As part of San Antonio Academy’s Alumni Monday speaker series, Aidan Notzon, Class of 2020, took the stage on March 4 to deliver a presentation highlighting the virtues of grace, courage, and kindness. As he stood before his alma mater, Aidan, now a senior at TMI Episcopal, shared three impactful stories that showcased personal growth and imparted profound lessons.

"Let's start with grace," Aidan began, recounting the creation of his alter ego, Aidan Hortencia, born out of a teenage desire to fit in. After breaking a parental rule regarding social media, Aidan’s disobedience led to years of living a double life where at home, he was Aidan Notzon, but online with his classmates, he was Aidan Hortencia.

Once discovered by his parents, Aidan expressed gratitude for their understanding, love, and support, turning a mistake into a powerful lesson on receiving something one doesn’t deserve.

“This experience showed me what it looks like to fall short. But it didn’t end there. It showed me grace. Grace is receiving something you don’t deserve.”

Transitioning to the theme of courage, Aidan shared his experiences with acolyting at church, a responsibility given to him at the age of 11. Despite his initial fear and discomfort of standing before a congregation, Aidan emphasized the importance of acknowledging fear and highlighted the growth from overcoming it. He encouraged the audience to embrace discomfort, as it is facing fear that individuals discover their true potential.

“In the words of John Wayne, 'courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway,'" said Aidan. "It’s okay to be scared. It means you’re doing something important, something hard, something that you care about.”

His final story focused on an act of kindness involving a pivotal encounter with a beloved teacher at TMI. When that teacher took the time to check on Aidan during a difficult moment, the simple act prevented Aidan from quitting the Corps of Cadets, an organization that he spent years pouring his time and energy into. Furthermore, it rekindled Aidan’s enthusiasm and propelled him to join the Corps for another four years at Texas A&M, where he will begin attending college in the fall.

He urged others to make a positive impact by spreading kindness wherever they go since those acts tend to have a rippling effect.

"Grace, courage, and kindness," Aidan emphasized, "I believe that each one of you has or will experience all three in your lifetime."

In his closing remarks, he directed a heartfelt message to the Class of 2024, offering words of encouragement and calling on them to persevere in the face of challenges, to lead by example, and to find solace in faith.

"Give grace freely to those around you. Lean into your fears, pushing yourself to find courage and find opportunities to make someone smile. Because no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."

About Alumni Mondays: Each Monday, we welcome an Academy alumnus to speak to SAA boys during chapel. During this presentation, our alumni speakers share meaningful stories and lessons from their days at SAA. View Alumni Monday Showcase