Seton Magazine Catholic Homeschool Articles, Advice & Resources
Summary
My high school education with Seton was excellent preparation for this kind of formation… Because of it, I was prepared to flourish.First, a little about me.
My name is Genevieve Martin, and I am a member of the Wyoming Catholic College Class of 2026. After living for six years in Bahrain and Pakistan with my family, I moved back to the United States and began my education at Wyoming Catholic College just one month before I turned seventeen.
I fell in love with the school after taking its very first course—a 21-day backpacking trip. From that point on, I became deeply involved in the college community: leading outdoor trips (including serving as a co-lead for this year’s 21-day expedition), prefecting a dormitory, and sharing my love of everything from the curriculum to women’s fashion with my classmates. I have truly loved my time here and am excited to carry all that I have gained with me into the future.
A Rigorous Liberal Arts Education
As a senior at Wyoming Catholic College, I have received a wonderfully rigorous liberal arts education for over three years. From Euclid to Milton, from the Old Testament to the Compendium, I have been challenged to step beyond my comfort zone and into a deeper love of myself in God and in the human story of salvation.
Yet I have never felt overwhelmed to the point that the lessons fell flat. My high school education with Seton was excellent preparation for this kind of formation. Seton set me up not only to keep pace with the intense workload, but also to recognize my weaknesses clearly and respond to them with growth and confidence. Because of Seton, I was prepared to flourish.
Why Seton’s Structure Makes a Difference
During freshman year, I watched many of my classmates struggle with the transition from high school to college. Some came from public schools burdened by busy-work, while others came from homeschooling backgrounds with tremendous flexibility.
Both extremes can make the transition difficult when students are suddenly faced with reading hundreds of pages a week, participating in seminars for every class, writing frequent eight-page papers, and giving formal speeches.
Seton stands apart from both extremes. It avoids busy-work without sacrificing structure. Its cohesive, integrated curriculum—much like that of Wyoming Catholic College—places every subject in conversation with the others. Each piece has meaning and contributes to a grander whole.
That sense of order and integration was something I learned to value deeply through Seton, and it served me well in seminars where we discussed Descartes, Milton, Turgenev, and Aquinas side by side.
Of course, completing Seton did not make me perfect—and I am certainly not perfect now. While Seton offered the flexibility of homeschooling, it also required that major assignments be submitted to certified teachers for grading and feedback. Their thoughtful comments showed me exactly where I could improve and how to do so.
“Don Rags”
At the time, I did not fully realize how essential this process would be in college. At Wyoming Catholic College, professors carefully evaluate my work, meet with me individually, and participate in a formal process called “Don Rags,” which occurs once each semester.
During these sessions, I sit at a table while my professors discuss my progress across disciplines. Rather than feeling uncomfortable, I found myself eager for this feedback. Seton taught me to desire honest evaluation and to see it as a gift.
There are few things more valuable than a wise teacher guiding a student toward deeper self-knowledge and the habits needed to succeed. For that gift of formation—both at Seton and at Wyoming Catholic College—I am profoundly grateful. I am not perfect, but I am certainly better.
