The Power of a Name

By Luke Potts ’27

As St. Edward begins a year centered on the theme Service That Speaks, rising senior Luke Potts reflects on what he has learned about leadership, kindness, and the dignity found in making others feel seen. 

Four years ago, after shadowing St. Edward as an eighth grader, I knew that I would be able to confidently call it my home for the next four years. I remember my first time stepping into the building. I was greeted at the door by Mrs. Molly Pietch. Her smile alone made me feel welcome, and that set the tone for the rest of the day.

At lunch, we sat and talked. To be completely honest, I can't remember exactly what we were talking about, but I do remember how she made me feel. It never felt like I was talking with a stranger, but rather with family.

However, the story doesn't end there. The following day, I returned to school to take the High School Placement Test. As I stepped through the doorway, a voice called out and greeted me by name. That voice was none other than Mrs. Pietch.

In that moment, I knew what family truly means at St. Ed’s.

Now, I strive to make anyone who walks into this building feel the way she made me feel. She taught me that the most important aspect of St. Ed’s is the community that comes with being an Edsman. This community is not limited to the students. It extends to teachers, staff, alumni, and friends. Yet, we are all united by the same pillars and the same principles.

That is what makes our school so unique. We all have the opportunity to connect with so many different groups of people. That, I believe, is one of the most important qualities of an excellent leader: someone who is able to build meaningful relationships and connections with everyone.

Learning What Leadership Looks Like

As a rising senior, I now understand that St. Ed’s is helping to create leaders who will be sent out into a world that is in dire need of strong yet gentle men of God—a world that needs more people of faith whose hearts are on fire with a love for Christ. Ultimately, that is the goal of this school: to build better leaders.

My teachers lead by example so that we may know what true and authentic leadership looks like. Because of them, I know that excellent leaders can do two things.

The first is to offer kindness.

Kindness is a single choice. When you extend kindness to others, you're giving people a reason to believe that goodness still exists. I challenge others to be radically kind. Kindness doesn't have to be grand or extravagant. It can begin with something as simple as a smile or an embrace.

Choose to offer kindness in a world that often is not. That is what real strength looks like: being gentle when life gives you every reason not to be.

The second is to make people feel seen and valued.

A small and easy way to do this is just to listen. This requires you to give your full attention and even let go of your own opinions. We must begin to seek understanding of another person's words and feelings above all else. Real leaders should allow someone to feel comfortable being their true and authentic self. No mask, no facade. This creates trust, and that's what leadership depends on.

Both of these qualities are undeniably necessary to being the type of leader that everyone can rely on. But having these qualities alone is not enough. You must put them into action.

And here at St. Ed’s, we call that service.

True leaders speak less and act more.

Service That Speaks

As a school, that is our theme this year: Service That Speaks. Our service should be one that speaks to the Lord who lives within us. This theme highlights the idea of living the call by carrying out His work on earth. In our service to others, we allow the Lord to work through our own hands.

Service at St. Ed’s comes in many different forms, but my favorite is called Labre. Labre is where a group of students and advisers go out to the margins of Cleveland and offer people experiencing homelessness food and fellowship. I find this service extremely moving because not only can I meet someone's immediate needs, but I'm also able to enter into simple yet powerful conversations.

Every meaningful conversation begins with a name.

In that moment, someone becomes more than just a face on the street. They become a person—a person with a story, a family, hopes, worries, and dreams.

As people begin walking toward the van, my favorite thing to do is call out to them by name. Because of this simple gesture, I instantly notice a transition in people's demeanor. Simply put, they begin to smile. And their smiles are infectious.

I remember on one of our trips, I called out to a man named Daniel, whom I had only met a week before. He told me that I was the first person in months to call him by name.

At that moment, I understood the power of a name.

Later, as I reflected on that experience, I realized that Daniel had reminded me of the same thing Mrs. Pietch taught me almost four years earlier.

A name has power. And in this case, the power to restore dignity.

That's what true service is all about. It's about restoring dignity and standing with those who have no one to stand with.