Amanda Bookholt grew up all over the United States. Her dad was an army officer, so she and her family moved around often. Her high-school years were spent in Grayslake, Illinois, a village not too distant from the Region. She’s been living and working in Valparaiso, Indiana, for the past 11 years, yet the fact that she spent so much time moving from place to place throughout her life keeps her itching for exploration. Being located in Valpo now, she’s come to appreciate the steadiness of the area.
“I love going to new places because I’ve always enjoyed meeting new people and experiencing new things. It’s also nice to have that small-town feel Valparaiso provides,” she said. “There’s this tight-knit community we have, and all people here are welcoming, supportive, and friendly.”
Bookholt is the marketing and enrollment director at Saint Paul Catholic School in Valparaiso. Her background is in secondary education. Before her current role, she was a middle-school teacher, teaching for a few years until her children were born. She was a stay-at-home mother but eventually she heard about a part-time opportunity being offered where she currently serves. She was hired, and this September will mark four years since her start there.
Today, Bookholt utilizes skills she picked up during all the time she spent working for the U.S. Navy. She was in the Morale, Welfare and Recreation department, so she’s familiar with assisting individuals transitioning from one stage in their lives or careers to another. She has never had a job where she does the same tasks day after day, either. Instead, each day varies from the one before it, keeping her on her toes.
“From the start, what I now have vocationally seemed like a natural position for me to apply for and step into. I really love it. I get to work with a lot of new people coming into the area, as well as those exploring a Catholic education. I myself love being a Catholic educator, so I hope to bring passion to this position,” she said. “There's always something new. I try to set goals for myself, and you get to be creative, which is a lot of fun.”
As long as she gets the chance to teach, Bookholt is happy. She’s witnessed students’ spiritual growth, and that is something that continues to be meaningful to her. She’s present every step of the way, and even attends mass with the students. Making one step of their educational careers easier than the last is her priority.
Whether she’s learning the complexities of Canva or helping to grow the school’s Facebook account, Bookholt’s no stranger to a job well done. Since the time of her start, Saint Paul Catholic School has boosted its enrollment, opening up two additional grades. She helped to get the school recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School, a favorite memory of hers.
However, she’s aware that wouldn’t have been possible without the school’s excellent leadership and the collaboration between all of its teachers and other staff members.
“Working with our principal, Lisa Hughes, is great. Seeing the teachers work so hard to meet goals has been awesome, and everything along this path I’m on has proved promising. It’s always nice to see the school grow, and having a hand in that is a blessing,” she said.
In her free time, Bookholt loves to sing. She does so at the school, no matter if it’s for weddings, funerals, or weekend masses. Comfortable with a microphone in her hand, singing brings her solace. Aside from singing, she enjoys reading books and, naturally, going on road-trips, traveling—visiting some 15 countries in her life, setting foot in almost every ocean—by any means, and checking out anything new. She’s not one to be daunted by what could go wrong or what could be detrimental to her—she’d rather dive right in.
From Friday afternoon to Monday morning, Bookholt tries to leave work matters at work. The weekend is for her and her family. Together, they usually find themselves at school events or at the church. Besides that, they like to be outside, listen to tapes in the car during trips, and enjoy anything having to do with history, such as tuning in to the History Channel.
Bookholt’s love for Saint Paul Catholic School runs deep. Her mission is just a bit more profound than her passion. While she does, in fact, have a passion for Catholic education, she’s more concerned with bringing that passion into the community, hoping to impact it.
“A Catholic education is something that the families already with us want, and they deserve just that. I hope my passion shows people that, if they have a goal for their children to attend a school that will benefit them, even if they’re not religious, they don’t have to have an old-school mentality of worrying about high tuition, for example,” she said. “I want to encourage families to realize the potential of a Christian education for their children.”
If any curious members of the community seek to see what could be in store for students at Saint Paul Catholic School, Bookholt will be offering tours during the summer months and sharing information about the school’s merits. Classes might not be in session as the warm weather really sets in, but what will be actively apparent is Bookholt’s drive for bettering and improving her workplace, through the welcoming of prospective families.