Here is a bit of wisdom from the Jesuit faculty and staff. It is my hope that this knowledge will be used to enhance every senior’s college experience.
Thank you to all of the Jesuit community willing to answer my question.
Mrs. Elchlepp: Find something they love to do outside of their major and don’t miss out on that opportunity.
Mrs. Ellsworth: Be willing to go outside your comfort zone because it is primarily outside our comfort zone that we grow.
Mr. Parker: Do your best to maintain your connection and relationship with your family. Never let go of where you come from and who’s waiting for you at home.
Mr. Segal: Be sure to leave your comfort zone, get to know people you wouldn’t normally get to know, go to activities you don’t have experience with, take a class in an area you haven’t studied before.
Mr. Patterson: Study abroad and take advantage of new perspectives and opportunities available to you.
Mr. O’Brien: Never lose sight of the kind of man you want to be after college. Use the overwhelming amount of opportunity to move yourself closer to that man. Also, always do your studying in the mornings, and try your best to keep a journal.
Mr. Knight: Find a faith community to be a part of to continue their growth in becoming men for and with others.
Ms. Rodriguez: Save some money.
Ms. Holmes: If possible, go straight from your undergrad school to graduate. Always live by your own integrity.
Mr. Riemer: Make a habit out of calling mom and dad, not texting. Call at least once a week same time if possible and just spend 15 minutes chatting. Freshman year find three things and only three things to get involved in. One academic thing out of class, one social, and one in a sort of leadership or service or faith based opportunity.
Mr. Hoffman: If you find yourself in academic trouble, ask for help sooner than later.
Mr. Ochs: Go to college and enjoy the fact that you’re learning a field that you want to pursue for the rest of your life. Determine your general interests and then pursue the field and do something you like.
Mr. Katz: Cultivate a broad array of interests. Try new things. Be well-rounded and try to be well-balanced.
Mrs. Boyle: Be open to new opportunities because you never know- if your eyes are closed, you may never be able to see the opportunities available.
Dr. Smith: If you can travel, study abroad, college is a good time to explore because you can always come back to home when you’re ready.
Mrs. Sanchez: Follow your passion, do what you like, not what others want you to do. When you make a mistake, pick yourself up and keep on going.
Mrs. Mattachione: Before you make any decisions, count to three mattachiones.
Mrs. Blackford: Enjoy every part of college- class, sports, clubs, and your new friends- because this is a special time in your life.
Mr. Kolker: Look forward to where you are going, be who you are, remember where you came from.
Mrs. Maggard: Remember that things are never as good or as bad as they seem and to keep your eye on the ball.
Mr. Waits: Keep a journal.
Mr. Nevitt: Choose your friends wisely because you end up acting like the people you hang out with.
Ms. Jones: Choose your friends wisely, because they shape the direction you go in life and that is very important.
Mr. Asche: If you can study overseas, do it. Depending on your career you may never get the chance to spend an extended period of time in another country and the experience is invaluable. Don’t get married until your mid to late twenties. Know who you are before you bring someone else into the equation, plus live a little.
Mr. Profitt: Over the next couple of year, travel, go somewhere, have an adventure before you graduate, get a job and get married, go out into the world. Get out of Texas, out of the U.S., see places. It’s a lot harder to do that with a wife and children. And say thank you to your teachers.
Coach Robert Williams: Be true to yourself and never forget where you came from and your parents teach you right from wrong, you have to decide whether to say yes or no.
Mr. Mullen: If you’re not a morning person do not take morning classes. Don’t write off the experiences of older people just because you feel they’re out of touch with society today.
Mrs. Ruthie Olguin: Go right away to college and don’t stop. Even if you don’t know what you want to study, finish it.
Mrs. Mack: Learn how to iron a shirt and how to keep your reds out of your whites.
Ms. Candice Price: Cherish the time with your family, especially if college is far off, and keep in touch.
Mrs. Natalie Devero: Take advantage of faculty, opportunities, and everything on campus that can allow you to grow as an individual. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try new things so you can learn from others.
Ms. Jessica Harbin: Don’t be in a rush, enjoy life as it happens, don’t wish away the present.
Mr. Murdter: At this point you may think you’re done learning, there’s still much more learning to be done. You’ve reached a point where you have to take ownership of your mistakes and be responsible for your actions.
Mrs. Gerber: Here Jesuit provides you with places to grow in brotherhood at a deeper level, find ways in college to allow for that space with your friends.
Mrs. Williams: Get involved with something that helps you manage your time and create a routine.
Mr. Hanley: Recognize the gifts you’ve been given here and pass them on to others so they may learn and grow as you have.
Mr. McGowan: Treat college as a job- if you work 40 hours a week, then you’ll get the weekend off and still earn straight A’s.
Mrs. Rowe: Practice honesty until you master it while you work to develop your true self.
Mr. Hill: To this above all else, to thine own self be true.
Mr. T.J. Howard: Do what you love and take advantage of opportunities.
Coach Martin: Be true to yourself and to the values of the formation of your Jesuit education and always give back.
Mrs. Carver: Do what makes you happy, be open to changes in your life and focus on the positives.
Mrs. Bean: Stay focused but enjoy yourself.
Mr. Dondis: Don’t forget to pick up your kids.
Mr. Bub: Make sure when you’re in college that you take at least one class that won’t advance your career in the slightest.
Mrs. DesOrmeaux: Take the classes you’re most scared of first.
Ms. Lahey: Be open to taking chances and listen to your inner voice.
Mr. Lugo: When you get to college, don’t be afraid of meeting new people.
Mr. DiLorenzo: Try lots of new things in college. There will never be a time when you are more free to explore your interests. Also, Karel will miss you very much. ​
Dr. Gruninger: Be open to other people’s opinions and ways of life.
Ms. Jones: Don’t graduate from college with a bunch of loans. For graduate school, this is the time to take out loans. Don’t get so far in debt; watch your money.
Mr. Wright: The most precious commodity in life is time, so don’t waste it.
Mr. Nava: No matter what you have planned for yourself, God’s got something better in store; your world’s about to get rocked so enjoy it.
Mr. Ortiz: Not everyone takes the same path, not everyone needs the same path. Make sure you enjoy the path you take and if you don’t, change it.
Mr. Hornsby: Work as hard as you can, but stop and savor the little things when possible.
Mr. Luisi: Take a moment to stop and reflect privately on what your Jesuit experience has meant to you and stay in touch to what Jesuit means to you, but be open to wherever else life calls you to.
Mr. Ornelas: Have no regrets when you leave Jesuit. Find your group of friends in college that will last a lifetime.
Mrs. Stewart: If we want to be reflective people, then we need to be present to the moment we’re living in.
Mr. Donahue: Go to class, do the reading, make sure you introduce yourself to the professors; if you do all these three things, you’ll be successful in college.
Mr. Skrhak: Have as much fun as possible in college because it goes by so fast. Do as much as possible and make sure to go to your classes because it makes college a breeze. Work hard, play hard.
Mrs. Cathy Mullin: Stay focused and know that it’s okay to change degree plans.
Mr. Berend: Everything can be achieved through hard work. Do what you say you’re going to do and you’ll go a long way.
Mr. McDaniel: Go to class.
Coach Mattachione: You only get out of school what you put into it. Don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone.
Mr. Burrell: Don’t be afraid to think through decisions and read.
Mrs. Miller: Stay in touch with your Jesuit brothers, as you’ll find they’ll be your best friends.
Mrs. Miramontes: Come home often and visit your family. Truly enjoy those four years because they fly by, and remember to go to Mass.
Mr. Earsing: Try to keep having that relationship with God. Don’t lose the desire to have a relationship with him because it will serve you well.
Mr. Kirby: don’t be afraid to try something new, face every opportunity with an open heart.
Mr. Knize: no matter where you go remember the foundation Jesuit has given you and be a good person, grades, involvement ambition, all of that is important in college, but the most important is this to be a good person.
Officer Scoggins: think before you act.
Mr. Civello: seize the moment before the moment is gone.
Coach Parr: get as many new experiences as possible and start working to your future during college. the people who are successful in their late 20’s got there because they began chasing their dream while still in college.
Mrs. Segal: take advantage of the academic opportunities you are given because you will regret it later if you don’t.
Fr. Leise: remember the values you’ve learned here at Jesuit.
Coach grimes: keep an open mind, embrace adventure and change, challenge yourself everyday.
Mr. Wester: do what you need to do when you need to do it, so later you can do what you want when you want.
Mr. Meyers: You have the opportunity to recreate the world so don’t listen to old people they’re usually projecting their own fears onto you or their past mistakes.
Mr. Armstrong: search for what you really really want to do and when you find it go all in.
Fr. Huete: stay close to your faith community because most of the time those people will have your best interest at heart.
Coach Moro: have fun, but don’t do anything stupid to make your parents cry.
Coach Jones: enjoy your last semester and view college as your job. Take advantage of the situation.
Coach Gavin: listen and be open to new experiences because everyone you meet will know something you don’t.
Coach Pointer: say no to drugs.
Coach Thompson: have a strong first semester, hunker down and attack that first semester.
Coach Hickman: hang around the right people that are good influences. Be able to motivate yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask somewhat out on a date.
Coach Maturi: remember why your at college. You’re there to work and learn how to make a living and be productive. Be disciplined. Don’t hang around negative people. You’re reputation is forever.
Coach Weeks: only stupid bad things happen when you’re drunk.
Coach Golab: treat everyone you meet with respect especially first impressions, you never know where they’ll take you.
Coach Short: Don’t burn any bridges.
Coach Cahill: travel is the only thing that will cost you money and still make you richer. Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change. be open to different environment, cultures, and opinions. Life with throw you rocks and life will throw you diamonds just hope all the rocks don’t come at the wrong time.
Mr. Williams: when you get to college appreciate where you are and don’t try to relive high school.
Coach Delong: find this academic pursuits that you really enjoy because you’ll soon find your self real scholarly. Find the connection in that class to what you want to and then you will enjoy it more. Find good people to associate with that can up lift you with their personality.
Mr. Marr: stay focused on your true passions, don’t be afraid to change your mind. You have lots of choices.
Mr. Host: be true to yourself, be the person you know you are.
Mr. Murphy: stay close to Jesuit, always remember you have a home here. Try to keep in touch with your brothers as best you can.
Mr. Oglesby: stay true to being a man for others and always keep the brotherhood of 2015 written in your heart.
Mr. Hudson: wherever it is you end up be thankful for your new experience and be open to any opportunity that passes by you.
Mr. Perry: Don’t forget.
Mr. Kelley: try something you never thought you would do because you learn so much about yourself that way. College is not the best four years of your life, it is a new chapter and an exciting time of growth and independence with many awesome chapters to follow.
Mrs. O’Neal: take full advantage your situation. Get involved. Don’t be afraid to explore different areas you weren’t involved in before.
Coach Hill: I hope it’s not easy, I hope you have to work for it and it prepares you for life and it makes life easier. I hope you enjoy it though.
Mrs. Thomas: be your self, don’t let anything get in the way of what you really want to do and don’t listen to anyone’s advice but your parents.
Mrs. Eads: Make sure you get an education, it’s very important in this day and age and enjoy your four years there.
Coach Alexander: have a plan, think about what you want to do when you get to college, and what you want to do after college. Plan for it, give it serious thought, then attack it.
Mrs. Marino: always try to do your best and give a hundred percent. try to be the best person you can be and remember where you came from.
Coach Robinson: don’t sweat the small stuff, the things that may trouble you or bother you now in five years won’t amount to a hill of beans. be yourself and give God the lead, don’t get in your own way.
Mr. Howard: be open minded to try new things, get involved with things your passionate about.
Mr. Triplett: find and follow what your interests are, it makes learning easier.
Mr. Howell: make a personal relationship with your professors, make yourself a name and not just a number. Get out of your dorm room, don’t sit there all day.
Mrs. Savoy: make little mistakes not big ones.
Mr. Batik: learn how to cook or make at least one food that does not require you to only heat it in a microwave or boil it in water.
Mr. Billingham: If you don’t find your career it will find you.
Mr. DuRoss: never stop exploring, and always trust in God.
Mr. Reese: the life long pursuit of wisdom is greater than an individual act of wisdom. It’s all about the journey, not the arrival.
Mr. McGhee: figure out as much as possible about who you are what your values are, the truest sense of who you are before you jump into this world of college.
Fr. Hooks: live moderately and call your mother.
Mrs. Farrell: sign up for classes early, and that way you can have your afternoons free to study, and it leaves room for play. Don’t forget the value that have guided you through the journey thus far. The idea of being a Man for Others is a solid foundation for the rest of your life.
Mrs. Young: stay in touch with your Jesuit friends and mentors because they will become lasting relationships.
Mrs. Soich: work very hard freshman year because that sets the ground work for future years to maintain a good GPA. Stay in touch with your mother/mother figure and let them know how much you love them.
Mrs. Murad: keep God by your side because when all else fails he will always be there for you.
Mr. Lingel: remember to use the experiences that you have had at Jesuit and use the models of people and decisions as a lens as you move forward in how you approach college and life.
Coach Henly: This School has given you everything that you will need to know. If you follow what this school has taught you, you’ll be fine.
Mrs. Ochs: sleep is underrated.
Mr. Von: a very important thing is to never be afraid to take a risk. Find a balance between your dreams and reality. Don’t be afraid to get hurt because if you are you’ll never grow. Always give people a chance to respond before you judge them.
Mr. Antes: Work harder than you think necessary. Produce results versus expect rewards. Be kind to everyone you encounter.
Mrs. Bianchi: continue to look for ways to embody the idea of Men for Others wherever you go.
Mr. Fitzsimmons: treat the academic part of college like a job, if you had a job you wouldn’t wait to ten the night before to prepare for something due tomorrow. The biggest problem people have is managing the free time.
Mr. Shoemaker: be wary of too much “collegeing.”
Mrs. Crowder: You have only a short time at the college/university you pick… so discern what course of study, job, or extracurricular will bring you the most joy and make you excited to get out of bed in the morning… and pursue that. Time is too short to waste on what you think you SHOULD be doing.
Mr. Harrington: don’t forget to have fun, don’t forget to enjoy what you’re doing.
Fr. Leise: remember that you’re purpose isn’t just to have a good time.
Mrs. Bean: treat college as a job, put in the hours and have fun after your work.
Mr. Oswald: college is a place to learn and not to party, you can always party after you graduate.
Fr Edwards: make sure that you have an ongoing spiritual life, intellectual life, have someone you can talk to, do some physical exercise everyday if uu can, and keep up on your grades.
Mrs. Smith: enjoy the whole college experience.
Mr. Triplett: get involved, take morning classes, do your work in the afternoon, you’re done when everyone else is done with their classes, but you’re free to do whatever you want to.
Mr. Harmon: don’t be afraid of faith, it can be the strength that you need if you let it, especially in college it’s easy to fall and trip up and we forget God is all loving and all forgiving and is always there for us.
Mrs. Morton: if you’ve decided what you’re going to do in high school, and it changes in college there is no reason you can’t change your mind.
Mr. Crownover: just go to class, 90 percent of life is showing up, manage your time. Get up in the morning and go to class. Opportunity only knocks but once sometimes, life may take you different directions, don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone.
Dr. Degen: go to mass as often as you can; carry a set of rosary beads in your pocket; find a good place in the library; treat your freshmen grades as if they will determine your career; practice restraint.
Mr. Nielson: take the values you’ve learned at Jesuit with you and be an example for others.
Fr. Leninger: Pray everyday for God’s blessing of wisdom and understanding.
Coach Menard: Don’t procrastinate, stay focused, remember where you came from and never look back.
Mr. Host: don’t compromise your principles.
Mr. Marr: set goals, be open to new and sometimes strange experiences, and be flexible because things don’t always work out the way you want them to, and have fun.
Mr. Putnam: No matter how tired you are go to class.
Coach Wunderkick: Don’t skip class, do as best you can freshman year, the rest are easier after that, in hind sight it’s better to miss a party or two.
Mrs. Souders: Sometimes in order to get where you need to be, you have to go down roads you’d rather not.
Trost: don’t skip class.
Coach Hinton Jr: you’re gonna miss high school once it’s over.
Mrs. Heartsill:Try to have fun and enjoy it without getting into trouble.
Mr. Ramirez: Continue with your education, you learn so much at Jesuit, don’t quit in college.
Mrs. Progar: Don’t procrastinate.
Dr. McFarland:Don’t let anyone define your boundaries for you.
Coach Hinton Sr: Remember what you learned at Jesuit and apply it to your college life and to your adult life. Remember you stand for men for other.
Mr. Kramer: “Resist the temptation to be motivated by the optics of wealth and fame, for that kind of happiness is fleeting. Pursue your passions!”
Mrs. Camara: Your future awaits, don’t forget you have to work hard for it.
Mr. Lanier: it’s for the real deal, you can’t sacrifice, you have to take care of your business. They don’t care about you like we do, you have to be upfront.
Mr. Naughton: Spend some time each day in quiet, and reflect on the things that you are grateful for in your life.
Mr. Garrison: go the library like its your job, nobody in college is going to hold you accountable. it is vitally important that you manage your time, don’t skip classes. Determine what is important to you, the principles that you believe in and measure your decisions against those beliefs.
Mrs. Klickman: Meet new people, college should be a new experience, not just hanging around with people you know, look for people sitting by themselves or that are like minded in studying habits, make sure you know how to do laundry, that you have some healthy snacks in your room, take care of yourself and the people around you. Push yourself to take a very different class or a challenging class. Study abroad if you can financially. It’s marketable when your looking for a job. Don’t text your mom everyday. Make your own decisions, but let her know your ok once or twice a week.
Mr. Ackels: Surround yourself with good people because at the end of the day that will make you happy.
Coach Adamson:enjoy the moment and be smart and stay safe
Coach Leal: everyday you wake up take it all in cause it’s gonna go fast. Take time to be yourself and enjoy the experience.
Coach Moyse: Keep your eye on the prize, it’s not over yet. Keep academics first. It will be the most you have in your life, even without making poor choices.
Mrs. Mersch: When your your bags for college. Pack a mental bag of all the lessons you’ve learned and all the values you hold dear, take them with you and hold them tight. When the world comes at you hold on tight to those things and take them into the world and don’t forget your mother loves you.
