Patric Wallis (‘26) is leaving high school with a ton of cherished memories and excitement for his future. Throughout high school, he was able to flourish and learn a lot.
He plans to attend Colorado State University (CSU) to study communications and journalism. He is excited for the opportunity to learn more, both through classes and new life experiences, specifically highlighting his excitement to start pushing himself out of his comfort zone.
“I’m trying to do things that scare me more because I don’t want to stay stagnant. I want to keep growing and doing things, and become a person who is comfortable with doing a lot of things.”
Throughout high school, Patric has been involved with a plethora of different activities: Technical Theatre his sophomore and junior year, joining two choirs his senior year—Belle Voix and Jazz choir Polyphonics—being in National Honor Society (NHS) his senior year, and National Art Honor Society (NAHS) since sophomore year, and Journalism since junior year. It’s safe to say that Patric has made the most of his time throughout high school, being a part of so many different classes and clubs.
There is a lot of love that Patric holds for the people he’s met throughout high school and the experiences he’s gained that he wouldn’t have otherwise.
“The people that I’ve met, and friendships, and weird oddities, and how things align and fall into place, has truly been so wonderful to witness.”
Patric would like to thank Ms. Harwood for making him feel comfortable to ask questions without the fear of feeling stupid, and for her ability to meet him where he was.
“She never made me feel stupid. She encouraged people to ask questions, even if the answer was simple. It’s overall the vibe that she offers; it makes it feel very welcoming to actually learn. She’s also just a great person to talk to.”
He would also like to thank his best friends Isla Jackson (‘26), Bekah Dennis (‘26), and Randy Woolman (‘26).
“It’s impossible to express just how much they mean to me. They’ve helped me grow and deepen the best parts of me, and, I know it’s cliche, but I wouldn’t be me without them. The laughter, tears, dreams, and support through the toughest of days—they’ve enriched my life more than they know.”
The advice Patric gives to incoming freshmen is to just go and figure it out. Highlighting how the experiences he had helped shape him.
“If I hadn’t gone through the things I have gone through and experienced the things I have, I would definitely not be the person I am. I think you just have to experience it. And I don’t think you can skip through that—I think you have to go through the awkward and the hard and the uncomfortable to get to where you are senior year.”
Patric has our best wishes as he steps into the world, and, as a personal friend of his, I’m excited to see him thrive in this new chapter in his life.
