I had the privilege of studying at Holy Family College, now Silver Lake College of the Holy Family, in preparation for learning how to be a Catholic school teacher. My educational journey includes being a teacher and a principal/administrator in nine Catholic schools staffed by our Franciscan Sisters. The journey has many rainbows because I am able to serve God’s people of all ages.

Have I returned to Silver Lake College of the Holy Family to learn more? Yes, and then some! I presently minister in the administrative wing with President Dr.George Arnold and the Vice Presidents of the College. The learning curve has been energizing and enriching. The College is blessed with administrators who truly desire SLC to BE and to BECOME the very BEST learning center it can be!

There are many golden opportunities to serve on committees and participate in meetings while helping to keep the Franciscan Way part of the agenda. A highlight of each day is mingling with an awesome College community of administrators, faculty, staff and students who value both people and learning. I try daily to respond the Micah way: “Act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with your God.”

Our Motherhouse and College are both located in a rural area on Silver Lake. As Franciscans we appreciate the natural beauty with which we are surrounded. Francis loved creation and we follow in these footsteps. We teach the Franciscan values and each year one of these values (i.e. peacemaking, compassion, joy, community, justice, reverence for creation etc.) is practiced. We also began a One Book One Campus project in which all members are encouraged to read the book and then discussion sessions are formed. This year we read The Lessons of St. Francis by John Michael Talbot. We try to instill the spirit of St. Francis all through the College.

Besides teaching several methods courses in which students integrate math, social studies and science content with appropriate pedagogical practice, and “Supervisory Skills for Cooperating Teachers,” I also supervise clinicians the student teachers. It is with a deep sense of gratitude that I harken back to my experiences as an elementary and middle school teacher, as well as principal – and all the ways my Sisters mentored me. I pass that wisdom on to our teacher candidates.

Recently I had the opportunity to pursue a second Masters Degree through Marquette University in Milwaukee. That work focused on current research in curriculum and instruction, as well as practical applications. It has been energizing to integrate so much of what I learned in the Marquette program into course work and committee work here at Silver Lake College: the WebQuest project in the Social Studies Methods course, the implications from the research study, “Fostering an Understanding of Cultural Diversity,” and involvement with the President’s Commission on Diversity.

When I was asked to serve as chair of the President’s Commission on Diversity a couple years ago, one of the main reasons I accepted was that the theme is central to the history of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity. Our origins are rooted in the rural, immigrant experience. It was out of this context that our educational mission took shape, both reflecting and responding to the culture in which it was immersed. Solidarity with the poor, the needy, and the powerless was the vision of the Foundresses, a perspective that continues to guide mission of our religious order.

The Diversity Statement of Silver Lake College resonates with that theme: “Silver Lake College believes that diversity is integral to the educational and developmental experience of all learners. As a college community, we strive to be inclusive in recognizing and valuing opportunities to integrate dimensions of diversity in broadening our interpretation and understanding of humanity. We respect and uphold the many facets of human identity in helping support and strengthen our college mission, vision and values.”

It is a blessing to live, pray, and work at Silver Lake College.

Sister Marcolette Madden