(Prayer offered on the Public Address system for the entire La Salle Academy educational community on Thursday morning, 14 May 2015)

Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God:

Out of the blur that was my freshman year of high school, I can recall one moment with striking clarity. It was late October on the last day of the first quarter and I was sitting in room 104 in Mr. Hall’s Geometry class next to the kid that would become my best friend. We had gotten Mr. Hall away from the world of Mathematics and off on a tangent about the state of Alabama oddly enough. Absentmindedly, with no real intention, I scrawled a fraction on the cover of my notebook—One sixteenth. That number represented my progress through high school to that point. Four quarters a year for four years and I had gotten through one. That percentage seemed tremendously large to me. I recall thinking about how after the second quarter I would be one eighth done. And then before I knew it, one fourth. For a moment, as a fairly new freshman, I was fully aware how fast my time at La Salle would go by. What I did not know was how my time would be filled, what memories I would make and what people I would meet.

La Salle Academy is an amazing place. You are truly in control of your own experience. What you decide to get involved in, how hard you decide to push yourself, what risks you are willing to take–all dictate the type of experience you will have. As I reflect upon my personal experience, MY four years at La Salle, I am grateful for many things. I am grateful for my dean, Mrs. Kelly, for everything she does for me, from proof reading announcements, to listening to my random/often very unrealistic ideas for class events and the Beehive, and always keeping those ideas in check. I am grateful for those teachers that I had in class who in addition to molding me as a student and challenging me in the classroom took the time to get to know me as a person. I am grateful for those teachers whom I never took a class from yet still know well and am able to talk to in the hallways. I am grateful for those individuals who keep La Salle running behind the scenes receiving little recognition: People like Carl, Larry, and mustache Joe…… I am grateful for the people I have met and the friends I have made, all the students that give this place life and give me the motivation to come in every single day. My best friends go to school here. I think it is a special thing to be able to say that and it is a testament to the culture that exists here. Everyone seated in homeroom right now is part of an incredible school community. It is unlike anything I have ever heard of, seen, or experienced. Going to school here can be challenging, yes, but it is also the most fun I have ever had. I don’t want to leave, but I know La Salle has served me well over these past four years and I am confident that I am ready for the next chapter in my life.

For the underclassmen, my advice is to keep in mind that, at La Salle, it is never too late to start something and to strive always to meet new people. I have molded some of my best friendships only this year. You can only have one high school experience, so make it something you can be proud of.

As for the seniors..the class of 2015.. here we are, on the cusp of finishing quarter 16 out of 16.. the culmination of four years of hard work. Hopefully you can look back favorably on your time here, and undoubtedly you will leave with plenty of memories. Lets enjoy these final days and cherish the simple moments that perhaps we have taken for granted , starting with Mass today, our last that we will share with the entirety of our school. The legacy of the class of 2015 is and will continue to be great and I thank you for allowing me to be a part of it.

So Let us pray.. Thank you God for the gift of La Salle Academy and the people that make it so special. Allow us students to appreciate everything you have given us and to realize that we are truly luck to have the opportunity to be Lasallians.
ST JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE…PRAY FOR US

LIVE JESUS IN OUR HEARTS…FOREVER

Michael Papazian–Class of 2015