Prep Magazine Fall/Winter 2018/2019 by St. John's Prep

prep The Magazine of St. John’s Prep

BETWEEN A ROCK & A HARD PLACE  HOUSTON, WE HAVE NO PROBLEM  ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT  FALL 2018

“My favorite thing about Judo is that it humbles me. I’ve learned to throw away my ego when I step onto the mat, because I know that every loss isn’t a failure, it’s a lesson.” — DANNY GIUNTA ’20

Retooling Gym Class

hether you loved it or loathed it, research shows that our experiences in gym class can shape lifelong attitudes toward exercise and fitness. The Wellness Department and Physical Education Department at St. John’s have teamed up to reimagine physical education and recreational sports in inventive ways and with activities that break the traditional mold, all while taking full advantage of the expansive Leo and Joan Mahoney Wellness Center.

Now in its second year, the newly designed program presents an array of courses, all of which can become lifelong endeavors — from CrossFit and Intro to Strength and Conditioning to Judo, Swimming, Indoor Rowing, Mountain Biking, Yoga and others. Classes are held before, during, and after school, allowing students to chose the time of day that works best for them. “We’re one of the few schools to approach physical education like this. It’s not the traditional gym class most people think about,” says Director of Wellness Steve Brown. “We’re trying to create lifelong learning — an outlook students can take with them throughout life — and it’s being very well received.”

Wellness Director Steve Brown talks with a group of students after school in the Mathers Family Commons.

“When you create a sense of community and a culture of trust, students are willing to push the boundaries of their comfort zones,” says Brown. “And as they see results from their efforts, attitudes shift and they want to keep going. It’s about creating an environment where students feel drawn to using movement as a way of learning about and finding their best selves.” The classes that take place after school are also open to students in grades 6 through 12 as a recreational sport. Danny Giunta ’20 is a regular when Andrew Jacobs teaches Judo. Jacobs is on the staff at Pedro’s Judo Center, home base for Prep graduate and three-time Olympian and International Judo Federation Hall of Famer Jimmy Pedro ’88. “There’s a great sense of community in this class,” says Wellness Director Steve Brown. “In addition to offering it during the year, our goal is to roll out more concentrated courses during breaks and provide opportunities for students to participate in tournaments.”

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 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

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!

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

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 2018 4 Are You Listening? 5 Sound Bites 6 Between a Rock & A Hard Place 9 Houston, We Have No Problem 10 A Different Point of View 12 Don’t Change A Thing … Change Everything 14 The Branches of Brotherhood 15 They Want to Be a Part of It 16 The Ticker: News from the Prep 18 Prep Sports 20 Prep2Pro 21 At the Intersection of Faith + Reason 22 A Lifetime of Alumni Strong 23 A Distinguished Alumnus: Tom DeSimone ’68 24 Faces of Generosity — Annual Impact Report 26 St. John’s Welcomes New Trustees 27 Campaign for Good Update 28 Expanding Our Reach 29 Reaching Back to St. John’s 30 2018 Brother Linus, C.F.X. and John Carnevale ’81 Scholarship Golf Tournament

31 Field Notes 44 Since You Asked: Duncan Webb ’00

Quinton Dooley ’20 took this photo of a new moon from a beach in Bar Harbor, Maine, in late August 2018. If you’re curious about Quinton’s technique for capturing Bar Harbor’s dark sky, he used a Canon Rebel t6i with a Sigma 10-35 lens on a tripod and a remote shutter.

ON THE COVER Ryan Vachon ’91 anchors his ice

tool as he powers up “The Seesaw” overhang in the Rocky Mountains. Read more about Vachon on page 6.

PREP FALL 2018

“He didn’t say nothin’. He just listened to what I had to say. It was the greatest gift he could have given me. We built an entire friendship on honesty.” — JASON REYNOLDS, CO-AUTHOR, “ALL-AMERICAN BOYS”

Are You Listening? Dear Prep Community Members, As I write this, I have just come from Kaneb Theatre where we gathered for a meeting as a faculty and staff. During part of our discussion, we focused on a skill — active listening — that is vital for success in school and in business, and vital for building meaningful relationships with friends and colleagues.

explores the aftershock the incident created for the boys, their families, the community, and the nation.

Active listening requires that we fully concentrate, understand, respond to, and, then, recall what someone is saying to us. For 10 minutes, no distractions, we spoke with a colleague sitting beside us and affirmed throughout our chatting that we were present to one another. The concept is wonderfully simple, but in a world where we are constantly interrupted with pings from our phones, emails, and daily obligations, it can feel nearly impossible to focus on what others are saying, and even harder to remember it all. All of these responsibilities require our energy and compete for our attention, so active listening requires a tremendous amount of discipline and practice.

We have a unique opportunity at St. John’s because this is an intentional learning community. We know that we need to become active listeners, to be fully present, even during uncomfortable and challenging discussions. This is how we grow. No one should ever have to ask, “Are you listening to me?”

At the beginning of October, Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely ’95 visited campus. The co-authors of “All-American Boys” spent an entire day with us discussing the challenging topics of race and privilege — core themes of their book — with small groups of students, teachers, and parents. In brief, the story depicts one violent incident as seen through the eyes of two boys — Rashad, who is black, and Quinn, who is white. Switching between their perspectives, the book

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

Throughout the day, I heard thought-provoking questions as people genuinely engaged with Reynolds and Kiely about their book, their friendship, their writing process, and how their personal experiences helped shape their perspectives.

Reynolds described for us how important listening can be, especially during times of stress and frustration: “I was angry and I thought ‘how am I going to be able to react in this space?’ And in that moment, Brendan’s response was nothin’. He didn’t say nothin’. He just listened to what I had to say. It was the greatest gift he could have given me. We built an entire friendship on honesty. We’ve had ugly conversations, uncomfortable conversations, but it was in those conversations that we built trust.” Let us share with one another this gift of actively listening.

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

SOUNDbites Kicking off the Conversation: University of Pennsylvania professor Dr. Howard Stevenson sparked a meaningful conversation about racial literacy at the opening faculty convocation in September. Dr. Stevenson’s brother, Bryan Stevenson, founded the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama, and wrote “Just Mercy,” the summer 2018 read for juniors and seniors. #PREPpeople: To celebrate Prep faculty

and staff, the Communications Office launched #PREPpeople, a Q&A-style series to profile the Prep’s best and brightest. By asking interviewees the same nine questions, the series illuminates their path to teaching, professional passions, and why they love what they do. A common thread that has emerged from the conversations is the way teachers constantly find inspiration from their students. As Middle School drama teacher Brit Christopher put it, “I learn something new every day. I laugh every day. I am inspired at some point every day.” Look for #PREPpeople on the website and social media channels.

Writing Center by the Numbers:

The Prep’s two-year-old Writing Center already boasts some impressive numbers. Last year alone, more than 200 students in grades 6 through 12 scheduled some 1,000 appointments to spend 60 minutes with one of the center’s three writing coaches. Six workshops have been offered, including one on public speaking. About 16 percent of students come to the center before starting their papers, while a robust 43 percent visit before finishing a first draft. Roughly 1,000 Writing Center pencils are thought to be floating around campus, and well over 900 rolls of complimentary Smarties have been consumed. What can’t be counted? The endless growth and confidence students gain!

Beet-ing Hunger: The Environmental

Club harvested the fruits (or should we say veggies?) of their labor in early October from the garden they planted last spring behind Memorial Dining Hall. Middle and High School students pulled up carrots, plucked out beets, and gathered up mustard greens, all of which was donated to the Bread and Roses soup kitchen in Lawrence.

Seeing Stars: The High School

Drama Guild, under the direction of Ms. Alicia Greenwood, staged a sparkling performance of “Peter and the Starcatcher” this fall. The cast and “kroo” brought to life the origin story of what became J. M. Barrie’s classic tale “Peter Pan,” transporting the audience to a place filled with pirates, treasure, freedom, magic, and love.

Sweet 16: In September, St. John’s hosted the annual Walk for Hospice to benefit Care Dimensions for the sixteenth consecutive year. Participants walked the three-mile course and enjoyed the beautiful autumn weather as they honored the lives and memories of loved ones. We’re honored to be part of this very special community event. Homecoming Hat-Trick: The Eagles scored wins in all three varsity games over Homecoming Weekend. Football bested BC High, 40-19 on Glatz Field; soccer notched a 3-1 victory over Malden Catholic; and water polo defeated Brookline, 8-3, at home in the John A. Driscoll ’90 Aquatics Center. Nice work, Eagles!

International Honor: Jimmy

Pedro ’88, who qualified for four consecutive U.S. Olympic judo teams from 1992‑2004 and became the first American to win an Olympic medal in the sport, pulled off another neverdone-before feat in September, when he was inducted into the International Judo Federation (IJF) Hall of Fame. During a ceremony in Baku, Azerbaijan, Pedro was honored as the first U.S.-born judoka to be inducted by the IJF.

Walking the Black Heritage Trail:

Students in the Prep’s African American Studies course explored Boston’s Black Heritage Trail with faculty members Susan Bavaro, John Roy ’87, and Dana Smith this fall. Located in Beacon Hill, the heart of Boston’s 19th-century African American community, the trail includes more than 15 pre-Civil War structures and historic sites, including the 1806 African Meeting House, the oldest extant black church building in the United States.

Eagle Scouts: Prep Eagles continue to be well represented among Eagle Scouts, the highest rank achievable in the Boy Scouts of America program. As of October 2018, John Arsenault ’19, Brett McGrath ’18, James Dean ’18, Cooper Konz ’19, Forrest Dawe ’18, Gerald Hinch ’19, and Aaron Kelly ’21 had completed their projects. Aaron’s effort was focused on the Prep campus, where he hand-cleaned 250 headstones and statues in the Xaverian Brothers cemetery.

A fun way to do GOOD work: Middle Schoolers gave it their all during a service day in

October. Students made cards for retired brothers at Xaverian House, wrote letters to wounded veterans recovering in military hospitals, and decorated and filled Halloweenthemed snack bags for children at the Jordan Boys and Girls Club in Chelsea. They also played a basketball shooting game that raised $100 to support the Xaverian Brothers missions in Kenya and the Congo. Well done!

ArtFest 2018: Ceramics and painting and drawing, oh my! In mid-October, the Fine Arts Department held their annual ArtFest, where honors portfolio students plan interactive activities for students to try. Giant canvases were laid out for a collaborative painting event, while a bow tie design contest attracted lots of attention, as did the chance to contribute to a chalk mandala, a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism. Activities unfolded with accompaniment from the Celtic Band, Jazz Combos, and Accelerated Chorus participants. PREP FALL 2018

BETWEEN A ROCK & A HARD PLACE

Pausing in a static hold, Ryan Vachon ’91 (at right and above) gazes up at the Storm Creek headwall in the Canadian Rockies earlier this year during an ice climb called “Scar Tissue.”

Exceptional focus, emotional elasticity, and a vice grip rescued Ryan Vachon from himself and turbocharged his life as a scientist, filmmaker, and world-class ice climber.

limate scientist Ryan Vachon ’91 discovered his ferocious appetite for the rugged, high-wire sport of ice climbing by the age of 21. Just over a decade later, he was living his professional dream in an unforgiving expanse of eastern Tibet: drilling ice core samples by day aside some of the world’s most renowned researchers under the watchful eye of a Chinese military escort, then burning yak dung by night to survive the Himalayas’ deep freeze. But at neither of those high points was Vachon particularly well. And not just because both pursuits involve the risk of becoming a human popsicle. In important ways, and for much of his adult life, Vachon was not at peace with himself or the world around him. These days, the native of Manchester-by-the-Sea is a brandsponsored athlete as a competitive ice climber — something he does as a side gig, mind you — and spends the rest of his waking hours as a Boulder-based documentary filmmaker, motivational speaker, and Ph.D. research associate at the University of Colorado. At 5-foot-10 and 153 pounds, Vachon flashes his tastefully cheeky nature without reserve. He’s chatty. An adept charmer. There is also a tautness to him. Physically, philosophically … even spiritually. It doesn’t take an electromechanical ice drill to draw out the finer points of Vachon’s journey from past to present.

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

Throughout his 20s and early 30s, Vachon was busily chiseling out a professional career that adjoined perfectly with his personal passions. He earned his B.S. in geology from Tufts University in 1995 and, as a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Colorado, he had already rubbed elbows and shared goat meat with giants of science in Tibet before graduating in 2005 with a doctorate in stable isotope geochemistry and climate dynamics. Vachon completed two years of post-doc work cataloguing the International Polar Year of 2007 (a twice-a-century joint survey of the arctic and Antarctica by Britain and the U.S.), which took him to the top of the Greenland Ice Sheet as well as northern Alaska. He was also making money for filming his surroundings as he worked. After an expeditionary research team he was part of in 2003 had its findings published, National Geographic, NOVA, the History Channel, and the Discovery Channel all clambered for his footage of the team’s exploits. The more he camped in places only polar explorers pitch tents, the steadier the flow of requests for his film work. “I was starting to be able to unite ice climbing with science, which was a unique combo,” he says. “It allowed me to be paid to study, research, climb, and communicate ice science through film. From there, it seemed natural to start communicating other science through film.”

By 2010, Vachon was fundamentally living the dream he’d articulated in the 1991 St. John’s yearbook. His ambition at 18: “Spending about all of my time outside … and if money comes, great.” In his senior portrait, he wears a closedmouth smile, and his earnest eyes gaze directly at a quote on the page that he chose from Socrates: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Though he was living a life in which his camera lens, his ice cleats, and his considerable intellect were exploring just about everything, Vachon was preoccupied with the last five words of the Athenian philosopher’s proverb.

A Rocky Road When Vachon talks about his emotional and spiritual migration from a “dark place” to a downright enviable state of wellness and well being, he is arrestingly open about it. “I was already battling depression as early as 2006,” he recalls. “Honestly, I was pretty conflicted about whether I had value here, at all. It took me a long time to realize that you need listen to your whisper. You need to follow your heartbeat. I didn’t grow up as a particularly empowered youth. I was basically living my life for others. I had to learn how to use self-dialogue to be open to the people who inspired me. Not the ‘cool’ ones. The ones who inspired me. Then, it was time to explore what I wanted my life to be.” That exploration led Vachon back to a place that he knew well, but was suddenly more decipherable. “The mountains are my church and I knew that way back in high school. Over time, however, I learned that the things that truly kept me going were the things outside the workings of my brain — especially nature,” he explains. “In some ways, climbing saved my life. It’s such a tiny time that we’re here on this planet, and you can become lost in self-absorption, and from there, it’s easy to slip into self-importance. When you step back and see just how small we are, you realize we share this home and this oneness of spirit. Seeing how balanced the systems are and how equal we all are just amplifies the majesty of wondering. It’s so much more important to appreciate that than wanting to be cool.” A photo of Vachon taken in Colorado’s Uncompahgre Gorge near the peak of his winning ascent at the 2016 Ouray Mixed Climbing Competition is a striking metaphor for his recovery. About 12 stories above the canyon floor, Vachon is airborne, with no body part touching an overhanging, artificial climbing wall. He is suspended from a polyurethane resin climbing hold, clutching an ice tool, the tip of which is the width of skate blade. Vachon scaled the last few feet of the sheer face at Ouray by contorting himself into a figure four inversion — think: yogi master rocking a breakdancing move while upside down — to become the lone climber of 33 from around the world to summit a course composed of natural and man-made obstacles. Video highlights of the climb must be seen to be believed (Google: Ryan Vachon + Ouray + rock and ice). Known in climbing circles as “the ultimate weekend warrior,” Vachon also won the competition in 2017. It’s no wonder Rab equipment, CAMP USA, and Hyperlite Mountain Gear pay him to use their products. But for the quirky Coloradan, conquering a vertical sheet of ice is so not about the glory.

Vachon at the 2016 Ouray Mixed Climbing Competition. Photo: Cole Davis.

“The mountains are my church and I knew that way back in high school. Over time, however, I learned that the things that truly kept me going were the things outside the workings of my brain — especially nature.”

“When I first learned I was decent at the sport, I was told that you celebrate your climbs by calling the press,” he recalls. “But that’s not community-building. If you’re out there doing it, that’s the battle. I’m climbing for those relationships you form when you’re tied in and you rely on each other for life. These are friendships where you laugh and cry and connect. I like people who are themselves and show fear.” Not coincidentally, taking ownership of his own fear is exactly how Vachon got well. “That wedge of fear can keep us from doing what we hold dear,” he says. “For me, I finally stopped charting the progress of everyone around me because I was

PREP FALL 2018

“It’s hard to be distinctive or disciplined. It’s not that you can’t celebrate successes, but you should do it for yourself. I don’t look at my life as a series of successes or failures. I look at it as an ongoing saga.”

Vachon finds a fissure hold as he scales a route called “Double Time at Sue’s Place” inside Taylor Canyon on the west side of Colorado’s Collegiate Peaks Wilderness.

letting the actions of others control my decisions. I was my own worst enemy. Ultimately, I asked myself: ‘Would I ever let anyone talk to me the way I talk to myself?’ Once I moved past that internal voice, I could behave the way I wanted to be.”

Tasting the Urgency For Ryan Vachon, his full recovery has been about light and shade. “It’s hard to be distinctive or disciplined,” he says. “It’s not that you can’t celebrate successes, but you should do it for yourself. I don’t look at my life as a series of successes or failures. I look at it as an ongoing saga. And I think of manifesting goals in two parts: You have to taste the urgency and you have to dream. Our dreams aren’t always what we’re good at, but they’re what make us bigger, better people. Nobody else can make you taste the urgency. That you have to do for yourself.” By every measure, Vachon has learned how to chase his dreams. He’s in his eighth year of directing his own film production firm, Earth Initiatives. In 2015, he produced, edited, directed, and hosted a science education program for PBS, Adventures in Science, which captured an Emmy Award nomination. Earlier this year, his textbook “Science Videos” was published, serving as a 295-page, how-to manual for university students to successfully communicate science and complex topics as low-budget films. Vachon has earned film production credits for movies like “Drilling,” “From Top to Bottom,” “Polar Visions,” and “Flipping 50.” His media has been broadcast on CNN, the BBC, PBS, and MSNBC. He also served as the host of film productions called “Analogue” and “120 Seconds of Science.” Meanwhile, he’s co-authored five academic papers for scientific journals. In addition to teaching environmental studies, Vachon’s role at the University of Colorado for the past decade includes producing films about human resilience in the face of extreme events and changing climate.

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

A sketch of Vachon’s mental map as he prepared for a climb in Colorado’s Uncompahgre National Forest. The schematic — drawn before a challenging ascent called Jedi Mind Tricks located in God’s Cave of Colorado’s Engineer Pass — refreshes his memory about the temporary and permanent protective anchors he needs to bring/install according to the different sized cracks in the rock face.

In his “spare” time, he makes speaking appearances at area schools to inspire kids about science, technology, engineering, and math. He’s also currently pitching a new series pilot to PBS while raising money to fund a five-episode season. And that’s not counting up to 45 hours a week that he and his partner, Susan, currently spend in climbing gyms and in other sport-specific fitness activities. The life that Vachon calls a saga has, undeniably, become a series of successes. But if we’ve learned anything about this Prep alumnus, he’s merely craning his neck skyward, toward his next summit.

Houston, We Have No

Problem

The Cubesat group at MIT this summer included seniors Nick Anastas (second from left) and Eamonn Golden (fourth from left). Among the faculty and professional experts who lectured, taught, and mentored were Natalya Brikner Bailey, CEO of Accion Systems (front, third from left); Adam Shabshelowitz of Lincoln Lab (front right) and Kerri Cohoy, Ph.D., associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT (fourth from right).

f all goes according to plan — and there’s every reason to believe it will — NASA will launch a satellite designed this past summer by a group of STEM-focused high school students, including Nick Anastas ’19 and Eamonn Golden ’19. Known as a Cubesat, the nanosatellite will pack a payload of powerful infrared cameras capable of transmitting temperature data from the earth’s sea surface and cloud tops. Heady stuff, to be sure, but all in a day’s work for the two aspiring engineers, who took part in an intensive, four‑week program at MIT’s Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI). Anastas and Golden spent weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm working with a team of 19 like-minded students inside Building #39 on the MIT campus in Cambridge. Days were structured around team collaboration time, augmented by classes and seminars taught by MIT professors and industry experts on a range of topics, including team dynamics. Gaining insight into how professional design engineering teams work accelerated the boys’ learning curve, according to Anastas, who worked on Cubesat’s imaging system and plans to become an aerospace engineer. “We learned a lot about how to work together — how to bring a diverse team with a lot of different ideas together and make it fit so that you can accomplish your goal,” Anastas says. “Beyond the math and the formulas you need to know, at a certain point, it’s about relationships and being able to work cohesively as a team. You could have the smartest people in the world on a team, but if they can’t communicate, they’re never going to be effective.” Beaver Works is a research and education center run jointly by MIT’s Lincoln Labs and the School of Engineering. Anastas and Golden were among a total of 200 high school students participating in the group’s summer program. In addition to Cubesat, students worked on seven other challenges from an Autonomous RACECAR Grand Prix (Rapid Autonomous ComplexEnvironment Competing Ackermann-steering Robot) to Embedded Security and Hardware Hacking.

Among the many lessons Golden gleaned was the importance of being flexible and open to new ways of solving problems. “It’s important not to get stuck in your thinking,” he says. “When it becomes obvious that what you’re doing is not the way to go, you can’t be afraid to transition to a different approach.”

Mission Control Before the on-campus program began, Anastas and Golden completed extensive online coursework to learn the fundamentals of satellite development, as well as the key functions their team would tackle together: communication, power generation and usage, size, mass, and performance. Being involved with a real world project was hugely valuable, according to Golden, who plans to pursue the bio-medical side of aerospace engineering, and worked on Cubesat’s communications array. “This program was different from anything I’ve ever done before. It had a much greater degree of relevance,” says Golden. “When you’re learning the quadratic equation, you don’t really think about how you can apply it in science. Now, I can see exactly what it’s going to be used for and how important it is.” Capping an exhilarating month of collaboration and learning, the Cubesat team submitted their work for a preliminary design review (PDR), and handily won approval from a panel of professors and graduate students. Now, a team of graduate students will guide the Cubesat through the critical design review process, and ultimately, apply to NASA for a launch date, likely in the next 12 to 36 months. Science Department Chair Gary Smith is a big believer in programs like the Beaver Works Summer Institute because they give students early access to scalable, hands-on experience in science and engineering. “Eamonn and Nick were working with amazing professionals, who are reaching out to bring in the next generation of innovators and designers. It was an extraordinary experience.” As with so many good stories, there is a Prep connection here. Jen Munro, whose brother Jon Munro ’02 teaches English at St. John’s, leads the airborne radar systems group at Lincoln Labs. She and several of her colleagues developed the idea for the summer program as a way to inspire young people to about the exciting and important challenges in engineering. Mission accomplished!

PREP FALL 2018

A Different

Point of View

Now in its third decade, St. John’s Race and Gender elective has enhanced students’ active attention to the issues and realities underlying racial inequality and social justice.

“Taking this class is giving me new perspectives on people that I may have judged differently before we shared this classroom. Their contributions to our discussions allow me to better understand the thought processes of those who grew up in a different environment than me.”

xploring institutional injustices, hidingin-plain-sight biases, and certain accepted norms embedded within modern society Social studies teacher Elle Rupert is challenging work. It’s always a complex conversation about sometimes combustible topics. A fixture at the Prep since 1997, Current Issues of Race and Gender (CIRG) offers a healthy forum for sifting through issues of race and gender in American culture. The seminar-style, discussion-based class features an open exchange of ideas with a focus on fact-based opinions, evidenced-based approaches, and small group work that informs class deliberations. The course gives students the time and space to talk about the things they want to talk about, and participate in respectful dialogue. “Before we talk about anything, we decide together on guidelines for discussion, how the class is going to go, and what the students want it to be,’” says social studies teacher Elle Rupert, now in her fourth year of leading the course. “I think that sense of agency facilitates buy-in for the whole semester. All facts, anecdotes, and opinions are welcome. But whether you agree or disagree in this classroom, all statements have to be backed up by facts, and if they’re not, they need to be owned as such: as opinion.” Rupert encourages students to raise issues within their own areas of interest, like questions of race, gender, and identity in the sports world, hip-hop, or pop culture, for example. This way, she says, the class becomes a space where peers can inform peers because they’re more personally engaged in a particular topic. She also allows for conversations to follow related tangents. No reasonable observations are off the table. “Everyone in this class can speak their mind without fear of what others may think,” says Lawrence resident Joniel Arias ’20.

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

Despite CIRG’s colloquial flavor, there’s plenty of structure. On a rotating basis, individual students are required to prepare a daily news item to ensure the class continually discusses what’s most current (and may not overlap with the planned curriculum). Students present the details of the item, add their own analysis, and lead a class discussion on the subject. Rupert’s syllabus also features regularly occurring units like “on this day,” which pinpoints historic highs and lows in civil rights and social justice that match the calendar date, or “IRL,” short for in-real-life, which spotlights individuals or classes of people impacted by current policies and laws. Class members must follow their Congressional representative and a Massachusetts Senator as well as the governor and his 2018 gubernatorial election opponent on social media channels. “I have my own opinions about the issues, which I disclaim as such, and I warmly welcome disagreement,” says Rupert, who is also the Prep’s community programs coordinator. “For discussions to be productive and contribute to learning, students can’t feel like I’m so biased that they tune out on a given subject, or think they can’t trust me. We’re never going to make anyone feel guilty for saying what’s on their mind.”

Keeping It Real By letting all points of view percolate to the surface, the class as a whole seems better able to see the forest for the trees. “Ms. Rupert’s teaching style illustrated that what I thought of as black and white before I took the class actually had a lot of gray area,” says Marblehead’s Jack Starbird ’19, who took the class as a junior elective. “It definitely raised my awareness and helped me realize what attributes I’ve been given without having to ask. The color of my skin, the family I was born into, the gender I am. There are people who don’t have the privileges I do, and yet they should have access to everything I do.” Rupert’s presence in a classroom of young men naturally opens the door for candid conversations about the experiences of women in today’s culture. “I think it’s a powerful dynamic through which to engage students in meaningful, thoughtful, and

Rupert lets all points of view percolate to the surface, allowing the class, as a whole, to better see the forest for the trees.

“All facts, anecdotes, and opinions are welcome. But whether you agree or disagree in this classroom, all statements have to be backed up by facts, and if they’re not, they need to be owned as such: as opinion.” — ELLE RUPERT impactful conversations about gender,” she says. “My role here is to spark discussions that prompt questions and observations. By doing so, maybe students come to understand the world differently or more broadly. Perhaps they empathize more with folks who don’t have the same identity they do, or they gain a more global awareness of others.”

We Can Work It Out Rupert grew up in a bedroom community of northern New Jersey that was 89 percent white. Without context, that circumstance wouldn’t make her a glaringly obvious choice to teach CIRG. But, as any past or present enrollee in the course knows: prejudging an individual or group is a towering obstacle to the advancement of human understanding. Rupert was awakened to issues of social justice in high school. She graduated from Gettysburg College in 2013 with a doublemajor in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Globalization Studies. In association with the school’s social justice center, she ran an after-school program for children of migrant workers toiling in south-central Pennsylvania apple orchards. Conversationally fluent in Spanish, she also completed study abroad programs focused on social justice in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. These credentials are worthy of note, but the student experience in her classroom further confirms that form follows function. Put another way: She’s really good at it. “Ms. Rupert is really good at conveying facts that lead to reasonable conclusions without pushing any agenda or bashing ideas that arise from misinformation,” says North Andover’s Danny Mancini ’19, who also took the class as a junior. “She puts the pieces together and helps us connect the dots. The course is really about why these discussions are important, how we can be allies to the disenfranchised, and what are the real-life, everyday issues that deserve our attention and involvement.”

Ben Winters ’19 connected some dots of his own. “This class has been a big part of important self-discovery for me this year,” says the Peabody native. “I took for granted that I’ve had no struggles related to my ethnicity, whereas for others in the class, those obstacles are nothing new. I’m so much more understanding of what’s been given to me that I didn’t have to work for. Just going to this school is such a blessing. I’m glad I’m realizing these things when I’m this young, and can grow with that knowledge.” “Our students get a great education here, and they go on to do influential and important things — and we want that for them,” says Rupert. “Issues we talk about in my class don’t necessarily impact their daily life now, but they will once they move on. If they someday think back on the conversations we’re having now, then we’ve successfully channeled the inclusive social justice teachings the school is working so hard to achieve.” Rupert came to St. John’s in 2013, working in the Prep’s Multicultural Affairs and Community Development office (MACD) as part of a fellowship program at Merrimack College, where she earned a master’s of education in community engagement in 2014. MACD Director Raisa Carrasco-Velez says Rupert and the CIRG class are a winning combination. “She’s terrific and this piece of the humanities curriculum is so critical,” says Carrasco-Velez, who notes that the course was launched by former faculty member Ray Carey ’67 more than 20 years ago. “Providing opportunities like this gives students the information they need to become the decision-makers of the future. When they put themselves out there in this context, giving their trust and feeling trusted, to paraphrase UPenn’s Dr. Howard C. Stevenson, it becomes more than a learning transaction; it’s an emotional transaction that moves the needle toward a more racially literate community, and that benefits everyone.”

PREP FALL 2018

In researching his critically acclaimed movie, Bo Burnham ’08 watched hundreds of videos of kids talking about themselves online.

Don’t Change A Thing…Change

Everything

PHOTO: A24 Films

Awash in critical acclaim for his award-winning writer-director debut in the movie “Eighth Grade,” Bo Burnham ’08 says he’s working on a new project about Massachusetts, moving back East sooner than later, and he’s probably done with stand-up.

or Bo Burnham ’08, the beauty of art is recognizing himself in somebody he’s not at all like. And the Hamilton native sees himself clearly in antsy, gawky, 13-year-old Kayla, the heroine of “Eighth Grade,” his indie feature that opened in July, became a summer specialty-box-office mainstay, and appears poised to besiege to the 2018-19 awards season. It’s best if he explains this phenomenon himself.

“It’s an interesting cultural conversation and, of course, there needs to be broader forms of representation [with regard to race, gender and identity] both in front of and behind the camera,” he says. “At the same time, the narrative shouldn’t be that you can’t explore a story that’s dissimilar to your own experience. I feel like a woman should be able to tell a story about a young man and I should be able to tell a story about a young woman.”

“I take in art to understand things that I might, unexpectedly, relate to, or to recognize myself in somebody that may not be me,” says Burnham. “I think that’s the most magical experience for encountering art. If not, I would watch movies about 28-year-old guys from the Boston area. When I watch a movie like “Moonlight,” I say to myself, ‘I am nothing like Chiron [the sensitive, timid, African American male lead on a journey of selfdiscovery], and yet I feel exactly like him and I totally relate to him.’ The personal part of that experience is the most meaningful stuff to me. That’s what I pursue in my own work.”

That may be especially true for Burnham, whose teenage riffs, skits, and gag tunes were leaned on by critics for coming across as “comedy for 13-year-old girls.” Mind you, that’s not why the humorist-turned-filmmaker put his stage act in his rear view; that was about debilitating performance anxiety and a gut feeling he had more to say. As it turns out, screenwriting addressed both concerns.

It’s fair to say Burnham nailed it when he scripted his character Kayla (played by newcomer Elsie Fisher), the star of what Rolling Stone flawlessly describes as “a wrenching story about an anxious young girl struggling to find her place in a world of teen-girl peer pressure, social-media saturation and adolescent awkwardness.” Burnham’s stand-up comedy was dominated by searing pop culture critique, but it did lay bare his affinity for dialogue (and now film) that explores people, places, and issues that don’t align with him demographically. That dynamic also drives his approach to storytelling, and happens to intersect with current conflict and resentment about access, equality, and authenticity in the motion picture industry.

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

Let’s Be Honest Burnham’s fascination with the internet and the elastic ecosystem of social media is deeply personal. He first gained widespread public attention as a YouTube funnyman, which he eventually parlayed into to four comedy albums, a satirical MTV show, and three made-for-television stand-up comedy specials. Much of his stage act probed his own view that the internet turns life into a performance, resulting in a tug of war between who we are and how we want to be perceived. This theme is the heartbeat of his movie. Burnham’s proof of concept, as he told Vulture (New York Magazine’s culture and entertainment site) this summer, often played out after his live shows. “Young girls would come up to me and they understood what I was expressing onstage. So, if

Multiple critics consider Bo Burnham ’08 a “frontrunner” for this year’s Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and there’s buzz about Best Director honors too. PHOTO: A24 Films

there was a bridge between us that I had to cross to write the movie, it was built to me by them.” None of that is to say he owned a steady grasp on what life is like for 21st century 13-yearold girls — at least without doing research.

trying to address it as much as it is trying to describe subjectively how it feels to us.” To longtime fans, Bo Burnham might sound a little ponderous. Even, too grown up? Fear not: He remains his witty, provocative and impish self. He’s just more … unadulterated.

Burnham watched hundreds of videos of kids talking about themselves online. He didn’t want to project his own experiences “For me, the movie was a way to examine — through these upon the main character, so, he reasoned, choosing a girl kids — what the internet is doing to all of us,” he would mitigate that. Plus, he quips, the same movie says. “I think if there’s any path forward, that’s at “I take in art to featuring a boy would be “Like, 90 minutes of least a start: to be honest about the emotions understand things that involved.” That’s been a winning formula. “Fortnite” references.”

Alicia Greenwood, St. John’s artistic director I might, unexpectedly, The film has a 99 percent critics rating and average audience score of 8.8 out of 10 on of theater arts, has known Burnham since he relate to, or to recognize an Rotten Tomatoes, the leading online aggregator was a fixture with the Prep Drama Guild, and of movie and TV show reviews. Burnham is she’s not surprised he’s emerged as a cultural myself in somebody currently preoccupied with promo junkets and bell cow. “Of course, I knew he was going to do that may not be me.” interviews for “Eighth Grade” as awards season something because he was clearly so talented and unfolds (the movie has already won the Sundance smart and took his work seriously,” she says. “But to do London Audience Award). “My priority is getting people to it this fast at this level, and for him to do it telling a story that hear about it and see it,” he explains. speaks to women, I’m just so proud of him for that. He deserves it. It’s a beautifully made film.” This brings us to Burnham’s next project, which we know little “Eighth Grade,” which was shot over the course of about 30 days, is neither a cautionary tale nor a morality play. It’s not even a conclusive coming-of-age story. It has to do with what Burnham sees as the paradox of the global social network, which he says gives “voice and visibility to people who didn’t have it before,” and can be “powerfully sad” or “powerfully good.” On the day of the film’s release, he confessed to Relevant Magazine: “The only thing I am certain about with the internet is my confusion.” That’s essentially the point of the movie. “The issue with all modes of social media is that it’s so iterative,” says Burnham. “It changes so quickly that by the time a conversation coalesces about a certain feature of it, it’s already outdated. And I don’t quite know how to address that. The movie’s not really even

about except that it will be all his own. He’s resolute that the forthcoming flood of offers for him to write a screenplay someone else directs or direct a screenplay someone else writes won’t push him off that mooring. So, what does all this mean for him between now and potentially life-changing caucuses like the 2019 Golden Globes and Oscars? “I’m mostly in LA,” says Burnham, a city he describes as a taste he’s “still acquiring.” “I’m trying to write something about Massachusetts right now, and it’s something very specific that I’m reading about and researching, so I’m trying to get back there a bit. I’m very much an East Coast person. I just happen to be out here. I’ll be pulled back in one way or another, for sure.”

PREP FALL 2018

The Middle School Treehouse, a round-table rap session during lunchtimes, sparks important conversations and turns words into action.

The Branches of Brotherhood

ared Rodriguez ’09, a social studies teacher for grades seven and eight, says students can always count on great takeaways from Treehouse gatherings. The aim is simple: To recreate the easygoing interlude that might come with boys climbing up into a treehouse to share thoughts and swap stories. Once every six-day cycle, Middle School students climb the stairs to reach the Ford Family Student Center to talk about a variety of themes and subjects in a staff-moderated setting. “Some of our topics are impromptu, some are designed to explore to what’s going on in the world, and we also integrate aspects of the curriculum,” says Middle School Counselor Mark Gafur. Launched during the winter of 2017, the optional hangout draws an average of 20 students for each of two lunch periods. Treehouse topics are wide-ranging and thought-provoking, such as pondering gender stereotypes in comic book culture. On a more playful note, students have created fictional dossiers for Middle School teachers and administrators, assigning them individualized “superpowers.” Jessaca Michaelsen, for example, the Middle School dean of students and coordinator of student life, was attributed with “the ability to keep us in dress code.” A recent dialogue focusing on aspects of ethnicity allowed students to exchange ideas and observations about how cultures and family traditions are shaped by birthplace and backgrounds.

School counselor Mark Gafur and students during a meeting of the Middle School Treehouse.

“Learning about different ethnicities opens your mind, but it can also open so many doors,” adds seventh grader Jordan Henriquez. “Like, if you learn a language — like Spanish. ‘Hola’ is a small word, but it goes such a long way.”

“‘Hola’ is a small word, but it goes such a long way.”

Rodriguez believes the informal chats that characterize Treehouse gatherings create an ideal environment for incremental learning to take place.

“By discussing and recognizing the differences between and among us, we already have something in common,” says Rodriguez. “It’s “This way of exchanging ideas is an kind of a paradox: Finding commonality in entrypoint that feels safe for kids to walk — SEVENTH GRADER differences through that very commonality. The JORDAN HENRIQUEZ through,” he says. “All three grade levels at more you talk, the more comfortable these kind the Middle School attend, but grade 6 students, in of conversations become. Sharing traditions and where particular, are so open and vulnerable. For them, it’s cool to share. they stem from — like what you do to celebrate Christmas or the Now, our sixth graders are starting to take those conversations grounding holiday event of whatever faith you come from — is a outside of these meetings. They’re bringing them home. They’re great entry point for more nuanced dialogue.” having them with neighborhood friends.” Balance is also a key component. “Sometimes we dig deeper and A relaxed forum examining family origins helps contribute to the sometimes we keep it light,” says Middle School Counselor Liz sense of diversity at the Prep, says Liwo, because students reflect Liwo. “There may or may not be popsicles.” on where they come from, better appreciate their differences with Record Attendance schoolmates, and find common roots. “We all bring something unique to the community,” she tells the Treehouse crew. “But it’s Staff moderators prioritize discussions, activities or group just as special to understand where other people come from.” exercises that draw upon the Prep’s cultural priorities and spiritual values. As part of their discussions about ethnicity, students were Yianni Tripodis, a sixth grader, takes that notion a step further. asked to create an individual as well as a group family crest that “You can learn a lot about people from their different heritages, reflected various aspects of origin and identity like foods, music, but it really doesn’t matter where you’re from,” he says. “If you’re and language. nice, people shouldn’t judge your background, and we should “I think it’s important because the more I find out about others’ treat everyone equally no matter what their religions or traditions backgrounds, the more they find out about me,” says sixth grader teach. Talking about it and learning about it only helps that.” Angel Heredia, one of a record 61 students who participated in the two ethnicity powwows. “At Treehouse, we do it as a group. That makes me feel like I’m getting to know more people in my school instead of staying in my shell.”

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

They Want to Be a Part of It Inside the Middle School’s Maker Studio, students know that what they make there, they can’t make just anywhere.

he minute hand on the clock inside the Middle School’s room B-133 has ticked its way to 4:20 pm and, as he works to build a Newtonian conservation-of-momentum device, eighth grader Max Conway implores Maker Studio moderator and science teacher Nicole Prince to keep the lab open until five. Conway gets his wish, although a peer quickly notes that regardless, he could ‘pick up where you leave off’ on the project the next time the studio opens. “Yes, but then I’ll have to wait a whole week,” laments Conway.

Such is the popularity and enterprising nature of the Prep’s new Middle School Maker Studio, a weekly after-school activity that was launched in September and has drawn a steady flow of innovator-participants. Maker spaces — studios or labs geared toward students pursuing projects of their choosing — challenge kids to design, build prototypes, and refine concepts with real-world applications in mind. A technology-based offshoot of DIY culture, the Maker Movement in education, now in its second decade, encourages schools to establish and equip environments that foster creativity, critical thinking, and confidence.

The Middle School Maker Studio, launched in September, challenges students to design, build prototypes, and refine concepts with real-world applications in mind.

“I’m inspired by watching students work throughout each session,” says Prince, who attended this fall’s Maker Faire in New York City. “All that these kids need are some ideas, some books, and some YouTube videos. They take it from there. That’s what a Maker space is supposed to be, and ours here at the Prep is really taking shape.”

Active vs. Passive Every week, Prince prepares a guided project for students to execute, but she also invites participants to simply show up, use any available supplies, and create a blueprint of their own devising. She emphasizes design and experimentation that involve specialized thinking and hands-on learning. Projects are well-suited for collaboration as well as on-the-fly adaptation, improvisation, and innovation. The inaugural Prep Maker Studio activity was creating colored and scented soap. More technical ventures have followed, however. Conway and classmate Parker Seymour, for example, were attempting to make a Newton’s Cradle. A typical Newton’s cradle consists of a series of swinging metal spheres (the boys used styrofoam), which demonstrate transferred force with a pendulum.

Eighth graders Parker Seymour (at left) and Max Conway at work building a Newton’s Cradle pendulum.

Students have also constructed hovercrafts from a balloon, a bottlecap, and used CDs, while other projects have included building forced-air-powered miniature cars; a straw and string monorail system powered by balloons; a hologram illusion system using an iPad and restaurant takeout salad container lids; and a 3D infographic made from PVC piping and color-coded string. Students have even chain-linked yarn using simple loops and slip knots to make scarves for family members. “I love how much freedom we have,” says eighth grader Christo Traub. “The teacher is there if we need help, but we can just go get whatever supplies we need ourselves. In Maker Studio, you can kind of get away from the school day you just finished, and get really creative because the materials we have here aren’t the kind you find at home. Maker movement enthusiasts believe the experience augments any educational landscape by engaging kids in discovery-based learning from a young age, encouraging them to learn not only by watching and consuming, but also by doing and creating. Even institutions in higher education are recognizing the value and advantages that come with students who engage in Makerfocused activities from a young age. MIT, for example, now encourages prospective students to submit portfolios of their Maker work with their applications. For now, sixth grader Magnus Julin is more interested in immediate outcomes. “I’ve always wanted to do DIY, but I usually don’t have time at home,” he says. “With this finger-link scarf I’m working on, I don’t need to know how to crochet or sew, but I can still make a scarf for my mom.”

PREP FALL 2018

THE

Ticker NEWS FROM THE PREP

eyword: Community. The Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) planned the summer reading program this year, intentionally choosing books that all dealt directly with themes of racism, inequality, and privilege. When school began, they augmented students’ reading with discussions and events. “It’s always really important to me that St. John’s is talking about issues surrounding race, diversity, and inclusion,” said Director of Community Formation and DAC member Steve Ruemenapp. “The books were great tools for really meaningful conversations. Plus, we’re having the discussion in a healthy way and in welcoming forums.”

IN HIS ELEMENT

Pictured following a parent forum in the Brother Keefe, C.F.X. Academic Center: Brendan Kiely ’85, co-author of “All American Boys”; Elle Rupert, community programs manager; Steve Ruemanapp, director of community formation; Jason Reynolds, co-author of “All American Boys”; and Raisa Carrasco-Velez, director of Multicultural Affairs and Community Development.

John Boyle (right) and Cole Maher ’19.

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

One of the forums for discussion came when Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely ’95, co-authors of “All-American Boys,” the book selected for grades 9 and 10, spent a full day on campus in October. The pair spoke with students, teachers, and parents about how they met, their writing process, and how their different life experiences informs their work. “At the end of the day, we’ve gotta figure ways to create a framework for young people to engage in really complicated conversations. It might be our greatest obligation, our greatest responsibility,” Reynolds said. For his part, Kiely said he hoped the book would become both a window and a mirror for students. “For those of us that come from communities unaccustomed to being marginalized, providing a mirror to learn about our own privilege, and a window into what it is like to be marginalized, helps us to operate in a way that we become fuller, more whole community members.”

veryone instantly rose to their feet at the opening liturgy in September, when Headmaster Hardiman recognized faculty member John Boyle, who celebrates five decades at St. John’s this year. “I taught biology, religion, reading, and math. After six or seven years, the chemistry teacher at the time was leaving and I was asked to step in,” Boyle recalls. “I panicked because I didn’t know much about chemistry. But I said ‘yes.’ Luckily, Brother Phil Dimarchi was teaching chemistry at the time, and he devoted a whole year, almost every day before and after school, to teaching me what I was going to have to teach the kids.” He continues to learn, says Boyle. “Working with our chemistry teachers now, they are so invested — always figuring out new and better ways to teach kids about the chemical world. In the end, I guess I’ve modeled myself after the teachers that I’ve had and the people I’ve worked with: the brothers, the students, the current chemistry teachers and those I’ve worked with in the past,” he says. “I’m bits and pieces of all of them.”

NATIONAL MERIT

e’re so proud of the seniors recognized in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program! Kudos to Semi-Finalists Caleb Willett and Nathan Brown, and congratulations to the Commended students. The group, all seniors, is pictured in Kennealy Commons: (front row) Jack Brown, Dylan Bird, Nicholas Anastas, John Bachner, Peter Danis, Nicholas Rice, and Dante Falardeau; (back row) Sebastian Fisichelli, Conner Goodwin, Ryan Hankins, Caleb Willett, and Nathan Brown. Well done!

oe Lovett’s dream of writing a book has become a reality. “Coach God: The Mystery of the Game Plan” is a 110-page, semi-allegorical, semi-autobiographical work about loss, grief, empathy, appreciation, and faith, all penned in the context of sport. Lovett’s book conveys three messages. First, that God knows us and loves us as we lead our sporting lives; second, that there’s “a familiar pattern of God’s game plan” in our spiritual lives; and third, the spiritual component of human existence can become as evident to us at a New England Patriots game as readily as in a church pew. While Lovett knows everyone will experience his new book in their own way, he hopes that readers will come away with an understanding of his message that “It’s up to us to figure out how we can be our best selves. And we shouldn’t presume a game plan. That’s where Coach God comes in.”

ive! Since You Asked. We kicked off our new Facebook Live series, Live! Since You Asked, in August with Pat Connaughton ’11, who talked about his rise through the basketball program at the Prep, his time as a two-sport athlete and cum laude graduate of Notre Dame, and his current job playing shooting guard for the Milwaukee Bucks. Union Oyster House owner and impresario Joe Milano ’62 was next up with stories from the restaurant life and his ongoing service as Thailand’s consul general in Boston. In the third installment, Flywire CEO Mike Massaro ’96 P’23 ’25 talked about entrepreneurship and organizational culture. Host Chad Konecky says the 30-minute, informal, on-location sit-downs have produced compelling insights. “I think the guests have felt at ease, which keeps things lively and entertaining,” he says. “Watching Pat try to name his 60-something first cousins in age order or hearing Joe talk about growing up in a North End tenement and ending up as Massachusetts Restaurateur of the Year were some pretty memorable moments.” Follow the Prep on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to find out about upcoming episodes.

PREP FALL 2018

RAD RIDERS Parker Heath began racing bicycles in high school at Northfield Mt. Hermon, and continues to race today. “I’m wired to be a racer, but what’s kept me at it are the culture and the friends I’ve made over the years. Plus, it’s a sport made for lifelong fitness.” Now, he’s using his considerable experience and love for the sport to coach the Eagles in a program his son, Jackson ’17, was instrumental in starting three years ago. Heath’s approach fits seamlessly with the Prep’s focus on wellness. “I take the words inscribed in the facade of the Mahoney Wellness Center to heart. While the physical connection to the sport is apparent, I work to bring an intellectual approach to both training and racing. The team naturally becomes a social network, which supports the emotional challenges of racing. And riding in the woods of New England is an aesthetic and spiritual experience the kids will always remember.” The sport demands strength, endurance, hand-eye coordination, and a kinesthetic sense of where you are on the trail, Heath notes. “As coach, I can encourage from behind and pull from the front, but in the end, the kids have to guide themselves on the trail.” The team’s schedule spans two seasons. In the fall, the Eagles compete as part of the Northern New England High School Mountain Bike Series, and in the spring with the New England High School Cycling Association (NEHSCA), which features more than 25 teams and 600 participants. NEHSCA rules require coed teams and the Eagles’ squad includes Stefanie Soper from the Academy at Penguin Hall and national medalist Kaia Schmid, who attends the Proctor School. “It’s a good mix,” says Heath. “We were NEHSCA champs for the last two years. I’m so grateful to St. John’s for providing the support to make this program happen.”

Prep Sports Fall 2018 CREW Head Coach: Tim Broderick ’05 Captains: Jack Bodette ’19, Pat Martino ’19, Jordan Callahan ’19 Record: N/A Season in Brief: The fall crew team saw an improvement in their performance this season, performing well at the Head of the Charles where they placed 50th this year, a jump up from their 75th place finish last year. The season also included a first place victory in the Textile Regatta.

CROSS COUNTRY Head Coach: John Boyle Captains: Derek Walsh ’19, Kevin Carney ’19 Record: 4-0 Season in Brief: Cross country competed exceptionally well this fall, capping off their season winning the Catholic Conference Classic with 36 points. They competed all over New England, including the Ocean State Invitational and the Manhattan College Invitational.

FOOTBALL

MOUNTAIN BIKING

Head Coach: Brian St. Pierre ’98 Captains: Kevin Dewing ’19, Wes Rockett ’19, James Taylor ’19, Colton Tangney ’19, Aise Pream ’19 Record: 10-2 Season in Brief: With another year of a tough schedule, the football team won the Division I Super Bowl Championship over Catholic Memorial 40-22, capping the 10-2 season. What a year!

Head Coach: Parker Heath Captains: N/A Record: N/A Season in Brief: The fall mountain biking team completed various scenic rides this season including multiple rides at Willowdale State Forest. They won the Northern New England Cycling Championships.

GOLF Head Coach: Joe Rocha Captains: Drew Semons ’19, Brendan Ziegler ’19 Record: 14-2 Season in Brief: Throughout a fall season with many matches in less than ideal weather, the golf team pulled through earning an impressive record as well as finishing second at the Division I North Sectionals, qualifying them for the State Championship match. They were able to reclaim the Catholic Conference title.

SOCCER Head Coach: Dave Crowell Captains: Jake Surette ’19, Will Andrews ’19, Sam Smith ’19 Record: 13-3-4 Season in Brief: The soccer team currently has an impressive record well above .500 to put them in a good position for the playoffs, with notable close game wins against St. John’s Shrewsbury, Malden Catholic and Everett High School. Soccer finished the season with 13-3-4 record, and earned a spot in the Division I North playoffs, including three upsets wins. The Prep advanced to the Division I North Final before being defeated by Lincoln-Sudbury, 2-1.

WATER POLO Head Coach: Anthony Padvaiskas Captains: Mitchell Lockwood ’19, Cole Maher ’19 Record: 3-6 Season in Brief: The water polo team enjoyed wins over Deerfield Academy and Brookline High School. They completed their season on the road with a win over Brookline.

The Prep football played Xaverian at Fenway Park for the Thanksgiving Classic this year. Although the final numbers on the scoreboard were not in the Eagles favor, St. John’s went on to win the Division I Championship over Catholic Memorial 40-22 at Gillette Stadium.

PREP FALL 2018

PrepVentures Prep2Pro

Expanding Summer Internships for Summer 2019

e are taking the highly successful Prep2Pro Alumni Internship Program into major cities across the country in summer 2019. The highly successful program is designed to prepare young alumni of the last five years for today’s competitive work environment. We partner with community members — alumni, parents, and friends — to place motivated Prep graduates who want to develop their professional skills with diverse companies and organizations. Get involved! Prep2Pro Partners  Fill your talent pipeline with some of the best and brightest Prep grads  Develop a formal internship program for your organization  Bring in the newest technology from the classroom with Prep interns  Add a resource to recruit diverse candidates  Give back by offering young SJP alumni an opportunity to develop their skills Ready to get started? Contact Nibal Awad at nawad@stjohnsprep.org Prep2Pro Interns  Internships with companies and organizations across many fields  Paid summer-long positions  Three workshops to help you put your best foot forward  Mentoring from experts in your preferred industry  An alumni office that’s prepared to help you get ahead in your career Apply now at www.stjohnsprep.org/prep2pro

SJP GO-TO

Check out these alumni resources!  Prep2Pro Alumni Summer Internships  Career Development, Internship Placements and Professional Mentoring

Prep2Pro was proud to have four interns participate in AbioMed’s summer 2018 internship program! Prep grads in the group included David Cunningham ’17 (front left); Liam O’Connell ’16 and Andrew Boucher ’16 (front right) and Christopher Puglisi ’16 (back left).

Proud Prep2Pro Partners!  AbioMed  Windover Construction  Raytheon  Northwestern Mutual Financial Network  Epsilon

SJP Alumni Directory: Ridiculously Good Networking Accessible on any desktop, tablet or mobile device . The alumni directory is an easy way to connect with classmates and find professional opportunities. Users can filter by class year, industry, company, location, and more to find peers and mentors. Log into the directory and start growing your network! community.evertrue.com/stjohnsprep

 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: Live Webinars

•P rofiles with contact info • I nteractive map-based search •L inkedIn filters •O pt-in to serve as a mentor!

 Alumni online directory

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

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

Brother Robert J. Sullivan, C.F.X. Lecture Series We are grateful to the alumni who conceived and endowed the Brother Robert J. Sullivan, C.F.X. Lecture Series and Brother Robert J. Sullivan, C.F.X. Fund for Excellence: Matt Donahue ’77 Kevin Harrington ’77 Eric Kimble ’85 Rod MacLellan ’76 Tom O’Shea ’79 Stephen Pfaff ’77 Joe Timmins ’77

At the Intersection of Faith + Reason

att Donahue, Joe Timmins, and Steve Pfaff, all class of 1977, drafted their vision for a lecture series in honor of Brother Robert J. Sullivan, C.F.X. on a napkin during their reunion reception in 2002. Their goal was to celebrate and memorialize a brilliant teacher and mentor who had profoundly influenced their lives. They felt that Brother Sullivan was a formidable example of the core commitment at St. John’s to educate the whole person.

2018 – 2019 Speakers

“You can only become yourself by living through others.”

A Jesuit seminarian turned managing director at J.P. Morgan & Co., Chris Lowney chairs the board of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), co-founded Contemplative Leaders in Action, and founded Pilgrimage for Our Children’s Future.

— BROTHER ROBERT J. SULLIVAN, C.F.X.

Brother Sullivan first came to St. John’s Prep in 1960, when he accepted the role of prefect of studies. He established a legacy of excellence that his students and fellow faculty and staff remember to this day. During an expansive career, he served as the first Headmaster at Xavier High School in Middletown, Connecticut, and then returned to teach at the Prep from 1975 to 1986. He went on to become Headmaster of his alma mater, Malden Catholic, a position he held until his retirement in 1992. In his call as a Xaverian Brother and as a teacher of philosophy, psychology, and physics, Brother Sullivan challenged and inspired his students to grow in their understanding of faith and fact, connecting the two in unexpected and provocative ways. He would highlight the important and sometimes contentious intersections between ethics, philosophy, art, science, and faith. And he was known for asking his students difficult and important questions that ultimately helped define the adults they would become. Today, the Brother Robert J. Sullivan, C.F.X. Lecture Series brings innovators and thought leaders to campus to explore how an ethicsbased education can shape decision-making in the real world. It provides a forum to probe conjoining concepts of science, art, faith, and leadership with the insights and wisdom of well-known scholars and influencers. Through this lecture series, St. John’s serves students, parents, alumni, faculty, and the wider community. We hope you’ll join us.

On December 12, 2018, Chris Lowney kicked of this year’s series Chris Lowney Best-selling author, social entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at 6 pm in the Brother Keefe, C.F.X. Academic Center James O’Connell, M.D. President, Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP), which offers full-time clinical care for Boston’s homeless. BHCHP’s founding physician, Dr. O’Connell has worked tirelessly with BHCHP for over 30 years.

To register for future events and learn more about our speakers, visit stjohnsprep.org/sullivan.

PREP FALL 2018

Pictured at the junior class awards convocation in May 2018: Headmaster Hardiman, Deb Tyrell, John Walsh ’19, John Tyrell, and Principal Crowley.

A Lifetime of Alumni Strong

or Jack Kirby ’55, thinking of others came naturally. Fortunately for St. John’s, Kirby’s give-first attitude was most often exercised on behalf of his beloved alma mater. After his passing in 2007, Kirby’s incomparable legacy of generosity inspired the creation of the Jack Kirby ’55 Alumni Association Scholarship. Each year, the Kirby award is given to a rising senior who is highly involved on campus, helps build up connections among classmates, and has an immutable passion for St. John’s that will carry through his years as an alumnus.

Kirby’s son, Rob Kirby ’86, and his grandson, Tim Tyrell ’17, both followed in his footsteps at St. John’s. As Tyrell tells it, her father was so passionate about St. John’s that even before he knew he would have a grandson to attend the Prep, he brought her an application for admission — just in case. Walsh has a big reputation to live up to in Kirby’s legacy, but he will have the support of fellow alumni and the continued generosity of Kirby’s family in Tyrell. Inspiring peers to give generously in support of the school is a big task, but Walsh says he is up to the challenge.

“On the water, you have got a team of rowers, all of them talented and ready to go. If they all pull in the same direction, the boat flies.”

“I remember how fondly he felt about the Prep,” recalled Kirby’s daughter, Deb Tyrell, whose continued leadership and generosity helps bring life to the scholarship award year after year. “He was so passionate about his classmates, friends, and teachers, even though they wouldn’t remember him as the best student or athlete. But for many years he volunteered as a fundraiser and mentor to fellow graduates. I think what he did for the school made him that beloved star.”

This year’s recipient of the Kirby award, John Walsh ’19, embodies the legacy of goodwill Kirby hoped to inspire in all those he encountered. As part of the scholarship award, Walsh has been named chair of his Senior Class Gift Committee. Now, he will carry on with one of the most lasting ways Kirby influenced the school community — by being a fundraiser and reaching out among classmates and friends to enlist their financial support. It’s a natural fit for Walsh, who already shows his commitment to sharing with others through his work as a member of the Spire Society, Eagles Wings Freshman Orientation leader, Freshman and Sophomore Retreat leader, member of the Campus Ministry Student Advisory Council and Gender Task Force, and as a passionate student-athlete on the crew team.

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

“My goal for the Senior Class Gift Committee is to help spread the word — JOHN WALSH ’19 about how important annual support, like giving to the Fund for St. John’s, is to the school and to keep us all connected. I want to challenge our class to participate in giving back because it is something we can do regardless of where we go or what we do after we graduate.” Much like the award’s namesake, Walsh thinks about the people who made his experience at Prep special. In particular, Walsh’s rowing coach, John Arsenault ’82, has been a role model for how discipline can translate into bigger successes in life. With Arsenault’s help, Walsh feels ready for his next big challenge which will be attending the Coast Guard Academy in the fall. “I am a completely different person now than when I was a freshman. And I see life beyond St. John’s as being a little like being part of the crew on a boat. On the water, you have got a team of rowers, all of them talented and ready to go. If they all pull in the same direction, the boat flies.” Like Kirby before him, Walsh is ready to do his part for St. John’s as part of the newest crew of alumni strong.

A DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS We’re proud to celebrate 26 years of Distinguished Alumni at St. John’s. See the list of all recipients at www.stjohnsprep.org/ distinguishedalumni. St. John’s graduates are leaders in every field, from medicine and education to religious life, sports, business, technology, the military and more. As recipients of the school’s highest alumni accolade, they model what it means to be a changemaker and force for good. Tom and Midge DeSimone

A Spirit of Kindness

ith the Distinguished Alumnus Award, St. John’s presents a living example of faith, brotherhood, and wisdom to students and the wider community. Reflecting the Prep’s commitment to excellence in all endeavors, the Distinguished Alumnus is someone who has achieved professional success, shown a commitment to lifelong learning, pursues enduring personal relationships, and serves as a model for servant leadership in the Catholic, Xaverian tradition. St. John’s is proud to recognize the service and leadership of the 2019 Distinguished Alumnus, Tom DeSimone of the Class of 1968. DeSimone’s parents, Martha and Alec, inspired their six sons and their daughter with a spirit of kindness and determination. DeSimone brought that spirit back to the Prep as a member of the Board of Trustees from 2002 to 2010, including his service as chairman from 2006 to 2009. Inspired to ensure that future generations of students have the opportunity to benefit from a Prep education, just as he has, DeSimone has been among St. John’s most influential benefactors. His generosity has helped transform St. John’s in many tangible and intangible ways — from new buildings and campus renovations to engendering a spirit of generosity among his fellow alumni. His generosity extends beyond the Prep campus as DeSimone has served numerous nonprofits, most recently as chair of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Trustee Advisory Board. After graduating from Boston College in 1972, DeSimone went to work as an accountant. He soon had an opportunity to take on a new and challenging role with a young real estate development firm, WS Development. Today, DeSimone is Executive Vice President and a member of the Executive Committee at that same company, where he has served for more than 30 years. DeSimone might not tell you, but he has been a positive force in building up Boston and surrounding areas through his work. Following the example set in motion by his father, Jonathan DeSimone ’88 now serves on the Board of Trustees, and he and his wife, Vicki, are the parents of two Prep graduates: Brendan ’16 and Christian ’18.

The Distinguished Alumnus program is intentionally designed to create opportunities for the honorees to spend time on campus and hear from students. DeSimone received the Distinguished Alumnus Award at a special reception on November 13, and he will be back on campus in February to visit classrooms and talk with students. It’s a powerful way to exemplify the role alumni play in the success and leadership of current students. November 2018 Distinguished Alumnus Reception February 2019 Full day on campus visiting classes and speaking with students May 2019 Address at the True Blue Reception for graduating seniors and taking part in the Commencement procession across campus

PREP FALL 2018

Faces of Generosity We are St.Â Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, a remarkable community of people who believe in the power of education to change the world for good, one student at a time.

The Impact of Your Generosity The extraordinary generosity of our donors fuels and enriches the experience of every Prep student, every day and every year. Thank you!

$5,723,180 FY 2018 TOTAL CASH GIVING

$970,721

ENDOWMENT GIFTS

$1,267,556

ANNUAL GIVING

$399,640

EVENTS

$3,085,263

CAMPAIGN FOR GOOD

2,827 TOTAL DONORS

To read our 2017-2018 Annual Impact Report, visit stjohnsprep.org/impactreport.

Members of the Board of Trustees provide invaluable leadership, expertise, and commitment to St. John’s. We are pleased to announce the appointment of five new trustees this fall.

St. John’s Welcomes New Trustees

ay Burke ’82 P’13, Head of Fidelity Fund and Investment Operations at Fidelity Investments, will serve on the Advancement Committee. Actively involved in the life of the Prep community Left to right: Jay Burke ’82 P’13, Michael Cusack P’16, Taidgh McClory ’93, Stuart Meurer P’18 ’21, as an alumnus and parent, he has served Katherine O’Dair, Ph.D. as a co‑chair of the Br. Linus, C.F.X. and He and his wife, Lynne, live in Lynnfield with their children John Carnevale ’81 Scholarship Golf Tournament committee. He Davin, Estelle, and Kye. He holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College. holds a B.A. in economics and finance from Colby College, and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School. He and his wife, Lori, live President of Windover Construction, Stuart Meurer P’18 ’21 will in Reading with their children John ’13, Caroline, and Emily. serve on the Facilities Committee. He brings more than 26 years Michael Cusack P’16 will serve on the Finance Committee. As a managing director at Alliant Construction Services Group, a leading surety broker specializing in construction risk, he brings a significant background in facilities and finance to St. John’s. In addition to his professional commitments, he and his wife, Patti, are active with the Best Buddies organization. They live in Ipswich with their children Alison, Harry ’16, and Teddy. Cusack is a graduate of Providence College.

Managing director/partner of New England Brokerage at CBRE/New England, Taidgh McClory ’93, will serve on the Advancement Committee and the Facilities Committee. In his role at CBRE/New England, McClory is actively engaged with diversity and inclusion initiatives for non-profit organizations. A leading voice on the Alumni Board at St. John’s, he has worked to broaden professional networking opportunities for Prep graduates.

of experience in construction management, including at St. John’s with the Brother Keefe, C.F.X. Academic Center and the Leo and Joan Mahoney Wellness Center. He and his wife, Susan, live in Newbury with their three sons: Samuel ’18, Charles ’21, and Harry. A Pennsylvania native, he holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Northeastern University. Dean of Students at Harvard College, Katherine O’Dair, Ph.D. will serve on the Educational Programs Committee. She oversees residential and co-curricular life for undergraduate students at Harvard. Previously, she served as associate vice president for student affairs at Boston College, and assistant dean of student life at MIT. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Miami University in Ohio, a master’s in student personnel and counseling from Northeastern University, and a Ph.D. in higher education from the Lynch School of Education at Boston College.

Board of Trustees 2018-2019 Chairman Mike Kennealy ’86 Assistant Secretary for Business Growth, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Vice Chairman Paul J. Nasser P’13 CFO/COO, Intercontinental Real Estate Corp.

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. Jay Burke ’82 P’13 Head of Fidelity Fund and Investment Operations, Fidelity Investments

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

Kevin B. Churchwell, M.D. P’15 ’17 Executive Vice President of Health Affairs and Chief Operating Officer, Boston Children’s Hospital Kathleen Colin Executive Director of Sponsorship for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, US East-West Province Michael Cusack P’16 Managing Director, Alliant Specialty Group Matthew J. Cushing ’88 P’25 VP, Chief Commercial Officer & General Counsel, Pegasystems, Inc. Jonathan DeSimone ’88 P’16 ’18 Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer, Sankaty Advisors Kevin Dwan ’92 Portfolio Manager, 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 President, American Infrared Solutions (AIRS) Michael C. Mason, Ph.D. Assistant Chair, Liberal Arts Department, Berklee College of Music Taidgh McClory ’93 Managing Director/Partner, CBRE/New England Stuart Meurer P’18 ’21 President, Windover Construction Carmen R. Monks ’83 P’23 ’25 Managing Director-UHNW Sales, Citigroup Private Bank Katherine O’Dair, Ph.D. Dean of Students, Harvard College Timothy M. Tully Jr. P’14 ’19 Executive Vice President, State Street

“From day one of the Campaign for GOOD, we’ve been blessed with incredible support from every corner of the Prep community. You have lead the way. Your commitment, your service, and your leadership will benefit Prep students for years to come.” — MIKE KENNEALY ’86, CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIR

Making Philanthropic History

A Milestone Reached

hen planning began for the Campaign for GOOD, St. John’s undertook the largest fundraising effort in Prep history. Bold and comprehensive in scope, the campaign set out to fund a new wellness center, grow the Prep’s endowment, strengthen the Fund for St. John’s, and increase planned giving. “The support we have received has been transformational,” says campaign co-chair Trisha Kennealy. “More than $37 million has been raised, and with the continued generosity of the Prep community, we will reach our $45 million goal.”

Campaign Milestones July 2013 — Campaign for GOOD silent phase begins. March 2016 — Wellness Center construction starts. September 2017 — Public launch of the Campaign for GOOD. The Leo and Joan Mahoney Wellness Center opens after $25 million is committed for the construction. It is the first building on the Prep campus to be built entirely with philanthropic support. Glatz Field is dedicated as part of the Mahoney Wellness Center project. September 2018 — Planned giving goal of $2 million reached. November 2018 — $37 million raised to date, including $25 million for the Leo and Joan Mahoney Wellness Center; nearly $5 million in endowment; $5 million for the Fund for St. John’s; $2 million in planned gifts. To reach the $45 million goal, an additional $5 million in endowment and $3 million for the Fund for St. John’s is needed.

Shelagh Mahoney-McNamee with her husband, Joe McNamee and their children: Leo, Sean ’15, Michael ’18, Molly, and Kate.

small group gathered outside the Wellness Center in August to reveal the yearold facility’s official name: the Leo and Joan Mahoney Wellness Center. This quiet celebration marked an important milestone in the Campaign for GOOD.

Intentionally family-focused, the size of the gathering did not reflect the importance of the name. St. John’s Trustee Shelagh Mahoney-McNamee, her husband Joe, and their children secured the naming rights for the building, and they chose to name the building in honor of Shelagh’s parents. Leo Mahoney graduated from Keith Academy in 1946, and during his time there he became friends with a student a few years behind him, fellow Lowell resident Ed Keefe. After graduating, the two went their own ways. Leo later began his own business, Eastern Minerals, Inc. Ed joined the Congregation of Xaverian Brothers, adopting the name known throughout the Prep community, Brother Ephrem (later Brother Ed Keefe). Through the years, their friendship continued. The building’s name recognizes Leo’s commitment to Catholic education and his friendship with Ed Keefe, and forever associates the Mahoney name with a school that meant so much to Brother Keefe. “Brother Keefe was a transformational leader for St. John’s, and Leo was transformational for your family, taking the business from where it was when he was working for his dad to where it is today,” Headmaster Ed Hardiman said at the naming ceremony. “This building has provided amazing opportunities for students to come together, connect, and extend that bond of brotherhood.” With the lead gift from Shelagh Mahoney-McNamee and Joe McNamee P’15 ’18 and overwhelming support from many generous members of the Prep community, more than $25 million was raised to construct the facility, to renovate Cronin Stadium, and to dedicate Glatz Field. An important milestone reached in the Campaign for GOOD.

To learn more about the Campaign for GOOD and how you can support these initiatives, please visit www.stjohnsprep.org/giving or contact Deb Marino, Senior Managing Director of Leadership Giving and Campaign Coordinator, at 978-624-1458 or dmarino@stjohnsprep.org.

PREP FALL 2018

Expanding Our Reach Trustee Associates 2018-19 Co-Chairs David Hennessey ’83 P’16 Michael Shanahan P’03 ’03 Norman Beaulieu ’85 Kevin Bisson P’14 Kurt Brown ’99 Jennifer Buras P’15 ’17 Patrick Carlucci ’05 Christopher Costello ’91 P’21 ’25 Shawn Crowley ’87 Matthew Curtis ’96 Michael Dalton ’83 P’23 Joseph Davis III P’19 Julie DiFilippo Tyler Dittrich ’06 Jack Dolan ’72 P’04 John Drew ’92 Julie Everett P’18 Michael Faino ’83 Timothy Garry ’96 John Gilligan ’95 Robert Hogan ’71 Matthew Katzman ’01 Joseph Keefe ’71 Michael Kent ’93 Garrett Larivee ’99 Jonathan Lewis ’86 L. John Maestranzi ’84 P’24 Brian Mason ’04 Michael Massaro ’96 P’23 ’25 John McDonough ’72 Peter O’Connor ’59 Michael Pierre ’87 Mark Rowe ’93 John Savarese ’86 Deckard Sorensen ’08 Sarah Spillane P’23 Nancy Stager P’06 Paul Sternlieb ’90 Michael Yoken ’83 P’15 Christine Zampell P’00

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

he new Trustee Associates program at St. John’s aims to achieve two important goals: further raise the visibility and reach of the Prep’s vast network around the country and throughout the world, and connect alumni and parents with daily life on campus in meaningful ways.

In place for less than a year, the program has already made important progress, says David Hennessey ’83 P’16, who co‑chairs the program. “In just our first few meetings, I already feel an incredible surge of energy that this group, individually and collectively, can bring to our school and its students. It’s very exciting.” The idea for the program was born after many conversations between Headmaster Ed Hardiman and the Institutional Advancement staff. Every year, they visit many successful alumni and parents, current and past, who would like to get more involved with St. John’s and have much to share in terms of leadership and engagement. “The Prep has an amazing reservoir of alumni, parents, and friends who can help advance our mission,” says Mike Shanahan P’03 ’03, a former trustee and now co-chair of the program. “The Trustee Associate program makes it possible for the administration and the Board of Trustees to tap into this talent and goodwill while, at the same time, increasing our communication with them.” The Trustee Associate program currently numbers 40 members, who range a 1959 graduate to parents with sons in the Class of 2025. The group comprises alumni, current parents, past parents, and friends all eager to help advance the Prep’s mission and engage others in discussions about engagement and philanthropic support. The ability to participate from anywhere in the world is one of the ways the program differs from other leadership roles at the Prep, including the 25-member Board of Trustees. Already, Trustee Associates from San Francisco, Chicago, Savannah, Cincinnati, Virginia, and New York, are adding value by engaging with other members of the Prep community in their regions and their networks. The plan is to increase the program to 75 members, all of whom are in a position to help grow the Prep network, reconnect alumni and past parents with the school, and encourage participation in fundraising initiatives. “The twelve years I spent at a Trustee at St. John’s were among the most satisfying volunteer experiences that I’ve had,” says Shanahan. “The Prep sincerely welcomes help from stakeholders and I am proud to be able to play a part in expanding the opportunity for others to serve and share in the school’s continued success.” We hope that all the St. John’s Prep Trustee Associates will feel the same way. To learn more about the program, please reach out to Deborah Marino, Senior Managing Director of Advancement at dmarino@stjohnsprep.org

Mark Rowe ’93 traces much of what matters most in his life back to St. John’s. There are the teachers who motivated him to excel academically, the classmates he counts as friends to this day, the network that mentored him professionally, and the values that guide his decisions. The Prep runs as a continuous path through his life, which is why Rowe said “yes” when he was asked to become a trustee associate last fall.

Reaching Back to St. John’s

“A

s I get older and reflect on the strong influences in my life, St. John’s has been a key building block,” says Rowe, who is a donor to the Campaign for GOOD. “I feel it’s important to give back with both time and resources. I have been impressed with the leadership of Ed Hardiman and his entire team, and I want to help them achieve what they hope to accomplish for the school, today and into the future.” As a member of the inaugural group of trustee associates, Rowe sees many ways that he can make a difference at St. John’s. “I hope to make an impact by contributing ideas, asking good questions, and helping think about the longterm growth of the school and how best to serve the needs of students today. It’s important that the Prep thrives as an educational and spiritual influence for many years to come.” Rowe recalls the positive experiences he had in the classroom and the teachers who taught him that learning could be fun, engaging and relevant. “Only Mr. Holland could make physics hilariously comprehensible. Ms. Grutchfield’s quick wit made social studies engaging. Mr. Nance’s passion for politics (even though we didn’t always agree) encouraged us to debate the issues and not take differences of opinion personally. Brother Ron taught me that maybe I actually could act — even though I never did, regretfully! And, Ms. Tremblay’s high standards for speaking only Spanish in class still has me feeling guilty that I never mastered that second language,” says Rowe.

Jenna and Mark Rowe ’93 with their children (l to r) Wesley, Maren, Violet and Calvin.

After college at the University of Miami, Rowe returned to the Boston area and worked in public policy for the Massachusetts House of Representatives, where he became budget director and chief of staff to the House Republican leadership. Rowe transitioned from policy to politics as a member of the team that helped build a national infrastructure for Governor Mitt Romney’s Presidential run. As deputy campaign manager and chief operations officer for Romney in 2008, he ran an organization that grew from zero to nearly 300 employees, and back to zero again, in a span of 18 months. While he enjoyed the energy of the campaign, Rowe decided to switch gears and move into finance. In 2009, he co-founded Easterly Capital, a boutique private equity firm. In 2015, Rowe experienced the rare honor of ringing the bell at both the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq in the same year, 2015, as part of the sponsor leadership team for two Easterly initial public offerings.

He made the decision to go back to school, and became interested in healthcare while getting an MBA at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. He went on to co-found Mangrove Health Partners with Abeel A. Mangi, M.D., a leading researcher and cardio-thoracic surgeon. Mangrove invests in surgical practices and specialized innovations, including some that were developed at MIT. While it still has a long way to go to achieve success, Rowe considers Mangrove to be the culmination of his many career experiences and relationships, all of which started with St. John’s Prep. Rowe met his wife, Jenna, through mutual connections to St. John’s. They were married in 2002, and live in Marblehead with their four children: Maren, 10; Wesley, 8; Violet, 5; and Calvin 3. As rewarding as it has been to chart his career, nothing has been as exciting, fun, and challenging as growing his family, says Rowe.

PREP FALL 2018

2018 Brother Linus, C.F.X. and John Carnevale ’81 Scholarship Golf Tournament Monday, October 1 Essex County Club, Manchester-by-the-Sea

or the 33rd year in a row St. John’s Prep alumni, parents and friends gathered for 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. Golfers, sponsors and friends of the Prep continue to show, through their support, true dedication to the legacies of these two St. John’s icons, and each year this tournament makes an immediate and significant impact on the tuition assistance funds established in their names. Their efforts are critical to achieving this outstanding level of success.

Jim Carnevale ’82 P’16, representing Title Sponsor Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group and the Carnevale family, thanking everyone for their support of the tournament that now also bears the name of Jim’s brother, John ’81 P’07. Pictured (l to r): Tournament Committee Co-Chair Jay Burke ’82 P’13; Jim Carnevale; Anthony Carnevale P’81 ’82 GP’07 ’16; Co-Chair Mike McShane P’18 ’20; Co‑Chair Paul Nasser P’13; Co-Chair Jim Hoefner.

Competition on the course proved to once again be close. A “match of cards” was necessary to determine the Best Ball Division winners, with the Carnevale Cup ultimately going the Class of ’88 foursome of Matt Cushing, Marc Forgione, Kevin Johnson and Rich Sinopoli, who edged out the Class of ’82-led group with Jim Carnevale, Mike Curran, Steve Burton and Matt McPhail. In the Scramble Division, George Yfantopulos ’86, Steve Berry, Chris Larson and Ben Snyder took home first-place honors. Congratulations to these Champions who will share The Carnevale Cup for 2018!

We are especially grateful to our leadership golf event sponsors and hard-working tournament co-chairs and committee members who set the pace for another successful year! 2018 Major Sponsors  Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group:

Left: 2018 Carnevale Cup winners in the Best Ball Division (l to r) Kevin Johnson ’88, Marc Forgione ’88, Matt Cushing ’88, Tournament Co-Chair Jay Burke ’82 P’13 (presenting the Cup) and Rich Sinopoli ’88.  Right: The foursome of Anthony Carnevale P’81 ’82 GP’07 ’16, Vic Satir ’07, Max Carnevale ’07 and Nick DelSapio ’07.

Left: Scramble Division Champions who share in the Carnevale Cup for 2018 are (l to r) Ben Snyder, Chris Larson, George Yfantopulos ’86 and Steve Berry — Congrats!  Right: Runners-up in the Scramble Division, Team Tully partners (l to r) Long Drive winner Brad Rinklin P’19 ’20, Devan Tarpey, Tim Tully, Jr. P’14 ’19 and Tim Tully ’14.

Congratulations and a heartfelt thank you to all! 30

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

Anthony P’81 ’82 GP’07 ’16, Jim ’82 P’16, and Max ’07 Carnevale  TEK Stainless Piping Products: Jim Hoefner  CrossHarbor Capital Partners, LLC: Sam Byrne ’83 P’16 ’17 ’21  Jay Burke ’82 P’13; Leslie & Matt Cushing ’88 P’25; The Murphy Family; Comstar Ambulance Billing Service: Rick Martin ’77; Bethany & Paul Nasser P’13  DVX: Michael Devereaux ’85

2018 Tournament Committee  Co-Chairs: Jay Burke ’82 P’13,

Jim Hoefner, Mike McShane P’18 ’20, and Paul Nasser P’13  Committee Members: Taylor Bottomley ’02, Sam Byrne ’83, P’16 ’17 ’21, Bernie Caniff, III ’98, Jim Carnevale ’82 P’16, Tyler Dittrich ’06, Marc Forgione ’88, Bill Gause P’17 ’20, Tom McGee P’21 ’23, Michael Newhall ’80 P’11, Jane Stark P’13 ’15, and Joe Whitney P’06 ’08 Special thanks also to golf foursome sponsors, to our premier course donors and purchasers, to the hole sponsors, to the Medinah contest entrants, to Klone Lab and Meditech for their donations, 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.

Field Notes Far left: The class of 1948 celebrated their 70th reunion in May. On hand were Don Slaven, Ted Flemming, Frank Davis and Charlie Bucci flanked by Principal Keith Crowley and Headmaster Ed Hardiman. These 88-yearold gentlemen are indeed Gold Eagles!  Left: Tom Kwei ’54 with his grandchildren. He’s living in Cambridge and continues to enjoy his busy life.

’56

LCDR James B. Wallace USCG (Ret.) tells us, “In September, my wife and I attended the annual Coast Guard aviation reunion held in Traverse City, Michigan. Each year the reunion is held at a different Air Station in order to honor many Coasties. The main aviation awards are for heroic rescue in fix wing (Air Station Barbers Point) and rotary wing (Air Station Kodiak). As a side note in hurricane Katrina the Coast Guard rescued or evacuated more than 33,500 people which is roughly the size of the total Coast Guard. Semper Paratus.” William Lynn

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

Brother Edwin Boissonneau, C.F.X. Brother Edward G. Bozzo, C.F.X. Brother Frederick R. Codair ’52 Brother Richard J. Hastings, C.F.X.  Chester A. Orlowski ’49 Charles F. Canning Jr. ’52 Thomas E. Cyrs Jr. ’54 Robert P. Makela ’56 Peter J. Conway ’57 Douglas M. O’Leary ’58 Thomas A. Guertin ’59 Peter D. Penni ’60 David R. Dion ’61 Michael C. King ’64 Edmund B. Stanton Jr. ’69 Kevin P. Valente ’08

reports, “I am retired now. Still skiing at Bridger Bowl, near Bozeman, Montana. Skiers over 80 get a season pass for $10! I’m looking for a 1956 yearbook if anyone has one they’d be willing to part with. Regards to fellow classmates who remember me.”

’59

Jim Yemma tells us, “We live 30 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico at 250' elevation. 50 miles southeast of us on the Gulf are Panama City Beach and Mexico Beach which you’ve no doubt seen for the hurricane destruction. For a while, everyone living on the Florida Panhandle feared they would be in the bull’s eye. We had some wind and rain, but zero damage. Thanks for any prayers you may have offered for those in hurricane Michael’s cross hairs as it came ashore on 10/10.

’60

Bill McDonald continues as chairman of the Sociology Department, Georgetown University, where he is teaching social statistics,

social inequality and other courses. He and his wife, Irene, continue to take the 3.5-hour cruise down to West Ocean City, Maryland, where they like to hang out. It reminds them of the beaches and seafood and amusement rides they remember from their youths in New England. Their two granddaughters are moving into their teenage years. That will certainly be fun to watch and participate with. Bill is hoping that Jay White will come up from Florida for another visit or David Mills will come down from Danvers for a quick visit. He wishes to thank Jack Hayes for the endless stream of cartoons, news clips and all-in funny stuff that he regularly sends. He has brightened many a moment.

’62

David Driscoll tells us, “The past year put retirement in a new light. Between coaching the Litchfield Track Club, USATF officiating, Junior Olympic Track & Cross Country, and putting on road races, retirement

On a sunny July day, along with their guests, 20 members of the class of 1958 gathered at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead to celebrate their 60th reunion. Hosted by Bill Lundregan, Paul Ahern and Andre Laus, the group enjoyed lunch and great conversation with classmates. Paul Ahern said, “It was a great time and exciting to see classmates from sixty years ago. I hope to see twice as many people next year.”

PREP FALL 2018

Lives Well Lived In recent months, St. John’s lost five members of the community who are well known to many Prep graduates, faculty and staff. We are grateful for their service to St. John’s and the larger community of Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools. May their souls and all the souls of the departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. When Eileen Larkin (1925-2018) came to St. John’s in 1946, it was the beginning of a career that spanned 50 years and saw her manage the front office, teach typing, and serve as secretary to nine headmasters and the Board of Trustees. When she passed away on June 30, 2018, at the age of 92, she had been the heart of soul of St. John’s for generations of Prep graduates, faculty, and staff. Eileen didn’t know much about St. John’s when she saw an ad for a secretary in what was then called The Salem Evening News. “I was interviewed by Brother Aloyisius before he left for Baltimore to become the Provincial,” she recalled in “Far from the Neighboring Hilltops,” the Centennial history of the Prep. “It’s amazing how one year ran into another until I was at St. John’s fifty years. I worked for nine headmasters in four different offices. It was as though I had a new job every six years.” In retirement Eileen devoted herself to her parish, St. Paul’s in South Hamilton. Last spring, shortly after the main office in the Brother Keefe, C.F.X. Academic Center was named the Eileen Larkin Main Office, Headmaster Hardiman visited Eileen and brought a framed photo of the sign that now appears above the office entrance. “Eileen never really left. She always kept in touch and stayed on top of new developments on campus. She was delighted to know that her name will forever be associated with the school she loved so much,” he said. On August 25, 2018, Brother Edwin Boissonneau, C.F.X. (1922-2018) passed away. The oldest Xaverian Brother at the time, he had been a member of the Congregation for 78 years and had lived at Xaverian House adjacent to the Prep campus since 1997. Born in Canada and raised in Malden, Brother Edwin served at St. John’s for some 27 years. He was director of studies from 1956 to 1958. After teaching at St. Michael’s/Xaverian High School in Brooklyn and Xaverian College in Maryland, he returned to teach French at the Prep from 1962 to 1969. He then volunteered in the Xaverian missions in Kenya for six years before returning to St. John’s from 1975 to 1993. He coached tennis at the Prep for 18 very successful years and could be found playing tennis on the Prep’s courts well into his 80s. “Love of his Xaverian vocation, the importance of his relationship with God and his loyalty and helpfulness to his Brothers in community are lessons we learn from Edwin’s life,” General Superior Brother Edward Driscoll, C.F.X. wrote of his friend and colleague. “All who knew him will also remember his humor and his fierce competitiveness whether for sports at St. John’s Prep or the Patriots or Red Sox or his famous Friday night poker games.” Brother Edward Bozzo, C.F.X. (1932-2018) passed away on August 20, 2018. He had been a Xaverian Brother for 68 years, and had lived in their Melrose community since 1974. His early life and spirituality was formed by his experience of growing up in his large family in Manhattan’s Little Italy, according to Brother Ed Driscoll, C.F.X. “La famiglia is central to the Italian culture. Ed received

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

his earliest formation from the ritual of Sunday dinners and family celebrations of religious holy days and festivals. His sisters and brothers learned from their parents to embrace life and the Catholic faith with their characteristic gioaia di vivere of the Italian culture.” After completing his education, Brother Edward taught at Xaverian College in Maryland and served as director of religious education at Cardinal Cushing College before teaching at St. John’s Prep for 13 years. He then spent more than three decades at Malden Catholic High School. “Ed’s gifts were many. A sharp intellect, quick wit, a sense of humor that captured life’s incongruities were gifts that attracted the attention of his students and benefited their learning. We simply enjoyed being around him,” Brother Driscoll said. “His Moral Theology class was one of the best classes offered at Xaverian College.” Brother Fred Codair, C.F.X. (1934-2018) died on July 14, 2018. He graduated from St. John’s in 1952 and entered the Congregation of Xaverian Brothers that same year. A native of Beverly, he was a lifelong learner, who studied Latin and Greek, and later, library science. He taught in both the United States and England, including at Xaverian College in Manchester, England, Xaverian High School in Brooklyn, Bishop Fenwick High School in Peabody, Saint John’s High School in Shrewsbury, and Malden Catholic High School, where he also served as headmaster from 1977 to 1980. He taught at St. John’s Prep early in his educational ministry, and returned later to serve on the library staff for many years. Brother Edward Driscoll described Brother Fred as an extraordinary educator. “The students soon recognized that they were the beneficiaries of a highly talented teacher. Fred knew the secrets of outstanding teaching. He engaged his students in learning with his enthusiasm, his humor and his fast pace of instruction. Fred was jovial by disposition. Gifted with a keen perception of the individual, Fred built a rapport with his students that benefited their learning.” Brother (Ivo) John Hastings, C.F.X. (1930‑2018) passed away on November 19, 2018, at Xaverian House, where he had lived since 2005. He was born and raised in Brooklyn. In 1944, he entered Saint Joseph Juniorate in Peabody, the preparatory high school for young men considering a vocation to the Xaverian Brothers. Academically and athletically gifted, he early on acquired the nickname “Jack Armstrong” after the main character in a popular radio series of the day, “All American Boy.” The nickname followed him throughout his teaching career. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and his master’s in industrial arts at New York University. His teaching ministry took him to Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, St. John’s Prep, Good Counsel High School in Maryland, and Saint Xavier High School in Louisville. He then devoted himself to teaching and serving the underserved in both David, Kentucky, and Camden, Mississippi. Retiring by disposition, he was known throughout his long life of service for his many quiet, unobtrusive acts of kindness.

Above: Spike Michaud ’62 and his granddaughter.  Right: Len Bourget ’64 and his wife Marcia with their four daughters, four sons-in-law, six grandsons and three granddaughters at their annual beach week in the Outer Banks, NC. (Len is on the far left, back row.)

now means never a dull moment! Winter means running the ski lifts at night at Mohawk Ski area. Spring means officiating track meets all over Connecticut, as well as putting on the Junior Olympic Track Championships. Highlight this year was the 15-16 girls 4x100m relay team qualifying for the National Championships. Summer means road racing all over New England, and the usual reunion with Chris Lane at the Falmouth Road Race in August. And fall? Cross country takes center stage as the club age groupers made a great showing at the regional and national championships.” Spike Michaud reports, “My 16-year-old granddaughter Amanda recently won the Junior Dragster races at Epping, NH, Dragway. My other granddaughter Sophie (6) hopped on the back of my new Harley recently as she loves to clown around! I don’t allow anyone on the bike without a helmet and she’s still too young to ride with me!”

’64

Len Bourget retired in 2013 after 42 years with the Department of Veterans Affairs. While he has deep respect and affection for federal service, Len feels retirement is much more fun. Len is a graduate of Boston College. He and his wife, Marcia, reside in Springfield, VA.

’65

Kevin Kelley was awarded Professor Emeritus status at the Naval War College in Newport, RI, in July 2018. He tells us, “As I concluded 32 years of service as a professor at that institution on 28 September 2018, I also received the Superior Civilian Service Award medal for my service to the Naval War College and the Navy. Friends from the Prep’s class of 1965, Joe Sullivan and David Meagher and their wives, attended the ceremony in Newport.” Ed Coffey tells us, “Our 50th at the Prep for the Class

of ’65 was a jolt, just realizing that it had been that long since we left, but was most thoroughly enjoyed by all once we got over the shock and back to campus. And we had a great turnout, with over 50% of our surviving members attending, if I recall correctly. You all were incredible hosts and it was a memorable weekend, topped off by joining the Class of 2015 at their graduation, and for me, meeting one that was headed to Notre Dame in the fall.”

’67

Wayne Eisenhauer was recently elected co-vice president of Essex Heritage (essexheritage.org), which was created by a 1996 Act of Congress as the Essex National Heritage Commission to promote and preserve the cultural, historic and landscape assets of the 34 cities and towns of Massachusetts’ Essex County which Essex Heritage effectuates through dozens of educational, preservation, and other programs, often in support of and in co-operation with the National Park Service. Wayne continues the strong Prep connection with Essex Heritage, which was founded by Tom Leonard ’54 and flourished under his many years of dedicated and foresighted leadership as president. Wayne succeeds Kevin Rourke ’82 as vice president. John Farmer ’79 just finished his term as president and now serves as president emeritus. Wayne says, “Curiously, it was John Archer ’68 who sparked my interest in what Essex Heritage does when John asked me to tag along with him to an Essex Heritage committee meeting and I wound up on the committee, eventually leading me, with Tom Leonard’s mentoring, to being elected one of the 150 Commissioners, and, eventually, one of the 25 Trustees. I’m always inspired by how many of my fellow Prep alumni

are so involved with their communities and causes by giving so generously of their time, expertise and wealth — a testament to how well the Prep teaches the importance and personal value of giving back to others.” Jim “Rocco” Centorino continues to teach physics at Louisville High School in Woodland Hills, CA, and also reads the AP Physics exams in June. He tells us, “My AP students, four seniors in high school last semester, have been officially published in the Journal of Student Research. Normally student publications occur in graduate school. I suggested a topic and they did all the work and deserve the credit.” Jim also continues composing and recently published music for cello and strings. His original musical, “Senior Prom, the Musical” has just been released as a vocal album and is now on iTunes and other venues.

’68

John DiPietro hosts a talk show on WTAG in Worcester. Among his recent guests have been classmates Charlie Gianturco and Jim Murray.

’69

Peter Healey reports, “Continuing with master’s track & field in the hammer throw, winning age group Texas Senior Games, USATF southwest regionals and Texas v. the World just recently. It’s a good excuse to hit the gym with purpose and the Texas Throwers Club is a great group of likeminded guys. May come up next year to compete in the Northeast! Go Pats, go Sox”

’70

Jim Siegel tells us, “I’m truly fortunate to continue to contribute my marketing communications career experience on staff for another not-for-profit organization whose

PREP FALL 2018

For Chris Wysopal ’83, internet security is akin to protecting the environment.

CHRIS WYSOPAL ’83 Base Camp: Concord, Massachusetts Background: Longtime Danvers resident; B.S. computer and systems engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1987) Professional Path: Commercial software engineer; vulnerability researcher, The L0pht think tank; vice president of R&D at security consultancy @stake (now Symantec); co-founder and CTO at Veracode Chris Wysopal is an internationally renowned cybersecurity expert who has testified before Congress and keynoted technical conferences on four continents. Heady stuff. But the origin of his interest in software vulnerabilities is utterly down‑to-earth. “I’ve always believed that the internet is an ecosystem,” explains Wysopal. “It’s a shared resource we all need to take care of. If you’re polluting, you’re altering our ecosystem. But the software industry doesn’t have an EPA. If a vendor is shipping software that’s insecure, they’re putting something into the ecosystem that’s making the internet a place where people’s data get stolen and where hackers can leverage vulnerable products and machines to attack other people.” Wysopal began his career as a software engineer, but migrated to testing software for vulnerabilities and researching computer forensics. Before co-founding Vericode — which pioneered the use of automated analysis to discover software flaws — he co‑authored L0phtCrack, a Windows password-auditing program, and was the architect of Netcat for Windows, an open source security tool. Not bad for a guy who first pursued high tech by riding his bike to the Liberty Tree Mall to play arcade games. Early in his career, Wysopal sought to raise IT security awareness in a watchdog role with L0pht Heavy Industries, a kind of Consumer Reports for software vendors and users. Eventually, that felt like howling at the moon. “Being a critic and trying to shame businesses into being more responsible wasn’t solving the problem,” he explains. “Vendors don’t know what to do, and can’t do it the right way anyway. Why not create an automated solution and make it as cheap and easy as possible for people to do the right thing? I also realized you need thousands of customers to make a real impact. What’s interesting is, if you’re doing something that has value for a lot of people, you inherently become successful personally by excelling at what you’re trying to do.” That sounds like something he could have heard as a Prep student. “I’ve learned a lot along the way from people I’ve worked with, but I think SJP was a great foundation for different ways of thinking. The fundamental values that you cultivate there don’t change.” 34

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

mission is important to me and to work with superb colleagues. Following 8+ years at the multi-faith HealthCare Chaplaincy Network, in December I joined PSS where I’m senior director of communications. PSS, founded in 1962 as Presbyterian Senior Services, is an innovative, multi-service nonprofit agency whose mission is to strengthen the capacity of older New Yorkers, their families, and communities to thrive. Check out our new website at pssusa.org. Also, if any alumni or other members of the Prep community are caring long distance (or here in NYC) for someone who lives in New York City who is frail, chronically ill or has memory loss, I encourage you to look into our free, government-funded caregiver support program, PSS Circle of Care at psscaregivers.org or call 866-665-1713. You are not alone. Or contact me at jsiegel@pssusa.org.”

’71

John Suslak and his wife, Claire, recently moved to Bluffton, SC, to retire for warmer weather and lots of golf. Their son, Jack Suslak ’00, moved there as well. All have settled into the area and new home just fine, and Jack just started a job at Montage Palmetto Bluff as telephone operator for the resort.

’72

Fordham University’s Reverend Joseph O’Keefe, S.J., is the recipient of the 2018 NCEA President’s Award. As part of the Seton Awards Gala, the President’s Award is presented to honor a professional whose longstanding dedication to Catholic education has enhanced the wellbeing of our nation’s youth and American Catholic schools, in particular. Father O’Keefe is a fellow in the Center for Catholic School Leadership and FaithBased Education, a scholar-in-residence in the graduate school of education at Fordham University, where he also serves as rector of Ciszek Hall, the community for young Jesuits in formation studies. Previously he was a tenured professor and dean of the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. Father O’Keefe was reappointed by the United States Secretary of Education, John B. King, Jr., to a second term on the National Assessment Governing Board, where he represents the private school community. Father O’Keefe is a former member of the Prep’s Board of Trustees.

’75

The month of August was eventful and busy for Don Jalbert. He had open-heart surgery just after his birthday and spent the rest of the month recovering. He spent September preparing for upcoming exhibitions. First at Topsfield Fair, where he gave oil painting demonstrations on October 2. He had a oneman show at Plaistow Public library for the month of November and another at the Plum Island Refuge Center is scheduled for the month of March 2019. Contact Don at don@donjalbertfineart.com for special discounts for Prep grads.

’76

John “Gerry” Giunta has been named by Mayor Kim Driscoll to be fire chief in Salem. Gerry joined the department in 1983 and served on Engine 1 and Ladder 2. He later served as Lieutenant with Engines 1, 2 and 3 from 1986 to 1993, Captain on Ladder 1 and Tower 2 from 1993 to 2007, and has since served as Deputy Chief.

’77

Ed Turner was elected earlier this year to serve as chair of the board of Unshackled/Flourish Bakery. The Bakery is the first social enterprise of Unshackled, a non-profit organization providing startup and operational support for entrepreneurs who wish to create skilled training and employment opportunities for individuals in recovery, post-incarceration. Flourish, a paid

Left: Sean Kimball ’91 (left) recognized Brett ’21 and Peter Butler ’83 as fellow Eagles when he noticed their sweatshirts after a hike in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park this past summer.  Right: Prep Hall of Famers gathered in Falmouth in August to watch the Tommy Cochary Mile at the Falmouth Road Race. Shown are Dan Foley ’83 with his daughter Ashley (Beverly ’19) bookended by John Carroll ’60 (left) and Chris Lane ’60 (right).

internship and externship program, teaches the art and skills of professional baking assisting to individuals in the healing process and works to reduce recidivism and relapse. Ed moved to Salt Lake City in 2017. Chris Ball is now living in West Chester, PA, with his wife, Naomi. He has been a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual for 25 years.

’79

CMDR Mark Desjardins says, “Greetings to all my wonderful teachers, friends and classmates from St. John’s! I just wanted to let you all know that I am relocating to a spot where I would love to welcome any SJP alumni and friends if they happen to be ‘driving by.’ Since leaving St. John’s in 1979, Mystic, Connecticut has been the longest stint where I’ve remained ‘somewhat’ stationary. I arrived to work at the nearby Navy Submarine Base in 2005. But my 35-year career with the DoD will now find me a bit further afield in Landstuhl, Germany! I head out next week with my loyal canine companion, Guinness. My wife and son will follow next June after Aidan graduates from our local STEM magnet school.” Brian Currie has written and produced an American comedydrama, “Green Day,” which hit theaters nationwide on November 21. Directed by Peter Farrelly, it is about a real-life tour of the Deep South in the 1960’s by JamaicanAmerican classical pianist Don Shirley and New York bouncer Tony Lip, who served as Shirley’s driver and security. The screenplay was written by Nick Vallelonga, who is Tony Lip’s son, Brian, and Farrelly. It had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, where it won the People’s Choice Award. At the Boston Film Festival, it won Best Film and Best Actor, Viggo Mortensen. It

has been nominated for the Writers Guild of America’s Best Original Screenplay. When you see it, keep an eye out for Brian in his role as Maryland State Trooper Hayes. John Currie ’18 is also in the film as a waiter at the Copacabana.

’81

Joseph Anastasi launched a new platform called Music Weekend, which is a live music concert calendar in Connecticut. The feature appears on the local ABC television affiliate and the live, local music scene. Joe is also working with a company called STAR, INC as a job coach. He coaches kids with Down syndrome and autism, showing them how to do their jobs and to become more independent. His son, Jay (12) plays football for the Westport Wreckers and his daughter, Alexa, is a freshman at Staples High School in Westport. Larry Lessard tells us, “My firm, Achieve Renewable Energy, LLC., is the proud winner of the New York Geothermal Organization (NY‑GEO) Top Job Competition. This national award is given to the most interesting, scalable and innovative geothermal project. I was humbled to be selected from amongst the five finalists that made presentations because I found the other projects to be inspiring. To add a little swagger, I gave our presentation wearing a Red Sox baseball cap and was able to use a little of our presentation time to needle Yankees fans. Our project was a geothermal conversion of an historic mill in Arlington from a 19th to a 21st century HVAC system. With substantial reductions in operating cost and tremendous

increases in comfort and control our client is now converting another larger historic mill building.”

’83

Peter Butler was traveling with his family in Colorado this summer when he had an unexpected small world moment. As they climbed to the summit at 12,005 ft. above sea level in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, they met fellow Eagle Sean Kimball ’91. Sean spotted the “Prep” sweatshirts on Peter and his son, Brett ’21, and stopped to ask if it was St. John’s in Danvers. Sean was traveling in Colorado with his son’s Boy Scout Troop from Hopkinton, MA. Derron Darcy is an appliance dealer living in Saugus. He tells us he has seven children/stepchildren. His son, Kevin, is suffering from pediatric glioma and living at home with his mom. His daughter, Tessa, is a junior biology major at Stetson University. His daughter, Nina, is a sophomore at the University of Tampa with a double major in English literature and biology. Daughter Julia is a freshman at URI, now working at Disney World in Orlando for a year in their university training program. Son Brett graduated from East Greenwich, RI, high school and is now back in Saugus in a continuing education program for adults with autism. His stepson, Franklin, is a sophomore at West Virginia University in multidisciplinary studies of history, criminology and sociology and, last but not least, his stepdaughter, Cassandra, is a senior at Saugus High School looking at Salem State, Curry, Westfield State.

’84

John Dunlop has just taken up his new position as the mission director for USAID Madagascar. Overseeing the USG development and

PREP FALL 2018

Wedding Bells

Left: AJ Rossi ’10 and Rebecca Margolis were married August 5, 2017 at The Pen Ryn Mansion outside of Philadelphia.  Above: Brian Connaughton ’06 was married in September in Maine. On hand to celebrate were Prep friends (left to right: Frank Favuzza ’05, Brian Wilson ’05, Coleman Connolly ’05, Shawn McSheffrey ’06, Brian, Jay Green ’03, Michael Connaughton ’03, Anthony Selvitella ’14 and Pat Connaughton ’11).

Left: Matthew Pani ’02 and Katie Gillespie were married in July at Mount Hope Farm in Bristol, R.I.  Right: Celebrating with the newlyweds were Joseph Bettencourt ’74, John Tombarello ’02, Marybeth Bettencourt Gillespie ’77, Anthony Bettencourt ’18, Matt, Ellen Bettencourt Clarke ’75 and John Bettencourt ’82.

Left: Michael Tardiff ’75 and Maureen McCauley ’75 were married in their Seattle backyard on September 9. They were surrounded by family and friends, including Brian O’Leary ’75. Maureen says, “It was a very happy day. Michael and I first met in Brother Rudolph’s English class, junior year, 1973. And now we are newlyweds.”  Right: Anthony M. Gesamondo III ’97 was married to Jessica Garabedian on 8.18.18 in Salem, New Hampshire. The reception was held at Andover Country Club, Andover, Mass. 36

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

Alexandra (Alex) Kurey and Christopher Murtagh ’07 were married at the Chapel at St. John’s on August 17. In the wedding party were Tim Murtagh ’09, John Murtagh, Jr. ’75, Chris and Alex, Brian Murtagh ’05, Rich McNeil ’06 and Peter Mugford ’07. Also attending were Eric Keohan ’07, Tom Culkeen ’07, Pat Ryan ’07 and John Herzog ’75. Dr. John Herzog, who owns Herzog Dental, hired Dr. Alex Kurey in 2015. The Murtagh family has been going to Herzog Dental for more than 30 years. John Herzog and John Murtagh were and still are very good friends who met at St. John’s Prep. They conspired to introduce Dr. Kurey to Chris. Without the Prep connections, this wedding never would have happened.

Left: Aaron Routses ’08 was married to Rachel Louise Norberg on September 29 at the Lyman Estate in Waltham. They honeymooned in Greece in October.  Center: Luke Conlin ’96 and Megan Luce were married in September 2016.  Right: Peter Gohn ’11 was married in June, to Sarah Purple. The new couple is living in the Charlotte, N.C. area.

Nick Brings ’01 was married to Cassie Kraus in September in Rockport. Helping him celebrate were classmates (left to right) Chris Nabhan, the groom, Nick, Kenny Rosenthal, Tim Morely, and Pete Georgoulakos. The same friends had their photos taken together at their junior prom.

Lily Fitzgerald was married to Christopher Hartnett ’12 on Friday, August 31 at the Chapel at St. John’s. Shown in the picture are members of the wedding party who are also alumni. Pictured left to right are Devin Burke ’12, Alexander Charow ’12, best man William Hartnett ’16, and Michael Davis ’12. PREP FALL 2018

Creative entrepreneur and Mashlink founder Erich Archer ’99 says, “You can’t have that next great idea without taking time to think freely.”

ERICH ARCHER ’99 Base Camp: Beverly, Massachusetts Background: B.A. Film Studies, Connecticut College (2003); Camera operator/producer (2003-10); Creative Programming Director, Wellesley Public Media (2010-13); Executive Director, 1623 Studios public television (2013-present); Founder, Mashlink (2017) Professional Path: Erich Archer isn’t kidding when he says, “I’ve never had a problem walking away from big things for other big things. It just feels like progress.” In 2013, he left a job producing the NBA for NBC in Los Angeles and moved home to Beverly for love (that would be his wife, Tara). Two years ago, he stopped pursuing an MBA because he hit upon an idea during an entrepreneurial-marketing course. Concept has now become career: Mashlink. Archer’s mobile video startup company and same-named app launched in May 2018 following two years of development. Mashlink’s business plan: to elevate internet commentary and help users share their voices in a more authentic, engaging way. “Digital media continues to play a growing role in all of our lives, but commentary has failed to evolve,” says Archer. “Text doesn’t capture attention, conversations get hijacked by trolls, and most good insights get lost in the clutter. For me, the solution was turning commentary into unique content by inserting it directly into existing videos.” Mashlink users search YouTube using a discovery page. The app downloads a selected video and functions as a content editing tool, allowing users to insert commentary with a “record” button at chosen points. Mashlink automatically assembles the individual cuts and includes a share functionality for every creator to customize distribution of their new production. Customers can do the same with video they shoot themselves, and new features are in the design phase. Part of an Emmy-winning team as a producer, Archer was All‑Conference as senior co-captain of the Eagles soccer team. Not coincidentally, Mashlink has three Prep investors (Matt Divirgilio ’98, Kevin McNelly ’96, and Taylor Benjamin ’99, along with Braden Monaco ’01, who ultimately graduated from Pentucket Regional High), plus one advisory board member (Eric Johnson ’97), and brand manager Andrew Frates ’06. “The relationship between business and creativity is the recipe for entrepreneurship,” he says. “What I loved about the Prep was the room to experiment, invent and use a different side of your brain. You can’t have that next great idea without taking time to think freely. When you apply that freedom to shift gears within St. John’s commitment to academic excellence, you’re off and running. If I hadn’t combined all that experience, Mashlink wouldn’t be here.”

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

emergency response portfolio, John and his family will spend the next four years in Antananarivo. The mission has a significant health portfolio, education, democracy, and environment programming and is responding to annual plague outbreaks as well as an ongoing drought in the south. John’s oldest son, James, has received a D1 scholarship to Hampton University as their freshman big man (just topped off at 7 feet!). John reports that he is now living entirely vicariously through his son. Peter Pierce tells us, “Life in Tokyo is great! Cooper (12) and Lily (10) started their third year at the American School in Japan. We continue to enjoy exploring Asia (Japan, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Maldives, and Thailand so far). HamptonsSalt.com is growing and makes a perfect gift for the chef in your life or is a great client gift.” Peter started Hampton Salt several years ago.

’86

John Hosman was promoted to deputy fire chief for the City of Peabody Fire Department on July 1, 2018, and continues to work as a school safety officer at SJP. Scott Bennett has become a chemistry teacher at Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, VA.

’87

Brian Lauzon was named director, business development for Ardenton Capital, a private equity firm that invests permanent capital in lower-middle market companies in North America and UK. Brian focuses on raising capital for acquisitions through family offices, wealth managers and individuals. Brian earned a bachelor of science degree from Villanova University and master’s in business administration with honors from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Brian is a CFA charter holder and serves as a board member of the CFA Society of Philadelphia. “Hit the trifecta this year, and life’s good here in Fairfax, VA!” reports Thomas Repczynski. “Celebrated 8 years with law firm Offit Kurman, where I am a shareholder, and 26 years of marital bliss with college sweetheart Ann (a successful AVP at NFCU). After a 30-yr theatrical hiatus and a much abbreviated return to the stage a couple years ago with my uber-talented, high school sophomore daughter Marie (commercial dance opportunities anyone?), I was thrilled to again join Marie (co-lead Oompa Loompa) as I took on the role of “Grandpa Joe” in her dance studio’s adaptation of Wonka in June. Son ‘TJ’ parlayed a VA state team championship and a Mr. St. John’s-like high school golf career into a spot on the men’s varsity golf team at Lafayette College in Easton, PA, where he has begun his freshman year (Go ’Pards!).”

’88

On September 18, 2018, Jimmy Pedro became the first‑ever American judoka to be inducted into the International Judo Federation Hall of Fame, in Baku, Azerbaijan. Jimmy’s name, and more importantly honorable character, were recognized alongside first inductee members Dr. Jigaro Kano, David Douillet, and Kosei Inoue among others. The IJF Hall determined that, “Throughout his long athletic career, Jimmy consistently embodied relentless spirit, respect, and dedication for the sport. He balanced his responsibilities as an athlete, father, husband, coach, and role model all while training, competing, and coaching at the Olympic level. Pedro’s admirable perseverance and focus yielded career accomplishments that had never been obtained by any other athlete in the United States. Jimmy Pedro’s nature of giving 100% commitment and effort to everything that he does, both large and small, is revered by his contemporaries.” Currently,

Jimmy is the president of FUJI Mats, VP of FUJI Sports, and owns and operates Pedro’s Judo Center in Wakefield. He also dedicates his time teaching judo camps and clinics worldwide, and has founded the Project 2024 program, which is aimed at helping inspire and prepare America’s next generation of judo champions. Jimmy shared, “I am extremely honored and excited to be awarded this prestigious distinction by the International Judo Federation. As a young judoka growing up I always wanted to become World Champion, Olympic Champion, and show the world that Americans can win in judo. I never imagined that I would make it to the Judo Hall of Fame; but, it never would have been possible without the help and support from so many people around the world in this amazing sport.”

’92

Sean Corcoran recently returned to the Boston area from Cape Cod, taking a new position as senior managing editor for news at WGBH News in Boston. Sean lives in Needham with his wife, Linda, and their son, Seamus. Seamus, by the way, was named after Seamus Conlin, the original Prep Man. Sean and Seamus were college roommates at George Washington University.

’93

Ken Shuman has been named the chief Communications officer of Rivian Automotive. Rivian Automotive will be releasing an all-electric pickup truck and seven-passenger SUV in 2020. If you like adventure vehicles and want to go electric, be sure to connect with Ken!

’94

James Kossuth had some news to share, “First, and most importantly, I won first prize at the Topsfield Fair last weekend in the muffin category for my elderberry lemon muffins, and second prize in the quick bread category for a pear bread with maple browned butter glaze. My wife’s colleague, who enters something every year, encouraged me to enter last year, and I came in second. I wasn’t going to be denied the blue ribbon this time! :^) Second, I am about to have something tangible for a project I have been working on for almost 15 years. Long story short, a dear family friend’s father was a highwheel bicycle champion in the 1890s, but nobody has ever written about him, and our friend, who was six when his father died, and who has since passed away himself, asked me many years ago to research his father and find out all I could about him. Initially, I did some research, and found some interesting stuff, then

Dan Donato ’99 and Andrew Buonfiglio ’04

set it aside for a few years. A few years ago, I picked it up again, found lots more information online (many 19th-century papers were digitized in the meantime), and my paper, Willie Windle and the Great Springfield Piano Race of 1891, will be published this fall as part of the proceedings of the 29th International Cycling History Conference, where I presented my paper in London in June. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and I only hope that it doesn’t take me another 14 years to get the next part out. Third, it was great to see so many folks at the Prep Lawyers Network “Prep Connect” event last month, with my classmate Mike McCann and teammate Dan Fabrizio among the speakers. Finally, I started a new job over the summer. After four years as a career advisor at BU Law (where I got to meet other Prep alums like Chris Gravallese and Luke Sutherland as they came through BU Law), I transitioned to another role at the school, and I now oversee day-to-day operations for BU Law’s new Technology & Policy Research Initiative. We research the legal and policy implications of various technological advances. (E.g., what effect does automation have on employment? Are companies’ investments in IT good or bad for employees and for the economy in general?). It’s been an interesting change of pace, and I’m really enjoying it so far.”

year with MicroVention as a senior territory manager selling products to treat brain aneurysms and stroke. Jennifer is a nurse practitioner working in Cambridge. Mark considers his time at the Prep the best decision his parents ever made for him.

’97

Martin Connolly and his wife, Alessia, welcomed their second son, Theodore Connolly, into the world on June 26, 2018. His big brother, Samuel, was excited to have a little brother!

’99

Dan Donato and Andrew Buonfiglio ’04 founded a design and marketing agency for restaurants and breweries called OctoCog. With a small staff in their Salem office, they have been designing for clients such as Notch Brewing, Far From the Tree Cider, and Central Kitchen since 2015. OctoCog is a full service agency, which develops branding, websites, marketing strategies, and more. Follow them on IG @octocog. Dan is also opening a bar in Amesbury this fall called Fortune Bar. Carl von Rueden is now an architect in San Francisco,

’96

Luke Conlin tells us, “In September of 2017 I got married to Megan Luce and we are expecting a little one this December. I am currently an assistant professor in the department of chemistry and physics at Salem State University, teaching physics and conducting research on how people learn. I run public observations at Salem State’s Collins Observatory, as well as High Rock Tower Observatory in Lynn. Mark Vitagliano and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Lynnfield with their two daughters, Lylah (6) and Liv (2.5). Mark is in his sixth

Carl von Rueden’99 and his family

PREP FALL 2018

Left: Stephen Miles ’03 and his fiancé Codie Blue.  Right: Jim Papagni ’04 and Will Day ’04 are shown at Fort Leavenworth, KS attending the Command and General Staff Officer Course. Both of them are scheduled to be promoted to Major in the near future.

focused on sustainability and civic work. He says, “We are loving the Bay Area, and recently bought a house in Mill Valley. Our daughters, Ada (age 5) and Nora (age 1), are growing up fast, and we spend lots of time playing at the beach, hiking in the Redwoods, or gardening around the house. If you’re in the Bay Area, let me know! Matt Bailey (Major, USMC) is currently serving as the United States Marine Corps representative to the Air Forces Unmanned Aircraft Community in San Antonio, TX.

’01

Roberts party, table for 5 please! Emery Elizabeth Roberts was born on 3/31 one minute before April Fools Day to Amy and Paul Roberts. Paul tells

us, “She joins her brothers Henley (3.5) and Christian (2) and we all couldn’t be happier. We moved to South Hamilton last year and are enjoying the community and new friends very much. I am still working for USI Insurance Services as the SVP of employee benefits out of the Boston and Woburn office. Also have been spending lots of time with fellow alums Josh Richards, Josh Krause, Mike Leblanc, Curtis Ranta, Dan Hahesy, and Jim Longley. Looking forward to taking Henley and Christina to the upcoming SJP open house! Need to start working on their mom now :) .” Mike Grimaldi operates his own illustration and design studio under the name “Grimdrops.” He sells apparel and prints of his work at craft fairs,

on social media and though his website, www.grimdrops.com. He and his wife, Tatiana, live in Salem.

’02

Paul Russo has taken a new position as director of tax services for The 1911 Trust Company in Beverly. Paul received a BS in corporate finance and accounting and an MS in accountancy from Bentley University. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA), the Boston Estate Planning Council (BEPC), and the Financial Planners Association (FPA). He is also a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).

’03

Stephen Miles became engaged to Codie Blue this past September in Moltrasio, Lake Como, Italy. His company, Windy Hill Brands, launched Copalli Rum out of southern Belize in October in California. Look for full national distribution in 2020.

’04

Mike Quill recently completed a documentary short that premiered earlier this fall at the Newburyport Documentary Film Festival. You can view it at https://quillfilms.com/ project/ghost-in-a-machine/. He is currently getting his MFA in writing and directing at Emerson College. He and his brother, Doug, run Quill Films, a video production company. Chad Maderia studied at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, graduating in 2009 with a bachelor of science in business administration with

Mike Grimaldi ’01

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

Oh Baby!

Left: Amanda and Evan Matonis ’09 are thrilled with their newest family member, James Zion Matonis. Center: Claire and Brian Carucci ’06 are excited to announce the arrival of their second child, Eleanor Rose. Big brother Andrew is excited to have another friend to play with!  Right: Cararayne and Robb Hewett ’01 welcomed first child, a beautiful little girl, Harper Hewett on August 15! They report, “She’s happy and healthy and we are truly blessed!”

Left: Charlotte Julianne Cushing was born on May 13, 2018 to Megan and Peter Cushing ’95. She is wearing the family’s 104 year old christening gown.  Above, left: Daniel Woosley Sheerin ’98 and his wife, Brooke Woosley Sheerin, welcomed their daughter, Edith Louisa Woosley Sheerin (“Baby Lou”), into the world on September 28, 2018 in Los Angeles. The couple’s son, Damian Woosley Sheerin, has already exceeded expectations as Baby Lou’s big brother.  Above, right: Amelia Pitcher celebrated her first birthday in October. She is the daughter of Katie and Nathan Pitcher ’05.

Left: Jen and Michael Gilleberto ’98 welcomed their third child, Luke Christopher, on April 11. Luke’s older brothers, Noah and Max, are very excited to have a baby brother at home.  Center: Will Kolano, son of Barry Kolano ’80 attended his first Prep football game this fall.  Right: Emery Elizabeth Roberts was born on March 31 one minute before April Fools Day to Amy and Paul Roberts ’01. PREP FALL 2018

Far left: Mike Masse ’09 and his fiancé Leila Bucchino.  Left: Evan Matonis ’09, his wife and their infant son, James, evacuated their home in North Carolina in advance of hurricane Florence. After a week, they were fortunate to return to find their home with no damage other than fallen tree limbs. Evan was grateful for the Prep’s outreach in support of those affected by the storm.

a concentration in management. He tells us, “During my time at UMASS Lowell, I did a 2 ½ year internship at Putnam Investments, bringing along the values that I learned at St. John’s. After graduation, I was offered a full time position with the company, working until mid-2009. I left the company to work at Partners HealthCare. I left Partners HealthCare in 2010, and after about eight years of job interviews and working part time, I have decided to pursue music with Berklee Online, Berklee College of Music’s online school in Boston. I started with Berklee Online in 2017, and I am set to complete my certificate program in advanced professional general music studies in 2019. I can be found on the St. John’s Prep Alumni Network on Linked In.” George Scangas recently finished his residency and fellowship training at MGH, Mass Eye and Ear, and Harvard Medical School. He says, “I have joined my mentor’s practice at MGH as his partner, specializing in otolaryngology: nasal and sinus surgery. Our website is www.MetsonandScangasMD.com. I have also moved back to the North Shore with my wife and two boys, who I am excited to send to the Prep one day!

’05

Nate Pitcher graduated summa cum laude from the SUNY Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in June of 2017. He then completed a residency at the VA of Western New York to earn his advanced education in general dentistry in June of 2018. He recently moved back to the North Shore with his wife, Katie, and baby girl, Amelia. Amelia was born in October of 2017, and her dad says she is a cute and funny baby! Nate currently practices dentistry at Danvers Dental Associates, just down the street from SJP! Stop in anytime to

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

say hi! Anthony DeBenedictis and his wife, Jennifer, welcomed their first child, Benjamin Joseph DeBenedictis, on September 18.

’06

Justin Rhuda currently lives in Melrose with his fiancée, Kayla. He says, “We were engaged this past August in Nantucket, and I am in my final year of law school at Suffolk Law School in Boston. I will take the bar exam in July 2019 and afterwards begin full-time employment at the law firm of Holland & Knight in their Boston intellectual property practice. Kayla, is also a Marine Corps veteran, and we are planning our wedding for spring of 2020.”

’07

Robert Noe has been an entrepreneur since his time at the Prep. From building a collegiate Patagonia business to retail stores on Nantucket, he has now progressed to starting a staffing and recruiting firm called Winthrop & Co. based in Greater Boston. His new firm consults financial services institutions across the country to find them top tier talent for financial advisors and wealth managers. Winthrop & Co. services major banks, wire houses, RIAs, independent broker dealers and life insurance companies. The firm has now been in business for about a year and their rapid growth has slated them to be one of the fastest growing recruiting firms in the financial services industry.

’09

Michael Masse is thrilled to announce his engagement to Leila Bucchino of Revere. The couple spent five years together after meeting at their alma mater, Boston College, during Michael’s senior year. Michael proposed on August 11, 2018, during a walk along the Boston Esplanade. They expect to tie

the knot in fall 2020. Mike Yastrzemski is playing for the Norfolk Tides in the Orioles farm system. He found himself in an unusual doubleheader. He got four hits in game 1 in Charlotte. He then got another hit in the second game, which was suspended and did not resume until three weeks later in Norfolk. He got a hit at 11:45 p.m. on Monday night and a second hit in the same game at 1:15 Tuesday morning. That’s three hits in one game spread over three days.

’10

AJ Rossi and Rebecca Margolis were married August 5, 2017 at The Pen Ryn Mansion outside of Philadelphia. Members of the wedding party included best man Tyler Rossi ’12, father of the groom Fred Rossi ’80 and grandfather of the groom Ben Rossi ’55. Guests at the wedding also included Geoff Rossi ’84, and AJ’s Prep classmates Richard “Woody” Salmonsen, Mike Connor and Kevin O’Connor. AJ and Becca both graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and live in Philadelphia. AJ is a senior associate at the private equity firm Graham Partners and Becca is in medical school at Jefferson University.

’11

Chris Enos recently finished his master’s in civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin and will be publishing a series of papers on his research in improving wind turbine foundation design in the coming months. He is now working with Westwood Professional Services in Madison, Wisconsin developing solar and wind farms throughout the United States, Canada, and beyond. Peter Gohn and his new bride, Sarah, are living in North Carolina where Peter is working at Trinity Road, LLC as a business analyst and project manager.

’12

Zach Schutzman is a third year Ph.D. student in the computer and information services department at the University of Pennsylvania. He’s especially interested in how strategic agents, algorithmic processes, and social norms interact, both mathematically and in practice. He contributed to two papers that were published recently, including one in Scientific American that looks at redistricting and disenfranchising voters. For Aidan Gorrell ’14, the intersection of music composition, stage productions and language study made him an ideal Fulbright scholar grantee.

’13

Christopher Pacitto graduated magna cum laude from Elon University with a BS in accounting in 2017. He was honored in June with the Elijah Watt Sells award for 2017. The award is bestowed by The American Institute of CPAs on those who obtained a cumulative average score above 92.50 across all four sections of the CPA examination and passed all four sections on their first attempt. Only 58 of the 95,585 individuals who sat for the CPA examination qualified for this award. Christopher is now working for RSM US LLP in Boston as an assurance associate in Boston and living in the North End. David DiMauro works at Global Partners LLC as a pricing and logistics analyst/retail dealer coordinator. He has also just announced engagement to Eva Karakolidis.

’14

Josh Nickerson graduated from the College of the Holy Cross this past May, where he ran track for four years. He tells us, “I started a new job as a research technician at the cardiovascular research center at Massachusetts General Hospital. Moving into my first apartment with a Prep classmate Sean Nork. I’m looking to get a PhD in a neurology subject. Dr. Dianne Carey and Ray Carey were my biggest Prep influencers for pursuing both track and field and my studies in science, particularly neuroscience.” Liam Wash graduated from The George Washington University this spring, earning a double bachelor’s degree in economics and international affairs. While at GW he had the chance to study abroad at the London School of Economics and to intern at the U.S. Treasury, U.S. Office of the Trade Representative (USTR) and U.K. Parliament. This fall he is heading to the University of Oxford to study economic history. He is interested in the history of financial crisis and panics and hopes to complete his master’s degree in the spring.

’18

Will Cherry was one of seven incoming freshmen profiled in the president’s opening day speech at Montclair State University. He described Will as follows, “Will Cherry is entering as a Physics major. He graduated from St. John’s Prep in Massachusetts with a 3.85 GPA in a rigorous program of honors, AP and other advanced courses. He describes himself as captivated by all things space-related and is also interested in the potential applications of Physics to reducing the severity of concussive-related trauma in football and other sports. Will has been active in community service, serving as a counselor at the YMCA and working at a local food bank, providing meals to the homeless.” Will is in the College of Computer Science and Mathematics.

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

AIDAN GORRELL ’14 Base Camp: Saarland, Germany Background: Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Germany; Connecticut College (2018), music major (composition concentration with proficiency in five instruments; German studies minor); Formal study of German, Spanish, Russian and self-taught Dutch, Italian and some French. Current Events: Though he’s fluent in German and has facility with five other languages, Gorrell has his work cut out for him this academic year as he teaches in the regional capital of Saarbrücken on Germany’s southwestern border in a district with dialectical nuance and a foreign resident population — mostly Syrians, Turks, Italians and Romanians — of over 30 percent. Fortunately, during college, Gorrell completed an internship working with and making himself understood by Syrian refugees in Lübeck, a major port city on the Baltic Sea in northern Germany. His longstanding affinity for music, theater and world languages uniquely prepared Aidan Gorrell to become a Fulbright scholar. After all, Fulbrighters “meet, work, live with and learn from” host country populations to gain an appreciation of others’ viewpoints and beliefs.” What better way to make connections and build relationships that through song, stage and good conversation? “That experience gave me a real grasp of the lives of migrants (displaced by the civil war),” says Gorrell, a four-year Drama Guild member at St. John’s. “Most of the refugees I met were men in their early 20s, though some were under 18 — all of whom were there without parents, and some who had to look after younger siblings. They missed their homeland, but were grateful to be safe.” At Connecticut College, the Groveland native acted in mainstage productions, performed with the band in campus musicals, played club lacrosse, tutored at the school’s writing center and served as vice president of a student-run organization that assisted student bands — all while writing and acting for the student-led theater group. His senior academic project explored the use of music as a tool for teaching a foreign language. Whether or not Gorrell uses his guitar (or trombone, drums, ukulele, flute) to teach English during his Fulbright immersion, it’s his love of language that will serve him best. “I want to experience language in as many different ways as I can,” he says. “I tend to view each language as a puzzle, and I want to solve as many puzzles as I can to communicate with as much of the world as possible.”

PREP FALL 2018

Since You Asked My siblings said: “Look, we love you and we want you to do well, but we’re rooting for Boston.” — DUNCAN WEBB ’00

uncan Webb ’00 toughed out a surreal October during which his current employers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, faced his former employers, the Boston Red Sox, in the World Series. The Lynn native is a coordinator of player development for LA with a focus on helping to recruit, sign, and groom foreign-born players in the Dominican Republic. His primary role is assisting in the operation of the team’s Campo Las Palmas facility in San Antonio Guerra, which underwent a $10 million renovation in 2017. We caught up with Webb, a new father and Jamaica Plain resident, once the final out of the Fall Classic was recorded. SJP: Your first job in a Major League Baseball was in the Red Sox front office, and you’ve worked in player development for the Dodgers since March, 2015. Did you feel that no matter who won the World Series, you’d be able live with it? Duncan: Most of my friends from the Prep and from Lynn are big Red Sox fans, as is most of my family. My siblings said: ‘Look, we love you and we want you to do well, but we’re rooting for Boston.’ I can live with it because everybody’s been very understanding. In the end, we always want to see a good series, and we want a series that’s good for baseball.”

Webb, showing off his Dominican League championship ring and his two St. John’s state title rings (above), is climbing the ranks in the Dodgers front office as a player development coordinator.

is my number one priority. Something I’m really interested in as an element of this potential new role is helping to manage that work-life balance for our staff. SJP: What’s changed most about player development since you were hired as Latin education coordinator for Red Sox in the spring of 2008? Duncan: The offensive trends for hitters. When I first started with the Red Sox, our approach was ‘Be selective at home plate. Wait for your pitch. If you don’t get it (when ahead in the count), you should be taking. When you get to two strikes, you should look to put the ball in play.’ In the last couple of years, it seems like many organizations are advising players to take hard swings no matter what the count is. That trend has led to more home runs, and more strikeouts. It’s a really tricky thing, and I think teams are trying to figure out the right balance.

SJP: You and your wife, Jessie, had your first child, a daughter named Alma, in July. You travel about 170 days a year. What’s life going to be like now?

SJP: You were part of back-to-back state title teams in baseball here. You’ve been vocal about your view that teachers and coaches here put you on a path to success. You’ve even come back to campus to speak about bilingualism at the World Languages National Honor Society induction ceremony. Why?

Duncan: I love working in baseball, and I’ve been fortunate to work with two great organizations and with some of the smartest people in the game. My goal is to continue challenging myself and trying to help the organization get better, but also be a good dad, a good husband, and a good son. Achieving that balance is a battle for everyone in professional baseball. As we speak, the team and I are trying to figure out a role that might require relocation to LA, but allow me to be home with my family, which

Duncan: The Prep is such a special place. It was the perfect environment for me — to be around people who wanted to compete, excel, and do well in the classroom. The whole school culture gives you the opportunity make great friendships — to this day, I’m close with former teammates, as well as guys I got to know in class. I have so many fond memories of my time there, and I think that was about being in an environment where people strive for excellence.

W W W.STJOHNSPREP.ORG

Gala 2019

WE ARE ST. JOHN’S SAVE THE DATE SATURDAY  APRIL 6, 2019

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

PAID Permit No. 39 Danvers, MA

FALL AT THE PREP!

ADD R E S S S E RVI C E R EQUESTED

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

Clockwise from top left: Sixth grader Magnus Julin pulled a big bunch of carrots, large and small, from the Environmental Club’s garden in early October.  Sophomore Ryan Foley with his proud grandparents on Grandfriends Day for the Class of 2021.  Sixth graders Marcus Irwin, Christopher Sullivan, and Aiven Lorenz examine cross-sections of a brain during guest teacher Dr. Dianne Carey’s neuroscience lesson.  Athletic Hall of Famers Neil Penttinen ’90 (football, lacrosse) and Stephen Peterson ’06 (baseball) were at Glatz Field for the coin toss at the start of the Homecoming football game vs. BC High.  Patricia Birchem P’22 and Beth Hendriks P’18 ’21 ’22 were all smiles at the Walk for Hospice to benefit Care Dimensions on September 30 at St. John’s.  Tons of Eagles’ fans were in the Nest for Homecoming weekend this year!