Many great men have passed through these halls. Some of them have been athletes; others have been mathletes. Some of them have just been above average students, keeping the gears within Prep constantly moving. Without these students this school would fall to shambles. I had the privilege of meeting one of these above average students and even was lucky enough to score an interview with him.
Anthony Chiarelli is his name, and he is currently a senior at this fine institution. Tony, as his friends call him, has definitely made his mark on this school both in academia and athletics. Ever since freshman year Tony has been in AP level classes, and his current favorite subject is math. Despite his bad grade in the course, he likes the subject matter a lot and refuses to stop trying. When he graduates from Prep, Tony hopes to be a heart surgeon and make some big money one day.
Along with his good grades in school Tony is also one of the best basketball players in the class. His freshman year he tried out for the team and didn’t make it, but that only impeded him for a short time. Within weeks he was back at his friend Trey’s backyard court working on his inside game and defensive skills. The following year, Tony had the courage to tryout one more time and give it his best shot.
This time he did not fail, and all of his training and hard work paid off. However, that year the team was loaded with talent, and Anthony found himself last off the bench. He spoke fondly of his memories sitting next to Ryan the trainer but hasn’t thought about them much since he joined his grade school OLC/St. Jude CYO team. He is currently one of the star players on what he claims to be the best team in the league.
This year Tony and other star player Jordan Sauers expect to take home the championship with ease, claiming that their only competition was themselves, and that the only team that could possibly beat them was themselves. When asked about the powerhouse known as St. George, Tony laughed and said they’re weak. He’s come a long way from being cut freshman year to becoming one of the best in the CYO league.
Along with basketball, Tony also plays lacrosse, a sport he started playing when he was younger and has stuck with all the way through his high school career. Despite the recent rumors about him being a “Lacrosse Kid” he denies all the charges saying that he’s in the sport for academics. Although this statement fails to make any sense considering the sport offers him no academic help, he sticks by his answer.
This year, the team has a new head coach. I asked Tony how he feels about the new leadership. He said he was sad about Coach Lord leaving but trusts that the new coach will do great things with the team this year.
Tony is just an above average student contributing to both sides of the table. He receives good marks in school and has big dreams for the future—not to mention he is one of the top basketball players at the school who also plays lacrosse. I predict great things for this child’s future. He is a fighter who refuses to give up.