A Blossoming Seed at Assumption Catholic School

Assumption Catholic School 8th grader Pablo Uribe glides through a school tour with the comfort and ease of somebody proudly showing off his home. It was “free dress” day, but today he wore his Mass uniform, complete with tie, to make a good impression on his guest. After revealing a semi-secret staircase in the third grade classroom that leads to the school’s prayer garden, it is easy to glean from the sparkle in his eyes and wrinkles on his forehead he’s smiling behind his mask as he glances down at the question.

“So, you’re kind of like the Mayor of Assumption, right?” Pablo is asked. “Well, I don’t know about that,” he says as he shyly turns away and gently brushes his right foot against a wall. “But this is a great place and I’ve been here a long time.”

Pablo remembers back when he started kindergarten at Assumption Catholic School, he was a little scared about what was ahead. He did not know any of his classmates and was anxious about making some new friends. He can remember and rattle off names of some of the older students who went out of their way to make him feel welcome all those years ago. Now that his time at the school is winding down, he is excited to wear those mentor shoes.

“It’s one of my favorite parts of going to school here, being kind of a parent to the younger kids,” Pablo said. “I like looking out for them and making them feel comfortable because I know how important that was for me.”

Pablo lights up when he talks about how his love of art and drawing landscapes could possibly be a career. He talks about how he discovered his favorite saint (St. Francis of Assisi) and how he likes talking about and learning more about Jesus in school. He talks about how the school’s annual Field Day is his favorite school day of the year. He talks about his family tradition of how his older sister Leslie, older brother Jose, and younger brother Ruben, have all attended Assumption Catholic School.

After the pandemic made his life slow and challenging, Pablo mostly talks about how happy he is to be here, back home – back at Assumption Catholic School.

“I was pretty bored when we couldn’t be here. The whole time we were out, I was missing one thing – the school. I’m just glad to be back here with the school giving me joy again,” Pablo said. “What do I like about my school? I like our prayer garden. I like being in the choir. I like adoration. I mean, I just love being here.”

Seeds of Hope is grateful to our supporters for making it possible for us to walk with Pablo, the Uribe family, and Assumption Catholic School, on the journey from kindergarten to when he will finally graduate this spring. Hopefully, Holy Family High School awaits him. Pablo’s kind, humble and gentle nature, his love for his school, his desire to pay joy forward and his growing relationship with Jesus embody everything great about the Seeds of Hope mission.

Click here to support students like Pablo by making a Colorado Gives Day donation online.