Co-Winner
Sophomore Mike Torelli
Summit Hill
Tinley Park
Interesting Fact:
Brother of James Torelli, 1997
Grandson of Michael Torelli, 1944

On the morning of January 14, 2006, over 300 young men woke at the crack of dawn to take the Mount Carmel Entrance Exam.  As I sat there and watched them file in the doors, I couldn’t help but wonder if they realized the significance of the decision they had just made.

As I sit here now, I am having much difficulty finding the words to truly express how special Mount Carmel is to me, not only as a high school, but also as an experience that you can only understand if you have walked the halls as a student.  It seems like just yesterday I was contemplating where to go to high school.  I had two choices. I could either attend a new public school two miles away from my home, or I could attend Mount Carmel, a school that had been preached to me my whole life by both my grandfather and my brother, as a place where strong friendships were made and life’s toughest lessons were learned.  I soon came to the conclusion that my decision was already made for me.  In order to be molded into a better person, spiritually and physically, I knew Mount Carmel was the place I needed to be.

Mount Carmel has the reputation of being a school of athletics, but it is imperative to understand that it is so much more than that.  Mount Carmel is an extended family.  It is a home away from home, and it is the place where students of all different cultures and ethnicities come together to form an all-around superior educational experience.

                   Although I have only spent two years here, the most impressive aspect of Mount Carmel is the sense of pride that its past students take in knowing that they came here.  They have walked the halls, and no matter how many years go by, they still feel like they are a part of something special.  These are the men who, even though they may be approaching 80 years old, still put on their Carmel hats or jackets and come watch the football team play at Gately Stadium on Friday nights.  These are the same men who, when the country was in need of soldiers during a time of war, stood up proudly and enlisted, no questions asked. Even though they may not have returned to us, we still remember them as we walk past their memorial in the Graham Center.  In instances too numerous to list, it has become a regular occurrence in my life that an alumnus recognized the name on my jacket or the logo on my t-shirt and felt an enthusiastic obligation to come over to me and introduce himself.  These are fine examples of when I know I made the right decision by coming to Mount Carmel.

                 During an era of self-gratification, the faculty of Mount Carmel has taught us to be part of a bigger picture.  When moral and religious values are non-existent in a student’s mind, the Carmelites help restore these beliefs.  Having these lessons taught to me has better prepared me for the challenges life may present.  I know that things are not always going to go my way and when they don’t, I now know that I just need to work harder.  I hope that the 300 students who took the Entrance Exam will be able to receive as much out of attending Mount Carmel as I have in only two years.  In every facet of society, there are certain organizations that set a standard.  I believe that Mount Carmel sets the standard for high school education.