Every November, Mitty’s Open House has been an event to look forward to for aspiring Monarchs. However, behind the facade of booths and tours lies hundreds of hours of work from both students and faculty.

Mrs. Katherine Wesmiller, Assistant Principal for Admissions and Enrollment, said that Open House is incredibly important as it allows for prospective students and their families to see our campus and get their questions answered. Open House also features many things to see for prospective students. Braden Clements ’26, the ASB Spirit Commissioner, brought up the Spirit Week posters as an example, that allows the Open House visitors to experience everything, from regular student life to special events on campus.

At the beginning of Open House, students and staff members warmly welcome the families and explain the different places to explore on our campus, such as the various booths about clubs or sports. Maclean provides engaging videos from rallies and games that Mitty hosted prior to talks by Mrs. Hilton and Ms. Caputo about what Catholic college preparatory schools have to offer and the uniqueness of Mitty. There are also a variety of guided or self guided tours available that walk prospective students through campus and provide valuable insight into life at Mitty.

Open House takes many months and the work of hundreds to prepare. In fact, Open House preparations take so much time and effort that school ends early for the two days before Open House. Mrs. Wesmiller said, “Maintenance spends months making sure the campus is ready and looks amazing.”

Additionally, student representatives from different grades are joined together to talk about their experiences at Mitty. Mr. Walker, Director of Student Activities, said that “a successful Open House requires speakers to accurately convey the message about Mitty, as well as faculty and staff to be present to talk about the high-level of education that happens in the classrooms.” These speakers help parents and aspiring students get a grasp of campus and classroom life. Many of these speakers are program heads and coaches who articulate many details on Mitty’s many different sports teams, competitive clubs like speech and debate or robotics, and community life in general.

Originally, families had to wait for a long time before being allowed inside, but now they can schedule a time that suits their schedule. Mrs. Wesmiller explains that due to the overwhelming success of Open House, there haven’t been much changes other than that.

According to the staff, the Mitty Open House is special because of the students. The willingness to go the extra mile to talk to visitors about their experiences with events, clubs, and the Mitty community carries the open house experience. They help the visiting students feel welcome and demonstrate the warmth that comes along with being a part of our school community. As Mrs. Wesmiller said, “We all come together to make it happen. Students give up their time. Faculty and staff are here and put their all into it. Our entire community comes together to make it all happen. That is the power of this place.”