I did not know where to go to high school in seventh grade. My dad and brother went to Mount Carmel, but I was not sold on it yet. Yet now the week before graduation I could not be more confident in my decision of choosing MC.

Once I shadowed Matthew Kenzinger ‘23 and went to the Honors Program Preview, I realized that MC would be my new home. There were still many questions, though. Would I still be receiving a challenging education in the classroom? Would I be prepared for college? What was this brotherhood that I keep hearing about? 

As I walked into the halls of 64th and Dante on my first day of freshman year, I started to understand what it means to go to MC. Most importantly, Mount Carmel has prepared me academically for both high school and college. 

The transition from grade school to high school was significant, which I figured out once I saw the score on my first biology test in Mr. David Glonek’s class. For the first time in my life, I actually had to study, and I was doing all of my work completely independently. No teachers were going to check if I turned an assignment in or not. It was quite the wake-up call. However, I was able to adjust by staying disciplined to my new studying routine and learning how to manage my time. 

These habits would take me through my first two years very smoothly, especially as I started my AP experience with AP World History and AP Comparative Government. While junior year was slightly more difficult, senior year gave me my toughest challenge. I decided to take the hardest possible course load at MC, which included five AP courses. For that same reason though, it was the most impactful. I had to work my hardest this year, and I was privileged with having some of the best teachers in the school. 

Almost every day, my teachers would give up their time to help me study practice problems or cover new material outside of school. While I could hardly cover the workload every day, my teachers are what allowed me to succeed. Every teacher was 100% dedicated to not only challenging me, but also developing me as a better young man. I could not be more grateful for them. 

Additionally, these same teachers and faculty prepared me for the world beyond MC. They, especially my English teachers, provided a curriculum that allowed me to score well on the ACT and get into the schools I wanted. In combination with the hours of revising and editing my college application materials with Mrs. Kristina Luster, I was accepted into my top choice, the University of Notre Dame. Before high school, I never had such high aspirations in terms of my career, but MC and its staff certainly guided me every step of the way so that I could give myself the best opportunity of fulfilling my academic goals. 

Academics were always my top priority, but the other part of my experience was the family-like community that surrounded me, literally everywhere. 

Coming into Freshman Orientation, I only had two other kids from my grammar school attending MC with me, and I probably vaguely knew ten to fifteen other kids. I took a chance on going somewhere where none of my friends were going, and it resulted in creating lifelong friends or, rather, brothers. Today, I have a solidified group of guys that will probably all be at my wedding and giving speeches. That is the way I feel about the brothers I have made through my experience. I feel as if the fact that none of us knew each other going in actually helped us become closer together.

In addition to my brothers, there are hundreds of alumni who I have built personal relationships with. I could talk for hours about all the things that they have done for me, but I will focus on one key point. Just as my teachers guided me to succeed academically, there are some alumni who have also gone above and beyond to help me continue my education. These people have done whatever it takes to help me, and they continue to offer assistance whenever I need it. They are just as big of a reason as my friends for making me feel like I am part of a family. In fact, they have made MC the second most important community in my life outside of my immediate family. That is the MC brotherhood. 

So the school has been great for supporting me in my last four years, but what about the values they have instilled in me so that I can support others? The most obvious to me is when I decided to host my classmate and brother, Leonard Siegal. As Leonard’s parents were moving to New York, he was going to have to switch schools again. Losing him would not only be a big blow to me as a friend but also to the school community. As a result, my parents and I made the difficult decision of offering up our home for him to stay. Since he has moved in, we have had many challenges together, but we have grown so much as well. He has taught me to be patient and considerate, and I am a better man for it. Now, we will be leaving MC… only to both go to Notre Dame next year. 

My time within the classroom here may be finished, but my time to make an impact because of the school has just begun. I will forever be a part of the brotherhood on 6410 S. Dante. Could I have gone to another school? One closer to my house? One with more students? One with… girls? Yes, but I would never be able to replicate the amazing experience I had here. 

I am nothing without what the teachers, alumni, and brothers at MC have helped make me.