A Final Farewell for Father Larry

This past weekend, we at Ascension Parish bid farewell to our beloved pastor, Father Larry McNally, as he ends his 12 years at Ascension, and heads to St. Matthias in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood to be pastor there.  (Interestingly, the years he was Ascension's pastor is the same number of the tribes of Israel and the apostles.)

Back in March, as the time for his departure grew closer and closer, Father Larry, in his weekly bulletin letter, said a local newspaper reporter was going to do a story on his departure, and was looking for a few parishioners to share with him.  I gladly volunteered for this opportunity to offer tribute to Father Larry.  That piece was published in The Wednesday Journalearlier in June.

I typed up 2-3 pages of thoughts on Father Larry to give the reporter plenty of material to use.  Because of limitations of space, not everything could be included.  But to give a final farewell tribute to Father Larry, I share from the content of what I sent here.

The one thing about Father Larry that stands out to me from his time at Ascension Parish is his pastoral nature, which I saw on full display in my involvement in the Religious Education (RE) ministry.  He makes a point from time to time to visit the Religious Education classes.  He made arrangements to come soon after Confirmation for the class of 2014 to talk with the recently confirmed teens about their experience.  Every Lent, he comes to have the young people experience the sacrament of reconciliation with him.  Later on in the RE year, I asked him to come to my class, and when an initial date we set didn’t work for him, he made every effort to arrange a different one, as I could tell he really wanted to be present.  We did a show-and-tell during the class he came, and he even shared something special to him.

And when the Confirmation students have their monthly preparation meetings, he comes by to visit with them, fielding questions, and offering his spiritual insights, showing up at every meeting, except one that fell when he was on an annual outing in Wisconsin. 

I remember when the 2014 class had their first preparation meeting back in December 2013.  Before the DRE started the formal part of the meeting, Father Larry opened up the floor for questions.  Right away, someone asked him why God allows evil and suffering if He’s all good.  It was a serious question, but Father Larry was ready, and he gave it a solid answer.  One thing he said in response was the example of the tornado that had just happened in Washington, IL.  This disaster brought out the good in people as many aided in the recovery efforts.

Throughout the preparation process for the Class of 2014, through all their preparation meetings, and then after the Confirmation retreat at Brookfield Zoo, Father Larry made a point to be present to the students, encouraging them in the process of their preparation for this sacrament.  At Mass on the Sunday evenings of the meeting dates, he used his homily as an opportunity to speak to the young people about what Confirmation means for them. 

As for his homilies in general, he uses great, and sometimes humorous, stories in his homilies to help drive home the insights in the liturgy.  He uses a variety of interesting stories for his Easter Vigil homily, like the time he got locked out.  Then, one year on the Feast of Ascension, he told a story about when he booked a room at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

There was also the time when, in one of his homilies, he showed a newspaper—a technique he learned from a seminary professor—with a story about a cover-up of sexual abuse by priests.  He was apologetic about the conduct of his brother priests.  It was something profound to hear him honestly acknowledge this situation, and to own it, in a sense.

He shows his pastoral nature with the younger ones among us, too.  Every May come the First Communion Masses.  After the gifts have been brought to the altar and the altar has been prepared, Father Larry walks to the pews where the first communicants are seated with their families, gathers them together, and leads them up to the altar, where they stand behind him as he says the Eucharistic Prayer.  Last year, May 2014, I was at one of the First Communion Masses that happened to be on the weekend of the 4^th Sunday of Easter, which is also referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday.  By leading the children up to the altar, Father Larry gives a beautiful image of our Good Shepherd.  When I witnessed this last year, it touched me so greatly, almost to the point of tears.

He has a good, healthy sense of humility.  There was one night I had a dream in which he made an appearance.  The next time I saw him after Mass, I told him this had happened, and the first words out of his mouth were, “Oh no, a nightmare!”, in a tone that suggested he didn’t want to make too much of the fact he was in my dream.  Another time, when he was announcing that he was going to help teach one of the RE classes, he used that same tone of voice to say that they were really scraping the bottom of the barrel by picking him to teach.

Father Larry also knows how to have fun, even beyond his (in)famous puns.  He never passes up a good opportunity to acclaim his White Sox pride, or to kid around with those displaying their Cubs pride.  This got particularly interesting one time when, as part of the Ascension School Centennial Celebration block party, he went on the dunk tank seat in White Sox paraphernalia.  A kid so frustrated he couldn’t hit the target with the ball finally pushed it and down went Father Larry.  While walking around the courtyard dripping wet, he met a very distinguished guest—none other than former IL Governor Pat Quinn.

At the end of the 2013-2014 Religious Education year, at the catechist appreciation brunch, the entertainment was one of the sisters from Late Nite Catechism.  Father Larry was present, and I can still remember how red his face turned from laughing at Sister’s jokes.  He was having fun with that woman!  He definitely knows how to laugh.

He never ceases to express his appreciation for our participation in the life of the Church.  Every time he celebrates Mass, when he comes out before the assembly before the opening procession, he always thanks the people for coming, whether a nice summery day, or a wintry day with a raging snowstorm.  In doing so, he acknowledges that we aren’t robots who arrive at church at the press of a button, but recognizes the effort we make in the midst of everything going on in our lives to come to church to worship the Lord with each other.  Even though there is an obligation, he doesn’t presume upon that, and makes sure to express his appreciation for our coming to be present with the Lord and one another.

He has had good rapport with people at our parish, enjoying good conversation with people in the church entrance after Mass.  In June of last year, when Ascension was featured on the Sacred Spaces House of Worship Tour, Father Larry was out in front telling visitors about the features out there.  The volunteer helping check visitors in at Ascension pointed out that Father Larry kept waving to people who drove by the church, as there are many he knows in the community.

Father Larry has also affirmed me in personal ways.  Back in May 2012, when I had come home for the summer from college, I opened a letter envelope from Ascension.  Inside, I found a typed letter from Father Larry, asking me to serve on committee that would help plan and run the Theology on Tap speakers’ series at Ascension that summer.  He said at the top he had been “snookered” by the Archdiocese’s Office for Young Adult Ministry, not aware that when he agreed for Ascension to host, that we would have to run it.  He then added a handwritten note at the bottom suggesting this would be a good opportunity for me.  I agreed to help out.  After our first committee meeting, Father Larry’s concern over doing this relaxed into delight that many of us young adults had so eagerly pitched in to help, with all our creative ideas.  Being part of Theology on Tap was one of the best faith formation experiences I ever had, not to mention a great way to spend a few summer Sunday evenings.

After graduating from college, I was struggling with some issues as I started out in my career life.  I asked Father Larry if I could meet with him, and he carved out a time in his schedule for me.  During the course of our conversation, he urged me to make good use of all the talents and skills I have in some kind of work, even drawing from his own life experiences.  Hearing those words from him spurred me on more than when I had heard such sentiments from anyone else during those first few months after college graduation.

There was one other great affirmation I received from Father Larry.  It was the day that the Confirmation Class of 2014 received the sacrament back in October of last year.  I had been out with others during the day, and was not present at the Confirmation Mass.  In the evening, after I had finished dinner, I decided to go for a walk to Ascension, to see if I could catch Bishop Kane, who had confirmed me back in 2005, and was there for the class of 2014.  As I approached the church, I looked over to the side entrance by the parking lot, and saw a group of people standing there.  Lo and behold, the group included Father Larry and Bishop Kane.  After greeting the Bishop, and exchanging a few words with him, Father Larry then told him about how involved I was in Church ministries, saying that Bishop Kane’s confirmation of me had “worked”.  It was an amazing moment in which I could take stock of how I had grown in my faith life since the day I stood before Bishop Kane to receive the sacrament, and where that path had taken me, even to participate in the formation of those who had just been confirmed that evening.

This past weekend, Father Larry celebrated his last Masses as Ascension pastor this past weekend, and it was one of those few times that Mass was an emotional experience.  I went up to Father Larry as he walked into Church right as 7:30 Mass was about to start, and told him that it was time for me to say goodbye, but that it would take an hour to do so: I would use the Mass liturgy as my farewell to him, because no matter what circumstances are before us, the liturgy is what God gives us through His Church as our prayer back to Him for whatever is on our hearts.

I’m certainly going to miss Father Larry, because he has had such a good presence at Ascension as our pastor.  In fact, it’s kind of hard for me to picture Ascension without him, because I associate him so strongly with Ascension. But I take comfort that we are part of the Body of Christ, which transcends all time and space, spanning Earth and Heaven, which we celebrate every week at Mass.  And so we shall continue together, even in separate geographic locations, on this Earthly pilgrimage, as we await the day we join together in Heaven before God.  And as he has said he shall always pray for us at Ascension, I shall unceasingly pray for him, especially that he will faithfully do the work God has for him as pastor of St. Matthias.

I also cherish an adage that I encountered a couple of times during the festivities held throughout the weekend to honor Father Larry: “Don’t cry because it’s over, but smile that it happened”.  Even in the midst of wistfulness, I am definitely smiling, knowing how blessed all of us are at Ascension Parish that we had Father Larry as our pastor for these past 12 years.

Father Larry (in red shirt) singing "Getting to Know You" at the Variety Show held on Saturday

Father Larry at his last Mass at Ascension as pastor, in a green vestment, seated in the presider's chair, just to the right of the Chi-Rho (XP)

Father Larry bows his head as Deacon Joe Walsh, to the left of him, leads the congregation gathered in a farewell blessing for Father Larry

Father Larry on the move...approaching the church vestibule at the end of the recessional that closed his final Mass as Ascension's pastor, ready to walk out of Church and speak with the throngs of parishioners who gave him their farewells

A throw-back to October 15, 2005, a good day many years ago:  Here I am posing with Father Larry at the reception following the Mass at which I was confirmed, the start of a great new phase of my faith journey.  Less than two weeks later, Father Larry would be in heightened euphoria celebrating the White Sox victory in the World Series.

P.S. There was a Variety Show held on Saturday, with a great collection of acts in tribute to Father Larry.  Here's a list of a few more songs that I feel befit this occasion, if you care to take some time to listen to them, as a few more for the road:

"It's Time to Say Goodbye"

"Don't Cry for Me, Argentina"

"Amigos para Siempre"

"The Circle of Life"

"My Place in this World"

"No Longer Strangers"

A Silvery Tribute to an Amazing Friend

About a year ago, my good friend Roy H. Miller III wrote this post on his blog about me: http://eljabon.tumblr.com/post/91023508022/band-of-brothers-paul-rubio

Honestly, I didn't know it was possible for someone to say as many nice things about me as Roy did in that post.

Today, he turns 25.  To celebrate the occasion, and return the favor, I offer tribute to him in this blog post.

The friendship I started with Roy back at the beginning of our first year at Valparaiso University was one of many truly remarkable friendships I started at that time, like none I had ever had before.

I think the one thing that stands out Roy is that is truly a person with a heart set on God, with a faith in Christ that is so alive.  He holds firmly to the principles of faith, and lives them out.  He has always been eager to get a group of friends together for Bible study, and at ValpU, added the element of conducting it entirely in Spanish.  He was involved in other faith-based groups on campus while at ValpU.  And often, when we got together, and even now, when we have one-on-one conversations over the phone, or in person during visits, he asks me, "How are you doing spiritually?"  When he does so, it provides a great opportunity for me to think about what's happening in my life spiritually, and assess what it means.  At certain times in my life when I was in a trying situation, he took the time to listen to me, and then would offer to pray for me.

His faith is also driving the overall purposes of his life.  He has sensed God's calling to be a missionary in Spain, and has laid out his life to achieve that goal, even in all the various twists and turns it involves:  So far, it has taken him to pursuing his master's degree at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, in geological studies, after getting his BS in geological studies at ValpU, and to his current work at the US Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory Albany Research Center in Albany, OR.

He has a good work ethic, tending well to his studies, even when he had heavier coursework loads during his time at ValpU to graduate a year early.  He managed well even having simultaneous college classes beyond ValpU.

He's also a great person just to be around, because of the friendliness and lovingkindness he shows to others he encounters, which is a great example of how he shows his love for God.  I especially noticed at ValpU, he went out of his way to make friends with all sorts of people, with special needs, and international students.  Another time, a group of pro-LGBTQ protestors were walking in on a talk he was attending with a faith-based group, and he held the door open for them, and got to talking casually with some of them--not anything related to the topic of the presentation.

Once, when we got together for a visit, while ambling around in downtown Chicago, he stopped to buy food at a store, and then offered it to homeless people on the sides of the streets, and then even made a point to converse with them.  During other times we'd go out and about, we'd walk into a store to look around at the merchandise, and he'd strike up conversation with the employees.

And he definitely enjoys spending time with friends.  He was so eager to arrange visits with me in Illinois Chicagoland, even coming to visit me over the July 4th holiday last year.  And he was eager to have me come visit him in his stomping grounds in Lake County, Indiana, on a couple of occasions.  Especially since he graduated from ValpU, having the opportunity to visit with him has been a joy.

Roy is also fully capable of not taking himself too seriously.  He likes putting on little "acts", even dancing to techno music, and talking about going to the discotec.  Once, when he came with me to the Oak Park Conservatory, he started dancing around "techno"-style with one of the birds there, Sara, who enjoys dancing.  He likes other modern music styles, too.  And he also imitates people like Barney Fife, with his high-pitched voice, and even likes to imitate me.  He also has a fondness for using expressions like, "Keep it kosherific", to indicate, "Be well".

What a friend I have in Roy.  And I am delighted to offer tribute to him as he reaches the quarter-century mark.  The world is a better place because of him, and certainly my life is more meaningful because of his presence in it.

Roy is to the right of me in the picture, in a Japanese-style outfit.

A Pause at 800 Years

Today marks a momentous occasion in the history of government, law, and of the world at large, when, on June 15, 1215, King John gave his assent to the Magna Carta at Runnymede, after having been forced to do so by a group of English nobles.

It's a good opportunity for us to pause and reflect on the nature of law and government. I think back to my Justice class in Christ College during the first semester of my senior year at Valparaiso University. In my final essay, I reflected a little on how government came into existence. Drawing from John Locke's Second Treatise on Government, I wrote that, "God gave all humans land in the state of nature, but in order to make use of the land, humans had to apply labor to it, from which emanates private possessions.  But then conflicts arise when private interests compete.  To better preserve themselves, people band together, and hand the authority of protection of their personal possessions to a government.  The society then leaves the state of nature that God ordained". (As an aside, I also quoted from Rod Blagojevich's book The Governor in this essay.)

I see that government originally formed when people banded together for their own well-being. But as societies developed, the power shared by all eventually consolidated into a single figure, namely a king, which was the case by the time of the Magna Carta. And the idea of the divine right of kings, that God ordained kings to sit on the throne, would continue for centuries after the Magna Carta.

But here, a group of nobles challenged the authority of a king who they felt had wielded too much power, and used this document to restrain him, while asserting their rights. There would be other instances in British history when this happened, and then, in a similar spirit came the American Revolution, which was all about dissolving all connections with a King who wielded power to inflict injustices on his subjects.

And in this spirit of the American Revolution came other movements of people to reassert their authority to wield their own governmental powers. Today, few absolute monarchies exist in the world, especially in comparison to democratic governments.

It says something about our desire as humans to want to rule ourselves. Yet we find ourselves needing to strike a balance between delegating authority to certain individuals for logistical reasons, and not letting any of those people have too much authority over us.

That's why I think it's so important to be involved in our government, at all levels, especially in a democratic system like we have in the United States, because it's our government, and we might as well act like it is.

One Decade of Joyful Julian Recall

It is a day I remember in a celebratory spirit each year: Wednesday, June 8, 2005.  That was the day I graduated from Percy Julian Middle School, marking the end of three amazing years, when, at approximately 8:20 PM, my 8th grade advisory and science teacher Ms. Teubert called out my name and I walked across the stage to receive my diploma from District 97 Board member Dr. Blankemeier.  (The picture below captures me (just right of center) walking across the stage immediately after receiving my diploma from Dr. Blankemeier, who is to the left, in a whitish dress.)

While many people write off these years, I fondly recall those three great years I spent as a student at Julian, because I flourished in many ways as a person during my time there.  I feel that many aspects of who I am as a person can be traced back to my experiences there.

Perhaps this is why I regard middle school in a more generally optimistic way than many, especially the District 97 board candidates in the recent local elections campaign who spoke about the problematic nature of middle school, not only because of the stage of life of the students, but because they dissipate the tight-knit communities the elementary schools foster.  I’ll admit that there were many imperfections in my middle school years.  Yet somehow, this time of my life always manages to rise above those bad aspects to glimmer beautifully.  And it was a very particular arrangement of circumstances that together contributed to making my middle school experience so memorable.

It was also during the campaign that I gained new insights about what went into making the middle schools possible in Oak Park back around 2000.  I engaged in an extensive exchange via e-mail with Bob Spatz, who currently sits on the District 97 board, and who was very involved in the efforts to get the middle schools built.  And I think that the newness of the buildings and the experience they contain definitely serves as the basis for my memorable middle school period.

I came to middle school wracked by disillusionment from some hard times during 5^th grade, which didn’t at all put me in the right mindset to start 6^th grade, much less starting at a new school.  Yet it was a momentous time in Oak Park:  After much planning, two new middle schools were completed, and the 6^th graders started attending them along with grades 7 and 8.  So that Tuesday, September 3, 2002--what would have otherwise been a mundane, first day at a new school--was a day that my classmates and I made Oak Park history as the first group of 6^th graders to attend Julian.  At the same time, 5/8-mile west on Washington Boulevard, my counterparts became the first group of 6^th graders at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School.  Furthermore, it was also something totally new for my 6^th grade core class, and even electives, teachers, and many others, too, who came from other District 97 schools to teach at Julian.  We were indeed starting out together in this bold new experiment.  A term I heard tossed about during my 6^th grade year was “guinea pigs”, in reference to us being the first to be part of the 6^th grade experience at the middle schools.

So despite my nervousness starting out, I recognized it was something amazing to be starting at a new school that was also a brand new school building, which was built thanks to the planning efforts of people at District 97, and the voters of Oak Park who approved a referendum to raise taxes to pay for the new buildings.

The buildings have such a sophisticated, modernistic design.  But the part of the physical space that I feel specially contributed to my success was the team wings.  These wings formed the organization of the academic learning teams of the core classes.  I liked this structure of the teams, which helped us form close relationships with teachers and students, even in the midst of the large setting of the building.

On those teams, I obtained a great education that contributed significantly to my personal growth.  Especially in social studies class, I was able to learn more about this country, which helped foster in me a strong sense of pride in what it means to be an American, also fostered outside of school, such as through my own reading of books about US history and places, and even watching the PBS show Liberty’s Kids, which debuted at the same time I started 6th grade.  This particular example highlights how significant things happened in my life outside the walls of Julian, but worked in tandem with certain things happening at school.  It was the first sense I had of how my education would connect with the larger purposes I would attain in fulfilling my life’s vocation, extending beyond my schooling, before I fully comprehended such a concept.

There were other significant projects happened in classes that allowed me to think more deeply about things going on in the larger world, like in math classes, CMT, and Arts and Culture class in 6th grade.

But some of the notable ways I personally expressed myself during those years at Julian occurred outside of class time in competitions like the Spelling Bee, the National Geography Bee, and the Word Power Challenge, to name a few, and I excelled in the first two in that list.  I never imagined myself excelling at spelling, but I made it to the final school round all three years.

As far as the National Geography Bee is concerned, I was definitely in my element as a participant.  I’ve enjoyed geography ever since grade 2, and this was a fantastic opportunity to put my knowledge about the world to the test, and have some fun along the way.

I also served on Student Council, which gave me great experience taking leadership and working on projects, a couple of which I did in the desire to serve my fellow students.  I also got to experience “instant celebrity-hood”, albeit brief, on two occasions: When I ran for Student Council Vice President in grade 7, I gave a campaign speech before the whole school--in two batches--that managed to impress many.  

The next year, in 8^th grade, many took note of me when I served as the narrator in a video on respect that Student Council did, as part of the school's efforts to promote good character qualities.

The most important area of personal growth I experience during middle school was a greater appreciation for my own cultural/religious background.  Oak Park prides itself on being a diverse community, and I was able to experience that more fully when I left my area of Oak Park and went to Julian.  This happened most strongly with the many Jewish people I met.

Before I started grade 6, I’m pretty sure I knew only one Jewish person well.  In the first few weeks at Julian, that number skyrocketed.  I encountered Jewish people among my friends and classmates at every turn of a corner, and had a good relationship with one Jewish friend in particular.  There was also my 6^th grade math and language arts teacher Mr. Brachman.  He openly talked about his experiences being Jewish, which added much depth to our study of the Holocaust.  Their openness to being Jewish as part of who they are was an incredible experience for me, to get to know these people on such a level, in a more personal way.  The greatest privilege of my life was when my good friend invited me to his Bar Mitzvah, which opened up the Jewish religion for me in a whole new way.

Encountering their openness to expressing who they are caused me to turn inwardly and ponder who I was more deeply, my culture and especially my own religion.  It accelerated a process that had already started by which I came to appreciate my own Christian faith more deeply.  This was quite a change from the time of my childhood when I thought little of my background, desiring to be something more exotic.  This was the first time in my life I really embraced faith for myself, and this newfound appreciation led to the empowerment I received when I was Confirmed a few months after I left middle school, and would be a foundation that would be built upon during my college years.

Indeed, I grew and flourished as a person during my time at Julian.  And so when I reached the day of my graduation, I had much to look back upon with great delight.

My Mom took this picture of me the morning of June 8, 2005, right before I set off on the mile-long walk from home to Julian for my last day as a student there.

Of course, June 8 was the day that this all came to an end.  In some ways, I must wonder why I celebrate this day as I do, because in reality, it was a bit bittersweet.  The wonderful opportunities I had at Julian came to an end that day, and I indeed mourned their loss, weeping for a few moments later on in the night after I came home from the graduation ceremony.  It was something so special and unique that I would never again experience in my life, and certainly not in the remainder of my growing up years.

Yet, as time passed, June 8 became for me the crowning day of all I had accomplished during middle school, and of all the wonderful ways I had been shaped and had grown, in addition to being the last day I spent as a student at Julian, the last physical connection I had with the wonderful middle school experience.  I would go forth from that graduation ceremony, carrying forth the person shaped by my middle school years into life ahead.  So that cap I wore was like a crown upon my experiences.

Looking back from where I am in life now, the origin of many of my perspectives and aspects of my person I trace back to my days at Julian, with the two major aspects being my strong sense of patriotism and civic duty, and my faith.  I’ve gotten very involved in my community and in the democratic process of the republic of the United States, which was fostered by my studies of US history and government, both in class and on my own.

Middle school was also the start of the process by which I came to appreciate my faith.  Combined with what happened during college, I eventually ended up becoming involved in Religious Education (RE) at Ascension Parish, both as a RE class teacher and a Confirmation small group mentor.  I can take my strong sense of faith and put in dialogue and interaction with young people who are forming their own sense of faith.  Being around middle schoolers, especially those who currently attend Julian, reminds me of the amazing time I was having in life at their age, and what has inspired me to have the sense of faith I have now.  I know from my experience that there’s so much potential for them at their age, when they are starting to emerge into their teen years and developing their own sense of who they are.  It has been an honor and privilege to be part of the faith formation for these young people.

And how wonderful it was, 10 years after I was their age, to be on the other side of the graduation ceremony, and congratulate the 8^th graders who were finishing their time in the RE program at the end of the year.  When I was being recognized as an 8^th grader at the end of my time in RE at Ascension, I sure didn’t think I’d be back as a teacher of middle schoolers 10 years later, but there I was, and what a rewarding experience it was.

I recognize that my classmates and I blazed the way for a whole new middle school experience in Oak Park.  We were the “guinea pigs”, and we made it through three years.  So far as I can tell, the middle school experience continues to be successful, and the people in charge continue to implement ways to enhance the middle school experience.

Recently, I attended CAST's The Diary of Anne Frank at Julian, and BRAVO's Mary Poppins at Brooks Middle School.  Being there for these two productions, I could tell that the students involved, onstage and behind the scenes, really embraced the opportunity they had through theater programming to express themselves creatively.  And I think it’s great that these young people have these excellent opportunities to express themselves as they forge their own sense of identity and path in life.  I know also the middle schools have robotics programs, which have even involved sending students to national competitions.  And there are other big things happening with the implementation of the International Baccalaureate curriculum, too.

As my marvelous experience at Julian wound down, I was eager to share my  wonderful memories in a speech at the graduation ceremony.  While I didn’t get to speak about my wonderful experiences that night, I’ve gotten to do something just as great, if not even greater:  I’ve spent the past decade singing the praises of Julian, and will spend the rest of my life doing so.

Furthermore, my name lives on at Julian with all my other classmates of 2005 on a plaque that is still on a wall in the main first floor hallway at Julian, as a memorial to us "trailblazers" and "guinea pigs" and what we got to experience.  I am grateful for all those who made it possible, from the people who had the vision, through those who approved it, and the teachers who made the experience great day in and day out.

Because of you, one decade after my 8^th grade graduation, I am proud to say I am a member of the Percy Julian Middle School Class of 2005.

At home, after the graduation ceremony, in my cap and gown, displaying my diploma.

Note: This post is an abridged version of the reflection I wrote for this occasion, which has additional details on specific aspects of my time at Julian, especially certain activities.  If you'd like to read it, please feel free to contact me.

The Wednesday Journal recently published a condensed version I wrote of this post and its associated unabridged reflection: http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/5-19-2015/Fond-memories-of-Julian-Middle-School/