Back Where Her Story Began

Amy (Joyce) Wright ’99 returns to Scecina- and to a community that has always felt a little like home.

Some places have a way of staying with you, no matter how much time has passed.

For Amy (Joyce) Wright ’99, Scecina is one of those places.

Nearly 30 years after she first walked through Scecina’s doors as a student, Amy is back on the Eastside- this time as Scecina’s Assistant Principal for Academics. And while plenty has changed since her days as a Crusader, she says there is still something wonderfully familiar about being here.

“It is interesting being back after nearly 30 years away,” Amy said. “There is so much about the building and community that is very different but, at the same time, feels extremely familiar.”

Her journey back to Scecina came by way of more than 20 years in education. After graduating from Scecina in 1999, Amy earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Indiana State University and began her career teaching second grade in Indianapolis Public Schools.

From there, she found her way into Catholic education, first at Holy Cross Catholic School and then at Holy Name Catholic School in Beech Grove. During her 14 years at Holy Name, Amy taught multiple grade levels before moving into administration, serving two years as assistant principal and seven years as principal. She also earned her master’s degree in educational leadership from Butler University in 2015.

This year, her journey led her somewhere very familiar- back to Scecina.

What has it been like coming back?

“It is comforting to walk through the halls and into the classrooms. There have been some incredible updates to the building and grounds in recent years, and it is just a beautiful space all the way around.

“I really love the diversity within our school, both in the student population and among the staff. It provides such a unique opportunity for the students and adults to learn from one another.

“The community has been incredibly welcoming to me over the last couple of months, and I have known since the first day I stepped back into the building that I am in the exact right place. I have thoroughly enjoyed making many new connections and connecting with people who were part of my Scecina journey so many years ago.”

For Amy, those connections go deeper than familiar faces and hallways. Scecina also played a key role in a much more personal part of her story: her faith.

How did Scecina shape your faith?

“Being a part of the Scecina community is really where my introduction to the Catholic faith began. Having the opportunity to take religion classes and attend Mass at school was really the driving force behind me eventually coming into the Church several years later as an adult.

“I learned so much about our faith during my four years at Scecina, and those lessons left me wanting to learn more, even after leaving.”

There is something special about the way Amy’s story has come full circle. She was first introduced to the Catholic faith as a Scecina student. Years later, that faith became her own, Catholic education became the heart of her career, and now she is back where it all began, helping a new generation of Crusaders find their own path forward.

What does life look like outside of Scecina?

Amy and her husband, Jeff, have been married for 19 years and live in Franklin Township. They have two children, Evan, a senior, and Avery, a sophomore. Both attend Roncalli High School, where they are involved in cross country, track, and softball.

Although Amy has spent more than 20 years away from the Eastside, she says she never stopped thinking of it as part of who she is.

“Even though I have been gone from the Eastside for over 20 years, I have always been proud of my Eastside and Scecina roots,” she said. “I am beyond happy to be back, serving in a community that holds such a special place in my heart and always has.”

Much has changed since Amy graduated in 1999, but one thing has not: her pride in being a Crusader.

Now, she gets to experience Scecina from an entirely new perspective—building relationships with today’s students, sharing what she has learned through more than two decades in Catholic education and helping shape what comes next.

Nearly 30 years after graduating, Amy is a Crusader once again—and she could not be happier to be back!