Dear Saint Patrick,
It’s hard to sit down to write a letter like this, a letter that sums up the last four years. It feels like it was just yesterday that I first stepped into the lobby as a freshman for orientation, but it also feels like ages since I graduated 8th grade. I’ve felt this way throughout my senior year, and up until now I haven’t been able to understand why. I’ve realized that there’s two main reasons for why those two events that were only a month or so apart feel so drastically far apart. The first is the cliche that time flies when you’re having fun. It sounds dumb but I think my time as a student at St. Patrick seemed to pass so quickly because of how much I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. During classes, clubs, and games I was having fun, so yes time flew, but I think that many high schoolers, no matter where they go, share this experience. The second reason for why my time in high school feels so simultaneously short and long is more unique to St. Patrick. The students here are welcomed into the family, the brotherhood, well before they even attend the school. Whether it is through a shadow day, a high school fair, or having an older brother at the school, you already feel part of the Shamrock community. This is why by the time you graduate, you feel as if you have been a Shamrock for much longer than just four years.
But in this period of time since I was a freshman, however hard it is to quantify, one thing that I do know is how much I have grown. I’ve grown in more than just my height, though that is definitely the most obvious aspect. I’ve grown as a person, as a student, as a friend. Throughout these four years I have been taught many things. Yes, I’ve learned math, history, science, etc., but I’ve also learned about life. There are obvious moments that I can recall where I have been told something by a teacher that is useful for something other than just the next test, such as Coach Stopka explaining over and over again that if we don’t do our work as seniors we won’t know what hit us in college. The learning moments haven’t always been obvious, however, and plenty of times I didn’t fully realize what I was learning from something until later. Honestly, there’s definitely lessons from my time at St. Patrick that I still haven’t noticed. The biggest most important value that I have taken away from St. Patrick is acceptance. It really is one of the most important aspects of the school and community. Everyone is welcomed in and treated the same here. No matter where you’re from, what you look like, or what you believe, you will be a part of the brotherhood.
When I think about the next steps in my life, attending college and beyond, I know that my foundation at St. Patrick has prepared me for it. The lessons and values that I have picked up and the friends that I have made will help me in every aspect of life. Although I have not decided on a major, let alone what I will do with my life after college, I know that I have been set up for success inside and outside of the classroom, and for that I am truly thankful. Despite the undesired ending to our senior year, the times that I spent with my fellow Shamrocks will always be some of my fondest memories.
Thank you for everything, St Patrick.
Sincerely,
Eoin Murphy ’20
To read other Dear Saint Patrick letters from the Class of 2020, please click here.
