Name, Catholic School(s) attended, years graduated:
Miranda Maciel
St. John Vianney – 3rd – 8th Grade
Bourgade Catholic High School – 9th-12th class of 2013

Background:
I have attended Catholic schools since pre-school in California. When my family moved to Arizona over 20 years ago we found St. John Vianney Catholic School and it was home. That parish became our first point of contact with the family that we would create here in Arizona. Teachers at SJV pointed me to apply for Bourgade Catholic and that paved the way for my future. Both my sister and I are graduates of SJV and BCHS and now continue to work and serve in Catholic schools.

What impact did Catholic schools have on you and your family?

Catholic schools shaped me into the woman I am today. As a student, I had strong examples of Catholic women who lived out their faith unapologetically. I was blessed to be surrounded by teachers and staff that wanted to form me into the person God had created me to be. Now working at a Catholic school, I have fallen in love with the opportunity and privilege that it is to partner with parents in the formation of a student’s heart, mind, and soul. The students have made me a better person, the same way being a Catholic school student made me a more faithful person.

What is one or two special memories of your Catholic School Experience that you would like to share?

I have had the privilege of being both a Catholic school student and working with parents that are choosing the gift of Catholic education for their children. Those experiences are both so priceless.

  1. Feeling loved. Everyday. I never felt alone as a student. I knew that my teachers saw me as an individual and wanted to push me to be my best, celebrate my wins with me, and comfort me in my times of despair. They accompanied me throughout my high school experience and became like family after I graduated.
  2. Applying to college with the help of my Bourgade Catholic teachers and becoming a first-generation college student.

Accomplishments:

  • One-third of the way through my doctoral program at the University of Dayton. Doctor of
    Education in Leadership for Organizations.
  • Former Podcast Co-Host for I Got Issues with the Diocese of Phoenix
  • Selected as a member of the University of Notre Dame Reform Leaders Summit
  • Graduate of the Tepeyac Leadership Initiative