A Gift to Last a Lifetime
These students, families, and alumni unanimously agree: The gift of a Brunswick education is profoundly transformative — the foundational experience of a lifetime. From the families of Brunswick boys still in school down the years to alumni who graduated decades ago, all testify compellingly to the power and impact of Brunswick’s financial-aid program. There’s no substitute for their own words and stories. Here are just a few.
Parents of Joseph Vito ’28
“Without the almost full financial-aid award Joseph received, we would never have been able to afford to send him to Brunswick. I don’t have the words to express our thanks. I don’t know who is helping Joseph, but I am grateful with all my heart.”
JOSEPH VITO entered Brunswick as a new Middle Schooler on opening day 2020 — the same day that Brunswick reopened its doors and welcomed students back to campus for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a 10-year-old, Joseph was eager to be back in the classroom and attending a new school. His mother, Glenda Vito, remembers her son saying, “I don’t want to miss school. I love it here.” “Joseph used to get bored at school and didn’t have a lot that challenged him. That all changed when we enrolled him at Brunswick, which was where he wanted to be ever since he had his first visit and interview. In the short time he’s been at Brunswick, he’s gained confidence and strength in his ability to express himself and has made lots of new friends.” Glenda works as an office assistant and her husband, Giovanni Vito, is a construction worker. The family lives in Port Chester, NY.
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NDOWING A SCHOLARSHIP FUND for the sons of Greenwich first-responders was a natural impulse for my wife, Lili, and me. When I attended Brunswick in the 1980s, despite our smaller enrollment, my classmates were fully representative of Greenwich and surrounding communities. If your parents worked in the community, whether as a firefighter, police officer, nurse, or in some other capacity, you could afford to send your son to Brunswick. As tuition climbed in the years since then, sending even one son to Brunswick became a financial challenge for many middle-income families. I know that I’ve been extraordinarily lucky, given the advantages, including attending Brunswick, I’ve enjoyed in my life. Lili and I feel a responsibility to give back to our community and help others who may not have been as fortunate. It’s as simple as that. By including a planned giving component in our commitment, we can build a larger endowment than might have been possible otherwise. If that means it can generate two more partial scholarships a year for the sons of firstresponders or of parents who work in and serve our communities, that’s the kind of return on investment I am delighted to have. I hope others will feel the same way.”
TOM O’MALLEY, JR. ’85, P ’12, ’15, ’21 Board of Trustees (2000–), Board Chair (2019–21)
Tom O’Malley, Jr. ’85, the founding partner of Pilot Rock Investments, LLC, has served on the Brunswick Board of Trustees for more than two decades, overseeing a period of unprecedented growth and enhancement. He served as co-chair of the Above All Else campaign (2012 – 2016), which raised $108 million in endowment and expendable gifts. His three sons — Thomas III ’12, William ’15, and Michael ’21 — graduated from Brunswick, while their sister, Anna, graduated from Greenwich Academy. Tom serves on the Board of Regents for his alma mater, Boston College, from which his son, William, graduated in 2019, and his daughter, Anna, currently attends. His oldest son, Thomas, is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where his youngest son, Michael, is enrolled. Though longtime Greenwich residents, Tom and his wife, Lili, currently call Palm Beach, Florida, home.
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Parents of Artemis ’24, George ’22, and Nick Villis ’19
“We were looking at schools that would be more challenging and welcoming to our eldest son, Nick. A family friend suggested Brunswick, but we thought it well beyond our means. Still, we applied and remain continually grateful for a financial-aid award that made attending Brunswick possible. It proved a transformational experience for Nick, and we were then blessed by Brunswick to have his younger brothers experience the same incredible opportunity. Our boys are stronger in character and ethical behavior because of Brunswick. Gratitude is an understatement for all that this school has done for our family.”
THE PARENTS OF THE THREE VILLIS BOYS , Elias and Melanie Villis, never believed they would have all three boys enrolled at Brunswick. As a Greek Orthodox priest in Rye, NY, Elias and his wife, a preschool teacher, believed Brunswick to be an educational experience that they could never afford. “Tom Philip was a godsend. He made the transition for Nick, who by his own admission is very shy, a major success.” Or, as Nick recounts, “Mr. Philip is why I persevered. He forced me out of my shell and comfort zone, and continually encouraged me every step along the way.” Nick is in his third year at Fordham University and loves catching up with his brothers on their own Brunswick experiences.
NaShawn Livingston ’22
“No question: Brunswick has made me more motivated to strive for what I want. In the past I found it difficult to take the initiative and work to my utmost. That all changed when I enrolled at Brunswick in ninth grade, when so many teachers went out of their way to offer encouragement and to work with me in reaching my potential. And I found a passion for art, especially drawing. It’s as if I’m becoming so much more aware of what’s possible. It’s a great feeling.”
NASHAWN LIVINGSTON’S mom was interested in having her son attend Brunswick for some time.
“I liked the structure and the academic rigor,” declared his mother, Gina, “which I thought NaShawn needed to succeed. He needed someone who could challenge his brain. And Brunswick has done that and so much more. It’s been a revelation and I can’t imagine a better place for him to be.” NaShawn is quick to name the many teachers who helped him along the way, but he adds, “Mr. Burdett was
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something special. He wasn’t going to hold my hand, but he made sure I got the job done, as he knew time management was not my strong suit.” When he’s not on the football field or in the gym practicing his wrestling moves, NaShawn can be found in the art studio, honing his craft. In his spare time, he volunteers at Lucky Dog Refuge.
Lazare Zoungrana ’15
LAZARE ZOUNGRANA was hooked from his first visit to Brunswick, sitting in on a fifth-grade class. Lazare was born and raised in New Rochelle, NY. His parents, Jean-Paul and Claire, had emigrated from Burkina-Faso in West Africa. “On my first day, I was assigned a desk-mate, Alex Montinaro, who would become one of my best friends. We ended up going to UVA together and are roommates still in NYC, together with another classmate, James Dudzik. While at Brunswick, I would typically stay with a local family, whether the Montinaros or the O’Malleys, on weekends.” Lazare would excel in sports as well as studies (an AP scholar), and was a standout in both football and lacrosse. “I had never heard of lacrosse before Brunswick, and it soon became the sport I’m most passionate about. I loved being a part of the 2014 team that won Brunswick’s first New England West title. But what I will always prize is the incredible sense of community and the tight bond I have with classmates. My younger brother, Bernard, was five years behind me. When our mother died in 2018, my brother and I were so moved by the entire Upper School and so many of my classmates turning out for her funeral. It’s something we will never forget.” Bernard graduated in 2020 and is attending Harvard. Lazare, who majored in economics at UVA, works as an associate at Audax Private Debt.
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“When I think about the many ways that Brunswick impacted my life — the opportunities it opened or the incredible friendships — I’ve come to understand that so much of who I am as a person is a direct result of having attended ’Wick during the formative years of my life.”
LIVINGSTON continued
Dylan Wadsworth ’14
“I saw Brunswick as an opportunity I had been given and one I was intent on taking full advantage of. The expectations and standards were high, but the support from teachers and classmates was an added incentive to succeed.”
From the time his Brunswick career began as a kindergarten student, DYLAN WADSWORTH did not want to let an opportunity go by to take on some new challenge or try something new, whether inside or outside the classroom. By the time he graduated in 2014, he had been heavily involved in Diversity in Action, serving as vice president; was a tri-sport varsity athlete and captain of his track, football, and basketball teams; was a Senior Prefect; and earned a faculty citation at Commencement. His mother, Deelia Wadsworth, worked as director of the Old Greenwich Riverside Community Center, and Dylan and his two siblings lived with their mother in Greenwich, where he also worked as a counselor at Kairphree during summers while attending Upper School. Today, he works for Alpine Investors, a people-driven private equity firm. As Dylan recalls, his Brunswick education and the many opportunities it provided would not have been possible without the generous partial scholarship his family received.
Ernie Rosato ’11
“Brunswick does a great job preparing you for life’s challenges. Expectations were high, but the support network of faculty and fellow students was always there to encourage and push you to succeed. That’s an environment that’s difficult to replicate elsewhere, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a supportive community of fellow Brunswick brothers.”
FOR ERNIE ROSATO , Brunswick is a family affair. He’s the oldest of five brothers to attend the School, and entered in 5th grade after a younger brother started out in kindergarten. (For the record, Ernie was soon followed by William ’13, Colin ’15, Lachlan ’18, and Aengus ’20.) Attending Brunswick for eight years, as Ernie tells it, was life-changing. “I learned so many life lessons, including maybe the most valuable of all, learning how to learn. I forged friendships that remain my closest to this day.” Ernie was a three-sport varsity athlete in football, hockey, and baseball, and captained the football team. He was named a Senior Peer Leader and voted president of his class. “Brunswick was my parents’ first choice for my brothers
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and me. They wanted the guidance and structure of an all-boys school where academics were a priority and where expectations for both achievement and personal responsibility were high.” Ernie attended the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Economic History, and currently lives in New York City and works as an Associate at Related, a real estate firm.
Jordan Grannum ’09
“Brunswick was a revelation, with the small classes and easy camaraderie with classmates. I experienced some difficulties at first, but so many people offered help and assistance, and I was soon taking full advantage of all that ’Wick has to offer. Looking back, I know I wouldn’t have pushed myself to try out new things had I been anywhere else.”
JORDAN GRANNUM, in many ways, has come full circle. He began his Brunswick career in fifth grade, commuting from New Rochelle, NY, and in the fall 2019 returned to his alma mater as a physical education teacher in the Middle School, where he also coaches seventh-grade soccer and eighth-grade basketball. “Now that I’m back at Brunswick, I can see that despite the many changes and growth, it’s still the same supportive and welcoming community that I and so many other alumni cherished. It was as if I had never left. That sense of shared goals and common purpose continues to permeate the school.” After graduating from Brunswick, Jordan opted for a small liberal arts college, Ursinus College in Pennsylvania, where he majored in sociology. “I really wanted to maintain that sense of community and small classes, and Ursinus offered that and more.” Jordan lives in West Haven, CT, with his partner, Jennie Lorusso, and their daughter, Kimberly, and son, Kameron.
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ROSATO continued
Josyl Barchue ’00
JOSYL BARCHUE is a proud Brunswick lifer, enrolling in pre-K in 1986 and graduating in 2000, having moved from Arkansas to Greenwich as an infant, after his mother, a native of the West Indies, secured work as a nurse in New York. The move proved propitious. “Brunswick is such a core part of my identity. I had so many teachers, coaches, and others who served as mentors along the way. Perhaps none as influential as Mac Caputo, my best friend’s father, who alongside my grandfather, a school principal and justice of the peace in the West Indies, remain major influences on my life.” While at Brunswick, Josyl found a passion for community service, which earned him the Community Service Award during his tenure. He attended Boston College, where he studied computer science, philosophy, and law, and later Fordham University School of Law. In 2019, emulating Mac Caputo, Josyl was elected to the Brunswick Board of Trustees. He works as a Senior Associate General Counsel for UnitedHealth Group, while maintaining a pro-bono private law practice specializing in intellectual property. He and his wife, Heather, along with his two stepdaughters and young son, live in the beautiful Silvermine area of Norwalk, CT. Josyl is already making plans for his son, Noah, to follow in dad’s footsteps at Brunswick.
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“Brunswick changed the trajectory of my life. I cannot imagine anywhere else providing the friendships that are so much a part of my life, and fostering the values — Courage, Honor, Truth, and a fourth that deserves equal mention, Service — that I strive to live by.”
