Self exploration and development is extremely important in young generations. That’s why Mercy High School introduced Kaleidoscope. First started in 2019, Kaleidoscope is a way for Freshman, Sophomore, and Senior Mercy students to learn about many various topics and participate in activities that encourage self exploration and growth. Kaleidoscope occurs on Monday mornings towards the end of the school year. Whether it be through activities or Ted Talks, “Kaleidoscope allows students to reflect upon their own gifts and how they can use them as they think about their future,” says Mrs. Driml-Powers, who organizes most of the contents of Kaleidoscope. Kaleidoscope may slightly change each year, but it still serves the same purpose. So far this year, there have been four Kaleidoscope days. During the first one, students took personality tests and figured out what type of learner they are, as well as what career may suit them best. During the second session, two videos about Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass were shown to highlight Cultural Competency. In the third one, students took a Gallup assessment that identified each of their top five strengths. A guest speaker from Creighton University who works for Gallup gave the Mercy girls a talk and they did many activities to further explore their assessment results. Finally, in the most recent Kaleidoscope, speakers from Catholic Charities came in to talk about the “Wheel of Wellness” and how we can use it to set goals for ourselves.

What is the meaning of the name “Kaleidoscope?”

The meaning of Kaleidoscope is very special. A group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope and butterflies are symbolic of positive change. In that way, Kaleidoscope aims to teach the students of Mercy High School leadership and empower them to make a positive change not only to the world, but also to themselves. 

What about the Juniors?

While the rest of Mercy is in Kaleidoscope, Juniors are busy preparing for their futures. They participate in the OnToCollege program with John Baylor in preparation for the ACT. “During OnToCollege, John Baylor and others who work for his program come in and teach us tips that are useful for the ACT. This program and the opportunity to work face to face with John Baylor helps me to feel prepared and less stressed about the test,” Lexi Huss ‘24 says. Kaleidoscope benefits all Mercy students in different ways. 

What do students think of Kaleidoscope?

Mercy High School students have all sorts of opinions on Kaleidoscope. “I think Kaleidoscope is a fun time, although sometimes it can be a little hard to get into that spirit on Monday mornings, I still really appreciate it and I’m sure it will help me out tons in the future,” says Bee Hampton ‘26. Like Bee mentioned, Kaleidoscope can be a huge benefit to us in the present and future.  Some also say it is a great way to keep students engaged while the juniors are preparing for the ACT.  “I think it’s a great opportunity to have students learn while the juniors do ACT preparations. I also think that it benefits students individually like with how we learned our strengths and got to understand ourselves better,” says Leah Kinney ‘26. 

Overall, the hope for Kaleidoscope is that it provides Mercy students with an introduction to a topic and encourages them to further explore it and ask questions. No matter who you are, Kaleidoscope can benefit you in some way or another.