A Farewell Speech / National Honor Society Induction Address
STUDENT INTRODUCTORY REMARKS:
Our keynote speaker for today is a very special man. He hasn’t been at John Carroll for the longest time in the grand scheme of things, but every single day he brings true love and joy to its halls and students. I can’t count how many times I have come into school in the morning, tired and grumpy, only to have my mood brightened by Mr. Brian Connell’s big smile and kind words. His morning joy simply radiates through him and into all of us. I have never met a more genuine and caring man. With Mr. Connell, what you see is what you get, and what you get is priceless. What you get is a man who truly cares about how you are when he asks, and will want to help make it better if something isn’t right. What you get a man who is always taking steps to improve things instead of just leaving them the way they are. What you get is a man who is so happy and excited about life that you can’t help but be the same.
When I hear the phrase ‘one for others’ Mr. Connell is the first person that comes to mind. He dedicates all of his God given gifts, including being able to shred on the guitar, to other people. He is the most creative person I know and he has used that creativity to bring new, exciting, and valuable things to John Carroll like the Academies, Kairos, and the four Pillars that describe John Carroll pretty well, but I think they describe him even better: Scholarly, Innovative, Loving, and Catholic. Mr. Connell is the ultimate role model; he leads and spreads God’s love through his actions. He embodies the spirit of John Carroll in a way that no other can.
Mr. Connell also knows a great deal about balance; he knows when it’s time to be serious, but you’ll also never meet a more fun-loving guy. Being featured on his Instagram, @johncarrollpride, is pretty much the highest goal of every student here, and when you are featured everyone freaks out. It’s also always so fun when No Shave November comes around, and even though it’s students competing, Mr. Connell always casually smokes the competition with his awesome beard. His jokes and stories are hilarious and if laughter really is the best medicine, Mr. Connell is the most talented doctor in Birmingham.
God truly blessed John Carroll when he sent Mr. Connell our way. You won’t find another person more dedicated to not only his job, but to every single person around him. Mr. Connell, you have no idea the incredible impact you have on every single person here. You make us proud to be students at John Carroll, and we hope we make you proud in our works and actions. We thank you for everything you’ve done and continue to do, and especially for breaking out the Chicken song at the Saint Cecilia talent show a few years ago. Everyone here, especially me, loves you a lot. Mr. Connell, everybody.
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY KEYNOTE ADDRESS:
Thank you, Mr. Linder and the NHS Board for asking me to be your speaker. Thank you, parents and guests for being here today. Thank you, students for attending this mandatory assembly. It’s an honor to be with you as we induct these students into the National Honor Society.
Several years ago, I proposed the idea of a faculty keynote speaker as part of our NHS Inductions. Mr. Bouton, the NHS Faculty Chair at the time, wondered what this faculty speaker would talk about (a question I’m glad we considered, now that I’m up here before you). We decided that the speech should be like the faculty member’s “love letter” to John Carroll. I am so grateful for this opportunity, and I will do my best to put into words what Catholic school, and what this Catholic school, means to me.
I grew up a Catholic school kid--St. Margaret’s Elementary and then St. Joe’s Prep in Philadelphia. As students, we may sometimes wonder what’s to love about Catholic school. Sometimes it feels like a real drag. Like it’s all about the rules and the dress code. And it’s true--we have a lot of rules. Some days it probably feels like you’re walking through a minefield of “Do’s and Don’ts” and skirt lengths and cell phone violations and Petty Misconducts. Teachers, too, might feel like sometimes all they see are violations of our student handbook and that they’re losing a game of wack-a-mole--so many PM’s, not enough time! I’ve been in both the position of the student trying to navigate the discipline system and the teacher trying to enforce it--and I honestly don’t know which is more exhausting.
Rules are important to good order and behavior, but focusing too much on the rules can make us miss what we’re really here for. Because while we can agree that rules are necessary for clear expectations and safety, I hope that we can also agree that they’re not the primary purpose of Catholic schools. I’ve discussed this at length with Dean Owens, and she agrees: Rules are a function, but not the purpose. Some people might have you believe otherwise, but they’re wrong. Do you know that it’s an historical fact that Jesus didn’t carry a PM pad? It wouldn’t have worked; too many non-dress code sandals and long hair and untucked robes! No, Jesus agreed that a fixation on the rules actually got in the way of the real point. And let me tell you this: If anyone has ever made you believe that Catholic school is all about rules, then you have been made the victim of an old and terrible lie. It’s not about the rules. It’s not about the order and discipline. It certainly isn’t about fear or shame or “Catholic guilt.”
Catholic school is all about finding God. It is as simple and as complex as that. We are here to find God and to help each other find God. It doesn’t matter who we are or where we come from; if we are students or teachers, if we are young or old; Catholic or non-; Agnostic or Atheist; rich, poor; gay, straight; white, black, Latino, Asian; boy or girl; top of the class, bottom of the class; War Eagle or Roll Tide. God is here for you--this is the promise of Catholic education in this universal or Catholic school--God is here for everybody.
We all want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. It’s part of our human nature. We want to be unique and alone and our own person, but we also seek connection with something greater than us. In religious terms, this bigger something is inherently and massively good, and we call it God.
So in Catholic school, where our purpose is to find God, we very intentionally set things up to accomplish this. We start by placing Jesus at the center of everything. He is our model; He is our connection to God. Through Him, we find God in our Catholic traditions and practices like Theology classes, weekly Mass, retreats, daily prayer, Adoration, Confession, and Stations of the Cross. These aren’t just obligatory, required activities--they are ongoing meditations throughout each year that are designed to form us, to direct our thoughts, to shape our consciousness. They constantly encourage us to think about Jesus’s example and God’s love--and whether we’re fully present to each of these exercises or not, they shape the way we think about life, love, morality, other people, and God. Don’t underestimate the power of these messages over time. They truly form us and direct us toward the Divine. Other schools don’t spend so much time in their schedule or dedicate as much infrastructure to this purpose the way that Catholic schools do.
We find God also in our curricular and extracurricular lives. In our favorite classes and subjects, on our stages, on athletic fields, and in our friend groups. We find God in the ups and downs of our relationships with all of these things.
We also find God in unlikely places. In controversial places. In art and literature and in current events, where bad things happen and people sometimes behave in immoral ways. This is what drew me to study English and to become an English teacher. We find God in the Humanities because of our own humanity; like characters and historical figures we, too, are imperfect. We too are often broken. We carry the pain (both big and small) of growing up. The fear of not being liked; the grade school friend who stopped being interested in us once we got to high school; the parents who got divorced; the grandparent who died; the cancer that suddenly just showed up and took someone we loved; the grade we failed to get; the group text that got out of hand; the boyfriend or girlfriend who broke our hearts; the feeling that we’re not tall enough, not pretty enough, too this or too that, too skinny too fat. Growing up is messy...Being a grown-up is messy too. But as Catholics and as people of faith, we learn not to run from the difficult stuff--but to go to it, as Christ did when He went to the sinner. Because it is in these unlikely and often uncomfortable corners that we, as broken people, become whole again in God.
When I was in high school, the Jesuits who ran my school impressed upon us the importance of excellence. They told us that no matter what we did, we ought to always strive to do it incredibly well. This wasn’t just a light encouragement or a motivational poster on the wall. It was a vital, spiritual insistence on excellence. The Jesuits believed, as I do too, that we don’t do what we do here on earth for ordinary reasons, but for a greater purpose. We don’t practice hard just to win games; or rehearse for hours in the theater just to get our lines right. We don’t study a lot just to get grades or to be recognized by the National Honor Society. These outcomes and acknowledgements are good and expected, but the real reason we ought to do anything is For the greater glory of God. What does that mean? God created each of us with different talents, gifts, and abilities. And he gave us these personal gifts so that we could use them to make the world better--to make some kind of a difference. And when we use these gifts to make good things and to help people, we bring glory to ourselves. People see us and are like, “Wow, that person’s amazing.” But when someone uses their God-given gifts, they don’t just bring glory to themselves, they also bring glory to the people around them. We see someone do something good and we’re inspired. The dance team destroys Regionals, or Steven Tang destroys every other math student in the state of Alabama, and they bring glory to themselves, but they also bring glory to all of us. We’re like, “That’s John Carroll--those are my friends--and therefore, I’m pretty awesome too (because of that thing that they did over there).” When we do things well, we get recognized through trophies and winning records and public attention, and that feels good. But these are all ordinary reasons for doing what we do. And remember, at Catholic school we don’t do what we do for just ordinary reasons, we do them for a greater purpose. When we use our God-given gifts to create something beautiful--even just small, everyday acts of kindness and love that make the world better--we bring glory to ourselves and to each other, but most importantly, we bring glory to God...who gave us the ability to do all of that good stuff in the first place. Our achievements and our goodness become our way of paying God back. This is what it means to do things “for the greater glory of God.”
In my first years of teaching high school English in Philadelphia, I had a group of students who took the motto “For the greater glory of God,” and reduced it to a phrase they could understand better. They said simply: “If it’s fine, it sucks,” and that phrase influenced everything they did in my class. It’s always stuck with me, and I think about it all the time; it is my mantra when I’m working on something. “If it’s fine, it sucks.” And I challenge every student in this room, as well as the parents and the teachers: Don't ever settle for mediocrity! Mediocrity is a slap in God’s face! To settle for something as “good enough” because it’s easy or “fine” doesn’t bring glory to anyone, and leaves God looking at us like, “Really? I gave you all these gifts and tools, and you settled for ‘fine’?” And it’s not about being perfect it’s just about being better, going further, striving for more. And I promise you this--if you strive to make situations, events, and corners of your world better than they are, you will become better than you are. And God will be happy.
Whenever I see you around school or greet you in the Commons in the morning, one of the things I have in my mind is how we are all Children of God...each of us navigating this time and space, doing the best we can just to figure it all out. There are times when it’s hard to see God in all these things we do, and there are times when we might feel like we’re failing. But I’m going to let you in on a big secret: God is already in each of you and He’s been there all along. When we’re attuned to God in ourselves, we become attuned to God in the world and in each other. We actually start to see God in other people. It becomes game-recognize-game. The God in me sees the God in you! And I see so much God in you, students and teachers of John Carroll.
It’s in the faces of our athletes and coaches lined up after a game while the fans sing our alma mater--win or lose. It’s in the way the choir sings after Communion and the way that we all listen to them in absolute awe and reverence. It’s in the public displays of faith and love: the March for Life, the countless hours of service our students do each year, and the Social Justice Academy (which is the first and only Catholic Social Justice Academy at any high school in the world). It’s in each of the 795 pictures I’ve posted on John Carroll Pride, which incidentally is my other, ongoing love letter to John Carroll. It’s in the behind-the-scenes acts of love too: In our Counseling Department, who meet every single week to make sure that no student at John Carroll falls through the cracks. It’s in Amy Owens, who consistently sees the person behind the disciplinary offense, and who loves you through every growing pain that you experience. It’s in students like Ella Donahue, who I’ve never actually met, but who created something beautiful in the Future Teachers of Alabama Club who so thoughtfully honor the Teachers of the Month. It’s in these things that I see God and where game recognizes game.
It’s in the Marching Band. It’s in the Thespians. It’s in the art installations around school. It’s in the Dance Team, who never settles for “fine”. It’s in the Cheer Team who strived for more this year and as a result improved more than possibly any other club, sport, or team on campus. This is where I see God and where game recognizes game.
It’s in the teachers who sit around tables and talk with each other about how to be better teachers. It’s in the faculty committees that discuss how to put into action our Catholic-Loving-Scholarly and Innovative ideals. It’s in the teachers who don’t stop teaching when the dismissal bell rings, but who somehow bring a whole new level of passion to the after school club, team, or meeting. It’s in our faculty’s support of one another, when we’ve lost loved ones, battled diagnoses, or simply struggled under the weight of being teachers and parents together. It’s in our shared grief when we lost Chris Nelms and Patrick Werszner, and the community support and faith that followed. This is where I see God and where game recognizes game.
It’s in the simple ways we connect with each other. Like how I fall apart laughing every time I talk with Reggie Smith (Hi, Reggie); and I’m reminded that humor really is one of God’s gifts designed to save us. Or how every time I see Mary Grace Farr and Song Bowers, my day gets a little bit brighter and happier. It’s in Mr. Robert, who has so much God in him he can’t even contain it--it bursts out of him in gales of positivity and laughter. It’s in Joe O’Toole, who at 73 years young has more energy than most 25 year olds, because he is motivated by a spirit of faith, love, and service. Game recognize game, Children of God.
It’s in all the achievements. In the AP Capstone students and their teachers, who have pursued research way beyond what is typically associated with high school level work. It’s in the students behind me who through some combination of interest, commitment, and perseverance are about to be inducted into the National Honor Society. It’s also in the failing student who finally passes; in the C student who makes a B. And in all the light bulb moments where you don’t think you can, but then you do. This is where I see God.
It’s in teachers like Jake Linder and Sarah Tarbox, who came to John Carroll not Catholic, but who--through what they saw here in all of us in this place--decided to become Catholics; Mr. Linder converted last Spring, and Mrs. Tarbox is in the process of converting. It’s in the faces of our Campus Ministers when they become Eucharistic Ministers. It’s in the Chapel, where at any time of the day you can see several students and faculty finding quiet time to pray. It’s in Anthony Bostany who knelt down at Mass last week during the Lamb of God to tie Jessica Walker’s shoe; that is a man for others! Game recognize game, Anthony.
It’s in Kairos and the 25+ plus teachers and over 200 students who have chosen to participate on that retreat over the past three years. It’s in taking a risk and trying something new and it’s in breaking down the walls between us and letting the Holy Spirit do its thing. It’s in Lucas Berryman leading his peers in prayer on the final day of Kairos VII, and it’s in the friendships that have been healed and the faith that has been restored. It’s in the personal stories of redemption and recovery that make me believe in the resurrection. Game recognize game, Children of God. It’s in all of these people and things at John Carroll, and more than I could possibly list within the limitations of this talk, that I find God.
I guess in the end it really is all about the love, Dr. O’Toole. Because that’s where we find God...where we find the very best of ourselves and one another.
It calls to mind my favorite quote, attributed to the great Jesuit priest Fr. Pedro Arrupe:
Nothing is more practical than
finding God,
that is than falling in Love
in a quite absolute, final way.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination, will affect everything.
It will decide
what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you do with your evenings,
how you spend your weekends,
what you read, whom you know,
what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in Love, stay in love,
and it will decide everything.
I love you, John Carroll. Thank you for the last 5 years and for allowing me to be a part of something bigger than myself. Thank you for inspiring me to create things. Thank you for showing me God in your students, faculty, and parents, and for every meaningful moment with them. May God keep you and may God bless you...forevermore.
