Garrett Nolan Biography
I was born on June 21st, 2006 in Red Bank New Jersey on the first day of Summer in the calendar year. I was born into a middle-class family and currently reside in Port Monmouth, NJ. My parents started me going to daycare on the campus of St. Mary’s and I continued my Catholic education from there up to 8th grade forming relationships with my classmates as well as teachers along the way. Many times, and up to this day I’ve been referred to as an “old soul” and while I suppose that’s true, I’ve never been able to figure out why that is until getting the assignment to write my own biography.
I guess it started in 2014 when I was in 3rd grade. During the month of October, my Father took me on “The Lighthouse Challenge”, a two-day journey visiting the various lighthouses in the state of New Jersey. Along the way, we learned about our state and enjoyed the autumn scenery while zipping up and down the Garden State Parkway. My love of history was born. From that point on while my friends were watching Ben 10, I was watching documentaries on The History Channel and YouTube. When they were going to Disneyworld, I was going to Gettysburg. From a young age, I learned to appreciate our history as a State and as a Nation, the good, the bad, and the ugly. My favorite quote is “Those that forget their past are doomed to repeat it”.
The next year when I was in 4th grade, something happened that cemented my love of a time gone by, my Father and I over a two-month period watched “The Wonder Years”. I believe this should be required for viewing by all students about to enter middle school. The family values explored in this show as well as the milestones in a child’s life are every bit relevant today as they were at the time the show took place, the 1960’s. If you’ve never watched it, do yourself a favor and check it out. It was because of the fantastic music used in this show that I started learning acoustic guitar. Covid-19 has shut down my lessons for now but my musical taste is another reason I am viewed as an “old soul”. Some of the concerts I’ve been to include Gordon Lightfoot, The Psychedelic Furs, a John Denver impersonator, Jimmy Buffet, an ABBA tribute band (three times), and Steely Dan with Steve Winwood.
In the 5th grade, I was cast as the second lead in “Hope in My Heart”, a musical about the first immigrants to pass through Ellis Island. I remember being nervous about singing in front of the whole school but also loving the historic subject matter of the story. It got me interested in performing and it’s something I enjoy doing to this day. I also started playing football in the fifth grade. It’s something I’ve done every year including this one with the exception of my 8th-grade year when most of the players graduated and we didn’t have enough kids to play. The funny thing is, I’m not really into sports. I play football primarily for the comradery and to keep in shape. Although this year I’m finding out that I enjoy more as I’m finally playing on defense.
In the 6th grade, I was cast in “Mary Poppins Jr.” and I enjoyed playing an industrialist singing for a loan to expand his business. But the highlight of this year for me is when I started working for Middletown Help’s Its Own Food Pantry Filling Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner boxes for the needy. It’s something I’ve enjoyed doing every year until Covid-19 forced the good work to be closed to volunteers.
In 2018, my 7th-grade year I was cast as Mike Tee-Vee” in “Willy Wonka Jr.” as well as the lead in “Sheep in Heavenly Peace”. I wasn’t going to win any singing awards, but I really enjoyed performing that year. I also won a medal for throwing the shot-putt and discus in Spring Track and Field.
Then came my 8th grade graduating year, 2019-2020. It started out great! I was elected Student Council Vice-President and as part of my duties, I got to read the Pledge of Allegiance and announcements during morning prayers as well as reading at the masses on a regular basis. My grade went on a class trip to Fell’s Point, Baltimore during which we walked the historic streets and visited Edgar Allen Poe’s house. I was also cast as the second lead in “Away in A Mango” and thanks to the choreography of Olivia Crowe was the most well-received Christmas play of my short stage career.
I was also selected to “teach for a day” some of our underclassmen and that’s how I came to seriously consider pursuing a career as a History Professor specializing in local and American History. It was this love of our own history and got me as Vice-President to begin the research with the intention of organizing a “Monsignor Bullman Day” at Saint Mary’s that would establish a permanent tradition of telling our students the story of how one man founded and built our school culminating in a school mass. But then, Covid-19 forced the school to go virtual for the rest of the year.
There are many lessons to be learned from this pandemic, but for me, personally, the greatest lesson is that NOTHING is guaranteed. Not a dance, not a graduation, not a face–to–face conversation, and not a chance to say goodbye. So, if there is something you want to say to a friend, family member, or even someone you have a crush on, say it now. Don’t assume you have time. Because I promise you, it is easier to live with failure than it is to live with regret.
So that brings us to now. I’m playing Junior-Varsity Football and was lucky enough to be asked to do the reading at our first school mass. I hope this is what you were looking for when you asked for my biography, as you can most likely tell, I’ve never done one of these before.