Open houses are essential to any high school and SEHS is no different. In my interview with Dan Wallenhorst ‘04, we explore the ins and outs of the open house here at Ed’s as well as learn the importance of it.
Q: What makes Ed’s Open House special?
A: A lot of people come to an open house to see a campus, and with us, it’s about coming to meet the people that make Saint Eds. When you walk in the door and you’re greeted by the president of the school and then you meet teachers, coaches, and staff members that are dedicated to seeing kids thrive at Saint Ed’s, it’s a different kind of experience.
Q: Why should people go to Eds Open House?
A: Come learn about our school and our community. You get to experience, from the academic side, how rigorous our college preparatory education is. But you also get to meet the people who really pour themselves into this community. Because yes, Saint Eds is an incredible school, but it is much more of a community that extends far beyond four years. We have current students with younger brothers who feel like they are already a part of the Saint Eds community. We have guys who graduated in the 50s who identify with the Saint Eds community. You graduate from Saint Eds and you belong to a greater alumni network that extends to 20,000 guys. For families interested in coming to the open house you’re gonna learn about the school, and the curriculum. More than anything, you get to meet our community and it’s a quick snapshot and all the different ways we interact.
Q: Why should ambassadors go to Eds Open House?
Being an ambassador is fun. Everyone remembers being in 7th and 8th grade and trying to decide where they were going to go to high school. Now we have guys from freshmen to seniors, who are all in different places in their 4 years with us, get to tell their story right where they are at. You’re a Junior and you’re launching into the IB diploma program, or as a sophomore you discover film, and that wasn’t really your thing before, but now you like it. It’s an opportunity for students to tell their stories at Saint Eds and open the doors to Saint Eds, and to other families.
Q: What is your favorite part of Eds Open House?
I like to catch families after they’ve finished the tour. I see them come in and kids sometimes are excited, and sometimes they are apprehensive. Parents are like, I don’t know if this is a fit for my kid, maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. And the ambassadors, sometimes they start out nervous, like some of our freshmen who are giving a tour for the first time, but then you see them after they walk through the school and kids are just lighting up. You see this relief not only in the 8th graders but in the parents, like, they’re excited and they’re also calm. Parents say, Oh my God, my kid could absolutely be phenomenal here. This can be such a great partnership, which is what Saint Eds looks to do. We look to partner with parents and try to raise their son for four years to prepare them for college and beyond. The look on parents’ faces and students’ faces when they finish a tour and they know like, Man there is no where else I want to be, is really cool.
Special thanks to Dan Wallenhorst ‘04, and Joseph Kasl ‘99 for allowing this to happen. The next and final Saint Edward Open House is November 6th.
