Have Some Wisdom To Share?
In our 50 years since graduation, each of us have had a variety of influences and experiences. Together, those experiences have shaped all of us into who we are today, and the wisdom we have gained should not be underestimated.
In honor of our 50th SLUH Reunion, we invite you (and the rest of our classmates) to participate now in "The '72 Wisdom Sharing Project"—an effort to (a) gather our collective wisdom together and (b) benefit the current students at SLUH. The results of this project will be given to the students and faculty upon its completion.
You know who you have become over the past 50 years better than anyone else. That being said, our question to you is...
NOTE: Your response will be shared anonymously below. After our 50th Reunion in October 2022, the wisdom sharing project will be officially closed and the consolidated responses will be gifted to the current students, faculty and staff at SLUH, as well as to our classmates. Format to be determined.
Advice From Your Classmates
It is better to work for something, then to be given it free.
A fool and his money are soon parted. If you are going to go to the ball, dance all the dances or don't go at all.
To paraphrase Mark Twain: When you are 14-18, you will think your father is the dumbest person in the whole world. But by the time you reach 22, you will be amazed how smart he became in such a short time.
Use your talents to help the less fortunate
If you become a coach, just be aware that the kids won't remember how many games they won, runs & TDs they scored or baskets they made 20 yrs later, but they will remember how you treated them
+Travel, observe and compare. You can learn a lot about yourself and our great country by analyzing differences.
+Never take a job that you are 100% certain you can accomplish. Growth comes through challenge.
+Be kind to everyone, but especially to those who usually are unseen and don't generally get the accolades. Small acts of recognition and appreciation can make their day, and yours too.
+When tipping, round up an extra couple of bucks. This usually means a lot more to others than to yourself.
+Invest in your children & grandchildren Sec 529 accounts. Help fund their IRA & Roth contributions when you can, especially when they are teenagers. Compound growth over time (especially when taxfree), is the "8th wonder of the world" (Einstein quote)
First, thank ALL your classmates. Every one, if you can. SLUH was a collective, shared experience that made you who you are, even today. Second, it's not just "carpe diem. It's more "carpe vitam tuam", i.e. seize your life. Because no one will do it for you. It's up to you. Third, embrace change. It's the only constant in your life. It's change that creates every opportunity and great experience you'll ever have. Say "Yes" to change. It makes life way more interesting, fulfilling & fun. Fourth, banish all self-doubt and regret ASAP. Life is "....forget 'em and order the onion rings". If you make an unwise decision, you can always undo or change it with other choices. Fifth, always look to the future. Living life in the rear view mirror is a foolish waste of precious time. Ultimately, time is the only enemy. Sixth, practice staying "in the moment". Even the everyday, the seemingly mundane can morph into something meaningful and precious...if you just let it and are open to it.
Learn it all. One day you will need it. Never think that it is unimportant or you will never need it!
Life is not fair, but life is good.
Ignore the naysayers and the pompous people. Follow your ideas and dreams regardless of the failures you have. You will learn more from your failures than your successes.
What achievements you have are not only due to you but the assistance of many people and do not forget them in your praise. Be generous with your knowledge to assist people when you can as the kindness of your knowledge will go a long way to your inner satisfaction regardless of recognition you receive in return.
Today might be your last day, make the most of it.
I wish that someone would have told my 18-year-old self:
1. Don't focus too much on making money. Your life will mean more if you spend more time authentically being there with the people you love - especially your kids. Work less and learn to live with less. Love more. Talk more. Listen more. Play more. Sing more.
2. Above all, seek to know God through Jesus. Consider this: "So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ These things fill the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:31-33.
3. Live each day as if it is your last. Don't let any opportunity to love someone pass by unnoticed. It may never come again.
4. The value and meaning and purpose of your life will be measured by the lives of those whom you've touched and helped along their path.
Keep your heart open to the will of God - and when he gives you a second chance - Take it.
Go to Europe. Catch the travel bug.
We are all going to fail a lot, and it's okay. And what you did when you thought things were going badly were actually pretty good. I would not worry about getting stuff too much because when you get to now (age 68), you are trying to get rid of it all. Love your children and help your children when they ask for help, but let them fail. Most of my greatest successes came after my greatest failures.
Life is a Journey... Your time at SLUH is limited, but it enables you to achieve a significant milestone in your life's journey...Graduation! Expect nothing and appreciate everything. Take one day at a time and enjoy what each day has to offer.
Don't expect SLUH to give you your life's passion, although it might offer a glimpse into it. It might help open up a lifelong desire to travel and explore. But if you're inclined to be a jerk, it's unlikely your SLUH experience will have had much of an impact. You can't use it as a shield to hide behind in the outside world, or justify bad behavior to yourself. That'll be on you. True, there will be plenty of times the 'SLUH family' will let you down. If you're lucky, there will be enough examples of 'the best life' to reflect on later, as you try to sort things out and seek forgiveness and redemption.
Regular and frequent exercise is really important to live a healthy life. Exercise has kept me feeling young and enjoying life.
Be kind and empathetic. Realize you won one af life’s many little “lotteries” by being able to attend school here. Do your best and hopefully make a few friends that can support you and you them as you make your way through life.
I think it is important to keep in mind that almost anything that is worthwhile , be it having success in your career, having a successful marriage, raising a family, etc, takes a lot of hard work. There are very few shortcuts in life.
Make sure you thank your parents often for shelling out close to 80 grand to send you to SLUH!
After 50 years, you will still love the learning, the values, and the friends with which four years at SLUH will enrich you. Take the fullest possible advantage of the opportunity
The study habits and practices that you have developed at SLUH will help you immensely in college. You will have opportunities in college to comfortably expand your class workload, enjoy your college experience more and/or hold a part-time job to provide you with spending money.
Get out of your comfort zone and try new activities that you currently fear. Push yourself to interact with others more often, both inside and outside of school. Consider the feelings of others and expand your circle of friends and acquaintances.
Keep open lines of communications with your parents. You do not know as much as you think you do, so keep listening to your parents. You do not know how much longer they will be with you, and you do not want to regret things you have said and not said.
Do not worry if you are not as socially advanced as others in your class. Everyone matures physically and emotionally at different rates. High school can be tough socially. It gets better.
Many alumni are sharing wisdom for success. That's all good and well. Remember you have been given an opportunity you won't fully appreciate for a while. Men for others is more than a motto. Go forward and be kind. It's easy to be self absorbed, to be conceited. You are probably smarter than most, will have more opportunities than most, have more resources than most. Don't project that, be humble, be kind. Life will unfold beautifully.
You have one heck of a head start in Life--don't blow it!
Enjoy these years that will form your intentions and goals for the remainder of your life. The people you will meet during these years are the ones that could give you the things to make your life one defined by the things you learn , the relationship you build with God. Don't forget the people you love and who have loved you, your family has had to make sacrifices to give you these opportunities.
You need to have strong core beliefs to enjoy a meaningful life. I found that continued involvement with the SLUH community was one of the keys for me. I have been involved as an Alumnus, Parent, Volunteer.
My adcice to students is to get involved early. There are so many more opportunities today than there were in 1972. Take advantage to become a part of a unique experience.
SLUH has given me the solid foundation to be successful in college, sports, law school, my family as a husband and father, my career as a lawyer and a judge. SLUH instilled in my being the moral fiber necessary to succeed in all endeavors and to stay the course and keep the faith and trust in our Lord. I certainly did not realize it as a young man at SLUH but have seen it clearly throughout the years.
DO NOT BURN ANY BRIDGES!!!! Appreciate the opportunities you have at SLUH!
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Value your relationships more than any other asset. As the saying goes, people will forget the things you say and do, but they will never forget how you made them feel. |
| Remind others the wisdom shared by Father Kellett that all of us are better than everyone of our peers at something. SLUH is all about discovering that something. |
| I would tell myself to be keenly aware of the Jesuit teaching that we are all here on the planet to be of service to others. SLUH continues to be a profoundly positive influence on my life. I would tell the current Junior Bills to conduct themselves accordingly. |
Find something you can excel in and do it as well as you can. You will know when it’s your absolute best, and in an environment with as many talented people as SLUH has… you will shine and be proud. This is one of the most important lessons you will carry through life. It will give you confidence to pursue your interests with passion as well as conviction.
What SLUH did for me was to train me how to prepare for and how to take exams. High school was difficult for me, my best was always expected. There were a lot of students much smarter than I was. Once the academic pressure was accepted, it did open a pathway for future learning. So what I would say to my past self is to "embrace the struggle, it will make you stronger. Always be a student and to never stop learning."
SLUH made my world bigger….bigger than my neighborhood, the parish school, and anywhere I could only reach on a bike or a bus. I was never on a plane until my mid 20s, and had only been to one other state until college. SLUH was different. It had people from across the entire St. Louis area with different ideas, different gifts, different dreams, and different expectations. My world continued to get bigger after SLUH, e.g. living in different cities, different countries, with extensive international travel for work and pleasure.
Aside from the epiphanies of the larger world at SLUH, I’ve lost count of the times I’ve benefitted over the past 50 years from the Spanish language capability I had after 4 years at SLUH. The foreign language department at SLUH is exceptional. Take advantage of the opportunity. You might appreciate it later in life.
1. Don't be afraid to try something new. You never know what opportunities can arise by accepting a new challenge.
2. Put forth your maximum effort in whatever you do, whether it's academics, athletics, or employment. Don't wonder "what if I had tried even a little harder?"
3. Above all, enjoy life. Find something that you can embrace with joy and passion, and make the most of it.
Whenever you are hesitant to speak, don't be. I have never heard anything spoken by others that was more important than what you have to say.
Embrace your experience at SLUH including extracurriculars. For me, and I'm sure many others, my preparation and formation at SLUH was more significant than my college education.
Enjoy your four years. You are making lifetime friends. Value your family. Strive to keep God in your life And remember - somebody has to be ranked 212!
Your SLUH education is an incredible gift. The faculty and staff are devoted to your success and really care about you. Study hard and don't be afraid to ask for help with your studies or personal challenges. We alumni are proud of your accomplishments. Take as many 1818/AP courses as you can. In college many of these courses are taught in lecture halls with hundreds of other students. Take advantage of the small class sizes at SLUH. A prior administrator at SLUH was once asked what she knew about SLUH alumni. She replied that SLUH alumni are gentlemen who truly care about each other. Remember this. Savor your time at SLUH and take care.
This life is not real, but necessary. Always aim at its source. Cherish and maintain the relationships that you develop during your years at SLUH.
Those friendships are the foundations that will sustain your physical, mental, and spiritual growth for all
The years you are granted on earth and your legacy remaining after you are called home by the creator.
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Don't be afraid to take risks in your business life. I had 6 different jobs with radically different companies over 45 years, every one of them was a good move and I learnt so much more than if I had stayed put. Don't get too "comfortable", always be prepared to make a move if it's upward. Never stop learning, find that thing you are passionate about and commit to learning more every day about that.
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Explore and grow your Faith. It will steer your morality for the rest of your life.
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Questions?
Mike Mcinnis
mike.mcinnis68@gmail.com
Dave Vreeland
dlvree@yahoo.com