Ad Majorem Dei Glorium. This is latin for, “For the Greater Glory of God.” For the Jesuits, a Catholic religious order, this is a sacred phrase.
I went to a Jesuit high school in Washington D.C., where I learned about the significance of this phrase, what it means to be a Jesuit, and a man for others.
Gonzaga College High School is an all male Catholic school, founded in 1821, located in downtown D.C., within shouting distance of the Capitol building.
Witnessing my older brother experience Gonzaga a few years before me, I had an idea of how special this school was before enrolling. Through him and his friends, I could see the pride, passion and camaraderie among Gonzaga students.
My true infatuation with Gonzaga however began my freshman year. I remember during my freshmen orientation, the team spirit organization- the booster club- sat our class down on the bleachers and taught us all the game cheers. I remember feeling an energy and pride amongst these students that I had never witnessed from a high school before. I mean, it’s just a high school- how much school pride could these kids really have? But it was not just a high school, and it only took a few football games for me to realize that I went to the most prideful school in the D.C. metropolitan area.
I spent the remainder of my first year meeting some of the coolest and most interesting people I have ever known. Some of the funniest, smartest and kindest guys I have ever met went to this school. Despite how athletic you were, how much money your parents had or who your girlfriend was, when you were at school, you were just another Gonzaga kid. You were friends with everyone. If you went to Gonzaga, teacher or student, you were in on the joke.
From the culture one gradually begins to understand after years of hilarious and interesting classroom experiences, to the traditions during mass to the absurd energy during almost any varsity sports game, the pride and spirit of Gonzaga is made obvious to anyone who comes in contact with it. Every parent who had a son go through there, and every girlfriend or buddy of a guy who went there will never hear the end of it- Gonzaga is the best high school in the world, and God is purple.
During my freshmen retreat, I began to understand what it means to be part of such a strong tradition of Gonzaga students. Serving the poor right there on Campus at the McKenna center, I gained a perspective on poverty that I will cherish for the rest of my life. On my service trip to Guatemala, my understanding of what it means to serve was heightened as I built strong friendships with the young children we worked with and my peers who served with me. During Kairos, Gonzaga’s most significant religious retreat, I found a spiritual and selfless part of myself that has since remained an integral part of who I am. Through football and lacrosse my first few years, I learned how to better discipline myself and built some of the greatest friendships I have ever had. In the classroom, I had countless laughs with friends and teachers alike. I learned how to manage my time and learned a hell of a lot of information, but most importantly, I learned how to put the world and others before myself.
Gonzaga is not an easy school. If you challenge yourself and take the AP and honors courses, you are going to work your ass off- especially if you are involved with several other organizations on campus as I was. With an arduous commute through the city, long class days with one free period in four years and tough teachers who could not care less if you are sick or tired- Gonzaga does not hold your hand.
And I could not be more grateful for this. The hours I put in to my Jesuit education at Gonzaga prepared me for college, and it has helped me become a more mature, caring and capable person. But most importantly, the service, spiritual growth, hard work and relationships I made at this school have all helped me see the world outside of myself. This growth I experienced holds a special place in my heart, and I owe it all to the Jesuit education I had at that incredible school.
