My freshman year Spanish III teacher would always tell my class, “Grades don’t matter.” Mr. Bill “Coacher” Davis was the type of teacher who felt he needed to pass along life lessons to his students. Unlike a vast majority of the little nuggets of wisdom he chose to share with us, his “grades don’t matter” theory actually seems to hold some merit. At the time, I thought it was ridiculous; of course grades mattered, how else was I supposed to get into college? However, as I experienced more of high school, I realized what Coacher was really saying: focusing solely on getting good grades isn’t worth missing out on other aspects of the high school experience. Do well academically, but also strive to learn outside of the classroom; life can often be the greatest teacher. Ever since I made this realization, I let this sentiment define my high school life. I tried my best in school, but I also placed an emphasis on learning by living. By getting involved in my local and school communities and by traveling the world to explore other cultures, I was able to learn significantly more than I possibly could have just by being in the classroom. 

While learning in the classroom is important, I gained much more real-world experience in my pursuits away from the classroom. I am considering a career in journalism, so from my time as the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, The Augustinian, I gained the career experience my pursuits in the classroom could not give me. From managing an entire newspaper production staff, to writing and editing multiple articles on a time crunch, to staying after school for hours on end, my time working for The Augustinian was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. My skills as a writer and as a journalist improved dramatically during my time with the paper. The current events articles I wrote allowed me to do research on topics I had not previously explored, which guided me in forming my own political and cultural opinions. My humor articles allowed me to express my creativity and share my personality with teachers, particularly through the highly-dramatized feud between my newspaper alter ego, Dr. Griffin, PhD., and my statistics teacher, Mr. Wehbe. Even the “problem child” articles from less-than-responsible staff writers benefited me, as rewriting entire articles with a two hour deadline rapidly taught me to think on my feet. Late night editing sessions with my staff gave me experiences that translate directly to the real world. While my English classes were helpful in teaching me the principles of grammar, my time with The Augustinian gave me a much more practical skill set that will allow me to excel in my future career. 

Throughout high school, I also had the opportunity to travel and connect with people from across the world. My sophomore year, I was invited to attend the Student Augustinian Values Institute (SAVI) at Villanova Preparatory School in Ojai, CA. At SAVI, I met students from other Augustinian Catholic schools from around the country. We discussed how we could improve our schools and how to live our lives in further pursuit of the Augustinian core values of unitas, veritas, and caritas, or unity, truth, and love. My SAVI experience gave me friends for life, as I grew closer with the other students from my school, as well as with students from the other Augustinian schools, one of whom also goes to Catholic. I also travelled throughout Italy on a pilgrimage with my school, and to Portugal for the Augustinian Youth Encounter (AYE) and World Youth Day (WYD). In Italy, we journeyed from the bustling city of Milan, to the quiet Tuscan hillsides of San Gimignano, to the grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and the Vatican. It was a life-changing experience, exploring cities and learning about Italian culture by day and having intense philosophical conversations about the meaning of life with my friends by night. In Portugal, I formed a stronger foundation for my faith. From discussions on the ministry of the Augustinian Order at AYE, to feeling the power of the Catholic youth of the world at WYD, I was able to share my opinions and beliefs with a group of young people from around the world. During these conversations, I helped translate for my fellow English-speaking pilgrims, giving me another practical application for my Spanish skills. My experiences travelling the world helped put me in touch with my faith, connecting me to millions of people around the globe, and exposing me to different cultures and traditions. 

Going through high school with a “grades don’t matter” mentality gave me a rich and meaningful high school experience. I accomplished tremendous academic achievements, but I learned just as much, if not more, from life experiences outside of the classroom. These experiences shaped me into the man I am today; they armed me with the real-world skills that I will continue to use and appreciate throughout the rest of my life.