Dear Saint Patrick,
The past four years at Saint Patrick High School have been the best years of my life. I knew ever since 6th grade, once I started attending the various football and basketball camps, that St. Pat’s was the perfect place to call home. Looking back on these past four years, I couldn’t have been happier to call myself a Shamrock. I am proud to say that I entered as a freshmen boy and left Saint Patrick High School as a man.
It feels just like yesterday when my mom dropped me off for my first day of summer orientation and football practice. Coming into St. Pat’s, I only knew six kids who I went to grade school with. To say that I was nervous and scared would be an understatement. However, just one week of orientation and football practice, I had created strong friendships with over 50 kids. Just that quick into my high school career, I realized what a strong Brotherhood St. Pat’s offers. It doesn’t matter where you are from or how you grew up, you can feel the bond that Shamrocks share. Everyone here has each other’s backs, and everyone pushes each other to reach their full potential. I’ll never forget when a senior football player came up to me freshmen year and told me that if I continued to work hard, I could earn football scholarships. Hearing those words gave me all the confidence I needed to push myself to be the best player possible.
Every faculty member at St. Pat’s wants to see you succeed. Every teacher I had has pushed me to become the best student possible. Even in classes I didn’t particularly like, the teachers always made it interesting and enjoyable. Being in a fun class environment that gets work done allowed me to receive First Honors every year. The teachers really care about each student and will do everything in their power to help them succeed. In grade school, I had no idea what I wanted to do when I was older. St. Pat’s did a great job of helping me find my true passion. Through classes like Biology and PACC Anatomy, I found my passion in wanting to become a Sports Medicine Physician.
During my four years at St. Pat’s, I’ve been a member of various clubs. I was a member of the National Honor Society, Yearbook Club, Mentor Program, and took part in junior Kairos. Besides these clubs, I also played four years of football. Football taught me many life lessons that have helped me excel in both the classroom and on the field. Responsibility and accountability were instilled in me as well as the importance of being on time, being a team player, and understanding the consequences of my own actions. Football also taught me how to work for a common goal and how to sacrifice your personal wants for the need of the team. Grinding out those 6:00 a.m. lifts and those three hour practices with your fellow classmates created an unbreakable bond. I am grateful that my teammates viewed me as a leader and elected me as captain each year. Playing with these great teammates also allowed me to receive the Walter Payton Leadership Award freshmen year. No question about it, having four years of amazing teammates and great coaches made football a blast. Through the great coaching I received at St. Pat’s, I was able to excel at football and receive All-Conference recognition and over 10 offers to play at the collegiate level. From the bottom of my heart, I cannot thank my coaches and teammates enough for all the hours they devoted to making all of us better football players and men.
As I begin a new chapter of my life next year studying Biology and playing football at Butler University, St. Pat’s will always have a special place in my heart. I know the friendships I have made here will last a lifetime. I have had many amazing experiences over the past four years and am grateful to the teachers, administrators, coaches, counselors, and friends who have made my time here so enjoyable. I know my brother who will start next year will also love his time here at Saint Patrick. I am forever thankful and blessed that Saint Patrick High School has turned me into the man I am today.
Sincerely,
Jake Briskey ‘19
