Prep, the Magazine of St. John's Prep

prep The Magazine of St. John’s Prep

CAMPAIGN FOR GOOD  A MARK OF DISTINCTION: PETE FRATES ’03  IT’S OFFICIAL: GLATZ FIELD!  ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT  FALL 2017

INVEST IN THEIR POTENTIAL.

THEY’LL CHANGE

Trisha Pérez Kennealy and Mike Kennealy ’86, co-chairs for the Campaign for GOOD

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n September 14, during a special dedication ceremony to bless and open the new Wellness Center, Mike Kennealy ’86, along with his wife, Trisha Pérez Kennealy, announced the Prep’s comprehensive capital campaign, a first of its size and scope in the history of the school. This pivotal moment in the 110-year life of the school marked an incredible milestone — the first time a building at St. John’s has been funded entirely through philanthropy. The Kennealys, who will serve as co‑chairs of the Campaign for GOOD, were among the first to thank those benefactors and partners who made the $25-million facility a reality, many of whom had assembled for the special occasion.

Tyrese Francis ’20, Justin Armata ’23, Sebastian Roizner Rodriguez ’18

The Campaign for GOOD aims to raise $45 million by June 30, 2020. Funds raised will help grow the school’s endowment and the Fund for St. John’s.

Campaign for GOOD at a Glance $25M

$10M

Wellness Center Endowment

$8M

Annual Giving The Fund for St. John’s

$2M

Planned Giving

To date, more than $33 million has been raised toward the Prep’s ambitious goal. As Mike Kennealy so enthusiastically stated, “Our $45-million Campaign for GOOD is by far the largest funding effort in the history of the school. And when we are successful — and we will be — with the same passion and commitment that built the Wellness Center, we will have come together as a community to accomplish something exceptional. And it will benefit thousands of young men for many years to come.”

“Our students will walk these halls and be surrounded by an essential resource that hundreds of donors helped create. This historic building, built on generosity, is a profound commitment to our mission of educating the whole person. And that legacy will be carried on, retold by young men who will graduate and be inspired to be generous themselves, who will be inspired to have a lasting, positive impact on our world.” — MIKE KENNEALY ’86

THE WORLD. PREP FALL 2017

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“Education is understood by the Xaverian Brothers in its completest sense, as the full and harmonious development of all those faculties that are distinctive of human beings. It is not, therefore, mere instruction or communication of knowledge.

Learning is an instrument of education, not its end. The end is culture, and mental, moral and physical development. In this system of education, one of the most important features is the formation and training of character.”

— ST. JOHN’S PREP PROSPECTUS 1907

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oon after the opening of St. John’s in 1907, Brother Benjamin, C.F.X, our school’s founder, oversaw the construction of a gymnasium as one of the first strategic enhancements to the Prep’s campus.

Brother Benjamin had a distinctive vision of how to promote the “full and harmonious education of the whole person.” More than a century later, inspired by the dream of Brother Benjamin and his early confrères, the Prep embarked on a strategic planning process, named Prep 20/20, that would advance the school’s mission for the next generation of students.

Prep 20/20, publicly launched in 2013, brought together four priorities that included the launch of a new Middle School program for grades 6, 7 and 8; the construction of the Brother Edward Keefe, C.F.X. Academic Center; the opening of a Wellness Center funded entirely through philanthropy; and the addition of $10 million in philanthropic support for the Prep’s endowment. Today, three out of four of these major initiatives have been completed.

The opening of the Wellness Center brings full circle the vision of Brother Benjamin in a modern educational setting — a campus resource where students could focus on the spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and aesthetic aspects of their daily lives. The goal for this new building, intentionally called a Wellness Center, was to create a space where students would be exposed to new co-curricular outlets; where they would be encouraged to take risks and try new things while being supported by talented faculty and staff; and where young men would find opportunities to interact with peers and develop relationships with other students, as well as adults, they may not otherwise have encountered on the Prep’s nearly 1,500-student campus. This vision for a complete wellness program was ambitious, as was the goal of funding the Wellness Center entirely through donor support from across the St. John’s community.

On July 1, 2014, the Campaign for GOOD officially kicked off its “quiet” or leadership phase. Headmaster Ed Hardiman, Ph.D., the Board of Trustees, and the Office for Institutional Advancement started work on an intensive undertaking to secure funding for the $25-million Wellness Center. The planning was inspired by the Xaverian Brothers’ belief that “In harmony small things grow,” and in September 2015, it launched Triple Impact, a strategic call to action led by Tracey and Sam Byrne ’83 P’16 ’17 ’21, Midge and Tom DeSimone ’68 P’88, GP’16 ’18, and Trisha and Mike Kennealy ’86. Over the next several months, with a goal of raising 85 percent of the cost of the project to win Board approval to break ground, hundreds of members from throughout the Prep community came together to raise $10 million in multi‑year commitments and ensure that St. John’s students would get their Wellness Center.

Today, more than $25 million has been committed to the construction of the Wellness Center. St. John’s was deeply grateful that so many benefactors chose to support the school during this first phase of the Campaign for GOOD. The next big step is to ensure that St. John’s is better able to accomplish its mission of educating young men of faith, brotherhood, and wisdom. We will do that by coming together, in that same extraordinary way, to raise the funds necessary to ensure that no qualified young man is denied a Prep education because of the cost of tuition.

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The Campaign for GOOD is about ensuring that every boy who wants to become a Prep student will have that life-changing opportunity, and take the lessons they learn here to make the world a better place.

With completion of the Wellness Center, the Campaign for GOOD will focus on three key areas: 1) strengthening annual giving through the Fund for St. John’s, 2) growing the school’s endowment through cash and stock gifts, 3) increasing support through planned and estate gifts. The Campaign for GOOD is family focused — to keep tuition affordable, to provide tuition assistance for families who need it, and to invest in faculty development and innovative educational opportunities for students. There has never been as exciting a period of growth in the school’s history as today, and a community-wide investment will be necessary to realize the remaining three-year goals of the Campaign for GOOD.

Inspired by Talented Mentors For Matt O’Leary ’17, his Prep experience was defined by the teachers who mentored and guided him. He reflected during the closing days of his senior year:

Annual Giving: The Fund for St. John’s As of December 2017, more than $4 million has been raised for the Fund for St. John’s through the Campaign for GOOD. The annual fund amounts to the single largest cash gift the school receives on a yearly basis — from thousands of members in the Prep community who donate anything from $5 to $50,000. The Fund for St. John’s is a vital cash resource that supports: Tuition Assistance. Financial accessibility for all qualified families is a leading priority for St. John’s. Dollars raised for tuition assistance through the Fund for St. John’s provide support for our boys who travel to Danvers from 80 communities and several states to form the Prep brotherhood.

Faculty Development. St. John’s is committed to providing professional growth opportunities for the extraordinary men and women who educate and inspire our students each and every day.

Student Growth. Prep boys are exposed to boundless opportunities in the classroom and beyond, including service trips locally and abroad, cultural learning opportunities, and an expansive choice of clubs, activities and sports.

Flexible Resources. A gift to the Fund for St. John’s allows the school to allocate funds toward its greatest needs.

Learn more about the Prep’s annual fund and how to get involved as a leadership volunteer for the benefit of today’s and future students by contacting Assistant Director of Annual Giving Kerrie Tingle at ktingle@stjohnsprep.org.

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Inspired by Good

“I think you discover yourself at the Prep because of the teachers and because of what goes on here on this campus. I think the faculty really push you to find your interests and discover your passions, and once you do figure it out, there are just so many opportunities to explore. I think St. John’s provides the space, the time, and the people that can help you learn who you are and what you love to do.”

— MATT O’LEARY ’17

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I believe the Prep is a special place unlike any other. The mission to teach and develop the whole person is so ingrained in the school’s everyday life and philosophy. It’s a place where the culture fosters individual, personal growth by preparing our boys for college but more importantly for the demands of life in a global society; promoting a sense of community awareness and taking action for the less fortunate; teaching the importance of academic discipline and exploration; and building personal relationships that will last a lifetime. It is so much more than just a school. And I have been proud to be part of this community all these years. Imagine the world filled with young men who embody the values they learn at the Prep! It’s inspiring and truly up to us to give back every year in any way we can in order to continue providing this incredible opportunity for more students to come. — MARY JENNINGS P’18

”

An investment through philanthropic support of the Fund for St. John’s and the Prep’s endowment means an investment in every young man at St. John’s. They will continue to foster their love and curiosity for learning and take the values we share with them to change the world for GOOD.

Motivated to Learn and Grow Andrew Selima ’17 arrived at St. John’s intending to play baseball and basketball and to continue his service work. He found his home and a place to thrive in the Campus Ministry program. But he also discovered that the support of his fellow students and his teachers inspired him to go beyond his comfort zone and try something that was intimidating. He ran for a seat on Student Council. After being elected, he knew he could do more.

“Something changed in me, and it was the Prep environment that got me to take that shot, and I’ve been doing it ever since.

I love it, and I definitely will continue working hard and giving back in the future because of this place.” — ANDREW SELIMA ’17

Endowment With more than 130 individual named endowed funds providing for student tuition assistance, faculty development, and programmatic support, the St. John’s Prep endowment stands at $22.7 million. The endowment has seen significant growth over the past decade, particularly in the four years since the Campaign for GOOD began. More than $4 million has been secured for the endowment since the start of the campaign. The goal is to secure an additional $6 million in cash gifts, plus $2 million in planned gift commitments.

Through a combination of fundraising for the endowment and investment growth, our goal is for the endowment to reach $30 million, which will mean more than $1 million in additional annual operating revenue through the endowment investment draw.

The largest endowment fund, the Brother Linus, C.F.X. Fund, supports the Brother Linus, C.F.X. Award, which is voted on by faculty and presented to a freshman leader going into his sophomore year. The fund was established to honor the inspiring commitment of one of the Prep’s great emotional, academic and spiritual leaders. Brother Linus is a legend among the many graduates who had the opportunity to learn from him. St. John’s has a number of endowed funds that have been established and named by donors in honor of longtime faculty members and beloved family. You can learn more by contacting Managing Director of Development/Campaign for GOOD Coordinator Deb Marino at dmarino@stjohnsprep.org.

“These boys are taught from the moment they get here that they’re capable of doing so much. Not just in a classroom.

On the sports fields, on the stage, when they’re writing for the school paper. And being in an environment where people believe in you and are supportive of you, it really inspires our students to achieve what they set their minds to.”

— TRISHA PÉREZ KENNEALY, CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIR

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Strength in Numbers A strong endowment provides for financial flexibility that enables St. John’s Prep to continue to grow our academic programs as well as provide every student with the opportunity of attending the school without regard for financial circumstance. A larger endowment helps the school keep tuition growth manageable while maximizing the availability of tuition assistance funding which currently provides significant support for more than a third of our student population. In years past, the low to nearly non-existent cost of labor provided by the Brothers was, in essence, a gift that allowed the school to continue to operate. Today, we will only be able to sustain this incredible place through an investment in the school’s endowment from alumni, parents, and friends. While we are incredibly proud of and grateful for the growth we’ve seen in this area the past several years, we know we have a long way to go to be the strongest St. John’s we can possibly be.

”

— MARK GUDAITIS ’84, TRUSTEE AND CHAIR OF THE INVESTMENT COMMITTEE

Planned Giving

Support the Campaign for GOOD through a planned gift. Make a provision in your will identifying St. John’s as a beneficiary; use the IRA Charitable Rollover to make a gift now from your IRA; consider naming St. John’s as a beneficiary of your life insurance or retirement assets; fund a charitable gift annuity; gift a piece of real estate; or create a charitable trust benefiting the Prep. Direct your gift to support the Prep’s endowment or for a specific need at St. John’s. To learn more, visit www.stjohnsprep.org/plannedgiving.

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Left: Pamela Burch and David Ives ’75 P’07.  Right: Pat and Moe Morency ’54 look at donors’ names on the glass entryway to the Wellness Center.

Dedicating the Wellness Center

It’s official! Joining Dr. Ed Hardiman P’19 ’21 and David Ives ’75 P’07 as they cut the ribbon are Steve Cunningham P’12 ’14 ’17, Assistant Head of School for Facilities; Trisha Pérez Kennealy and Mike Kennealy ’86, Campaign Co-chairs; Sam Byrne ’83 P’16 ’17 ’21; Bernie Caniff ’72 P’98 ’00 GP’20; Bishop Robert Reed ’77; Tom DeSimone ’68 P’88 GP’16 ’18; and Keith Crowley, Principal/Associate Head of School.

Amid festive lights and balloons, the Prep’s new Wellness Center provided a wonderful setting for an evening of celebration and gratitude at the Headmaster’s Reception on September 14. The Wellness Center was officially dedicated, Mike Kennealy ’86 announced the Campaign for GOOD, and Headmaster Hardiman expressed his appreciation for the generosity from the Prep community that has enabled St. John’s to experience unprecedented growth in capital fundraising, the Fund for St. John’s, and the St. John’s Prep endowment.

Left: Judie and Joe Levis ’60 P’85 ’92 ’94 in front of the Joseph R. Levis ’60 Fitness Center.  Right: Tom and Michele Mathers P’13 with son Tucker ’13 in the Mathers Family Commons.

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The balloons drop signifying the official kick-off of the Campaign for GOOD!

Left: Christine and David Danis P’13 ’17 ’19 ’21.  Center left: Rob Shay ’83 P’15 and Mike Faino ’83.  Center right: Debbie and Bernie Caniff ’72 P’98 ’00 GP’20 with Amy Dittrich P’06 ’09 and Taidgh McClory ’93.  Right: Joanne and Leo Maestranzi ’55 P’84 ’99 GP’24.

Left: Susan Bragg Meurer and Stuart Meurer P’18 ’21 with Mary and Carl Bragg GP’18 ’21, and Kristina and Patrick Herndon P’18.  Right: Dianne and Ray Carey ’67 P’91 ’92.

Bishop Robert Reed ’77, the Prep’s 2017 Distinguished Alumnus, offered the blessing at the dedication of the Wellness Center.

Left: Nicole and Matt DiVirgilio ’98.  Right: Brother Tim Paul, C.F.X. and Millie Mannion P’07.

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Wellness: Live It Like an Action Verb With 88,000 square feet of soaring, wide-open space — flooded with natural light and thrumming with the sounds of student life — the new Wellness Center redefines the Prep campus as a place where individual and collective growth thrive.

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utting yourself out there — to try something new, to take a risk, to push past the comfortable — promotes healthy development in powerful ways. It encourages a growth mindset, which boosts selfconfidence and relieves anxiety. Most important, it teaches students that they can survive, and learn from, adversity. The Wellness Center is all about providing a place for everyone in this community to support one another on that path to lifelong growth”.

— KEITH A. CROWLEY, PH.D., PRINCIPAL/ASSOCIATE HEAD OF SCHOOL

“I

Katzman Family Multipurpose Room: Adjacent to the Mathers Family Student Commons; one of three multipurpose rooms for programs like yoga and Brazilian jiu jitsu, as well as AV equipped meeting space

enjoy teaching yoga because the boys are so curious about it. Most of them are seeing it for the first time, but despite how hard it is, they stick with it and continue to challenge themselves without being embarrassed. There is such power in not worrying about what other people think.

But that’s the atmosphere here.

Discipline, personal courage, the ability to laugh at ourselves from time to time. The Wellness Center brings all of that and more.”

— CINDY FANIKOS P’24, CFO/ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR FINANCE

“I

t’s rewarding to see so many students, all ages and all levels, using the center.

Our approach is to foster emotional and social development through physical movement. When kids engage in physical activities, they’re putting themselves out there, taking a risk. They’re also coming together and forming a sense of camaraderie to overcome a challenge. It can be stressful, but we grow from stress.

Anytime we can offer opportunities to engage with something physically challenging and connected to lifelong fitness, it builds resilience.”

— STEVE BROWN, DIRECTOR OF WELLNESS

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Joseph Levis ’60 Fitness Center: Two-level fitness space for strength training and cardiovascular workouts

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ater polo is a unique sport, which makes it very challenging — a true test of the human body, physically and mentally.

Being able to practice in the pool and work out right here has made a big difference in the way we compete. We’re more physical against other teams in just one season. It’s amazing to see the improvement in just one season. The community is behind us, and the fan section is always filled. We couldn’t be more appreciative of what we have here.”

— HARRISON FISCUS ’18, WATER POLO CO-CAPTAIN

John A. Driscoll ’90 Aquatics Center: 8-lane, 25-yard pool for swimming, diving and water polo; 90-seat elevated viewing area

Dianne and Ray Carey ’67 Field House: Competition wood basketball court and 4 regulation-sized cross courts; main level practice track with long jump/triple jump pit and portable throwing circle; elevated track; stadium viewing area with dedicated rooms for press, coaches, officials, and announcers

“I

like that you can do anything in the Wellness Center.

Coming down here during lunch or after school is a stress reliever. Working out, playing basketball, seeing your friends in the middle of the day — it frees your mind, gives you a fresh start for the rest of your day.” — JARNEL SNOW ’20

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prep The Magazine of St. John’s Prep

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

Edward P. Hardiman, Ph.D. Principal/Associate Head of School

Keith A. Crowley, Ph.D. Chief Advancement Officer

Kevin A. Collins Editorial Staff

Elizabeth Forbes Director of Marketing and Communications Sandra “Sam” Trapani Assistant Director of Communications Chad Konecky Communication Specialist Design

Caruso Graphic Design Printing

Flagship Press, Inc. Direct Comments, Contributions and Address Updates to:

Office for Institutional Advancement St. John’s Preparatory School 72 Spring Street Danvers, MA 01923 978.774.6727

www.stjohnsprep.org

“The service trip can be described as riveting, educational, and inspirational. I witnessed the beauty of another culture, as well as the detrimental poverty of a third world country, The trip opened my mind to the fortune in our own lives and opened my heart for the impoverished people of Guatemala.”

— Nik Patel ’18

C O M PA S S I O N H U M I L I T Y S I M PL I C I T Y T RU S HU MIL I T Y SI M PL ICI T Y T RUS T& ZE A L C OM PA SSIO T RU S T & Z E A L C O M PA S S I O N H U M I L I T Y S I M C O M PA S S I O N H U M I L I T Y S I M PL I C I T Y T RU S stjohnsprep.smugmug.com HU MIL I T Y SI M PL ICI T Y T RUS T& ZE A L C OM PA SSIO instagram.com/stjohnsprep T RU S T & Z E A L C O M PA S S I O N H U M I L I T Y S I M twitter.com/stjohnsprep C O M PA S S I O N H U M I L I T Y S I M PL I C I T Y T RU S HU MIL I T Y SI M PL ICI T Y T RUS T& ZE A L C OM PA SSIO facebook.com/stjohnspreparatoryschool T RU S T & Z E A L C O M PA S S I O N H U M I L I T Y S I M C O M PA S S I O N H U M I L I T Y S I M PL I C I T Y T RU S H U M I L I T Y S I M PL I C I T Y T RU S T & Z E A L C O M PA S S

KEEP UP WITH THE PREP!

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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 FALL 2017 12 Headmaster’s Message 13 SOUNDBites 14 Embracing Life in the Mountain Kingdom: Patrick Smith ’12

16 Bowed Heads, Buoyed Hearts 18 Pride & Prejudice 20 Meeting of the Minds 21 Goodfellas 22 The Ticker: News from the Prep 24 A Mark of Distinction: Pete Frates ’03 26 Sports 28 It’s Official: Glatz Field!

29 Brother Linus Scholarship Golf Tournament 30 PrepVentures 33 Annual Impact Report 36 Field Notes 48 Since You Asked: Miguel Galvez ’08 and Deckard Sorensen ’08

Senior Nik Patel took the photos on this page during a trip to Guatemala, where he and nine other Prep students worked with Habitat for Humanity on a weeklong Global Village build project.

Mrs. Lu Richards, Director of the Center for Learning and Academic Success, led the trip.

ON THE COVER A view of the Wellness Center’s John A. Driscoll ’90 Aquatics Center, looking toward the two-level Joseph Levis ’60 Fitness Center.

Photo: Robert Benson Photography

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In many important ways, St. John’s is an incubator, where students learn to become servant leaders, and where networks for mentoring and learning flourish among our alumni and parents.

Headmaster’s Message Dear Prep Community Members, Can an institution with a 110-year history be considered a startup? My answer is an emphatic yes! The sense of purpose, energy, and creativity that inspires any new enterprise inhabits our campus and extends throughout the Prep community globally.

By definition, a startup is founded on the promise of exponential growth. What could be more promising than the boundless potential of 1,500 young minds?

A startup leads with its competitive edge and thrives on being adaptive — particularly when the solutions aren’t obvious and success isn’t guaranteed. The driving force is a willingness to take risks in the service of something ambitious, even world-changing. Startups are agile, ready to solve problems and outcome-oriented. This same mindset shaped St. John’s more than 100 years ago and it continues to power us today.

Our edge is educating young men who see beyond themselves and use their individual influence to make the world a better place. In many important ways, St. John’s is an incubator, where students learn to become servant leaders, and where networks for mentoring and learning flourish among our alumni and parents.

The zeal that propels this remarkable community is truly something to behold. As you read this magazine, think about the way the Wellness Center has already changed our campus ecosystem. Imagine the thought-provoking

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discussions prompted by the African-American Studies course being taught by Dana Smith and John Roy ’87. Meet Mark Gregorio ’04, who led a team of GE colleagues to Malawi to build a school in partnership with buildOn. And witness in Pete Frates ’03 the power of one person to galvanize people across continents and change the trajectory of ALS research for the benefit of countless others.

As an inclusive Catholic, Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School, it is our responsibility to take education a step further. To make it about more than great academics. By any measure, our academic program is best in class. But we do more.

We ask students to use their talents to make a better, more just society. We ask them to embody what the American theologian Frederick Buechner meant when he said, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

We’ve accomplished a great deal during the last few years. The Campaign for GOOD section of this magazine demonstrates just how far we’ve come — because so many of you have invested in St. John’s. Inspired by the same sense of faith and purpose that impelled Brother Benjamin in 1907, we will continue to innovate, collaborate, and grow in order to nurture the infinite potential of our students. The possibilities are endless.

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

SOUNDbites What a Relief: When seniors came up

with the idea to hold a collection for Catholic Charities’ USA Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, they couldn’t have imagined they’d raise more than $27,132 in one day for the people of Houston! Students were humbled by the generosity of the Prep community. From coins, checks, and crumpled dollars in students’ pockets it all made a difference!

Downhill Run: The Prep community around the world will be rooting for two-time Olympic bronze medalist Steve Langton ’01, who came out of retirement to dedicate himself to training for a potential third trip to the games in the sport of bobsledding!

True Grit: Science teacher Chris Borgatti competed in his first SwimRun at Casco Bay in Maine last summer. This intense race involves swimming and running from island to island on a roughly marked 23-mile course. To make it even tougher, athletes wear shoes and a wetsuit for the whole competition — in the water and on the trail — because there’s no time to change!

Up, Up and Away: There were dozens of paper planes aloft in the air space around the Brother Keefe, C.F.X. Academic Center when the Science-Technology Club hosted a paper airplane competition in October. Students engineered their own designs in the physics lab, and then launched a competition to see whose plane soared the farthest!

Slam Dunk! Pat Connaughton ’11 sank the first shot on the court that bears his name in the Wellness Center during a special ceremony in September for his family and friends. It was the first of many wonderful Prep moments on Pat Connaughton Court!

No One Walks Alone: We often say that no one walks alone at the Prep.

Nine students carried that belief in their hearts when they went to St. Anthony’s Shrine in Boston to act as pallbearers for Mr. Rafael Hernandez, a homeless man whose funeral was held at the church on Arch Street in October. Their presence meant that Mr. Hernandez would not leave this world alone either. “Seeing our students there had a profound effect on the staff at St. Anthony’s, the social workers from Pine Street Inn, the funeral directors, and the homeless men and women who attended the funeral,” said Director of Campus Ministry Lawrence Molloy. “The priest made it clear that Rafael was not alone. All in all, a very beautiful experience.”

The Power of Being Present: During a prayer service on the first day of school it’s become a tradition to give students a blue bracelet with the Xaverian value that will be the focus in the coming year. This year the focus is on simplicity. Students watched a video about the power of being present to those around us.

Thanks to Frank Sullivan ’17 for lending his strong voice and Gianni Venezia ’18 and David Gaudin ’18 for their cameo appearances in the video! You can find it at https://vimeo.com/stjohnsprep/ sjpsimplicity.

The Ungentlemanly Art: Veterans of

Peter Mathison’s US history class would have recognized some of the political cartoons he showed during a Classroom Takeout mini-course called “The Ungentlemanly Art: Political Cartoons in American History.” Fun fact: did you know that there is a Pulitzer Prize category for political cartoons? Now in its fifth season, Classroom Takeout gives parents and alumni the chance to experience the kind of discussion that goes on in our classrooms every day.

It’s Our Home: Mariah Ting, adjunct professor of Environmental Sustainability at Boston University and the author of “Protecting the Planet” spoke to eighth grade science classes in October about the importance of working together to secure a sustainable future. Her visit came just as students were working on a project-based learning unit on climate change and environmental sustainability.

Totally Cool! A group of faculty, staff, and students on campus this summer gathered to view the historic total eclipse. They used homemade lightbox filters and even took out the Prep’s old Astronomy Club telescope to capture some amazing images.

Strong Women: In the spirit of wellness, a group of Prep women formed a team to compete in the 41st Tufts 10K for Women. Kudos to Lacey Allis, Liz Dobrowolski, Tracii Schaeublin, Evangelyn Surette, Rita Toscano-Coray, Wendy Larivee, and friend of the Prep, Brenda White.

This hardy crew braved high temperatures and humidity to finish strong! Speaking of strong, St. John’s Prep held a women’s self-defense seminar for faculty and staff in October to teach basic self-defense techniques.

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EMBRACING LIFE Lesotho In Brief Name: Lesotho, commonly nicknamed “the mountain kingdom” for its elevation and striking peaks Population: 2.2 million Size: 11,720 square miles, about the size of Delaware Location: Surrounded entirely by its neighbor, the Republic of South Africa Elevation: The only country in the world that sits entirely above 1,000 meters in elevation, Lesotho has the highest lowest point of any country in the world Government: Constitutional monarchy; declared independence from the United Kingdom in 1966 Economy: Agriculture, livestock, manufacturing and mining Poverty: 57.1% of the population lives below the international poverty line of $1.25/day Physician to Patient Ratio: 5 to 100,000 Infant Mortality: 8.3% Life Expectancy: 53 years Source: Partners in Health, BBC.com, Nationsonline.org

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A view of Mokhotlong, one of Lesotho’s most mountainous districts, where Patrick joined a friend’s family for a three-day Thanksgiving feast last Easter.

IN THE

MOUNTAIN KINGDOM Creating a path to health care for the people of Lesotho

P

atrick Smith ’12 lives in Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho, a small independent nation completely surrounded by its much larger neighbor, South Africa. It’s about a 10-minute walk from Patrick’s house to the Partners In Health (PIH) office, where he works to research and improve the country’s health care system, particularly efforts to bring high quality care to people living in the hard-to-reach, mountainous, rural areas that define nearly two-thirds of the country’s stunningly beautiful landscape.

“My life here is relatively easy. I have running water, electricity, good cell phone coverage, and access to well-stocked grocery stores. But that’s not the case for the majority of people in Lesotho, so there are a lot of challenges to delivering effective services to the people who need them most,” says Patrick, who came to Lesotho in the fall of 2016 as a Fulbright scholar to work with PIH. He arrived just months after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Villanova and nailing the NCLEX licensure exam.

At the end of his Fulbright year, he signed on for another 12 months with PIH, which has been working in Lesotho at the invitation of the country’s Ministry of Health since 2006. Among other initiatives, PIH has supported the operation of seven remote clinics, the improvement of the nation’s multi-drug resistant tuberculosis program, and the collaborative introduction of a national primary healthcare reform, which aims to improve the accessibility and quality of healthcare nationwide.

Patrick’s first few months in Lesotho were spent making the long journey to remote health centers to interview nurses, village health workers, and patients. He turned that research into a 75-page report that documents program impacts and shares recommendations for process improvement at the community and national levels.

“… I can’t describe how transformative it has been to live in Lesotho, a place where I never stop learning. I wish everyone could have an opportunity like this.”

Delivering good health care to the country’s 2.1 million people is a challenge made more difficult by high rates of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, as well as malnutrition and a lifetime risk of maternal death that is 45 times higher than in the United States. “Women die giving birth here and in other developing countries a lot more than they would in Boston. Here, people die of conditions for which cures have existed for hundreds of years. We’re trying to change that by ensuring that all people — regardless of birthplace — have access to systems and resources which affirm their right to health.”

Patrick and a fellow researcher interview patients about their care-seeking experience at Holy Cross health center, a facility in Mohale’s Hoek district.

The statistics paint a daunting picture. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS among adults is 25 percent. Lesotho has the second-highest incidence of tuberculosis in the world. And for the last 15 years, maternal and neonatal health outcomes have been backsliding. To compound these issues, opportunistic infections like tuberculosis spread easily in small, enclosed spaces where ventilation is poor, as is often the case in rural homes or in the mines where many migrants from Lesotho work. After diagnosis, tuberculosis is more difficult to treat in remote, mountainous areas, due to an intensive medication regiment which demands close follow-up.

“My job is to look at what has worked and what can be done better,” he says. “Our hope is that as we support health systems improvement in Lesotho, we can extrapolate the lessons we learn here and apply them in other contexts, whether that’s South Africa, Rwanda, Haiti, or Boston.”

While he was at Villanova, Patrick took every opportunity to get experience in health care policy. In addition to volunteering and studying health systems with the global non-profit Unite for Sight in Ghana, he conducted research on strategies to improve care for older adults in Baltimore on a fellowship from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

His work in Lesotho brings together three interests close to his heart: health care, social justice, and global citizenship. “I was drawn to global health for the same reasons that I got involved with Model UN in high school and nursing in college — an interest in equity and a desire to understand people from backgrounds different from my own.”

“Reflecting on how I arrived here,” he continues, “I’m often reminded of reading Tracy Kidder’s ‘Mountains Beyond Mountains’ for Bill Mackinson’s religious studies class during sophomore year at St. John’s. “I was about 16 at the time, and the book [which tells the story of how Partners In Health was formed in rural Haiti] just inspired me. I didn’t necessarily know what I wanted to do at the time, but I knew I wanted to expand my worldview and focus on social justice. And now, less than 10 years later, I can’t describe how transformative it has been to live in Lesotho, a place where I never stop learning. I wish everyone could have an opportunity like this.”

Working with talented, passionate colleagues from across the world has been “life giving,” Patrick says of his colleagues from Lesotho and places like Burundi and Ethiopia in East Africa.

“Seeing their commitment and the longstanding impact they have in people’s lives is a source of daily inspiration. They’ve all taken different paths to get here, and it’s a privilege to learn from them.”

Patrick’s path as a global health advocate started with his parents.

His mother, Alice, is a nurse, and his father, Gary, is chair of the Science Department at St. John’s. Conversations about social justice issues happened all the time around the dinner table, and continue via weekly Skype calls today. When his parents visited Lesotho last year, they took off for a road trip through parts of South Africa, including a visit to the Apartheid Museum, a selfguided safari, and hikes — all interwoven with conversations about day-to-day routines and about high-level issues facing the world at large. Together, they look forward to continuing the conversations as new experiences unfold.

Read more about living and working in Lesotho on Patrick’s blog at https://pd94smith.wordpress.com/

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A Prep delegation’s summer visit to Austria memorialized a life lost long ago, bringing closure and inspiring hope in a place despair once reigned

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or more than six decades, Sonia Weitz never let go of her memory of an American soldier darkening her door frame inside the Austrian death camp where she lay, delirious with typhus and weighing only 60 pounds. She was 16. It was 1945, and more than a decade of Nazi terror had just vanished into what President George W. Bush once called “history’s unmarked grave of discarded lies.” Mrs. Weitz later penned a poem about the encounter in which she revealed that she thought the infantryman was the Messiah arriving to free her soul as she died.

Bowed Heads,

Buoyed

Hearts Photos by Jonathan Bowers ’18

Sonia Weitz lived another 65 years until her death in 2010 at the age of 81. A Peabody resident, she built a warm relationship with St. John’s Prep in the course of becoming one of the world’s foremost Holocaust-remembrance activists after coming to the North Shore in 1948. What Mrs. Weitz (née Schreiber) did not know at the moment of her liberation was that her father, Janek (Jakub), had not survived the Nazi-inspired genocide. He had died, in fact, inside the same concentration camp where she was found, clinging to life. Janek was killed a quarter mile from where his youngest daughter was saved and just a few weeks before the guards at Mauthausen Concentration Camp abandoned their posts as the 11th Armored Division of the U.S. Third Army approached.

She’d never even known he was there.

Mrs. Weitz didn’t return to Austria after her liberation. And while Mauthausen is now a living memorial to the victims of Nazi inhumanity, Janek himself had never been memorialized in the place he lost his life. This past summer, led by religious studies teacher Mary Kiley and German teacher Chris Lynch, a group of 24 students and four faculty from the Prep sought to close this open loop of history by visiting the former death camp and honoring the memory of Mrs. Weitz’s father.

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The Prep delegation laid a wreath at the base of the camp’s Jewish Memorial on Mauthausen’s grounds in memory of Janek Schreiber, the father of late Holocaust-remembrance activist Sonia Weitz.

After considerable overseas logistical coordination, the St. John’s Prep delegation was received by Mauthausen Memorial staff during a formal visit on June 23, the seventh anniversary of Mrs. Weitz’s death, during which the visitors laid a personalized wreath at the foot of the Menorah Memorial. This monument to the Jewish victims of the camp was also where the Prep group held a memorial service for Janek Schreiber.

“I think what SJP did to get Mauthausen to honor my grandfather was wonderful,” said Mrs. Weitz’s daughter, Sandy, 62, who lives on Kibbutz Givat Brenner in Israel. Her brother, Don Weitz, graduated from St. John’s in 1970. “Knowing that my grandfather was memorialized 72 years after the Holocaust ended, which also happened to be the anniversary of my mother’s death, is very humbling. Thanks to SJP, my grandfather’s story lives on.

My mother’s wish was that ‘we never forget the atrocities’ and I’m grateful to the Prep for continuing to honor my mother’s wish.”

Staff members at Mauthausen clearly embraced the event as more than simply welcoming another group of visitors. “We can work against hate by remembering the victims of the Holocaust as individual human beings,” said Teres Stockinger, a member of the education team at Mauthausen Memorial. “Listening to the personal experience of Sonia Weitz and laying a wreath for her father is not only an act of remembrance, but it is an act of resistance against the Holocaust and racist ideology. By researching the stories of individual people, we work towards restoring their dignity as our brothers and sisters.”

“Children are the hope. The rebirth, the future. They must remember: Never stand by. Always be watchful for danger signals of hatred, prejudice and violence — because each and every person can make a difference.”

— SONIA WEITZ (FROM NORTH SHORE SUNDAY 2003)

of a Ukrainian guard, Sonia’s father was memorialized. At the More than 80 members of Mrs. Weitz’s extended family lost their conclusion of the service, no one moved. I think the boys really lives in the Holocaust, and she spent the rest of her life educating grasped the magnitude of the moment. It was very organic. We tens of thousands of students on the lessons of a profoundly dark were all kind of glued in place.” chapter in human history. She co-founded the Peabody-based Holocaust Center Boston North in 1981, which is now part of At the suggestion of Mr. Lynch, now his 24th the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies year at the Prep, each boy picked up a small at Salem State University. She followed Nobel stone as the students made their way past 32 St. John’s Prep Community Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel as the second other memorial and commemorative areas inside Holocaust Legacy Partners death camp survivor appointed to the council the camp before reaching the Jewish memorial advising the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jennifer Billings P’12 ’14 ’17 at the extreme northwest edge of the grounds.

Washington, D.C., which opened in 1993.

Anne Richardson P’15 “My father’s sister married a Russian Jew, so he “Sonia did not view the Holocaust as mere From the Religious had a number of Jewish cousins,” said Lynch. history,” said Christopher Mauriello, a professor Studies Department: “When I visit [my uncle’s] grave in Canton, I’m of history at Salem State University and Joe Lovett always taken aback to see the small stones left academic coordinator of the school’s Center for Mary Kiley on top of his gravestone, and it makes me feel Holocaust and Genocide Studies. “She saw it as Michael Leonard good that my Jewish cousins had visited him a human experience. That’s why she dedicated since the last time I was there. I explained to the her life to talking with young people, especially boys the symbolism of the stones in the Jewish generations of St. John’s Prep students, about her family’s faith and suggested they lay stones on the Menorah Memorial. experience and the universal lessons of the Holocaust. She would It was very moving seeing the boys line up with their stones in have been so moved to witness this summer’s wreath-laying at memory of Sonia’s father.”

Mauthausen in memory of her father. Not for what is represented “I noticed things throughout the visit that might sound counter­ about the past, but its potential for a more hopeful future.” intuitive,” said sophomore John Bartholomew, 16. “The Nazis were Mrs. Weitz also co-created the Holocaust Legacy Partner program, humans, yet this is something they did to other human beings. pairing survivors with those who promise to keep telling their There was a big concrete ditch just outside main gate. We were all stories once they are gone. Legacy Partners record each survivor’s speculating about what it was for. It turned out to be a swimming testimony to curate a permanent archive. For the Prep students pool for the SS. A swimming pool! That really drove home for who made the trip this summer, it felt as though Mrs. Weitz was me that these were people, but they did something monstrous. with them at the ceremony.

They were totally disconnected and detached from life inside those walls. To me, that makes it clear something like that could “I felt Janek’s presence and I felt Sonia’s too,” said the Prep’s Kiley, still happen today. If we think even for a moment that the Nazis who has moderated the Jewish Student Union at SJP for more weren’t human, it’s bound to happen again. We have to recognize than 15 years, and whom Mrs. Weitz named as a Legacy Partner that and we have to be prepared to stop it before it does.” in 2009. “Finally, decades after his brutal death at the hands

Left: The Mauthausen Concentration Camp in Austria is now a memorial to the Holocaust victims who died there.  Above: A Prep delegation of 24 students and four faculty received a guided tour before conducting a memorial ceremony at Mauthausen Memorial in Austria this summer.

According to trip chaperone Mrs. Mary Kiley, the memorial ceremony “struck a powerful chord” with the students and Mauthausen Memorial staff in attendance.

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PRIDE&PREJUDICE

In their third and fourth decade, respectively, teaching at the Prep, Dana Smith and John Roy are thrilled about co-teaching their new, year-long elective entitled African American Studies.

A new cross-disciplinary elective marries literature and the historical record to explore the evolution of African American culture from slavery through modern day

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n ambitious African American Studies course co-taught by Dana Smith and John Roy ’87 has debuted this fall. The goal: to tackle issues of culture, cruelty, race, redemption, reparation, and regression beginning with the transatlantic slave trade and extending through the hip hop era. The year-long elective is crafted to deliver a full semester of historical content and context taught by Mr. Smith, now in his 32nd year in the Prep Social Studies Department, followed by a semester of interrelated and chronologically synced literature guided by Mr. Roy, now in his third decade as a member of the Prep English Department.

The course’s initial semester is a deep dive into the philosophical, economic, and socio-political dimensions of what Smith calls “the largest forced migration in human history,” as well as the long-term fallout. Immersing the class in primary sourcing from “The Norton Anthology of African American Literature,” Mr. Roy will follow up by retracing Mr. Smith’s historical roadmap, allowing students to experience deeply personal insights from distinguished and lesser-known literary talents spanning multiple generations of black authors.

While the scope of the class is expansive and the subject matter sobering, Mr. Smith is confident that he and Mr. Roy will have succeeded if their 23 students walk away with a firm grasp of a singular, far-reaching, and profoundly consequential reality.

“At its most basic level, this is not African American history — this is American history,” says Mr. Smith, who is also a National Park Ranger and conducts guided tours of Boston’s Black Heritage

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Trail. “It’s the bigger picture and it’s the most truthful version.

To me, the power to overcome chattel slavery is the story. White and black are the pieces on the chessboard, but the story is about the human soul. How do you keep your love and heart and identity? How do you rise up and create a culture of your own after starting out as a piece of property? From slave ship to the presidency sounds like an illusion, but it happened. And yet black America — all Americans — still face challenges that stem from this dark period in our history.”

The first quarter of the course has featured select films, a visit to the Black Heritage Trail, and a guest-lecture by freelance musician Antanas Meilus, who performed slave spirituals. Tommy O’Neil ’18 says the experience has been eye-opening.

“I definitely have a vastly different sense for the scope of dehumanization that went on,” he says. “Exploring the issues black people dealt with and, in my experience, that people of color still deal with — friends of mine — I can try to relate to that with more information, and that helps.”

For his part, Mr. Roy believes the perfect complement to the historical foundation students are gaining is a narrative concentration in short fiction, poetry, and oration.

“Throughout our country’s history, we were often told to look at events through the eyes of the victor or, in this case, the white plantation owner,” explains Mr. Roy, who served as the Prep’s first official diversity coordinator a quarter-century ago in 1992. “We

“As a teenager in 2017, I think this course is so important. It brings into greater focus the scope of what happened and brings a whole new meaning to how people thought, which can only help us as we deal with some of the challenges that are still with us today.”

— ELIJAH CASSEUS ’18

Above: Social Studies teacher Dana Smith lays the historical groundwork in a course co-taught by English teacher John Roy, who will retrace history using African American literature. Here, Mr. Smith engages with his class, exploring the boundaries of what he calls “the largest forced migration in human history.”  Left: Also a National Park Ranger, Mr. Smith conducted a personalized tour of Boston’s Black Heritage Trail for his class this fall.

American experience. Given the recent events in Charlotte and the NFL, the opportunity to explore this history could not be more timely in helping our students make sense of the world we live in.”

It’s clear the course is already making headway in this regard.

“The effects of slavery don’t just last a lifetime, that stuff lasts for generation upon generation,” says Jean Maldonado ’19. “I’m from a mixed-race family and this seems like such a complex part of our history. It was true evil, but this was free labor by people who literally built our country on their backs. Where would we be as a country without that backing? get a far more accurate view of plantation life through the eyes of the slave. Introducing students to voices they might not have heard before should help them see things in a more nuanced light.”

To sit in on the class is to witness two teachers (Roy has been an occasional visitor throughout the first semester) with a contagious passion for the subject matter and for whom teaching seems to be a birthright. Student engagement is off the charts. The atmosphere is uptempo and candid.

“I don’t know how a reasonable person could view what was done to African Americans as even remotely ‘OK,’” Maldonado adds. “That attitude has to be taught. It has to passed down. We shouldn’t expect that another person or idea can never rise up to oppress any group of people. It can happen again.”

The moral incongruity of the colonial slave trade is a theme Mr. Smith returns to frequently, emphasizing that ideology was in some ways a byproduct of ruthless economic forces.

“What impresses me the most is that I’m able to go into a class with peers, a majority of them being white, and open up and engage about some pretty explicit topics,” says Elijah Casseus ’18.

“Guys in this class want to know more and further their education.

I already feel like my peers are more attuned to and have a better understanding of what I struggle with sometimes just because I’m black.”

“This was happening in America during the time of the Enlightenment when people were talking about the equality of man,” he explains to his students. “Don’t look for logic in this.

It’s about wealth and power and hate. Those with power needed a permanent, easily identifiable labor force that couldn’t just slip away. It was the creation of an underclass within a caste system, and that history still shapes African-American culture today.”

It is Mr. Roy’s hope that as class enrollment grows, the curriculum can expand to encompass more academic departments. For Dr. Mark McManmon, the Prep’s assistant principal for grades 11 and 12, the multidisciplinary approach is a highlight of the new course.

Ms. Raisa Carrasco-Velez, who directs the Multicultural Affairs and Community Development Office at the Prep, says courses like the new elective offer a richer fabric of context by weaving the historical record with first-hand, real-life accounts.

“The wonderful part is that students have the opportunity to break down any (pre-existing barriers) between social studies and English,” says Dr. McManmon. “Students have the chance to not only learn the history of African Americans, but also immerse themselves in the literature and writing of African Americans.

In this way, they develop a much richer grasp of the African

“What I love about what we’re doing here is that we recognize our obligation as educators to maintain a connection between the learning process and the world beyond the classroom,” she says. “This course, by its approach, allows both teachers and students to do exactly that — genuinely and intentionally be active participants in the learning experience.”

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Middle school students investigate social justice concerns of race and gender in a coed setting

Meeting of the Minds

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he Middle School hosted its inaugural Social Justice Summit in October, welcoming nearly 50 students from the seventh and eighth grades of the Newton-based all-girls Catholic school, Mount Alvernia. Nearly 60 participants from the Prep’s seventh and eighth grade classes joined in the event, which explored issues of gender and race inequality.

The four-hour think tank featured interactive stations, galleries, and multimedia platforms designed to foster discussion. At the seventh grade level, the topical focus was on gender and media as well as gender-related stereotyping and misconceptions. Students were encouraged to journal, share, and even cast a vote on how they define feminism. Reflection and dialogue also centered around forming and maintaining healthy relationships with friends of the opposite gender. Last fall, Mount Alvernia hosted Prep seventh graders for a similar event in Newton.

“I think there are two goals for summits like this one,” says Middle School Dean of Students and Student Life Coordinator Jessaca Michaelson, who served as an event coordinator along with Middle School Director Jason Larocque and Mrs. Jennifer Staysniak from Mount Alvernia. “One is to give our students, who are in an all-boys setting, an opportunity to interact with girls their age and have an academic conversation guided by high school students in low-pressure setting. Secondly, we’re getting guys and girls together to look at big, tough social issues that are impacting our society with the intended outcome for them to walk away with a plan to help influence change for the better.”

With assistance from about 20 high school moderators from Mt. Alvernia, who guided small group sessions, a number of Prep

seventh graders were eager to share their positive takeaways from some of the exercises. Matthew Morrow ’23 said the social media galleries that students were asked to react to in writing and in real time “do make you think” about the power of imagery, while Jackson Burke ’23 resolved to “treat people in a way that’s not based upon stereotypes.” Owen Horrigan ’23 concluded, “You can think of all people as equal and all people as different, and that can be a positive for all genders.”

The eighth grade sessions revolved around issues of bias and race, including how the news media shapes race and racism in America, how this might influence students’ own perspectives, and how can these tendencies be challenged and changed. Mentored by five high school moderators from the Prep, participants sifted through these themes on a rotating, small-group basis via pairing and sharing, group discussion, and journal exercises. They also viewed a TED talk and listened to rap music in order to parse through lyrics and analyze messages of disenfranchisement.

“From a Prep perspective, we’re working with middle school boys, so we try to offer different means of taking in information to accommodate different learning styles,” says seventh and eighth grade social studies teacher Jared Rodriguez ’09, who designed the modules for the event’s eighth grade program. “The goal is to have at least one approach stick. With the time limitations we face, a summit like this isn’t necessarily about teaching as much as it’s about lighting a spark. We want each student to come away with an answer to the question: ‘What are you thinking about now in terms of gender justice and racial awareness that you weren’t thinking before?’”

Interactive table discussions were a favorite part of the day for students. Seventh grade students (from left to right) Jonathan Keefe, Owen Horrigan, Jackson Burke, Francesca Baker, Ava Pioli, Sarah Wosny listen to Mount Alvernia seniors Caroline Murphy and Candace Kelliher.

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Goodfellas

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ustin Granniss ’19 confesses to having been a tad unsettled by the prospect of co-starring opposite three graduated seniors in the Prep Drama Guild’s final summer theater production of 2017. But he was never intimidated. His college-bound cast members in “A Relationship: As Told

By Ten People Failing” never would have allowed that to happen in the DiVincenzo Black Box Theatre at the Ryken Center for the Arts.

“At first, being cast with all these accomplished actors, I was disoriented” says Granniss, who shared the stage with class of ’17 graduates Paul St. Cyr, Nolan Spencer, and Jacob Snell. “But everyone in this program is so down to earth and accepting. We became a cast and we became friends. Being in this show was a huge confidence boost.”

The stress-free execution of this ambitious billing came as no surprise to director and Middle School theater teacher Brit Christopher. Peer mentorship isn’t something folks associated with the Prep drama program talk about much. It is, quite the contrary, organic. Improvisational. Inevitable within the continuum of actors and acting at the Prep.

Continuity, collaboration and fellowship are the life’s blood of the Prep Drama Guild

“I think the sense of continuity comes from the work that (Fine Arts Department chair and artistic director of the Prep Drama Guild) Alicia Greenwood does every day,” says Christopher. “She focuses on creating a community with her plays and her actors all year and it’s purposeful and it becomes instinctual. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you’re thinking about the future of the Guild.”

“Working with the younger guys like Justin and Cole, I never thought it was my job to teach them how to act,” says Jacob Snell ’17. “That comes from Ms. Greenwood, Ms. Christopher and practice. Within the Drama Guild, every play or show is a continuation of this special community within the SJP experience, and those two guys are part of that. Age disappears on stage.

I kind of laugh when I think about Cole being a sophomore because I just saw him as a player in the play.”

The production was built on an original script written by the cast in a deeply collaborative undertaking. Scenes shifted among five couples across the trajectory of their respective relationships.

The challenging subject matter was deftly handled by the show’s 10 writers, a group that included Lynn English’s Cassidy Stranahan, Bishop-Fenwick’s Brigid Waldron and Melrose High’s Bridget Bright as well as Lia Whitman and Olivia Brown of Hamilton‑Wenham.

The dialogue, parsed into a series of cleverly arranged vignettes, was replete with unvarnished observations about intimacy, a stark portrayal of resilience within relational dynamics, and an engrossing exploration of traditional notions of love and chemistry.

Pictured l to r, top row: Nolan Spencer ’17, Ms. Brit Christopher, Jacob Snell ’17; bottom row: Jack Charron ’19, Cassidy Stranahan, Justin Granniss ’19, Cole Steeves ’20, Lia Whitman, Olivia Brown, Brigid Waldron, Bridget Bright, Paul St. Cyr ’17

Steeves, a sophomore, was tasked with a particularly demanding role, playing across from the effervescent and veteran talent, Nolan Spencer ’17. But the younger actor inhabited his character as Spencer’s unsophisticated, sometimes brooding and oftentimes insecure opposite.

“I learned so much from being in this show,” says Steeves.

“Collaborating with everyone in the show on the writing of the play, well, I’ve never done anything like that before. We all loved the writing process and we did it together.”

“I watch the younger guys and I sometimes find myself expecting them to know more,” adds Nolan. “Then, I’m reminded of myself at that age. I think back to my first show and I was an idiot then.

These guys are actually really good.”

While Spencer, Snell, and St. Cyr have graduated, Granniss and Steeves carry on as players within the SJP Drama Guild. Both landed roles in the theater arts department’s fall production of “Beauty and the Beast.”

“On the first day of school, I meet with our seniors and tell them, ‘You need to remember who was there for you when you started in this program,’” says Ms. Greenwood, now in her eleventh year at St. John’s. “Everybody has that one person. You remember what they did for you, and I tell our upperclassmen that they have to do that for someone else now. The summer program has expanded — with 40 kids and three shows this summer — and it’s perfect for the peer mentorship we stress.”

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THE

Ticker NEWS FROM THE PREP Left: The Animal Welfare Club and Campus Ministry team up for the Blessing of the Animals event, October 1.  Below: Carol Panagoulias with Juanito.

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rayers and Paws-itivity. This year’s sixth annual Blessing of the Animals had a tail wagging happy ending. Juanito, a Puerto Rican rescue dog who was at the event, wound up being adopted by the grandmother of two Prep boys! He was given a forever home by Carol Panagoulias, who told her grandsons, Sebastian ’19 and Evan Fisichelli ’22, that she “just felt like the dog truly spoke to her and he was calling her to go to that Blessing which brought them together.” The event is a collaboration between Campus Ministry and the Animal Welfare Club, who partner with local humane organizations to teach about the vital work they perform for animals in need.

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lay by Play. Keeping current with your favorite St. Johns sports teams is a little easier this year, thanks to a dynamic duo in the press box — the Baylow brothers.

Sam ’20 is writing a weekly Prep sports column, called Eye on the Eagles, which is published in a host of Wicked Local town newspapers and online. He also works at the Concordia, the Prep’s newspaper. His twin brother, Gus ’20, is the voice of the Eagles as lead announcer for SJPN, the Prep’s live streaming sports network.

Gus also shares sports updates on social media. Needless to say, Prep sports are a constant conversation starter among family members at the Baylow dinner table!

One of Sam’s first columns was a reflection about their dreams coming true at St. John’s.

Left: Twin brothers, Gus (left) and Sam (right) are covering sports for St. John’s Prep, each in their own unique way.

Kudos to the seniors recognized in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program. “Congratulations! You have all earned significant national recognition for your scholarship and we are so proud of your achievements,” Dr. Keith A. Crowley, Ph.D. told the students.

Above, left: National Merit Semifinalists John Dwortz, Nicholas Pocharski, and Mattheus Carpenter are flanked by by Principal/Associate Head of School Keith A. Crowley, Ph.D. and Headmaster Edward P. Hardiman, Ph.D.  Right: Commended Students, (front row, l to r) Andrew Carr, Peter McCarthy, Michael Low, Adam Hunt, Theodore Moskai, Timothy Hornick; (back row) Peter Zarakas, Christian DeSimone, Matthew Osborne, Benjamin Hunt, John Hoang, and Michael Finnegan.

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OARS IN THE WATER

The St. John’s Prep crew team soars across the water at the Head of the Charles Regatta. Photo: Lisa Miles

St. John’s had a watershed moment in October, when the crew team competed in the 53rd Head of the Charles Regatta — a first in school history. The team rowed on a stretch of the Charles River generally reserved for boats from the likes of Oxford and Cambridge or Yale and Harvard! This is the world’s largest regatta and attracts more than 11,000 athletes and tens of thousands of spectators and volunteers. For their part, the Eagles spent the Saturday before the race installing nearly 500 feet of dock to help with event setup. “The race is a monumental logistical operation,” said head coach Tim Broderick ’05. “It’s also one of the most difficult races in the world due to the curves in the river and the underpasses of the bridges.” In its first varsity campaign, the Eagles’ crew team — coached by Broderick, Bob Arsenault ’82 and Evan Korol — boasts 60 rowers and nearly half of them were present to support their nine teammates who raced in the event.

The nine athletes who earned the distinction of stepping into the racing shell at the Head of the Charles were Matt Osborne ’18, Will Poulin ’19, Jack Bodette ’19, Pat Martino ’19, Jake Diranian ’19, Jordan Callahan ’19, Sam Hubbard ’18, Jeff DiNitto ’19 and coxswain Brett Sullivan ’18. The Prep finished 76th of 85 boats in the Men’s Youth 8 field with a time of 16 minutes, 50.17 seconds over the 3-mile course. “The result is great as these are many of the best crews in the country and we are in our first competitive fall season,” said Broderick, justly proud of his athletes.

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OOD TO GO Blog. Have you seen the Prep’s new blog?

It debuted this fall and is packed with insights about St. John’s for families. With topics ranging from learning habits of excellence and embracing a growth mindset, to the importance of after-school life, each post gives readers valuable takeaways.

“Few things are as important as finding the right school for your child,” said Director of Admission Jennifer Glover. “The blog is where we’ll share insights and advice to families on this important journey.”

Make sure to check out the latest blog posts on GOOD To Go.

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A MARK OF DISTINCTION

Television and print reporters filled the A. E. Studzinski Library during an August 30 press conference announcing Pete Frates ’03 as St. John’s 2018 Distinguished Alumnus. Pictured, l to r: Headmaster Ed Hardiman, Ph.D., Athletic Director Jim O’Leary, John Frates ’76, Julie Frates with daughter Lucy, Pete, and Nancy Frates.

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quarter century’s worth of Distinguished Alumnus honorees have preceded 32-year-old Pete Frates ’03 as recipients of the school’s highest alumni accolade. The average graduation year for those 25 extraordinary achievers who came before him is 1969.

Let’s face it: The math is astonishing. Peter Frates is so young. But his is the story of a life lived courageously in the face of peril and boldly in his compassion for others. This lofty and in many ways unprecedented recognition is a profound acknowledgement of his extraordinary nature.

“Pete is an amazing role model of resilience, perseverance, inspiration, and servant-leadership,” said Headmaster Edward P. Hardiman, Ph.D. when announcing the news. “He has given his time and his talent, and he and his family have been gamechangers in the lives of others. This honor is a testament to how much we believe that Pete exemplifies what we want our students to emulate in their own journey.”

In conjunction with his being named Distinguished Alumnus, Frates became the first scholar-athlete in Prep history to have his jersey retired, a distinction that extends to all three sports he played — football, hockey and baseball. Not surprisingly, this news, along with the announcement that the varsity baseball field has been dedicated as the “Pete Frates ’03 Diamond,” became the story hook for most media outlets. But inside the Prep community, those visible manifestations of respect represent only a blessed complement to the honor of becoming the school’s 26th Distinguished Alumnus.

“It’s a really special moment,” said Frates’ brother, Andrew ’06, on the day of the announcement. “For Pete to be awarded as a Distinguished Alumnus from amongst over 15,000 alumni, we are truly blessed. We’re a St. John’s family through and through.”

The recipient of the award in 2006 and the Prep’s 14th Distinguished Alumnus, Father Leo Shea M.M. ’56, witnessed

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the global impact of Frates’ mission first-hand. While visiting the rural Irish fishing village of Ardmore in the summer of 2014, Father Shea overheard two women in their 90s at a newsagent’s shop gleefully discussing whether they would participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge. The answer was no, but only because they were relatively sure they were incapable of lifting a bucket of ice water overhead.

“This is a young man who has done so much for others,” said Shea, 78, former director of the Mission Education and Promotion Department for Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. “I’m amazed at how he keeps his focus through such difficult times. When most of us would want to be by ourselves, he’s out there teaching us to be compassionate. Usually, it’s healthy people running fundraisers for the sick, but here he is, helping us healthy people touch the lives of others as an icon for ALS. “For me, being named Distinguished Alumnus was an affirmation of who I am and my life of service,” Shea added. “I am sure that is the case for Pete and for his family, too. St. Francis of Assisi said: ‘Preach the gospel, always. And sometimes, you might have to use words.’ That’s Pete.”

In recognizing an annual Distinguished Alumnus, St. John’s honors a graduate whose life exemplifies the spirit and values the school seeks to instill in all of its students. Established in 1993, the award celebrates individuals who demonstrate a commitment to faith, family and service; who have achieved professional success; and who have made significant contributions to society as volunteers, mentors or benefactors.

“What a tremendous honor that I humbly accept from the school and community I love so much,” said Frates, who was joined by close family on the day of the announcement, including his wife, Julie, and his three-year-old daughter, Lucy. “As I read the Headmaster’s letter that delivered the good news, the tears started to flow. There is no way I could ever express how unbelievably

The cultural impact of the Pete Frates ’03 phenomenon as a force for good is immeasurable, making his selection as the Prep’s 2018 Distinguished Alumnus proof positive that age is just a number

Sporting a vintage, flannel Red Sox uniform, Pete played in the 2013 Oldtime Baseball Game, a charity event held each year at St. Peter’s Field on Sherman Street in North Cambridge.

thankful I am. I gratefully accept this honor on behalf of my entire family, especially my parents, who worked so incredibly hard to put me and my brother Andrew through the greatest prep school in the country. Go Eagles.”

Now a part of the legacy, Frates joins a list of previous honorees that includes educators, corporate executives, a Catholic Bishop, and an active NFL head coach, among others.

“Our family is still rendered speechless by the amazing honor that our beloved St. John’s Prep bestowed upon Peter, our entire family and especially for his mission to Strike Out ALS,” said John Frates, a 1976 Prep graduate. “The enormity of this amazing gift is so far beyond comprehension that it can only be described as miraculous. We have always felt that the values, structure, love, and support of our SJP Community was integral for Pete and Andrew and without this educational opportunity, none of the success of the largest and most successful awareness campaign in history would have been possible.”

After graduating from the Prep, Frates played four years in center field at Boston College and captained the BC Eagles as a college senior in 2007, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communications. In March 2012, at the age of 27, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Frates helped spark an ongoing cultural phenomenon by popularizing the Ice Bucket Challenge, which went viral on social media during the summer of 2014. The Beverly native ultimately inspired unprecedented fundraising in the search for a cure. Multiple charitable initiatives in association with “Team Frate Train” and Pete Frates #3 have raised more than $220 million worldwide.

Frates was named Sports Illustrated’s Inspiration of the Year in December of 2014, and the ESPN SportsCenter documentary charting his journey was nominated for an Emmy. Also the recipient of the 2017 NCAA Inspiration Award, Frates was honored at Fenway Park this spring when the bucket he used for his own Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014, along with memorabilia from his playing days at BC, were donated to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Approximately 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with ALS, sometimes referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the New York Yankees first baseman who died at age 38 in 1941.

ALS is incurable and progressive; most patients are men between the ages of 40 and 70. There are about 5,000 new diagnoses annually and 10 percent of cases are hereditary.

The ALS Association has confirmed that research funds from the Frates’ social media campaign directly supported the 2016 discovery of a gene (NEK1) that could lead to new treatments for the family of ALS diseases. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a new medication to combat ALS for the first time in 22 years. The agency fast-tracked approval of the drug Radicava in May, demonstrating the wideranging impact of the movement Frates catalyzed.

On August 18, 2017, Governor Charlie Baker signed an act that declares the first week of every August “Ice Bucket Challenge Week” in Massachusetts. On September 5, 2017, ForeEdge Books released “Challenge,” a new book about Pete Frates, his family, and how they inspired the 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge. The book is written by New York Times bestselling author Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge, who co-wrote “Boston Strong.” At the book launch party at Fenway Park on September 18, future Hall of Famer and Red Sox luminary David Ortiz called Frates “a hero.”

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TOUCHDOWN PASS The first time freshman football coach Bill Britton stepped onto a field at St. John’s, it was in the 1950s and he was quarterback for the JV team at Keith Academy in Lowell. “It was memorable because I wasn’t much of a quarterback but the one touchdown pass I ever threw occurred in that game.

When I threw it, our center tapped the receiver on the shoulder and said ‘nice catch.’ Well, that’s an illegal lineman down field so the pass didn’t count, and my one touchdown pass ever thrown was for naught against St. John’s Prep!”

“The game of football has been special to me my whole life. My dad and I were very close. My earliest memories are of going with him to Lowell High School football games on Saturday or Sunday afternoons.

That was the glue for our friendship over the years. When I started coaching here, he had long since passed away, but I think of him whenever I’m on the field. I think about how he went out of his way to make me feel special — we bonded around the game. When I am out there, I smile to myself, knowing this is something my dad would very much have enjoyed.”

A tank company commander USMC who served in Vietnam, Britton came to St. John’s in 1998.

In addition to coaching freshman football, he teaches a social studies elective called War and Peace in a Dangerous World.

Prep Sports Fall ’17 Summary FOOTBALL:

Football played all of their home games on the newly named Glatz Field in the recently renovated Cronin Memorial Stadium. With a record of 5-5, the team hosted Xaverian on Thanksgiving morning.

Head Coach: Brian St. Pierre ’98 Captains: Mike Yarin ’18, Mike Slattery ’18 Record: 3-3

SOCCER: The soccer team concluded

their season with a 2-1 loss to Brockton in the State Semi-Final game. They closed out the season with a 19-1-3 record (15-0-3 regular season), which included a Catholic Conference Championship and Division 1 North Championship.

Head Coach: David Crowell Captains: Andrew Woolston ’18, Brian Brennan ’18, Tommy Granata ’18, Mitch Collins ’18 Record: 11-0-2, Catholic Conference Champions

CROSS COUNTRY: Wins over

Xaverian, Malden Catholic, and Catholic Memorial led the cross country team to a 3-1 record this fall. Senior Tristan Shelgren won the Individual MIAA All State Championship, which helped the team finish in 10th place.

Head Coach: John Boyle Captains: Tristan Shelgren ’18, Adam Hunt ’18, Ted Moskal ’18 Record: 3-1

GOLF: The golf team finished the fall

season with a 14-2 record. They ended their season with an eleven match winning streak, including winning the Division I North Sectional Tournament which was held at Bass Rocks Golf Club in Gloucester, MA. Head Coach: Joe Rocha Captains: Trent Han ’18, Cole English ’18 Record: 12-2

WATER POLO:

The water polo team ended their season with a 1-5 record.

Their 10-3 win against Brookline High School is the program’s first win in the last few years. This was the first season in

the Wellness Center’s John A. Driscoll ’90 Aquatics Center.

Head Coach: Tony Padvaiskas Captains: Will D’Angelo ’18, Harrison Fiscus ’18 Record: 0-4

CREW: In our first fall season, the Prep crew team competed in four regattas including the NH Championships, the New England Championships and the Head of the Charles. There were 65 student-athletes involved with the team this past fall.

Head Coach: Tim Broderick Captains: Greg Miglis ’18, Boston Perry ’18

MOUNTAIN BIKING:

The varsity mountain bike team had 15 riders race in the Northern New England High School Mountain Bike Race Series this fall. The team raced in six out of the eight races in the Eastern Division, which included 13 other schools. The Prep ended out taking third in overall team points.

Head Coach: Parker Heath Captains: Alex Soper ’18

Fred Glatz joins Headmaster Ed Hardiman and Prep captains Michael Slattery ’18 and Mike Yarin ’18 for the coin toss prior to the home opener on the newly dedicated Glatz Field at Cronin Memorial Stadium.

Story and more photos from the dedication on page 28.

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It’s Official: Glatz Field!

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he weekend of September 22 and 23 featured the first home football game played on the new turf field at Cronin Memorial Stadium, and it also marked the naming of that new field in honor of longtime football coach and Athletic Director Fred Glatz.

Fred arrived on campus in 1967 to coach football and to teach, succeeding Paul “Buster” DiVincenzo ’50. In 17 years, Coach Glatz compiled a remarkable 105-41-7 record as head coach, almost a .700 winning percentage, with two undefeated seasons and three seasons with just a single loss.

Fred’s 1967 team, his very first at the Prep, went a perfect 9-0-0 capturing the State Class B Championship, and his 1982 team, which included both of his sons, won a Super Bowl title and finished 9-0-1 on the season.

Proud members of the Glatz family prior to Saturday’s dedication. (L to r) Elissa, Bob ’84, Joan, Coach Glatz, Susan, Dave ’83 and Marybeth.

After retiring from the sidelines following the 1983 season, Fred remained very active at the Prep for another 16 years, serving as athletic director, and receiving numerous accolades over the years such as being elected to the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1989, being inducted into the SJP Athletic Hall of Fame, also in 1989, and being named recipient of the Hall of Fame’s Crystal Eagle Award.

A reception was held for Coach Glatz and his family Friday evening in the new Wellness Center, and the more than 150 guests included players and coaches from Fred’s teams, along with

Above, left: Like leading his Prep teams out on game day, Fred leads his family out of the tunnel for the pre-game ceremonies!  Above, right: Part of the group of former players who came together in honor of their former coach: (l to r) Tom Civiello ’76, Jim Harris ’76, Paul Corrado ’76, Tony Sharrio ’76 and Dana Hughes ’71, with onlookers behind Bernie Caniff ’72, John Webb ’68 and Kevin Lyons ’69.  Right: Coach Glatz with members of his first Prep team at Friday’s reception: (l to r) John Webb ’68, Fred, Bob Brown ’68, Neil Brennan ’69, Steve LaLonde ’68 and Jim Phalen ’68.

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well‑wishers from among other alumni, faculty, and friends.

And in a pre-game ceremony on Saturday September 23, the dedication became official, with Fred’s two successors as football coach, Athletic Director Jim O’Leary and current coach Brian St. Pierre ’98, joining Headmaster Hardiman to help roll back a huge tarp and reveal the words GLATZ FIELD.

Congratulations, Coach — for your dedication to Family, Religion, Education and Discipline your entire life!

Brother Linus Scholarship Golf Tournament

We are especially grateful to our leadership group of golf event sponsors, and to our hard-working tournament co-chairs and committee members, who set the pace in making this a very special year for the Brother Linus tournament.

2017 Major Sponsors  Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group:

Anthony P’81 ’82 GP’07 ’16, Jim ’82 P’16, and Max Carnevale ’07  Julie and Addison Everett P’18  CrossHarbor Capital Partners, LLC: Sam Byrne ’83 P’16 ’17 ’21  TEK Stainless Piping Products: Jim Hoefner  O’Connell Hospitality Group: Jim and Chris O’Connell P’11 ’14  DNB Financial: Matthew Guthrie ’90  Webb Transportation: John ’68 and Andrew ’07 Webb  J.G. MacLellan Concrete Co., Inc.: Alex MacLellan ’90

Our thanks to the support of Sentinel and the Carnevale family, and to our four tournament committee co-chairs (l to r) Michael Newhall ’80 P’11, Paul Nasser P’13, Anthony Carnevale P’81 ’82, GP’07 ’16, Linda Carnevale P’07, Max Carnevale ’07, Jim Hoefner, Jay Burke ’82 P’13, Jim Carnevale ’82 P’16, and Mike McShane P’18 ’20.

2017 Tournament Committee  Co-Chairs: Jay Burke ’82 P’13, Jim

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Hoefner, Mike McShane P’18 ’20, and Paul Nasser P’13

he 32nd Annual Brother Linus Scholarship Golf Tournament was held Monday, October 2 at the historic Essex County Club in Manchester-by-the-Sea. More than 120 St. John’s alumni, parents, and friends participated, and it was a great day of golf and camaraderie dedicated to providing student tuition assistance in honor of Brother Linus, C.F.X. and John Carnevale ’81 P’07.

 Committee Members: Sam Byrne ’83,

P’16 ’17 ’21, Jim Carnevale ’82 P’16, Bill Collins ’81, David Coyne P’21, Liz Dellicker P’18, Julie Everett P’18, Bill Gause P’17 ’20, Chris George P’22, Van Gikas P’20, Tom McGee P’21 ’23, Michael Newhall ’80 P’11, Jim O’Connell P’11 ’14, Jane Stark P’13 ’15, and Joe Whitney P’06 ’08.

This year’s tournament set a new high water mark in the history of the event in terms of both revenue and net proceeds, resulting in an immediate significant impact on the tuition assistance funds it supports. It is only through a firm commitment to the day by our outstanding tournament committee, and by golfers, sponsors, donors, and, volunteers that this level of success can be achieved.

As for the activity ON the golf course, the competition proved to be close among the foursomes, but in the end, championship accolades go to the group of Matt Guthrie ’90, Dan Kwiatek ’90, Mike Kwiatek, and Shawn MacLean in the Best Ball Division, and to the team of John Driscoll P’90 ’92 GP’21, Dan Driscoll, David Driscoll, and Jack McGlynn in the Scramble Division. Congratulations to these Champions who will share The Carnevale Cup for 2017!

Left: Carnevale Cup winners in the Best Ball Division (with score posted in the background!): Matthew Guthrie ’90, Dan Kwiatek ’90, and Mike Kwiatek. (Shawn MacLean was the fourth member of the group.)  Center: The winning foursome in the Scramble Division: David Driscoll, John Driscoll P’90 ’92, GP’21, Jack McGlynn, and Dan Driscoll.  Right: Partners Will Baker ’06, Taylor Bottomley ’02, and Tyler Dittrich ’06 at the reception following their second-place finish in the Best Ball Division.

Special thanks also to golf group sponsors, to our premier course donors and purchasers, to hole sponsors, to the Medinah contest entrants, to our partners at Essex County Club and Nationwide Golf, and to our volunteers and our own staff for an outstanding effort in support of this event.

Congratulations and a heartfelt thank you to all!

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PrepVentures The Alumni Office presents one-of-a-kind thought leadership and networking opportunities through Prep Connect! Don’t miss your chance to join us at the next Prep Connect business event in April.

You’ll learn more about technology giant SAP and their new innovation floor at the top of one of the new Hudson Yards New York towers on the west side of Manhattan.

More information to come!

Prep Connect Events New York Stock Exchange On October 17, more than 30 alumni joined host Nick Elward ’91, senior vice president of Natixis Global Asset Management, and guest speaker Scott Szever, director of exchange traded products of the New York Stock Exchange, for an exclusive tour of the trading floor. Before taking everyone for an insider’s look at the NYSE, Nick discussed how to prepare for volatility in the market. Fun fact: the event took place on the 225th anniversary of the NYSE.

SJP GO-TO

Check out these alumni resources!  Prep Alumni Office Internships  Career Development, Internship Placements and Professional Mentoring  Thought Leadership and Entrepreneurial Programs  Industry-Specific Networking  Alumni Speakers Bureau  Reunions from 5th through Gold Eagles  Prep on the Road Visits  College Campus Visits (the pizza is on us!)  Remote Learning: Webinars, Live, Online  Alumni online directory

To find out more about SJP Go-To resources, contact Nibal Awad at nawad@stjohnsprep.org.

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L to r: Headmaster Ed Hardiman, John O’Connor P’20, Art Coviello ’71, and Bob Brennan at the Threats to Cyber Security event.

Threats to Cyber Security This event on November 2 brought community members together at Veracode in Burlington for an interactive discussion centered on the timely topic of cyber security. The event was hosted by Chris Wysopal ’83 and Bob Brennan of Veracode | CA Technologies. It featured keynote speaker Art Coviello ’71, Executive Chairman (retired) RSA, and Prep trustee John O’Connor P’20, former CSO at Fidelity. The night was educational for both the advanced technology professional and the everyday consumer!

Dedicated, Devoted and Loyal: The Definition of True Blue

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“It has meant something to keep in touch.

As class agents, our calls and gifts were never about asking for or simply giving money. It was a personal connection to each other and to the school. We’d talk about everything. The least that any of us could do for the school and each other was to show our gratitude and support — and often the easiest way to do that was through our annual gift.”

oland “Moe” Morency graduated from the Class of 1954 and has stayed involved at the Prep for the better part of his now nearly 63‑year alumni career — as a volunteer, loyal donor, and familiar face at alumni events.

Although, Moe does not consider a lifetime of loyalty anything special. “We made friendships for life and were like a family. It made all the sense in the world to be part of that, to be part of something bigger and give back what little I could.

Now, I’m so proud to feel connected to what the school has become and be part of its history.”

Through the years, Moe’s contributions have changed, but his connection to the school has remained constant. Along with classmates such as Bruce Fuller and Tom Leonard, Moe volunteered as a member of the Prep’s peer-to-peer fundraising program known as Class Agents. He served as part of his Reunion planning committee on several occasions, including during his class’s 50th Gold Eagle Reunion. Also, he has made a gift himself in support of the Prep in consecutive years dating back more than four decades.

In support of one another and on behalf of the school, loyalty such as Moe’s has been transformational. That is the trueblue meaning of the Prep brotherhood and the power of this community.

“I really think over all these years, together, we have helped change the school. It’s not how much you give. It’s how you give and how often you’re showing your support. I came out of public school in Salem and I applied to go to St. John’s because I had a cousin who was there. I didn’t think I could get in. Next thing you know I was on board and it was a great experience for me that I never expected. Everyone looked up to people who went to the Prep, and I felt I could live up to that by paying that back. My feeling is that people still look up to Prep graduates today.”

The Prep’s alumni network is the powerhouse it is today because of the loyalty, hard work, and passion of our graduates. We’re grateful to these three young pioneers who continue the legacy of those who came before them. If you are interested in contributing your ideas or talents to St. John’s Prep, contact the Alumni Office at alumni@stjohnsprep.org.

New Voices

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ne of the biggest misconceptions about getting involved as an alumnus is that you have to wait until after you finish college, but three of the youngest members of the newly invigorated Alumni Board have proven that recent graduates bring a lot to the table.

Only a few months into the new school year, Matt Censullo ’14, Jhoneidy Javier ’15, and Anthony Perry ’14 have contributed valuable insights and leadership about alumni initiatives — all while still in college.

Jhoneidy, using skills he gained as a student at St. John’s, is focused on developing programs to enhance the Prep’s ability to support first generation college students. He knows firsthand the challenges faced by these students, and he believes the Alumni Board can play a role in ensuring that they feel supported.

Anthony and Matt first recognized the value of the Alumni Board after they had positive experiences reaching out to alumni for mentorship. They want to encourage others to do the same by ensuring that it is as easy as possible for alumni to connect and

Matt Censullo ’14

Jhoneidy Javier ’15

Anthony Perry ’14

communicate. Their passion for enhancing alumni networking led them straight to the Alumni Board. They landed positions as co-chairs of the Young Alumni Advisory Board and have been working to bring alumni outreach to new heights.

“I had an irreplaceable experience at SJP that really meant a lot to me, and I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the Alumni Board,” says Anthony. “When you volunteer for anything it is important to be passionate about your job, its cause, and the overall big picture that the organization works towards. I instantly found this with my position on the Alumni Board.”

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Welcome New Trustees

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t. John’s is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members of the Board of Trustees this fall.

Shelagh Mahoney will serve on the Finance Committee. CEO of Eastern Salt Company, Inc., headquartered in her native Lowell, she serves as a board member and advisor for educational and civic non-profits, including the Nobel Maritime Museum on Staten Island; the Dolan School of Shelagh Mahoney Business at Fairfield University; the Boys and Girls Club of Chelsea; Boston Harbor NOW; Americans for the Arts; the Academy of Notre Dame in Tyngsboro; and St. Patrick’s Church and Immaculate Conception Church in Lowell. She holds a B.S. in economics from Fairfield University and an M.B.A. from Babson College. She and her husband, Joe McNamee, live in Lowell with their five children, including son Michael McNamee’18.

James Hoefner will serve on the Advancement Committee.

President of TEK Stainless Piping Products, he is a leader in professional, religious, and civic organizations including as a member of the advisory board of the College of Arts and Sciences at Fairfield University; a lector at St. Richard Church in Danvers; past chair of the board of St. Mary of the Annunciation School in Danvers; and coach in the Middleton youth soccer program.

He and his wife, Christine Newhall, live in Middleton with their

James Hoefner

Kevin Dwan ’92

daughter. He holds a B.A. in psychology from Fairfield University, and M.B.A. in finance from Nichols College, and an executive leadership certificate from the University of Notre Dame.

Kevin Dwan ’92 will serve on the Finance Committee.

A Singapore-based portfolio manager for MFS Investment Management, Kevin is co-manager of the firm’s International Growth Fund. He began his career at Putnam Investments in 1996 as an investment associate and equity analyst before going on to become vice president/international core equity in 2002. He joined MFS in 2005. Kevin also serves as president of Sabrina’s Foundation, which works to eliminate maternal death from vascular health issues. He holds both an A.B. in economics and an M.B.A. from Harvard University. He lives in Singapore with his wife, Rebecca Woo, and their two daughters.

Board of Trustees 2017-2018 Chairman David W. Ives ’75 P’07 CEO, Northshore International Insurance Services, Inc.

Vice Chairman Michael J. Kennealy ’86 Assistant Secretary for Business Growth, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Headmaster Edward P. Hardiman, Ph.D., P’19 ’21 Paul G. Barker, Ed.D. President, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School Kevin T. Bottomley P’02 Director, People’s United Financial, Inc. Kevin B. Churchwell, M.D. P’15 ’17 Executive Vice President of Health Affairs and Chief Operating Officer, Boston Children’s Hospital Kathleen Colin Assistant Head of School, Mount Alvernia Academy

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Charles E. Connor Jr. ’75 P’08 ’10 ’10 Director of Operation/Civil and Utility Division, J.F. White Contracting Matthew J. Cushing ’88 VP, Chief Commercial Officer & General Counsel, Pegasystems, Inc. Jonathan DeSimone ’88 P’16 ’18 Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer, Sankaty Advisors Amy Rogers Dittrich P’06 ’09 Managing Trustee, Rogers Family Foundation Kevin Dwan ’92 Director of Research, Asia, MFS Investment Management Mark R. Gudaitis ’84 Managing Director, Atlantic Trust Thomas L. Guidi ’70 P’97 ’09 Partner, Hemenway & Barnes, LLP James Hoefner President, TEK Stainless Piping Product Mary Joy Hurlburt President, St. Mary’s Ryken High School Jeffrey J. Kaneb ’82 P’14 Executive Vice President, H.P. Hood, Inc.

Shelagh Mahoney-McNamee P’15 ’18 President, Eastern Salt Company Daniel L. Manitakos P’07 ’08 ’14 Vice President, Axsys Technologies, General Dynamics Corp.

Michael C. Mason, Ph.D. Assistant Chair, Liberal Arts Department, Berklee College of Music Carmen R. Monks ’83 Managing Director, UHNW Sales, Citigroup Private Bank Paul J. Nasser P’13 CFO/COO, Intercontinental Real Estate Corp.

John O’Connor P’20 Former CSO, Fidelity Investments Timothy M. Tully Jr. P’14 ’19 President, US Markets, BNY Mellon Elizabeth Twomey, Ed.D. P’85 Professor, Lynch School of Education, Boston College

Annual Impact Report

Investing in Their Potential

Your Generosity Makes Everything Possible We are proud to publish our annual impact report to say thank you to the people who generously donated to St. John’s Prep during the previous fiscal year. The impact of your generosity is even greater because every gift is an investment in our students through the Campaign for GOOD.

appre ci ate To recognize with gratitude

in spire To exert an animating, enlivening or exalting influence

empow er To make stronger and more confident

 3,280 total donors, including alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, grandparents and friends  $8,278,971 cash raised, including annual giving, endowment, and Campaign for Good  $5 million in tuition assistance for Prep families  5,500 people at 85 Prep events from coast to coast and internationally  Faculty ignite and nurture student curiosity  Alumni mentors share their experience and talents with students  Parent volunteers enrich the Prep experience in every way  Students set a powerful example of servant leadership  Engage students from 90 communities in mindstretching courses  Foster spiritual growth and offer after-school opportunities for students to learn and lead  Develop healthy lifelong habits through sports and wellness programs  Encourage creativity and innovative thinking

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With alumni and parents living in cities across the country and around the world, the Prep’s network of support is truly global — and so is its impact.

$8,278,971 FY 2017 TOTAL CASH GIVING ENDOWMENT $1,043,541 GIFTS

$1,398,534

ANNUAL GIVING

$270,703

EVENTS

CAMPAIGN $5,566,193 FOR GOOD

3,280 TOTAL DONORS

Annual Impact Report In our Annual Impact Report, we pay special tribute to members of the Prep community whose generosity provides vital resources in all areas of school life, including tuition assistance to ensure that every family can choose a St. John’s Prep education. We proudly publish the 2016-2017 Annual Impact Report at www.stjohnsprep.org/impactreport.

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Field Notes Far left: Charlie Bucci ’48 takes the Ice Bucket Challenge in support of Pete Frates ’03 work on behalf of ALS Research.

He’s shown here with Pete’s Aunt Betty.  Left: Four ’61 alums who have been friends for 59 years met for lunch recently. Shown are Richard McCarthy, Tony Albiani, Bob D’Errico and Tony Vorias.

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

Brother Lloyd, C.F.X. (Anthony J. Markowski) Brother Raymond Hoyt, C.F.X.  John J. Green ’49 John J. McGreenery ’50 Louis H. Hamel Jr. ’51 Thomas J. McNichol ’55 George M. O’Connor ’57 Ransome E. Coleman ’58 Thomas R. Dennen ’60 Ronald C. Cutraro ’64 William F. Good ’64 Joseph W. Gross ’67 Francis E. Haynes Jr. ’67 Walter S. Morse Jr. ’68 Bradford M. Tracey ’80 Regan D. Gibson ’98 Cory C. Bullard ’05

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’51

Ted Manning retired for the second time from the Ipswich Public Library in June this year after over 20 years there as a part-time assistant librarian. His first retirement was in 1994 after 37 years in Chamber of Commerce management. He was the CEO of the Waltham Chamber of Commerce for 32 years. A widower, Ted resides in Ipswich and spends vacation time at the family cottage in Alton Bay, New Hampshire. He has three children, three grandchildren, and one great grandchild.

His son, Ted, graduated from the Prep in ’75 and his grandson, Timothy, in ’98.

’59

Dave Downey and Jim Yemma met in June at Dave’s home for a reunion of their year as roommates at the Prep in 1957. Just like old times, notwithstanding the missing 60 years of life experience. As you can imagine, lots to talk about and a pact to stay closer. Austin Ford and his wife, Helen, became grandparents for the first time in August after 51 years of marriage.

Alexandra Ana Ford is the daughter of their son, Austin III, and his wife, Ana. He says, “In other news, my little business, the Amador Barn Owl Box Co is doing well. We’re a ‘sustainable agriculture’ firm solving gopher — and other pest — problems nature’s way. We are now making barn owl boxes, bat houses, bluebird boxes, wood duck boxes and farm tables being sold by retailers in 34 California towns. Helen continues her nursing work with Sutter Health giving wellness clinics and shooting folks with flu vaccine.”

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Bill McDonald, and his wife, Irene, bought a house in Ocean City, the Hampton Beach of Maryland. It’s a three-hour trip from their home in Vienna, Virginia, but worth it for the major change of pace.

He is beginning his three-year term as chairperson of the department of sociology at Georgetown University.

His book, “The Criminal Victimization of Immigrants,” will be published by Palgrave Macmillan in January 2018.

Autographs will be free for SJP people.

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Jack McCarthy and his wife, Pam, are celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary this year and recently returned from a European riverboat cruise along the Danube and Rhine rivers. They visited Budapest, Vienna, Munich, Nuremberg, Cologne, Amsterdam, and other historic and interesting cities. The honorable Fredrick Sullivan retired from his position as a magistrate judge for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on September 29. He joined the court on September 30, 2005, and was reappointed to the court on June 13, 2009. James “Spike” Michaud writes, “You would think that at 73 years old I’d be slowing down some, but my son Jim and I have become the leading bus appraisal business in the country.

Lenders, insurance companies and bus companies themselves all need to know their equity positions regarding present and future fleet loans. God has been good to us. Mary and I are purchasing a townhouse in a 55 and up neighborhood

’67

Raymond Chouinard enjoyed reconnecting with his classmates at his 50th class reunion and seeing Joe Malay enter the Athletic Hall of Fame.

He is retired and has time to travel during the summer months from his home in Florida to visit his son and daughter. He reports that they survived Hurricane Irma with minimal damage and thanks God and those who prayed for them.

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Tom Kelly ’62 and his grandson Theo at his first Red Sox game.

in Raymond, N.H. We bought a new Harley this year and are enjoying our beautiful Northeastern states.” Tom Kelly and his wife, Kathleen, continue to live happily in NW D.C. He reports, “We like to travel a couple of times a year, most recently to Santa Barbara for their film festival. Had a wonderful experience recently thanks to Joe Milano, who offered me great seats for the Red Sox during a recent visit to Boston. I saw the game with my daughter and 2-year-old grandson — a Baptism by Baseball for the little guy. I am still working part-time as a consultant to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Biggest news here is that my son, Farrell, was married to the lovely Haley Powell on October 7.

We’re delighted.”

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John Benecchi tells us that he and his wife, Liz, had a great time at the opening of the new Wellness Center in September. He had the opportunity to reconnect with classmate Dave Cloud and his brother Ken Cloud ’67. He says, “I encourage all Prep grads to visit the campus. The changes over the last few years are truly amazing. Hope to see many of my classmates over the coming months.”

Robert Luongo reports, “After almost 30 years living and working in the Lone Star state we have moved to Destin, Florida. We live very close to the Gulf, which is known as the “Emerald Coast” because of its blue-green crystal water.

Hoping that there may be some Prepsters out this way on the Florida Panhandle.

It’s amazing that an old Yank like me has found the South to become my home. Still come up North every summer.”

Charlie Gianturco, Joe McDonough, Pete Grafman, Ed Marinucci, John Webb, Tom DeSimone and John Larivee, serving as the 50th Reunion Committee, are hard at work planning a week’s worth of events for the Class of ’68 to enjoy around reunion weekend, May 18-20, 2018.

Charlie says, “Let’s make it a great week and catch up with old friends!”

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Peter Van Wagner is a professional actor in New York.

He tells us, “This past year I had several wonderful acting jobs, but the highlight was working with Meryl Streep and Steven Spielberg on the soon to be released movie, The Post. The movie is about the 1971 struggle between The Washington Post and the Nixon Administration over the first amendment right of the Post to publish the secret Pentagon Papers about the Vietnam war. I play a retiring Post executive. The movie will be released this December and January. It was a thrill to be working with both of these industry giants on such a worthy project. It’s been a long road from my first performance on the Alumni Hall stage at St. John’s to the Steven Spielberg sound stage in Brooklyn and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I stay in touch with SJP classmates Phil Hanley, Anthony Coletti, Tom Streit, Jim Siegel, Jonathan Mark and Jack Cantwell and continue to mourn the loss of classmate Robert Smith. St. John’s alumni forge lifelong friendships!”

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Jim Garvey tells us, “After a 30‑year career in sales and marketing for a variety of home furnishings importers and having raised a family of three children, I entered a religious community of priests and brothers commonly called Norbertines (Canons Regular of Prémontré) in 2009 having recently acquired an M.A. in Theology and a graduate certificate in spiritual direction at Fordham.

Following a two-year novitiate, I was off to Chicago for an M.Div. I have served the last two years as a hospital chaplain but recently assumed a post as a spiritual

director at a behavioral health facility caring for men and women religious.

On September 23, 2017, I was ordained a priest. With many fond memories of my days at the Prep, I bless all my classmates and their families with these newly commissioned hands. Behold, I am making all things new.”

’71

Paul Driscoll recently heard from classmate Crispin Chow from his home in Hong Kong. Crispin has been in the food business for many years, selling frozen food that he buys from around the world and ships primarily to China. He is also developing some non-food business programs. He is an avid fitness devotee, including swimming, Tai Chi and martial arts. He has a high school-age daughter and his wife is a physician in charge of infectious disease control and molecular analytical services for a group of government hospitals.

Crispin graduated from Catholic University and still stays in touch with fellow CU grad Mike Maxey.

’72

Michael Giglio sends greetings to all his classmates from 1972.

“I hope all of you are doing well and in good health! Can you believe we’re at retirement age, unbelievable! We were just freshman, living on the top floor in Xavier. If by chance you’re in the Delray/ Boynton Beach area, I’ve got plenty of room and I’m a pretty mean cook!”

’73

Larry “Podog” Richard is living in Thailand and working in Kazakhstan in the energy industry. He’s looking forward to retirement in 2019 or 2020.

’74

Beverly native Charlie Brophy assumed the mantle of chairman of the Mike Frangos Memorial Commodore Open golf tournament in September. Charlie is president of insurance brokerage firm HUB International’s East region now the tournament’s lead corporate sponsor.

The tournament was held September 18 at Myopia Hunt Club. It is a major fundraiser for Northeast ARC, which helps people with disabilities become full participants in the community; choosing for themselves how to live, learn, work, socialize and play. The tournament is named for the late Mike Frangos, owner of Beverly’s Commodore restaurant and long-time organizer of the fundraising event. Charlie’s relationship with the now closed Commodore goes back to his busboy days when he was a teen. Charlie considers himself more of a boater

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represent.” Chris Hawthorne is now than a golfer these days, but he is a regional vice president for Cleary happy to be a part of this important Insurance, Inc. community event. Michael Murray and his wife, Alicia, traveled to After 17 years of practicing Finland in August to visit their law at Boston law firms and son, Tim Murray ’05, who plays in-house at digital media and life professional soccer for FC Honka sciences companies, John Hamilton in Espoo. They were able to see has started his own law firm (Law a couple of Tim’s games and had Office of John A. Hamilton LLC) the opportunity to do go to Estonia based in Hopkinton. His practice for some sightseeing as well. The focuses on patent and other Murray family sends best wishes to intellectual property, and FDA law.

Coach Dave Crowell. Scott Gershaw Steve Shinnick and his wife, Kathy, tells us that his daughter, Rachel, are very proud of their youngest, graduated from medical school and Cole Shinnick, who transferred is in her first year of residency for as a junior into the St. John’s Prep emergency medicine at Baystate Class of 2019. Steve says, “He Medical Center in Springfield. His has started to make great friends son, David ’05 recently purchased and the Prep community has been Alicia, Tim ’05 and Michael Murray ’74 on a chilly August day in a building at 30 Log Bridge very welcoming and supportive Finland where Tim is living and playing professional soccer.

Road in Middleton as the new of his transfer and assimilation home for his company RemPhos to St. John’s. I would also like summer. In addition to working with Technologies LLC. RemPhos to sincerely thank the outstanding clients like PBS, NBC Sports, and Harvard continues to grow and is involved in Prep administration staff for engaging Business School, Chris is in his tenth year both commercial lighting and developing Cole and us at every level in order to as an adjunct professor of philosophy medical devices using LED light. make this a successful transition for and religious studies at Bunker Hill him. Last, I would like to say hello to Classmates Michael Tardiff Community College, passions first my fellow classmates and SWIMMERS and Maureen McCauley are sparked while a student at the Prep. and to remind them that there will be a engaged. Maureen tells us, “We haven’t After spending a long career swimming reunion in December 2017 set a date yet, though it will probably be in human resources, Michael at the new Prep field house and pool in the summer 2018. We also recently Perez launched Nautilus Human facility. Please make the effort to attend bought two houses here in Seattle: Resource Consulting last year, serving if you can.” Michael Davis enjoyed we live in one, and my daughters and owners and leaders of start-ups and reconnecting with Kevin Rourke, Doug granddaughter live in the other, right small- to medium-sized businesses Keene, Jon Martin, Chris McIntire, next door. My granddaughter takes with HR and outplacement support. In and Mike Cronin at the 35th reunion. classes at Pacific Northwest Ballet; she addition, Michael provides individual He reports, “I’ve been in the K-12 will go on pointe this year. She attends career transition support. Michael lives international educational publishing a STEM school — so important to see in Marblehead with his wife, Lynne, two space for nine years and spend a fair girls, especially those of color, taking children, a springer spaniel and a cat. amount of time with clients in China and on challenges and advancing in arts Greater Asia so feel free to reach out if and academics. I’m still hoping to get Kevin Maguire tells us, “My you are based there or have an interest in Ed Hardiman out here for a convocation son, Casey ’21, joined his this area.” of Prep Eagles in the Emerald City.” brother, Jack ’19, at the Prep this fall Maureen served on the Prep’s Board of and who does he have for frosh biology Thomas LaPorte tells us, “After Trustees from 2009 to 2015. This autumn, but our beloved Brother Timothy Paul practicing law and financial Justin St. James (nee Paul Hagopian) who I had for AP Bio 37 years ago! The planning for over 24 years, including on is an adjunct professor of law at the funny and great thing is that he doesn’t the West Coast, I have finally ventured out Massachusetts School of Law. The course look any different from when I had him on my own and I’m practicing Medicaid is entitled, “Legal Reasoning and Writing.” in class.

There must be something in and estate planning, employment law, Attorney St. James teaches first year the water over there. My wife, Amy, is and business law. My wife, Kristine, law students how to think and write like in her eleventh year running events at is doing well as a commercial and a lawyer.

Boston Bounce, the Northshore’s indoor residential real estate agent in Keller inflatable party zone. I have been at Williams in New Hampshire. My daughter, George Moreau is the NCR’s Digital Insight for two years now Olivia, is a freshman and doing very well proud father of a college turning financial institutions on to the in Charleston South Carolina. She enjoys graduate, his daughter, Rebecca. She industry’s best digital/mobile banking. the surf! And my son, David or DJ, is a graduated from Simmons College I saw Sean Birmingham at the Lynn freshman in high school and enjoying in May at commencement exercises Auditorium’s ’80s band night in August; playing hockey and golf and ultimate disc. conducted at the Blue Hills Bank some good memories there. I also ran I look forward to getting re-involved with Pavilion. Chris Schiavone reports that into Pete Shabowich not too long ago. the Prep community, and I look forward his marketing research and consulting His son, Zachary ’19, will graduate with to hearing from any of my classmates, or business, City Square Associates, my Jack next year. So great for us to fellow Prep alum! John Toto of Wayland celebrated its 20th birthday this past

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has been installed as the Master of Joseph WarrenSoley Masonic Lodge in Lincoln for a second year term. In a speech to the assembled, Toto urged the brothers of the Lodge to continue to be true to the Masonic principle tenets of brotherly love, charity and truth. John has been a Freemason since 2010 and is also a member of Royal Arch and Select Master Masons, as well as having been inducted as a Knights Templar. Besides being a Freemason, John John Toto ’83 was installed as Master of his is active in Republican Masonic Lodge. politics and theatre preservation and works as an IT sales director. He and his wife, Debby, celebrated 29 years of marriage in October. They have two daughters: Ally, a senior at the University of Georgia, and Lily, a freshman at Georgetown.

John would love to hear from classmates; email him at john.toto@live.com.

’86

David Juliano is a financial advisor working at Stonehearth Capital Management in Danvers. In September he hosted a webinar on saving and paying for college and the financial aid process. It can be viewed on the company’s website www.stonehearthcapital.com/p/webinars.

’87

After 26 adventurous years in the United States Marine Corps as an AH-1W Cobra Attack Helicopter Pilot, Bill Zamagni has retired as a Colonel and embarked on the next phase of his life with his lovely and vivacious wife, Kim, and their high school freshman son, Spenser. They will continue to live in Falls Church, Virginia, where Bill has found a challenging yet rewarding transition as the chief financial officer for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, a non-profit volunteer service organization dedicated to providing financial and education assistance to Marines, sailors and their families.

Jeff Kampersal ’88 is hard at work turning around the PSU program.

JEFF KAMPERSAL ’88 Base Camp: State College, PA Background: Beverly native; 1988 NHL Entry Draft — 10th Round selection, New York Islanders (No. 205 overall); Princeton University Ice Hockey Captain, All-Ivy League and All-ECAC; B.A. Psychology, Princeton University (1992); SJP Hall of Fame 2009.

New Direction: Arrived in Happy Valley on August 28 to take the helm of the Penn State University Women’s Ice Hockey; Former Head Coach, Princeton University Women’s Ice Hockey (1996-2017); Team USA Hockey Under-18 Coach (2004-06, 2013‑14).

After spending most of his adult life as a member of the Princeton University community, Kampersal went looking for a new challenge right when it seemed like he’d be a Tiger for life. After 21 years as head coach of his collegiate alma mater’s women’s ice hockey team, the 47-year-old father of two took the reins of the Penn State Nittany Lions program in the big, bad Big 10. In so doing, Kampersal, his wife, Eileen, six-year-old daughter, Keira, and four-year-old son, Jack, swapped out living 50 miles from Times Square for living 50 miles from Altoona, Pennsylvania.

“It’s definitely a big-time adjustment,” says Kampersal, who ranks fifth in career victories among active NCAA women’s hockey coaches with 327. “There were a lot of conversations.

(Princeton Athletic Director) Mollie Marcoux counseled me that change is good and a move might get me out of my comfort zone. That was a big factor in my decision.”

Bill Zamagni ’87 with his wife, Kim, and son, Spenser, hiking the Appalachian Trail near Roanoke, Virginia.

Prep Reflection: “I was back at the Prep for my 25th reunion (in 2013). The whole campus is transformed. I’m pretty jealous of today’s students’ experience there. I’ve kept in close touch with six of the guys from my class, but the amazing thing about St. John’s is that when you’re part of a class, you pick up where you left off. At my reunion, it was as if all that time hadn’t really passed.”

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’88

JOHN TOOMEY ’90 Base Camp: Lexington, MA Background: Stoneham native; B.S. chemistry and physics and MBA, Harvard University. Family: wife Kim and children Isabella, 16, Max, 14, Josie, 12 Professional Path: 2017 Aspen Institute Fellowship; Managing Director at HarbourVest Partners, LLC via SmithBarney (now Morgan Stanley Wealth Management) Given the Aspen Institute’s reputation as a global nonpartisan forum for values-based thoughtleadership, it’s no wonder John Toomey thought he was “lucky to be nominated, let alone selected” when he was named to the educational and policy studies organization’s Finance Leaders Fellowship Class of 2017. But when Toomey thinks about the promise of 22 senior leaders from around the world engaging in a two-year quest to help shape the global finance industry’s future, well, that’s when his mindset shifts to results.

“To have an opportunity — in a structured way — that calls upon you to assess what it is that got you to where you are, and how you might apply that set of experiences to do greater good, that’s pretty intriguing to me,” says Toomey, who now manages the firm he joined two decades ago.

“You have a chance to impact those around, and those you don’t even know. Some remarkable and inspirational people have been part of the Institute over the years, so it’s a privilege to invest the time to be part of it.”

Aspen Institute events have attracted presidents, statesmen, diplomats, judges, ambassadors, and Nobel laureates for decades as a venue for dealing with critical issues. The 2017 Finance Leaders Fellows will gather at four seminars over the course of two years to explore their own leadership, core values, desired legacies, and vision for the global finance industry.

Prep Reflection: “If I think about the ingredients of my success, it’s hard not to point to those formative years at the Prep, and my original exposure to thinking seriously about empathy, thoughtfulness, compassion and character. It’s about people. You inspire trust and confidence with the way you treat them and, frankly, a lot of that goes back to Prep.”

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Clint Dalton and his wife, Nicole, baptized their new son, Xavier, on August 20, 2017, at Our Lady of Hope Parish in Ipswich.

Clint, Nicole, Xavier, and his older sister, Vivien, recently moved back to Ipswich from D.C. after living and working there for eight years. Clint has opened his own family law practice in Topsfield. Nicole is working as a CRNA at NSMC Salem Hospital and has reconnected with all her nursing colleagues from Northeastern and BC. In naming their son Xavier, Clint and Nicole say they hope to improve his chances of admission to the Prep in 2030. Go Eagles! Kip Durney tells us, “I’ve recently joined the ranks of Systems Evolution, Inc. (SEI) with former Prep grads Scott Speicher ’90 and Erin Sullivan ’91. SEI is a boutique business and technology consulting firm that was just awarded the #3 Best Small Firm to Work For by Consulting Magazine. I am excited to be part of such an amazing and talented group of people. I also am the president of the Georgetown Education Foundation which is dedicated to providing expanded opportunities and experiences, in the form of grants, to the students of the Georgetown Public Schools in the areas of science, technology, arts, and innovative teaching techniques. Still living in Georgetown with my wife, Val, 3 kids (Ava, Zoe, and Connor), and 12 year-old yellow lab Preston.”

’90

Scott Olson Moved to Goshen, New York, at end of July with his wife, Bridget, and their son, Parker (SJP 2028?). He reports, “I continue to work for Beacon Health Options as a clinical care manager while maintaining a small telehealth practice for Massachusetts-based therapy clients. Looking forward to hosting family and friends including Dave Lazarkis when Army takes on Duke in football in November.

Coaching my son in soccer and acclimating to new environs, but I assure my fellow alums that my sports allegiances will never waver. Go Sox, Pats, C’s and B’s! Also wishing a great freshman year to my nephew Maxwell Scott Olson. Go Prep!”

’91

In September, Peter Stemniski was sworn into service on a civilian political appointment under the current Administration as a Schedule C political appointee. His job title is currently Special Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Defense Continuity and Mission Assurance within the Office of the Secretary of Defense with duty location at the Pentagon. Mike Singleton and his wife, Jessica Buhler, are thrilled to announce the birth of their son, Slate, on September 22. Weighing in at 8 lbs. 6 oz. he is healthy and happy as is Jessica, so Mike is a very happy dad. Mike is an associate professor and head soccer coach at Washington and Lee University. David (KhainVay) Taing tells us that he enjoyed seeing his classmates at his 25th reunion last year. He is offering family medicine and sports medicine care in Chipley, Florida, at the Northwest Florida Community Hospital. He tells us, “In my clinic, I do quite a bit of casting and joint injections. I am the team physician for the Chipley Tigers and the Vernon Yellow Jackets. I am also the medical director of two skilled nursing facilities. When time allows, I enjoy traveling, fishing, sports, and spending time with my lovely wife, Marlene, and my precious three-year-old son, Matthew.”

’93

Bill Montbleau has been hosting the open mic nights at Coffee Coffee in Salem, New Hampshire, where he also regularly performs as a musician and comedian. The open mic is held every Wednesday and Saturday, 6-9 p.m. Performers of all types are welcome.

Bill continues to work as an engineer by day, and among other projects, has been running his own podcast since 2003.

’94

Michael Wong is an assistant attorney general for the state of Massachusetts. He lives in Newton with his wife and two children. Jason Navarro was listed, for the second year in a row, as one of the top 401(K) financial advisors in the country by the Financial Times.

Also, continuing with the Prep legacy, his son Tyler ’24 is now attending the SJP middle school as a sixth grader!

Far left: Jason Navarro ’94 and his son, SJP sixth grader Tyler Navarro.  Left: Prep teacher Pat Henaghan recently dined at Crave in Amesbury, a restaurant owned by Sean Toomey ’98. Sean has opened a second restaurant, also in Amesbury, called Vasa.

’98

Ben Consoli tells us, “My company, BC Media Productions, has expanded into an office in downtown Haverhill. We did a massive photo shoot throughout Europe for two weeks in October. I host a podcast called Go Creative Show which has hit #1 on iTunes multiple times and enjoys over 15,000 listens a month. Lots going on.”

Dan Charette recently relocated from Boston to the Washington D.C. area with his wife, Trish, and 2.5 year old daughter, Bea. Dan works for Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI), an international consulting firm that operates in over 80 countries with a focus on solving socioeconomic and environmental problems. At DAI, Dan is the director of new business development for Asia.

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Ben Kenna checks in from his rickety back porch with the following summer news: “It was a whirlwind of a summer here on the North Shore! Summer camps, lip sync contests, fried clams, s’mores, barbeques, bug juice, trash juice, family visits to Pennsylvania and the Adirondacks, as well as endless swims in the frigid Atlantic. When it was all said and done, you had a really tuckered out Kenna family (Cate, Lily, 6, and Nell, 2). There was also some quality time spent with SJP alums (including, but not limited to classmates Paul McMorrow, Pat Coombs, Dan Aylward, and John Bowman, as well as Andy McMorrow ’00), mainly featuring grilled meats and hearty guffaws. Everything climaxed with a week-long pleasure trip to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket in the company of Mike Abodeely, Mark Abodeely ’01, and Chris Nabhan ’01, aboard Mark’s newest sloop, adroitly

named “We Built This City (On Rock & Swole)”. The elder Abodeely’s golf and racquetball contacts through Providence College proved to be invaluable as the links and courts were duffed and decimated all week. Scores will NOT be provided. Nabhan’s culinary connections as a board member/sous-chef at his family’s chophouse/hacienda, The Carousel Lounge of Salisbury, kept our tummies full during the quaint summer evenings, as memorable courses ranged from alder-smoked elk cutlets and bleucheese braised codcakes, to handmade and homemade Mudslides with white truffles, all ravaged as the sun set over West Tisbury. And Mark, or “Captain” as he demanded to be addressed, proved to be an experienced and knowledgeable skipper, fighting light and lumpy seas throughout the week, with a few squalls tossed in to add a little spice to the tides.

As we tanned our hamstrings on our final afternoon on island, while Chris strummed Sinatra’s “Summer Wind” on his mandolin, we reminisced on our time at St. John’s Prep, and how this glorious jaunt would not have been possible without our beautiful school. Let’s hope for more memories to come!”

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Eric Bromley was married in April to Erin Nash. They have moved to Lancaster, California, where Eric has taken over as the Bomber Division Chief for AFOTEC Detachment 5. The team is responsible for the operational test of any bomber acquisition program that is under Congressional oversight. He says he’s lucky enough to continue flying the B-2 and is also getting checked out in the C-12 (Air Force King Air) for test support.

Eric Bromley ’00 and his wife, Erin Nash.

’01

James Regan and his wife, Jennifer, welcomed their first child, John James Regan III, this summer.

James was honored to be selected as the first Captain of the USNS City of Bismarck (EPF 9), a high-speed ship expected to join the fleet in 2018. He sends a special thanks to Prep Latin teacher Dr. Eugene Baron ’70, who aided in translation of the ship’s motto, “Possumus Efficiemus.” The Regans have moved to Virginia and welcome connecting with any SJP family on the Chesapeake Bay. Michael Morrison was recently promoted to director of media relations at Massachusetts General Hospital where he has worked since 2009. At MGH, he oversees a team tasked with day-to-day proactive and reactive media relations activities, as well as crisis and disaster communications. In addition, Michael is responsible for social media strategy and execution for the office of news and public affairs. He also serves as the social media editor of Proto Magazine, a hospital publication, which explores the frontiers of medicine.

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’02

Matt Wojtkun has switched fields after working in communications for a decade. He has entered the web development world.

He attended a three-month, full-time intensive coding boot camp and is now working for a tech startup in D.C. called Hatch. The company is putting the power of mobile app creation into the hands of everyone, regardless of technical skill.

Kevin Tierney Jr. ’05 and his wife Kristin holding their son Brendan at his blessing.

Next to them are Kevin Tierney Sr. ’77 and retired Prep guidance counselor Deb Tierney.

’03

Michael Cullinan spent time in China and NYC and has recently moved back to the area with his wife, Charlotte. He is director of business operations at Spiria Boston and has enjoyed re-connecting with alums Mike Pitt ’04, Tommy Haugh, John Gillespie, and Chris Hayes ’02, to name only a few.

Kevin Bishop ’03 and Chris Papineau ’03 reconnected in September at a family wedding.

’04

Ken Daher reports, “All’s great with this ’04 alumnus. I live in Fritz Creek, Alaska, working with the non-profit Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula supporting more rural and Alaska Native schools in the Kenai Peninsula School District. I’m the postsecondary success coordinator and get to work more specifically with high school students

and follow-up with our scholarship recipients. I love living in Alaska. I got to summit Denali last year and make annual ski mountaineering trips into the Alaska Range. My big summer adventure with my girlfriend was a 300-mile sea kayak trip from Seward to Homer.” You can follow Ken at http://kennydaher.blogspot.com.

Will Day, his wife, Kaitlin, and their new daughter, Emma, are now living in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Will currently works at the US Army Combined Arms Center, in the Strength Management Division. He says, “We are excited for this new chapter in our lives and career path.” Alex Bagley and his wife, Laura, are proud new parents to Emilie Josephine Bagley. The Bagleys currently live in Houston where Alex is a radiation oncology resident at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Troy Goodwin recently bought a home in Saugus in advance of his November wedding to Glenn Hutcheson. They were married at Harrington Farm in Princeton.

Troy is beginning the eleventh year of his part-time gig working for the Boston Celtics. His full-time job is being the special events account manager for GateHouse Media.

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Ken Daher ’04 with the king salmon he caught on the Kenai River in Alaska.

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This fall Patrick Flynn opened the second location of Patrick’s Pet Care in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington, DC. A “dog day school,” the location teaches basic obedience to dogs while their people are at work.

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, along with several members of the D.C. Council, was on hand to cut the red ribbon at the grand opening. Patrick and associate general manager and classmate Tyler Mac Innis, welcome Prep alumni in the DC area (and their pets!) to stop by the new store to say hello. Brendan Stamm is the assistant director of transfer admissions at UMass Lowell, where he is completing his M.Ed.

in higher education administration. In August he married Kaitlin Connell in Swampscott. She is a sixth grade ELA teacher in Georgetown. They are living in Haverhill with their three dogs. Rob Lockwood married Alison McLaughlin of Potomac, Maryland, on April 29 in Washington, DC. Held at the Cosmos Club, a strong contingent of Prep alumni were in attendance including best man Thomas Lockwood ’08, Ian Merry, Conor Maguire, Austin Carr, James Hodge, and Darin Gibbons ’04 who cut a proverbial rug on the hardwood floor into the wee hours of the night. Kevin Tierney tells us, “This year has brought my family and me many gifts and opportunities. First and foremost, in August my wife, Kristin, and I celebrated the birth of my son, Brendan James Tierney. Additionally, last spring I started a doctoral program in education at UMass Lowell. If that wasn’t enough, I’m also taking a hiatus from teaching at the Melrose Public Schools, in order to work for the Massachusetts Teachers Association’s ‘All In’ campaign. A new son, doctoral work, and a union campaign are certainly all challenging in their own way. However, the continued support of my family and friends has yielded the faith and strength necessary to endure and hopefully succeed. We now live in Amesbury and remain in touch with many of my 2005 classmates, especially Lyle Harrod, Trevor Powers, and Conor Cahill.”

’06

Greg Mantell tells us, “This summer, I completed a shortterm mission trip to Kyrgyzstan. A small church group in this former Soviet republic requested help with a men’s retreat. I, together with five other guys, backpacked through the Alamedin Gorge and led devotionals for the men of their small church. We also assisted for a few days at a day camp for local kids in

the capital city of Bishkek. It was an incredible experience, and I can’t wait to return next year with even more teammates! During my time at the Prep, I completed short-term mission trips to West Virginia and Tijuana. I have been eager to complete other missions since, but I’ve rarely had the chance during college or while working full-time. I was making plans to travel internationally this past summer, but that’s when my home church — Pacific Crossroads Church in Santa Monica, CA — announced their short-term mission trip to Kyrgyzstan. I could not pass up the opportunity. It was a chance to travel with purpose and intention, and it turned out to be truly inspiring to see God’s work being done in this little-known country. I’m also happy to announce the release of my first novel. The book, called “Kingdom of God,” centers on a veteran police detective searching the streets of Tijuana for the perpetrators of an unspeakable crime. The novel is available this fall in both hardcover and as an ebook.” Greg attended Wake Forest University where he graduated with a B.A. in English. He currently works as a copywriter and editor in Southern California. In addition to his new book, he has authored several screenplays and short stories. Justin Rhuda is now living in Melrose. He received honorable discharge from the U.S. Marine Corps as a Captain in June 2015. He is now in his second year of law school at Suffolk University. This past summer he worked as a judicial intern at the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts for the Honorable William Young. Judge Young presided over many notable cases including the infamous Richard Reid “shoebomber” case. Justin is doing pro bono work as an intern for Veterans Legal Services assisting low-income military veterans with various civil matters. Next summer he will be a summer associate at Holland Knight LLP. Jeff Phaneuf is a Series Commander at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, turning young men into Marines. He was promoted to Captain on October 1.

’07

Kevin Hoang has started a new job as a senior accountant at Easterly Capital LLC. He and his wife, Jenna, have been married for two years and recently bought a home in Peabody.

’08

Mark Censullo and his wife, Anjole, are living in their new home in West Peabody and expecting their first child in the spring.

Mark works at Brigham and Women’s Hospital as a financial analyst for the department of medicine.

MARK GREGORIO ’04 Base Camp: Charleston, South Carolina Background: Melrose native; B.A. communications, Fairfield University; United States Marine Corps/ Reserve and Active Duty (2004-2013); Deployed 2009-10, Squad Leader/ truck detachment convoy security, Al-Asad Air Base (Al-Anbar Province, Iraq); MBA Fordham University Professional Path: Site Human Resources Leader, GE Aviation Charleston (since September 2017); General Electric two-year Leadership Development Program (2016-17) During his deployment with the Marine Corps in Iraq nearly a decade ago, Mark Gregorio was struck by how much he enjoyed managing people issues and conflict resolution, while fellow noncommissioned officers seemed frustrated by the dynamic. That’s when he knew HR was in his future. His military service also inspired his humanitarian trek to Malawi, Africa, in November 2017. As a volunteer with buildOn, Gregorio joined a group of GE employees who built a school in a remote village. The team raised $70,000 to pay for the venture, including the construction costs (#HRLPbuildOnMalawi2017), and lived in villagers’ homes during their stay.

“This nonprofit (buildOn) was founded by a former GE employee who wanted to give back,” says Gregorio. “I knew immediately I wanted to be involved. Not to overdramatize it, but part of what the Marine Corps does is destroy things. To be a part of building out resources for a community that needs it and doing some good for people who don’t have all the opportunities that we have, that’s something I get excited about being involved in.”

Ryan Millerick ’08 is living and working in Munich, Germany. He was joined by four classmates in September for the first weekend of Oktoberfest. Shown are Kyle Amirault, Ryan, Andrew Parker, Alex Cody and Michael O’Leary.

Prep Reflection: “Once I knew I was coming to work in South Carolina, I looked up Nick Lombardi ’04, who lives 20 minutes from downtown Charleston.

I don’t think we’d spoken since graduation. My first weekend here, he had me over to his house and I met his wife and new baby. It was essentially the first thing I did when I got here. Honestly, it was like we were back in high school. It was as if no time had passed. What a testament to the Prep’s awesome sense of community and the very real brotherhood it fosters.”

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Kelley Johnson ’09 with his family at his Marine Corps graduation.

KEVIN DOOLEY ’11 Base Camp: North Andover, Massachusetts Background: B.S. business, Babson College Professional Path: Real estate agent with Century 21 North Shore while working on writing projects that include: The children’s book “Griffey’s Christmas Eve Flight;” contributor to a website that covers the Boston Celtics; creating original characters for a network TV show in Thailand; and a book series.

A Childhood Inspiration: I have always been a huge fan of Christmas stories. I really appreciate the hard work and dedication that the authors, artists, and creators put into creating their stories. These people are responsible for so many of my greatest childhood memories and I wanted to be able to create some of these moments for others. This is what inspired me to write my children’s book, “Griffey’s Christmas Eve Flight.” Available at amazon.com.

When I was little, the excitement and anticipation that I felt on Christmas Eve was a magical feeling.

I wanted to capture that feeling by writing a book set on that special night. The two main characters are based on my best friends: my little brother, Christian, and my dog, Griffey.

Prep Reflection: It has been more than six years since I graduated from St. John’s, and I miss it to this day. When I entered the Prep in 2007, I was a really shy kid who did not know too many people at the school. After my first week, I felt like I found a new home. The teachers were so welcoming and understanding; they made the transition easy.

My favorite class was English class junior year with Mr. O’Brien because he understood what it was like being a student there. St. John’s Prep helped me to develop into a more confident person, ready to meet the next challenge in life. My advice to anyone attending St. John’s Prep now? Enjoy every minute of your time there! It will be one of the highlights of your life.

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’09

In November 2016, Kelley Johnson was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He says, “I just finished all my training and I am now a logistics officer. In October I headed out to Hawaii for three years, as it will be my permanent duty station. I am serving with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines in Kaneohe Bay. Hope all is well at the Prep! My brother, Patrick Johnson ’07, is currently living in Watertown and working for Hill Holiday Advertising/ Marketing on State Street in Boston.”

’10

Norris Johnson and his girlfriend have been on the road since early May traveling across the country by truck, pulling a selfsufficient, self-built tiny house. By mid-October they expected to have visited more than half of the country’s National Parks. They were well on their way in September with 27 parks already checked off their list.

Marc Perlman completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Connecticut with a degree in political science. He went on to attend law school at Roger Williams University School of Law and recently passed the Massachusetts Bar Examination. In August, Mike Uva was named Sportscaster of the Year by the South Carolina Broadcaster’s Association.

He has worked at WACH Fox 57 in Columbia since 2016, after working at his first full-time television job in Greenville, Mississippi. He says, “I met Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler before anybody even knew who Malcolm Butler was. I was in Greenville for 15 months after former NFL player Corey Miller and WACH anchor offered me a job. I met him at a celebrity golf tournament, and it’s been a blast ever since. The fans in Columbia are so passionate about sports and love their teams. It’s a college driven area, although we do cover the Carolina Panthers. Our studio is right on the University of South Carolina campus, and they get 13,000 people at all their women’s basketball games. There’s a lot of buzz down here about college baseball, too.” Mike said his station does a 30-minute sports final show five nights a week with the ‘Gamecocks Show’ on Mondays, Gamecocks and Clemson on Tuesdays, Clemson on Wednesdays, a breakdown of high school sports each Thursday, and a highlights show that he hosts on Fridays. He also anchors the weekend shows and is on the air 3-4 nights a week. Mike played football at Assumption. While he loves living and working in South Carolina, his goal is to return to Boston. His dad, Paul, is an assistant football coach at the Prep.

’11

Classmates Kyle Heffrin and Thomas Rogers have teamed with Ryan Snee ’96 to found Stay Tuned this fall. Stay Tuned provides skiers and snowboarders in the Boston area with an accessible ski tuning pick-up and drop-off service. Kyle tells us, “Our background story is pretty interesting. Tom and I, both Marblehead natives, were captains of the SJP 2011 Ski Team. After graduating UVM in 2015 we both wound up working in Boston for a sales analytics company, InsightSquared. Living and working full time in Boston but skiing on the weekends we realized we didn’t have the time, space or resources to tune and wax our skis and hence the creation of Stay Tuned. We enlisted the expertise of our SJP ski team coach and SJP alumnus Ryan who has an extensive background ski tuning race skis for the Atomic Pro team. The three of us have been meeting regularly to go over business plans and best practices around ski tuning. Most recently we entered into a partnership with Parlor Skis, a

Oh Baby!

custom ski manufacturer in East Boston.

Thomas and I will be working as ski technicians for them and in return we will be able to use their space and equipment for the skis we service through Stay Tuned. We’re really excited about this partnership due to the expertise we can consult with at Parlor and its close proximity to our target-market in Boston.”

Kyle Pinho received his B.S. from Fairfield University in 2015 with a double major in finance and economics. He recently started a new job as an assistant vice president working for Vendor Alliance Capital, Inc. based in North Andover. It is a preferred tier 1 franchise lender offering financial services to top tier quick service restaurants. He says, “I am loving the job so far. Additionally, since graduating from college I began a “sidetreprenuer”

job that I call “AllElse.Fit” (AEF) aiming to inspire and motivate people to engage in whatever level of fitness is best for their lifestyle and their daily schedule, and to be the fittest version of themselves.

After trying out a few different services, such as providing online workout training and sending daily motivational emails to 200+ website subscriber, I have now added an apparel component to go along with the motivation and inspiration. I am selling just hats for right now with various versions of the AllElse.Fit logo. Most importantly, 10% of hat sales income is to be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project and to Shriner’s Hospital for Children. The mission is to ultimately show support for those who are challenged by physical movement on a daily basis, whether that

Sean Hunt ’70 and his son, Matt Hunt ’11, at the 2017 State of NH Firefighter Merit Committee awards ceremony in Concord in September.

Matt is a firefighter and the EMS program coordinator in the Durham Fire Department.

He was recognized along with other members of his company for extraordinary service in the extrication of a motor vehicle occupant under challenging circumstances.

Left: Dan Sheehan ’04 and his wife, Meghan, welcomed their first son, James Pearce Sheehan, on May 30. They are living in South Orange N.J.  Right: Will Day ’04 and his wife, Kaitlin, welcomed their first baby, Emma Brigid Day, on January 22, 2017.

Above: Stephen Zolotas ’02 and his wife, Brittany, welcomed their son, Michael Zolotas, on June 5, 2017. His big sister, Maggie is very excited to have a baby brother.  Below: Lucy Lynne Poplaski was born to Shannon and David Poplaski ’05 on August 2. She is shown here with her mom and dad watching her first Patriots game.

Above, left: Alex Bagley ’04 and his wife, Laura, are proud new parents to Emilie Josephine Bagley.  Center: Matthew Taing, son of Marlene and David Taing ’91.  Right: Jon Sheldon ’97, his wife, Meredith, and daughter Elise, welcomed Sabine Antoinette Sheldon, born October 3.

Right: On June 9, Wendi and Mark Magliozzi ’92 became a family of five as Sabrina and Domenic welcomed baby brother Mario Michael. Mario has adjusted well to being the little brother and has become the biggest Team Magz fan at the soccer field or hockey rink.

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Wedding Bells Chris Donato ’05 (left) and Jeff Yeatman were married on August 12 in Boulder, Colorado. Celebrating their wedding were groomsmen (above, left to right) Ryan Farrell, Phil Dudovicz ’05, Chris, Dan Donato ’03, Greg Hill ’05, and Justin Foster ’05.

Brian Murtagh ’05 and Teresa Rodriguez were married on July 8 in Woodstock, VT. Shown here are co-bestmen Tim Murtagh ’09, and Chris Murtagh ’07, Brian, Teresa, and Brian’s parents, Christine and John Murtagh ’75.

The Class of 2007 gathered for the wedding of Nick Demers and Suzanne Johnson this fall. Celebrating were: Matt Houde, Andrew Webb, Alan DeLorenzo, Nick, Suzanne Johnson, Scott Swedberg, Eric Grandmaison, Mike DiChiara, and Brendan Bergson.

Michael Cohen ’08 and Natazia Fistrovic were married in the chapel at St. John’s on October 1. The bride and groom are flanked by classmate Bobby Dannemiller ’09 (left) and best man Mackenzie Larsen ’08.

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Drew LeBlanc ’05 and Ryan Larsen were married in Newport, Rhode Island on August 26. Shown here are Conor Maguire ’05, the groom’s mother Dorothy Dolan, the bride and groom, Ian Merry ’05, and Austin Carr ’05.

Also at the wedding, the groom’s uncles Jack Dolan ’72, Peter Dolan ’74, and cousin Adam Dolan ’04.

Frank Favuzza ’05 and Alexandra Pyne were married on September 30 at Providence College where they met and dated. The reception was Blithewold Mansion in Bristol R.I. The Prep was represented by Joe Boghus ’05, Brian Connaughton ’06, Brian Wilson ’05, Frank, Cole Connolly ’05, Shawn McSheffrey 06’, and Rob McCauley ’04.

Brianna Valenti and Brian Borek ’06 tied the knot on Friday, July 21 in the chapel at St. John’s.

be from injury serving our country or from congenital diseases.” You can visit his website www.allelsefit.com. Adam Colella recently joined the SJP athletics staff as an assistant JV soccer coach. He graduated from Stonehill College in ’15 where he played soccer and majored in psychology. Brian O’Connor graduated from the Commercial Leadership Program at GE Capital and is now working at Deloitte as a consultant in their strategy and operations practice based in Boston. He also passed level 1 of the CFA program in June. Tim Barnard writes, “I have been at the University of Florida getting my master’s degree in sports management. Since I have been there I have been volunteering and now interning with the Florida football team as a recruiting assistant. It has been an unbelievable experience being a part of the player personnel side of football. I am scouting for players, I get to work with the linebackers coach, as well as interact with recruits during game days. I am extremely thankful for this opportunity and am making the most out of it every day! Go Gators!”

’12 Mark Censullo ’08 and his wife, Anjole, were married in July and honeymooned in Bali, Indonesia. Mark and Anjole began dating during his senior year at the Prep.

Bryan Browne is working in Manhattan and roommates with two fellow Class of 2012 grads, Nathaniel Casey and Bobby Woodworth. Bobby and Bryan are working in real estate finance and Nathaniel is working in investment banking. Brian says, “We are all looking forward to our 5th year reunion coming up in November and returning home to see the athletic center.” Morgan Johnson graduated from Stonehill College with a B.S. in biology in December 2015 and has started

Barrett Jackson ’12, recent USC grad, holding the Golden Shillelagh trophy awarded to the team winning the annual USC — Notre Dame football game.

dental school at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, class of 2021.

Barrett Jackson graduated University of Southern California in May 2017 with a major in social psychology and a minor and sports media. He reports, “I spent my time as an undergrad as a member of the USC football staff as a football analyst and high school scout. This means I would watch hours of potential football recruit tapes to see if any of the kids made the cut. I also reviewed opponent game film with coaches looking to better prepare our team that weekend.

I also spent time with our players as their supervisor during over-night official visits. During the summers I assisted in the running of the Trojans in Training and Rising Stars football camps held at USC’s campus. I currently work in Wakefield at the Boys and Girls Club as a program coordinator. I am in charge of revitalizing their after school art program while also assisting in athletics.” Tyler Rossi is currently serving as a community development Peace Corps volunteer in Macedonia. He is a graduate of American University.

’15 Morgan Johnson ’12 is a new dental student at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.

Matt Wojtkun ’02 and his wife, Carolyn were married in May of this year. They met while attending graduate school in Washington, D.C.

Zachary Delorey is a junior at Salem State University planning to attend law school. In March he became engaged to Isabella Fagone, his high school sweetheart. They are planning a 2019 wedding.

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

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Since You Asked T

he bumpy, black, armored shell of the Namib Desert beetle is a remarkable feat of nature. These creatures are able to thrive on parched land that receives only an inch of rainfall annually by alternating hydrophobic (repel) and hydrophilic (absorb) regimes on their backs to collect condensation from the wind. This super power of being able to draw water from the air inspired Miguel Galvez ’08 and Deckard Sorensen ’08 to start NBD Nanotechnologies. They’ve come a long way since they first met in their freshman year biology class at St. John’s Prep!

Flash forward nine years to NBD Nano’s 4,400 squarefoot office and lab space in Brighton, where Miguel and Deckard continue to innovate and grow. They’re developing products that modify the surface wettability of materials like glass and plastic with coatings and additives that mimic the properties of the Namib Desert beetle in very creative ways.

SJP: Tell us about one of your current projects.

Miguel: We received a grant from the Department of Agriculture. This funding was based upon our fog capture technology. We are experimenting with an innovative coating to create essentially what is a net to passively capture fog as it rolls into San Francisco bay.

Deckard: We put up approximately five to six different sites with nets to capture water to use for local agriculture. We collaborated with a lot of scientists, and it was successful. Now we’re able to translate the results and take it to feasibility studies.

Miguel Galvez and Deckard Sorensen, the co-founders of NBD Nano, continue to push the limits of innovation with help from the Namib Desert beetle.

“Students should get involved in the competitions that the Prep offers. I encourage everyone to participate no matter the idea —just get that initial experience of what it feels like to get your idea in front of other people and feel comfortable how you present your technology and concepts.”

SJP: Any advice for young entrepreneurs at the Prep?

Miguel: Keep learning and developing new ideas — from a technical standpoint with science and engineering. The Prep does a good job building those key skill sets. Also, effective communication skills and how to work with a team is something to focus on.

Deckard: I spoke recently at an entrepreneurial panel run by St. John’s. It was great. Students should get involved in the competitions that the Prep offers.

I encourage everyone to participate no Miguel: We see the potential for a lot matter the idea – just get that initial of other applications of our coating and experience of what it feels like to get our material in different market segments your idea in front of other people and that will allow us to incorporate a social — DECKARD SORENSEN ’08 feel comfortable how you present your aspect, too. technology and concepts. Graduating SJP: What is exciting you about where seniors should also take advantage of your company is at now? the Boston ecosystem in the start-up community. It’s the hub for Miguel: We passed our five-year anniversary mark of being so many cutting-edge companies who are open to bringing on in business and we now employ about 15 people. Since we’ve interns. We hired a graduating SJP senior as an intern for market expanded our team, we brought more technological capabilities research. So, my advice is, step out of your comfort zone and ask in-house. We also just closed a second round of financing to for a job. further grow the business.

SJP: Do either of you drive a VW Beetle?

Deckard: Making our first metric ton of material and then Miguel: (laughs) No, I don’t, but Deck’s car looks like one! scaling up manufacturing and providing actual material to Deckard: It’s true, it’s a black Toyota Yaris and it looks like a customers is exciting. Hopefully, you will see our products by Namib Dessert Beetle! the end of 2018.

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Gala 2018

LET’S PART Y PREP ST YLE! Saturday, April 7, 2018 in the Wellness Center at St. John’s Featuring guest host Kevin Nealon

Son of Emmett Nealon ’44, Kevin made his name on “Saturday Night Live” and now appears in the CBS comedy series “Man with a Plan” All proceeds from Gala 2018 will benefit student tuition assistance at St. John’s

WE ARE ST. JOHN’S

St. John’s Preparatory School 72 Spring Street Danvers, Massachusetts 01923 ADD R E S S S E RVI C E R EQUESTED

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID Permit No. 39 Danvers, MA

FALL AT THE PREP!

Left: Big smiles and Prep pride were everywhere on campus for the annual sophomore class Grandparents Day in October. Pictured: Conor O’Holleran and his grandparents.  Right: Enthusiastic Middle School leaders rolled out the welcome mat for new students during Eagles Nest orientation in August.

John Peter Frates III ’03, the St. John’s 2018 Distinguished Alumnus, is flanked by 11 of the previous recipients of the Prep’s highest alumni honor.

Pictured l to r: James Sears ’81; Sam Byrne ’83; Mike Kennealy ’86; James Zampell ’71; Marge Leonard, representing the late Tom Leonard ’54; John Archer ’68; Pete Frates ’03; Father James Ronan ’62, Peter Dolan ’74, Gretchen Driscoll, representing the late John Driscoll ’90; Joseph Levis ’60; and Father Leo Shea, M.M. ’56.