Meet Trey Boula ’24, a Prefect and Pawling, New York native who has called Trinity-Pawling his second home for the past four years. With a diverse array of interests and hobbies, including wrestling, movie nights with friends, video gaming, working out, and enjoying a spirited game of pickleball with the boys, Boula is a well-rounded individual.
In his senior year, Boula is eagerly anticipating the chance to spend quality time with his friends before they part ways for college. To him, being a Prefect means being someone who leads by example, always ready to motivate and guide others in any way possible. In late September, standing before his peers, teachers, coaches, and his aunt and uncle, Boula did just that by sharing his thoughts and experiences in a profound and heartwarming Chapel Talk.
In this Q&A (with Judy Redder) and the following Chapel Talk transcript, we delve into the personal experiences of a Trinity-Pawling student who has not only embraced his vulnerability but also discovered new horizons, leadership opportunities, and profound connections within the Trinity-Pawling community. His journey is a testament to the transformative power of a Trinity-Pawling education and a boost for the human spirit.
JR: It takes some people a lifetime to embrace their “vulnerability” — how has Trinity-Pawling helped you do that?
TB: Trinity-Pawling has helped me embrace being vulnerable because of the community. The community here is so tightly-knit, it is nearly impossible to feel uncomfortable going outside your comfort zone. This has allowed me to start to live outside my comfort zone, thus allowing me to be vulnerable on a more day-to-day basis.
JR: You mentioned trying new things at Trinity-Pawling, like playing baseball — what other new things have you been given the opportunity to try at T-P?
TB: T-P has given me the opportunity to try numerous new things, including going to the gym, establishing deeper friendships on a more personal level, doing community service work, and even figuring out new things about myself. An example of this would be that I am actually smart, I just needed teachers who believed in me and were willing to help me when I struggled from time to time.
JR: Becoming a Prefect must have been exciting — tell me how it feels to be a leader and role model at T-P.
TB: Becoming a leader at T-P has been extremely exciting. It has allowed for personal growth through challenges and people I have come into contact with. Becoming a leader has helped me expand my horizons further than I thought were possible for a 17-year-old. Overall it feels great knowing I can help lead, at least someone, in the right direction.
JR: What’s your favorite place on campus?
TB: The Cave because of the pool table.
JR: Favorite T-P tradition?
TB: Stepping Up
JR: What’s on your Senior Year Bucket List?
TB:
1. Try to figure out how to pay for college
2. Become friends with the entire senior class
3. Finish strong in academics and sports
Chapel Talk by Trey Boula ’24
“Good morning for those of you who don’t know me. My name is Trey Boula and this is my fourth year here at Trinity-Pawling.
For those of you who were here in the Winter Term of last year, you might have remembered a speaker who came in to talk to us, Chris Herren.
Chris talked about drugs and the impact that they have had on his life. Now I’ve never been and plan to never be addicted to drugs or try them for that matter, but something in his speech did stick out to me and has remained with me until today. He kept bringing up: “What is your story?” and well that’s what I’m here to talk to you guys about today.
The reason I want to bring up my story is it’s something I never really talk about because it puts me in a vulnerable spot. This is another concept that keeps popping up, whether you have heard it from Mr. Taylor’s opening Chapel Talk, or the panel this weekend with the alumni, or even Coach Davenport during pre-season, being vulnerable is good, that is why I want to talk about my story today.
Here it begins. I grew up just like everybody else in a loving family with my dad, my mom, my brother Travis, my sister Audrey, and my dog at the time Grace.
However, this didn’t last long. By the time I was six, my parents had gotten a divorce due to my mom having mental health issues. She moved away because she was unable to support me or my siblings safely.
Now this didn’t really impact me because I was too young to really understand what it meant. I just knew she would no longer be around. However, it definitely took a toll on my dad because he was now the sole breadwinner and had to do everything himself without the support of my mom.
Unfortunately, this would mean we would have some financial problems throughout my childhood. There were times when the hot water would shut off because he’d forget to call the company to have the oil refilled, or the lights would turn off, because he didn’t pay the bill, or even the Internet would turn off.
However, this never mattered much to me because I always knew I had my dad, my brother, and my sister looking out for me and making sure I had everything that I needed.
My dad worked as a fence worker installing fences for a living so whenever he came home, he was always exhausted, but he always managed to fight through and put dinner on the table for me, and my siblings.
This is how life was, and to be completely honest with you, it was perfectly fine with me. I had a system and I stuck to it.
Little did I know that this would soon all come crumbling down. June 28, 2017, would be the last day I would see my dad alive. He passed away that night, due to a heart attack.
Now at the time, I was definitely upset and in shock, but I still didn’t really know what losing someone really meant. Well, I figured it out rather quickly as it meant I was no longer getting breakfast whenever I woke up for school, it meant I would never be getting yelled at for not knowing how to do my math at the kitchen table, and it even meant I would never have his clams casino anymore, which if you have not had clams casino I don’t know what you have been doing because you’re missing out big time.
Now my story is not all sad, although it might seem like it. Just two months after my dad’s death I ended up moving in with my aunt and uncle, whom I currently live with today, however, this did mean that I would end up losing someone else, my brother, who was my best friend.
He did not want to transfer schools his senior year and leave the life he knew so well, so he stayed in my childhood home by himself to finish his senior year.
However, my sister did follow me, which in a way was very helpful. Because I was definitely empty inside having lost my hero, my dad, my best friend at the time, my brother, and I didn’t exactly know what to feel.
Now some of you who are good friends of mine might know that I no longer live with my sister because of some of the choices that she made. She ended up moving back in with my mom just two years after she moved in with my aunt and uncle.
Now I stayed with my aunt and uncle because I knew they gave me the best chance I possibly had at making it in life.
A little context: my dad cared about me more than I’ll probably ever know but he never really forced me to try hard in school or pick up anything outside of school. So, I just went through the motions when I was at school.
In other words, I was no academic weapon, more like a dull butter knife you use to cut chicken at Scully Hall.
I never cared for academics, and I never played a sport. But when I moved in with my aunt and uncle, I soon realized that this would no longer be an option.
I HAD to get my grades up and I soon figured it out. I also picked up football, wrestling, and at the time, track and field.
I was maintaining my grades while playing three sports. I did this for all three years I was in middle school, and as far as I was concerned, I was doing great.
Then I decided to come to T-P which is where at the time my older cousin, Liam Dietrich, was attending.
I would be lying if I said that T-P hasn’t changed me and helped me become an even better student and athlete, as well as a more rounded person, but it was definitely not easy my first year.
However, having my cousin here was a huge help. He sort of got me into the swing of things and told me that everything was gonna be okay even if at the time it did not seem like it.
He was on the football team so even though I did not see him in class I got to see him every day during practice and that was definitely reassuring.
He was also on the wrestling team so when winter came, I not only got to see him, I got to wrestle him every day.
By the springtime, I was pretty comfortable with the School and I decided I was going to do something different than him. I was going to play JV baseball, something I’d never even tried before coming to T-P, and it ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve made while I’ve been here.
Coming here has been nothing short of life-changing. Now I’m sure you have heard this a whole bunch, but I will keep reinforcing this idea every day that I am still here. If I can leave you with anything today it is this: don’t take anything for granted.
If I’ve learned anything in my life is that you never know when something is going to end, so why take it for granted?
There is a great quote I’m sure everyone here has heard: “Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, but Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” — from Kung Fu Panda. I know this is from a children’s movie, but I personally think it is a cinematic masterpiece. Along with this, it really amplifies what I’m trying to push across to at least one of you today.
Looking around, T-P is a gift, it has so much to offer. There will be opportunities that arise every single day, big or small. Get involved and take advantage of everything. Don’t worry about tomorrow and don’t dwell on the past. Live in the moment right now.”