Dear Carroll,
I’m not really sure where to begin. Four years ago, I came to this school as a nervous yet excited boy from St. Katherine’s just down Lancaster Avenue in Wayne. I vividly remember sitting in my first period class on the first day of freshman year thinking, “Here we go.” This school has given me so much over the last four years that it is difficult for me to describe. I have been given great friends and gotten the opportunity to better myself for the rest of my life. Carroll has helped me get into a great college which will set me up for success in life. I couldn’t be more grateful for the friendly staff that helped me along the way, even when things were tough. I never would have been in the position I am today without this school and for that I will always be grateful.
Another thing I need to thank Carroll for is golf. My love for golf did not begin until I arrived at Carroll. The spring of my freshman year I decided to play on the golf team which was totally new to me. Naturally, I was very nervous and due to my lack of experience, I underperformed. I was overwhelmed with nerves and disappointment with my play to the point where I strongly considered quitting all together. If it wasn’t for our head coach, Dave Waldmann, that definitely would have been the case. However, I was encouraged to keep trying and stay with golf. This ended up being the best advice I have ever received in my life as I not only stayed with it, but excelled. Thanks in large part to coach Dave’s mentorship, I went from the worst player on the team to earning back-to-back All-Catholic and committing to play college golf in just two seasons. Without this contribution from a member of the Archbishop Carroll community, my life would be drastically different.
In conclusion, my experience at Archbishop Carroll has exceeded my expectations and given me relationships, memories, and ideals that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. If I could go back and tell the confused 8th grader considering other high schools one thing it would be stick to your gut. Carroll truly is “The place to be.”
Thank you,
Jake Johnson
