How one moment shaped a lifetime

When I was 13 years old, my life changed. Whether it was for better or for worse, I’ll never really know; but what I do know is that this one incredibly vivid moment rocked my world and changed my perspective on life.
When I was 13 years old, my mother and father sat my brothers and I down to tell us our best friend was gone.
Our cousin Lou had been shot and killed at age 14.
That one memory is far stronger than all the rest, permanently etched in my mind as if hot metal had branded my brain. It’s a dark memory, filled with rampaging storms and seemingly endless sobs. It shook all my beliefs in life and made me question everything I had once known as truth.
Why do bad things happen to good people? If I’m faithful to God, won’t He reward me?
Does God really, truly have a plan for me if He would let something like this happen to my family?
For better or for worse, I’ll never know, but Lou’s death changed my life.
Lou’s death made me stronger in my faith.
For one, it made me realize that an unshakable faith is nearly impossible to obtain, but an ever growing, omnipresent faith is necessary in life. Though I questioned it in my grief, I knew God still loved my family. I knew he had work for me to do. I just needed to conquer the challenges that faced me after Lou’s death, mold something new in my life and continue down that path God created for me.
That path led me to Waynesburg. Here, I’ve continued to grow in faith and in knowledge. I know I’d never have had the opportunity to grow as immensely as I have in four years’ time if I had chosen a different college.
Lou’s death made me realize the value of family.
I’ve always appreciated my family, even at times when I’d question my parents’ rules or fight with my brothers, but over the last four years, I’ve learned what it means to love a family unconditionally. My parents are still my biggest fans, and my brothers, Mitch and Jack, are still my very best friends in the world. I’m thankful that they’ve supported me through many triumphs — and a few failures — in college.
In the future, I hope to extend those family values and unconditional love and share them with a family of my own. That starts with a girl named Kara, whom I never would have met if I didn’t go to school at Waynesburg. I know I’ve already used this term repeatedly, but Kara has become one of my best friends in life. No one else in the world has watched me go through incredible stresses and break down, and then help me recover by building me back up. She makes me a better, stronger man every single day. I hope that in the future, we can continue to grow together — no matter where life takes us.
I wouldn’t have this hope if I didn’t attend Waynesburg.
Lou’s death certainly made me value just how precious life is.
It may sound conceited, but I don’t go to college for my own benefit — I do it for Lou, too. He was a fun-loving young man who could brighten up any friend or stranger’s day. He seemed to take advantage of every chance to be a good friend and to simultaneously better his own life.
I wear a necklace with the No. 6 — the number on his soccer jersey — as a daily reminder to impact others and to live my own life to the fullest. It’s a reminder that I have the opportunity to do the earthly things he no longer can.
In his memory, I’ve chased my dream of becoming a sports broadcaster by learning the trade from a great mentor and calling some of the most exciting moments in Waynesburg sports history.
In his memory, I’ve pushed myself to my physical and mental limits by balancing schoolwork with being Executive Editor and working multiple part-time jobs. That Farrell family work ethic has helped me to win numerous journalism awards (thanks in large part to another great mentor), land stints at WJPA Radio and KDKA-FM, earn a GPA better than the one I sported in high school — which was based on a 5.0, mind you! — and now has me ready to embark on an exciting opportunity as a news reporter at WBOY in Clarksburg, West Virginia — the next destination on this path. When all that work began to pile up and prospects seemed grim, I reminded myself to push through it for Lou. In that way, Lou still sees me through all my toughest challenges.
In his memory, I’ve forged relationships at Waynesburg and new memories that will last a lifetime.
Through these four years at Waynesburg, I’ve carried Lou with me. Because of that, I’ve been the beneficiary of so much good fortune and so many blessings.
My path, darkened by death, seemed lowly and directionless. What I didn’t realize was that two sources of light – Lou and the Lamp – would shine brighter than I ever could have imagined.
Without Lou in my life, and without all these experiences at Waynesburg, I wouldn’t feel as fulfilled as I am in this moment.
No matter the challenges in your life, you have the ability to thrive, conquer and grow. You have the power to make a nightmare turn into a dream come true. I wish each of you reading this, graduating or returning, the very best as you continue down your own path.