By Kevin McDonald ’22 – Team Leader

Everyone says that high school goes by fast, and I really never believed any of them. However, as my time at Brother Rice comes to an end, I can’t help but want time to stop and slow down. Everyone was right about high school. It does go by fast, so don’t waste your time.

In August of 2018, I was a freshman coming into what I thought was going to be “school” and “school only”. Coming from my grammar school, St. John Fisher, I was sure that nothing would beat my experiences there, and I was just in store for a long four years. However, looking back, I was clueless about what was going to happen within a four year span.

Starting off my high school career, I was able to enjoy a dominant football team, going undefeated all the way until the state championship; although the outcome wasn’t all that we wanted, it was a fun experience for me as a fan.

Later that spring, I joined the volleyball program and made a ton of friends with those guys. Those bus rides to and from games still come up in my favorite times as a Crusader.

Sophomore year was the year I would excel in, because I thought I knew everything there was to know about going to Brother Rice. Everything was going well until March of that year, until the pandemic began. To be honest, I enjoyed the first couple months of quarantine; it was a nice break for me. However, as the weeks went on, more of me was missing Rice than I thought I would. I think COVID really made me enjoy school more and taught me that I shouldn’t take things for granted.

My junior year was also a good year for me, especially the fact that I could sleep a little late every other day, (thank you e-learning– but not really). I was able to become closer to a lot of my friends due to the sudden division of our school, splitting into orange and maroon groups. This year in particular taught me a lot in and out of the classroom. I learned to appreciate teachers more and what they’re teaching, because realistically we could’ve gone back into full-time quarantine at any point last year.

Coming into school this year, I felt like I “owned the place” like many seniors do. We as a class were all back together, a scary thing for a lot of staff. Being a member of the Crusader Crazies was a highlight of my year, especially in games against Marist and Mount Carmel; we beat them, too. I really developed a love for Brother Rice and a sense of school spirit. It was refreshing to have everything feel normal again, especially after almost two years of craziness. This year has definitely been my favorite year as far as school goes, and we still have exciting stuff coming up to look forward to.

Overall, I would change nothing. The high school experience I created for myself will leave a forever impact on my future. I know that my journey as a Crusader is just beginning, and I will always be able to rely on the friends I have made here at Rice. To any teachers, students, family, or friends, thank you for your impact on my life. I will always cherish the memories created at Rice, especially those who I made them with.