Andrew Kirchoff
AQPS Class of 2007
The first person I talked to on the first day of Freshman Orientation was Andy Kirchoff, and from the start, I could tell he was one of the most intellectual young men I would meet. Knowing Andrew personally, I can tell that he is a great candidate for the final valedictorian in Quigley history. I have seen Andy develop as a person Physically, Intellectually, Emotionally, and Spiritually. Andrew Kirchoff from the class of 2007 is one of Quigley's most talented young men and truly embodies the PIES of Quigley.
Like many people who have come to Quigley, Kirchoff admits that he liked the place because of the small school society and the downtown location.
Unlike some other people, however, Kirchoff admits that from the start, when he first decided to attend Quigley, he was already looking forward to the religious aspects of Quigley life. Some of us come to Quigley feeling uncertain whether or not we are interested in the priesthood, or in religious life at all. Not Andy; he came here knowing he was open to the priesthood and has not changed his views since.
Andy is one of the few seniors currently at Quigley who has applied to St. Joseph Seminary. With this being his second choice to Notre Dame, Andy believes that wherever he goes to college he will take what he learned while here at Quigley along with him. The schools he applied to, he chose because he believes that they are similar to Quigley. St. Joseph is "a spiritual continuation of Quigley at the college level," while in his mind, Notre Dame is "A bigger sized Quigley with girls in it."
Andy (far left) leads the way on the Seniors' visit to St. Joseph Seminary, a possible college choice for him.
A
huge
factor in each Quigley student is the PIES of Quigley which include a student's Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Spiritual growth as a seminarian. Andy has grown in these four sections of his life. Physically, he admits he may not be a jock, but everybody at Quigley walks up and down stairs everyday, which has helped Kirchoff "be less lazy." As far as sports are concerned, Kirchoff did spend four years on the Chess team, which should be, according to him, considered a sport.
Andy's social life has improved since he came to Quigley, mainly because nobody judges him. Students at Quigley are more respectful, and Kirchoff has come out of his shell because he is no longer afraid to be himself. He also admits that people outside of Quigley react differently to the fact that he is a high school Seminarian.
These four years of attending a high school seminary have increased Kirchoff's interest in the priesthood, he admits because he can now see that "priests are not out there; they are normal people like us." He likes the fact that the power and lifestyle of priesthood is not as limited as he believed.
Andy tries to cram some Calculus
into his busy schedule.
As all of Quigley's students are encouraged to be, Andrew Kirchoff has been one of the most involved students in the class of 2007. He has spent four years on the Talon and is now Editor in Chief; four years on the Political club; four years on the Chess team for which he is now Co-Captain with Miguel Lopez; 3 years in NHS, four years in Classics Club. He also spent 3 years on the yearbook staff and was assigned the duty of Grammatical Editor by Co-Editors Jesús Jiménez and Chris Cardona; two years on the recruitment club, and most recently, Andy Kirchoff founded the Gamer's Club his senior year, a club which meets once a month in the Auditorium and plays Video Games! Most recently, Andy auditioned for The 2007 school play
Godspell
and will take part in it.
When asked if there is a single best moment that Andy has experienced while here at Quigley, it took Andy a while, but he, and many would agree with him, said Senior Retreat was his favorite moment; the final time the great class of 2007 was together in one place at once. He liked senior retreat because of the personal testimonies that were shared by the students, and the returns of certain faculty members such as Mr. McKenna and Fr. Watts, and of course the great meals.
In his future, Andy sees himself using Quigley's education by possibly being a lawyer, possibly a priest, and of no surprise to anyone, a politician; Anybody who knows Andy knows of course that he is into political issues, and it comes as no surprise that he would be interested in a political profession.
It is not hard to see why Andy is looked up to by the underclassmen, especially having two Brothers currently at Quigley, one currently a Sophomore and one a Freshman. Andy is a great friend, a great leader, and a great Seminarian. The class of 2007 is proud to call Andy Kirchoff a member of its class.
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Jesús Jiménez '07
2/5/07
