Catholic school graduates use faith serving in military

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
Jan. 24, 2008

Graduates of Catholic schools in the diocese are using what they learned while serving in the military.

Benjamin Selzer finished sixth grade at Sacred Heart School in Spencer in 1990. He has been in the Army for over seven years as an Aviator. He is currently serving in Balad, Iraq and has been there for a little over six months. He said the plan is for him to return to the U.S. in the fall. He pointed out that he received a high quality and comprehensive education at Sacred Heart.

"Attending the only private school in Spencer, my experiences from Sacred Heart taught me that it is alright to not conform to the status quo," said Selzer. "In fact, I learned it is better to experience diversity in order to develop a more well-rounded perspective. Catholic education allows religious exploration not normally accepted in public schools, which helps to develop that well-roundedness. Leading in the military sometimes requires breaking the status quo in order to improve one's organization. I gained some of my bravery to lead from my experiences at Sacred Heart." He commented that Catholic school graduates should have a solid moral base to draw upon when making decisions.

"They understand the value of our relationships and treat each other according to the Golden Rule," said Selzer. "The military benefits from those who can treat others with respect and draw upon their moral base when making difficult decisions." After graduating high school, he attended St. John's University, a Catholic college in Minnesota, expecting a quality education similar to the comparative level of Sacred Heart.

"I may not be in the military today if I hadn't attended Sacred Heart," said Selzer. "Because the tuition was relatively high (at St. John's), I joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) to help with the bills. After graduating from St. John's, I was commissioned in the Army and have served over seven years."

Jason Kinney is a 2002 graduate of Gehlen Catholic High School in LeMars and has been in the Iowa Army National Guard for over three years. He participates in drill in Le Mars, but is currently serving at Camp Victory in Bagdad, Iraq.

He arrived in Iraq on Sept. 6, 2007 and is expecting to be home in mid- to late-April of this year. Kinney said his Catholic education has helped give him "a bigger picture of things."

"On Sept. 11 there was a rocket that landed and blew up about 20 meters from where I was," he said. "I walked away with a mild concussion when I could have and probably should have been hurt a lot worse. Everyone said that someone was looking out for me and they were right. Since then I have witnessed other close calls with not only myself but other soldiers as well as that has shown that God is looking out for us."

Jason mentioned that his Catholic education has helped him perform his duties better because he knows that God is watching out for him and his friends.

"Thank you to everyone for their prayers and well wishes," he said.