Henry Meraz ’26: Beyond the Game
Henry Meraz ’26 experienced his four years in the water polo pool differently than most. The Second Team All District goalie relished the chance to tread water in one spot for an entire match, to have a bright yellow ball hurled 40 miles per hour toward him, and to have the team’s success rely heavily on his performance.
Encouraged by head water polo coach Tim Keogh ’10, Henry recognized being in goal as an opportunity to shoulder the yoke that united the team.
“Each game, I was the last line of defense. I was relied on, yes, but also supported by my team; by my friends. Joy didn’t come from blocking a shot, it was how we came together afterward that made the position so rewarding,” Henry says.
Striving for more, searching for ways to serve those around him, Henry reflects on making it to regionals, not for the success and accolades, but for the relationships: the feeling of being part of a group that knew they could rely on one another.
These relationships are why Theology 3 with Mr. Joe Seiter, S.J., is one of Henry’s favorite classes. Invited into meaningful dialogue, Henry felt he fostered relationships built on trust and understanding despite the variety of viewpoints in the room. Providing ample space to attend to all that was in front of him, the classroom became an extension of his experience in the pool as he dutifully took notes of what everyone around him needed and what he could offer to meet those needs.
Henry’s freshman English teacher, Mrs. Margaret Buehler, recalls, “Henry doesn’t lead from the front: he walks beside. When his friends are overwhelmed, he listens and encourages; he never tells someone what to do.”
Committed to working on behalf of others, continually in moments that call him to grow beyond his comfort level, it is in listening to understand how to act that Henry strives to live out being a servant to those around him: a Man for Others in search of the magis.
With this aim, Henry looks to life after Jesuit with one goal: to continue joining others in their moments of stress, fear, and uncertainty. Inspired by his grandfather and his uncle, Henry plans to study Computer Science, but also wants to couple his studies with a focus on becoming a neurosurgeon.
“I want to help others: to change lives and increase their level of well-being while mitigating avoidable mistakes. Sure, it would be high stress, but it would also be rewarding,” he says.
For most, pressure is unwelcome–for Henry Meraz ’26, it is a place of thriving. At his core is the ethos of magis, a striving for more in the search for how to best serve those around him. At Henry’s core are the very values that define the Jesuit student: Open to Growth, Intellectually Competent, Religious, Loving, and Committed to Doing Justice.
These relationships are why Theology 3 with Mr. Joe Seiter, S.J., is one of Henry’s favorite classes. Invited into meaningful dialogue, Henry felt he fostered relationships built on trust and understanding despite the variety of viewpoints in the room. Providing ample space to attend to all that was in front of him, the classroom became an extension of his experience in the pool as he dutifully took notes of what everyone around him needed and what he could offer to meet those needs.
Offering himself in this way is why Henry spent six days in West Virginia for his senior service project. Building on relationships established in the classroom, he broadened his understanding of his peers as they supported an Appalachian community, working in woodworking, building shelves, and digging ditches for drainage.
Henry’s freshman English teacher, Mrs. Margaret Buehler, recalls, “Henry doesn’t lead from the front: he walks beside. When his friends are overwhelmed, he listens and encourages; he never tells someone what to do.”
Committed to working on behalf of others, continually in moments that call him to grow beyond his comfort level, it is in listening to understand how to act that Henry strives to live out being a servant to those around him: a Man for Others in search of the magis.
With this aim, Henry looks to life after Jesuit with one goal: to continue joining others in their moments of stress, fear, and uncertainty. Inspired by his grandfather and his uncle, Henry plans to study Computer Science, but also wants to couple his studies with a focus on becoming a neurosurgeon.
“I want to help others: to change lives and increase their level of well-being while mitigating avoidable mistakes. Sure, it would be high stress, but it would also be rewarding,” he says.
For most, pressure is unwelcome–for Henry Meraz ’26, it is a place of thriving. At his core is the ethos of magis, a striving for more in the search for how to best serve those around him. At Henry’s core are the very values that define the Jesuit student: Open to Growth, Intellectually Competent, Religious, Loving, and Committed to Doing Justice.
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