Alumni: In Their Own Words

Brianna Enter ’19

Junior, Florida State University Major: Psychology with a Minor in Criminology Sport: Softball

Brianna: Then

St. Johns taught me about what type of people and the type of environment I want to be around in the future. St. Johns was a very family oriented community when I look back and think about it. All the teachers, staff, coaches who work there really care for not only their student’s academic goals, but their well being, too. It’s been almost three years since I have graduated from St. Johns and I still keep in touch with some of my teachers and coaches from my time there just because I consider them family now. They all wish me nothing but the best when it comes to accomplishing my dreams and that means a lot because I know I can look back at my hometown and have people in my hip pocket that support me. That’s why picking Florida State and their softball program was a no brainer for me. Florida State has that same family atmosphere that St. Johns carries and that has now become one of the most important values I will always look for in a new environment.

Brianna: Now

Due to being surrounded by a community with a core value of family, I have accomplished my dreams in my athletic career. I am surrounded by people every day who want me to grow as a player and as a person. They push me to work hard and help show me what I am capable of doing both on and off the field. I strive to be the better version of myself not only for me, but for my teammates to my left and right. In 2021, my team and I made it to the Women’s College World Series and ended up being the national runner-up. This so far has been my biggest accomplishment in my athletic career, and there are more goals set to help us get back there and win it all in the future. There are also other little accomplishments I have made in the past two years on the field, but these were achievable because I surrounded myself with the right people. To current St. John’s students, when looking for colleges that you want to attend, focus on your personal values and make sure that the school can provide them for you. Whatever environment you choose to be in for the next four years, make sure you surround yourself with people who will encourage you to be the best version of yourself. The people you meet along the way during those years will stay with you for a lifetime. These years are used to help you find your identity and to help create a future for yourself in the long run, so don’t waste that time. There will be so many resources at the university you pick to help you find your way and take advantage of all of them. There will be many highs and lows that you will experience during those four years, but many of them turn out to be the greatest life lessons that you will learn. Lastly, just have fun. Try not to stress and worry about every little thing, whether it’s school related or just life in general. These are supposed to be the best years of your life, so make sure you’re living life day by day.

Kamy Loustau ’19

Junior, Princeton University Major: Religion with Certificates in African American Studies & Urban Studies Sport: Soccer

Kamy: Then

In making the transition to college, I have to admit I was nervous about being able to keep up in my classes, not to mention on the soccer field. However, as hectic as freshman year of college naturally is, I felt very well-prepared to complete my assignments and to do them well. I was particularly thankful for the proficient writing and presentation skills that St. Johns instilled in me. These were definitely things I took for granted in my time at St. Johns, but that I have come to greatly appreciate in my time here at Princeton. In terms of writing, Princeton requires every student to take an introductory writing seminar. Notorious for its difficulty, this was one of the classes I was dreading the most my freshman year. However, once I got into class, I soon realized that all of the terms and ideas we were talking about were very familiar to me. From articulating clear and concise arguments through thesis statements, to incorporating quotations within the actual sentences of my papers, rather than just quoting and then describing, I had heard all these ideas before in the English classrooms at St. Johns. That is not to say the class wasn’t still challenging. I would be lying if I said I didn’t struggle to become more clear, more concise, and more credible, but the foundational skills I received at St. Johns made me confident enough to tackle these slightly more complex concepts rather than shy away from them. This is the same for my presentation skills.

Whether it be a general summary of the topics we have been covering or leading the group discussion for that day, almost every class I have had at Princeton has required some sort of presentation. Sound familiar? From discursos in Spanish class, to presentations about the Columbian exchange in history, to research presentations in biology, St. Johns also requires its fair share of presentations. Even though I didn’t always love it then, it has helped me so much here. The presentations I had to do at St. Johns gave me experience speaking in front of people, communicating information efficiently, and keeping people engaged throughout the presentation.

Kamy: Now

Furthermore, something St. Johns helped prepare me for in college was the process of opening up communication between you and your professor. It can be a shock going from SJ to college because you quickly realize you don’t know everybody, and they don’t know you, nor do they necessarily go out of their way to get to know you. Professors have so much responsibility on their plate already that they don’t have the time to reach out to and keep track of all their students. St. Johns, on the other hand, is naturally able to create these close student-teacher relationships. Because of the small nature of the school, you can’t help but know and see your teachers, maybe more than you want to. However, this relationship opens so many lines for communication and collaboration. Take advantage of this when at St. Johns and replicate it when you’re in college. Reach out to your teachers early about assignments that may seem daunting to you, even if just to say that you are unsure of what the requirements are or how exactly to approach something. Even though teachers are busy, they truly want to help in any way they can and often welcome the questions or emails with open arms. The close relationships I had with my teachers at St. Johns showed me how to pursue those relationships here at Princeton. It has made all the difference. Not only have these relationships clarified so many assignments but I have been allowed many extensions on overwhelming assignments simply because I took the time to ask in advance.

Communication isn’t just something I learned in the classroom, it’s also something I learned on the field. As a member of the soccer team at St. Johns, communication was just one of the many things we focused on to help improve our organization and success as a team. More than that, getting to play soccer at St. Johns taught me so much about how to push my limits every day and to believe in myself. Coach Pickett would always ask us, “Did you come to school today to get by or to get better?” Somedays the choice came easier than others but we were always encouraged to get better; to get to the next level; to never say “I can’t.” Coach Pickett and Coach Gary Thomas worked so hard to help me understand that I could do so much more than I thought possible if I was just willing to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Moreover, Coach Brad Schmidt helped me to see the strengths I had within myself and taught me how to believe in myself beyond any doubts I, or others, may have. This has helped me so much throughout my time playing for the Princeton team. Each day I try to focus on getting better, making those around me better, and believe in myself above it all.

From quality writing and presentation skills to establishing close student-teacher relationships, St. Johns taught me so many little things that ended up paying back in huge ways once I got to college. Not to mention, I owe so much thanks to the athletic program at St. Johns and specifically to Coach Mike Pickett, Coach Brad Schmidt, and Coach Gary Thomas for helping push me to reach new levels each day and teaching me how to believe in myself, two behaviors that can make or break a college athlete.

Whenever I travel home for breaks, I often visit St. Johns, to see my old teachers, or coaches. We get to catch-up on our new lives while also reminiscing on good times spent there, whether it’s a funny moment in class or fun out on the field. I am so thankful for the teachers and the coaches at St. Johns, who undoubtedly helped prepare me for college. Go Spartans!

Jared Marsano ’19

Junior, Flagler College Major: Accounting and Political Science Sport: Soccer

St. Johns instilled in me the belief that anything is possible with hard work, practice, and persistence. When I began THEN playing soccer in 7th grade, I did it to have fun and to hang out with my friends. At St. Johns, it didn’t matter that I hadn’t had any experience to join the team. I was given the opportunity to try a new sport that I hadn’t played before. From there, I was coached, given a chance, and was able to improve my skills. This opportunity that St. Johns provided to me sparked my love for the game and my dream of playing at the collegiate level.

Jared: Then (with his first grader Noah Rosenau '30)

Academically and athletically, St. Johns pushed me to achieve the best version of myself. This is replicated through the teachers at St. Johns that hold their students to a very high standard. The high standards led me to fill my course load full of honors and AP classes. The combination of rigorous academics and competitive athletics proved demanding. However, it helped to establish a high level of work ethic and time-management skills that continued into my collegiate athletic and academic career today.

When thinking about my athletic career, two of my greatest accomplishments were being awarded the conference player of the week and winning the conference championship in the same season. In my first collegiate start, I was awarded the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week against Francis Marion University. Stunning the reigning conference champs on opening day reminded me of the McClay performance at St. Johns. It was beating McClay that sparked my belief that any team could be toppled, no matter their ranking or presumed quality of players that they have. Later that year, the standard of success continued, as we won the Peach Belt Conference for the first time since 2011. This winning mentality originated at St. Johns, when we won the 2019 district championship after a long drought.

Jared: Now

To be competitive at the college level, you need to be willing to do whatever it takes to improve. You have to be prepared to sacrifice all obstacles that lie in the way. Sometimes it even means missing out on your senior prom to compete in a soccer tournament. My advice for current St. Johns students is to work towards your goals, whether it be academically, athletically, or any other discipline. St. Johns provides the tools in order to achieve your dreams. It’s whether you utilize them is what makes the difference.