By Jack Aler ‘19

March 15, 2019 was the annual Career Day at Brother Rice High School. Although we had many interesting speakers, the most captivating was Michael Sterk, known under the alias Barstool Carl.

Barstool Carl has long been a neighbor and friend of our English IV – Journalism teacher Mrs. Pacetti. Thanks to her and a call from fellow classmate John Stillman, we were able to get this up-and-coming legend to speak to our class.

For those who do not know, Barstool Sports is a multi-million-dollar company that has branches all over the United States, but was founded in Milton, Massachusetts. Barstool Carl is a member of the Chicago division of Barstool Sports.

Barstool Sports posts news and sports media, but adds a funnier twist. Some would say they add a more “real” tone to what they say. Their content revolves around funny videos, girls, food, and sports. However, it is interesting to learn the actual process behind what they do.

Barstool Carl’s daily job is writing blogs and various social media posts that cover Chicago sports and activities. That is the dream for the average Chicago kid, which is why his visit was so intriguing.

He explained the determination required to get to his position. In short, it takes a lot. Luckily, determination seems to be subliminally installed in me as well as all of my friends. Maybe it is because of our Southside roots; more likely, it is because Brother Rice has instilled this quality in all of us.

To get to where he is now, Barstool Carl had to have insane determination. He read every Barstool post for many months until one day he got the chance to write for Barstool. He spends dedicated time on every post to this day. The only thing he seemingly did not have to work on was his ability to publically speak.

Senior John Mattes said, “He spoke well which helped him get across his point efficiently. He was able to relate to us and casually talk, yet get across great points. Important traits he had were tenacity and determination which qualified him to reach this coveted position. We need to replicate these traits and they will obviously help us in anything we do.”

Inspirational is a word to describe Barstool Carl’s talk. Senior Dan Reardon said, “As a member of The Standard and BRTV, I look up to Carl so much, and Barstool. Carl’s talk really gave an insight on what I have to do to be like him – a successful person in the sports world.”

Senior Ryan Creevy got a lot from what Barstool Carl said as well. He said, “I thought Carl’s speech was inspiring. I’ve been leery to follow my dream of working in the film industry, but after his speech and his encouragement on following your dreams, I feel better about doing that.”

Most of what Barstool Carl said dealt with values we already have being Brother Rice students. Things like determination, tenacity, dependability and the overall vibe of being a likeable person are things most of us have. Now, I’m not saying that going to Brother Rice puts us ahead of the competition… No, actually that is what I am saying.

Viva El Brother Rice!

Which, for all of my non-Spanish speaking readers, means “Long Live Brother Rice.”

Anyway, Barstool Carl had a great impact on our Career Day and from all of us here at Brother Rice, we thank you for coming.