“I want you to begin with the end in mind.”
These words echoed throughout the Terry Center as Mr. Garrison, principal of Jesuit, began the first prayer service of the 2014-2015 school year.
Elaborating on this idea, Mr. Garrison explained the necessity for every student to actively participate in his own personal development, his growth towards becoming a man for and with others. Specifically, Mr. Garrison encouraged the students to focus on the end goal of their journey: the Profile of the Jesuit Graduate at Graduation.
The Profile of the Graduate at Graduation consists of six general categories that outline the ideal qualities present in a Jesuit graduate, qualities that will best suit a young man to succeed in the world outside of Jesuit. This year, Mr. Garrison wanted to specifically accentuate the importance of being mindful about the Profile every day, because he “[doesn’t] want the Profile to happen by accident.”
“I think sometimes we do things by accident here,” remarked Mr. Garrison in regards to the personal advancements students make. “If each student makes a devotion to bettering himself every day with the Profile as the goal, nothing can stop him. It’s not hard to do good things around here, with so many good people ready to help you do good things.”
Mr. Garrison, a graduate of the Jesuit class of 1992, was not exposed to the Profile in the same way that current Jesuit students are. The Profile was only adopted in 1982, making it a relatively new feature of the Jesuit education during his time as a student. “[The Profile] wasn’t dispersed to the students yet…it was this new thing,” commented Mr. Garrison.
Today, a time in which the Profile is a staple of every student’s Jesuit experience, Mr. Garrison wants to reprioritize, to bring the essence of the Profile back into the spotlight, and to enlighten the Jesuit community on its true importance.
Clearly, his message resonated with the audience. Freshman Josh Betanzos shared his feelings on Mr. Garrison’s speech: “When I got to Jesuit, my focus was mainly on making new friends and getting involved with school life. But the prayer service helped to steer my mindset back to one of the most important reasons that I was at Jesuit: becoming a man for others.”
Now, the significance of living out the Profile will stick with this year’s Jesuit students as they look forward to the rest of their year and begin with the end in mind.
