Dear Saint Patrick,
It is unbelievably difficult to sit down and write a letter about the past four years of my life. It seems like just yesterday when my 14 year old self shook hands with Mr. Baffico and Dr. Schmidt outside the school at the beginning of my freshman orientation. Now, reflecting on my time at St. Pat’s, I understand why it flew by as fast as it did. Although it might sound cliche, the reason why these past four years have only felt like a couple days is because I have truly loved and enjoyed every second of them. When I was looking at possible high schools in eighth grade, I was not initially sure if I wanted to go to St. Pat’s because I had an older brother there at the time. But after experiencing my first St. Pats versus Notre Dame basketball game, I immediately decided that I wanted to become a part of the Shamrock brotherhood.
It is that same Shamrock brotherhood that makes Saint Patrick High School what it is. Although it is hard to put into words, every past or present Shamrock knows what it means to be a part of that brotherhood. Whether it was cheering on my different sports teams, helping another student with a homework assignment, or helping run a charity drive, I have truly felt the strong impact that my Shamrock brothers have had on me. I tell many people that when I started at St. Pat’s, I had one brother. But when I ended my senior year, I had hundreds. Throughout my time at Belmont and Austin, I have had the opportunity to meet incredible people that I would not have met before if I had gone to a different school. I developed friendships and relationships with kids from all over the city and suburbs. No matter who you are or where you come from, the minute you walk into those doors you join a family that will never turn its back on you.
As I begin to prepare myself for the very independent next chapter of my life, I am beginning to grasp how much Saint Patrick High School has taught me. I don’t mean the little things either, like Mrs. Fiorante showing my class a new logarithm, Mr. Clark illustrating how the graph is actually moving northwest, or Ms. McBride teaching a new grammar concept, although they were all important and beneficial. St. Pat’s has taught me how to be a man and make decisions on my own. The school has taught me how to work hard both on and off the field, and to never give up on something that you are passionate about. When I think about the things I want to take with me to Notre Dame next fall, everything ties back to my experiences from St. Pat’s. The abundance of great administrators and coaches, including Coach McIntee, Dr. Schmidt, and many others, makes St. Pat’s a perfect place to grow intellectually and morally. It is hard to accept that I am almost completely done with my high school career, but I am confident that because of my experiences at St. Patrick, I will ultimately stay down a great path and find success.
So St. Patrick, all I can do is thank you. Thank you for allowing me to meet some of the best people I could possibly ask for. Thank you for changing me from a 14 year old boy into a man. And thank you for giving me a perfect place to call home these past four years. I really hope that you can continue to shape others in the same way you have shaped me.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Laboe ’21
To read more letters from the Class of 2021, click here.
