Braiden Smith ’25: Stepping Outside His Comfort Zone and Finding Home

Four years ago, I stepped onto the St. Joes campus for Student Visit Day, feeling completely out of my element. I  had spent all my life in the same small school, surrounded by the same familiar faces, and suddenly I was standing in a room full of strangers. For the first time, I had to talk to people I didn’t know and I was terrified. That day, we played Cadet Bingo - a game meant to help us break the ice with other students. At first, I hesitated, but the Student Ambassadors leading our group made it easy. They weren’t just there to check a box—they were genuinely welcoming. They saw me, included me, and made me feel like I already belonged. From that moment on, every event I attended felt different. The same faces kept appearing—Ambassadors, teachers, faculty—greeting me by name, making me feel like this was a place where I could be more than just another student.

That summer, before my freshman year even began, I joined the strength and conditioning program for the soccer team. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was behind on nearly every drill, struggling to keep up, and constantly questioning if I even belonged there. But my teammates never let me feel like I didn’t. They pushed me, encouraged me, and made it clear that effort mattered more than perfection. That summer was brutal, but it was also unforgettable. By the time school started, I wasn’t just attending St. Joes—I was part of something bigger. I played varsity soccer all four years, and later, I added varsity tennis to the mix. I never regretted a second of it.

At the end of freshman year, I got an email inviting me to apply to be a Student Ambassador. Once more, I hesitated — me, an Ambassador? The kid who had once been too nervous to talk to anyone at Student Visit Day? But something inside me said to go for it. I applied, interviewed, and was accepted. And that decision changed everything.

As a sophomore, I threw myself into the program, volunteering at every event I could. I met students and faculty I never would have crossed paths with otherwise. I learned how to speak confidently, how to make others feel at ease, how to show people—just like those Ambassadors had once shown me—that they belonged here. By junior year, I earned a spot on the Ambassador Executive Board, where I remain through my senior year.

If freshman-year me could see senior-year me, he wouldn’t believe it! I was selected as a Homecoming Prince, I

took some of the most exciting classes of my life—Sport Management, Forensics, Law & Criminal Justice, and Marketing—and I was chosen as a Peer Minister, a role that carries immense responsibility and honor. And, as if all of that wasn’t enough, I was accepted into and officially committed to Quinnipiac University as a Communications major, my first-choice college.

Looking back, my time at St. Joes isn’t defined by the sports I played, the leadership roles I earned, or even the college I’m headed to next. It’s defined by the person I became along the way. I started as a quiet eighth-grader, unsure of his place, and I’m leaving as someone who has built lifelong friendships, mentored younger students, and grown into a leader.

None of this would have been possible without the people who believed in me. To my family—thank you for always supporting me. To my teachers and coaches—thank you for pushing me and guiding me. And to the faculty and staff—thank you for making SJ more than just a high school. You created a community where I felt seen, valued, and supported.

Whenever I give tours to prospective families, I always tell them the same thing: at St. Joes, you are never just  another student. People here care about you—not just for four years, but for life. And as I prepare to walk across that graduation stage, I know one thing for sure: St. Joes didn’t just give me a high school experience; it gave me a home.