La Salle College High School
THE WISTERIAN Vol. LXXX VIII No. 5| May 2023
Class of 2023 Edition
JOHN CONNAGHAN'S COLLEGIATE PATH It only took a look around campus, meeting some of the teachers, and seeing the clubs they moderated to know that La Salle was the place for John Connaghan. "After shadowing and learning about the various opportunities the school had to provide, I decided it was the place that I wanted to go," remarked John. "The academics, athletics, friendly staff, and numerous clubs at La Salle could not be beaten anywhere else, making La Salle the best option by far." Once arriving at La Salle, John took advantage of all the opportunities presented to him. He took nearly all honors and A.P. classes and was a member of many different clubs and activities at the school. "At La Salle, I participated in Mock Trial, Future Lawyers, and Robotics all four years," said John. "I was also inducted into the National Honor Society Junior year. In addition, I tried rowing Freshman year." John also enjoys doing other activities outside of the walls of La Salle. "I really enjoy playing ice hockey in my free time, and I was a member of the Boy Scouts," he said. "Despite all the schoolwork and all the clubs I was involved in at La Salle, I was still able to make time to do the things I liked. La Salle fosters individuality, which is one of the many reasons I am so glad I chose to come here." John is still trying to figure out how to implement these activities in the next chapter of his life. "Only time will tell how I integrate any of these clubs into my future," said John. "I may be involved in clubs in college, and they may help me decide what my major will ultimately be. I think, more importantly, I can use what I took away from each activity to be better prepared for whatever life has in store for me." As mentioned, John has learned many valuable skills participating in these activities. Each activity has given him a different life skill to apply to any career he chooses. "Mock Trial helped me with public speaking and arguing my point of view to other people," he expressed. "Robotics helped me to think with an 'engineering mindset.' Also, I have learned countless things from Boy Scouts, ranging from first aid to leadership to developing social skills. Finally, hockey helped me to learn to work as a team." La Salle has prepared John for life beyond the four walls of the classroom and has challenged him. "La Salle has given me opportunities to take harder classes and explore new areas through A.P.s and things like the Diocesan Scholars Program, all of which have prepared me for college courses," John explained. "La Salle has also helped me to learn about time management, which is invaluable in life." John's most significant takeaway from attending La Salle is to "put yourself out there" and seek new experiences, even when they are difficult. John has done that throughout his entire high school career. All these experiences at La Salle have helped him grow. "I feel that I have learned a lot that I can apply elsewhere," he remarked. "Whether it be skills, knowledge, or simply meeting new people and learning about their experiences, I feel that my time at La Salle has made me a far more well-rounded and informed person." Regarding his college search, John has decided to attend Schreyer's Honors College at Penn State University. He chose Schreyer's for a variety of reasons. "I wanted to go to a place that would challenge me to grow, just as La Salle did," John mentioned. "I also wanted smaller class sizes, which I will have through Schreyer's honors classes. Overall, I just wanted to be somewhere where I knew I could explore what I wanted to do and be pushed and helped along the way to do so." John considered several majors but chose pre-med, though he has not given up on his interests in engineering, physics, and neuroscience. "I was drawn to pre-med because it allowed me to explore these interests with a very general curriculum as well as the interest I have in becoming a doctor since I always enjoyed helping people in Boy Scouts." Applying to colleges was a challenging process for John. He applied to other colleges and faced adversity before attending Schreyer's Honors College. "I originally applied early decision to Amherst College and was rejected, so I had to figure out where to go after that," he admitted. "I decided on Penn State because of the amazing honors college they have that I was accepted into. It will give me access to the plethora of resources Penn State has while keeping the feel of a smaller school." La Salle significantly impacted John's college selection process. He explains the considerable impact some people at La Salle had on his decision: "Mrs. Diehl was a massive help to me in trying to figure out where I wanted to go," John expressed. "She helped me analyze why I was rejected from Amherst and laid out some advice for what to do differently in terms of the college application process. She encouraged me to apply to the honors college at Penn State because it met all the criteria that I wanted in a college, influencing my decision."
The Wisterian
Looking back at his time at La Salle, many influential people and significant moments helped him along the way. "Mr. Bielecki '99, Mr. McDowell '01, and Mr. Cipolla were all amazing teachers that stood out to me from the already great teaching staff at La Salle," he revealed. "They helped me explore my interests and expand my horizon. In terms of influential moments, Branch Out Day and Kairos stick out as the most influential. They helped me grow closer to my classmates." John lived out the mission of La Salle and its motto. "La Salle taught me to act with thought and as a gentleman through the motto 'Boys will be boys, but La Salle boys will be gentlemen,'" he said. "No school puts quite a focus on character development like La Salle did, helping to shape the person I am today." John explains in detail how some of his teachers put him on a path to success: "Mr. Bielecki is a wonderful teacher," John expressed. "Mr. Cipolla is both a great teacher and a very insightful person. Mr. McDowell helped me a lot along the way in robotics and is a wonderful teacher himself. Mrs. Diehl and Mrs. Palopoli were both massive help in the college process. Mrs. Mariani may have given me a lot of work, but she improved my writing significantly and was very insightful when she ran Future Lawyers." John mentioned that Mr. Cassidy and the mock trial moderators were also very influential during his time at La Salle. "Mr. Cassidy was very helpful with internships and helped with my interview skills," he remarked. "The mock trial moderators and volunteer coaches are all lovely people, and I cannot thank them enough for the time they put in to help us. There are so many people I could thank because of how great everyone is at La Salle." Now that his time at La Salle is coming to a close, John has advice for underclassmen who still have many more decisions to make in the future. "Take the time to explore and try new things," he suggested. "Even if you do not like them, you have tried and learned from them, and that's what is important. Also, push yourself to do the difficult things because they tend to be the most rewarding." Since his search for a college is finally over, John advises the current junior class that is beginning or has already begun their search. "Take the time to look at and explore as many places as you can within reason," he recommended. "There are a lot of amazing options out there. Don't be too discouraged if it doesn't work out perfectly. You can do great things anywhere you go if you push yourself." John uses one particular word to describe his experience at La Salle. "It was enlightening, both spiritually through things like Kairos and physically through the various clubs and activities La Salle offers," he reflected. "I have learned so much here at La Salle and had my eyes opened to many different things through many different experiences. As an Explorer, I have been able to choose the path that I will be most successful on." -Richie Parry '25
John Connaghan '23
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