Sometimes, while walking through the hallways, a regular student might get the impression that he or she is not as smart as a Father Louis Querbes scholar. The truth is that being a Querbes scholar does not necessarily mean making a bigger effort in school than a “regular” student.

Being a student from both sides, I can confirm this. I was not a Querbes scholar during my first three years at Saint Viator, but that did not mean I did not study hard or make an effort to get good grades. I was enrolled in honors and AP classes during my time as a “non-Querbes scholar”. I still stayed up late at night to study for hard tests; I still focused primarily on school than other activities and I still got A’s. Like me, many other Viator students work hard to achieve academic success, even if they will not receive a Querbes scholar medal on graduation day.

Being a Querbes scholar is not a synonym of “direct entry to an Ivy League university.” A normal Viator student is just as capable of getting into the same competitive colleges as a Querbes scholar. This title of “academic excellence” does not give scholars, especially those who have held this title throughout their entire high school career, the right to be arrogant or brag about their status with other students. It certainly does not give them the right to identify themselves as better than everyone else.

The transition I have made when I became a Querbes scholar this year did not change me as a person and did not change how much time I spend on schoolwork. I still spend most of my nights studying and doing homework, and I do not do this because of the title that has been given to me during my senior year; I do it because I have big dreams and will do whatever I can to achieve them. Anyone can and should be able to follow their dreams; people do not need to be Querbes for that. Students need to understand that they do not need to be given a title to be great because, once we leave Viator, that title will no longer matter.