Finals on November 2.
CROSS COUNTRY: The Girls Cross Country Team performed well with the team placing eighth in their regional meet.
FLAG FOOTBALL: After a strong season, the No. 17 Varsity Flag Football Team ended its run in the inaugural Class 5A State Playoffs. They fell to first-ranked Mountain Vista, ending a great season.
SOFTBALL: The Varsity Softball Team made great progress this year with a few big wins, including Monarch, Smoky Hill and a 15-8 triumph over league rival ThunderRidge.
CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM
INSPIRE & IGNITE 2025 PROGRESS UPDATE
Regis Jesuit High School’s Inspire & Ignite 2025 vision is an ambitious, tangible, and modern example of what is possible when Catholic, Jesuit education combines excellence in the liberal arts with innovative learning and a commitment to access for all students.
In the 2019-20 school year, we set out with a comprehensive fundraising goal of $42.5 million. Based on our exciting progress to date, we are at $38 million. While we are closing in on this bold effort, we still have critical work to do.
Join us in forming the next generation of leaders! » regisjesuit.com/BoldlyForward
Thanks to the generous and unwavering support of our alumni, parents, and friends, we are bringing our transformative vision to life, in service of our mission and the school community we love.
Supporting our Student-Athletes through Athletic Excellence
With seven courts sitting on 2.2 acres and seating for over 80 fans, our new tennis facility is being enjoyed by our Boys and Girls Tennis programs. This completes Phase 1 of a two-phase athletic development on the southeast side of campus.
“Whether it’s with our time, our mentorship, or our investment, we must give back. That’s the spirit of Regis Jesuit that I’m super proud of.”
SEAN MCNICHOLAS ’92
PROUD ALUM
Inspire & Ignite 2025 Progress Highlights
Transforming Learning with our new Science & Innovation Center
The 65,000 square foot building is open and alive with scientific and creative applied learning that is preparing our young men and women for the future.
“Our kids benefit daily from the generosity of those who invested in the student experience before us, and as members of this community, we are proud to be able to do the same today.” TONY & AMY
Meeting the Need with Access & Affordability
Through donor support to annual financial aid and endowed scholarships, we have increased our commitment to financial aid by 50 percent, making a Regis Jesuit education accessible for every qualified family who wants to be here.
“I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to have attended Regis Jesuit High School because it not only opened doors for me to excel academically but also opened my eyes to tangible ways to achieve my goals despite my circumstances.”
MICHELE CHINN ‘22
ATTENDING SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY
by the
OUR TEACHERS MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE
By Barbara Brooks
In the Jesuit tradition, teaching and learning develops critical minds and nurtures compassionate hearts to serve others. But it also is fun and engaging for students, because whether they’re in theology class or studying the humanities, social sciences or math, they’re learning and growing together. Here, you’ll meet three teachers who are especially skilled at engaging their students in mind, body and spirit. But they aren’t the only ones. Every one of our teachers is special. And as a result, our graduates know how to interact with people in an intelligent matter, and how to think on their feet. Their Catholic education is preparing them for the modern world.
Jaxson Schneider: Giving Life to Tradition Through
Language and Composition
Rooted in Tradition and Innovating for the Future.—That’s RJ’s theme for the school year. It also reflects English teacher Jaxson Schneider’s approach to teaching, and to life. “Teaching English is a fairly old-school job because it’s not about having the coolest technology. And typically, we’re reading texts that were written a while ago,” he said. “So, what’s innovative is finding ways to meet kids where they are today. It’s about, ‘How can I get all the kids in my room to be in the same place for 80 minutes?’ For me, it comes from the Catholic tradition of the community being in Mass. Let’s be here together and all do just this one thing.”
Schneider is now in his fourth school year at RJ, teaching Honors and AP Language and Composition classes to sophomores and juniors while also serving as assistant coach for Boys Cross Country and Track. While he spends much of his day running with the kids—he calls it “accompanying them and being part of their lives”—he also is known on campus for bringing fresh perspective to the classroom. He does this as much through the texts he chooses as the way he approaches them. He said he uses every book to talk about things that are “happening right now.”
For example, in December, he teaches Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol to sophomores. “While it’s fun and familiar, it also invites overt conversations about pursuing wealth for itself and selfishness for itself. We also can talk about what Jesus says in the Bible about money.” To juniors, he teaches the more mature novel Ceremony, by Leslie Marmon Silko, a writer of Laguna Pueblo descent. “The book raises important questions about identity and healing for a young World War II veteran who is half white and half Native
American,” Schneider said. “It’s a really beautiful forward-looking book about how we can honor the past while also living into the future. There are some direct lines about how traditions, by definition, are living things that have always been changing. We are the ones who give them life.”
Schneider’s religious journey has been traditional and also something he has made his own. While he attended Catholic and Jesuit schools from kindergarten through his first master’s degree at Creighton University, he didn’t feel called to Catholic confirmation when other eighth graders were doing as expected. “I had a really hard time with the God thing as a kid, in large part because my teachers talked about Catholicism as if I had to believe it, and it was the only way to think. Things also were always presented in really obscure language that I could not connect with. When I got to high school, it was the first time I had teachers push me to actually ask the big questions. ‘Did I actually believe in God?’ ‘What did that mean to me and look like in my life?’ ‘What if I define God as love? Does that change things for me?’ In short, my teachers really modeled for me the importance of continuing to think critically and ask questions about everything and my faith in particular.”
Now, Schneider calls on his past while also looking closely at his RJ students. Naturally, he sees every kid as an individual. “They want to know things,” he said. “I think some part of every kid wants to be great. They want to be pushed, not to extremes, but they want to be challenged to think deeper and more critically about things. They have a lot to say, and it’s my job to ask them.”
Ryan Rosso: In the Right Place at an Unlikely Time to Teach Empathy
As a teacher of U.S. Government, Ryan Rosso is in the hot seat when it comes to tying together Catholic values and the ways of the modern world, especially given the political climate in America. “Where I come from, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand their perspective and develop empathy is Catholic education. And so, a big part of our freshman-level classes this semester was getting to know people through their lived experiences and seeing what they have in common. And when you understand why someone believes the way they believe, it adds a human touch. You can kind of respect that belief instead of just dismissing it right away.”
Rosso, who attended Catholic high school in Los Angeles and Dominican University north of San Francisco, is in his fourth year at RJ and his 15th of teaching overall. Last summer, he and a team of other teachers, along with the chair of the Social Studies Department, developed a new curriculum, new scope and new sequence for the U.S. Government class. He said, “The timing was perfect, right?”
One new aspect of the class was giving the students a series of deep questions to answer. They did the exercise, which Rosso called a “structured conversation,” in groups. “It was just really rewarding to see them digging into why they believe the way they believe, without a judgmental approach. When we listen to understand, and want to know where we come from, that’s loving your neighbor. That’s an easy link to Catholic education.”
Though Rosso teaches boys and girls separately, he said that all of his students, regardless of gender, are “yearning to have their vote count” in four years, when most of them will be old enough to cast a ballot for the next U.S. president. Of all the key campaign issues in 2024, Rosso said immigration came up a lot. “They want a nuanced stance that they don’t get from social media or the news or from politicians,” Rosso said. “They understand the problem of resources that a certain state or city has, and they also want to advocate for social justice and taking care of people who are coming here for a better life. So, being patient, being kind, trying to understand where someone’s coming from—I think that all plays into nuance.”
At the end of the day, Rosso is dedicated to helping his students figure out what they care about, how it impacts them and what they want to do about it. “Whether they go into social work and work with the unhoused population or maybe go into politics or teaching or law, it’s really cool to see them figure out what their passion is.”
“Everything we do can be used for God’s greater glory. So, if math is where my talent lies—meaning I feel like I understand it well and can explain it well—then I might as well use it to help others.”
LEAH MALM MATHEMATICS TEACHER
For Leah Malm, Math is More than Black and White
“Math is so interesting because in some ways it’s such a blackand-white subject,” said Leah Malm, who teaches Algebra to freshman boys and AP Calculus to junior and senior girls. “An answer to an equation is either right or wrong, but we also can use what we learn for the betterment of the world, which I think ties really nicely into Catholic and Jesuit values.”
Malm has been teaching Math for 12 years, all at Catholic schools and for the past eight at RJ. Before attending Notre Dame University for college and grad school, she attended Catholic elementary, middle and high schools in Michigan. At RJ, she loves leading the KAIROS Retreat and occasional service immersion trips. “This way, I can connect with students more as human beings, not just as math students. We talk about the nuances of applied math and what is tricky about the world.”
For example, Malm said, “In Calculus, we talk about optimization. Our students care a lot about sustainability, which is one of the Ignatian Universal Apostolic Preferences.” After taking students on a trip to a Guatemalan village that was built on top of a garbage dump, Malm recalls that her students came back “really fired up about the question of ‘How can we make sure that our energy usage and our materials usage is not wasteful?’ In Calculus we also talk about rates of change. So how a drug is metabolized in the body is an application that could lead to medical advancements. Our students really care about these things.”
Malm said she’s “the biggest extrovert on campus,” which is perhaps surprising for a math teacher. “I always loved the satisfaction of solving a problem and knowing that you can prove that something’s right,” she said. “But at the same time, I really like working with people. So that’s where the Jesuit theology comes in. Everything we do can be used for God’s greater glory. So, if math is where my talent lies—meaning I feel like I understand it well and can explain it well—then I might as well use it to help others.”
A PLACE TO BELONG THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE IN FOCUS
By Ian Wuertz '15
In the last ten years, I’ve attended and /or worked at a Jesuit school in every time zone of the contiguous United States, a nice fun fact in the right crowd. Regis Jesuit is the only place that has made the list twice, as I graduated in 2015 and returned as an employee in January of 2024. In each of the other school communities I have been a part of from Seattle to St. Louis to Washington DC, Regis Jesuit has been a source of fascination for those who have never experienced a school like this. I have found that our unique educational model (a single-sex classroom experience with opportunities for boys and girls to engage socially and spiritually in co-curricular activities on a shared campus) successfully prepares our students to seize opportunities and face rapidly evolving challenges as they embark in life after graduation.
BELONG
“Teachers at Regis Jesuit will help you find your niche, what makes you you , and give you the tools you need to grow in that niche, in that passion.”
Where other institutions might only continue with the marching orders, “Tradition Never Graduates,” Regis Jesuit examines the traditions it holds dear. And throughout all their examinations, Regis Jesuit has come to a conclusion--one tradition that remains at the forefront is forming young Men and Women with and for Others. This school, including its faculty, staff, administration and students, has its finger on the pulse of Colorado’s needs and meets those needs proactively through a balance of tradition and forward-thinking problem solving.
One, a need that is shared by educational institutions nationwide, is gender equality in STEM fields. Regis Jesuit is on the forefront of making waves of change in this field. As I have traveled campus talking to students, a couple of recent conversations have struck me. One, in particular, related to the advancement of women in STEM. Grace Burke ’25 spoke about her passion for STEM, and, unexpectedly, in our conversation, she expressed the apprehension she felt upon arriving at Regis Jesuit as a first-year student. However, upon attending her Freshman Retreat, Grace discovered a core element of Regis Jesuit’s culture— cura personalis. This Jesuit mission of care for the whole person means that all teachers, coaches and students are working towards the betterment of those around them.
Later, when she took Honors Chemistry, her teacher, Dr. Sandy Robertson, spotted a spark in Grace. A love of science burned within her and it needed somewhere to go. With a gentle push towards what was then the Society of Women Engineers Club at the school, Grace began her journey deeper into the world of STEM. Grace is now on the leadership team of the STEMblazers Club, recruiting members and coordinating events and speakers so that more girls like Grace feel at home at Regis Jesuit in STEM fields. With Dr. Robertson’s support and out of the passion cultivated by STEMblazers, Grace has now secured an internship in the engineering division of a Fortune 500 company.
“Teachers at Regis Jesuit will help you find your niche, what makes you you, and give you the tools you need to grow in that niche, in that passion,” Grace said near the end of our conversation.
Indeed, this push was something that I, too, experienced firsthand. In Jen Gray’s freshman English class, I wrote my first short story, and even now, almost five novels and a master’s degree in creative writing later, I still feel the influence of Ms. Gray’s class in my work. It was no secret that I was bitten by the fiction bug, and my teachers at Regis Jesuit helped me to foster this passion, guiding me towards literary magazines, publishers and creative writing programs around the country.
Care for the whole person, however, encompasses far more than just broadening and sharpening the mind, and Regis Jesuit excels in the athletic aspects of cura personalis as well. Upon speaking to Liam Robinson ‘27 about his experience on the Hockey Team, we discussed the program’s focus not only on developing his hockey skills but also the development of his confidence as a leader in the community. He has been encouraged by the sense of community found here. “I feel at home here at Regis,” Liam said. “Everyone that I’ve encountered has been very inclusive and kind towards me.”
There is no question that we have been blessed to have some incredible athletes at Regis Jesuit, but beyond individuals, we have incredible teams. Where other schools might print individual names on the back of the jerseys, Regis Jesuit embroiders AMDG, an acronym for the Latin that translates to “for the greater glory of God.” It is the motto of the Jesuits and a guiding principle, encouraging each of us to strive for excellence in all that we do.
In Liam’s world of hockey, and in fact, many youth sports, there is a current struggle for individual exceptionalism over a solid team dynamic. In alignment with its mission, Regis Jesuit, however, puts the primary focus on the team. In sports, a star player does not make a star team. We teach our players that in life, one cannot find success by caring solely for the individual, but instead must enrich and uplift the community.
To be part of the Regis Jesuit community is clearly special, but admittedly, those who live in the denser parts of Denver, and those with busy and unpredictable transportation, might feel challenged to attend by mere logistics. With our location in Aurora, some may wonder about how to even get here. Because we know that our community is enriched when we stand behind our hallmark of diversity and accessibility, our team has found incredible options to get kids to campus. With five bus lines offering stops all around the Denver Metro area and its surrounding suburbs, along with an after-school activity bus, Regis Jesuit believes that every student who wants to be here can be. From Arvada to Castle Rock, from West Denver to Aurora, geography will not keep us from offering our Regis Jesuit experience to a student.
Between academic, co-curriculars and accessibility considerations, prospective families have much to weigh as they decide where they belong. When I asked what Grace would say to an eighth grader who was deciding between Regis Jesuit and other high schools, she had this to say, “Other schools have great academic rigor and great athletic programs, sure. But Regis Jesuit is the exception in the way it balances those with immense character growth. It is the only school that cares to ask, ‘Who are you?’”
And, quite frankly, she is right. In my experience, Regis Jesuit is the leader in preparing its students with the tools to be Men and Women with and for Others in a modern and evolving world. If you want to find your passion, to truly understand what makes you you, then Regis Jesuit High School is the place to belong.
A DECADE OF DEDICATION
Regis Jesuit’s College Counseling Team Celebrates 10 Years
Strategists, cheerleaders, advisors and discernment specialists, the college counselors at Regis Jesuit are at the helm when it comes to the adventure that is college planning. Their team is on a mission to ensure every student finds their “right fit.” Based on the Ignatian paradigm of experience, reflection and discernment, their approach is one filled with expertise, heart and sometimes a little bit of thoughtful humor.
A Journey, Not a Sprint
NO MATTER THE TIME OF YEAR, THE COLLEGE COUNSELING TEAM IS AT YOUR SIDE TO SUPPORT, ENCOURAGE AND EMPOWER STUDENTS – WHETHER THEY’RE RARING TO GO OR FEELING A LITTLE, OR A LOT, OVERWHELMED.
1
FRESHMAN YEAR: GET YOUR FOOTING
Adjust to high school life, lay a strong academic foundation, discover new interests and build relationships.
2
SOPHOMORE YEAR: OPEN DOORS AND DREAM BIG
Focus on self-discovery, explore academic strengths, imagine potential career paths, have thoughtful conversations about your future.
3
JUNIOR YEAR: THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS!
Roll up your sleeves, dive into the college search process and map out the road ahead with your college counselor at your side.
4
SENIOR YEAR: KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING
Write applications, pursue scholarships, check in regularly with the College Counseling team for support and pep talks. Breathe. Trust yourself and celebrate successes!
Our Commitment in Focus
At Regis Jesuit High School, college counseling isn’t a one-size-fits-all operation—it’s a personalized, holistic and mission-driven experience that sets us apart. Here’s why:
1 Cura Personalis in Action: Our Jesuit ideal of cura personalis—care for the whole person—guides everything we do. Every student has a unique story, and we’re here to help them tell it. From uncovering their passions and talents to finding colleges where they’ll flourish, we’re deeply invested in each student’s journey.
2 Individualized Attention, Every Step of the Way: At Regis Jesuit, we pride ourselves on truly knowing our students. Our dedicated team builds meaningful relationships with each student and their family, ensuring every step of the college process is tailored to their goals, strengths and needs. We are here to help craft a college list, navigate financial aid or simply offer encouragement.
3 Relationships That Open Doors: More than 200 college representatives visit Regis Jesuit each year, and many of them know us by name. This isn’t just networking—it’s about giving our students direct access to the people who make admission decisions. Colleges know the quality of an RJ education, and they trust that our students will succeed on their campuses.
4 Data-Driven Success with a Personal Touch: We keep a close eye on trends in college admissions, using data to help students make informed choices. We identify “reach,” “match” and “security” schools and understand how RJ’s acceptance rates compare to national averages. We blend hard facts with heartfelt guidance.
5 Focused on Fit: We believe the “best” school is the one where each student will thrive. We help families move beyond rankings and focus on finding a college that aligns with their student’s goals, values and learning style. “Fit” includes admissibility, affordability and appeal.
6 A Team That Cares (and Laughs): We take our jobs and your students’ futures very seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. College counseling can feel overwhelming, so we make it a little lighter with humor, encouragement and genuine care. We give great pep talks and will happily engage in a coffee-fueled brainstorming session.
7 A Legacy of Results: RJ students consistently gain admission to top colleges and universities across the U.S. and abroad, with acceptance rates that often exceed national averages. From scholarships to prestigious programs, our students’ successes speak volumes about the effectiveness of our approach.
“The counselors meet students where they are, on their unique journey. I saw this play out for both my daughter and my son. They each forged a very different path and are thriving today thanks to the dedication, care, love and individualized support they received. It’s a holistic and seamless process that begins early in the student’s high school career and fully allows for students to discover and uncover what lies beyond the halls of RJ.”
LISHA & KEVEN BURNETT
PARENTS OF PEYTON '22 & JAKE '24
By the Numbers 2024
99% OF THE CLASS OF 2024 WERE ACCEPTED INTO NEARLY 360 SCHOOLS AND HAVE MATRICULATED TO 147 COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES THIS YEAR
34% OF COLLEGE ATTENDEES STAYED IN COLORADO
66%
ARE ATTENDING COLLEGE OUTSIDE OF COLORADO
93% OF COLLEGE-BOUND STUDENTS REPORTED RECEIVING MERIT-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS
Ask Us Anything
Speaking of questions, we love them. We’ll break it all down for you—no judgment, just straight answers and a reassuring approach.
What’s the difference between Early Decision and Early Action?
How many times can you take the SAT without losing your mind?
What even is FAFSA, and why does it sound so intimidating?
Keep ‘em coming. To reach us, email us:
Laura Hall | lhall@regisjesuit.com
College Counseling - Team Lead
Dana Bauer | dbauer@regisjesuit.com
Assistant Principal for Student Support
“We discover the best parts of ourselves outside our comfort zones.”
AVA LEEGE ‘25
RJ students gather on the grand marble steps of the Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.
The Senior Immersion Journey
By Christina Ortiz DIRECTOR OF IGNATIAN IMMERSION & SOLIDARITY
I am sitting in the school library, moved to tears as senior students tell stories of their immersion experiences. I am amazed not only by the ways our students have grown, but also by their ability to articulate exactly what movements stirred within them. They keenly identify experiences of humility, pain, joy, peace and hope. Some admit that they resisted their own growth along the way while others humbly name their shortcomings; they wish they took their Spanish classes more seriously, that they had an open mind from the beginning, that they had denied themselves more comforts early on. I sat pondering how monumental it is for a teenager to recognize and admit their faults in such a public setting among their peers, teachers and administrators. Many were moved to tears themselves, sharing vulnerably about their past or current struggles and the ways their immersions helped them love themselves and others more deeply.
I have been the director of our Ignatian Immersion & Solidarity program for more than five years now. In that time, we’ve mostly been dreaming up what a responsible and formative immersion program could look like for our students. Most Jesuit schools are only able to offer these experiences to a select few of their student body. Five years ago, we were in the exact same position when less than 20 percent of our students participated in immersion trips.
This program aims to help students walk in the footsteps of Jesus by promoting a radically inclusive and just global community. Knowing this, we asked ourselves: “How could we possibly promote those values if the immersion program itself was exclusive?” After years of strategic planning with the President’s Leadership Team, fundraising with our Advancement Office, and partnering with our academic departments for student formation, I am overjoyed to see the fruits of our labor this year. For the first time ever, any senior who wanted to participate in an immersion trip was able to. Not only did we eliminate merit-based participation, but all costs for participation are now covered by Regis Jesuit.
Participants in our fall immersions this year have been encouraged to consider how their growth on their immersion experiences demonstrates their growth in the pillars of the Graduate at Graduation: Intellectually Competent, Open to Growth, Religious, Loving and Committed to Doing Justice. In various capstone presentations, they provided concrete and profound personal examples of their growth over the last four years. Grace Burke ’25 looked back on her experiences as a freshman moving cross-country and landing at a Jesuit Catholic high school, something entirely foreign to her. She admits she wasn’t entirely thrilled with that reality. “To me, high school was an obstacle, something I would have to overcome.” Four years later, she recognizes her high school experience as one that deeply shaped her and her values. “Over my time at Regis Jesuit, my experiences have built me into a person who is not only deeply religious, but more loving and open to growth. These four years have put me in a place to be open to new experiences and develop new values.”
Intellectually Competent
“Our immersion pushed us to question our words and our actions and to evaluate if they were in line with our beliefs and values.” – Ruthie Saba ‘25
One of the most remarkable ways that our Senior Immersion Program stands out is the fact that most of these experiences are now associated with academic courses and departments. Over recent decades, American volunteers and short-term missionaries have been criticized for entering communities with little knowledge of their culture, language or the economic or political
underpinnings that perpetuate poverty and injustice in those very communities. As an academic institution, we have plenty of knowledge and resources at our fingertips. Why wouldn’t we use them to more responsibly educate and form our students leading up to, during, and after their immersions? Students are now challenged to consider which academic department would help them to best put their skills and interests to use on an immersion. We now offer immersions through Classic & Modern Languages, Fine Arts & Media, Theology, Science and Social Studies departments.
“Most of my peers around me live in a similar way [to me] and don’t have to worry about putting food on their table or if their family can keep the lights on at home. None of us truly understand our privilege and what we can do to help others without it.”
MICHAEL SANCHEZ ‘25
Open to Growth
Not surprisingly, nearly every student highlighted how their immersion experiences taught them to be open to growth by embracing discomfort, taking risks and trying new things. Immersions tend to evoke a certain level of vulnerability among our students by placing them in altogether new or different environments, without their closest friends and without any of the comforts of home. Those who stay local or domestic are often surprised to learn that even those immersions involve a certain level of “culture shock.” Students on the Kansas City immersion, for instance, spent the week with Catholic farmers living on a completely vegetarian diet and forfeiting excess in an attempt to live more sustainably and understand better what the American poor experience on a daily basis. Others in Mexico, Honduras and the Dominican Republic stumbled through broken Spanish and were humbled to learn just how debilitating it can be not to be able to communicate with others when you so desperately want to. Naala Barnes ’25 learned early on in her immersion from a classmate that verbal communication only accounts for a small portion of communication. She admitted that she used that fact as an excuse not to try to learn Spanish in her short time there. It wasn’t until the final days that she recognized that, while that might be true, attempting to learn Spanish would be an ultimate sign of love and respect for the Honduran community she was spending all of her time with. In short, she learned that love involves taking risks and embracing our imperfections.
Loving
“Despite living in difficult conditions, the scholars and their families exhibited extraordinary generosity and care for one another. Their community-centered mindset stood in contrast to the often individualistic nature of American culture. They drew close to their community in the difficult times and the successful ones. Their example helped me realize that true service doesn't have to be fixing or changing situations—it is being present, forming genuine connections and offering love and support in a way that uplifts everyone involved.” –
Emilia Hull ‘25
In my ten years as a Catholic educator, I often wonder about our students’ conception of love. Being a teenager feels harder now than ever before, and ideas of love feel particularly distorted for our young people. Peer pressure, anxiety, bullying and competition are all constant forces that we aim to dissolve and overcome, but our society doesn’t make it easy. Grace Burke ’25 reflected: “So often in our society, I find myself in a give and take situation, where I have to prove myself to others in order to earn their respect and love. This also means I expect others to prove themselves to me.” As a Catholic institution, we perpetually aim to affirm everyone’s God-given dignity. But our society of abundance insists that love and affirmation must be earned. On immersion experiences where both poverty and generosity abound, students get a glimpse of God’s unconditional love and tenderness, and they sigh a collective sigh of relief. Grace continued, “In Honduras, all of this fell away. So, when I came back, I have tried to lead with more love.”
In a student blog on their immersion trip to the Dominican Republic, Jaren Frederick ’25 and Joey Beatty ’25 wrote: “As soon as we arrived, many of our host families were ready to greet us, not hesitating to exchange hugs and ‘besitos’. On top of that, they quickly guided us to the folding tables beside the house, setting down pans of rice, beans, salad and chicken in front of us. Their hospitality was tremendous, as they had given us all the chicken they had available, refusing to eat until we were finished. Despite not knowing [them] an hour prior, they provided everything they could, prioritizing our needs over theirs. The lesson is obvious; we should become more generous people.”
Back in Denver, Avery Oxton ’25 reflected on her experiences working with children with traumatic backgrounds and overcoming her instinct for the students to have to earn her affection. “I’ve enjoyed being humbled [and learning] that the little kids at the Tennyson Center deserve holding hands in the halls even when they behave poorly. For us, I think it’s only a matter of widening our perception of who we think we are allowed to love rather than finding ways to mold them into our ideas of how people should behave, what they should say, and how they should act. Either way, God calls us to love them, not change them.” Unconditional love is perhaps the most radical and transformative concept our students could learn to embrace.
Left: Regis Jesuit students work laying water pipes high along a hillside in the Dominican Republic. Right: Regis Jesuit students lend their time and skills for underserved communities in Kansas City.
Religious
One of my favorite parts of student immersions is our nightly prayers and reflections. Prayer, to me, is an opportunity to invite what is stirring deep down inside to rise to the surface of our consciousness. Students on immersions experience a myriad of thoughts and emotions, some which are entirely brand new to them. We offer them daily opportunities to journal, prayerfully discern, struggle with and share what God might be telling or showing them. Blake Hedlund ’25 was overwhelmed by the inner freedom he experienced when he disengaged from technology, college essays, homework and social media. He learned on immersion what it would be like to make space for God, not just for short and distinct periods of time, but weaved throughout his daily life. He was happier, lighter, more generous and joyful. He described it as “a quiet, elusive feeling that [he] couldn’t yet define.”
“The lesson is obvious; we should become more generous people.”
Committed to Doing Justice
“I’m a 17-year-old upper middle class white male from a suburb outside of Denver, Colorado with low crime rates, low diversity, and comfortable living. I have spent my entire life here within my small bubble not learning about the lives of others in different circumstances... Most of my peers around me live in a similar way and don’t have to worry about putting food on their table or if their family can keep the lights on at home. None of us truly understand our privilege and what we can do to help others without it.” – Michael Sanchez ‘25
I am often struck by the contrasting emotions that students and I experience on immersions. On the one hand, there is an abundance of love, joy and generosity. On the other hand, images of poverty and oppression haunt us, often leaving us feeling debilitated. In their student blog from their immersion to Honduras, Claire Coughlon ’25 and Emilia Hull ’25 shared what it was like to visit a “garbage dump community” made up of families and individuals so poor that they rely on the resources of the dump to sustain themselves. “We were shocked by how many children, toddlers and babies that were growing up in this dangerous environment. This was very emotionally challenging for our group…” As adult leaders, we aim to accompany the students compassionately as they witness the harsh realities of our world, and we hope and pray that they are moved toward actionable change. Vivian Leege ’25 very poignantly pointed out how self-centered these experiences can be if all of our takeaways are about our personal growth. She said they would all be in vain if we come back and don’t commit ourselves to justice upon our return.
On immersions, students’ perspectives widen and they are challenged to consider what they might be willing to do or give up in order to love their neighbors as themselves. We live in a globalized and shrinking world where we have to grapple with the hard fact that our economic, social and political choices have ripple effects far beyond what we can see. It is an incredibly profound experience to walk alongside students and witness as they courageously respond “yes” to the call to fight for a more just world. Grace Burke ’25 shared, “My role in the world is much different than I thought it was. We have a responsibility to others and the world; one we cannot ignore. Not just to international communities, but here at home.”
IMMERSION INTO THE HEART
“When the heart is touched by direct experience, the mind may be challenged to change.”
In his recent encyclical letter, Dilexit Nos, Pope Francis emphasizes the importance of knowing and acting from one’s heart: “Christ shows that God is closeness, compassion and tender love” (35). Each year I am blessed with the honor and privilege of witnessing the closeness, compassion and tender love of Christ through our students and their immersion experiences. Not only are they close to those on the margins, walking with the excluded (Universal Apostolic Preference #2) of society, but our students are also in proximity to their classmates, to self and, most significantly, close to God through prayer and presence. They animate the Gospels with their relationships. These relationships are characterized by compassion—this willingness to “suffer with” the other. God calls us to live in harmony with a spirit of compassion. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Justice toward [others] disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good” (1807). If I may paraphrase a Jesuit theology teacher from my high school summarizing the cardinal virtue of justice, it is “the presence of loving relationships.” Our students love tenderly. Tenderness takes time, somewhere between “raw” and “well done,” and we often find that our immersions can have raw impacts on our students and the ways they see the world. However, tenderness returns people to themselves and reminds us of the tender glance in which we are viewed from God. The Catholic theologian Jean Vanier states, “The highest form of spiritual maturity is tenderness.” It’s beautiful to behold this maturity in our students. Hearts on full display.
Former Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Fr. Peter Hans Kolvenbach, SJ, offered a speech to Santa Clara University in 2000 sharing the following:
“Tomorrow's ‘whole person’ cannot be whole without an educated awareness of society and culture with which to contribute socially, generously, in the real world. Tomorrow's whole person must have, in brief, a well-educated solidarity.
We must therefore raise our Jesuit educational standard to “educate the whole person of solidarity for the real world.” Solidarity is learned through “contact” rather than through “concepts,” as the Holy Father said recently at an Italian university conference. When the heart is touched by direct experience, the mind may be challenged to change. Personal involvement with innocent suffering, with the injustice others suffer, is the catalyst for solidarity which then gives rise to intellectual inquiry and moral reflection.
Students, in the course of their formation, must let the gritty reality of this world into their lives, so they can learn to feel it, think about it critically, respond to its suffering and engage it constructively. They should learn to perceive, think, judge, choose and act for the rights of others, especially the disadvantaged and the oppressed."
I am grateful for our Ignatian Immersion and Solidarity Office for their constant nudging of our community into these Christ-filled spaces and relationships, inviting our hearts to know Jesus.
JIMMY TRICCO | PRINCIPAL
CHANGEMAKERS IN OUR MIDST
Michael Koenigs '05
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AT DISNEY
Ty Blach ‘09
MLB FREE AGENT
Having spent the last several years playing for his hometown team, the Colorado Rockies, Ty considers his professional baseball career to be a true blessing and a dream come true. Looking back upon his years at Regis Jesuit, it’s no question that his time on the pitching mound was substantial, but it’s his relationships with coaches and Jesuits, and his brotherhood of friends that stand out. Ty isn’t getting caught up worrying about the future as he looks to sign with another baseball team. His Regis Jesuit education formed in him the focus to ‘live the fourth,’ put his family first and serve others.
Ty’s advice for Regis Jesuit students today?
Stay present and don’t miss out on the impact you can have right now. No matter what happens, we are always there to be Men and Women with and for Others
As a junior at Regis Jesuit, Michael took his first video editing and graphics classes, and they immediately fueled his passion for visual storytelling. His teachers helped make complex tools accessible to filmmaking novices like him and enthusiastically encouraged creativity. What was simply a semester-long elective grew into a lifelong career. Now Michael creates new TV and streaming shows for Disney-owned media brands including ABC, Hulu and Disney+. In addition to overseeing a network of lifestyle and travel shows, he works with teams across Disney to develop synergy content for their flagship shows including Shogun, The Bear and new attractions from Disney Parks and Resorts.
Michael’s advice for Regis Jesuit students today?
Be different, be passionate and start something new–even places with wonderful educational traditions like Regis Jesuit benefit enormously from entrepreneurial spirits on campus.
“Regis offered me the chance to explore unique aspects of my personality. I remember occasionally eating my lunch in the science classroom trying to beat Mr. Willson at speed chess, before trying to improve my lackluster Latin grade in Mr. Broderick King’s class and finally missing my three pointers on the basketball team. The best moments were on retreats when students would so openly reveal the deeper sides of themselves and their family lives. I’ve rarely experienced that type of emotional and spiritual candor since.”
Dr. KD Nowicki ‘08
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
OF PEDIATRICS-RHEUMATOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Dr. Nowicki’s plate is full as she carefully balances her multiple roles—providing innovative patient care, researching how to provide the best treatments for patients with chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis and standing at the forefront of medical education. Recently, she served on a committee to develop clinical competency standards called milestones used to assess pediatric rheumatology trainees; these were the first milestones specific to a subspecialty with less than 500 providers nationally, Dr. Nowicki’s work is providing critical research, continuous quality improvement, innovative training and access to care so the right treatments are reaching the right patients.
KD’s advice for Regis Jesuit students today?
Invest in establishing strong relationships with people who care about you and have similar values to you.
“There are many incredible educational institutions, but they do not come close to Regis Jesuit in educating the whole person. I believe Regis Jesuit students and graduates are uniquely called to use this education to change our world for the better.”
Maddie Proctor ‘21
ATTENDING HARVARD UNIVERSITY
As a senior concentrating in social studies with a focus in AI and the law, Maddie is grappling with big questions at the intersection of philosophy and technology. She is currently working on an honors thesis on foundation model openness and looking to better understand how political discourse around model openness is framed. Through her research, she is covering AI’s interaction with society and the calls for justice that her Jesuit values instill. How should we design AI and its deployment in a way that best preserves human dignity and considers moral implications?
Maddie’s advice for Regis Jesuit students today?
To current students who want to make a difference, my advice is to learn from Regis Jesuit that the best leaders think with both their hearts and their minds. Your education is important and a privilege that many do not get to enjoy, so make the most of it. Show up to class and engage deeply. But remember equally to live your life in a Christlike manner, beginning with recognizing the humanity of the other in your career and personal life.
From the Shelf of Amanda Samland
Historical Fiction
If you loved The Women by Kristin Hannah, you may also love The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. Both novels highlight the strength and determination of women during extraordinary historical events.
Fantasy
If you loved The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, you might love The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel. Both novels feature themes of self-discovery, the power of choices, and finding purpose.
Realistic Fiction
If you loved A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, you may also love Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Heartwarming stories of unlikely friendships.
Dystopian
If you loved Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, you may also love The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. Both novels are post-apocalyptic tales that explore humanity’s resilience and the enduring beauty of art and nature. Also, Heller is a Colorado author!
Nonfiction
If you loved Daring Greatly by Brene Brown, you may also love Be Healed by Dr. Bob Schucts. Both books explore vulnerability and healing, with Schuchts focusing on a Catholic perspective of emotional and spiritual transformation.
ADULT the Librarian's List
Historical Fiction
If you loved The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, you may also love I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys. Both are historical fiction that dive deep into human resilience.
Mystery/Thriller
If you loved The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, you may also love Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis. Both are blends of high-stakes competition, clever protagonists and twisty mysteries.
Mystery/Thriller
If you loved One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus, you may also love A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. Mysteries that keep readers guessing until the end.
Fantasy
If you loved Eragon by Christopher Paolini, you might also love Murtagh by Christopher Paolini. As part of the same universe, Murtagh delves deeper into the story of one of the most intriguing and complex characters from the Inheritance Cycle.
Nonfiction
If you loved Hidden Figures Young Readers Edition by Margo Lee Shetterly, you may also love Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women by Catherine Thimmesh. Both celebrate the achievements of groundbreaking individuals, focusing on STEM fields and innovation.
YOUNG ADULT
Bram Stoker's DRACULA
After showstopping performances of Bram Stoker's Dracula at Regis Jesuit, the Drama Club performed the gothic horror at the 2024 Thespian Conference (ThesCon) in Denver's Bellco Theatre in December—the equivalent to winning a State Championship in the performing arts. As one of the two MainStage Featured Performances, RJ thespians had the opportunity to showcase their talent and skill, performing for approximately 5000 attendees from high schools across the state.
FINDING THEIR VOICE: STUDENT PERFORMERS SHINE BRIGHT
By Bernie Sauer '97
PERFORMING ARTS TEACHER – CHORAL DIRECTOR
The students in Regis Jesuit’s choirs, jazz bands, orchestras and Drama Club have been on the go this fall with the stage becoming a second home as they gain life skills that go beyond learning to sing, act or play an instrument. Through their rehearsals and performances, they are creating community, building connections and telling stories.
In effort to build relationships through the performing arts with our companion K-8 Catholic schools, our advanced choirs, Vox Lucis and the Canta Belles, went on tour to several nearby schools, including Blessed Sacrament and Good Shepherd, in September. Choirs from all schools sang with and for each other and collaborated on the Hillsong United song "Oceans" and Audrey Assad’s "Restless".
“I loved seeing how the elementary and middle school singers were connecting through the music. To form one, unified choir with them was just amazing,” said Amber Moritz '26 of the Canta Belles.
In November, Advanced Jazz Band and String Orchestra joined Vox Lucis and the Canta Belles to perform for Ave Maria Catholic School, where they collaborated with Regis Jesuit graduate and past Canta Belles president, Kaley Schrameyer ’20. The finale consisted of a fully orchestrated arrangement of the jazzy hit, "Feeling Good," featuring senior, Theresa Dowling ’25 behind the mic.
The performing arts have always been about sharing our talents with the community, and after the pandemic, some of the outreach was lost. Reuniting with these schools gives both communities reassurance that music continues to heal and embrace.
In the performing arts, it is all about ensemble. According to instrumental director, Chet Aliga, “The musical ensemble increases critical thinking and awareness while creating a space for you to be vulnerable, artistic and a part of a cohesive community.”
The band, orchestra and choirs are not the only groups working together to create connections. By creating a safe space for self-expression, the Regis Jesuit Drama Club’s dedication to the art earned them a spot at this year's Colorado Thespian Conference (ThesCon), considered the top performance showcase for student theatre. As one of only two Mainstage Featured Performances, the Regis Jesuit thespians mesmerized 5000 audience members with their haunting performance of Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Whether you are soaking in the melodic voices of Vox Lucis and the Canta Belles, grooving to the jazzy hits of the bands or on the edge of your seat watching a theatrical masterpiece, the Regis Jesuit performing arts students deliver, both in entertainment and in life skills.
Networking Platform for the Regis Jesuit Community
Experiences Beyond the Classroom
The objective of RJ Connect is to educate, cultivate and leverage the Regis Jesuit community network to inspire students to find, form and fuel a passion as global citizens to serve the betterment of humanity and natural world.
Mentoring
1:1 GROUP MENTORING/COACHING
Strategic partnership with College Counseling connecting students with alumni.
ALUMNI MENTORSHIP SERIES
Twice a year, 20 alumni mentors from various industries visit campus to speak to current juniors and seniors.
GUEST SPEAKERS
Partnering with RJ’s curriculum, provides weekly guest speakers for a wide-variety of classes including Entrepreneurship, Sustainability: Environment, Economy & Equity, Medical Explorations and more.
MENTORING MINI-SERIES
An immersive program that provides students with in-depth exposure to a specific industry or career path through small group events. This series allows participants to engage with professionals and gain deeper insights into the skills and opportunities within their chosen field.
Networking
ALUMNI/STUDENT CAREER & NETWORKING FAIR
Annual virtual event that invites seniors and young alumni to interact with dozens of Regis Jesuit’s industry partners like Charles Schwab, Innovest, BCER Engineering, Zoom and more.
JOB SHADOW DAYS
A unique opportunity for upperclassmen to visit local companies aligned with their interests, allowing them to explore career paths through real-world exposure and hands-on learning. This program connects students with professionals and RJ alumni to gain valuable insights into potential fields of study and work.
INDUSTRY HAPPY HOURS
Casual networking events that bring together the Regis Jesuit community, including alumni, parents and professionals, who work within a specific industry. These gatherings provide a relaxed atmosphere to connect, share insights and strengthen professional relationships while supporting the RJ network.
RJ HIRE
Connect graduating seniors and college-aged alumni to opportunities ranging from summer jobs and paid internships to professional career positions at every level.
Voices of Impact
“I really enjoyed the Law Mentorship because it gave me the opportunity to learn about different branches of law and the process of becoming a lawyer. I believe this mentorship is beneficial for anyone, whether they want to become a lawyer or simply learn more about the profession. I’m grateful for the experience and would encourage others to participate if the opportunity is offered again.”
ABBY EDWARDS ’26
“This mini-mentorship gave me a more personal view into the law industry that I never would have seen or experienced otherwise.”
KINGSTON SMETANA ’28
“Last year, we welcomed four Regis Jesuit High School upperclassmen to the Zoom Denver office for the RJ Alumni Shadow Day and Zoom Global Emerging Talent program. They learned what it’s like to work at a tech company like Zoom and explore different career paths like engineering, finance, marketing, and sales. We are looking forward to welcoming more bright students this school year!”
TOMMY GAESSLER ‘16
THE LASTING IMPACT OF REGIS JESUIT & CATHOLIC EDUCATION
By Fr. Eric Ramirez, SJ DIRECTOR OF PASTORAL MINISTRIES
Back in the fall, we had a junior speak about his KAIROS experience to a handful of junior parents. Though we give students a lot of space in what they want to talk about regarding their retreats, he took this opportunity to speak about his faith life. He shared that when he went on KAIROS, he wasn’t really a believer. He described himself as an agnostic. He talked about coming from a Catholic home, but his faith wasn’t terribly important to him. However, his experience from KAIROS opened his eyes, and he shared that he was now a believer. God was no longer an idea but had touched the young man. His experience of KAIROS rooted him in his faith.
It isn’t enough to say that a Catholic education is about picking up values or learning how to be a good person. The richness of a Catholic education, stretching back through the centuries, has always been to help our students see the world as it is. It’s about calibrating our students’ eyesight in such a way that where others might see problems or fall into cynicism, our students see possibility and can discern the grace of God alive and active in the world. Once they have seen, they can then hear how God calls forth their unique gifts and talents.
In today’s world, where young people are concerned about and even suspicious of institutions, they are no longer satisfied with canned answers or simple regurgitation of principles. Young people have been taught all their lives that Jesus loves them. This reality, when it remains just a dictum or data point, is uninteresting and fails to engage our youth. It gets drowned out by the other forces, other pushes and pulls. In the Jesuit tradition, the phrase “Jesus loves you” isn’t a fact to be memorized but the first hints of a reality to be encountered.
The variety of our mission possibilities offer our students the space to marry what is learned in abstract with real and deep encounters with God. Repeatedly, our students report back that after their retreats they have a deeper sense of God’s actions in their lives. They can speak of a personal experience of God’s love for them.
Our mission experiences aren’t simply a nice opportunity Regis Jesuit offers our students.In conjunction with the classroom, they are the core. Without our mission experiences, the Catholic worldview just remains a thought. It’s on our retreats, our prayers and liturgies and through our immersion experiences where that worldview takes on flesh and burrows deeply into our students' souls, leaving a lasting impact and space to better discern God's call.
Top: 14 seniors complete a transformative pilgrimage in New Mexico covering 28 miles over four days and visiting sacred sites including the renowned Chimayo Shrine. Middle: Fr. Menard marks a student's forehead with ashes, a traditional sign of faith and reflection on Ash Wednesday. Bottom: Students building connections through meaningful conversation at KAIROS
THE DAILY EXAMEN
I begin in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I place myself in the presence of God, the One who loves me and knows me best.
Give thanksgiving.
By Kristen Kraus DIRECTOR OF ADULT FORMATION
The daily Examen is a short method of reflective prayer to help “detect God’s presence and to discern God’s will through close attention to the subtle interior movements of God’s spirit. It is the cornerstone of Ignatian prayer” (Fleming, SJ, 20). The Examen that St. Ignatius outlined in the Spiritual Exercises has five points: 1) give thanksgiving; 2) ask for the Spirit; 3) review and recognize failures; 4) ask forgiveness and healing; 5) pray about the next day (Thibodeaux, SJ, x-xi). At Regis Jesuit, we pray some form of the Examen every school day at the start of fourth period. In this opportunity for daily prayer and reflection, we partner with God and ask for the grace we need to be the best version of ourselves, trusting that God desires this for us too!
I begin by giving thanks to God for all of the blessings (big and small) in my life today. I pause to feel the emotions associated with these blessings.
Ask for the Spirit.
I take a moment to ask God to fill me with his Spirit as I look back over my day, ensuring this can be an authentic, honest and grace-filled reflection.
Review & recognize failures.
I look back over my day and reflect on the times throughout the day that I was not my best self. These are the times where I failed to love myself and others as God loves.
Ask for forgiveness and healing.
I take a moment talk to God about these failures, broken relationships and the ways I was not my best self. I ask God for forgiveness, and I ask for the grace to forgive myself and others. I take a moment to ask God to show me how I might be able to behave differently in similar situations in the future.
Pray about the next day.
As I look toward tomorrow, I ask God to strengthen my heart and give me the courage to live with love and generosity toward myself, others and God. I especially ask for God’s grace to fill me with the courage to make good decisions and help me in the moments I might be tempted to act against God’s will and desires.
I thank God for the grace of this prayer.
RMEMORIES THAT INSPIRED A GIFT OF GRATITUDE
By Dennis Primavera ‘59
egis Jesuit provided the education that initially enabled me to earn an appointment to the Air Force Academy, and though I did not attend the Academy, I went on to have a successful career. Whether in the military or my 40-year career, Regis gave me the background and tools to succeed as I faced every educational challenge.
I have so many memories of my time spent at “the Rock,” as we referred to the school back then, and the lessons I learned there in the late 1950s. Regis Jesuit’s value was not only in the curriculum but also in lessons about life and how to live it. I remember Rudy Brada (science teacher) saying, “Do not think if you do not study now that you will begin studying next year. No one changes that much.” I thought about his words and became a bit more studious. The very next year I finished first in my class at a technical school, which led to a job offer from IBM.
Some of my most vivid memories are those of lessons from the Jesuits and my teachers. From Fr. Cooms, I learned about consequences and commas and the need to study to avoid JUG. I can still remember poetry I learned in his class 66 years ago. Guy Gibbs '47 taught me about discipline and the hard work required to minimize my shortcomings (pun intended). Guy provided a wonderful example of a coach who cared about his players and remained cool even when we did not play up to his expectations. I never heard him utter an
unkind word. Fr. Hahn taught me about overcoming difficulties. I watched at lunchtime as he competed on the handball courts with students who were decades younger than him, all while wearing his long black robes. Fr. Kreiger continued my religious education and introduced me to the Bible, which has become a lifelong companion. Each of these teachers was an outstanding educator and role model and, in my mind, even a hero.
My hope is that today’s students have fond memories, like mine, that they take with them when they leave Regis Jesuit. RJ graduates are well prepared to succeed at the next level of education and subsequently in becoming leaders in a rapidly changing and complex world. Along with establishing an endowed scholarship to provide financial aid to deserving students, I've made the decision to join the St. John Regis Legacy Society. I hope my gifts now and in the future will produce caring individuals who might remember when someone they did not know lent them a helping hand along the way and will, in turn, carry it forward.
Your Legacy. Our Future.
BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ST. JOHN FRANCIS REGIS LEGACY SOCIETY
The St. John Francis Regis Legacy Society is comprised of alumni, current parents, parents of alumni, grandparents and friends who have made provision for Regis Jesuit High School by means of a planned gift. To become a member, simply advise the school of your intention to make a gift to the school in your will or living trust. If you would like more info on making a legacy gift, please contact Mary Zimmerman, Director of Philanthropy & Legacy Giving at mzimmerman@regisjesuit.com or 303.269.8077
ST JohnFrancis Regis Legacy Society
