Reflections from the Class of 2023

Please enjoy the reflections of a graduate of Holy Spirit’s Class of 2023. Thank you, Nolan Knight Watts, for your heartfelt reflections and expressions of gratitude for your nine years of faith, knowledge, and community at HSS.

My name is Nolan Watts and I have been a student at Holy Spirit since Kindergarten. I still remember my first days of school here, where I was welcomed with open arms by my Kindergarten teachers, Mrs. Rossi and Mrs. Judnick. My classmates and I are here today because of the warmth from our teachers, values instilled by our priests, knowledge from the classes, the sense of community our administration fostered, and of course the fun and friendship of my classmates. The bonds we created as a class with each other supported our growth. We learned about ourselves and developed a culture between us that became our Holy Spirit community.

As we prepare for our next journey of life in high school, we should be excited to see what the future holds for each of us! No matter who we will become or where we go in life, Holy Spirit has taught us to be kind, selfless, confident, and to always have faith in God. Each of us will make a difference in our communities in our own ways- to make a mark in this world we love so much- always with a full heart that we’ve grown right here on this campus at Holy Spirit.

This campus reminds me of so many memories. In the library, early in my time here, I would see colorful books higher up on the shelf but was not able to reach. Older students would stretch high and pull the book, handing it to me. As I looked up to them thinking how awesome they were I’d say “thank you” in my 2^nd grade voice. Now I am helping younger Coyotes reach for books in the library and feel good about giving back as a big buddy.

On other occasions, at the beginning of the school year, new students would arrive, and our class would welcome them. I can imagine being new to a school and how difficult that can be to make new friends and fit in, yet our class was open and helpful, supporting new classmates when it would perhaps have been just as easy not to talk to them.

Our class has always been close. Maybe the boys and girls sometimes stayed on different sides of the asphalt during P.E. or at recess, but over the years we’ve grown to know each other and respect each other. I consider all of us friends in one way or another, which is why it will be hard to say goodbye to our years at Holy Spirit. After graduation, we will remember funny things that happened, maybe something a teacher said, or how a classmate slipped in the mud, and we’ll smile at the snippets of time from this place, and we’ll be filled with joy. It’s sad to move on from Holy Spirit, but I don’t see us ever truly moving on, just forward in time with the wonderful memories we’ve made together.

To our priests, thank you for sharing Jesus’s values and leading us through the Sacraments. To our teachers, thank you for giving us knowledge and skills to help us throughout our time in high school. To my parents, thank you for guiding me through hardships and pushing me to be my best. To our administrators, thank you for having the patience to deal with our parents who pushed us to do our best! Without the teamwork of all of you, our class wouldn’t have had the countless unforgettable memories from our years of growing up in Holy Spirit.

Finally, thank you to my classmates. We have shared so many adventures together through recess, class time, sports, retreats, and school rallies. Whether on our journey through Confirmation, Science Camp, field trips, and elsewhere, we have always been present for each other to teach and support as we became our best selves. Growing up with many of my classmates has been an emotional journey, but I wouldn’t have wanted to go through it with anyone else. Thank you to every last one of you and Go Coyotes!!