REGINA — In the grand halls of Government House last Thursday evening, there were songs, speeches, laughter, tears and a 15 year anniversary cake.
But the real celebration was not about a school.
It was about lives transformed.
Fifteen years after opening its doors to a single Grade 6 class, Mother Teresa Middle School gathered alumni, students, educators, volunteers, donors, founders and community supporters to celebrate a milestone that few could have imagined when the journey began.
The 15th Anniversary Reception Gala marked "15 Years of Impact" for Canada's first Jesuit-inspired, Nativity-modelled school — a unique Regina institution that has spent the last decade and a half proving what can happen when a community refuses to give up on its young people.
Hosted in partnership with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, the sold-out event welcomed Her Honour Lieutenant Governor Bernadette McIntyre, school founders Paul and Carol Hill, long-time supporters Mo Bundon and Michelle Carr, alumni, families and community leaders from across Saskatchewan.
The evening was filled with performances by the MTMS Choir, the Buffalo Boys drum group, First Nations dancers and cultural showcases that reflected the diverse community the school has built.
Yet beneath every speech and every celebration was a much larger story.
A story that began thousands of kilometres away.
The challenge that changed Regina
Long before Mother Teresa Middle School existed, Paul and Carol Hill travelled to India and met the woman whose name the school now proudly carries.
Like many people who encountered Mother Teresa, they arrived believing they could help.
Instead, she challenged them.
When the Hills offered financial support, Mother Teresa declined and urged them to return home and address the greatest need in their own community.
Years later, Paul Hill still speaks about that moment with reverence.
"I got to tell you though, meeting Mother Teresa was an experience that cannot be duplicated," Hill recalled.
"She was not declared a saint at that time, but she clearly was a saint."
The challenge stayed with them.
Back in Regina, they began searching for a way to help vulnerable children facing poverty and significant barriers to success.
That search eventually led them to the NativityMiguel model of schools in the United States, an educational approach focused on supporting underserved students through intensive academic and personal support.
What followed was the creation of the One Life Makes a Difference Foundation and, ultimately, Mother Teresa Middle School.
"It was Mo that came up with this name," Hill told attendees.
"'One Life Makes a Difference.' And that's how it started."
In September 2011, the school welcomed its first students.
Fifteen years later, the impact is impossible to ignore.
More than a school
At first glance, Mother Teresa Middle School appears to be exactly what its name suggests: a middle school serving Grades 6 through 8.
But that description barely scratches the surface.
The school follows students long after Grade 8.
In fact, MTMS makes an extraordinary commitment to every child who walks through its doors, providing support through high school, post-secondary education and into employment.
Transportation, hot meals, dental care, vision care, technology, counselling, mentorship, career coaching, and scholarship assistance are just some of what they offer their students.
The goal is simple: remove barriers so students can focus on learning and building a future.
Jeff Zerr, the school's Director of Marketing and Communications, said that long-term commitment is what truly sets MTMS apart.
"When people hear Mother Teresa Middle School, they just think Grades 6 to 8," Zerr explained.
"But we follow our students all the way up to employment."
"So that's kind of what makes the school special and unique."
Executive Director Curtis Kleisinger, the school's founding principal and one of its driving forces since day one, used the anniversary celebration to highlight the results of fifteen years of work.
"This year, MTMS supported 63 students in the middle school, the highest enrollment in our history," Kleisinger said.
"This coming September, MTMS will have 74 of its alumni in high school."
He shared another statistic that drew attention from the audience.
"We know from 15 years that 100 per cent of our students who remain in constant contact with our graduate support team throughout high school graduate."
The numbers tell a powerful story.
Twenty-three alumni have already completed post-secondary programs and entered careers in nursing, healthcare, education, emergency services, technology, business, publishing, social work and the skilled trades.
Dozens more are following behind them.
"This reflects what becomes possible when students are supported, believed in and given a space to grow," Kleisinger said.
"These numbers represent lives changed, confidence built, opportunities created and dreams realized."
Perhaps no one captured the school's impact better than alumnus Blue Cyr, who returned not only as a graduate but as an educator.
"My middle school experience at MTMS was a time that broadened my perspective and helped me begin imagining a wider range of possibilities for my life," Cyr reflected.
"The school is more than just a middle years program. It's a community and a long-term support system."
A philosophy of caring for the whole person
Throughout the evening, speaker after speaker returned to a common theme.
Mother Teresa Middle School has always been about more than academics.
Her Honour Bernadette McIntyre praised the school's commitment to what educators call *cura personalis* — care for the whole person.
"The school's philosophy of caring for the whole person is put into practice by ministering to the student's spiritual, intellectual, emotional, social and physical well-being," McIntyre said.
"This outlook helps develop students who are caring as well as competent."
She also praised the school's commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, Indigenous culture and community service.
"You are changing lives," she told the audience.
"Congratulations on 15 years of transformative education enhancing the lives of children in our city."
A celebration of community
As the formal program concluded, attendees moved into the ballroom for refreshments, conversation and celebration.
Students and alumni mingled with founders and supporters.
Graduates proudly shared stories of university programs, careers and accomplishments.
A display showcasing former students served as a reminder of how far many had travelled since first entering the school's classrooms.
Principal Terri Coté invited guests to participate in a unique initiative.
At writing stations staffed by alumni, attendees were encouraged to write messages of encouragement that would later be paired with handcrafted bracelets and distributed to students when they needed support most.
"Perhaps this would be during a final exam or on a day when a reminder is needed that they are loved, valued, cared for and not alone," Coté said.
The gesture reflected the culture that has defined MTMS since its beginning.
A culture rooted in encouragement, belonging, and relationships.
The quilt
Among the evening's most memorable moments was a speech by former executive director Gwen Keith, who compared the school to a hand-stitched quilt.
"I liken Mother Teresa to a distinctly unique warm wraparound quilt," Keith said.
"Its story is stitched by many hands, each patch holding precious memories, each thread a voice to be heard."
For nearly 20 years, Keith has watched the school grow from an ambitious idea into a nationally recognized model of educational support.
She spoke of trust.
Trust from families.
Trust from donors.
Trust from educators.
Trust from students.
And trust among the leaders who guided the school through challenge after challenge.
"The Mother Teresa quilt is a belonging wrapped in community and gifted for future generations," she said.
"No patch is forgotten. No story left behind."
Looking ahead
While the evening focused on celebrating the past, much of the conversation centered on the future.
MTMS recently acquired the former St. Michael School building and is preparing for a major expansion and renovation project known as MTMS 2.0.
The initiative will increase capacity and create new opportunities for students while strengthening academic, cultural, athletic, health and graduate-support programming.
"We are preparing for the next phase of growth," Kleisinger said.
"It is about making our building accessible for families and providing our students with a safe, healthy environment in which they can learn and grow."
As guests departed Government House, each person received a handcrafted ceramic buffalo created by Regina artist Lauren Kakwetui and his Buffalo People's Art Institute.
The symbolic gift reflected years of Indigenous teachings shared through the school's Bringing Back the Buffalo program.
Guests were encouraged to place the buffalo somewhere prominent as a reminder of the evening and the community behind it.
It was a fitting way to conclude a celebration built around connection, culture and hope.
Yet perhaps the most powerful moment came not from a performance or a speech, but from a reflection offered by Director of Development Evie Koop Sawatzky after the gala had ended.
Looking around at alumni, students, educators and supporters gathered together under one roof, she saw something larger than a school anniversary.
She saw proof that a dream had become reality.
"It was really celebrating the people who had that vision 15 years ago," she said.
"We've had students come through all three phases of the school now and come out of post-secondary and are professionals in all of their different fields."
Then she looked toward the future.
"Fifteen years is a milestone," she said. "But it's just the start."
