8 IMPACT MAGAZINE • JULY 2014 Alumni Profile I set three alarms and sleep with all of them in my bed. I lay out my clothes the night before work so I don’t risk being late the next day. I don’t take the subway home alone late at night. I am not a risk taker. But for some reason, the idea of a brand-new school with no history, no accolades and no reputation to rely on appealed to me. Going to Guerin Catholic was the first big risk in my life. It would either turn out amazing or be one of my biggest regrets. I’m happy to report it’s been one of the greatest blessings. It wasn’t perfect, but it was full of amazing, passionate people who helped us naïve high school students learn how to navigate the world. One of the most valuable lessons that giant risk taught me was that sometimes, going for the unknown is the best thing you can do to grow. Curiosity about the world and those exploring different paths stemmed from my time at Guerin Catholic. There, I got my first glimpse at the many directions people head, and I also began to fully grasp how little I knew about so much. Step by step, teachers opened windows into new worlds and taught me the best way to learn something is to go experience it. As a result, I sang horribly in Mr. Duray’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” I tripped down the basketball court countless times, embarrassing any and every Golden Eagle. I got a 48% on my first Calculus test senior year. I still don’t understand vectors. But from all those experiences, I learned where my talents did – and didn’t – lie. More importantly, I also got to see and appreciate the many talents of others and stand in awe of the gifts they have. Thank goodness for the stars of Mr. Duray’s theatre program, whose powerful voices drowned out my cat screech in the background. And our freshman basketball team chalked up a slew of victories thanks to others’ quick feet on the court. They kept things running smoothly, when I literally could not. Mr. Lustig’s confidence that I could lift my Calculus grade up from that nasty “F” solidified my determination to do so. I couldn’t get there on my own though, so a special thank you goes to my talented math peers who answered my many annoying questions. These days, I’m a writer at “Good Morning America,” and performing onstage, pretending to play basketball and dreading Calculus seem like forever ago. What doesn’t are the lessons about taking a risk and going for the unknown. Adriana Pratt Guerin Catholic Class of 2008 University of Notre Dame Class of 2012 Daughter of Grace & Mike Pratt of Carmel, IN Resides in New York City’s Upper West Side Works as writer for Good Morning America, ABC News in New York City Part of the 2014 Emmy Award-winning team at Good Morning America Adriana Pratt with Barbara Walters on “Good Morning America’s” career sendoff for Barbara.
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