Success Story
As he approached the podium, David Reveles glanced down at his notes.
All of the speakers who had preceded him were older, experienced at stepping up to a microphone and holding forth: George McCaskey, Chicago Bears Chairman; McCaskey’s brother, Pat, a fellow board member and author; Sister Catherine Ryan, Maryville executive director; Jeff Joniak, WBBM broadcaster; Brian Urlacher, a future Hall of Famer.
But David, a Jen School graduate and current Elmhurst College student, spoke evenly, and in a strong voice, as he thanked Maryville and the McCaskey family for the scholarship that helped him so much.
“I am forever grateful for each and every donation that has been made. You have allowed me to seize the very significant opportunity of attending college. My only hope is that I can model what I have been taught, and contribute when I am one day financially stable,” David said, only glancing at his notes.
He later said that he was not particularly nervous talking to the crowd, which numbered close to 400. “It was something that came from my heart,” he said of his remarks, “and that made me feel more comfortable.”
All of us at Maryville hope and pray for the best for the children whose lives we are entrusted with and whom we nurture while they are in our care. We know they will leave us one day. After they do, we cannot help but wonder how they are doing. Many stay in touch; others go about their lives and lose touch. So we are truly gladdened when we can see a confident, accomplished young man such as David speak of his life and his future.
After his speech, David spoke about his plans beyond college.
“I expect to get into an internship with a financial institution, then get my certification (as a Certified Financial Planner), work my way up, build clientele, develop my own portfolio, maybe get into a hedge fund,” he said.
David makes us all proud and hopeful.
