By Jack McShane ‘19

My experience at Brother Rice has been much better than what I could have possibly dreamt of. Meeting new people, watching Rice beat Marist, ping-pong at lunch, and long nights on Kairos were some of the main highlights throughout the past four years.

If 8th grade Jack McShane tried to predict what my life would be like today, I wouldn’t have an answer. Who would my friends be? What would I do on the weekends? What would I be doing for college?

I would be lost for words.

My experience at Brother Rice has had a ton of ups and downs. Turning those downs into ups is what made my Brother Rice experience so special. The random people sitting next to me in the main gym on the first day of freshman year became my brothers. They have had my back through everything, and that is why kids come to Brother Rice. They come for the brotherhood in the hallways.

One of my favorite days as a Crusader was the state semi-final game against Marist. To me, that day really exemplified why I came to Brother Rice. The sense of brotherhood I felt that day reminded me that I made the right choice.

I met up with my friends that I went to a mission trip to Harlan, Kentucky, with. I had barely known these kids before but we had become good friends through our last year at Rice. We went to the thrift store to buy crazy clothes for the game and got ready at one of our houses.

The drive to Marist down 115th was electric. It seemed as if every car had the same destination. We pulled up to the parking lot a few blocks from Marist where all of the Rice students were meeting. We tailgated and headed off to the game.

That walk was one of the most energetic walks of my life. Imagine hundreds of Crusader Crazies yelling at the top of their lungs down Pulaski. I am sure that you could hear us from Marist.

Everyone loved each other that day. Every Crusader Crazy came together and put aside any previous cliques. We were one big clique for the day. That’s what Brother Rice is all about.

Leaving Brother Rice won’t be easy. It is hard to think that I won’t be seeing all these amazing people anymore at school. It is weird thinking that I won’t have the same teachers that I have grown to love. It is terrible knowing that I won’t be able to take part in everything that Brother Rice has to offer. What makes it all easy is that I know I will be a Crusader for life.