On Sept. 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the Humann Scholars Saturday Academy occurred in the Sion library to tutor middle school girls English and math, and prepare them for high school.

According to Mission Director Annie Riggs, the Humann Scholars started with who it was named after, Louise Humann, who was a mentor to Father Theodore Ratisbonne, who founded the Congregation of Our Lady of Sion. Louise taught herself Greek and Hebrew, so she could read Scripture. She was a teacher whose philosophy was based on individual based teaching and focused on being rooted in love.

“Another thing that was important to her was diversity.” Riggs said, about Louise. “It was important to her that education was available to everyone.”

The Humann Scholars program was started by Rockhurst to prepare middle school boys for high school, eight years ago. Now Sion is doing this for local middle school girls. It helps them become more socialized and prepare them academically for high school.

There are twelve middle school girls participating in the program, which is mostly Sion student-led. The Humann Scholars Leadership Council, which is made up of Sion students, plan the activities and fundraisers for the middle schoolers.

“We do a lot of team bonding activities and arts and crafts. One time we did pottery. Today, the girls are going to present a slideshow about themselves,” said sophomore Maya Hernandez, member of the Humann Scholars Leadership Council.

The Humann Scholars program makes the experience going into high school or going to Sion less awkward. Instead of having only one or two people that one knows or is friends with, they now have a whole group of people to hang out with.

Member of the Humann Scholars Leadership Council, senior Lendsey Cardenas said, “I never had that support system as a middle schooler, and I just wanted someone else to have that, so that they know we care about them.”

Members, like Cardenas and Hernandez, are mentors to the girls. The program offers leadership opportunities to the mentors as well as the middle school girls. One doesn’t know what the girls who are participating go through. This program creates a diverse environment with girls of different ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds,etc. It also plays into how Sion is, and what their core values are.

“We are ultimately about service, and helping others whenever we can,” Cardenas said.