DETROIT – Local 4 News is getting out of the studio and hitting the road to be In Your Neighborhood! We’re showcasing what makes our communities great!
Many neighbors near Fenkell Avenue and Pinehurst Street on Detroit’s Northwest side have grown to know Loyola High School Detroit as a gem in the community.
---> In Your Neighborhood: Getting to know Detroit’s 48238
The private Catholic school for boys was established 30 years ago. Most of the young scholars who attend the school are from the immediate community. Other young men travel from points across Metro Detroit for Loyola’s standout academic and athletic programs.
“Loyola changes lives,” said Michael Black, Loyola High School Detroit’s Interim Principal. He’s also a graduate.
Supporters say the high school has a reputation for enhancing students’ minds, bodies, and spirits. Administrators are excited Loyola High School Detroit is preparing to celebrate 14 consecutive years of 100-percent senior class college acceptance. It’s an accomplishment you don’t often hear too many high schools boasting about.
“Well, I think you have to be willing and committed to providing full wrap-around services for your students,” Black explained. “I think many schools try to typically focus on the academic side. But you have to understand that students are human beings too.”
The school, according to students, has been a hub where they’ve been able to develop personally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. They have help, mentoring, and support from dedicated faculty and staff.
“It’s special to me because it opens up brotherhood to me,” said student Raylon Murry.
Murry is a Junior. He’s a standout scholar. He’s also active in rugby, football, basketball, the chess club, and choir.
Murry said, “You’ve got to have discipline on the field and in the classroom. It’s got to go hand in hand.”
The campus is also committed to giving back to its immediate community. Right now, construction is underway on a new chapel.
“We’re very excited. It’s a 200-seat chapel,” President Davis Smith explained.
The new chapel will be a gathering space for services. The school is also constructing a new welcome center, making the entrance to Fenkell Avenue more inviting.
Smith said, “We’re proud of our neighborhood. We’re looking forward to staying here and contributing to the community.”
The new chapel is the first new facility the Catholic Church has built in Detroit in at least 40 years, according to school staff.
Click here to learn more about Loyola High School Detroit, its programs, and construction projects.
---> More In Your Neighborhood feature stories
---> In Your Neighborhood: Which Metro Detroit community should we visit next?