Dear Saint Patrick,
In Seventh Grade, I had a difficult decision to make. It was down to two schools: Saint Patrick and a selective enrollment school I had gotten into. It made the most sense for me to go to the selective enrollment school but, for some reason, Saint Patrick had always interested me more than any other school. I had always heard great things about it from kids who had gone there, and something about Saint Patrick just felt more like home before I had even begun looking at it. When I decided to go to some football camps at Saint Patrick during 7th grade, it was already confirmed to me that it was different from other high schools. I still have trouble explaining the sense of brotherhood at Saint Patrick to people who haven’t experienced it firsthand, but throughout my four years here, both in the classroom and outside of it, the experiences I’ve had and the relationships I’ve formed have proved that choosing to go to Saint Patrick was the best decision of my life so far.
I clearly remember freshman orientation and football practice leading up to the school year as an incoming freshman. It was easy to make friends, as almost everyone was willing to talk and to get to know one another. As a young freshman, it is exciting to see the upperclassmen who genuinely enjoy being at school. This excitement never faded. Saint Patrick has such a great mix of students with different personalities, backgrounds, and experiences. You cannot find this at many other schools. Saint Patrick taught me to treat everyone the same, because you quickly learn that you can get close with almost anyone. When you walk into the building, there is an undeniable sense that we are all Shamrocks, and any Shamrock will say this is true.
My experience with football at Saint Patrick exemplifies this unity perfectly. Football took kids from neighborhoods across all of the city and molded us into a single team over the course of four years. As an incoming freshman, I had no experience playing organized football and had never put on pads in my life. This didn’t matter to any of the coaches or any of my teammates. Everyone was accepted, and I felt at home. Even just after the first month of practice during the summer as an incoming freshman, I knew that I would play football for all four years and had already formed bonds that would last a lifetime. Although I do believe that football can in and of itself have this effect, at Saint Patrick, it’s the tradition of community and brotherhood that makes it that much more impactful—not just on the field, but in the classroom and throughout the entire school. Football also taught me many important values. Coach Guerra stressed to us the importance of work ethic, working as a team, and how developing mental toughness is part of becoming a man.
Saint Patrick has made me into the person I am today. The tradition at Saint Patrick has taught me to value the relationships I have with others above all. I was lucky to be a Kairos leader where this was stressed greatly. On Kairos, we came together as a group and realized the importance of the relationships we have with our friends and families. Another part of being a Shamrock is being loyal to your teammates, friends, fellow Shamrocks, and family. It is comforting to know that I have so many friends, teachers, and coaches that I could contact if I ever need anything.
As I prepare for the next stage in my life, I have decided to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and I am looking forward to bringing all that I have learned from my experiences at Saint Patrick. Academically, I know I am completely prepared for college thanks to being challenged day in and day out by all of my teachers. I’d like to say thank you to the teachers and coaches at Saint Patrick who have worked endlessly to prepare us for college and for life and have been great role models for all of us. Although no one expected this school year to end the way it has, it has made me realize how blessed I am to be a part of the Shamrock Brotherhood. I could not be more proud to be a Shamrock, and every time someone asks me where I go to school, I am so proud to say I go to Saint Patrick High School. It has been amazing to mature alongside so many great friends in an environment that we all love. The Shamrock Brotherhood is undeniable, and I am so blessed to be a part of it.
Sincerely,
Joe Klaw ’20
To read other Dear Saint Patrick letters from the Class of 2020, please click here.
