Each day it becomes more difficult to excuse the current situation our world is in, but I think it’s important to take a step back and reflect on all the good in our lives. Easier said than done, but I know that anyone part of the Central Catholic community can learn to see beyond this crisis.

Coming into Central Catholic can be overwhelming for any fourteen or fifteen-year-old kid, yet the sense of brotherhood quickly dismisses these concerns and assures that you have made one of the best decisions of your life.

To me, the class of 2020 embodies this sense of brotherhood like none other that I intend to commemorate in these unfortunate circumstances. Like many others, I have shared a lifetime of memorable experiences with this year’s seniors and look forward to continuing their legacy.

Arriving at Central Catholic, I was hesitant to make new friends and reach out to others in the school. I am always told to look up to others as role models, yet I didn’t feel ready to communicate with any upperclassmen as a freshman. Nonetheless, the class directly above me never ceased to make an impression.

There wasn’t a huge gap between our ages, yet there was still a distinction that made it easy to look up towards a group of people while still remaining within your comfort zone. Following behind the class of 2020 my entire Central Catholic career, I have learned many things within all realms of the community.

Throughout my time at Central Catholic, I have discovered many ways to interact with students. A primary way in which I am able to relate to others out of the classroom is through sports. During my first season of soccer, I was on the freshman team and mainly confined to interacting with classmates of my own.

Still, through training with the entire team, I felt more connected than just with the members of my freshman team. The class of 2020, sophomores at the time, always felt the need to welcome the new incoming class and instill a sense of brotherhood within us that we would later learn to cherish.

On the soccer field, individuals such as Marco Morgano, Ryan Cooper, and AJ Ewing continued to make an impression on me that I will never forget. Whether it was helping with last-minute summer work for school at workouts, or just always assuring I was on the right track, the class of 2020 will always remain important in my life.

On the lacrosse team, I was not forced to confine with kids of my own class but was placed on the JV squad, allowing me to become even closer to my peers. Although it was my first of year of lacrosse, I quickly learned to love the game not only because of the sport itself but due to the people I was surrounded with.

Leaders such as Sal Getty knew what it took to bond all ends of the team together, regardless of the vast difference of grade and age. I know I am not the only one who feels this way and can assure others made a similar impression to the entire Central community. There are simply too many people to name, but I can attribute the class of 2020 as a whole to exposing me to the vibrant community at Central Catholic.

For me, it’s hard to imagine Central without the class of 2020, as they continue to make a mark not only on the field but in various other extracurriculars and events at the school. Being on the student council this year was a great experience made even better by this year’s seniors.

The weeks spent filming the Christmas Video were some of my all-time favorite at Central, and they allowed me to grow even closer to the class above me. Watching all the seniors coming together to create something for the school was an experience I will never forget.

Witnessing all the seniors this year taking a leadership role was something I truly admired and looked up to. Another experience that I learned to grow closer to my peers was during the Appalachia Mission Trip. I consider myself an avid attendee of the trip, and looked forward to it each year knowing that I could spend more time with the class of 2020.

The sense of brotherhood at Central Catholic is not merely made through kind gestures or accepting attitudes, yet is ultimately grounded in our faith. On the Appalachia Mission Trip, I was able to experience this sense of brotherhood in the most holistic way possible.

Bonding with the class of 2020 helped me realize how great the Central Catholic community is, and to learn to cherish it like none other. In these trying times, I hope that the class of 2020 can realize the same sense of gratitude and brotherhood that they have instilled within me.

I have nearly scratched the surface in commemorating this class, yet there is so much to be said about these opportunities in all of our lives. Above all, this experience isn’t unique to me, as anyone can speak to the impact this year’s seniors have had on the Central Catholic community.

Obviously this isn’t the way anyone would have wanted things to work out, but I think it’s crucially important to remember the impact you seniors have made on all of our lives that will truly never be forgotten. Roll Vikes!