By Amy White
The Texas Catholic
A career defined by empathy, equity, and genuine connection — that, Alandra Barfield said, is her dream for the future. That future may be years removed from the present moment for the high school junior; but, as a member of Project Guardian Angel’s first mentorship cohort, which launched Jan. 21, Barfield’s dream-building starts now.
Initiated in 2024, Project Guardian Angel is a collaborative effort of Bishop Dunne Catholic School and the community of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Plano. Through the shared project, Prince of Peace parishioners offer prayer, financial support, and career formation to high school students from the Dallas school, enabling them to prepare for whatever future may lie beyond their high school years.
“Prince of Peace has been a supporter of Bishop Dunne for a long time,” Bishop Dunne President Gabriel Moreno said. “I am hopeful that what the program is going to do is allow our two communities to grow closer together.”
Through Project Guardian Angel, Prince of Peace invites its parishioners to support Bishop Dunne students in a range of roles: as St. Monica Prayer Partners, those who offer regular prayer for students; as St. Joseph Mentors, those who visit students virtually or in person to offer guidance and support; or as St. Thomas Aquinas Guides, those who engage in one-on-one mentorships with students.
“We’re very joyful about the program,” said Zulma Hernandez, Prince of Peace’s business manager and the parish’s Project Guardian Angel liaison. “We truly believe that God has situated us in a position to be of service to the Bishop Dunne students so that they can flourish.”
As of this month, Project Guardian Angel launched its first mentorship cohort, comprised of five Bishop Dunne juniors. These select students will receive ongoing one-on-one mentorship from members of the Prince of Peace community who have been matched to the students by project organizers.
“We invited our students to express an interest and to share what it is they’re hoping to get from [the mentorship], so that we could match them with a parishioner who was interested,” explained Elisa Goodwin, Bishop Dunne’s director of development and alumni relations, as well as the school’s liaison for the project. “It can be spiritual formation. It can be professional. It can be just overall encouraging them and helping them build their skills: their people skills, their leadership skills.”
Mentorship, she emphasized, can be a powerful resource for students looking toward the future. Mentors can connect students to internship opportunities, offer nifty academic advice, and, importantly, provide perspective.
“Our students crave to be leaders and positive change makers in the community,” Goodwin said. “So, it’s powerful when they see other people who are doing that who can come alongside and encourage them.”
Kaitlyn Mendez, 16, a cohort member who has set her sights on a career as an emergency room doctor, said she has been paired with a mentor with a background in medicine. She has never had a mentor “in the traditional sense,” the junior said — just family members and friends offering their two cents — so she was happy to hear she would have the opportunity to gain insight from outside her immediate circle.
“The biggest thing is to get a new perspective,” Mendez said, “to help me grow in my future, in my faith, and in my career choice,” so that she can “hit the ground running” as a medical school hopeful.
Barfield, 16, who dreams of making the world a better place as a psychiatrist, said she is thrilled to be a part of a mentorship program that, as she put it, will serve as “a stepping stone to Alandra in 20 years.”
“I think with mentors, they get to give you another perspective on who you want to be in life,” the junior said. “Knowing that I have a mentor that is thinking about me and praying for me and praying for my wellbeing, it adds on to that feeling of being protected and having someone that truly cares.”
Cutline for images: Project Guardian Angel, a collaborative initiative of Bishop Dunne Catholic School and Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Plano, launched its first mentorship cohort Jan. 21. Cohort members are, top row from left, Derek Almaraz, Alandra Barfield, and Anabelle Leal; and, bottom row from left, Burke Martensen and Kaitlyn Mendez. (ALYSSA MENCACCI/Bishop Dunne Catholic School)
