Finding Joy in the Second Time Around: Maria Moorman's First Year Bringing Support and Faith to St. Jude Students

Imagine walking into a Catholic school classroom and feeling, right away, that every child truly belongs, with no exceptions. That's the quiet revolution happening at places like St. Jude School in Cincinnati, and it's exactly what drew Maria Moorman to join OptimALL Services this year.

Three months into her first role as paraprofessional with OptimALL at St. Jude, Maria already calls the experience "wonderful."

She works one-on-one and in small groups with students from second through eighth grade. That means in the course of a day, she’ll coach fourth graders through math and science, support eighth graders with reading and executive functioning skills, and step into classrooms wherever a teacher needs backup. She helps organize paperwork, gather materials, and build the everyday habits that make learning feel doable.

What stands out most in her words? The deep sense of community. 

"We have a lot of communication and comradery amongst the intervention specialists and the aides, which I really appreciate," Maria says. She collaborates closely with classroom teachers, constantly learning new academic strategies right alongside the students. "It's kind of like this is my second time around doing elementary school.” 

Maria says she genuinely enjoys the refresh.

Beyond academics, Maria gets to meet kids where they are in life. They open up about homework stress, social challenges, and more. She brings a prayerful approach, gently weaving faith into the conversation. "We can pray about this, and God can help you,” Maria says she tells students. 

In a Catholic school setting, that moral and spiritual grounding feels natural and powerful. Moreover, St. Jude has a dedicated room for special education and quiet study, and that’s a space Maria wishes existed when she was in school.

 "It's wonderful for kids to have a place to come if they just need help, get one-on-one support, and then go back to class,” she says. 

She's not surprised the program runs so smoothly because OptimALL's support has been in place at the school for a while, but she is genuinely glad to be part of it. 

"I'm just glad that I was able to find a job and find this school and be able to start a new life for myself," she says. She even wishes more schools had access to these resources.

At OptimALL Services, we partner with Catholic and faith-based schools to bring skilled professionals like Maria into classrooms. We provide a personalized approach to every school we serve. That ultimately means educators can focus on students, not paperwork. The result? More kids get the tailored support they need to thrive academically, socially, and spiritually.

If you're an educator passionate about inclusion in faith-based schools, or a school leader exploring ways to better serve every learner, we'd love to connect!