Should I Go to My 45th Year High School Reunion?

The invite arrived in the mail this Saturday. Should I go to my 45th-year high school reunion? I experienced so many emotions reading the invitation from St. Francis Prep.

My first thought was to calculate the time between now and the reunion date to see how quickly I needed to start my diet. Plenty of time! (Yeah, right.) I loved my high school years! Of course, I will attend the reunion. Do you want to know why? Because St. Francis Prep molded me into who I am today. So many life-changing events happened to me during those four years.

I am very proud to say I went to St. Francis Prep High School. It is the largest Catholic High School in the United States. There were 676 students in our graduating class. You can find more info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Francis_Preparatory_School

Firstly, I learned how to take public transportation. The school was not close to me, and no yellow school bus was being sent into my area. I had to take two New York City buses daily to school. As with all public transportation, I “guesstimated” how long the ride would take. Detention was looming should I arrive late to school. Also, this taught me responsibility and the value of being prepared. I also needed to be on top of the weather to know if I needed my umbrella, snow boots, etc.

High School Indoctrination

My first year was a whirlwind. The school was huge! I spent the first month figuring out the school layout. You had a short window to make it to your next class before a bell sounded. It was not as easy as you think! I remember feeling so accomplished once I perfected my route!

Luckily, I had multiple friends from my grammar school also attending the Prep (as we all called it). So I was not forced to find a friend group immediately. I did make friends with kids that lived in areas I was not familiar with at all. That was very cool. (My Mom didn’t think so since she got stuck driving and picking me up at these new friends’ houses.)

For as long as I can remember, I loved being part of groups or teams. Therefore, I promptly got involved in sports and the school newspaper. I would not call myself a good athlete, but I was coordinated enough to make the basketball and volleyball teams. It kept me busy after school and exposed me to many more potential friends! You could say that I found my tribe that first year.

High School Reunion Becomes a Must

My second year at St. Francis Prep was life-altering. A good friend of mine was killed in a car accident along with two other students on the way home from a party. An additional two friends were severely injured but survived. I was at the party with them but luckily had a different ride home. It was devastating!

The Varsity football team won a pivotal game, so there was a celebratory keg party that night at the park by our school. None of us knew the night was going to end in such tragedy. Eight kids were in the car, three were killed, and five were severely injured. Our entire high school was reeling from this. I was fifteen years old and had no idea how to process this. It was horrible.

It seemed like we all grew up overnight. Our carefree world turned upside down. It also solidified our friendship bonds in a way I don’t know how to describe. It would be best if you were in it to understand. In retrospect, it is still the most significant event to have impacted my life. It happened almost 49 years ago, and I remember everything like yesterday.

How Can it be My 45th Year High School Reunion Already?

The last two years of high school were typical. I got cut from volleyball and basketball (no surprise), there was lots of drama with friends, plus much anticipation over College. My first serious boyfriend came and went but not before he broke my heart. I attended countless sporting events to root for my Terriers. The St. Francis fight song is still embedded in my head! There were parties and ice skating, dancing at red lights on Northern Boulevard, and much more silliness before graduation.

I grew up at St. Francis Prep. I learned how to face adversity and what true friendship meant. I met one of my dearest friends there. When the four years ended, I didn’t want to leave. Moreover, I shed some serious tears at graduation. Father Cooney made us stand up that day and sing Old Man River together. He was right – we needed to “just keep rolling along.”

I Love My Alma Mater

A huge smile comes across my face when I think of St. Francis Prep. The memories are vivid, much more so than my college years. I remember turning myself in to Mr. Kehoe for cutting a gym class so I could type a paper (due the following period) in the library. Our typewriter had broken at home. He told me to “slowly walk out of his office and pretend we had never spoken that day!” Too funny!

I cannot say enough how fantastic my teachers were at the Prep. They seemed to be everywhere. You’d see them at school plays and on the football field. Their involvement didn’t stop in the classroom. It was great getting to know them in other environments. They were highly supportive!

The bottom line is I HAVE to go to my reunion. I’d love to see the people I grew up with again. We share many memories, and I know we will reminisce, tell stories, and laugh together. High school is just four years, but St. Francis Prep is forever. On for ole St. Francis, on red and blue…

Do you have fond memories of high school? Have you been to a reunion? Kindly comment below and let me know. Please share this with a friend to help me grow my audience. Thanks!