The buildings might be closed, but school is still in session. “These times have been pretty crazy,” said Maliko Madden, a senior at Bishop Blanchet High School. “I’m glad I’ve been able to continue my learning through Bishop Blanchet’s Digital Distance Learning Plan and with the supportive infrastructure.”
Class begins live in a video conference at 10:00 a.m. daily, Maliko explained. Homework and projects are assigned similar to normal, while tests and quizzes are often administered using Google Forms. The high school offers office hours for students to meet with their teachers virtually, in addition to being available via email.
“We have kind of typical class periods,” Maliko said. “We’ll sign-in to Zoom, where we’ll be able to see the teacher and our classmates and we’ll try to keep a sense of normalcy in the classroom.”
Maliko was a Fulcrum Foundation Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) recipient from first grade through fifth grade at Christ the King Catholic School. Receiving a Catholic education impacted his life in a major way.
“Looking back at it in retrospect, I think that being a recipient of TAP funds was a tangible sign of the collective stewardship of the Church. I feel incredibly honored that those more fortunate than my family considered Catholic education important enough that they donated to the Fulcrum Foundation, and blessed that the Fulcrum Foundation allocated some of those funds to my family,” Maliko said.
Next year, Maliko will attend Gonzaga University. He was accepted by the Archdiocese of Seattle as a seminarian and will begin his studies at the Bishop White Seminary.
“Overall, I’m just thankful,” Maliko said. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to learn and grow in my faith. I know that this privilege is brought about by the many sacrifices of my mother and of the generous support of others.”