On September 19, 2023, Rosary’s class of 2025 visited St. Martin de Porres Church for their junior class Step Up Retreat.
Aiming to prepare the class for their new roles as upper-class women, the retreat began with Mass and was followed with breakfast burritos to kick off the day. The junior class was then split into small groups, led by Rosary seniors, for ice breakers. Samantha Oskorus ’25 shares, “The ‘Cha Cha Slide’ was my favorite activity from the day.”
Afterwards, the retreat moved into speeches from the Rosary faculty, who shared about life experiences and why sisterhood is so important. Ms. Waldman, Mrs. O’Campo ’02, and Mrs. Langenwalter each explained how faith helped shape their lives and directed them to where they are today. Their talks led to group discussions about where the juniors are now, and where they want to be by the time they graduate as young women of faith. This led to a trust activity where each girl would close their eyes and fall into their small group’s arms. Junior Daleah Cardenas explains, “It was scary not being able to see where I was falling, but after my group caught me the first time I felt much better.”
After discussion time, the juniors needed some time to get moving before lunch. A game of freeze dance quickly moved into an intense dance battle between junior Alyssa McCreary and senior Jacee Baumann. Bystander Annalise Adamsen ’25 described the battle as, “a great matchup with some concerning dance moves.” After the battle finished, the crowd decided that the winner was Alyssa, who won bragging rights. All the dancing got the Royals hungry for their Italian lunch provided by the school. Once everyone was happily fed, it was time for the final part of the retreat.
To conclude the retreat, the juniors moved back into the church for adoration. This was a peaceful time to grow deeper with God and take a moment to forget the stress of everyday life.
Overall, the retreat gave the opportunity to the junior class to reflect on their time at Rosary so far and decide how they want to continue their path. They are growing into young women of faith, and want to cherish these bonding moments before they graduate.
