Coming Together to Beautify Duchesne's Campus

Visitors arriving at Duchesne this school year may have noticed a transformation taking place near the school’s entrance.

Over the summer, what began as an idea to beautify the path by the flagpole grew into a community project, bringing together Duchesne staff members and families to create a welcoming Marian Garden and another visible sign of the exciting things happening across campus.

Physics and physical science teacher Joe Shaw saw the area as a natural place to begin. Located prominently at the school’s entrance, it was also a project he thought he could tackle during the summer months.

Joe spent much of the summer working on the project off and on, coordinating plans, contacting businesses and bringing together the resources needed to complete the work.

For Joe, who enjoys landscaping, it was also personal.

“It’s kind of therapeutic,” Joe said. “They gave me a nice opportunity here, and so I thought it was a good way to give back to the school.”

He is quick to point out, however, that the transformation was far from a one-person effort.

“It wasn’t just me by any stretch,” Joe said.

Members of the Shaw family helped clean the area and install plants, while Joe’s son power washed and sealed the walkway. Parkview Gardens donated the plants, and Tom Gary, Cameron Gary ’28, and Carter Gary ’28 contributed significant time, resources and labor to the project. Their work included removing old roots and debris, laying mulch, painting the flagpole and bringing in and positioning the large decorative rocks.

“Our family decided to become involved when Mrs. Williamson reached out to see if enhancing the landscape area was a project we would be interested in taking on,” Tom said. “We saw it as a wonderful opportunity to give back to the school community, contribute our time and resources, and create a space that students and staff could enjoy for years to come.”

Nearly every part of the island received attention. Decades-old greenery was removed, trees were trimmed, the area was cleaned and leveled, and the two front columns were straightened with help from Director of Facilities and Security Jeff Glosier ’97. Joe also restored the statue of Mary and placed it on a reclaimed pedestal from an old church. The memorial stones surrounding Mary were carefully repositioned and centered, helping turn the refreshed space into a true Marian Garden.

Much of the project was made possible through donations of labor, materials and financial support.

For the Gary family, the finished product represents something larger than a landscaping project.

“The completed space is a meaningful reminder of what can happen when a community comes together,” the Gary family said. “Knowing that our family’s time, resources, and hard work helped create a space that students and staff can enjoy makes this project especially meaningful to us.”

It is a sentiment that fits well with the continued improvements taking place throughout Duchesne and the many members of the Pioneer community who are helping drive the school forward.

“We did several projects over the summer months, but none as beautiful as the Marian Garden,” said Duchesne President Paul Boschert ’77. “I would like to thank the Shaw and Gary families for cleaning out the old brush and dead limbs and replacing the area with new plants, decorative rocks, a new coat of paint on the flagpole, and most importantly, the Blessed Mother adorning the garden. This is a place for prayer and remembrance that serves as a welcoming site for our visitors when they arrive on our campus.”

For Joe, projects like this are another example of how individual contributions can add up to something much greater.

“Everybody plays a part,” he said. “Little pieces help make a big difference.”