Prep Magazine Spring/Summer 2019 by St. John's Prep

prep The Magazine of St. John’s Prep

TOUR OF DUTY  CONNECTING LEARNING WITH LIVING  COMMENCEMENT CLASS OF 2019  SPRING 2019

Ask Me Anything! The Prep’s varsity Academic Bowl Team earned a berth to the 37th Annual Academic Championships in Chicago on the strength of a first-place, undefeated 15-0 season in the North Shore Trivia League. In early June, the Prep’s five-man squad faced off against masters of significa representing two dozen high schools from across the country. Competitors went head-to-head in a minimum of six 25-minute matches consisting of four rounds each: warmup, bonus, 60-second, and stumpthe-experts. The Eagles emerged near the top of the field to earn the No. 3 seed in a nine-team playoff, advancing all the way to the semifinals before falling to University of Detroit Jesuit High. “Our team is incredibly cohesive. We perform very well because we each fill a niche role that forms a unit whose potential is verifiably greater than the sum of its parts,” says co-captain Mitchell Robson ’20. “Now that I’m an upperclassman who has been through the better part of three years at St. John’s, I’ve come to realize that the school has really prepared me well for Academic Bowl. By educating us deeply on a broad array of subjects, not only am I ready for trivia with such a general scope, but I am also equipped to go out into the real world as a truly informed individual.” PREPPING: During practice sessions, Dr. James Arinello, who moderates the Academic Bowl team, depends heavily on question sets created by “the late, great Jim Nance,” who led the club for two decades and inspired tremendous enthusiasm among students. “The most challenging questions come in the ‘Stump the Expert’ round,” says Dr. Arinello. “The questions are very obscure, and at a college level, or higher, in terms of difficulty and specificity.” Pictured: Caleb Willett ’19; Nicholas Anastas ’19; Mitchell Robson ’20, co-captain; Conner Goodwin’19, co-captain; and Dr. James Arinello. Team member Will Davis ’19 was at sailing team practice when this photo was taken.

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A Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School for young men in grades 6 through 12 Established 1907 Headmaster

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S T & Z E A L C O M PA S S I O N ON HU MIL I T Y SI M PL ICI T Y M PL IC I T Y T RUS T& Z E A L S T & Z E A L C O M PA S S I O N ON HU MIL I T Y SI M PL ICI T Y M PL IC I T Y T RUS T& Z E A L S T & Z E A L C O M PA S S I O N ON HU MIL I T Y SI M PL ICI T Y M PL IC I T Y T RUS T& Z E A L S T & Z E A L C O M PA S S I O N S I O N T H E X AV E R I A N WA Y

INSIDE SPRING 2019 4 GOOD and Ready 5 Sound Bites 6 Tour of Duty: A Profile of

Vice Admiral Richard Brown ’81

8 Life of Brian: A Profile of

Oscar-winner Brian Currie ’79

10 Connecting Learning with Living 12 The Ticker: News from the Prep 16 Commencement Class of 2019 22 We Are St. John’s Gala 2019 24

Prep Sports

Reunion Weekend

PrepVentures

Field Notes

44 Since You Asked: Mike Grimaldi ’01

Luke Hollenbeck ’21 created this vivid and colorful image of the villages at Cinque Terre on the coast of Italy.

ON THE COVER Artist, illustrator, and graphic designer Mike Grimaldi ’01 created the whale graphic on the cover for the Blueprint Surface Design & Print Show in New York City. Read more about Mike and his work on page 44.

PREP SPRING 2019

Ready to take on unexpected challenges. Ready to try new ideas, take risks, create and innovate. Ready to collaborate, build careers, and lead meaningful lives. We want our graduates to be good and ready for anything.

GOOD and Ready Dear Prep Community Members, On April 24, Dr. Jim O’Connell visited our campus as the most recent speaker for our Brother Sullivan, C.F.X. Lecture Series. Dr. O’Connell runs a downtown Boston medical practice that serves more than 11,000 patients annually, treating them for everything from the common cold to chronic illnesses to lifethreatening diseases. Unlike most other health practices, though, all of Dr. O’Connell’s patients are homeless. Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP), which Dr. O’Connell founded in 1985, is an incredible undertaking — now operating two hospital-based clinics and more than 45 shelters and outreach sites in Boston. But the program has changed and grown as the staff’s understanding of homelessness has evolved, with much of that learning coming directly from the advice of the homeless men and women being served. As Dr. O’Connell explained it, “Learning for me was a journey, learning what was going on in a world I knew nothing about. In the health care system, of which I was a part and very proud of, they had no clue how to overcome these obstacles.” At St. John’s, we focus on learning as a journey as well. Today, more than ever, students need opportunities earlier in their academic careers to the type of exposure Dr. O’Connell gained as a young doctor finishing his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. But the journey for younger students must include guides, mentors, role models, and a whole network of other supporters to be successful. For the Prep, the Brother Sullivan Lecture Series advances a larger strategic vision being realized in the newly established Centers for Mission and Research. Under the guidance of the center directors, 40 seniors will conduct original research each year, culminating in capstone projects the students will present to panels of experts and professionals from applicable fields.

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We often talk about the need for goodness in our world, and the Prep creates an abundance of opportunities through Campus Ministry, student advisory groups, and co-curricular programs to foster empathy and get our young men thinking about people on the margins everywhere. But we also want our graduates to be ready. Ready to take on unexpected challenges. Ready to try new ideas, take risks, create and innovate. Ready to collaborate, build careers, and lead meaningful lives. We want our graduates to be good and ready for anything. Dr. O’Connell used portraits of the homeless men and women he came to know, amateur photos he took on a personal camera, to tell a complex story of humanity and servant leadership. When he described one of his terminally ill patients, he spoke of him as a friend. “He led a simple life so beautifully, with such humility. Our patients are alone and lonely. When they face death, they do it alone, so we become their family.” We believe our graduates go on to bring hope in whatever work they choose. Much like Dr. O’Connell, we see our alumni balancing the challenge of being servant leaders and successful professionals. There is no one, simple answer for our students as they form their ideas and explore their academic and professional pathways. However, with a community like St. John’s Prep behind them and the valuable, inspiring lessons on this campus such as the story of Dr. Jim O’Connell, I am confident that our graduates are good and ready for everything.

Peace and prayers, Edward P. Hardiman, Ph.D., Headmaster

SOUNDbites Be the Change: Eighth graders set up everything from model hydro‑power plants to a small-scale solar-powered home, micro wind turbines, a mock landfill, an energy generating bike, and podcasts on the benefits of nuclear energy in the A. E. Studzinski Library for the culmination of a unit on climate science. Senior Antael Rosa, one of many High School students who came to see the displays, said he was “impressed with how knowledgeable they are about environmental issues at this young age.” True Stories: There was an abundance of trust and zeal in the room back in January when a group of faculty and staff stepped up to share true stories, told live, during the Prep’s third annual SJP Moth Story Hour. The evening is one of the highlights of the year, says social studies teacher and story teller Joel Emerson. It was inspired by the popular series that began on a front porch in Georgia in 1997 “to celebrate the ability of stories to honor both the diversity and commonality of human experience, and to satisfy the vital human need for connection,” according to the Moth website. Faces of Immigration: Virginia Benzan visited campus in April to share her perspective on the global refugee crisis and immigration in the United States. As a former immigration attorney and now a training officer in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Asylum Office within the Department of Homeland Security in Boston, she “put a face on immigration in a way that goes beyond policy to show the impact on the lives of real people,” said Chris Bauer, director of the Center for Justice and Peace. Cue the Music: JT Betz ’23 on violin, Will

Lucas ’24 on bass, and Evan McCarthy ’22 on jazz trombone performed with the Northeast District Orchestra’s Junior Festival Ensembles this spring. “This is a very exciting honor for these students to represent our Middle School for the first time,” said strings and chorus teacher Diane Hastings.

Where in the World: The Middle School’s Geography Bee was a real nail-biter with nine participants making it all the way to the fourth round — a rare occurrence — before tough questions about capitals, mountain ranges, lakes, continental divides, and more narrowed it down to three. Eighth grader Jordan Ianakiev ’23 secured the third place spot, then fellow eighth graders Paul Lovett and Jeremy Yeh battled it out for first. After three difficult questions, Jeremy took home the title of champion!

Meet the Author: A group of eight AP Economics students, led by Prep faculty Anne Gamer and David Hennessey ’83, took part in the Harvard Undergraduate Economics Challenge in April. In addition to competing in written exams and quizbowl type contests, the group engaged in a Q&A with Harvard economics professor Greg Mankiw, who wrote the textbook they use in class. Slam Dunk: After last year’s win by students, an intrepid faculty squad reclaimed Afternoon Anarchy bragging rights with a 38-27 victory, aided by a crowd-pleasing three-pointer on the part of Ms. Lu Richards, director of the Center for Learning and Academic Success. During halftime, Middle School students had their own showdown with the teachers. 21 Years and Counting: SwingTown! pulled out all the stops for their 21st annual spring concert in March, which was dedicated to supporting the work of math teacher and Swingtown! singer Kate Tremarche, who returns in the fall after spending a year at Rostro de Cristo in Ecuador. Easy as Pi: Sam Wolke ’24 won the Middle School Pi recitation contest on March 14, correctly reciting 80 digits. “I found that grouping numbers together was helpful, like remembering them as phone numbers,” said Sam. For his efforts, Sam was rewarded with an entire pie! Kudos! German teacher Chris Lynch was one of five secondary school teachers to receive the 2019 Excellence in Education Award from the Archdiocese of Boston’s Catholic Schools Office.

Cracking the Code: Congratulations to the group of Prep students who earned third place in the 2019 Providence College ACM High School Programming Contest! The competition challenged students from 13 participating schools from around New England to use Java or C++ to solve a set of coding problems — in only three and a half hours. This year’s coders included seniors Jon Ross, Brett Sullivan and Dante Falardeau, and junior Sam Poulin. Fast on their Feet: Math teacher Nick

Denari finished the Boston Marathon in an impressive 127th place among a field of 30,000 runners. Shout out to Ryan Winters ’98, Jason Hyland ’01, and Dan Concessi ’11, who ran on behalf of Team Lingzi, Team Bay Cove, and Team LCF, respectively. Kudos to all members of the Prep community who ran!

Volumes of Support: Inspired by Bryan

Stevenson’s “Just Mercy,” members of LUNA (Latinos Unidos en Acción) spearheaded a book drive for men incarcerated at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Middleton. After helping pack up books, Christian Rodriguez ’19 said, “Days like yesterday open my eyes to just how much a community can accomplish for those in need once they put their minds toward a common goal.”

Here’s the Scoop! Ceramics teacher Tim

McAuliffe ’07 has added a sweet twist to the Prep’s popular Empty Bowls party. Ceramics students still create hundreds of handmade bowls for the event, but instead of savoring hot soup in January, guests now enjoy delicious ice cream in May! Local food shops generously supply the creamy confections, and all proceeds benefit Bread and Roses in Lawrence. McAuliffe’s ceramics teacher and mentor, Dale Bryant, introduced Empty Bowls to the Prep in 1997. “The concept is the same,” he says. “Every time you take that bowl out of your cupboard, you’re reminded that somewhere — close to home — there are people that don’t have enough to eat.”

Making Waves: Swimming and diving

coach Tony Padvaiskas was inducted into the Eastern Massachusetts Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame on April 7. In 23 seasons as head coach, Coach Padvaiskas has led the Eagles to 14 Division 1 state titles, 12 North sectional crowns, and 17 Catholic Conference championships en route to compiling a 110-8 dual meet record. PREP SPRING 2019

Born into a family that’s led from the front through lives of service, Vice Admiral Richard Brown ’81 is one of four brothers to serve America’s navy after graduating St. John’s

On his first visit to St. John’s Prep since his graduation, Vice Admiral Richard Brown ’81, now Commander of U.S. Naval Surface Forces, received a campus tour from students.

Richard A. Brown ’81 took a big step toward becoming one of the nation’s highest-ranking military officers during his first command, 15 years ago aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans. The moment didn’t involve any overt acts of courage, like the kind he would perform while neutralizing modern-day pirates in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. Nor did it include sustained heroism and valor in direct contact with an enemy, for which he won the Navy Commendation Medal five times. His breakthrough came during an equipment replacement in the bowels of a warship, and it crystallized a principle that now guides every decision he makes as Commander of Naval Surface Forces for the United States. “Ignore your intuition at your own peril,” says Vice Admiral (VADM) Brown, who this year made his first visit to the St. John’s campus since his graduation. “That’s the advice I give my captains, and I’d offer that same advice to the students here at my alma mater.” The anecdote aboard The Sullivans is well worth recounting, but skipping ahead to its telling would overlook a broader truth: In a moment when others might have stood down, VADM Brown instinctively stood up to focus on the welfare of others. More to the point, every member of his immediate family, including his three brothers who also graduated from St. John’s (Michael ’76, Kevin ’78, and Stephen ’88), likely would have responded in precisely the same manner. “I come from a family of service,” explains VADM Brown, who earned eight varsity letters at the Prep in football, winter track, and spring track. “My dad graduated from a Xaverian Brothers school (now closed Keith Academy in Lowell) and he was adamant that his sons would go to a Xaverian Brothers high school. He served in the military (Army, Navy and Air National Guard) and (worked in federal and state civil service), my mother taught math in the Lowell public school system for over 30 years. The four brothers have all served in the Navy and three of us have sons who now serve. My sister is a high school English teacher, and my youngest brother has become a nurse.”

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While the admiral is quick to count himself as just one of the herd when it comes to his family, his siblings make clearer distinctions. And not simply because Brown’s other job title — Commander of the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet — represents the world’s largest fleet command, encompassing 100 million square miles, or nearly half the Earth’s surface. “I think Richard always stood out more because he was forever on the go,” says Stephen Brown, who departed the Navy as a commissioned ensign and is now a nursing coordinator at Mount Carmel Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Manchester, N.H. “He was always tinkering and trying to fix stuff. He’d take things apart a lot as a kid. Sometimes, they wouldn’t get put back together, but my sister and I, as the youngest kids, always looked up to him.” Brown’s star (actually, a vice admiral wears three of them) shines just as brightly for his older siblings. “He’s just amazing, there’s no doubt about it,” says Kevin Brown, who served 12 years in the Navy and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander before moving to the private sector in cybersecurity. “He’s never been one to let anything get him down. He just really, really loves the Navy, and he believes in what he’s doing. I don’t think he ever cared whether he reached the rank he’s at. He just wanted to do the job he was being asked to do.” Like any good sailor, VADM Brown has allowed his orders and the prevailing winds to determine his heading, but the notion that good done anywhere does good everywhere was a message he underscored when meeting with Prep students during his campus visit. “St. John’s emphasis on building servant leaders is right on the money,” he says. “Whether you decide to go into business, or politics, or choose to serve your country in the military, if you address it from the standpoint of service to others, you’ll be wildly successful at whatever you do.”

“Whether you decide to go into business, or politics, or choose to serve your country in the military, if you address it from the standpoint of service to others, you’ll be wildly successful at whatever you do.”

Vice Admiral Brown ’81 inspects the engine room of a Navy warship.

Gut Check

Brown’s impromptu arrival below decks may have averted disaster, and it reflects a universal maritime truth: Getting a crew home from a war zone in one piece requires more than bravery; it means leaving nothing to chance. As he describes the scene, one of the most powerful men in the Department of the Navy is relatable and accessible. Even paternal. A man who commands respect and attention not because of the silver fivepoint stars on his collar, but because of his capacity for caring.

Essentially, the ship’s speedometer was broken. Aboard The Sullivans, the blade that protrudes from the base of the hull beneath the waterline — called a pit sword and designed to measure hydrodynamic flow — was faulty. In fact, the ship’s commander hadn’t been able to accurately assess how fast his vessel was moving for quite some time. That brings us to the Gulf of Oman in 2004. Specifically, Auxiliary Machine Room 1, a compartment buried four levels below the salt air of the ship’s deck. “It’s amazing when your gut is telling you something,” recalls VADM Brown, who never commanded a ship that didn’t win the Navy’s Battle Efficiency Award. “You don’t know why it’s telling you something, but you subconsciously recognize that something’s not right.”

The Brown family during the four sons’ simultaneous service in 1993; (left to right) Richard ’81, Michael ’76, father Arthur (Commander USN, Ret.), Stephen ’88 and Kevin ’78, along with mother, Patricia, and sister, Jennifer.

While overseeing a complicated mid-ocean transfer of supplies from another ship to his own, then-Captain Brown saw a new pit sword come aboard before retiring to his cabin once the resupply was complete. This is the part where it’s important to know that a lot has to go right for even the slightest thing not to go wrong aboard a naval vessel. And even the slightest misstep at sea can be a matter of life and death. Back in his cabin, Brown suddenly popped up and double-timed it down a series of ladders to Aux. 1. But why?

“The pit sword inserts through a manhole cover that’s got 25 bolts on it,” explains VADM Brown. “You’ve got to unbolt all those, and then there’s a packing gland that keeps the water from geysering into the ship. I guess I thought to myself, ‘they’re going to want to get this fixed fast, are they going to rush it?’ “I go down there, and I find this 18-year-old kid all by himself,” he continues, an oversight for which he later dressed down the noncommissioned officers responsible. “He’s got the bolts off the cover and he’s loosening the packing gear. If he did it wrong, he would have flooded that thing out, and he wouldn’t have been able to get out of there alive.”

“I honestly think that ‘service of’ piece is a combination of both our parents and those elements that the Prep gave all four of us,” says his brother Mike, a retired rear admiral who now runs his own cybersecurity consulting firm (Spinnaker Security) in addition to chairing Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s Cybersecurity Strategy Council. “I think seeing the things our dad did in the Navy was a factor, too. The Prep was very supportive of our desire to follow his footsteps.

“I remember prior to graduation, those of us who were going to the academies were recognized in a separate ceremony; that was so cool,” he continues. “Seeing everything that kids do nowadays, especially with my son, Ryan (a naval helicopter pilot), having gone to a Xaverian School at Mount Saint Joseph in Baltimore, it’s been neat to see how mission and values endure over the ages.” As a three-star admiral, Richard Brown, whose son Robert is now an ensign, has risen to the highest naval rank in his family. But even though he’s moved on to top-level budget meetings and christening ships instead of commanding them, his passion for being on the front lines within a community of care still burns bright. “There’s no other job in the world like being the captain of a naval ship,” says Brown. “When all the lines come in and you breast away from pier and those 300 sailors are under your charge and you’re responsible for getting them home again with all 10 fingers and toes, that’s the most comfortable I’ve ever felt in my own skin.”

PREP SPRING 2019

LIFE OF

BRIAN

Academy Award-winning screenwriter Brian Currie ’79 is as genuine and warmhearted as anyone you’ll meet in the motion picture industry. Just like his movie.

ike a lot of true-Hollywood tales, the making of Brian Currie ’79 is a mix of talent, timing and tenacity. Beyond that, the twin Golden Globe and double-Oscar winner’s story deviates sharply from a typical Tinseltown ascendancy. Currie dropped anchor in LA unusually late, at age 29. Then he left. For a decade. You won’t find that game plan within the pages of any how-to guide for becoming artistic royalty in the City of Angels. None of that is to suggest Currie didn’t pay his dues. Exhibit A would be a list of jobs he worked while trying to sell his first screenplay: waiter, limo driver, nightclub doorman, house painter, and door-to-door vinyl window salesman. Perhaps that’s why it’s so easy to catch his drift of authenticity, candor, and joy as a storyteller. Take, for example, his musings on the entertainment industry: “It’s not who you know, or anything else like that. As they say, it’s more business than show. So, it’s paramount to work with nice people. Find the nice people.” Or, his haiku-like reflection on writing for a living: “It’s like homework. You can’t wait for inspiration.” What’s important to know about Brian Currie is that there really isn’t an abridged version. He’s loyal, thoughtful, and rib‑achingly funny. He’s uncomplicated, but labyrinthine. Also, it’s probably worth noting his breakout movie became the toast of the entertainment world even before its general release last November, and the buzz rolled on through this year’s Academy Awards. Counting major film festivals and the choicest prizes of the industry’s awards season, “Green Book” won best film or screenplay six times and was nominated another seven times in those categories. Then came the crown jewels: Best Picture

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Left: Brian Currie ’79, back on home turf at the Prep in May. Below: Currie (right) and “Green Book” co‑writer Nick Vallelonga with a trio of Oscars. Photo courtesy NBC Universal.

and Best Screenplay at the 76th Golden Globe Awards (as chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press) followed by Best Motion Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars. Nice work if you can get it. Based on a true story, the movie chronicles an eight-week concert tour featuring Dr. Don Shirley, an African-American, classically trained pianist, who performed throughout the South in the 1960s. Shirley hires Tony Lip (played by Viggo Mortensen), an occasional bouncer, to be his chauffeur. With Lip’s brawn and Shirley’s brains as the backdrop, the film calls forth poignant displays of vulnerability and humanity by both men. “Rolling Stone” said the movie “offers the possibility of redemption … (and) audiences will be cheering.” As we now know, the critics’ ovation was of the standing variety. All told, “Green Book” received 16 major nominations in 2019, winning eight awards.

Delay of Game Currie was a smashmouth, 215-pound linebacker in his days at St. John’s, and went on to play at Middlebury College, where he earned a bachelor’s in psychology in 1983. He pocketed his degree, then backpacked across three continents with money he’d saved up (“I did the cliché, and I’d recommend it to anyone,” he says). He got back and promptly put in a semester at Emerson College “to see if I could act.” It went well enough for him to start packing for LA. That’s when his father, George, was diagnosed with cancer. “Initially, they gave him a very short prognosis,” recalls Currie, a native of Lynn who grew up in Peabody. “My reaction was: ‘Well, I’m not leaving now.’” Throughout his father’s illness, Currie and

Co-writer Brian Currie ’79 makes a cameo appearance as a Maryland State Trooper in “Green Book.” Photo courtesy NBC Universal.

his mother, Eileen, stayed close by. George Currie died in 1989. Brian finally touched down at LAX in 1990. He was pushing 30. Currie got film credits (his first, a TV movie in 1992), but work was sporadic. He did a few soaps. He paid the bills however he could. All the while, he was writing, and he sold his first screenplay in 1995 (“Green Book” is his eighth to go commercial). He landed five bit parts in 1997, but a remark by a screenplay-writing buddy changed everything. The friend was Scott Rosenberg, whose best scripts were a money-losing dark comedy and a boutiquey date movie until he sold “Con Air,” a 1997 summer blockbuster in which Currie made a cameo.

“Those relationships you form at St. John’s are amazing. You can walk in a room of alumni 20 years after being in touch and you go, ‘Where were we?’”

Rosenberg, a Needham native, told Currie that if his apartment ever caught on fire, the most important thing would be to grab his unsold scripts, because if you sell a big one, suddenly, studios are interested in anything you’ve done. Currie took that to heart, doubled down on his writing, and appeared in only three films in the next five years.

“It’s a tough grind out there as a would-be actor,” he says. “I knew I had some ability to write and tell stories from my time at St. John’s. In fact, Fr. Tony Penna, my religious studies teacher, was the first person ever to tell me I was going to be a writer. He predicted it. He said I had ‘a way with words.’” Currie’s plan was in place. But by 2004, he’d left Hollywood.

Common Threads Currie’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in February of 2004. Without delay, he went home and prepared to shepherd another parent through a long and painful goodbye. Eileen passed away in 2011. “That was a rough situation — she was in some tough straights,” recalls Currie, whose older brother and only sibling, Bill, graduated from St. John’s in 1977 and now works for General Electric. “I hung around a bit afterwards to clear my head. As heartbreaking as it was, I did get to reacquaint myself with so many great friends from the Prep — that was quite an experience and really a blessing. Those relationships you form at St. John’s are amazing. You can walk in a room of alumni 20 years after being in touch and you go, ‘Where were we?’” During his mother’s decline, Currie did his best to keep his hand in movies. He had become tight with Bobby and (Green Book cowriter) Peter Farrelly after meeting them socially in LA during the 1990s, so they continued to dial his number. He also got work from actor/writer/director D.B. Sweeney, with whom he’d collaborated on a screenplay just before his mom’s diagnosis. He appeared in seven films between 2005 and 2009, either when a shoot took place in the Northeast or friends thought they had a part for him. “Those guys knew I could put a couple sentences together and remember my lines,” says Currie. “It wasn’t exactly Tolstoy.”

Nonetheless, in terms of access to Hollywood, Peabody might as well be Siberia. In hindsight, now that he’s rubbed elbows with Steven Spielberg and bumped into Prince William at a Kensington Palace reception, Currie’s years as a caregiver could easily seem like another life. But halting the pursuit of his dream twice to care for his own parents was something he never gave a second thought. It was a privilege that remains very present for him. “I always appreciated that my parents could have done something else with our education,” he says. “Instead they said, ‘Yep. My kids? Send ’em to the Prep.’ They made that sacrifice with pride and because of that, I experienced some of my fondest moments in life.”

Not surprisingly, “Green Book” elicits analogous themes of loyalty, requital, self‑sacrifice, and personal growth through the relationship between Dr. Shirley and Lip. The movie was shot and wrapped in 33 days, yet there is king-size chemistry between the protagonists. Currie had met Lip multiple times. He’d been close with Lip’s son, (“Green Book” co-writer) Nick Vallelonga, ever since they worked nightclubs together in the ’90s. Walt Disney once said, “We’re not trying to entertain the critics. I’ll take my chances with the public.” Sound advice considering the domestic gross for “Green Book” was $85M and counting as of May, while overall foreign earnings had passed $230M. The critics, however, remain. “The Guardian” called the film’s depiction of race relations of the era “at best naive,” and “Time Magazine” noted some reviewers felt the movie “fit a little too neatly into a history of white savior films.” Currie sees it differently. “This movie was about a slice of life,” he says. “It was two months on the road with Dr. Shirley and a guy I knew, whose son helped write the script. We didn’t set out to do the consummate Don Shirley biography. The movie sparked conversation, and for me, as far as saviors go, Don Shirley saved Tony’s soul. Some critics complained the movie had a happy ending. Well, it’s a true story. We weren’t going to write it with a different ending because that’s not what happened. Those guys stayed friends for the rest of their lives.” Currie is already deep into his next project, another collaboration with Peter Farrelly, also based on a true story, this time set during the Vietnam War. He describes it as “Good Morning, Vietnam” meets “Apocalypse Now.” Currie’s own narrative is anything but an ordinary true Hollywood story. He isn’t the first to persevere through personal and professional detours to make it in a business based on dreams. But he’s one of precious few to do it on his own terms.

PREP SPRING 2019

Left: Ethan Peralta ’22 gets tactile at the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Civil Rights Memorial during a Community Formation student trip to Montgomery, Alabama in April. Below: Jack Sullivan ’21 and his mother, Margaret, enjoy St. John’s 5th Annual Mother/Son Retreat at the Highland Center in Crawford Notch, N.H. Held every October, the event allows Prep mothers and sons to share meals, hike, reflect on their relationship, and meet new people.

A rich focus on relationships at the intersection of community formation, mission and identity and Campus Ministry is bringing mission to practice at St. John’s

onsider, for a moment, this basic premise. Education — at its core — is meant to be a collective journey instilled with a sense of wonder and a love of learning that helps us shape the future knowledgeably and responsibly. Great teaching is central to that aim. Another crucial dimension to such a transformative educational experience, says Dr. Michael Orlando, the Prep’s assistant principal for mission and identity, often goes unnoticed: Meaningful relationships.

Connecting

LEARNING with LIVING

“It’s more than just a style of teaching,” says Orlando, who also teaches Spanish. “It’s about figuring out who your students are. That goes beyond the classroom and the content. That’s about forming strong relationships between and among students, teachers, parents, grandparents, alumni, administrators, board members — everybody. You have to be intentional about outreach and programming and discussion and opportunity. It takes time and space and resources to do that. That’s the difference between doing it and doing it well. St. John’s does it well.” Campus Ministry programming at the Prep continues to be robust with fixtures like the Prep Leadership Institute (PLI) and more than a half-dozen service/immersion trips, including the Prep Urban Life Experience (PULSE), as well as the Religious Studies Department’s Social Action class and the XBSS retreat. The program continues to grow with the recent addition of Prep Middle School Leadership Institute (PMLI), family days of service for both the Middle School and the freshmen class, and an Emmaus retreat for juniors, which offers participants deeper exposure into notions of spirituality and faith. The establishment this year of an office wholly devoted to forging the bonds of community has helped create a Venn diagram of overlapping and complementary stakeholders at St. John’s. For Director of Community Formation Steve Ruemenapp, the formula is about keeping it simple.

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“I think most people are looking for community in their lives,” he says. “I was meeting with parents recently and one of them said, ‘You know what would be really helpful? If I just had a group of people I could be with once in a while to talk about the joys and challenges of parenting.’ We can respond to those needs. We’ve already conducted a Middle School parents’ retreat.

“Sometimes, people are just looking for a place where they can be themselves,” Ruemenapp adds. “Isn’t that what community is, at the end of the day? Our school’s diversity and inclusivity statement is straightforward: We are dedicated to engaging all people, cultures, and traditions to grow our shared understanding.” The new Community Formation office has absorbed or launched an assortment of initiatives that foster community. The Prep’s father/son and mother/son retreats, which have taken place for the past five years, join a community retreat for faculty and staff, a newfaculty retreat, a women’s retreat, and this summer’s junior class family retreat to Acadia National Park in Maine. Ruemenapp is particularly excited about the creation of a Parent Community Formation Committee, a sub-committee of the Prep Parent Council, that will coordinate and facilitate communitybuilding and faith-formation activities for parents. Earlier this year, in conjunction with the Alumni Office, Ruemenapp helped stage a first-of-its-kind, 3-on-3 alumni basketball tournament at the Mahoney Wellness Center. More than 60 graduates attended. “Engaging more of our constituents is essential to responding to our call to build ‘enduring personal relationships,’ which is a hallmark of Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools,” says Dr. Keith Crowley, St. John’s principal and associate head of school. “The programs offered through Campus Ministry and Community Formation provide wonderful opportunities, ultimately inviting us to embrace faith in every dimension of life.”

Deeper Roots Lawrence Molloy, the Prep’s director of Campus Ministry, values the school’s focused approach to engaging all constituencies through dynamic, year-round outreach and opportunities, allowing time for the root system to thrive and for quality programming to evolve organically. “I think we’re doing a good job of looking at quality programs and putting our time into those avenues,” says Molloy, who also teaches the Social Action elective. “Everybody has a bunch of good ideas, but you can’t execute them all or you risk overprogramming students. We really pay attention to simply being present to the students. You won’t have time to sit down with students and get to know who they are if you’re organizing programs all the time. You have to navigate the tension between developing relationships with your students, and then inviting them into the programs you have in place.” Chris Bauer, who directs St. John’s Center for Justice and Peace, got a first-hand look at how thoughtfully planned, new

programming can have a broad community impact. Bauer helped lead a student-parent Community Formation trip to Georgia and Alabama over April break, where the group visited some of the most significant landmarks associated with the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s. “It was a powerful experience collectively,” said Bauer. “This trip gave students and parents an opportunity to think more critically about how we can continue moving towards greater racial justice in today’s world. I think we all came away with a better sense of how important it is for us to impact the world from wherever we find ourselves.” According to Orlando, the St. John’s community can look forward to more of the same. “I think our team approach is unique,” he says. “We’re lucky to have folks in dedicated positions working on this strategically. There is a lot of expertise here, which really makes our commitment come alive. What we’re doing is keeping people in touch. For me, it’s an expansive model of church that I think people value.”

Social Action Class Turns Case Study into a Cause Students in St. John’s Social Action course first learned about the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) during a unit focusing on education, including the challenges faced by underfunded urban schools. “When the boys saw our presentation on HCZ, their reaction was powerful and immediate,” said teacher Lawrence Molloy. “They wanted to see exactly what that kind of success looks like, and they wanted to know what they could do to help.” Ultimately, class members boarded a predawn minibus bound for New York City to visit the HCZ, a charter school organization serving 10,000 students across 100 blocks of the Manhattan neighborhood.

Pictured outside the Harlem Children’s Zone’s main building (l to r): St. John’s Prep students Sean Clifford ’19, Patrick Conlan ’19, Cole Maher ’19, Jack Linehan ’19, Caleb Gallagher ’19, Jamison Skelley ’19, Eddie Hardiman ’19, St. John’s Campus Ministry Director Lawrence Molloy, Juilan Delgado-Figueroa ’19, St. John’s religious studies teacher Jeff Hatgas, and Dana Nichols of the Harlem Children’s Zone.

“This school’s model [for closing the racial achievement gap] was different from the other examples we explored in class,” explains Sean Clifford ’19. “We wanted to learn more about it and try to help in any way we could.”

The Prep students came away with a clear understanding of how much it takes to effect systemic change. HCZ schools employ one adult for every six students. Classes are smaller, school days are longer, school is in session on Saturdays, and summer vacation extends for only three weeks.

on their service experience through journal writing and group conversations. After returning from New York, the student delegation successfully advocated to make HCZ the beneficiary of a campuswide “Penny Wars” event that raised $1,932 for the Harlem Children’s Zone.

“What stood out for me was how the HCZ is more than a collection of schools and social justice initiatives — it’s an actual community with total community buy-in,” says Julian Delgado‑Figueroa ’19.

“St. John’s provides us with amazing opportunities to grow and move on to the next stage of our life. HCZ offers that and more to many inner city children and families. We wanted to help more students access those opportunities,” says XBSS member Ben Grunes ’19.

The Social Action course complements the religious studies curriculum and Campus Ministry initiatives by serving as a hybrid of the two, providing students with opportunities to put faith into action through meaningful community service. It also features an academic component where class members reflect

“There may be nothing teachers here love more than seeing their students take what they learn in the classroom and put it into action,” says Molloy, who also serves as St. John’s director of Campus Ministry.

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Ticker NEWS FROM THE PREP In 1977 the world’s first personal computer hit the market, “Star Wars” and “Saturday Night Fever” were released, and Jim O’Leary and Jim Stager began their careers at St. John’s Prep. Now, 42 years later, they’re both retiring and leaving outsized legacies at St. John’s. L to r: Jim O’Leary, Jim Stager.

IT MUST BE A JIM THING Though neither knew it at the time, Jim O’Leary and Jim Stager’s lives would be changed in October of 1977 by the passing of Brother Linus, the beloved teacher, freshman guidance counselor, and football and golf coach. Stager had been hired that fall as a history teacher and part-time school counselor. After the death of Brother Linus, there was a sudden need for a full-time counselor, and he stepped in to fill the role. A few miles down the road in Reading, Jim O’Leary’s nephew came home from freshman football practice at the Prep and said that the rest of the season had been cancelled — you can’t have a team without a coach. “I went to Fred Glatz, the athletic director at the time, and said that I would finish up the season as coach,” recalls O’Leary. “I never left.” In their combined 84 years at the Prep, O’Leary and Stager each served in capacities beyond what their job titles suggested. Before becoming director of school counseling, Stager was a driver’s education teacher, assistant track coach, and organizer of the longtime weekly bingo game that raised money for the tuition assistance program. For his part, O’Leary served as a coach, teacher, and assistant athletic director before being named athletic director in 1998. For O’Leary and Stager, helping students with their college applications and coaching in football are just different iterations of the same principle: mentorship. Both have seen students struggle and triumph, and both have been deeply committed to the formation of the whole person, always putting students first. “I’m really going to miss working with students,” says Stager. “Seeing how they grow from freshmen to seniors—from when they come as little kids to the young adults they’ve become when they leave. I’ll miss those moments and interactions.” “As our programs have grown, I’ve probably done more as athletic director than as a coach, but for me, there’s no bigger compliment than to be called ‘coach,’” says O’Leary. “That’s one of the things I’m most proud of.”

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Not only have they made an impact in the lives Prep students for decades, but their colleagues have been bettered by their leadership and encouragement. Fellow members of his department describe Stager as wise, compassionate, patient, and a good man. “He offered us worldly wisdom and insights and made us better counselors and educators,” says longtime school counselor Nancy Sacco. “He also trusted us as professionals, which effectively helped us to grow individually and as a department to serve the students and community with best practices.” O’Leary personifies loyalty, trust, and commitment according to his colleagues. “He always says that St. John’s is a vocation and not a job,” says Director of Wellness Steve Brown. “No one embodies that better than Jim himself.” Stager is quick to joke when asked what he plans to do next. “I thought that was the point of retirement, that I didn’t have to have a plan,” he says with his trademark chuckle. “It will be the first summer I’ve had off since 1972,” says O’Leary with a smile. Though both O’Leary and Stager are retiring, each will continue to be a part of the Prep community in different ways. O’Leary will represent St. John’s with the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, and Stager is helping his last class of seniors through the college process. So, what made these Prep legends stay for 42 years? Each had a ready answer: mission and core values. “Brother Keefe told me we were educating future leaders,” says Stager. “We had to teach them to be responsible, to give back, to respect one another. If I could help develop young men in that way, that would be a good thing.” O’Leary expresses similar a sentiment. “Over time, the core values of the Prep haven’t changed. Everyone here puts the students’ best interests first. After all of my years here, I can say it was the right choice and a really good fit for me.” Loyalty, commitment, and a deep love of the mission of St. John’s Prep. It must be a Jim thing.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

In unique and powerful ways, Liz Dobrowolski, Roberto Germán, and David and Terri McHenry have been role models, advocates, and agents of change within the Prep community. St. John’s recognized the contributions of all four this year. Math teacher Liz Dobrowolski received the Ryken Award, the highest honor given to a member of the faculty of staff by a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School, during the annual Founder’s Day liturgy in December 2018. In addition to being the Improv Club moderator and an ardent Eagles fan, Dobrowolski introduced St. John’s to Camp Sunshine in Casco, Maine, a spot that has held a special place in her heart since she first volunteered at the retreat for young people living with life threatening illnesses and their families. She now brings students there several times a year, and Camp Sunshine has become part of the extended Prep community. “Math is one of those subjects that can create anxiety, but Liz makes her classroom a place of trust and community, a place where students develop confidence,” said Headmaster Ed Hardiman, Ph.D. “She also empowers students with her involvement in co-curricular life. To put it simply, Liz lets every student know that she believes in them.”

During the tenth annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in January 2019, the McHenrys received the Justice and Equity Award, and Germán received the No One Walks Alone Award. The McHenrys approached life as a team. Dave grew up in Tennessee during a defining time in American history, fraught with school desegregation, the civil rights movement, and the Vietnam War. While serving in the United States Navy, he met his late wife, Terri, in Boston. They went on to raise three children — David ’90, Monique, and Troy ’05 — in their Peabody Clockwise from top left: Liz Dobrowolski.  Headmaster Hardiman with Dave home. Dave came to St. John’s as an assistant football McHenry at the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.  Roberto Germán (right) with his father, Cecilio Germán, and the Prep’s Director of Community Formation Steve coach in 1985. After retiring from a career in criminal Ruemenapp (left). justice, he became the Prep’s first campus safety officer in 2001. An indispensable dynamo behind parent-run concessions at athletic events, Terri balanced office as a resource for faculty and staff, and spearheaded a her professional life at the telephone company with family life. climate and culture report that continues to inform the diversity “As a campus safety officer, Dave is a visible presence on this campus,” says Assistant Principal for Student Life Wendy Olson. “From the beginning, he took that as an opportunity to be present for students of color, to let them know that he sees them, and that he’s available to them. He knows how important that can be, on or off this campus. He is also a love and a joy. He and Terri always made their home a place where everyone was welcome.” Coming of age in a different generation and inspired by faith and a commitment to equity, Germán forged a path that led him, in 2006, to become the first director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Community Development (MACD) at St. John’s. In the process of defining a role that was new to St. John’s at the time, Germán fostered student engagement, established the MACD

and inclusivity initiatives of the Prep community today. A Lawrence native whose parents came to the United States from the Dominican Republic, he is now Head of Middle School at the Headwaters School in Austin, Texas. “One of the things I admire most about Roberto is that he was never afraid to tell you what you didn’t want to hear, but he did it very graciously,” says Director of Community Formation Steve Ruemenapp, who worked closely with Germán at St. John’s. “I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for him to make the ‘code’ switch that was required to spend every day here having come to us from Lawrence. He taught me a lot about what that feels like, and it helped me develop more empathy for how many students navigate their lives at home and here at school.”

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Ticker NEWS FROM THE PREP DRAMA FEST 2019 The Middle School Drama Guild brought home a gold star and multiple All-Star awards for their production of “Wiley and the Hairy Man” by Susan Zeder at the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild’s (METG) one-day festival for middle school students. Set in a spooky swamp, the play follows young Wiley and his dog as they set out to find the Hairy Man — a magical being who haunts Wiley’s days and dreams — and rid him from the land. “I’m so proud of our group. The designers created such a wonderful world to play in, and the actors gave a very dynamic performance. It was an awesome day of theatre!” said Middle School theater director Brit Christopher. Back row: Ben McGee ’24, Lucas Massaro ’24, James D’Amico ’25, Troy Takesian ’24, Ian Rose ’23, Dan Pawlyk ’23; front row: Seth Mootafian ’25, Ava Beringer, Matthew Valentino ’25, Gavin Lockner ’25, Davian Romero ’24, Raoul Foster ’24, Jack Hartfelder ’23, and Oliver Wauchope ’23.

The High School Drama Guild delivered a powerful performance of Bennett Fisher’s “Borealis” at the finals of the statewide high school drama festival on March 28 at Boston’s Back Bay Events Center. Part corporate satire and part mythical odyssey, the play centers on 13-year-old Cozbi, who embarks on a quest to save his brother from the confines of his corporate job, battling imaginary monsters and trekking through the Alaskan wilderness along the way. “They gave their finest performance and I couldn’t be more proud of their hard work and creativity,” said theater arts director Ms. Alicia Greenwood. “It was a beautiful weekend of theater and we were honored to be a part of it.” Phineas Roy ’22 (left) and Cole Steeves ’20 with members of the ensemble.

hree for the Record Books. As the saying goes, records are meant to be broken, but three senior Eagles athletes stood that adage on its head this year as Mitchell Lockwood, Jack Curtin, and Ryan Garlitz left an indelible mark on the St. John’s record book. Lockwood broke a 10-year-old record in the 50-yard freestyle twice en route to the Eagles winning their fourth straight (and 14th in 19 years) Division 1 swimming and diving state championship. At the North Sectional championships, Lockwood touched the wall first in 21.45 seconds to outpace the 21.51 swum by Mark Scalise ’08, whose time was the Prep’s longest-standing swim record entering the meet. Eight days later, Lockwood earned silver in the 50 free at the state championships, breaking his own new record by clocking a 21.35. He will swim for Connecticut College this fall. Meanwhile, Curtin won a bronze medal at the New England Indoor Championships, soaring a personal-best 22-feet-7.25 inches (6.88 meters) to earn All-New England recognition. The leap broke the Prep’s previous school record set by Nik Reardon ’17 two seasons ago. Curtin will compete at Davidson College this fall. Not to be outdone, Garlitz was named a 2019 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award winner by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame — for good reason. Bound for the University of Maryland, Garlitz concluded his high school career with a 226-13 career record, earning All-American honors and capturing the All-State title at 138 pounds. The win total eclipsed the state record owned by former Prep wrestler Ian Butterbrodt ’15, who went 223-6 and won two New England titles for the Eagles before capping his Brown University career with All-Ivy selection this past season.

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Jack Curtin ’19 Photo: Lisa Miles P’18 ’20

nteracting With Our Environment. The North Shore coastline became an outdoor classroom for eighth graders this spring, when they spent a day at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester learning about the local ecosystem from a number of perspectives. Working in teams, they conducted water chemistry tests (think pH levels, dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature, and nitrates); cleaned up debris on the beach; and hiked a 2.1-mile loop through the area. “Science is happening all around us, and students loved the chance to be outside and observe the biodiversity in our area,” says seventh and eight grade science teacher Nicole Prince. Back on campus, students shared insights about the day. Cleaning up the park for future visitors and improving the habitat for plants and animals resonated with Mike Murphy ’23. “A big part of our mission is showing compassion for others, and it doesn’t matter if you get a reward or no one is looking, we are trying to help the community and the people around us to make their experiences better.” Left, l to r: Harrison Wakefield ’23, Carter Newport ’23, and Daniel Pawlyk ’23.

here in the World? More than 80 Prep students fanned out in all directions during April vacation on trips designed to connect classroom lessons with real-world experiences. Campus Ministry led cultural immersion journeys to Philadelphia and West Virginia, as well as a four-day PULSE visit focused on homelessness in downtown Boston. The Center for Justice and Peace organized a trip to key Civil Rights sites in Atlanta and Montgomery, while Aviation Club moderator Brother Timothy Paul, C.F.X., guided students through an flight-themed visit to Washington, D.C., and a contingent of students explored China with teachers Ting Gao and Rob O’Chander ’04. Right: Peter Gause ’20, Brett Sullivan ’19, and Michael Kobrosky ’20 at the Great Wall.

ighth Graders Soar! St. John’s celebrated the eighth grade class on May 30 during a year-end ceremony with certificates recognizing each member of the class, awards for leadership, and copies of the Middle School yearbook. Students recognized during the ceremony were: Max S. Conway, Tucker J. Dunagan, Matthew J. Finnegan, Paul K. Lovett, Daniel R. Pawlyk, and James J. Trigilio, who received the Brother Benjamin, C.F.X. Student Leadership Award; Jacob J. Evangelista, who received the Grade 8 Campus Ministry Award; and Noah B. Mootafian, who received the John Carnevale ’81 Scholarship Award.

Left, l to r: Harrison Wakefield, Jack Wagner, Jack Hartfelder, and Joe Dalton, all eighth graders and members of The Four Boys, wowed the audience with their rendition of “Wipe Out” at the end of the ceremony.  Above: Calvin Massaro (left) and Rohan Raisingani take a look at the Middle School yearbook!

PREP SPRING 2019

Patrick Keefe and his mother

Justin McNiff, Nick Woods, Caleb Willett, Rodney Nyborg, James LaMarca, Jeremy Laliberty

Cooper McNinch (center)

Sam Smith and extended family

ST. JOHN’S PREP

Jack Bentley and family

Brett Sullivan

Caleb Gallagher and his father

Eddie Hardiman with his parents, Kara and Headmaster Ed Hardiman

CLASS OF 2019! Members of the St.Â Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prep Drama Guild

Nicholas Triantos and family

Connor Gill and family

Left: 2019 Distinguished Alumnus and Trustee Emeritus Tom DeSimone ’68 P’88, GP’16 ’18.  Center: Class of 2019 Salutatorian Nathan Brown with his family.  Right: A pre-Commencement ceremony with Dr. Crowley recognized Ben Grunes and Zach Jaromin, who received Navy ROTC scholarships, and John Walsh, who will attend the Coast Guard Academy in the fall.

Valedictorian Conner Goodwin (left) with Cole McKinnon. In his remarks at Commencement, Conner urged his classmates to follow their passions in life. “You don’t have to do everything; choose a few key areas where you can make real, genuine connections with others. Next, continue to be curious. Ask questions about the world around you … and don’t settle for the easiest answer ... Finally, take initiative. In a world where isolation is becoming the norm, we must actively ... go out of our way to reach out to others. Be the first to ask someone about his or her story.”

Left: Derek Walsh received the Xaverian Award, the highest award given to a graduating senior at St. John’s. Sharing the words of a faculty member, Headmaster Hardiman described him as the “pinnacle of what it means to be a servant leader as St. John’s.”  Above: Art teacher Harriet Malone and German teacher Chris Lynch led the Commencement procession. For both, this marks 25 years of teaching at St. John’s.

Models of Loyalty and Service. Dr. Crowley and Dr. Hardiman flanking the Loyalty and Service Award recipients from the Class of 2019: Abraham Mieses, John Walsh, Benjamin Grunes, Conner Goodwin, Caleb Gallagher, Esteban Galindo-Carvajal, Julian Delgado-Figueroa, and Eddie Amodeo.

Senior class speaker Carlos Ferreria flanked by his mother (right) and Raisa CarasscoVelzez, director of multicultural affairs and community development at St. John’s. In his remarks during the Commencement program, he said, “My mom, who didn’t know that I was giving this speech today, always used to tell me: ‘Tu no aprendes hasta que algo malo te pasa,’ which means ‘You never learn until something bad happens to you.’ With tough love from our parents and the help of our teachers, we were able to push through academic adversity and learn how to advocate for ourselves. Sitting here today is a group of academically gifted students, but the key behind all of our academic, artistic, and athletic talents is the faculty and staff who arrived every day with nothing less on their minds but to dedicate their time to us and provide for us.”

A Family Tradition Attending St. John’s is a legacy for many families, a tradition that continues from generation to generation. We were proud to recognize 36 legacy families with sons in the Class of 2019, including one with four generations of Prep graduates. Pictured above are the Morrow Family. Nicholas M. Ambeliotis Nicholas Ambeliotis ’83

John A. Meuse Arthur J. Meuse, Ph.D. ’79

Alexander A. Argeros Arthur M. Argeros ’75

William A. Morrow David J. Morrow ’82 John H. Morrow ’51

John R. Arsenault Robert L. Arsenault ’82 Thomas P. Flynn ’53* William J. Flynn ’24* John J. Bresnahan Joseph R. Bresnahan Jr. ’86 Joseph R. Bresnahan Sr. ’59 Christian W. Buckley Adam J. Buckley ’89 Arthur C. Buckley Jr. DMD ’62 Aidan W. Burke Kevin P. Burke ’87 St. John’s held a special reception on Commencement morning for international students and their parents who had traveled from China for the occasion. Pictured in front row, l to r: Haozhe Duan (Neil), Weicheng Wang (Richard), Mengzheng Zhang (Nami), Chaoheng Huang (Harry), Yuan Sun (Adam), Wangkai Zhu (Kevin), and Yunyang Zhou (Sam). Jake Surette flanked by English teacher Dave Crowell and English Department Co-Chair John Klein. Chosen by the graduating class to deliver the Commencement address, Mr. Klein urged the graduates to be open to the experiences they discover in college. “In the course of these experiences, you very well may discover what Joseph Campbell calls your bliss, your path to becoming what you are truly meant to become and what will truly bring you happiness and satisfaction. And don’t be surprised if the path to this bliss turns out to be something that you had never expected. I myself can assure you that there is no better way to spend your life than in doing what you love and loving what you do.”

Kevin R. Carney Richard J. McCarthy ’61 Jack H. Charron Christopher G. Charron ’81 Saverio Ciruolo III Saverio Ciruolo Jr. ’86 Luca M. Giamarco Matteo L. Giamarco, DMD ’79 Thomas B. Hodgson Thomas B. Hodgson III ’82 Michael S. Johns Steven M. Johns ’79 Christopher J. Kwmuntis George L. Kwmuntis ’73 Sean D. Letarte Daniel J. Letarte ’86 Brendan E. Lombard Sean M. Lombard ’86 Jack M. Maguire Kevin C. Maguire ’80 Daniel J. Mancini Daniel J. Mancini ’00 Justin T. McNiff John D. McNiff ’60

William P. Moulton William J. Flynn ’24* Eamon M. O’Connor Kevin G. O’Connor ’83 George M. O’Connor ’57* William D. Potdevin Edward P. Sirois, M.D. ’50 William T. Poulin Paul J. Labrie ’56 Liam P. Sanphy Mark P. Sanphy, D.P.M. ’83 Zachary M. Shabowich Peter Z. Shabowich ’80 Benjamin M. Shaw Kevin M. Shaw ’85 William M. Shaw ’56* Cole R. Shinnick Stephen W. Shinnick ’82 Benjamin F. Smith Karl L. Smith ’86 Ian T. Smith David B. Smith ’79 Shae D. Smith Michael P. Smith ’89 Coltan B. Tangney John J. Tangney ’86 Justin A. Trueira Glenn R. Trueira ’82 James S. Vounessea Stefan J. Vounessea ’88 Aedan T. Walsh Thomas F. Walsh ’84 Thomas E. Walsh ’51 Thomas L. Walsh ’24* * Deceased PREP SPRING 2019

Left: Joey Martin, Jordan Callahan, and Jack Diranian.  Center: Jack Maguire with his brother, Casey ’21, his father, Kevin ’80, and his mother, Amy.  Right: Antael Rosa checks in with math teacher Anthony Lamanna ’08.

COLLEGE BOUND

Kyle Lopez (left) and Brendan Lombard during the procession to Commencement.

Left: Wes Rockett and Christian Rodriguez make their way along the faculty-lined path on Commencement morning.  Above: Jonathan Jenkins is ready with his Commencement robe.

The Class of 2019 will spread their wings at colleges and universities far and wide: American University  Assumption College  Babson College  Bates College  Bentley University  Boston College  Boston University  Bowdoin College  Brandeis University  Brown University  Bryant University  Bucknell University  Clemson University  Colby College  College of Charleston  College of the Holy Cross  Connecticut College  Cornell University  Curry College  Davidson College  Drexel University  Elon University  Emerson College  Endicott College  Fairfield University  Fordham University  Georgetown University  Harvard College  High Point University  Hobart and William Smith Colleges  Indiana University at Bloomington  James Madison University  Keene State College  Kenyon College  Loyola University Maryland  Marist College  Massachusetts Maritime Academy  Merrimack College  Michigan State University  New York University  Northeastern University  Northwestern University  Norwich University  Pennsylvania State University  Plymouth State University  Providence College  Rochester Institute of Technology  Roger Williams University  Rutgers University-New Brunswick  Sacred Heart University  Saint Anselm College  Salem State University  Salve Regina University  Savannah College of Art and Design  Skidmore College  St. Lawrence University  Stonehill College  Suffolk University  Syracuse University  Temple University  The George Washington University  The Ohio State University  The University of Tampa  Trinity College  Tufts University  Tulane University  Union College (New York)  United States Air Force Academy  United States Coast Guard Academy  United States Military Academy – Army  University of California, Santa Cruz  University of Connecticut  University of Denver  University of Maine  University of Maryland, College Park  University of Massachusetts, Amherst  University of Massachusetts, Lowell  University of Miami  University of Missouri Columbia  University of New England  University of New Hampshire at Durham  University of Notre Dame  University of Oregon  University of South Carolina  University of Utah  University of Vermont  University of Virginia  University of Wisconsin, Madison  Villanova University  Virginia Tech  Wake Forest University  Washington College  Wentworth Institute of Technology  Williams College  Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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Father-Son Luau. Above: Eamonn Golden and his father, Michael.  Right: Aidan Burke with his father, Kevin ’87.

Mother-Son Brunch. Top: L to r: Alex Greenwood, Daniel Gjoka, Rudina Gjoka and Karen Raissias previewing pictures.  Above, left: Gerald Hinch with his mother, Anna.  Right: Trent Tully and his mother, Trish.

CELE BR ATE ! St. John’s celebrated the Class of 2019 with special events for classmates, families, faculty, and friends. Wherever your next adventures take you, we’re with you in spirit!

Julian Delgado-Figueroa looks on as Headmaster Hardiman signs his diploma.

Prom. Above: Kevin Carney and his date take a turn during the promenade. Below: Brandon Robinson and his date during the pre-prom promenade across campus.

Zeke O’Connell rings the spire bell on the last day of classes!

HALL OF HONOR

“L

egacy is built and proliferated by the stories that we share and cherish — the oral history we tell over and over again,” Headmaster Ed Hardiman, Ph.D. said in the opening moments of the We Are St. John’s Gala on April 6 in the elegantly decorated Leo and Joan Mahoney Wellness Center. On a night celebrating powerful stories, St. John’s inducted eight individuals into the school’s Hall of Honor and bestowed the same distinction on the Boston-based Catholic Schools Foundation.

Elaine and Peter White ’79 P’22, David and Rene Caputo P’14 ’22, Jeff and Meghan Wilmot P’20 ’22, and Kelly and Jan Haas P’20.

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Left: The 2019 Honorees are Prep math teacher Liz Dobrowolski, Judie and Joe Levis ’60 P’85 ’92 ’94, and the Hines family: Steve and Susan P’99 ’02 with their son, Trevor, and his fiancée Carter James, and daughter Ashley with her husband, Matthew Randi.  Below: The Catholic Schools Foundation (CSF) was inducted into the Hall of Honor with Executive Director Mike Reardon on hand to accept the Crystal Eagle. He and Headmaster Hardiman are pictured with Prep student CSF scholars (l to r) Abraham Mieses ’19, Kenny Guerra ’21, Julian DelgadoFigueroa ’19, Arthur Thu ’19, Christian Rodriguez ’19, Julian Osorio ’21.

Mike and Renee Minogue P’23

Good friends gather at the Gala: Jill Evers P’20, Kelly Cann, and Jenny Frain P’20.

Danielle and Brian Mason ’04 with brother Brett Mason ’10 and Michaela McDonald. Paul and Bethany Nasser P’13

Tim and Trish Tully P’14 ’19 Having fun in the photo booth: Nancy and Mario Ricciardelli P’14 ’20 with Paula and Bruce Gold P’18.

Above: Tux boys Noah Mootafian ’23 (left) and Joe Dalton ’23 helping guests find their way.  Left: Don Bessom ’03, this year’s featured alumnus story, with Jade Spencer.

Left: Brother David Mahoney, C.F.X. ’66 and 2018 Gala Honoree and religious studies teacher Bill Mackinson P’05 ’11.  Center: Senior T.J. Grant enjoyed his first Gala with his proud mom and Gala volunteer, Michelle Arena Grant P’19.  Right: Julio Henriquez and Gina Gonzales P’24

PREP SPRING 2019

FULL SPEED AHEAD Jameson Pelkey’s passion for sports took root in Barre, Vermont, where he played backyard ball every day after school, cross-country skied with his family, and competed as a three-sport athlete at Spaulding High School. With his eye on a career in athletics, he majored in sports management at Endicott College and also played quarterback for the Gulls, later earning a master’s in athletic administration. In 2006, an internship brought Pelkey to the Prep, where he coached football and went on to become assistant athletic director. In February 2019, St. John’s announced that Pelkey would succeed Jim O’Leary as the Prep’s athletic director, effective July 1. “I knew early that this is the path I wanted to take. When I came to the Prep, it was extremely rewarding to work with students this age,” he said. “When young people are growing and developing, we have a real opportunity to teach valuable life lessons. We’re trying to win games, of course, but we’re also focused on the importance of doing the right thing on and off the field. Whether it’s a state championship or a regular-season meet, things won’t always go your way. It’s how you respond that matters.” Pelkey is certified by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association as an athletic administrator (C.A.A.). He and his wife, Kelly, have lived in Georgetown since 2012. Pelkey’s game plan is to work closely with coaches to build on the strength and scope Prep of athletics, which has won the Boston Globe Nason Award for program-wide athletic excellence 31 times. The addition of sports like mountain biking and crew has attracted the attention of students with diverse interests, said Pelkey. “Most schools don’t offer the wide range of opportunities students find here (currently 22 sports at the developmental through varsity level). It’s a way to make connections, build relationships and engage in good, healthy competition.”

Prep Sports Winter 2018 BASKETBALL

Head Coach: John Dullea Captain: Christian Plourde ’19 Summary: The basketball team earned a playoff bid with an 11-9 regular season record. The Eagles were defeated in the first round of the MIAA tournament by Lowell High School.

FENCING

Head Coach: Jim Carter Captains: Cooper Konz ’19, team; Eamonn Golden ’19, epee; Brett Sullivan ’19, foil; Will Dwortz ’20, sabre Summary: The fencing team finished the season with a 10-4 record, including wins over BUA, Westford Academy, and Bishop Feehan. The Eagles finished tied for 3rd at the State Tournament.

HOCKEY

Head Coach: Kristian Hanson ’94 Captains: Tyler Raposa ’19, Jack Gilligan ’20, Patrick Moran ’20 Summary: A 10-7-3 regular season record earned the hockey team a No. 8 seed in the MIAA Division 1 Tournament. he Eagles enjoyed playoff wins over Westford, St. Mary’s, and Andover before losing to Winchester in the D1 North Finals.

INDOOR TRACK

Head Coach: Zach Lankow ’07 Captains: Sean Majeski ’19, Jack Curtin ’19, James MacLeod ’19, Nate Beucler ’19 Summary: The track team concluded the winter season with a 4-2 record, including wins over Xaverian and St. John’s Shrewsbury.

SWIMMING AND DIVING

Head Coach: Tony Padvaiskas Captains: Alex Argeros ’19, Mitchell Lockwood ’19 Summary: The swimming and diving team finished the regular season with a 7-2 record, and claimed the Catholic Conference title. The swim team captured the Division 1 State Title for the 13th time in 14 years.

SKIING

Head Coach: Tim Broderick ’05 Captains: Shea Hamson ’19, Evan Symes ’19 Summary: Prep skiers finished the season with another conference championship and a perfect 12-0 record. The team was the Division 1 State runner‑up.

WRESTLING

RUGBY

Spring 2019

SAILING

Head Coach: Manny Costa Captain: Ryan Garlitz ’19 Summary: The wrestling team won the Catholic Conference for the 21st straight season, a streak that now includes 96 consecutive conference victories. They finished the season with a 31-2 record and as runner-up at the Dual Meet State Championships.

BASEBALL

Head Coach: Dan Letarte ’86 Captains: Alex Lane ’19, Max Gieg ’19, Sean Letarte ’19, Kevin Dewing ’19 Summary: 17-3 regular season record, Catholic Conference Champions. Earned the No. 2 seed in the MIAA Super 8 Division 1A tournament. The Eagles finished 21-5 and reached the Super 8 title game before falling to North Andover.

CREW

Head Coach: Tim Broderick ’05 Captains: Jordan Callahan ’19, Pat Martino ’19, Jack Bodette ’19 Summary: Practicing out of the Merrimack River, the crew team competed against BC High, Somerville, St. Paul’s, and Phillips Academy. At the New England Championships, the first varsity boat placed eighth, coming in second in the petite final, while beating schools that have maintained programs for over 50 years.

LACROSSE

Head Coach: John Pynchon ’01 Captains: Ben Grunes ’19, Drew Leahy ’19, Jake Surette ’19 Summary: 18-4, Catholic Conference Champs. Earned No. 1 seed in MIAA D1 North Sectional tournament. Reached Division 1 North Sectional tournament final before falling, 10-6, to third-seeded Lincoln-Sudbury.

MOUNTAIN BIKING

Head Coach: Parker Heath Captain: Luke Arsenault ’20 Summary: Competing in the New England High School Cycling Association, the mountain biking team traveled across New England to race, including Cumberland, RI, and Stratham, NH. The Eagles concluded the season with a third-place finish in the NEHSCA.

Head Coach: Seelan Manickam Captains: Russell Rinklin ’19, Nick Masterson ’20 Summary: Earned the No. 1 seed in the MIAA D1 tournament and advanced to the state final, where the Eagles’ season ended with a loss to second-seeded Belmont. The Prep concluded the 2019 campaign at 6-1. Head Coach: Jared Rodriguez ’09 Captains: Evan Symes ’19, Will Davis ’19 Summary: The sailing team concluded the season with a 12-3 record, including wins over Milton Academy, Wayland, and Duxbury. The team took seventh place in the Massachusetts State Championship regatta.

TENNIS

Head Coach: Mark Metropolis Captain: Jack Malolepszy ’19 Summary: The tennis team concluded the regular season with a 13-6 record, earning the No. 5 seed in the D1 North Sectional tournament. Their season came to an end with a loss to Westford Academy.

SPRING TRACK

Head Coach: Zack Lankow ’07 Captains: Nate Beucler ’19, Kevin Carney ’19, Jack Curtin ’19, James MacLeod ’19, Ian Smith ’19 Summary: The spring track team concluded their season with a perfect 4-0 record. A close, 74-62 win over BC High claimed the Catholic Conference title.

ULTIMATE DISC

Head Coach: Jeff Cann Captains: Gab Kautz ’19, Zach Jaromin ’19 Summary: The Eagles finished the season with a 15-5 record, including wins over BC High, Phillips Academy, and Natick. The team finished sixth at the Division 1 state tournament.

VOLLEYBALL

Head Coach: Kara Brown Captains: Jay Vounessea ’19, Christian Buckley ’19, Nate Schorr ’20 Summary: The volleyball team finished the season with an 8-9 record. The Eagles closed out the season with four hard-fought losses to some of the top teams in the state.

PREP SPRING 2019

Reunion Weekend For the sixth year in a row, St. John’s celebrated class reunions during Commencement weekend as classes ending in 4 and 9 came home to the Prep to see old friends. And once again, there was no shortage of banter and stories as alumni recalled their days on campus. For some, many years have passed since they have been back on the hill and while their memories proved strong, they were in awe of all the exciting changes on campus. And as they always do, returning alumni offered the Class of 2019 an example of what it means to be Prep brothers for the rest of their lives.

CONGRATS TO THE

CLASS OF ’69 GOLD EAGLES! (Front) row 1: Bill Scheele, Joe Centorino, Rick Goulding, Pete Belmonte, Tony Russo and Michael Doherty.  Row 2: Rick Healey, Mark Citroni, Paul McNamara, Rich Montoni and Jon Malay.  Row 3: Peter Hinchey, Kevin Lyons, Dave Doyle, Bert Broyer, Jack McArdle and Peter Van Wagner.  Row 4: Mike O’Keefe, Phil Hanley, Jim Winskowicz, Jack Cantwell and Tim Mahoney.

Left: Classmates Joe Centorino and Jack Cantwell with their wives Kathy Cantwell and Diana Centorino on Commencement morning.  Right: Mike O’Keefe and Rick Healey reminisce about their own graduation day 50 years ago!

Left: Newly “minted’ Gold Eagles Rick Healey and Rich Montoni.  Center: Malay Brothers Bob ’63 (l) and Joe ’67 (center) congratulate younger brother Jon ’69 (right) on his Gold Eagle diploma day!  Right: Proud Gold Eagles Bill Scheele and Jack McArdle get ready to walk towards the Commencement Tent. 26

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50th Reunion Class Dinner – Saturday Night at Davio’s, Lynnfield.

Above: Twenty-five classmates and guests attended.  Right, above: Rick Donnellan and Jim Winskowicz exchanging memories of the SAC Office from 50 years ago.  Right, below: Tim Mahoney and Bert Broyer catching up.  Left: Ted Devnew and Phil Hanley remember life in the dorms back in ’68-’69.

Reunion Weekend: Friday Night Prep Party. Above, left: Prep and Tufts

classmates Mike Welch (l) and Tony Russo with their “better halves,” Connie Welch and Jane Russo.  Above right: Michael Doherty and Rich Montoni relax.  Right: Jim Winskowicz and Kevin Lyons at their 50th Prep Reunion.  Far right: Prep faculty member Harriet Malone reconnects with Peter Van Wagner at the Class of ’69’s 50th Reunion. Bill Scheele, Rich Pelletier, Rick Healey, Mike Ramella, Paul McNamara, Mark Citroni and Bert Broyer got together for a 50th Reunion lunch.

PREP SPRING 2019

Reunions FOR CLASSES ENDING IN 4 & 9 Over Reunion Weekend, alumni from classes ending in 4 and 9 reunited for a round of golf at Far Corner in Boxford, for the Prep Party and an afternoon cookout on campus. The class of 2009 joined together at West End Johnnie’s in Boston, the class of 1999 met at Lansdowne Pub in Boston, members from the class of 1994 enjoyed their 25th reunion at Fibber McGee’s in Beverly, and the classes of 1979, 1984, and 1989 enjoyed cocktails on the Brother Sullivan, C.F.X. Terrace.

Classes of 1979, 1984, and 1989 gather at the Brother Sullivan, C.F.X. Terrace for a cocktail reception. Left: Joel Glickman ’84, Chris Davis ’79, and Tim Clarke ’79 toasting to their 35th and 40th Reunion.  Center: Brian Currie ’79 and Peter Doyle ’79 catching up at their 40th Reunion.  Right: Todd Soucy ’89 and Christopher Turco ’89 enjoying the sunshine at their 30th reunion.

Class of 1999 20th Reunion. Drinks at the Lansdowne Pub.

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Class of 1994 25th Reunion. Above, top: Rich Carfagna and Deven Swim.  Bottom: Andy Toner and Jason Navarro.

Afternoon Cookout. Above: Alan Rich ’99 and his family.  Above, right: James Decoulos ’74, David Walsh ’74, Charlie Brophy ’74, and John Lane ’74 along with Spire Society tour guides.  Right: John Cranney ’09, Chris Brock-Fisher ’99, and Chris Bratus ’99.  Center right: John Sylvanowicz ’59 and his wife, Charlene.  Far right: Ryan Harding ’09 and Nate Cote ’99 reconnecting about their wrestling days. Reunion Golf. Left: Prep Alumni getting ready to golf at Far Corner on a rainy day.  Below, left: Bobby Preston ’09, Owen Fox ’09, Garrett Folger ’09, and Justin Dirienzo ’09 with their first place prizes.  Center: Jon Meehan ’99, Nate Cote ’99, and Kevin Cote ’96 enjoying the view at Far Corner GC.  Right: Bill Burke ’79, Brian Cabral ’79, Rick Young ’79, and Bruce Addison ’79 show off their prizes.

Prep Party. Left Class of 1994: Chris Dollard, Jason Navarro, Kevin Su, Rich Carfagna, Michael McCann, Trevor Findlen.  Right: Class of 2009: Chris Sullivan, Pat Heffernan, Phil Cullen, Colin Champagne, Bob Donnelly, and Mike Harney.

PREP SPRING 2019

PrepVentures Prep2Pro Summer Internship Program for Young Alumni Exceeding Expectations!

ith nearly 40 new company partnerships this summer, Prep2Pro summer internships are providing young alumni (up to five years after graduation) with hands-on paying summer jobs in companies and organizations across a wide range of fields. With Prep2Pro, young graduates develop self-confidence, acquire in-demand skills, and gain valuable exposure to professional settings. One of the unique advantages of Prep2Pro is it matches students with companies they may not have otherwise considered. A case in point is W3C, an international community that develops standards for the Web. It may not be the first place an English major might look, but that’s exactly who W3C wanted to hire for a summer internship. Whatever your major, Prep2Pro is a valuable first step in building a rewarding career.

“Prep2Pro is a great resource for St. John’s alumni. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) offers opportunities that aren’t found in many other places. I wanted to work with Prep2Pro this year to find interns who wanted unique experiences and who could add real value to the work we’re doing. We’ve placed two interns and are looking forward to the experience this summer.” — J. ALAN BIRD P’19, W3C GLOBAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LEADER

Thank You Prep2Pro Partners! AbioMed  American Infrared Solutions (AIRS) Auburn FilterSense LLC  Bambu Global Baystate Financial Group BRIDG (Bridging the Innovation Development Gap) Eagles Edge at St. John’s Prep  Epsilon  Goulston & Storrs Hancock Associates  hpHOOD HTS Engineering  ISG (Insight Services Group) Murray Masonry & More, Corp.  NBD Nano Technologies New England Wealth Management, LLC Northwestern Mutual Financial Network  Nutre Meal Plans Patrick’s Pet Care  PaxWorld Funds Sentinel Benefits Group, Inc.  St. John’s Prep Alumni Office Vinwood Caterers  Windover Construction World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)  Zampell Companies As Prep2Pro Partners join us, we will update the list at stjohnsprep.org/prep2pro.

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Learn how you can get ahead and be successful with the Prep2Pro Internship Program! Timeline & Tips for Prep2Pro Alumni Applicants June: Rework your resume. Resumes constantly evolve. Spend time this summer soliciting feedback from a variety of people. The process can be time consuming, so start early and edit often. July: Use the Prep alumni directory. Keep your profile up to date, and make sure your LinkedIn profile looks professional and current. Use the alumni directory to reach out to Prep graduates for informational interviews. Be open-minded and reach out to people in different fields. Be prepared with a list of questions and don’t forget your resume! August: Visit the Prep website. When is the last time you visited stjohnsprep.org/alumni? Update your contact information so you don’t miss out on valuable, free alumni resources. While you’re there, look for upcoming events and programs. September: Submit your Prep2Pro application. If you have already done your homework, applying will only take a few minutes. Be prepared with an updated resume, a cover letter stating your internship summer goals, and the web address for your LinkedIn profile. December: Young Alumni Events. Check out the list of events and programs offered for college-age alumni offered during winter break. You’ll find everything from career workshops to open hours in the Mahoney Wellness Center. January: Prep2Pro Young Alumni Career Workshop. Alumni planning to participate in the internship program must attend this workshop in early January. Hear from a keynote alumni speaker, attend mentor breakout sessions, and meet participating companies. February: Placement! This is when companies reach out to St. John’s about scheduling interviews with potential candidates. Summer 2020: Making the most out of your internship. During the summer, Prep2Pro interns attend three one-hour career workshops led by alumni from different industries. Topics include staying motivated, professional communication, and practices for improving your mental health and wellbeing.

Alumni Calling Card

lumni frequently come back to campus to speak with students about their professional endeavors. Their insights add an important dimension to learning at St. John’s. In the lead-up to the 2016 Presidential election, Mrs. Grutchfield invited a number of alumni working in politics to talk with her history classes. One of the alumni who volunteered his time to talk with students was Thomas Hoare ’03, who is now vice president, global communications and external affairs at SAP. His experience as a staff member in the Bush administration caught the attention of then senior John Olds ’17. “Tom was so engaging,” Olds recounts. “He spoke about leaving college to work on Bush’s re-election campaign, an experience that eventually led to a position in the West Wing. As an aspiring politico, I was inspired by his path!” The two struck up a conversation after class, and Olds told Hoare that George Washington University was on his radar for college. Hoare proceeded to give Olds his business card and encouraged him to reach out if he ended up attending school in D.C. The next year, Olds was a freshman at George Washington University, and he quickly used that business card to reconnect with Hoare. They met for a cup of coffee, and continued their conversation about Olds’ interest in a career in politics. Hoare quickly recognized Olds’ potential, and connected him with people in his own network. Together, these two Prep alumni forged a bond that transcended their 14-year difference at the Prep. Hoare has been the beneficiary of St. John’s alumni support, too. “I’ve had so many people help me in my career, people who had no reason or rationale to help me other than being a

John Olds ’17

Prep alumnus. Because of that, I try my best to pay it forward, especially when it comes to the place I love, the Prep.” Hoare continues to serve as a mentor to Olds, and they attended the Prep Connect business reception in Washington D.C. together. With help from this Prep connection, Olds has landed a summer internship with SAP. When asked about Olds’ career potential, Tom adamantly stated, “big time.” “Tom and I have similar world views and ideologies. Having him as a mentor has been truly invaluable. Our friendship speaks to the bonds that the Prep encourages among alumni, and I am forever grateful for it,” Olds says. “In a lot of ways, my professional future might look a lot different had I not asked for his business card.”

Alumni Office Welcomes Two Prep Grads Sean Sawyer ’11 and David Rodriguez ’15 are recent additions to the St. John’s Prep alumni office, joining Nibal Awad and Paul McNamara ’69. Sawyer came on board as an alumni engagement coordinator in November 2018. “St. John’s Prep will always be a special place to me,” he says. “I love interacting with Prep alumni of different generations and learning about their successes. It is great to see alumni from different classes bonding together at alumni events because of their shared Prep experience. I am especially enthusiastic to be involved with the Prep2Pro program, which helps our young alumni find internships during college.”

Sean Sawyer ’11 (left) with David Rodriguez ’15

Rodriguez joined the team as the alumni office assistant in June 2019, after graduating from Holy Cross. “Although many changes have taken place since I graduated, I still feel at home when I walk on campus,” says Rodriguez. “As a recent graduate, I can remember clearly my time at SJP. Participating in organizations such as L.U.N.A and MACD helped shape me into the man I am today. I look forward to building on my years at the Prep to help create positive experiences for our alumni.”

PREP SPRING 2019

PrepVentures

Birds of a Feather: Alumni Affinity Groups Affinity groups offer alumni opportunities to connect with one another and St. John’s Prep based on interests or activities. These groups help organize events and raise funds for St. John’s. These groups include: • Crew • Cross Country & Track and Field • Friends of Prep Football • Prep Alumnae • Prep Lawyers Network • Sailing • Swimming and Diving • Swingtown! • Veterans and Military Service Members

Interested in starting a Prep alumni affinity group? Visit www.stjohnsprep.org/affinity.

Front row (l to r): Andrew Siergiewicz ’01, Michael McKinnon ’95, and Evan Cooke ’06.  Back row: Jason Balich ’96, Jared Rodriguez ’09, Charlie Newhall, Jordan Bothwick ’11, Bill Mackinson, Tyler Shepard ’11, Brian Poirier ’13, Ken Harvey ’97, and Dan Harvey ’05.

stalwart crew of sailing alumni met on the Charles River on May 29 for a friendly sailing regatta celebrating Coach Bill Mackinson’s 31 years of dedication to the St. John’s sailing team. After a sunset sail, they gathered for food and drinks, and shared stories about Coach Mackinson’s influence in their lives. Thank you, Coach Mackinson for your years of service!

“I am so honored that you all came to this event because of me. I’m incredibly happy that a former coach, Charlie Newhall, and the future coach, Jared Rodriguez ’09, are here as well. The sailing team is in good hands moving forward. Thank you all!” — COACH BILL MACKINSON

ross-country, track and field alumni gathered in the Leo and Joan Mahoney Wellness Center on June 3 for a cocktail reception and a big surprise! They unveiled three new track and field record boards dedicated to Coach John Boyle and his more than 50 years of service to St. John’s. In the course of helping the Eagles win more than a dozen state championships, Coach Boyle impacted the lives of thousands of student-athletes. Thank you, Coach Boyle for your years of dedication to St. John’s. We’re looking forward to many more!

John Boyle and Ray Carey ’67

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“I enjoy every single minute of coaching. There’s just a spectacular sense in my chest right now seeing so many young men who did so well here, who grew so much here. I think Ray and I, and Dianne, all these coaches and teachers are so proud of you. I really appreciate what you’ve done for me.” — COACH JOHN BOYLE

Total Alumni Gifts on Giving Day

244 Active Users of the Alumni Directory. Connect at stjohnsprep.org/alumnidirectory to find classmates, mentors, and friends.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

1,754 Alumni Volunteers

300

Members of the St. John’s Prep LinkedIn Alumni Network Group

Summer 2019 Prep2Pro Internships

2,770

Number of Alumni Who Attended Events

Total Alumni Giving

$1,561,129

1,723 New Alumni Donors This Year

Top 5 Classes by Participation: All Giving

2019 2. 1969 3. 2013 4. 2018 5. 1986 1.

Number of Graduates in the Alumni Directory

12,150

Total Alumni Donors in 2018-2019

1,477

Alumni Social and Business Events

42 This report on alumni engagement in 2018-2019 demonstrates the strength of the St. John’s Prep alumni community. Alumni continue to flock to events, on campus and across the country, and support the spirit of philanthropy at St. John’s. Read more at stjohnsprep.org/engagement

Field Notes ’56

William Lynn writes, “Greetings from Bozeman, Montana. I am retired now. During the winters, I spend my time skiing at Bridger Bowl, which is 16 miles from where in live. Summers are spent visiting Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, which are south of Bozeman. Visitors can fly into Bozeman Airport, rent a car, and head south to the National Parks. During the summer, there are direct flights from Newark, N.J., to Bozeman. Prep classmates are welcome to contact me at ra11374839@yahoo.com for further information on visiting Montana.

Joe Levis ’60 and Jay White ’60 attended the Prep’s reception in Palm Beach Gardens in March. Jay says it was great seeing and talking to other Prep grads at the event.

goslings have been born and have captured his family’s attention. David Mills was one of the friends and he responded by reminding the other David about a warm memory of going to midnight Mass together then going to Kobos’ house for a meal. Independently, Jack Hayes sent a ‘holy humor’ message with a dozen cartoons about scenes related to Easter and humor. If he keeps this up there is little doubt that Pete won’t let him past the Pearly Gates. I also heard from Jay White who lives most the year in Florida but spends the summer in California. I am still teaching at Georgetown University, where I am the chairperson of the Sociology Department. My wife and I go to Ocean City, MD, a lot for vacations. It has great seafood which is actually as good as that which we used to get in Massachusetts.”

Mary, family and friends and doing some traveling. I currently am serving on three corporate boards which I find fulfilling as I can use the experience gained in 40 years of business to assist companies in addressing major and strategic issues Tony Vorias let us know about while avoiding being involved in day-tothe passing of classmate David day operations. Mary and I will celebrate Pendleton in March. Dave lived in our 53rd anniversary in April, and I am Columbus, GA, with his wife of 40 years, truly a lucky man to have such a wonderful Holly. Together they had four children partner. We have two great children and eight grandchildren. An Air Force who have incredible spouses, and five veteran, Dave was also a professor at fantastic grandchildren. One talent that I Columbus College and later retired from have developed is the ability to spoil our TSYS. Always an educator at heart, Dave grandchildren without unduly annoying had a passion for learning and sharing their parents. With the time that I now have his wisdom in his own unique and witty available I have developed some skill in style. His favorite pastime was golf. He cooking which greatly pleases my wife. My also enjoyed playing racquetball, cards specialties are Italian and French, which and chess. He loved spending time with don’t help the waistline, but are quite tasty. his family and taking full advantage of any I also am using my free time to read all opportunity to make someone laugh. His those books that interest me, but I never classmates will remember him as a wellhad time to sample. Thank God for iPads respected member of the Prep’s two-time as otherwise we would be overwhelmed national championship one-mile relay with books. Unfortunately, a tight back teams, coached by the legendary Brother limits my golf, which is disappointing, but Patrician (Mike Clancy). He is a member of I still can go to my club for daily workouts. the Prep’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Hard to imagine that it has almost been 60 years since graduating from the Prep. Best to all.” Michael Pelletier was the 2018 overall champion for men 75-79 in the USATF/New England Road Racing Grand Prix, running in five of the seven races. He won the 5M race, finished second in the 5K and 15K races, and third in the 10K and 10M races. Bill McDonald reports, “I have recently heard from three SJPrepers. David Kobos ’61, sent an announcement to a list Banner celebrating the 1960-1961 Prep mile relay team of friends telling us that several including Dave Pendleton ’61.

’61

’59 Classmates Joe Bresnahan and George Christian at a Florida alumni event.

’59

George Christian reports, “My wife, Ann, and I visited my youngest son Mark in the UK last August for a month’s trip to France on his 30' sailboat. Ann sailed from Ramsgate to Cherbourg while I and my daughter-inlaw and two grand kids took the ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. We sailed the French coast for 2 weeks visiting Le Havre, Dieppe, Carentan, Honfleur, and Bourlonge. We then sailed back to the UK and spent the last 2 weeks at their house in Milstead Kent. What a great trip! The highlight was visiting the American cemetery in Normandy. In March, Ann and I participated in the St John’s annual visit to Florida. What a great event! Met up with Joe Bresnahan. Many thanks to Tony Vorias ’61 for hosting. Unfortunately he was ill and didn’t make it. Met some great guys from ’54 and ’55. My best to all classmates from the great class of 1959.”

’60

Ernest “Bud” Miller writes, “My wife, Mary, and I are enjoying life in Atlanta. To continue to do so and keep out of Mary’s hair, I am dividing my time between serving on corporate boards of directors and spending time with

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John Hendry, the New England Patriots’ head statistician and official scorer since 1986, has charted most of team history with the stroke of a pen or the click of a keyboard.

Bob Erbetta ’62 participated in the Prep’s Wellness Fair this spring.

’62

Bob Erbetta brought his anti-drug message to this year’s Wellness Fair in March. He says, “It was great being on the Prep campus again and seeing the inside of the fantastic Wellness Center. I enjoyed participating in the Wellness Fair and doing my Navy Campaign Drug Free (CDF) presentation for all the Prep classes.”

’65

Marty Beekman and his wife, Dorothy, have recently moved to Midlothian, VA, to be closer to their grandchild and parents who live in Richmond. Their number two is expected in June, so they will be there to help. He says, “Doing lots of projects around the house, playing golf … retirement is good.”

’67

Jack Kareckas writes, “With the passing of our graduation 50th anniversary and as we are crowding our 70th year on earth, it occurs to me by pretty much any metric, we are officially and unquestionably chronologically old. I find myself occasionally reviewing life’s milestones. Memories are ephemeral but one of the few which remain bright is our shared time at St. John’s. In retrospect, we were sheltered and protected during a turbulent time in our country’s history. Yes, we worked and were worked hard, but my experience at the Prep is foundational in personal make-up and later achievement. Most significant, for this kid from Lawrence, is understanding and confidence via diligence and hustle I could positively contribute to many successful endeavors professionally and personally. For the past 35 years

JOHN HENDRY ’73 Base Camp: Salem, Massachusetts Background: B.A. Business Administration, UMass-Amherst; M.A. Sports Management, UMass-Amherst; MBA, Bentley College; Head Statistician & Official Scorer, New England Patriots (1978-present); Principal Programmer Analyst, Digital Equipment Corporation (1980-92); Assistant Vice President, State Street bank (1995-2018); In-house consultant, Reel Tape Solution, Inc. (since January 2019) Professional Path: In the summer of 1978, when the movie “Grease” was blowing movie-goers’ minds and the Red Sox hadn’t yet blown the pennant in historic fashion, John Hendry was a front-office intern with the New England Patriots. More than 40 seasons and 400 Patriots home games later, Hendry heads the team’s game-day stats crew and guides a Gillette Stadium staff of 10. And that’s not even his day job. “The Patriots job has allowed me to meet a lot of different people around the league and work with folks who’ve become my friends,” says Hendry, a systems analyst and executive with the State Street Corporation for two-plus decades before retiring last year. “The relationships are different from those you form at a corporation. There’s a tremendous sense of teamwork and being part something bigger, but you can also bust each other’s chops.” A three-sport team manager at St. John’s Prep, Hendry was the football team manager and a student athletic trainer at UMass. That led to his initial Patriots internship as a sideline trainer during the 1975 preseason. The rest is history — literally. He’s been on staff throughout the team’s run to six championships and nine Super Bowl appearances. A Peabody native, Hendry was selected by the NFL to head the stats crew at Super Bowl XLII in 2008, but he still considers his 1993 induction into the St. John’s Prep Athletic Hall of Fame to be “the greatest honor of my life.” He was the first-ever alumni inductee who was not a player/coach/ athletics director, and one of only two in history. Hendry married his wife, Susan, in 1993 and has two stepsons, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. Yet predictably, he’s off on a new adventure. In January, he signed on to help out Beverly’s Reel Tape Solution, Inc., an automated commercial packing, barcoding, and labeling firm.

Dianne and Ray Carey ’67 are traveling quite a bit, spending a lot time with grandkids in LA, San Francisco and NC. They come home once in a while for Kelly’s events like the opening at Logan in terminal B. Pictured with Dianne and Ray is Dan Doherty, COO of Kelly’s.

At Gillette, he doesn’t get free tickets, nor a Super Bowl ring when they win, and he’s never met Tom Brady, but Hendry says there’s no end in sight for his work with the winningest franchise in professional football. “While my health is good and I can still do the job effectively and handle the commute, I’ll keep doing it.” It seems he has at least one thing in common with a certain quarterback. PREP SPRING 2019

GERRY GIUNTA ’76

my life is centered in southwest Maine in South Berwick where we’ve enjoyed raising a family, participating in town government and chipping in with many community organizations and activities. We are lucky to have found this place and last year celebrated 40 years married. I continue to enjoy work with my engineering firm, CMA Engineers, and while primarily NH based, we have been able to help out recently with various harbor projects at Manchester-by-the-Sea. It was good to roam around the North Shore and get a decent bowl of chowder over in Gloucester at the Causeway.”

Base Camp: Salem, Massachusetts Background: Fire Department Leadership Academy, Endicott College (2018); A.S. Fire Science, North Shore Community College (1995); Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) certification Professional Path: Appointed Chief of the City of Salem Fire Department in October 2018, after joining the department in 1983 and ascending the ranks from firefighter to lieutenant, deputy chief, and acting chief; Task Force Leader of the Massachusetts Urban Search & Rescue Task Force (MA-TF1).

’68 Salem Fire Chief Gerry Giunta at the 9/11 memorial he designed at the MA-TF1 facility in Beverly. Behind him is a piece of impact steel from the World Trade Center’s North Tower.

A few months into his new job as chief, Gerry Giunta told Mayor Kim Driscoll that he would rather “run into a burning building than a budget meeting.” He was only half kidding. In more than 35 years “on the nozzle,” Giunta has loved everything about being a firefighter. “You never know what you’re going to be doing on any given day, so you have to be ready. You have to train constantly. But it’s fulfilling because it means you may save a life. That’s the ultimate reward.” He took on the role of chief because he felt he had something more to contribute, says Giunta, who now leads a department of 92 employees, including 88 uniformed firefighters, and manages a budget of more than $9.2M. “I think I bring a different perspective to the job, and I want to instill some of what I’ve learned about teamwork. That’s what carries firefighters through. Teamwork.” Mission Ready: That same focus on teamwork describes Giunta’s approach at the Massachusetts Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 (MA-TF1) which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Tucked away in a facility adjacent to Beverly Airport, MA‑TF1 is a highly trained, mission-ready, 72-member team, supplied with 70,000 pounds of tools, vehicles, life-saving apparatus, and equipment. Giunta became involved in 1996 because he saw it as an opportunity to become a better firefighter. “Everyone on the task forces brings it back to their own jobs.” MA-TF1 is one of 28 such teams across the country that stand ready to respond when disaster strikes. Giunta was operations leader in September 2001, when MA-TF1 was deployed to aid with search and rescue operations at the World Trade Center in New York City. The experience affected the team so deeply that Giunta later designed and help build a memorial at MA-TF1 headquarters in Beverly. Unveiled 15 years after the attack, the installation features twin pieces of “impact steel” from the North Tower and a host of symbolic elements that pay tribute to the people who lost their lives that day, including first responders. To visit the memorial or learn more about the MA-TF1, see www.matf.org. It’s Giunta’s instinct for connecting on a human level that sets him apart as a leader, says Tara Wolcott, the canine handler with MA-TF1. “He’s always building the team from within. He leads, teaches, and when necessary, consoles. He connects with the ground-pounders; your position doesn’t matter to him. He creates a sense of family. It’s rare, and it makes a difference, especially for an organization like this.” 36

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Joe McDonough has been re-elected president of the Massachusetts Fulbright Association and selected by the Fulbright Commission to review scholarship submissions in legal education and Middle East based studies. He says, “I’m always happy to help Prep grads as they consider an international academic exchange for a graduate degree or research. After Richard Norris passed away in December 2017, his wife, Linda wanted to ensure that he would be remembered at St. John’s. In January of this year she established the Richard P. Norris ’68 Fund, which will provide for tuition assistance each year for a student who possesses the same qualities she admired in him — leadership, compassion, and camaraderie. Linda is looking forward to staying connected to St. John’s, and helping provide a Prep education to a current student. “Richard loved his years at the Prep and he loved running on the track team. He always hoped that a student would be able to follow his path and benefit, as he did, from a Prep education through a scholarship in his name,” shared Linda.

’69

Paul Tremblay sent along his first post since he graduated in 1969. He says, “My plan is to post an update to the alumni notes every 50 years, whether I have news to share or not. I’m in the middle of my 37th year as a clinical teacher at Boston College Law School, training law students to be justice pioneers and ethical practitioners. (The Xaverian Brothers instilled some good values.) I married Linda Beattie in 1975 and we’re still happily together. Our son, Christopher, does whale research in Maine, and our daughter, Jen, oversees a community art program in Chicago. We live in Peabody. I ride my bicycle everywhere, we sail our small sloop out of Salem harbor, and we belong to the UU Church of Marblehead. I was really good friends with our classmate Larry Finn-Welch (née Welch), who sadly died four years ago.”

’76

Eric Bornstein has had an eventful career as a professional artist. He recently returned from Kingston, Jamaica, where he delivered 60 Reggae Gold award statues for the prestigious event designed by his company, Behind the Mask Studio/Theatre. In 2017, he received a Fulbright award for a two-month residency to build ten giant masks of Jamaica’s political heroes and cultural icons. In 2016, he won Boston’s IRNE award for Best Puppetry Design for Company One Theatre’s Shockheaded Peter. He has also created designs for video game giants Bethesda Softworks, for Dishonored, Skyrim, Elder Scrolls, and The Evil Within and for Epic Fortnight. Look for his feature on WGBH’s hit show Pinkalicious & Peteriffic in May 2019. You can reach Eric at www.behindthemask.org or look for him on Facebook.

’77

Michael Buba reports that all is well and that grandchild number six arrived in April. Michael has worked as an MIAA baseball umpire for 16 years and beginning with this spring baseball season he began his college umpiring career. He worked NCAA games in the Eastern Mass/New England area.

’78

Daniel Sullivan has lived in Boca Raton, FL, for the past 25 years with his wife, Susan. He tells us, “I am a physical therapist, co-owner of Tenenbaum and Sullivan, Inc., in Palm Beach, the largest provider of private pay physical therapy and wellness services in Florida. My SJP education deserves much of the credit for what I have achieved. My participation in and dedication to Alcoholics Anonymous continues the spiritual development whose foundation was laid at SJP. I look forward to the annual SJP visits to our area, keeping us in the fold, and I have much gratitude for you.”

’79

Richard Ives and his brother, David Ives ’75, celebrated the 30th anniversary of their Danvers-based company, Northshore International Insurance Services Inc. in December. Richard reports that he enjoyed seeing classmate Brian Currie win the Oscar for “Green Book.”

’80

Michael Wall joined the Boston office of Foley & Lardner last year, after 22 years of in-house practice including 13 years (1995-2008) as general counsel for the TD Garden and Boston Bruins, and nine years (2008-2017) as general counsel for Performance Sports Group, owner of the Bauer, Easton, and Cascade/Maverik sports equipment brands. Mike is a member of the Foley’s sports industry practice team and transactions practice group. He and his wife, Lorraine, live in Acton. Their son, Matt, works as a project manager for BioMarin Pharmaceutical in San Rafael, CA, and their daughter, Marisa, is a freshman in the physician assistant program at Hofstra University. Stephen Swiniarski reports that he is retiring from teaching after 35 continuous years of service, 32 on Cape Cod at Nauset Regional High School in Eastham and at North Shore Community College and Exeter (NH) High School for three years before that. Short-term plans are to enjoy some time off and to continue as an athletic official for many Lower Cape schools.

’81

Joseph Anastasi reports, “For the past year I’ve been devoting time to an organization named STAR INC located in Norwalk, CT. STAR is a nonprofit agency that provides all level of services for kids and adults dealing with Autism and Down’s syndrome! I’ve been working in their employment services division as a job coach. For the right participants who are higher functioning

we can find them employment and then we go in and train and coach them to be independent. It’s nothing short of remarkable to see the self-esteem our participants develop when they earn their first paycheck! In these cases we realize how the power of working independently can impact individuals and families in such a positive way!”

’82

Stephen Shinnick is very happy to report that his son, Cole, graduated from the Prep in May. His older son, Max, is SJP class of 2013. Steve commutes weekly from the Boston area to New York City, where he is COO of Kognito Solutions, which was acquired by Blackstone PE a year ago. It is the basis of their AI healthcare initiative. He says, “Please reach out if you’re ever in NYC.”

’83

Bill Ryan has relocated with his family from Jakarta, Indonesia, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he is with Maersk training as human factors lead in their work to improve human performance in the oil and gas and maritime industries operating in the Middle East, West Asia, and Africa. Paul Goodwin is currently working as the IT director for All Care VNA & Hospice in Lynn and serves as vice president on the Beverly School Committee. He has lived in Beverly for the past 19 years with his wife, Suzanne, and sons Christian, who is a junior at the University of New Hampshire, and John, who is a freshman at Babson College.

in January. After spending more than a decade each as a journalist covering the insurance industry and a government affairs attorney advocating for the insurance industry, he joined The Insurance Library in Boston as executive director. The library is a unique institution with 130-plus years of history serving the industry in the areas of research, education and historical preservation. He would love to hear from fellow Prep grads in the industry and invites in-person visits at the Library (156 State Street in Boston, around the corner from Faneuil Hall) as well.

’88

Mike Downes and Matt Downes ’94 treated their brother, Nick Downes ’96, to a trip to Belgium for his 40th birthday in November. Their trip was planned to see the world famous 90-year-old Italian composer/ conductor Ennio Morricone of ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’ soundtrack fame conduct a 200-piece orchestra and choir performing some of his most famous film scores. Mike says, “I arrived in Brussels the Monday prior to Thanksgiving and spent several days on my own in Luxembourg. Nick arrived in Brussels on Thanksgiving Day and we headed to Bruges where the Xaverian Brothers were founded. Friday evening Matt and his wife, Kim, joined us in Brussels from their home in Geneva, Switzerland, and we all attended the incredible concert on Saturday evening.”

’84

Dan Houlihan has been living in Chicago for the past 10 years with his wife, Emily, and two daughters, Abigail (11) and Madeleine (7). Dan is an executive vice president at Northern Trust where he serves as head of their asset servicing business in the Americas.

’87

Jay Wexler tells us, “I am about to finish my 17th year of teaching at the Boston University School of Law and my 16th year of living in the Leather District in downtown Boston with my wife, Karen, and now 15- year-old son, Walter. In June I’ll be publishing my sixth book, this one called ‘Our Non-Christian Nation: How Atheists, Satanists, Pagans and Others are Demanding Their Rightful Place in Public Life’ with Stanford University Press. I also appear for about 72 seconds as a churchstate law expert in the movie ‘Hail Satan?’ which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and in an episode of A&E’s ‘Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath’ which aired in February.” Paul Tetrault started in a new and different position

Mike Downes ’88 and Nick Downes ’96 visited the home of the Xaverian Brothers in Bruges while traveling in Belgium.

Michael McNamara and his wife, Sylwia, were part of a documentary file, Aces and Knaves, which appeared at the 2019 Boston International Film Festival. Most of the documentary was filmed at their bridge club and they appeared throughout the film. Mike and Sylwia play bridge professionally and teach it as well. If you wish to check out the trailer go to https://vimeo.com/300083768. Lifelong friendships and a love of golf landed members of the Class of ’88 Chuck DiGrande, Chad Riley, Jim Brown,

PREP SPRING 2019

Oh Baby!

Left: Ashley and Peter Herbst ’03 are the proud parents of their native Texan daughter, Emma, born in April, 2017 while they were living in Dallas.  Right: Jill and Richard Shaheen ’94 I celebrated the birth of their son, Blake, on November 20th 2018. Their daughter, Skylar Shaheen (7), is very happy to have a younger brother.

Left: Tim Broderick ’05 and his wife, Libby, welcomed Winnie May Broderick on January 27, 2019.  Center: Nico Joseph Papagni was born on March 5th. He is the first born of Jenna and Michael Papagni ’08 and a future Eagle  Right: Ryan Bird ’02 and his wife, Amanda, welcomed Ella Rose on April 23, 2019. She joins her two-year-old big brother, Lucas Robert.

Left: Katie and Sean Kelly ’04 are pleased to announce the birth of their first child Jack Maximilian Kelly. He was born December 22, 2018. Katie is also a XBSS graduate, Good Counsel in Maryland.  Center: Prep ceramics teacher Tim McAuliffe ’07 and his wife, Samantha, welcomed their first child, Nora Lang McAuliffe, on March 27, 2019.  Right: Natazia and Michael Cohen ’08 welcomed their first child, Camille, on February 16th. Mackenzie Larsen ’08 will be her godfather.

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Far left: Shown on their Savannah getaway are Class of ’88 friends (l to r) Chad Riley, Pat Daly, Kevin Ouellette, Brendan Locke (Swampscott High), Jim Brown, Michael Bardwell, Dan Kane (Swampscott High), and Chuck DiGrande.  Left: Commander Christopher Conlon ’91 with his children, Charlie, Alexandra (Alex), and Liam and his wife, Lori at his retirement ceremony.

Pat Daly, Kevin Ouellette and Michael Bardwell in Savannah, GA, for a golf outing that included a day at The Masters. In addition to playing regularly around New England, the group has traveled together on similar trips to Atlanta, Denver, Myrtle Beach, and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama. It’s always great to spend quality time away from the hustle and bustle with great friends.

’89

Greg Caires is now the senior director of communications for Elbit Systems of America in Fort Worth, TX. He has relocated to the Dallasarea with his fiancé, Elizabeth, who is a lawyer at DLA Piper. He looks forward to connecting with Prep grads in the DFW area. Matt McLaughlin is the proud uncle of Prep freshman Michael Shylan. He tells us that Michael made the freshman hockey and golf teams and was elected to National Honor Society. He says Michael is “following in my footsteps as I played varsity hockey, JV golf, and NHS at the Prep. He is just the younger, faster, better version of Uncle Matt :)” Rich Reynolds was recently named vice president of customer success, enterprise for NYCbased Trilogy Education Services. He says, “Around the world, a massive technology skills gap exists in which there

Robbie Sarmanian, son of Robert Sarmanian ’89, is a freshman at Bowdoin College where he plays baseball for Coach Michael Connolly ’89, Rob’s classmate at the Prep. The photo was taken in March at a spring game in Los Angeles. Pictured are Robert Sarmanian, son Robbie and Michael Connolly.

are millions more open jobs than there are qualified applicants. At the same time, many workers risk losing their jobs due to automation. Trilogy Education is a workforce accelerator. We create and manage skills-based training programs that are driven by employer needs. More than 40 of the world’s leading universities, including Harvard, Georgia Tech, Columbia, and UC Berkley, work with us and, together, we’ve readied thousands of adult learners for high-growth careers in the digital economy. We focus on Web development, data analytics and visualization, UI/UX, and cybersecurity.” Rich is living in Delray Beach, Florida.

’91 Mike McLaughlin ’89 (right) with his nephew, Prep freshman Michael Shylan.

Commander Christopher Conlon retired from the U.S. Navy in April. He was relieved as Commanding Officer of the Helicopter Maritime Strike Weapons School Pacific in San Diego. Chris graduated from UMass Amherst in 1996 and from Officer Candidate School in 1996. During his career he has been deployed around the world in support of

military operations including Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He was awarded the 2013 HSM-72 Officer of the Year and the Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing, U.S. Atlantic Fleet Rear Admiral Allan G. Paulsen Officer Leadership Award. He accumulated over 2,800 flight hours. His personal decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and the Navy Achievement Medal among others. Originally from Manchester, MA, Chris and family plan to live in Coronado, California.

’93

Members of the class of ’93 were saddened by the passing of Tim Goldberg in February. Tim graduated from Boston College in 1997. He had been employed as a salesman for Lindenmeyr Munroe in Bellingham for the past twenty years. A resident of Danvers for the past fourteen years, Tim enjoyed coaching Danvers Little League baseball as well as Danvers Youth soccer. He also coached the Beverly YMCA Kiwanis Basketball team and was a member of the Beverly Rotary Club. Tim had a love for paper, enjoyed cooking, and playing golf with friends. He loved traveling, spending time at the beach and watching his kids play sports. He was most happy surrounded by friends and family telling stories and entertaining. He was a genuine friend to everyone he met. He and his wife, Katie, were married for fourteen years and were parents to a son, Evan and a daughter, Sienna. Tim was also the brother of Andy Goldberg ’95. As Taidgh McClory said in his eulogy, “Each one of us can likely remember our first encounter with Tim, the smile, the curiosity and that caring conversation which left us all with the same lasting impression … ‘Wow, what a great guy … what a great human being.’ … This was his gift.”

PREP SPRING 2019

’03

Left: Scott Sanborn ’95 and family at home in Mobile, Alabama.  Right: Henry Pynchon ’03 and Chris Papineau ’03 had a serendipitous meeting in Iceland.

’95

Scott Sanborn tells us, “My family (wife Reba, and children Emma (16), Joshua (14), Luke (11), Jack (6), Noah (3) and Benjamin (3 mos.) and I were recently assigned to Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile, Alabama. I am the Chief Instructor Pilot for the MH65D ‘Dolphin’ Helicopter Division and get to instruct new pilots, provide annual simulator training for fleet pilots and perform Standardization Evaluations of every MH65D helicopter unit around the Coast Guard. This is truly a dream assignment for me as I wrap up 20 years of Coast Guard service this May. Our last assignment was at Coast Guard Air Station Houston where I served as the Operations Officer and Chief Pilot (from 2014-2018). It was a very demanding tour, requiring me to be ‘on call’ 24-7 as I managed all of the air operations in the Houston-Galveston area. We were also at ground zero for Hurricane Harvey rescue operations and directed the aviation response, managing more than 30 aircraft. Thankfully, we were able to rescue over 1700 survivors in the chaotic days that followed the massive flooding. Reba is very busy as she still homeschools all of our children ranging now from a high school junior to a first grader.” Paul Sullivan graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 2014. He became an Americorps volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in Durham, NC, building affordable housing. When his volunteer service ended in 2017, he transitioned into a full-time construction superintendent with Habitat of Wake County in Raleigh and has been building homes and community in the RaleighDurham area.

Jonathan is an emergency medicine hospital at Broward General Hospital in Ft. Lauderdale. He is forever proud to be a St. John’s Prep alum and continues to value the great friendships he made at the Prep, including Dusty Arnold and Mike Barresi.

’98

Bernie Caniff is planning an October 26 wedding to Dr. Laura Cataldo of Saugus. Bernie has been working for the Boston Bruins, but has moved on to a new position at technology solutions provider Red River.

’00

Benjamin Loveland was elevated to partner at WilmerHale in Boston and New York. Ben’s practice is focused on bankruptcy and financial restructuring matters. He and his wife, Caroline live in Needham.

’01

Jason Hyland knocked two things off his bucket list this spring. In late March he made his first TED talk at TEDx Boston College. The topic was “resilience” and there were six speakers, five chosen from all over the country and one Boston College student who won their student competition. And, in April he ran his first Boston Marathon.

’99

Jonathan Grima graduated from Michigan State University emergency medicine residency program in 2016. He now resides in Coral Springs, FL, with his wife, Andrea, and their two daughters, Adrianna and Giovanna.

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Jason Hyland ’01 ran the Boston Marathon in April.

Unbeknown to them, lacrosse teammates Chris Papineau and Henry Pynchon were staying at the same Reykjavik hotel and ran into each other during Christmas breakfast. They and their significant others caught up that evening and celebrated. Peter Herbst tells us that after four years in Dallas working on the US real estate equity team for Fortress Investment Group, he accepted a fund management position with Berkshire Residential Investments in March. He and his wife, Ashley, are in the process of relocating to the Boston area. Moving with them is native Texan Emma Rachel Herbst, born on April 29, 2017.

’04

Darin Gibbons is moving from his position as director of investigations at the Republican National Committee to join the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Congressional, Legislative, and Intergovernmental Affairs team as legislative counsel and will continue to live in Washington, DC.

’05

Nick Mancini was chosen to be the artist in residence at the Umbrella, a community art center in Concord, Massachusetts. The appointment marks his second such experience, having been selected for the honor at the Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati. Nick is on the faculty at Montserrat College of Art in Boston, and he has taught at Boston University and the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. After graduating from the Prep, he earned his BFA from The Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston and his MFA at Boston University.

’06

Jeff Phaneuf is leaving active duty in the Marine Corps and heading back to the East Coast to do a master’s in public affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton. Justin Rhuda graduated at the top of his class from Suffolk Law in May. President of the Suffolk Law Veterans Association, Justin served as a U.S. Marine Corps captain from 2010 to 2015. He was a finalist for National Jurist magazine’s Law Student of the Year because of his pro bono efforts to use his legal training on behalf Boston teens and fellow veterans. “With high school students, you’re trying to help them by preventing a problem from happening,” he said in an interview published on the Suffolk Law website. “With veterans, unfortunately, you’re trying to help them with a problem that has already happened.” He will join Holland & Knight in the fall.

’07

Governor Charlie Baker appointed Matt Cocciardi as the chief of staff for the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) in March of 2019. Matt joined DCAMM in June 2015 as the director of legislative affairs and was later appointed deputy chief of staff prior to his current position.

Wedding Bells

’08

Bryant Cote and his wife, La’Quiesha, are in the process of having their first home built in Palmetto, Georgia, and plan to move in this summer. He says, “I’ll be graduating from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Georgia’s Future Leaders Program. This is a program my current supervisor had placed me in. I’m currently managing the special inspections and testing of construction at the world’s busiest airport, HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International.”

’09

Rick Kimball tells us, “I got to head home last week for a wedding and had a chance to swing by the campus which has doubled in size and is so beautiful, so I figured I would check in. Since graduating, almost ten years ago now, I ended up falling in love with cooking and the culinary arts. I attended the Cambridge School for the Culinary Arts and spent some time working in restaurants in the North Shore. By sheer dumb luck I won big on a scratch ticket and moved down to NYC to further my culinary knowledge and put my skills to the test. For the last three and a half years I have been working for Tom Colicchio and the Crafted Hospitality restaurant group. I currently am a Sous Chef managing Riverpark, Tom’s beautiful restaurant overlooking the East River. I truly love what I do and considering it isn’t even close to what I thought I would be doing when I left the Prep in ’09 I find myself in constant disbelief that I have been this lucky. If anyone from the Prep family is ever in NYC I highly suggest swinging by!”

DJ Ambrozavitch ’07 and Kelsey Mulcahey were married October 12, 2018 in Houston, TX. Sharing in the happy day were (L to R) Sam Whitney ’06, Eric Grandmaison ’07, James Sullivan ’07, Justin Federico ’07, Scott Swedberg ’07, DJ and Kelsey, James Bremis ’05, Andrew Webb ’07, John Whitney ’08, and Brian Ambrozavitch ’05.

Left: Nick Vennochi ’07, head baseball coach at Emerson College in Boston and Hannah Hallock an ’06 graduate of Holderness School and a science teacher at Lawrence Academy, were married November 17, 2018 in Holderness, NH.  Right: Amy Cadogan and Sean Mitchell ’07 were married in the chapel at St. John’s on Saturday, June 1. Flanking the couple are brothers Matthew Palumbo ’07 (left), a groomsman, and best man Davis Palumbo ’07.

’10

Andrew Lutz attended Ohio State where he played volleyball and was part of the 2011 national championship team. He graduated in 2015 and is now in his final year of the doctor of physical therapy program at East Tennessee State University.

’11

Brian O’Connor is a strategy consultant for Deloitte and lives in Boston. His job has taken him to eight different cities in the past year. Brian is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross. Tim Barnard began a new job with the Arizona Hotshots of the now disbanded Alliance of American Football back in January 2019. He was the assistant

Jay Farmer ’08 and Carys Arvidson were married in April in New Orleans where they both attended Tulane Law School. Shown is the Farmer family, John ’79 and Susan, Jay and Carys, sister Meghan and brother Justin ’13. PREP SPRING 2019

QUINN WILLIAMS ’17 Base Camp: Durham, NH Background: Wilderness EMT, dog sled guide, rock and ice climber, fly fisherman, surfer; Campus Ministry Student Advisory Committee, PULSE and San Jose service trip participant at St. John’s Undergraduate Path: B.S. in Outdoor Education, University of New Hampshire’s College of Health and Human Sciences Into the Wild: The mountains are calling and Quinn must go. A deep love of the outdoors, stoked by a passion for service, has led Quinn Williams to explorations and excursions atop of the Rocky Mountains, the peaks of the Cascades, the icy slopes of Mount Washington, and all around New England. As a sophomore at UNH studying Outdoor Education, Williams’ classes include Lead Rock Climbing, High Angle Rescue, Winter Expeditionary Programming, and White Water Canoeing. Outside the classroom, Williams has spent the last five years working for his family’s business — which is building ropes courses and zip lines domestically and internationally — and is now focusing his attention on working with a search and rescue team in Northern New Hampshire. Oh yeah, he’s also getting his alpine rock guiding certification. This summer, Williams will head to the Norris Glacier near Juneau, Alaska, to work as a dog sled guide. Commuting by chopper to the glacier for five days at a time, Williams will mush the same trails as colleagues who have competed in the Iditarod and Yukon Quest, which represent the Super Bowl and World Series of dog team racing. He says when working with sled dogs, the commands are important, but the pitch of a handler’s voice, a handler’s ‘presence,’ and eye contact are even more so. “It’s allowed me to be a diversified leader and changed the way I connect with people,” he says. “Being more nuanced in my communication and presence has allowed me to open up an avenue for groups who might be new to the outdoors. How do you make people feel comfortable in the outdoors? Seeing how they relate to nature and how they experience their surroundings — all of that depends on my influence as their guide.” Prep Reflection: “There’s something, and it’s not necessarily cognitive, that just feels right about being outdoors. It aligns with my deeper sense of purpose. Everything feels more real when I’m in the wilderness. People really show up as their true selves, and we can really get to know each other. I’ve found a home in that rawness and that ‘real.’ This was a piece of St. John’s that followed suit with my moral exploration, especially through campus ministry. On PULSE, you’re sitting next to homeless individuals, and you’re serving them. Talk about a deep, raw connection. So, the servant leadership mindset really had an impact on how I approach a place. Whether it’s serving the environment, serving underprivileged groups, or even animals, I try to give a voice to those who might need it.” You can follow Quinn’s adventures on Instagram @huckleberry.quinn.

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linebacker coach and had the pleasure of working under Tim Hundley and Nick Aliotti. He broke down all of their games as well as the opponent’s games for both, offense and defense. He also assisted with the linebacker meetings including creating the linebacker notes and tips. He assisted the defense during the games by keeping track of personnel and the plays they ran.

’12

Jerry Crowley tells us that since graduating from Tufts, he has interned at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, works as a seasonal tour guide at the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, and recently started a temp job at Aspen Technology in Bedford. Alex Sneirson graduated from Suffolk University Law School in May and will be sitting for the bar exam in August. He hopes to launch his career as a prosecutor in the fall. He received his undergraduate degree from The College of the Holy Cross. Brendan Sweeney finished his second Boston Marathon this April with Tedy Bruschi’s charity, Tedy’s Team, which was founded by Tedy Bruschi and his wife, Heidi, after he suffered a stroke. The charity raises money for stroke awareness and stroke survivors. Tedy’s Team is launching the Comeback Assistance Program this year, dedicated to helping survivors make their comebacks. Brendan Sweeney with team leader Tedy Bruschi at the Boston Marathon.

’13

Dan Howlett will begin studies for a Ph.D. in history at George Mason University this fall after completing his master’s degree there this May. He is starting the program as the digital history fellow at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media, which is globally recognized as a leading center in the field of digital history. This comes after he presented a poster of his research on disability during the Salem Witch Trials at the American Historical Association national meeting this past January.

’15

Nate George is a recent graduate of the University of Vermont with a business major and Chinese minor. Spring semester of his junior year he studied abroad at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics to work on his Chinese language skills and experience the unique culture of China. He says, “Shanghai was an incredible experience and never failed to inspire me with endless opportunities and the world’s most futuristic skyline. The past year or so I have been working for a venture capital company based out of New Zealand with my efforts focused on cryptocurrency trading. As a fully independent prop trader managing a crypto fund of the company’s personal crypto holdings I was able to learn the intricacies of the market as well as build a strong network of crypto funds, investors, and founders. Along the way I have also advised a handful of cryptocurrency startups and ICO’s. My experience working on the investor side allowed me to help clients through the fundraising process, locate effective marketing channels, and make necessary changes to investor materials and fundraising structure.” Jhoneidy Javier, who graduated this year from Haverford College, received a Princeton in Asia (PiA) Fellowship to teach English in China at Wuhan University of Technology next year. Jhoneidy studied Mandarian at Haverford and spent a semester abroad in Beijing. He applied for the PiA fellowship because he wanted to return to China and deepen his knowledge of the language and culture of the world’s most populous country, he said in an interview on the Haverford website. An integral part of Haverford

IN MEMORIAM

Remembering Jim Nance Jim Nance, a mainstay of the Prep community and longtime world languages and social studies teacher, died on March 2, 2019, following a period of declining health since his retirement on September 30, 2018. He was 67.

Please remember in your prayers these members of the Prep community who have passed away recently.

Born in Washington, D.C., and a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, Jim began his career at St. John’s Prep on September 1, 1985. He quickly earned a reputation as a man of integrity Jim Nance after addressing the senior class prior to who possessed a profound sense Commencement day in 2016. of justice and equality along with a boundless interest in cultures around the world. His inimitable sociability, good nature and hail-fellow-well-met spirit strongly informed the way Jim related to his students. A man of expansive interests and infectious enthusiasm, his innate ability to empathize with people whose experience he didn’t share afforded him an uncanny awareness of what an individual student needed to hear, and exactly when he needed to hear it. “The first thing that comes to mind about Mr. Nance is how much energy and enthusiasm he brought to teaching,” recalls Tucker Mathers ’12. “You weren’t going to language class, you were going to experience an exploration of culture. He engaged us, he wanted to hear what we had to stay, he pushed us to fully articulate our position, and he never judged. He urged us to always be asking the question ‘why?’” Jim was particularly steadfast in conveying the mission and values of the Prep to his pupils. Speaking to the senior class in 2016, he implored them to leverage what they’d learned and make the most of the world of possibility in front of them once Dr. Hardiman handed them a diploma. “In those 60, 70, or 80 years that will unfold, you will have the opportunity to weave a tapestry of rich and creative colors that will become your life. You will carry into this life many building blocks which have been nurtured here at St. John’s: scholarship, kindness, compassion, humility, resilience, and, most importantly, character — the drive to be a good man and to do good in the world.”

Trustee Emeritus Malcolm F. MacLean III P’87 ’90 Roberto G. Tassinari ’47 Richard E. Vincent, D.C. ’47 John P. Collins ’49 James W. Nawn ’49 Donald T. Cavett ’51 Alfred L. Nardini ’51 Matthew F. Judge ’52 John C. McCarthy ’53 Guy David Piscopo ’53 Randolph C. Kwei ’54 John J. McInnis ’55 Richard J. Maestranzi ’58 David E. Pendleton ’61 Thomas A. Kiely ’62 Edward J. Coffey ’65

community, as he was at St. John’s, Jhoneidy plans to go to graduate school and teach at the college level. “I was the first of my immediate family to graduate from high school and will be the first to graduate from college. I could not have imagined four years ago that I would be on this path of fellowships and graduate schools and higher education. Quite honestly, my entire academic experience has been a surrealist trip. … It’s scary, but definitely more exciting than scary.” John Long has recently accepted a job with Oracle in Burlington, MA, as a business development consultant. Ted Silva graduated from Salem State University in May with a bachelor of fine arts in theatre arts, performance and a bachelor of arts in English. He has accepted an offer to attend Boston University in the fall,

pursuing a master’s in fine arts degree in film and television studies.

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Daniel Tighe just completed his junior year at Middlebury, where he has played hockey for three years. He is an economics major and sociology minor. This summer he is living in New York City while working for Barclays in their investment banking division.

’17

Joe DeBlasio, who attends Syracuse University, was selected to study film and media this summer at the University of Birmingham through the UK Fulbright Summer Institute program. Participants are selected based on leadership skills, academic achievement, character, adaptability and ambassadorial qualities, as well as demonstrated interest in the U.K. and its culture.

Kathie Flatley is Field Notes editor for Prep magazine. Please email her at kflatley@stjohnsprep.org with updates and submissions for upcoming issues.

Charles A. Giangreco ’65 Kevin P. McMahon ’69 Thomas M. Gizzi ’70 Mark J. Heffernan ’71 Rev. John E. Sassani ’72 John M. Barowy ’73 Mark B. Gerry ’77 Robert D. Marraffa ’78 John M. Brophy ’81 Terence A. Dolan ’82 Jon D. Hudlak ’82 Taylor P. Turbide ’92 Timothy S. Goldberg ’93 David P. Blais ’03 Benjamin P. Rivera ’14 Steven J. Chenard P’17 ’20

PREP SPRING 2019

Since You Asked Mike Grimaldi ’01 has lived in Gloucester, Beverly, Brooklyn, and Bozeman, but it’s in Salem where he found an artistic community to call home. He creates everything from large-scale murals and clever logos to whimsical portraits and eye-catching retail window displays. is latest work includes a colorful mural for Goodnight Fatty, the popular Salem cookies and milk eatery, and two murals for classmate Brad Atkinson’s Local Kitchen and Tap in Kittery. He designed a stylish black and white poster that was given to every guest at Artopia 2019, an after-hours event sponsored by Salem’s Creative Collaborative and the Peabody Essex Museum. His work was featured at Montserrat College’s Frame 301 Gallery in May. And now, he’s working on a mural that will transform the tunnel leading from the Mahoney Wellness Center out onto Glatz Field at St. John’s.

Left: Grimaldi working on a project for Local Kitchen and Tap in Kittery, Maine, a restaurant owned by classmate Brad Atkinson ’01. If you’re curious to know more about Mike’s work, find him at grim@grimdrops.com, www.grimdrops.com, and @grimdrops on Instagram. Below: Grimaldi in front of a mural he created for Goodnight Fatty, a late night cookie shop in Salem.

His Instagram bio reads like a particularly pithy artist’s statement: “Blank walls are boring and lame logos are a bummer; I’m here to help.” We were intrigued, and so we caught up with Mike at the Front Street Coffeehouse in Salem to find our more about his life as an artist. SJP: You majored in illustration at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly. What appeals to you about that particular form of art? MG: I love to create illustrations because it’s visual problem solving. If you’re creating a logo for a restaurant, the client might tell you about the food, the atmosphere, and the color palette they have in mind. Your challenge is to bring all of those clues together and turn them into a graphic that communicates what the business is all about. Clients become very invested in the process because you’re dealing with their business. In a lot of ways, they become your art director. SJP: Were you prepared for what it would take to make a living through art? MG: Most of us have known since we were kids that this is what we wanted to do. College was a wonderful place to create art, but you have to catch up on the business side to make it a living. I think that’s why so many people in the artistic community become entrepreneurs. It’s by necessity. I’ve learned a lot from an emerging community of artists and designers who are offering webinars to help other artists find ways to market their work. SJP: You’re very active on Instagram, posting videos of work in progress and finished pieces. Has social media been helpful in connecting with people who may be interested in your work? MG: The digital age definitely makes it easier for someone to find out about you, but there is so much content out there that it’s easy to get lost. Anything you post is new for a very short time. You have to constantly create in order to stay in front of people. You can be the most talented artist in the world, but if no one knows about you, they’re not going to knock on your door. It’s a long road.

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SJP: What inspired you to call your graphic design and illustration business Grimdrops? MG: I came up with it when I was at Montserrat. It’s a play on my name and the word “drop.” When musicians release a new album, they say it drops. When I create a new piece, I drop it. That’s how it became Grimdrops. SJP: Was art an important part of your life growing up and at St. John’s? MG: I had a great experience in high school. Art was definitely my main focus; I loved walking into Ryken every day. Whenever I drive through campus now, I feel lucky to have gone to the Prep.

DAY CAMP

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ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT

INTRODUCING EAGLES/EDGE AT ST. JOHN’S PREP Programs that empower girls and boys ages 4 to 18 to learn, thrive, and master new skills in an atmosphere that fosters friendships and a growth mindset. Learn more and register at eaglesedgeprograms.org

St. John’s Preparatory School 72 Spring Street Danvers, Massachusetts 01923

BROTHER SULLIVAN LECTURE

ADD R E S S S E RV I C E R EQUESTED

The Brother Robert J. Sullivan, C.F.X. Endowment Fund was established to support a lecture series that brings distinguished scholars and speakers to St. John’s each year. The expansion of the program includes opportunities for students to meet and engage with academics and leaders in fields that reflect Brother Sullivan’s wide-ranging interests.

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PAID Permit No. 39 Danvers, MA

Ambassador Samantha Power Brother Robert J. Sullivan, C.F.X. Lecture Tuesday, October 22, 2019 War correspondent, author, and Harvard professor Samantha Power served as the 28th U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 2013 to 2017. She won a Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for her book, “A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide,” and in 2004, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Her forthcoming book is called “The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir.” Join us for this special evening. Register at stjohnsprep.org/sullivan.