Dear Saint Patrick,
My time and experiences at St. Patrick has made a huge impact on who I am today. The last four years have really helped me improve academically. I started with DLS courses my freshman year to all honors my senior year. I pushed myself to get more challenging classes as the years went on and St. Pat’s helped me along to find the classes right for me. I also got to explore different types of classes through my electives, from graphic design and computer graphics to Incubator II. Going through and finding the classes that interested me and my plans for the future benefited me greatly because it made me realize that I want to go into business when I get older. Incubator and Incubator II, as well as Business Law and Accounting, all helped me develop the passion for the field of business. But St. Pat’s not only helped me academically, it also helped me physically.
St. Pat’s allowed me to play the games I loved, golf and volleyball. I started and stayed with the sports all throughout high school. With the golf team I had an amazing time playing, seeing beautiful courses, and meeting fun people. I also got to participate in tournaments where I won a medal and those experiences will always be with me. I got the chance to shoot a new low score for myself which won me one of those medals. The help that I received from Coach Jilek, Martin, Dougherty, and Kusinski all helped me improve my game and they all helped in their own different ways. The additional support from Dr. Schmidt and Mr. McIntee throughout the years has been outstanding. The team got the chance to go back to Ridgemoor Country Club, where I work as a caddie, and play our matches there. We hope to be there for many years to come. Mr. McIntee also gave us the opportunity to play at his Country Club and coach next year. My brother will be playing for him and he has told me the wonderful ideas Mr. McIntee has come up with for next season.
Golf isn’t the only sport though that has helped me. Volleyball has kept me in shape and fit. Playing volleyball with my friends is always a great time. From freshman year to senior year we had all improved. We all played club volleyball during the offseason which really helped us. This year though sadly we were not able to play, which was a real disappointment because we had the ability and talent to go to State. We were all really excited to have one last year as a team and have an amazing send off with our senior night. It is a shame, but there is nothing we can do. But the help we received from Coach Joel, Gerry, JP, and Hughes really showed the impact St. Pat’s coaches can have on athletes. Coach Joel told us before we all left that it was a privilege to coach us and was really excited to see us play this year. That feeling of Brotherhood on the court is one of St. Pat’s special gifts.
Brotherhood is a common theme you will hear throughout your time at St. Pat’s and it’s true. We are all one family even though we are different in every way. St. Pat’s is what unites us all together. No one is left out of the Brotherhood and everyone is always accepted no matter who they are. That bond between all St. Pat’s current students and alumni is something that will never be broken. The lessons St. Pat’s teaches either directly or indirectly are all useful for life.
The teachers always say at the beginning of the year, “you do your work and try, you will pass,” that statement is very accurate. If you do your homework and study for tests you will have no problem. If you decide to slack off, you will suffer the consequences. That lesson is true in the “real world.” If you do your work, you will get paid, receive a promotion, or better. If you don’t do your work, you will be fired. St. Pat’s pushes you to do your best and will help if you are down.
That feeling of hard work pays off had never been more true than when it came to my team’s final pitch for Incubator. We had worked on our business idea all year and had put all of our effort into it. With the help of Mr. Wojnar, Mr. Sartin, and the resources of St. Pat’s, we were able to win the Innovation Award for best business idea. My team and I were all panicking before we all went on stage, but we knew we had a good idea and were confident in our ability to sell it. St. Pat’s lesson of hard work pays off is one of the most important lessons I have learned.
St. Pat’s has made me mature and really find my passions and strengths. I was really scared and introverted coming into high school. But I found friends that I can be myself around that have helped me grow into the man I am today. I became more extroverted and outgoing. I learned from my friends to be myself and more open. There is a spot for everyone at St. Pat’s, I found mine and it really benefited not only me but others as well.
Sincerely,
Daniel Bedon ’20
To read other Dear Saint Patrick letters from the Class of 2020, please click here.
