For nearly three weeks I have had the opportunity to shadow two Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School freshmen, Sean McNeal and Bethy Ramirez-Sanchez. I followed the teens around school to various classes and study hall during a typical school day.

Bethy Ramirez-Sanchez
Photo By Michael Alexander

On one occasion I met them outside of their school environment and I saw a glimpse of their personal world. I observed Bethy teaching a Wednesday evening catechism class of third-graders at her parish, St. Patrick Church in Norcross. I also accompanied Sean from the College Park MARTA station on the 21-mile drive (one way) to his residence in Peachtree City. There I witnessed his evening routine of doing homework in his room.

Sean McNeal
Photo By Michael Alexander

Little by little I’ve gotten to know them through my camera. With his 15^th birthday a week away and standing just over six feet tall, Sean is adjusting to his freshman year at Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School. Sean said he enjoys taking Latin and he plans to major in criminal justice and psychology during college. In his spare time he likes playing video games and basketball. Bethy, 14, says that math is her favorite subject, and she aspires to study law and be a criminal attorney in the future. As one of five girls in her family, Bethy is also an avid reader. Both Sean and Bethy display leadership skills and they exhibit a propensity for helping others.

In the September 18 issue of The Georgia Bulletin my colleagues, Andrew Nelson and Nichole Golden, paint a further portrait of the students and the school with their words. The feature is the first of three-part series that is being conducted during the 2014-15 school year.

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