Dear Saint Patrick,
If at any point up until about the fifth grade someone asked me where I dreamt of going to high school, my immediate response was “Notre Dame.” Why, one might ask? I’m not even sure I know the answer to that question myself. Some older people I knew went there and I saw one basketball game there before, but those were no true reasons. It was not until my eldest brother chose to attend Saint Patrick High School that I was immersed in Shamrock culture. My dreams of attending any other school were shattered as I fell in love with Saint Patrick High School. In sixth grade, I knew that Austin Avenue was to be my daily commute. I knew that I had a home waiting for me with arms wide open as soon as I graduated from Saint Monica Academy. My parents told me that I could go to whichever high school I wanted and that I did not need to follow my two older brothers if I truly did not want to. My oldest brother, Branden, played football and volleyball. My older brother, Blake, played basketball and volleyball. This was perfectly set up for me because I played all three: football, basketball, and volleyball. Because of this, I was able to establish strong connections with the coaches while I attended almost all of their games, and this is the reason I was referred to as “little Rosey” by my brothers’ friends, coaches, and staff members. I felt like I was at home before I even attended the school.
I began my own first experiences at Saint Patrick High School during the summer while I played football, attended orientation, and took the Microsoft applications course. These three activities allowed me to establish great relationships with the students I’d be with every day for the next four years. As the summer days went on, I was approaching the first day of my high school career. I woke up on the first day and my mother took a picture of my brother and I, a tradition she has had for the past several years. Walking through the Belmont doors was the beginning of a new chapter in my life. One of the first things I learned at Saint Patrick High School is that the “Brotherhood” here was unlike any other school, but it was just a word to me. As my last year concludes at Saint Patrick High School and I reflect on my time here, I truly understand and feel that my experiences would not have been the same if that brotherhood was nonexistent. Brotherhood here means treating each and every Shamrock with the same level of respect and looking out for one another. It means getting involved with people outside of your comfort zone and helping those who need it. Much like my definition of Brotherhood at Saint Patrick High School did not come immediately, each Shamrock will develop their own definition of Brotherhood through their personal experiences.
Saint Patrick High School provided me with the opportunities to greatly develop as a person. The focal point of my development was sports. Many people would say that I am a natural leader, but I was allowed to exercise that leadership while playing football and volleyball all throughout high school and being the captain of each team for several years. The importance of responsibility and accountability was drilled into my head by being on time, being a team player, and understanding the consequences of my own actions. Being adaptable and coachable was greatly exemplified throughout my football career. The coaches placed me in many different positions on many different levels, and I played each position to the best of my ability knowing that my team and coaches needed me there the most. I was able to strengthen my communication skills with others during my time as a captain while trying to give my team the best experience and success possible. These lessons learned have helped shape the person I am and will definitely be evident in the real world beyond sports and high school. In addition to lessons that I have learned at Saint Patrick High School, I was provided with various levels of learning; I opted for the Honors and AP/PACC level courses that were offered. These courses have introduced me to college level work so that I may be prepared for the next stages of my life. The PACC courses also grant me college credit so that I will already have more than a dozen credit hours under my belt before I even step foot onto a college campus. Saint Patrick High School has done a tremendous job of preparing me for college and life in the real world.
As I move on to attend the University of Iowa studying electrical engineering, I look back at all the time I spent driving down Austin, walking the halls, playing on the field and court, and creating life-long memories I will surely never forget. The boy I was walking into school as a freshman is definitely not the man I am walking out of those senior year finals, and I mean that in the bestest of ways. I am forever thankful and blessed for Saint Patrick High School making me the man I am today.
Always a Shamrock,
Brett Rosenbusch ‘18
