2025 Catholic Schools Week Supplement
‘You’ll have a forever family’: a senior embraces a gift shared by generations
Samantha Manley, center, and other members of the National Honor Society at Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School in Indianapolis show the bounty of clothing they collected for refugees being served by Catholic Charities Indianapolis. (Submitted photo)
By John Shaughnessy
All the time she was growing up, Samantha Manley heard how wonderful and life-changing the place is, a place where the emphasis on faith, family and a quality education is stressed—and where a sense of community is alive, thriving and passed down through the generations.
That description fits all of the Catholic high schools in the archdiocese, but for Samantha, all these conversations were focused on Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School in Indianapolis.
It’s where her maternal grandparents, Charles and Barbara (Fitzgerald) Kehrer, met as members of the class of 1968; where her paternal grandmother, Barbara (Greener) Manley, graduated in 1959; where her parents, Michael, class of 1990, and Jennifer (Kehrer) Manley, class of 1991, met; and where her sister Kylie graduated from in 2022.
“I’ve always been excited to come here,” Samantha says. “Growing up, people would tell me Scecina is a small school, but the biggest thing about it is the community. My sister encouraged me to join a lot of things here and make the best of my experiences.”
Four years later, Samantha has found the same sense of community at Scecina.
“I know all my peers and a lot about them, and that’s what makes it special,” she says. “We have a lot of leadership in our class. Everyone steps up. Everyone has a drive to be involved. We have this thing called Crusader Cup this year. Each class gets points for showing up for different things—not just sports—and for excelling in certain things in school. I saw a lot of change from that. We’re more united, just overall closer.”
As the president of the senior class, Samantha has been at the heart of that effort.
She was involved in the school’s Warm Winter drive as a member of the National Honor Society, collecting clothing for refugees being served by Catholic Charities Indianapolis. During the Christmas season, she and other members of the senior class went shopping for gifts for children to make the day more joyful for them.
She was also a student leader at a retreat for sophomores this year. And she serves as an ambassador for the school at events, including giving a talk at Scecina’s annual fund dinner.
“When I first came here, I wasn’t able to present or talk in front of people,” she says. “They’ve given me opportunities to step out of my comfort zone and reach my best potential. I feel I’ve had the education that will help me succeed in things other than high school.”
Samantha especially appreciates how her Catholic education has deepened her faith.
“I think it’s made my relationship with God stronger,” says Samantha, a member of Holy Spirit Parish in Indianapolis. “I’ve gotten a better understanding of my relationship with God and how to strengthen it. I feel like I’m surrounded by my faith every day here. Little things like my prayers and talking to God have increased a lot. I just feel I’m a lot more confident in my faith. I feel I’m trusting him more.”
It’s all part of her growth as a person, a Catholic and a friend who now understands the fullness of what her grandparents, parents and sister told her as she was growing up.
“I’ve made so many memories and so many friends here. I feel like I’m super grateful, but I’m not ready to leave yet.”
Still, the third-generation member of Scecina is now in the position of sharing what makes the school so special to her.
“I would say to anyone, ‘Make the best of all the opportunities you’re given, and you’ll have a great experience here. You’ll have a forever family, whether that’s with your classmates or the people who work here. You’ll meet lifelong friends and have special moments you’ll remember forever.’ ” †