“With God’s help, we will either find a way or make one.”  This is a part of Providence St. Mel’s mission statement that has been embedded in my mind since graduation.    Looking back, I have realized that my education at St. Mel was priceless and an experience that played a detrimental part in shaping me into the man I am today.  As students, many of us complained about the two to three hours of homework that we received every night while attending St. Mel.  Additionally, we complained about the strict policy of serving a detention for not doing our homework or being late for class.   However, my life is much easier as an adult because of the strict self-discipline that St. Mel instilled within me at an early age.  Along with self-discipline, St. Mel stressed the importance of hard work as well as the successes that will naturally flow from it.  Students at St. Mel are taught to believe in themselves even when others do not and even when life’s obstacles are unbearable.  After attending St. Mel, I knew in my mind, heart, and soul that with hard work, there was no goal that I could not accomplish.    

After graduating from St. Mel in 2000, I earned my B.A. from Morehouse College in 2004, with a major in finance and a minor in economics.  In 2007, I earned my J.D. from Chicago Kent College of Law.  Today, I am an Assistant State’s Attorney for the Cook County State’s Attorney Office.  Providence St. Mel has helped me to achieve these goals by giving me a good education, strong self-discipline, and a great work ethic.  It has also taught me to have respect for myself, others, and my community, and has empowered me to believe that no barrier is unbreakable.   I hope that my story can inspire others to attend Providence St. Mel, one of the best high schools in Chicago, which is rightfully known as the “The school that works.”