Dear Archbishop Carroll,
Thank you for all that you have done for me. After first stepping foot in Carroll, I could immediately feel that it was a special place. Even when school is difficult, I try to remind myself how fortunate I am to be at Carroll. I am so grateful that I attend a school where I can practice my beliefs freely and be challenged academically. Carroll may not be perfect, but no school is. Carroll has given me the tools, understanding, community, and opportunities that make me confident that I will succeed in my future endeavors. There is no place I would rather have spent my past four years.
These past four years have gone by in a flash, and they haven’t been the least bit boring. High school is like a roller coaster filled with many ups and downs. I can say with complete certainty that I would not have been able to persevere through those ups and downs without the support of the community I have found at Archbishop Carroll. I am beyond grateful for the friendships I have made here. I am extremely blessed to have met such amazing people who will be my friends forever. As the school year comes to an end, I find myself feeling more sentimental each day. I look around the classroom at the friends who have supported me through all of the hardships I have faced the past four years. The feeling is bittersweet. Although I know things will never be the same as they are now, I am also overwhelmed with excitement to start a new chapter in my life.
My advice for all the current students at Carroll is to recognize the people that are the structure of our community, especially our teachers. Every teacher at Carroll I have interacted with has proven to me how devoted they are to their students and school, through both their teaching and their daily actions. I know the teachers at Carroll care about me and want me to be great. Whether it’s through teaching me a concept in math until they’re certain I understand, or making sure I am doing well after being out for a couple days, I can see how much they care for me. This is something that not every school has. It is important to remember that we are why teachers do what they do, and we should never take that for granted. So, goodbye Carroll and thank you for all of the craziness, joy, laughter, and pivotal learning experiences you have brought me. I would not have wanted it any other way.
