John Paul the Great Catholic University played a huge role in forming me into the artist and person…read moreI am today. While I see a lot of reviews on here complaining about the numerous required classes not directly related to a specific craft, I actually really appreciated how the school sought to approach my education holistically; taking into account the entirety of my personhood outside of my primary field of study. As an animation and music student, some of my favorite classes actually included getting to study authors like Dostoevsky and Dante, learning the principles of leadership, Catholic Poetry, and even understanding the importance of Film Criticism. These all played heavily into my animation, music, and writing work.
The university's biggest strength is its professors. I can name multiple faculty members who showed me throughout my studies that they cared about me not just as a number, but as a real person with struggles, hopes, dreams, and challenges. One professor in particular, after hearing I was struggling with health issues, invited me to sit in his office, talk it out, and plan practical steps to heal and enjoy the work I was doing. I can't put into words how much that meant to me.
Spiritual Life on campus was also one of my favorite aspects of JPCatholic. They have mass daily and adoration multiple days of the week, as well as confession before most masses. This was the main reason I came to the school. I also was part of a wonderful household of women who were incredibly encouraging, steadfast, and had hearts on fire for the Lord. Not only were they integral to my walk with Christ, but were genuinely fun and joyful people to be around.
In my own experience, I would say the downside of this school is the sociological aspect of it. Since it's a three year program, one third of the population is cycled out every single year, making it hard to establish a consistent culture within the school. (Which means reviews, both good and bad, about the community are rarely going to apply to the years following it). There are also no communal lunches (because JPCatholic uses apartments, not dorms) which means you really have to be intentional about going out of your way to meet people and maintain friendships. This can lead to loneliness epidemics across the school, especially for people like me who struggle with a workaholic mindset. However, I have multiple siblings and friends who attend other Newman Guide schools who have expressed the same struggle, so I'm sure it's also a human thing. At JPCatholic, you need to push yourself to get out there and make friends, schedule dinners with roommates, and feel like a part of the community outside your work. I would strongly recommend joining a household!
The amount of independence JPCatholic gives its students can also be a huge learning curve for people like me who before coming to the school maybe did two loads of laundry in my life and could microwave a hotdog. However, I can say that although it was hard at first, I am so thankful I learned so many practical life skills while I was in the JPCatholic environment instead of having to learn after graduating.
Finally, I would say my favorite academic experience at JPCatholic was definitely the senior project program (Animation Capstone). Like many others have mentioned on this site, you're going to learn at this school by doing. JPCatholic is a school that is tailored towards people who initiate and take action... or in other words, you're going to get out what you put in. I began the senior project process as a freshman, and I was moved by the people (especially students and prominent faculty) who actually took me and my idea seriously even when I had only been at the school for a few months. I loved getting to know each and every crew member that was a part of the project and it ended up becoming something much larger than I had originally dreamed. I'm so grateful for that entire experience and am humbled hearing people tell me about their experiences with the film itself.
JPCatholic taught me that being a writer, musician, and artist is hard... but that I can do hard things. I came in as an optimist with big dreams, and left with even bigger dreams now grounded in perseverance, experience, and practical skills. I can't wait to take what I have learned at JPCatholic and continue to grow as an artist and person.
