Nolen Dube
Student Profile
N
olen Dube, a senior at Malden Catholic, had an experience of a lifetime this past summer when he travelled with an elite music ensemble made up of twenty-five Filipino musicians from the cultural school Iskwelahang Pilipino (IP) where he has been a student for the past twelve years. In addition to the musicians, Nolen travelled with his father Vincent and his mother Nora, who is Filipino. “As a member of the IP Rondalla ensemble for the last eight years, I play banduria, a stringed instrument much like a mandolin.” explained Nolen. The ensemble plays traditional Filipino folk music but also includes popular American songs. “We played Pink’s ‘Just Give Me a Reason’ and it was a big hit. Everybody loved the American music we played. “ As part of the tour, Rondalla played for colleges, TV and radio shows, and for the local communities. They played a total of twenty shows in three weeks and travelled to four islands of the Philippines. When asked what the most memorable part of the trip was, Nolen replied, “We met President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. He invited us to the Malacañang Palace (the nation’s executive offices) in Manila where we played four songs for him.” Not only has Nolen been a dedicated student of the Iskwelahang Pilipino cultural school, he is also one of the top members of Malden Catholic’s Class of 2014. A resident of Saugus, Nolen came to Malden Catholic from St. Pius V School in Lynn. Knowing that he wanted to continue high school in a Catholic setting, he decided to apply to several Catholic schools in the area but when it came time to choosing a school the choice was easy. “I knew I wanted to come to Malden Catholic because of the Shadow Program. I shadowed
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Nolen Dube ’14 (right)
Nat Mooney Class of 2013. He seemed so in tune with the community. It was as if he were already friends with everyone even though he had just started his freshman year. When you shadow at MC you feel very comfortable and that is important when you are choosing a high school.” Nolen tried out for football as an incoming freshman, even though he had never played. Today he is part of the team playing the positions of linebacker and running back. “I think playing football helped a lot with my transition to high school. I met friends during summer practices before school had even started, so that made the first day easier.” For the last four years, Nolen has been a very successful member of the Lancer Community. A member of the St. Francis Xavier Scholars Program, a program for students who score a 90% or higher on the entrance exam, he is in all Honors
and Advanced Placement classes and is a member of the National Honor Society. He is active in Campus Ministry, participates in the Music Ministry that serves at Malden Catholic’s Liturgical Services, and was chosen to attend the annual Xaverian Brothers’ Sponsored Schools retreat. This retreat is for a hundred students from the thirteen XBSS schools and has the theme of “Falling in love with the service of God.” Here students have the opportunity to learn about the Xaverian Charism, Global Awareness and Stewardship. “The whole experience was unbelievable. To meet people who share the same values and experiences, to get to know students from St. John’s Prep, St. John’s Shrewsbury and even places as far away as Maryland and Kentucky was amazing. We are all part of one brotherhood and sisterhood.” Now in his senior year, Nolen truly appreciates the broad range of experiences he has had. He plans on attending college and he hopes that he will be accepted to Notre Dame’s Class of 2018 where he would join his older sister Karina, a junior. Regardless of what Nolen does after high school, he will continue to think of MC as an extension of his own family. “People like Mr. Alex Kissel, Mr. Michael Driscoll, Mrs. Mary Driscoll, and many others have made a big impact on my life. I think of Malden Catholic like a second home and I will always remember the important lessons I learned here.” Editor’s Note: In November 2013, Nolen initiated and led a clothing drive to aid typhoon victims in the Philippines. Malden Catholic applauds his leadership and commitment to service.