By Zach Mikrut ‘25
“You don’t know about real loss, ’cause it only occurs when you’ve loved something more than you love yourself,” said one of my favorite actors of all time, Robin Williams, in my favorite movie, Good Will Hunting.
Over the past four years, Brother Rice felt like a second home to me. The people at Brother Rice—my teachers, classmates and coaches—felt like a second family. I truly loved Brother Rice more than I loved myself.
My senior year was nothing short of incredible. I had the opportunity to be one of the first peer mentors in Brother Rice’s new Mt. Sion program, be a part of the best team in Brother Rice basketball history, and be a part of Brother Rice’s nationally recognized volleyball team.
All these achievements, and many more, made my senior year fly by even faster. It feels like just yesterday I was taking the entrance exam. And just like that, I’m about to become a Brother Rice alumnus—one of 20,000 Crusaders.
I’m very grateful for everything Brother Rice has done for me. It shaped me into the man I am today. Whether in the classroom or on the court, I’ll take so many memories with me from the past four years. Brother Rice also gave me some of the greatest friends I could ever ask for—people I’ll stay close with for the rest of my life.
When I was an underclassman, all the seniors told me to enjoy the experience because it goes by fast. Isn’t that what everyone says? The truth is, you don’t realize how quickly time passes until it’s all coming to an end.
If I could give one piece of advice to the underclassmen, it would be this: meet new people. There are so many great people involved in this school.
Brother Rice has been nothing but the best for me. And although my time here is ending, I’ll never forget these past four years.
Once a Crusader, always a Crusader.
