Going into my freshman year I didn’t think I would become valedictorian. Everyone else did though, so when I got my transcript I was ecstatic. High school hasn’t always been easy though. There were rocky friendships and competition. Discerning the priesthood and how that affected my dating life. However, I overcame all those by self development, introspection, prayer, and meditation. My proudest moment has been getting into Stanford. It was hard work but I wouldn’t have been able to do it without a few people. God, Jesus, Mary, my family and friends, my swim coaches, my teachers, Father Ray , and Father George helped me to get to where I am. It’s going to be scary living without my family and being somewhere completely foreign to me, though it’s so exciting. I look forward to exploring new courses, finding out what i want to do in life, sleeping in and not waking up at five, experiencing new cultures, meeting new people, hiking in Cali, biking around campus, and participating in Stanford’s traditions.