They Made All the Difference

Jesuit high school education is thriving at a time when so many private and public school systems are burdened with troubles. What explains the success of Jesuit education? In They Made All the Difference, Eileen Wirth, a university professor and parent of a Jesuit high school student, shows how the answer is rooted in a compelling educational vision that dates back nearly 500 years, to the earliest days of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the Society of Jesus.

Throughout the book, Wirth shows how this grand vision is embodied in the people at Jesuit high schools. Readers are introduced to a Hall of Fame of individuals who make Jesuit high schools so great: teachers, chaplains, disciplinarians, coaches, parents, and students. The book ends with short biographies of notable Jesuit alumni (including singer/actor Harry Connick Jr. and the late journalist Tim Russert) and a profile of each Jesuit high school.