Dear Saint Patrick,
I walked into Saint Patrick High School a boy who only knew public schooling. I hadn’t been baptized and I knew nothing about Christianity. I was a student at William E. Dever School and played football for eight years at Oriole Park. As my time here is winding down, it is hard to imagine that four years has gone by this fast. I came to this school a boy and I am proud to say I am walking away from Saint Patrick High School a man.
During my time here, I have proudly been a part of many organizations and events. I was a football player for four years and was awarded the Walter Payton Leadership Award. I played on varsity as a sophomore and was voted captain for my last two seasons. Although I am not continuing my playing career in college, I am proud to say that I left all I had out on the field during my time at Saint Patrick. I will never forget the feeling of running onto the field as “The Blood of Chuchulain” plays. I cannot thank my coaches and teammates enough for the endless number of hours they put into this program.
I also was a Kairos leader multiple times and am very proud of our students for taking part in something that pushes them out of their comfort zones. I served as President of the National Honor Society. It was a privilege to work with so many great people in this organization. During my senior year, I was Vice President of the Student Council.
During my time here, I was able to develop my faith and learn about Brotherhood. People throw that term around quite loosely, but it truly has strength when said in the halls of this school. I have made many friendships and bonds that will never be forgotten. Many of the people who have had a great influence on me have gone on to pursue new opportunities but the affect these people had on me and this school live on. I can see the Brotherhood in this school in teachers like Mr. Ebrom. Mr. Ebrom gives his full self to this school. Being a Shamrock as a student and a teacher, Mr. Ebrom knows what this school needs to remain successful and continues to deliver year after year. He and other great teachers and coaches have shown me that being yourself and giving your best effort are the most important part of growing up.
I have learned to express myself in my acting classes and graphic design classes. Coming into Saint Patrick I never thought I had any artistic ability but with Mrs. Wood and Mr. Arndt’s guidance, I have learned that the expression of self is the most important part of the Arts.
I will never forget the many inside jokes with friends, long nights of studying, and the togetherness of the sports events, but I now must move on to the next chapter of my life. I will be pursuing a higher education studying Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. But I know that I will always be a Shamrock. I will take the lessons I have learned here and proudly represent St. Pat’s moving forward. I am happy to say I will be going to Illinois with many friends I made here, but even if I wasn’t, I know that the Shamrock Brotherhood would stay present in my heart.
Sincerely,
Thomas Tedesso ‘18
