My name is Dan Nadeau and I am a proud member of the class of 2012. I am the youngest of four children, each one of us having attended St. Dom’s. My parents are also graduates of this school. My experience while attending St. Dom’s has been nothing short of incredible. I have been able to do so many different things and meet many great people, each of whom have impacted my life in some way for the better.

Athletics has been a significant part of my high-school experience over these past four years, but it wasn’t that which molded me into who I am. Rather, I will always be grateful to my teachers and what they taught me which has truly made me the person I am today.

In each of my four years, I have chosen to challenge myself with honors and AP courses. Every one of these classes has pushed me to do better and to work harder than what I realized I could do. This is because the teachers took a personal interest in my success and have always been there for extra help when it was needed and they were always willing to make time for me when I asked. And because I was willing to work hard, I have been able to maintain honor-roll status through out my high-school career. It has really been a blessing to have been able to attend classes here.

The courses at St. Dom’s and the challenges that lie within them are what make this school so unique. They give you the experience of a lifetime while also providing you with the knowledge that is necessary to excel. I am hoping to pursue a career in medical biology and have already looked at several different, yet prominent, colleges and universities.

Throughout my years at St. Dom’s I have often heard the words “Integrity, Community and Excellence” as words I should live by. They are words that guide everything the school does. In my time here, I have not met anyone who does not fit that criterion, in school and in athletics.

As I mentioned earlier, sports have been a significant part of my experience at St. Dom’s. I have been a four-year varsity athlete in all three of the sports I have played.

The first sport I tried out for was golf. To be honest, as a ninth grader I was extremely nervous. I knew some of the people who were trying out, as well as the coach, but there were still nerves to be dealt with. Being who he is, Coach Cullen immediately welcomed me onto the team and has been a true inspiration for me in my pursuit of a greater golf game. Yet, he didn’t just make me a better player. He made me a better person. He showed me the values of honesty and trust and how to weave a little fun in there as well. What made that season so special were the other athletes and how they embraced me as not just a teammate but a true friend. As an added bonus, we also won the state championship that year.

The next two years were also great. Sadly, my sophomore year we lost by three shots in the state match and in my junior year, we lost by just one shot, but not because we were incapable of winning. The reason we fell behind by one stroke was because one of our players called a two-shot penalty on himself that no one had seen. That shows how much integrity the students in this school have. This year being my last, I was determined, as a captain, along with my teammates, to win the State one more time and that is just what we did. We won States by more than 20 shots and also continued an amazing winning streak for the team. We are currently at 58 straight wins.

Then came hockey. The sport, since St. Dom’s inception, has been synonymous with the school’s name. There has always been something special about wearing the black and white shield on a jersey. It gives a sense of being a part of something far greater than yourself. You don’t just represent the school and teammates when you wear the jersey. You represent the generations of alumni who have come before you and hope that you can fill their shoes with the same passion and pride that they once had. Our hockey team has not won a state championship since 2000, but since my freshmen year on the team, we have been to the state championship once and the conference final twice. I, as well as my teammates, have one more chance to “strive for 25” but regardless of what happens, it has been an amazing journey and one that I will never forget.

Each spring over the past four years, I have traded in my hockey stick for a ball and glove. It has been such an honor to work with my baseball coaches, Mr. Blackman and Mr. Turgeon. These two men have allowed me to really blossom as a baseball player. The teams I have been on have been great. The people, the atmosphere and the game as a whole has been awesome. In my first three years we have had the honor of winning two state championships and going to three straight western Maine finals. This coming spring, we will have the opportunity to win a third baseball state championship.

Everybody who comes to St. Dom’s gets something different out of it, something unique. Something that will prepare us for whatever we want to do in life. For me, St. Dom’s is the greatest thing that has happened to me. I put a lot into my time here and it has given me even more back. I could not have been happier and I have many people to thank: my teachers, my acquaintances and most of all, my parents. I thank God everyday for having them as parents and I thank them for having given me the same opportunity they had to experience what it means to be a Saint Dom’s Saint.

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