WHS Student Life: Michael Houlihan

By Brendan Dowd

Michael Houlihan is a senior at Wethersfield High school, Mike has grown up in the age of everyone going to college but he has decided to take another path. Back about ten years ago college was something that you would only go if you had the money. Kids would get their high school diploma at least and then go straight to the workforce, in recent years society has gone away from this method but not Mike. ​​

After high school Mike will go to trades school where he will learn to be an Electrician. Practically going straight to the workforce and coming out with minimal debt, who’s to say this isn’t smarter than a kid dropping 30 thousand on a college and coming out with all kinds of debt and still no idea what they want to do. Mike has always been his own person, not a follower, a leader. This hasn’t stopped him from making lifelong friends. When I asked him, How his friends played a role in shaping him? Absolutely I’ve grown up with the same group of friends and we always feed of each other and have shared a lot of life changing moments together. Mike is very well liked by everyone his personality and easy to talk to manner makes him a pleasure to have as a friend. Mike won the saprilitive “Bestfriends” with his childhood friend Chris Moylan, this just shows how well recognized as a great friend all around the school he is.

When I asked Mike if he would consider his childhood a success he said “Yeah I had a pretty good childhood it was a little disoriented but all in all I’m very grateful.” When Mike was five his Dad passed away, at this time he was living in Vermont so he moved to Wethersfield to be closer to his Mom’s family I asked him how he felt talking about his father he said “It’s kind of sensitive to tell people about”, rightfully so I stayed away from the topic but I did ask him who the biggest influence on his life was? He said “Probably my brother he is twelve years older than me so for most of my young years I thought he was really cool”. It’s almost like his brother took on the role of his father, and if I don’t say so myself Mike has turned out very well. He is one of the most responsible kids in our school, he has worked since freshman year and recently bought a car with his own money, he said “even though it was a bucket I had to put myself on a budget and save money.” In an age of kids mooching off their parents until their mid twenties Mike never allowed himself to do that. It just shows the maturity level that he has at such a young age he truly is an adult.

Not many kids turn out as good as Mike has, I’m talking about kids with both parents, a lot of money and the biggest issue being what they’re going to do on a saturday night. Mike has endured a lot, losing a parent, having to move to another state, and even working since freshman year. Nothing has been given to Mike he has worked for it all, and if you asked around the school who would you consider the most caring, hardworking, nicest kid I would bet a lot of money that Mike would be one of the first people to come to mind.