GENERATIONS
Jack Mullin ’ 12 : Reflection on a Mom ’ s Love
GENERATIONS
The annual Fifth Grade Mother-Son Chapel gathers our fifth-grade boys and their mothers or mother figures for a special shared pre- Mother ’ s Day experience : A Chapel talk by a young alumnus who reflects upon the role his mother has played in his life . This year , we welcomed former Student Council President Jack Mullin ’ 12 . Jack ’ s family has deep roots with the school . His older brother Patrick graduated in ’ 08 and his dad , Terry , in 1973 . Jack ’ s talk centered on the impact both his alma mater and his mother , Immy , have had on his development into the man he is today . Below are excerpts :
“ Saint David cultivates a strong moral compass in each and every student , which will undoubtedly be your greatest asset in the lifelong pursuit of the greater common good . ‘ That They Be Good Men ’ is not merely a mantra – it ’ s the moral fiber uniting all past , present and future alumni together , and serves as the sole barometer of success for every student that comes and goes through these halls .
“ But when pondering what to say today , it struck me that something arguably more important in my upbringing than attending Saint David ’ s was the one person who sacrificed everything to make my attendance a reality : my mother , who I ’ m so fortunate can be here with me today .
“ I ’ ll never forget that one of the best decisions in my life was all thanks to my mom . It was the fall of my senior year at the University of Richmond , and I was weighing my next chapter post-college . On the table was a great full-time job offer from a consultancy firm in New York City I had interned at in the previous summer . The problem was I had to inform them of my decision by the end of October . At the same time , I was also pursuing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work at the White House , as politics has always been a passion of mine . ( Thanks again , Saint David ’ s .) Unfortunately , I was not going to find out about the potential employment status at the White House until the following March , well after the looming October notification deadline .
“ So , I had to decide whether to accept the job and give up my dream pursuit or turn down the full time offer to pursue an opportunity I wasn ’ t even sure I was going to get , with no backup plan . And I had to decide quickly . In my head – the choice was a no-brainer . A confirmed job with a great salary in New York
“ I certainly don ’ t tell my mom enough , but she ’ s the most important person in my life , and Saint David ’ s is undeniably the reason I am who I am today - it provided me the environment to academically , socially , and personally thrive .”
- Jack Mullin ’ 12 , Mother-Son Chapel Talk
City , where my entire family and friends were located , versus a potential opportunity in a city where I knew absolutely no one . Not to mention the fear and humiliation if it didn ’ t work out . Even though I had my mind entirely made up , I naturally still called my mom to seek what I thought was going to be validation .
“ How wrong I was ! After framing the situation , my mom couldn ’ t believe I was going to give up on my dreams and choose the route of comfortability , because of the fear of the unknown . ‘ Jack ,’ my mom said , ‘ any place would be lucky to have you , even the White House .’ In a moment of self-doubt and weakness , my mom reminded me how smart I am , how everything works out the way it ’ s supposed to , and how if you take no leaps of faith in life , you will always live with the burden of regret rather than the triumph of failure . Jobs come and go , my mom said , but your dreams are irreplaceable .
“ I immediately turned down the job offer in New York City following our conversation , opting to roll the dice and take the leap of faith . Fortunately for me , I received the job at the White House , and the rest was history . I am still yielding the positive impacts from that one decision , for it forever re-shaped the trajectory of my future . All thanks to my mom .
“ Saint David ’ s provided me with the environment to academically , socially , and personally thrive , but it would be meaningless without my mom . I certainly don ’ t tell her enough , but she ’ s the most important person in my life , and I , too , would be nothing without her .
“ You all will go on to graduate from Saint David ’ s and achieve great accomplishments in due time . On the journey of life , you will undoubtedly encounter some road bumps along the way . You will encounter situations that may force you to exercise shrewd judgment in the face of difficulty , to take a leap of faith for a new career path in the face of uncertainty , to question your worth in the face of insecurity , or to make a life-altering decision in the face of love . Thanks to your personification of the philosophy , ‘ That They Be Good Men ’, thanks to your rigorous academic pursuit , deliberate moral introspection , and critical analysis of ideas and issues , the right decision will hopefully be clear . But thanks to your mothers , they will leave you with no room for doubt about what the right decision is .”
72 • Saint David ’ s Magazine