you to receive the highest non-degree recognition bestowed by the College? RACEK I am extremely honored to have received this award. My time at Holy Cross had a profound impact on how I am as a person and my career path. There is an authentic culture of service that exists at Holy Cross that doesn’t exist at other universities and institutions I’ve been exposed to. Students are expected to participate in service and to do so in an exceptional way. And this service experience then changes the people who leave Holy Cross. This is what happened to me. My work has been shaped by the faculty, my peers and the mission of Holy Cross. I’m honored to be recognized by an institution that I respect so much. HCM What are your
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reflections on the Sanctae Crucis Award ceremony and dinner? Who was able to join you for it? RACEK My parents and sister traveled from Boston. My brother traveled from Vermont. A good friend of mine traveled from Los Angeles to attend. My favorite moment came from Frank Vellaccio [senior vice president], and his detailed and colorful description of the evening’s menu. It had me roaring. In fact, I’m hoping to incorporate his style into my own family dinners. HCM The Sanctae Crucis Award honors alumni who live the distinctive mission of Holy Cross. What does being a “man for others” mean to you? RACEK Being “a man for others” means that you think of yourself as part of
the larger whole. It means actively participating as part of a community, both on the local and global scale. Thinking that my own actions have consequences for people around me and for the planet has changed how I live my day-to-day life. And I try to make this thinking happen on all scales, from the milk I choose at the market, to how I spend my career, to how I raise my children. HCM Reflecting on your time as a student on The Hill, is there a particular class, professor or experience that has resonated with you to this day? RACEK I had a class with [religious studies] Professor Gary DeAngelis called Comparative Mysticism. He was an inspiring figure who was like Indiana Jones, and one of the smartest people
I’ve ever met. That class made me want to travel to every country on earth; it made me curious about everything and want to experience everything. HCM What are some of the challenges you face in your career, and how does your Holy Cross education help you meet them? RACEK I have had a circuitous career, having spent time as a teacher in the inner city, a high-end furniture designer, a professor and someone who builds playgrounds around the world. At times, I have not always known what the right path was. But the principles and values that I learned from my family, from Holy Cross and from my Holy Cross friends helped me steer through these difficult questions. ■ —Rebecca Smith
’99 and Kimberly Staley ’99
J O N AT H A N R A C E K / S A N C TA E C R U C I S AW A R DS / 3 5