Judge Memorial: Delivering on the promise

Intermountain Catholic

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SALT LAKE CITY — It’s a great big world, and the faculty and administration of Judge Memorial Catholic High School are determined that their students have every opportunity to explore and experience everything our changing globe has to offer.

"In our mission statement, we pledge that our students will become builders of a more just society," said Matt Finnigan, director of community relations. "And Judge Memorial delivers on that promise."

At a school assembly in early November, the life of sophomore Emily Burchett was forever changed when she won one of only three "golden tickets" to travel to northern Uganda as part of the Invisible Children’s movement. For two weeks this summer, Burchett will travel to Uganda with other American high school and college students to help build schools for children of the refugee camps who desperately want to learn.

Burchett follows in the path of other Judge students who spent their summer working on humanitarian projects, students such as senior Dane Brodke, who participated in the Amigos Project in Paraguay; sophomores Emily Burchett, Shaun Osgood, Jeff Scott, Joe Sloan, and Meghan Short and juniors Maddie Adams and Stockton Cleverly, who took part in the Ulster Project; juniors Oliver Diamond and Willis Schafer, who served in Peru with Ascend: A Humanitarian Alliance; and seniors Teresa Highsmith, Alexis Naylor, and Rachel Palmer who traveled to southern Mexico with Interact to help victims in villages wiped out by floods.

Judge students, who have already contributed nearly 10,000 hours of service to the local community, view community service "as more than a requirement, it’s a hobby," said senior Chesley Price.

"Our students are active and engaged in and out of the classroom," said Rick Bartman, principal of Judge Memorial.

"Knowing they are directly helping someone in need means a great deal to our students. Having opportunities such as these – locally, nationally, and internationally – opens their eyes to the world, and they realize that individuals can have an impact."