Dear Carroll, 

What a journey it has been. When I was in second grade, I answered questions about what I thought my older self would be like, and wrote a letter to my eighth grade self. Our teachers held on to the questions for 6 years, and at the end of eighth grade we got to open them and read them. I definitely made a lot of poor predictions, including my future high school. I don’t think I was even aware of my current high school when I was 8. My second grade self thought I would go to O’Hara, but I am sure glad I chose Carroll. 

As an eighth grader, our class was the oldest and the biggest at my grade school. My class was the “Top dogs,” but all of that changes going into high school. As a freshman, you’re now the little babies, but you learn from older students a lot. That was one of the things I appreciated most when I was an underclassmen, that upperclassmen would take you under their wing and help you out. That is the energy and the community that Carroll has. 

Through my next couple years, Carroll helped me to grow and blossom into a young man that is now ready to take on the world. It is crazy realizing that I was able to get to be that upperclassmen who took other kids under my wing and helped them. I realized that high school is a lot about perspective. Looking back as a freshman, it was so intimidating and scary at first, but now Carroll is my home and I am so glad to have been able to be a leader at this school and a role model for others like many were for me when I was younger. 

In eighth grade, I decided to choose Carroll over many other schools because of the energy that the school has. Students love being here, and there is a powerful sense of community. This place has given so much to me, and I really don’t think there is a way that I can ever truly pay that back. All I can really do now is thank those who have made this experience so special for me.

Sincerely, 

Liam Buckley