Grad at Grad

The Verbum Dei Jesuit graduate is open to growth. He has experienced significant personal growth across intellectual, social-emotional, and religious dimensions, during his time at the school. He has come to understand such growth is a deliberate endeavor. He exhibits self-confidence, taking responsibility to shape his own development, and pursues integrity in all aspects of his life and interactions with others. He acknowledges his strengths and weaknesses as he moves forward into adulthood. He strives to be open-minded and reflective, embracing diverse perspectives and new experiences, and possesses the ability to adapt and make decisions guided by his core values. In essence, his education at Verbum Dei Jesuit High School has not been limited to academic achievement; rather, he has been empowered to lead a fulfilling life, contribute meaningfully to society, and embody the values of competence, confidence, and compassion.

The Verbum Dei Jesuit graduate:

• has developed critical and creative thinking skills, equipping him with the knowledge, understanding, and ability to navigate an increasingly complex world.
• has pursued new knowledge and relationships with curiosity, humility, and vulnerability, as he continues to foster an attitude of learning and growth.
• has experienced setbacks and failures as opportunities to gain experience and challenge himself.
• is conscious of his feelings and is freer and more authentic in expressing them, in a mature and respectful way. 
• is committed to pursuing further opportunities to enhance his cognitive abilities, nurture creativity, and further enrich his spiritual consciousness.
• is knowledgeable about and has experienced practices of Ignatian discernment as a tool to develop his full potential to become an enriched and well-rounded individual.
• has begun to recognize social and cultural barriers and his own biases, becoming more flexible and open to other points of view, and willing to try new ideas and experiences.
• remains dedicated to upholding the Jesuit values he has acquired during his time at Verbum Dei Jesuit High School.

The Verbum Dei graduate is intellectually motivated. He demonstrates mastery of fundamental academic skills and discipline necessary for advanced education. He is a life-long learner who critically analyzes contemporary issues and forms an opinion on them. He is a well-informed citizen, both local and global, recognizing his role as a compassionate person and responsible citizen who desires ever greater knowledge and wisdom to participate in the best interest of self, family, and community more profoundly. He is prepared to succeed in college and prepared for leadership in service.

The Verbum Dei Jesuit graduate:

• is proficient in the fundamental skills of language and mathematics and those academic subjects required for entrance into college (or some other form of advanced education).
• is able to initiate learning as a self-starter and is not intimidated by challenge.
• is a proficient and responsible user of technology.
• has been prepared to be a critical and creative thinker, provided with the knowledge, understanding, and skills to become a socially responsible, global citizen.
• has been equipped to become a proficient and socially responsible user of technology.
• has been afforded opportunities to develop his full potential to become an enriched and well-rounded individual.
• has been provided opportunities and experiences of the continual interplay of his experience, reflection, and action to occur.
• is developing a curiosity to explore ideas and issues facing humanity within the community and globally.
• is developing greater precision and a personal style in thought and expression, both written and oral, building proficiency in developing tools for his own personal growth such as Ignatian discernment, time management, reflective journaling and evaluation pieces that demonstrate their mastery of standards and well-being of all people.
• is developing the ability to apply knowledge and skills to new situations and can adjust to a variety of learning formats.
• is developing an organized approach to learning tasks.
• is beginning to understand both rights and responsibilities as a citizen of the United States, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of our form and practice of government.
• is beginning to develop that critical consciousness which enables him to better analyze the issues facing contemporary men and women and to evaluate various points of view on these issues for the sake of action.
• has begun to develop a general knowledge of central ideas, methodologies, and the conceptual parameters of a variety of intellectual disciplines of knowledge.
• has begun to relate current issues and perspectives to historical antecedents and his own cultural heritage.
• has begun to understand some of the public policy implications of the uses of science, technology, and capital.
• has begun to develop a repertory of images of the human person as presented in literature, biography and history which shape his compassionate and hopeful appreciation of the human community in its variety and potential.
• has begun to be prepared as a critical and creative thinker, providing him with the knowledge, understanding, and skills to become a socially responsible global citizen.

The Verbum Dei Jesuit graduate is spiritual. He has a sincere and deep sense of God’s presence and love in his life. He has an understanding of Catholicism and has the curiosity and tools to continue to grow in his own faith, deepening his personal relationship with God through prayer, contemplation, and action. He makes value-driven choices and is finding belonging in spiritual communities and practices. He is a “man with and for others,” recognizing the human dignity of all and therefore committed to responding to issues of social justice for a more humane and just world.

The Verbum Dei Jesuit graduate:

• has encountered the person of Jesus Christ as He is presented in Scripture.
• has a basic understanding of the Church's teaching about Jesus Christ and His redeeming mission, the embodiment of that mission in and through the Church and the centrality of the Eucharist to a vibrant Christian life.
• is familiar with Church teaching on social justice and understands the relationship between faith in Jesus and being a “person with and for others."
• is able to engage in ecumenical and interreligious conversations regarding spirituality.
• is able to see God in others and is able to meet them where they are.
• is growing as a contemplative in action and is able to utilize Ignatian discernment as a tool to assist him in decision making and to discover his vocation (whatever that may be).
• has been given the opportunity to have a personal experience of God, through prayer, retreats, and liturgies.
• has begun to take more responsibility for exploring his own faith.
• has begun to learn of the need for healing and reconciliation.
• has begun to live out his vocation by discerning his talents, his passions, and his skills in order to respond to the world’s needs.
• has begun to form a critical conscience and evaluate moral choices through the study of Catholic Social Teaching.
• has begun to actively engage in the call to “go forth and set the world aflame” by living a life rooted in Christ-like service.
• has begun to live out the Jesuit value of “finding God in all things” as the root for building a loving way of proceeding in his life.

The Verbum Dei Jesuit graduate is loving, as he continues to develop his own identity and recognizes his self-worth. He is aware that he is loved unconditionally by God, and in turn, shares this depth of love through mutuality with family and friends, and preferentially, those marginalized by society. He has been assisted to enter into the joys and sacrifices of sharing his life with others. He can put himself in another’s place, while acknowledging his own prejudices, biases, and stereotypes. He has a healthy love of self, rooted in self-respect and confidence in his own gifts and talents, and is enriched by sharing himself through service with and for others. He has come to discover that what he has most to offer others is who he is, not what he has.

The Verbum Dei Jesuit graduate:

• has experienced and acknowledges that he is loved by God and others.
• has experienced and can articulate his experiences of being cared for, and caring for others, as individuals.
• has experienced and appreciates deep personal friendships.
• has experienced what a supportive community looks and feels like, and can share those experiences with others.
• has experienced empathy towards others, through caring and service, and contributed to building up the various communities of which he is a part.
• has recognized and sought to remove prejudice and stereotypes in himself and in society.
• has begun to make significant and positive progress in establishing his own identity.
• has begun to integrate sexuality into his adult Christian life.
• has grown in his abilities to develop comfortable and mature relationships with others, especially persons of other races, religions, socio-economic backgrounds, gender, and sexual orientation.

The Verbum Dei graduate is committed to doing justice. He realizes that being “a person with and for others” is fundamentally intertwined with a commitment to striving for a fairer and more equitable society, and righting unjust systems of oppression. He is starting to understand the root causes of inequity and oppression: locally, nationally, and globally, through direct service, reflection, and critical analysis. He recognizes that his personal choices and actions have the power to affect others and influence social change. Through the interplay of experience, reflection, and action, he is becoming a competent and compassionate community member with the confidence that his informed choices can make a difference in the lives of others in the world.

The Verbum Dei Jesuit graduate:

• has developed his own understanding of racial justice, war, terrorism, resource distribution, environmental justice, immigration, and climate change, and how these impact local, national, and international arenas, with a global perspective.
• has developed habits of reflection and social analysis from diverse sources that propel him to be an agent of social change.
• has become aware of his own internal biases which lead to the unjust treatment of others, and actively works to be more understanding and compassionate.
• has grown in awareness of his voice in the public and political sectors through voting, advocacy, and public policy work.
• has been actively engaged in habits of service, fostered through the school’s Service and Justice Program.
• has an awareness of his environmental impact and has begun to engage in environmental dialogue.
• has recognized and acknowledged his role as an environmental steward and begun to develop sustainable lifestyle habits as a response.
• has begun to understand how systemic injustice affects him, those in his community, and populations marginalized in our society.
• has begun the process of building solidarity with marginalized populations and recognizes that the journey towards liberation begins with advocating for those most marginalized in our society.
• has begun using his understanding of equity to problem-solve and advocate for the Watts neighborhood and his local communities.
• has begun to discern how his knowledge of societal injustice impacts his choices, career path, and hobbies.

The Verbum Dei Jesuit graduate is work experienced, beginning to prepare for the modern workforce. Through the Corporate Work Study Program, the graduate has begun to cultivate essential skills for successfully navigating today's professional world. He understands the significance of dependability, responsibility, and a strong work ethic with integrity and high ethical standards. He acknowledges his strengths and areas for growth as opportunities for personal and professional development, fostering maturity that is foundational for young professionals. He embraces the principle of self-advocacy, understanding how to articulate his ideas, needs, and concerns effectively. He is becoming an effective communicator, actively seeking opportunities to explore and display his unique talents within a diverse work environment.

The Verbum Dei Jesuit graduate:

• recognizes the value of work and its integral connection to justice, understanding that individual choices contribute to shaping a more equitable society.
• views work as opportunities to seek the MAGIS, exploring his fullest personal potential and the greater good.
• recognizes the importance of professionalism in communication, actions, and appearance.
• has displayed the ability to navigate professional experiences by demonstrating proficiency in managing time, resources, responsibilities, and collaboration with others, both in the classroom and professional settings.
• has demonstrated effective communication skills by asking questions to fulfill responsibilities and build connections within the professional world. 
• has begun to leverage work experience to guide his exploration of future goals related to college and career.