Blog: Helping Students Find Purpose: Why Faith-Based Education Matters More Than Ever

By Paul Davis ’81, President, Father Ryan High School

Commencement season serves as an opportunity for prayerful reflection not only on the accomplishments of the seniors we celebrate, but on the bright futures that await them. On May 16, 2026, we honored the 204 members of the Class of 2026, Father Ryan’s 100^th graduating class.

Witnessing the past 40 years of Father Ryan Commencements remains one of the most joyful and rewarding experiences of my time at Father Ryan. I must admit that this year’s historic milestone was especially meaningful.

Nationally, this year’s high school Class of 2026 is entering one of the most rapidly changing transitions from school to adulthood in recent history. It is a future shaped by AI, economic and geopolitical uncertainty, shifting college enrollment trends, evolving careers, and new expectations around skills and adaptability. Theirs is a complex world filled with both challenge and opportunity.

Success will likely depend less on memorizing information and more on creativity, flexibility, emotional intelligence, digital fluency, and the ability to continue learning in a fast-changing world. Just as important will be something deeper: a strong moral foundation, a sense of purpose, compassion for others, and the ability to discern truth and live with integrity.

That is why faith-based education matters now more than ever.

Today and for the past century, Father Ryan graduates move forward with a steadfast community, strong faith, and the life-changing impact of a Catholic education to prepare them.

Forming Leaders Grounded in Faith, Knowledge, Service

In a culture that can often feel fragmented and uncertain, Catholic schools provide students with a sense of grounding. Father Ryan teaches students how to live meaningful lives centered on the school’s Tradition of Faith, Knowledge, Service. Our goal is to inspire students to see themselves not simply as individuals pursuing personal achievement, but as people called to serve others.

Over the course of four decades as a teacher and administrator at Father Ryan, I see time and again how Father Ryan’s Catholic ideals encourage young people to ask important questions about who they are and what they value. In and out of the classroom, we strive to help them answer how they can use their God-given gifts for a greater purpose.

We welcome students of all faiths and inspire them to develop their relationship with God and remain open to His plan for their lives. Our mission—to be an experience of the living Gospel while challenging students to reach their spiritual, academic, and personal potential—means something unique for each graduate as they embark on the next stage of their journey.

I shared with the Class of 2026 in my Commencement remarks that for some, it may mean joining their college’s church community, participating in a Bible study, deepening their understanding of Scripture, or engaging in ministry and service opportunities that support others. For others, it may simply mean carrying forward the values of compassion, humility, forgiveness, and servant leadership into their future careers and relationships.

Faith helps provide the confidence and perspective to navigate life’s uncertainties.

Over the past four years, the Class of 2026 has inspired us with its work ethic, determination, kindness, and servant’s heart. The confidence and resilience these seniors have developed the foundation of their college, career, and life experiences, alongside critical communication and teamwork skills, independent thinking, and empathetic leadership.

What Makes the Father Ryan Class of 2026 Exceptional

Father Ryan’s Class of 2026 has shown up as Christ to our community since the class’s freshman year. It has been a privilege to see these young men and women reach their spiritual, academic, and personal potential in all their endeavors. 

Academically:

• The Class of 2026 collectively completed 427 AP courses.
• 10 members of the Class were recognized by the College Board as National Merit Scholars, the third highest among Nashville schools.
• Of these Scholars, six were chosen as National Merit Finalists.
• The Class of 2026 submitted 1,100-plus applications (an average of five per student) to 235 colleges and universities.
• They have received $35 million-plus in college scholarships.
• They are attending 69 different institutions of higher learning in 19 states and two countries, with students moving to London, United Kingdom, and Madrid, Spain. Read the full matriculation list here, including Clemson, Duke, Johns Hopkins, the University of Notre Dame, and the U.S. Naval Academy.
• 43% will attend college outside the state of Tennessee, and 11 students will continue his or her education at a Catholic university.

The members of the Class of 2026 have only just begun their spiritual journeys to reach their personal potential. I am confident that these young men and women will make a lasting impact in their communities and beyond as great leaders, citizens, mentors, and followers of Christ.

The impact this class has already made on our school, broader community, Nashville, and the world is impressive.

• The Class of 2026 has led this year’s efforts for Relay For Life, raising over 90,000 dollars and bringing Father Ryan’s lifetime fundraising for the American Cancer Society to over $2.1 million dollars. We are proudly the world’s largest student-run Relay for Life.
• The graduating seniors have displayed their servant hearts through their volunteer work in the community, totaling more than 18,200 service hours as a class.
• During our annual House System food drive, they helped collect nearly 13,000 cans of food for Nashville nonprofits.
• Several were inaugural volunteers in Father Ryan’s first year of participation in the national St. Joseph of Arimathea Society Pallbearer Ministry. Our students serve at the graveside of those who are buried without family. Read about Father Ryan’s participation in Nashville’s St. Joseph of Arimathea Society in the Tennessee Register.
• 87 members of the Class of 2026 made SEARCH, a retreat program sponsored by the Diocese of Nashville, with 21 of them returning to SEARCH in a leadership role.
• 88 members of this class also played a significant role in helping our underclassmen develop their faith lives by volunteering to help with other grade-level retreats.

Preparing all Father Ryan Students for a Changing World

As we celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2026, we are reminded that the true purpose of Catholic education extends far beyond graduation day. It is about forming young men and women of faith, wisdom, compassion, and courage. Our graduates are prepared not only for college and careers, but for lives of meaning, service, and leadership in a world that needs them now more than ever.

At Father Ryan, you often hear people say the phrase, “You Will Be Known. You Will Be Loved,” to describe our community. While I know this promise to be true, it moves me deeply to hear our students repeat the phrase back to us as they approached graduation.

At Commencement, I encouraged each member of the Class of 2026 to reach his or her full potential in everything: in studies, work, relationships, but most importantly, as they pursue the love of the Lord. As it states in Proverbs 16:3, “Entrust your works to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.”

The world awaiting the Class of 2026 is changing faster than ever. Many will graduate from college into careers that do not yet exist. But while the future may be uncertain, their faith and moral foundation will remain constant. Their relationship with Christ and how that relationship imbues and inspires all else will guide their direction, purpose, heart, and mind.