Freshmen Were Asked: How Has Being at St. Augustine Changed You?

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Posted March 2nd, 2016

Mason Anderson

Deciding to come to St. Augustine Prep was the best decision I have made in my entire life. This school offers so much. From sports, to academics, to great people, the Prep is a dream school. Becoming a Hermit has changed me much more than I expected.

The first way I have changed is my new-found sense of community. Being a Hermit means being a part of the brotherhood, and I know that I always have friends and classmates by my side, no matter what. This allows me to feel more welcomed and to be more comfortable. Being a Hermit brother allows me to be at home when on campus.

The Hermit brotherhood has also affected me by making me less selfish. Rather than helping myself and myself only, I feel both welcomed and obligated to help my Hermit brother if he is in trouble or doesn’t understand something. This selflessness has carried back to my family, where I find myself helping out around the house more and bothering my sister less.

The final change caused by the Hermit brotherhood is that I am never finished. Last year, without any support or competition, once I achieved an A, I didn’t work any harder. Now I find myself in healthy competition with my peers— wanting to be the best student and best oarsmen I can possibly be. Being a Hermit has opened up a whole new part of me that I hadn’t realized was possible.

Antonio Talotta

Five months ago I could never have imagined how much the colors blue, white, and gray could possibly mean to me. Being able to call the Prep home, and being a proud Hermit brother has had major effects on my life. These past five months at the Prep have given me the sense that I am a part of something greater, and there are things much bigger than me. I have grown in relationships with fellow members of the Prep community and have worked to get involved in every way possible. The school spirit at the Prep is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Being a Hermit means having a family that is 700 people strong, and family never dies.

Becoming a Hermit has also had major effects on my life outside of school. I have grown spiritually, personally, and physically. I have learned to become closer to God through the Prep’s weekly celebration of Holy Mass and through the religion courses at the Prep. I have grown so much and even joined the Ministry Team— something I never would have seen myself doing five months ago. I have also made major strides as a person by becoming more confident and rational in my everyday life. I have picked up better habits, and have become an all-around happier person. My leadership and public speaking qualities have been honed at the Prep, and I have grown physically through Lifetime Fitness classes and the Prep’s rigorous athletic program. The progress I have made in my strength and endurance surpasses anything I could have ever imagined.