Our Journey has just begun

Recently, I reread the letter and it hit me that our seven-year journey was really coming to a close. The thought that I wouldn’t walk the halls of Belen with my brothers again is incomprehensible. It feels like just yesterday that I looked down at my ID and scoffed at the idea that I would be graduating in 2017. Then it seems as if, with just a blink, I will be walking across the stage at the James L. Knight Center.

 

Ever since I started at Belen, golf has been my thing. However, after my junior season, back problems kept me away from the golf course. This presented me with a serious dilemma. I couldn’t stand the thought of going home after school every day instead of taking part in an after school activity. Little did I know that this injury would be a blessing in disguise, because I decided that I was going to do something to help me grow as a person and give back to the school that had already given so much to me. I decided to run for Student Council President and at the end of my junior year, I was very fortunate to be elected. This incredible opportunity has helped me develop into a better leader, brother, and man.

 

To say that student council accomplished a lot this year would be an understatement. We were able to bring back intramural sports, field day, the Big Brother program, Mini Olympics, the Kickoff dance, Senior Week, and somehow even get a helicopter to land in the middle of our pep rally! Although, I have received great feedback for all that we accomplished this year, the credit belongs to so many people because it takes a village to pull it all off. It belongs to the eleven individuals in the cabinet who spent countless hours planning and running these events. It belongs to Mr. Jordan, Dr. de Quesada, Mr. Roca, and Fr. Willie who turned our ideas into realities. It belongs to the homeroom representatives who met every month to provide input on how we could improve. It belongs to the people behind the scenes, the maintenance staff in particular, who took time out of their busy schedules to make sure that each event was set up perfectly and to so many countless others.

 

My biggest thank you, however, goes to the class of 2017. The unprecedented amount of positive energy coming from each member of our class made this year unforgettable. The bonds that we have formed at Belen Jesuit will permeate distance and time. While our Belen experience as students is coming to a close, our journey has just begun. As we go on our separate ways, the class of 2017 will make its presence felt around the world. Not just because we are a group of talented individuals, but because we have had a stellar education. Today, we are ready to go forth and set the world on fire because we’ve had and will always have teachers, priests, and counselors that believe in us.  Now, it’s our turn to take the values, knowledge, and faith that they have instilled in us and make our mark in the world.

 

Thank you for an unforgettable seven years. I will forever bleed blue and gold.