Center for Catholic Education at UD
Meet the Staff Series - Tori Schoen
Next we would like to introduce you to Tori Schoen from Toledo, Ohio. She is a sophomore studying Middle Childhood Education with concentrations in Language Arts and Mathematics and a minor in Religious Studies Catechesis. Here are her responses to the interview questions:
What do you do at the CCE? I am on the Blog Team for the Center for Catholic Education so I write and edit blog posts.
Why did you join the Blog Team? I originally joined the Blog Team because I was the intern for the Center for Catholic Education this past summer so I was able to take part in starting the Catholic Education Conversation blog. I am happy to be able to remain on the team even after my internship is over because I love to write and to be able to share my views on Catholic Education. I also really believe in the mission of this blog as it works to promote Catholic Education and to share the reflections and views of many people in the community.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I enjoy writing, playing basketball, and spending time with my friends. I am involved in a lot of faith/campus ministry things on campus so that is what most of my free time consists of.
Why do you support Catholic Education? I support Catholic Education because I know that I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for my own Catholic Education and my relationship with God. Faith is something that allows the whole person to grow. Without this aspect in schools, children do not receive the opportunity to fully grow into their true self that has moved toward discovering their calling from God. I also believe that relationships built on spirituality and faith are the strongest relationships that exist in this world. Catholic education allows children as well as teachers and parents to form these relationships that are built on faith and that will help them to always be moving closer to Christ.
What Catholic Education topic are you most passionate about? I am passionate about teaching children about the Eucharist and Christ’s true presence in our lives. Part of the reason that I want to become a theology teacher for middle schoolers is because I think that they need to be challenged more and that they need to learn the topics in theology that are hard to understand starting at a young age. One of those topics is the Eucharist. Teaching children about Christ’s real and living presence is incredibly important in their growth and development in their faith lives.
Who is your role model? Describe him/her/them: My role model is Sr. Jenny who is a Sister of Notre Dame that worked at my high school, Notre Dame Academy in Toledo, OH. Sr. Jenny was and still is a mentor and inspiration for me in my faith. She has been a major factor in my realization of my vocation to become a teacher and in my discernment of religious life. Her incredible faith and view of her multi-dimensional vocation is amazing to me. My other role model is my young friend named Ty’Lee who passed away at the age of six from cancer. Ty’Lee is the one that inspired me to become a teacher through the impact that she had in my life and the impact that she told me I had in hers. This beautiful young girl lived with a joy and grace that is still incomprehensible to me as she battled cancer throughout her life.
Tell us three fun facts about you: I love the show One Tree Hill, I recently got a concussion falling out of my desk chair, and I want to be a missionary teacher in different countries.
