Dear Saint Patrick,
Although the time we had together was cut short, it was truly unforgettable. The last four years flew by. Everyone always told me how fast my four years would go, but I always brushed it off and ignored the comment. Looking back on my four years now, I wish I could have cherished my time a little more, stopped looking ahead, and enjoyed everyday as it was. Between my first day walking into St. Pat’s and my last day in the building, I still would not change a thing.
Coming into St. Pat’s I was just a small, shy, and immature kid. I quickly learned more about myself and was taught the values that St. Pat’s teaches. Through this, I matured and started growing into a man. Of course my physical growth is obvious to anyone who remembers my big chubby cheeks and high pitched voice, but my mental growth is much greater. Being in the classroom taught me not only things in textbooks, but also better habits. I learned better study habits, the importance of being attentive, and respecting your peers. During my time as an athlete, I was taught many values. I learned how to take a loss, and how to work to bounce back. My teammates and coaches helped me learn to not only keep my head up through tough times or after mistakes, but also how to pick someone else’s head up.
All of the values taught to me throughout my last four years will stick with me for the rest of my life. I may never need to know the Pythagorean Theorem again, but each and every value I’ve been taught will play a role in my everyday life. These values are now instilled in me and can never be forgotten. St. Pat’s has built me into a respectable young man with endless possibilities in life. Regardless of where I go or what I do in life, it will be traced back to what St. Pat’s has done for me.
Each and every experience I have had at St. Pat’s can be attached to one word. Brotherhood. The first time I heard this word being attached to St. Pat’s was in 7th grade on a shadow day. I never understood what it really meant and why every student said it. That quickly changed as I became a Shamrock and stepped foot in the building. The word brotherhood itself has one definition, but the feeling of brotherhood at St. Pat’s can be described a million different ways. For each student, it’s truly different. To me, brotherhood is having a second family that cares for you just as much as your immediate family. Brotherhood is having each other’s back no matter the circumstances. It is an unbreakable bond between myself and every other Shamrock past, present, and future.
If I was told at any point of my time at St. Pat’s that I would finish my time as a student at home doing assignments online, I would shake my head and call the person crazy. Well, here we are. Of course this isn’t how any of us would like to spend our time, but it is what it is and we have to make the best of it. I wasn’t able to cherish my last Stud Section, my last day at lunch with all my friends, my last morning drive to school, or my last time playing Kabongo Ball with Coach Griffin. Because of this, I’d want nothing more than to enjoy one last day at St. Pat’s and take it all in as my last. For all the underclassmen, enjoy your time while you have it. Take each day for what it is and make the most of it. You never know when it can be taken away from you.
Go Rocks.
Thank you,
Joey Thome ’20
