Daniel Zavala found a fast-track to educational excellence at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School.
Found something more, too, something unique to the faith-formed educational experience.
“The biggest value I think I got out of Catholic education was having a moral paradigm from which to view the world,” Zavala said. “So for me, that's love thy neighbor, everything about trying to spread love, trying to do good in the world.
“And understanding that not everyone has that same moral framework.”
Amid the celebration of Catholic Schools Week, Zavala stands as a shining example of what can take place on Catholic campuses.
A Bishop McGuinness graduate, Class of 2022, Zavala is already working on a master’s degree in public health from the University of Oklahoma and works in several roles in Washington D.C.: research assistant for The Institute for U.S.-China Issues, under O.U. professor Miriam Gross, the institute’s co-director; and research intern for the U.S. State Department under the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.
At McGuinness, Zavala attacked a curriculum that offered many choices, piling up college credits through Advanced Placement courses and testing. It’s not an education Zavala takes for granted, either, coming from a modest background that breaks the “wealthy private-school” stereotype often attached to Catholic school students. He regularly welcomed assistance to pay for the costly AP exams.
“The sort of sped-up program that I’m in has a lot to do with the quality of education that McGuinness was able to provide,” Zavala said. “AP tests, particularly the Spanish AP tests that they offered, helped me advance very fast in the undergraduate portion of my degree.”
“It was like watching potential being lived right before your eyes,” said McGuinness Principal Andrew Worthington. “There were many challenges in his life that could have defined him, but he would never let that happen.
“He saw opportunity for excellence in everything he did, whether that was his family life, serving others, or his academic pursuits. He did it all, and he did it the right way with Christ at the heart of everything.”
Christ, of course, is a key difference in Catholic education.
Zavala, raised Catholic, advanced through middle school at Sacred Heart Catholic School, on his path to and through McGuinness. In high school, he welcomed challenges, particularly a theology class that examined the moral frameworks of various religions.
“Morals and theology is just not something I would have gotten at a public school or at a charter school, a non-religious school,” he said. “Moral construction is a core part of what a Catholic school strives to do.”
Zavala said that course, and another favorite on Catholic Social Teaching, remain building blocks for him today, to the point he still refers to the textbooks, which he keeps on a shelf in his Washington office.
As Worthington enjoyed Zavala’s hunger for education and academic excellence, he also admired the way he maneuvered as a student in his interactions and engagements with others.
“Daniel was a student who showed great resilience and faith in his endeavors at school,” Worthington said. “He had such trust in Catholic education, and the impact he had at Bishop McGuinness was incredible.
“He is remembered by many as a student who gave so much of himself, without asking for anything in return, and doing it with humility. He truly lived the mission statement of the school and was a ‘Person for Others.’”
Archbishop Coakley spoke of Zavala at his November “State of the Archdiocese” address with the Assembly of Catholic Professionals, reading off his list of accomplishments, plus a message from the McGuinness grad to potential donors.
“In the state of Oklahoma, the funding disparity between public schools and private schools is simply not the same,” Zavala said. “Catholic schools in Oklahoma are often some of the best schools in the state. Your gift to Catholic schools, to help students go through a Catholic education, will mean that future leaders who have excelled academically, will have that ethical training, that ethical moral framework from which they will impact much of the world around them.
“The lessons that I take from my Catholic education still follow me today. And to be able to make sure that the future leaders are good people, I think is invaluable.”
John Helsley is editor of the Sooner Catholic.
Photo: (top) Daniel Zavala.
Daniel Zavala and former Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School principal David Morton.
Daniel Zavala, far right, enjoyed his studies and extracurricular activities at BMCHS. Photos provided.