By Mary Owen
Just in time for its 50th year, Regis High School gets a new Aspire Center that will help to inspire all who use it.
“The center piece of the new Aspire Center that features one new office and one remodeled office is a stained glass window created and donated by 1980 graduate Keith Kintz,” said Regis counselor Mike Bauer.
“The window ties the Aspire Center with the Regis Chapel.”
Kintz crafted the window to honor his parents, Gib and Joanne Kintz, parents of 10 Regis graduates.
“He found a piece of stained glass that contained what he visualized as the Body of Christ,” Bauer said.
“The piece was a fitting finishing touch to an effort that will benefit students and the community.”
The new Aspire Center evolved from space in a hallway coming from the Regis library to adding a vacant storage closet next door to the main Aspire office.
Bob Schumacher donated $10,000 to complete the conversion, Bauer said.
“This gives us an extra meeting space with students,” he added. “We have two mentor offices now. As the program expanded, and we’ve done more things with students, we needed more space for mentors to work with students.”
According to Bauer, the Aspire program is also moving forward.
“More emphasis is now being put on careers as well as how to get into college,” he said. “The 21st century demands it. New careers, colleges can still be a mystery.”
Part of demystifying the career process is jobs shadowing, he said.
“We want to make sure every student leaves here with two job shadow experiences,” Bauer said.
“We want to establish more internships where students can get practical experience. The gift of knowing what you want to do is a huge one. This new center will head us in new directions.”
In 2007, Regis was the 83rd Oregon high school – and the first faith-based – to sign up for ASPIRE (Access to Student Assistance Program in Reach of Everyone).
The Oregon Student Assistance Commission mentoring program helps students with their career goals, and is just one opportunity for Regis students to learn and excel.
The Catholic high school opened its doors in September 1963.
The school’s philosophy stressed education was more than “simply the transfer of knowledge, more than hobbycraft, more than merely keeping youngsters off the street,” according to the school’s 1964 handbook.
Regis carries on that philosophy today with a mission to be “a welcoming community where faith enhances academic excellence” as teachers and staff prepare students to become servant leaders in their families, schools, churches and communities.
The Aspire Center will have its formal dedication Wednesday, Oct. 2.
The first meetings with students have been held, according to Bauer, and “there is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm on the part of students and mentors with the new meeting space.“
Regis will host the Stayton – Sublimity Chamber of Commerce Greeters Nov. 20 to show the center to the general public.
For information on the Aspire program or Regis, visit www.regishighschool.net or call 503-769-2159.
