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2018 Baccalaureate Mass Speeches - Maria Trizzino

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Maria Trizzino '18 looks back fondly on the special relationships she has formed with her teachers. These important role models and friends inspired her to achieve more.

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One of the great privileges of teaching is that you're able to forge special relationships with your students both inside and outside of the classroom. I think that sentiment is especially true here at St. Edmund Prep where so many of us are greeted by smiling faces, and hellos, and good mornings day in and day out without ever actually having one of those students on our rosters or on our grade books. This next student was already someone who I deeply respected before she ever set foot in my classroom in her Junior and Senior year. You see, I had the opportunity to direct this young woman for four consecutive years in our theater program. My co-director Miss Mac and I had front row seats as this student sang and danced her way into our hearts. At first she was a little shy, a little skittish, particularly at the thought of performing in front of a large audience but as she grew and developed her skills, took our direction, and embraced her exceptional talent a certain kind of fearlessness took over her with each and every performance. She made us laugh. She made us cry. But most importantly she shined on stage. It's going to be hard for Miss Mac and me to replace challenge her energy and her commitment to the program and to her fellow castmates but it just wouldn't be right for us to keep this exceptional young woman all to ourselves. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm going to miss our grandma, our Trizzy, but we are so excited for her to "Go, Go, Go" and "grab her corner of the sky". Ladies and gentlemen without any further...interjections... it is my pleasure to introduce to you a senior attending St Joseph's College in the fall, the one and only, Maria Trizzino.

Good evening, Mrs. McGinnis, Ms. McEvoy, Mr. Raphael Faculty, Parents, my fellow seniors and honored guests. To be completely honest, I didn't really know anything about St. Edmund before choosing to come here. The only reason I did come here was because I got a full scholarship and my best friend was also coming here. Although it was challenging to understand at first, there was a sense of family that transcended throughout my four years as a student. One of the best things about St. Edmund Prep for me personally is the ability for close student-faculty relationships to be fostered.

In my freshman year, making friends was really intimidating but through Theater Club I soon became comfortable and was able to form my first friendships at St. Edmund. Rather than waking up each morning feeling anxious about what I was going to do, who I was going to talk to, or even the person that I was going to become in high school, I had a sense of security knowing that I belonged somewhere. I've had the privilege to spend countless hours after school with the people that I love, with my castmates and directors. From tirelessly choreographing our dances to making sure we portray our roles correctly to being patient when we get sidetracked and talk about memes instead of learning our harmonies to most importantly making sure we have fun on stage, Miss Mac and Mr. O'Donnell have been nothing short of the most perfect and supportive directors.

In my junior year, I got the role of Grandma in "The Addams Family" and it honestly changed my life. I love portraying this crazy old lady and put my heart and soul into it, so with all the stresses that come with junior year it was an escape for me to be truly happy. Because of Miss Mac and Mr. O'D's endless encouragement, support, patience, jokes, and love, I not only grew into my own version of the role but a more confident woman. They have allowed me to become the best version of myself and I'm truly thankful that they have made the stage a home for me for the past four years.

The Emmaus Retreat program has also been a tremendous part of my personal growth and the growth of my relationships with the faculty. On Emmaus 57 Mr. AP's words about faith resonated with me and I wanted to become someone just like him who can testify about their life experiences, especially the hardships, and use them to grow and inspire others to embrace their beliefs. As the director of the retreat I was leading, Mr. AP gave me the task of talking about my faith journey and what my relationship with Christ is like. After some encouragement, I know that I was meant to do some reflecting about my life and the reasons why I have such a strong relationship with God. By thinking about my faith and openly talking about it with others before my own eyes I saw myself becoming a young adult who is unafraid to express my beliefs, not just in faith, but in all areas of life. Because of Mr. AP I have grown so much as a person, and he's an educator in every sense of the word. I truly learned the meaning of being a woman for others, a leader, someone of faith, and a friend. From him listening to me rant about my teenage problems to me popping into his office to ask how his day is going, he's a friend that I'm so thankful to have built a relationship with over the past four years.

I can stand here and talk for hours about each and every one of the relationships that I've made with the faculty but sadly I was only allotted 5 minutes. From Ms. Geraci's Algebra I class in freshman year that made me fall in love with math, to watching Mrs. Jones son in the morning, to seeking life advice Mr Raphael, to my group chat with Br. Mark, to spending hours on end in the athletic office with Mr. Grillo and Mr. Wiatre spilling tea, to countless detentions with Lisboa, to trying to understand what Mr. Gucciardi is saying half the time They have all taught me valuable life lessons that I will carry with me forever. Because of my relationships with the faculty I have developed into a well-rounded person with a strong sense of leadership, academic excellence, and faith. Their impact on me is beyond anything I ever would have expected and I'm eternally grateful for all that they do each day both inside and outside of the classroom for the benefit of their students. Thank you.

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2018 Baccalaureate Mass Speeches - Maria Trizzino

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