UPDATED 2/14/22
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!
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