Malvern Prep has always been there for me, and it always will. So please just let Malvern embrace you, and you will be fine.
Before I begin, I would just like to thank everyone on the BFC for a great four years. It has been an honor to be an editor and watch the rising success of the publication. I will miss the meetings, the banter, the interviews, and the satisfaction of knowing we did the best we could and let the chips fall where they may.
Anyway…
“I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days, before you’ve actually left them.”
This quote from Andy Bernard in “The Office” exemplifies what it means to be a high school student for most people.
Everyone is so caught up about 1) schoolwork, 2) making and keeping friend groups, 3) fitting in and being popular, and 4) dealing with family, that we all forget that we are in the best part of our lives, at God’s special possession: Malvern Prep.
My advice: Stop your worrying and just be you.
As I look back at my time here, I can pretty much say I have no regrets, and am proud at the mark I left right here on South Warren Avenue. I was involved in Malvern Theatre Society, MECO, this publication, and SAVI– none of which I pictured four years ago.
Freshman year, I was petrified. My whole family had gone to Malvern, and I would be the last kid to bear the ‘Ferraiolo’ name throughout the halls. But I got involved as best as I could. This would be the greatest thing I did throughout my Malvern career. Grades fade away, but memories from extracurricular activities last a long time. Please remember that.
Forty years from now, no one will care about your GPA or your SAT score. Instead, they will remember you because you were ‘the play guy’ or ‘the lacrosse guy’ or ‘the guy with a smile and a corny joke.’ Grades are important, do not get me wrong, but they do not define your character, or what high school is all about.
Malvern offers so many clubs and activities. Find yours and go into it with all your might. You’ll see that this will be the best decision of your life. Go outside your comfort zone. Try a s port—you’ll be surprised at the friends you will make by doing this. I wish I did.
Through my time here, I discovered many things about myself. This includes my passion for writing, my love for acting (even though I was not good at it), but most importantly, that to make someone else smile is unmatchable.
I urge all of you to give everything and anything to Malvern. My favorite memories of this place happened outside the classroom, long after the final prayer was said.
Most importantly, Malvern gives you the chance to become a better person, both spiritually and in the world. Communion service at break is something I brushed off early in my career, but towards the end, it was something I looked forward to. Find those little moments Malvern provides, and take full advantage.
The main point I want to make in this column is to assure everybody that the Brotherhood is 100 percent true. There is a doubt in my mind it exists—but it only exists if the students allow it to exist.
Many do not understand the brotherhood of Malvern until MECO until senior year. MECO defines what Malvern is and what the Brotherhood stands for. It is the most rewarding experience on campus, for me at least.
When the brotherhood is in action, Malvern glows just a little bit extra because of it. Never forget that.
Three tips for the road:
It’s the golden rule, but it is the golden rule for a reason. Treat others the way you wanted to be treated. Seriously, think about it—think of that utopia and try to make it a reality. You do not have to like everyone, but you have to respect them. That’s just life.
Be comfortable in your own skin, and try to be the person God made you to be.
Get involved, get involved, get involved. Even if you are a junior, I am talking to you too. Do not be saying “If only..” or “What if…” to yourself by the end of your senior year.
I would not be the man I am today without the help of Malvern Prep, and I will be forever grateful of my time here. Thanks Malvern. Fratres Aeterni.
