Growing up I had no intention of going to St. Dom’s. I had always attended the public schools of Lewiston, and the majority of my friends were going to Lewiston High School. However, I chose to follow my brother Casey (a junior at the time) to St. Dom’s hoping that two years in the same high school with him would bring us closer and give us memories we could cherish together forever. Not only did my experience at St. Dom’s fulfill this hope, but it did so much more.

In my four years at St. Dom’s I was fortunate to play four years for the emerging St. Dom’s varsity soccer program under Coach Erickson and Coach Bressler, and four years under Coach Bob Blackman for the varsity baseball team, a team that has formulated an unprecedented dynasty in Maine Class C baseball over the past decade. I also got to wear the “black and white” for four seasons playing for the most decorated high school hockey program Maine has to offer.

It is every high school athlete’s dream to win a championship. I was privileged to win four. These include two soccer state championships, one my freshman year with my brother, and the other was in my junior year when we made St. Dom’s soccer history with an undefeated season. I was also part of two baseball state championships, one my sophomore year where Casey and I comprised the middle infield, and the other my senior year. The St. Dom’s hockey program has remained strong under the direction of Coach Ouellette and has played like the traditional black and white. We reached the state championship game my sophomore year when I got to play on the same line as my brother, and reached the conference championship game both my junior and senior years. I got to play for great coaches in each sport, and I met so many great teammates who are now more like brothers to me. I faced successes and failures, but I was taught to battle adversity and now have countless memories, all thanks to my athletic career at St. Dom’s.

St. Dom’s couldn’t have given me a better education which included the added benefit of religion classes. Both the academics and religious instruction helped to make me the person I am today. Many students begin their freshmen year of high school with a strong desire to do well academically, and so perform strongly, but then gradually lose the will to work hard as they become upperclassmen. I was the opposite. My worst year academically at St. Dom’s was my freshman year, and then my grades steadily increased throughout my four years. I partly credit this to the constant emphasis St. Dom’s places on the importance of continuing our education after high school. As the time to apply for college approached it became more and more real to me and so I knew I had to keep working to set myself up the best I could for the future. However, I mostly credit my increasing success in the classroom to the organizational and study skills I acquired at St. Dom’s.

I am now a freshman at Bates College, and can’t thank St. Dom’s enough for all it did to prepare me. I will forever be a proud Saint and wish the best for the new Academy.

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