JULY 2017 14 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA .COM Those were the days when Phoenicians would beat the heat by sleeping on the screen porch under sheets that had been soaked in cold water, Bool said. Fast forward to today. Herb and Betty Bool have contributed over $1 million over the years to ease Saint Mary’s tuition burdens for families. “Most of Saint Mary’s kids need help,” said Betty Bool. She said they try to give enough of a “push for them to be able to go to a Catholic school.” The Bools enjoy taking the students they help to lunch at Alexi’s Grill on Central Ave. “These kids are so nice,” Betty Bool said. “Almost all of them go to college after Saint Mary’s. It just amazes me how much they appreciate being there.” The Bools have dozens of thank you notes from students over the years who express their gratitude to the them for helping with tuition. “I feel that the Catholic environment and teachings have made me a better person as a whole,” wrote a sophomore in 2015. “I do not think that attending this school would be possible without you.” The same student wrote that the main goal of the school “is to form virtuous men and women.” Last year, a young woman wrote to the Bools noting that she at first did not want to attend Saint Mary’s because her friends were in a public school. But, she wrote, after two years at Saint Mary’s, “I have fallen in love with the school. It has helped me become more responsible and outgoing. I am very thankful that my parents enrolled me into a school that has brought out the best in me.” Another student wrote: “I want to thank you for sponsoring me. You take a lot of stress off of my parents.” The Bools’ gifts go mostly toward helping students who will be first-generation college Saint Mary’s Catholic High School 2017

JULY 2017 FRONTDOORSMEDIA .COM | 15 students. In 2017, those students made up 56 percent of the graduating class. The Bools are just one of thousands of generous donors who believe in the kind of education Saint Mary’s provides. They understand the ripple effect. Helping a student complete their studies at Saint Mary’s is an investment that will yield benefits for Phoenix, for Arizona and for the country. Approximately 88 percent of Saint Mary’s students receive full or partial scholarships so it’s crucial that its donors, from foundations to alumni, remain active. Saint Mary’s was founded in 1917 by the Sisters of the Precious Blood and opened its doors to 17 students — 5 boys and 12 girls. Since then, 10,257 students have received an education within its walls. “Something that cannot be overlooked is that Saint Mary’s has always been a place where an excellent Catholic education is available to anyone who wants it and is willing to work for it,” said Rev. Bolding. “It is a very good school, but it is not elite and it is not exclusive.” Saint Mary’s opened its own location on East Monroe Saint in 1920 before moving to Polk Street later on. The rapid growth of downtown Phoenix made it hard for the school to expand. Its campus was razed in 1988 to make way for the Arizona Center. Today it resides at Third and Sheridan streets. The school’s mission has not wavered in the face of two World Wars, the Great Depression, the economic recession of I can only imagine the great love, faith, dedication and commitment our founding Sisters and Priests put forth to lay the foundation of Saint Mary’s one hundred years ago. A more recent story (and experience) that comes to mind that embodies the Saint Mary’s experience is of how the school gymnasium was built. After moving to our new site at Third Street and Sheridan, our campus was “gymless” for a couple of years. We all needed and wanted a gym, but funds for building a new gym weren’t yet in the picture. Behold, our shining Knight, Roger Spade, Class of 1966, stepped forward to lead the charge. He gathered alumnae, families, friends, faculty, staff, and students to participate in the building of a gymnasium. He made contacts with people from all over the Valley for material donations. He scoured the city for resources that could be used to build a gym and found a school that was redoing its entire gym floor due to some rain damage, but the flooring that was not damaged was plenty for the Saint Mary’s gym. He also found some metal siding for walls from another school that was closing, and countless fixtures. People volunteered their time and resources. The school even won state and national awards from the Arizona and National “Take Pride in America” campaign, honoring us for recycling perfectly good materials for our gym. Hoc fecit amor—love built this. — SUZANNE FESSLER, SAINT MARY’S PRINCIPAL How Love Built Saint Mary’s