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s t . joh n ’s p r e p
Today
At the Crossroads of Campus Life 88,000 Square Feet of Possibilities
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ellness runs deep at St. John’s. The first building Brother Benjamin added to the campus in 1907-08 was the original wooden gymnasium, reflecting the Xaverian Brothers’ belief that “Learning is an instrument of education, not its end. The end is culture, and mental, moral and physical development.” Expanding on Brother Benjamin’s vision in a way that meets the needs of students today, St. John’s will open a new, 88,000-square-foot Wellness Center in fall 2017. As part of the project, Cronin Memorial Stadium will be renovated with a turf field, a larger track, and lights. A new 650-kw solar array will fully power the Wellness Center during daylight hours. “At the heart of wellness is making connections across the many facets of students’ full and active lives – intellectual, social, emotional, physical, spiritual and aesthetic,” says Steve Cunningham, Assistant Head of School for Facilities, who has overseen the project from day one. “From the way it is sited on campus, to the choice of materials, this building is designed to be at the crossroads of campus life, acting as a catalyst for making connections.” St. John’s offers 22 interscholastic sports and a growing number of intramural and recreational sports. The new facility, which is located adjacent to the Brother Linus, C.F.X. Athletic Commons and Cronin Memorial Stadium, will support these programs. Inside View 88,000 square feet 8-lane, 25-yard indoor pool with 1-meter diving board 30,000-square-foot, 4-court field house 4-lane indoor track
4,000-square-foot, 2-level fitness space 3 multi-purpose rooms Locker rooms Gallery space Meditation room
Press box Viewing space overlooking Cronin Memorial Stadium Offices for athletics and wellness staff 650-kw solar array
INSIDE
A Publication of St. John’s Prep A Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School for Young Men in Grades 6 through 12 Established 1907
S J P T O D AY
Beijing
Shanghai
Hong Kong
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St. John’s in China! Headmaster Hardiman will visit Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai in March 2017 on behalf of the Prep. Tell us if you live there or plan to travel to one of these cities so that you can meet up with Dr. Hardiman and reconnect with St. John’s. Email us at alumni@stjohnsprep.org to check in. Hope to hear from you!
Headmaster
Edward P. Hardiman, Ph.D. Principal/Associate Head of School
Keith A. Crowley, Ph.D. Chief Advancement Officer
Kevin A. Collins Editorial Staff
Elizabeth Forbes Director of Marketing and Communications Sandra “Sam” Trapani Assistant Director of Communications Design
FE ATURE
Caruso Graphic Design
Digital Citizenship
Printing
St. John’s has been at the forefront of using educational technology to enhance teaching and learning. The Prep’s three digital learning specialists, Elizabeth Solomon, Julie Cremin and Kerry Gallagher, work with teachers to help students grasp the many dimensions of digital citizenship.
Direct Comments, Contributions and Address Updates to:
Flagship Press, Inc.
ON THE COVER
Office for Institutional Advancement St. John’s Preparatory School 72 Spring Street Danvers, MA 01923 978.774.6727
St. John’s introduced crew to Prep athletics for the first time this fall. This photo by Lisa Miles P’20 ’18 was taken during practice on the Merrimack River: (l to r) Coxswain Henry Dearborn ’17 with Bradley Abel ’20, Christian Blake ’18, Schuyler Cummings ’18, Luke Melanson ’18, Max Melanson ’18, Connor Hurley ’18, Hunter Stacey ’19, and John Bibeau ’18.
DEPARTMENTS
Keep Up With The Prep! stjohnsprep.smugmug.com instagram.com/stjohnsprep
HEADMASTER’S MESSAGE 2 HILLTOP HIGHLIGHTS 3 AROUND CAMPUS 6 CAMPUS BUZZ 14 SPORTS 16
twitter.com/stjohnsprep facebook.com/ stjohnspreparatoryschool
ALUMNI 18 ADVANCEMENT 23 CL ASS NOTES
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IN CLOSING
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HE ADMASTER ’S MES SAGE 2
The world needs good, smart people, not just smart people. — C H R I S H E R N D O N ’18 Dear Friends,
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hen prospective families ask what distinguishes St. John’s from other schools, we can point to our remarkable faculty, enterprising students, and wonderful facilities. The intangible essence of the Prep, however, is more difficult to put into words. We spent a great deal of time reflecting on this question in the process of developing new admission materials last year. The answer, we found, is both simple and profound. What defines St. John’s is our belief that there is a world of good inside every student, and our job is to help them understand how to use their good for the benefit of others. In this way of thinking, good is a powerful complement to our longstanding commitment to excellence in all things. Tapping the good within each of us is a state of being. It is a mindset, a commitment to building others up and sharing our good with others. Theodore Ryken, founder of the Xaverian Brothers, described it as the call to “give the gift we have received as gift to others.” Every year, we put a special emphasis on one of the five Xaverian spiritual values. This year, we focus on compassion. To further engage our community, we have added a call to action. Specifically, we are challenging our students and ourselves to stand for good – to be upstanders, on campus and in our communities. Our goal is to empower each one of us to speak up whenever we witness injustice or intolerance in any form. This challenge to put compassion into action – to be upstanders – flows from the Gospel call to servant leadership. In many ways, this spirit has animated the Prep community since our founding in 1907. We know from the Xaverian Brothers that when we can help students grow the good within each of them, we plant the seeds of the change we need to see in our world. As Chris Herndon ’18 put it recently, “The world needs good, smart people, not just smart people.” As you read the pages of SJP Today, I hope you will see the vibrant presence of good on our campus and among our alumni. Thank you for taking the time to follow all that is happening at the intersection of Spring and Summer streets. I look forward to seeing you at a Prep event in the near future.
Peace and prayers, Edward P. Hardiman, Ph.D. Headmaster
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H I L L T O P
highlights Good Call!
Congratulations to our own Dr. Michael Orlando, Chair of the World Language Department, who was chosen to umpire at the Junior Little League World Series in Michigan in August.
Get Ready to Roar!
We’re a Force for Good!
The student-led group, SOAR, which promotes brotherhood, spirituality and having fun, began meeting weekly again this year. They discuss topics from time management to surviving the cut, all while bonding over pizza.
Walk for Hospice
St. John’s was host for the annual Care Dimensions Walk for Hospice in October. It was a rainy day, but participants brought their own sunshine as they walked and smiled along the three-mile course, honoring the lives, courage and memories of loved ones, while raising funds to provide hospice and palliative care. It is the 14th year that the Prep has hosted the event, which is run by a cadre of volunteers from SJP.
Sounding of the Shofar
The Jewish Student Union offered the morning prayer for both the Middle School and High School in celebration of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Jody Jarvis, who co-moderates the JSU with Mary Kiley, sounded the ram’s horn, or shofar, which could be heard throughout campus on the intercom.
We aren’t lion when we say that everyone is excited about the Middle School Drama Guild’s production of Disney’s “The Lion King Jr.” coming up in January. Theater teacher and director Ms. Brit Christopher is thrilled with the show and the actors love the artistic masks being custom made for the production by Legendary Leathercrafts.
Real Life Drama
The High School Drama Guild presented “Anon(ymous)” by Naomi Iizuka for their fall show this year. Under the direction of Alicia Greenwood, the cast and crew put on an amazing show. A reimagining of “The Odyssey,” it tells the story of a 12-year-old boy, a refugee from a war-torn country who is separated from his mother and sets off on a journey across America to find her. His search – for family, home and identity – resonates powerfully now, when there are more than 21 million refugees throughout the world.
Practicing Compassion
Pat Byrne ’69, the homeless street advocate for the City of Lynn, spoke with students this fall during the Middle School’s Compassion Day – a day to reflect, pray and practice compassion as individuals and a community. Mr. Byrne received the No One Walks Alone Award at St. John’s in 2015.
It’s a Small World
In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month in October, the Prep flew the flags of Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, México, Panamá, and Colombia. Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
Luck of the Irish
Science teacher and moderator of the Outdoor Adventure Club, Christopher Borgatti, traveled with a group of students to Ireland in July for a once-in-a-lifetime trip! “We toured the west and southwest of the country, much of the time well off the beaten track. Besides taking in some Irish history and culture, we also surfed, biked, hiked and explored the countryside,” Mr. Borgatti reported.
Peaceful Pastures
The Animal Welfare Club went on a field trip to the Spencer-Peirce Little Farm Sanctuary in Newbury this fall. The sanctuary has a rich history with the MSPCA’s Nevins Farm. All of the animals at Spencer-Peirce are rescued from some form of hardship, neglect or abuse, and live out their lives in peace on the farm. “Our boys were able to interact with the animals and will be performing service at this location,” said School Counselor Nancy Sacco, who co-moderates the club with Registrar Mary Mazzeo. “This is another way the that the Animal Welfare Club demonstrates compassion in action!”
Beaming with Pride
Members of the Prep community signed three of the steel beams that are going into the new Wellness Center. When the building opens in fall 2017, these beams, complete with signatures, will be visible from inside the field house! Faraway Eagles had the chance to sign the beams virtually so that their names will be a part of this piece of Prep history, too! ST. JO H N’S PR E P TO DAY
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Digital Citizenship Teaching Students How to Be Responsible Online
W Jack Laffy ’22 presenting an ignite talk at the JumpStart event.
Igniting a Passion A group of teachers were on campus this summer for JumpStart, a hands-on workshop about the latest in educational technology. Kerry Gallagher and Julie Cremin, digital learning specialists, led the workshop. Guest presenters gave “ignite talks,” mini messages to inspire the audience – and quickly! Seventh grader Jack Laffy shared a student perspective about how technology helps make classes engaging. St. John’s Prep teachers were joined at the JumpStart event by educators from the Academy at Penguin Hall. #JumpStartSJP
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hen Prep English teacher Gail Dennig introduced her seniors to a digital portfolio project, one of the first things she talked about was privacy and safety. They discussed as a class whether to make their portfolios public or private, and after reviewing the benefits and drawbacks of each, students were able to make the decision for themselves. “Most chose to make their academic work public so that they could invite adults from colleges or summer job opportunities to see their work,” Ms. Dennig said. This real world example is just one of many that demonstrate how digital citizenship is layered throughout the curriculum at St. John’s Prep. Schools have always played an important role in encouraging young people to become good citizens. Modeling respect, kindness and compassion helps students put faith into action as servant leaders. Now, those same lessons apply in today’s digital world. Teachers and parents can work together to help students use the technologies available to them in ways that are responsible and beneficial. St. John’s has been at the forefront of using educational technology to enhance teaching and learning. The Prep’s three digital learning specialists, Elizabeth Solomon, Julie Cremin and Kerry Gallagher, work with teachers to help students grasp the many dimensions of digital citizenship. “Since technology is a part of how we function every day, students should be learning to use it productively and responsibly in school. That’s why we integrate digital citizenship into all classes at every grade, from 6 through 12,” said Ms. Gallagher. When designing the Prep’s program, Ms. Cremin and Ms. Gallagher narrowed digital citizenship to four topics: Etiquette: • Recognize the importance of being present while balancing the use of technology, and also being aware of how technology can be a distraction. Communication and Responsibility: • Use the same standards for online communication that you use for in-person or written communication. • Make sure that what you post online is responsible, positive and accurate.
F E AT U R E
Tips for Good Digital Citizenship Parents can help their students learn digital citizenship skills at home, too.
Ask your son to demonstrate how he uses his iPad to complete his homework, create video and media projects, and communicate with friends. Sit down together at least twice a month so the discussion can be ongoing and positive. Freshmen collaborate on a digital citizenship project: (standing) Matt Pasersky, Sam Buxton and Adam Lepore; (seated) Sam Baylow and DJ Brooks.
Identity and Personal Brand: • Represent your true self online. • Understand that the information, images, and links you share establish an online reputation that stays with you. Privacy and Safety: • Be aware of how, and with whom, you share information that can be used to identify a person. • Protect yourself from scams or predators online. Good digital citizenship is reinforced throughout the school year. “Our school’s mission calls us to educate the ‘whole person.’ It is essential that we acknowledge that education is not just happening in the classroom. We also engage school counselors and parents by offering resources, webinars, and in-person presentations. This way, all of the adults in our students’ lives are on the same page about digital citizenship,” said Ms. Cremin.
In the Classroom As teachers integrate digital citizenship into their classrooms it has the added benefit of facilitating creative, project-based learning. When Middle School English teacher Nicole Zito’s class read stories about mythological gods, she created an interactive “Fakebook” project that incorporated digital citizenship concepts like identity and personal brand. “By discussing the kinds of mistakes that gods and goddesses might make, such as bragging, posting inappropriate behaviors, or spreading rumors, I ask students to consider their own choices on social media,” said Dr. Zito. Because digital citizenship is thoughtfully integrated into day-to-day instruction, productive and responsible technology use is as fundamental as any other aspect of a child’s education. “By continuing to support the whole school community on digital citizenship, we can achieve the goal of helping students become responsible online citizens,” Ms. Gallagher asserts. “Modeling respect, kindness and compassion makes the digital world a safer environment for all of us.”
For more information on digital citizenship at St. John’s, visit the DigCit@SJP website at http://digcitsjp.weebly.com. On Twitter, Julie Cremin can be found at @JulieCremin and Kerry Gallagher can be found at @KerryHawk02.
Keep in mind that not all screen time is created equal. Passive screen time – scrolling through social media, watching YouTube videos, or playing simple but flashy games – should be limited. But active screen time – using a screen to communicate, collaborate, or create – is how students should be using technology.
At home, agree on reasonable boundaries around technology use. For example, technology should not be present during mealtime or within a half-hour before going to bed. Agree as a family about when technology use is acceptable and when it is unacceptable. Then, agree to hold one another accountable.
Model balanced technology use as a parent. Some ideas: Put down your device and make eye contact when your children need your attention; always ask your children’s permission before posting about them on social media; create and hold yourself to tech-free time.
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Learning Language and Culture Begins in Middle School
Mrs. Pasquarello reviews Spanish grammar with sixth graders Alex Perault, Alex Schaeublin, Mikey Pallazola and Rohan Raisingani.
Morning light filters through the classroom window on the third floor of Brother Benjamin Hall as Gerda Pasquarello greets her seventh graders with a cheerful “Buenos días, muchachos.” Dylan Mercier ’23 in Latin and religious studies class.
Students in sixth grade sample all four languages. They take 12 weeks of Chinese, German, Latin and Spanish. Latin is integrated as part of a full-year religious studies course.
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ou can feel the youthful energy of middle schoolers as the boys settle into their places. Mrs. Pasquarello reminds them that today they will review a lesson on subject pronouns. Before class begins, they all pause for the Lord’s Prayer, which everyone says in Spanish. A native of Colombia, Mrs. Pasquarello has taught at St. John’s since 2005. When the Middle School opened in 2015, she made the switch to teach Spanish in grades 6, 7 and 8. She also took on the role of world languages curriculum coordinator for the Middle School, which means that she works closely with department chair Michael Orlando, Ed.D. ’02 to ensure continuity across the language program, from grade 6 through grade 12. Mrs. Pasquarello, who taught middle school before coming to St. John’s, finds it rewarding to see younger students begin to cultivate an affinity for languages at this formative age. “Students are less afraid to take risks or try new things at this age,” she says. “They’re like sponges. They haven’t formed an opinion about what they can and cannot do. That gives us the chance to introduce language learning as something fun.”
Educating Global Citizens Early in the planning process for the Middle School, school administrators decided to offer the same languages – Chinese, German, Latin and Spanish – that are taught in the High School. The next task was to design a curriculum that would align with the High School program and respond to the needs and learning style of younger students. “We’re talking about much younger children in terms of the attention span. They need to be active and hands-on at that age,” says Dr. Orlando. “Our Middle School teachers are dynamic. They really meet students where they are with activities that help language lessons ‘stick’ at that important developmental level.”
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AROUND CAMPUS
Students in sixth grade sample all four languages. They take 12 weeks of Chinese, German, Latin and Spanish. Latin is integrated as part of a full-year religious studies course. The goal is to capture the best of the Prep in every aspect, according to Mr. Jason Larocque, Associate Principal for Grades 6, 7 and 8. “Why not expose sixth graders to the best we have in world languages? Every teacher in every language has something to offer. Exposure to different languages in sixth grade helps students see the commonalities among them.” The survey approach in sixth grade benefits in other ways, too, says Dr. Orlando. “It helps ease the transition to a new school, a new environment, and new people. It’s also introduces the idea of becoming good global citizens,” he says. At the end of sixth grade, students choose one language to study for the next two years. In grades 7 and 8, language classes meet every day for the full year. By the end of grade 8, students have completed the equivalent of a level one high school course. They can choose to stay with the same language or switch to another language in grade 9. Seventh grader Ansh Motiani liked trying different languages last year. This year he is in Mrs. Pasquarello’s Spanish class. “It would have been hard to choose without getting a taste of every language. When you get to try them all, you won’t regret your choice,” says Ansh, who learned to speak Hindi at home. “I took Spanish because I think it will be useful. Also, I play soccer and my coaches speak Spanish,” he says with a smile.
Unique Approach to Language and Meaning Hands shoot up as soon as Latin teacher Frank Hartel asks his sixth graders if anyone would like to translate a passage from the Gospel of John. The boys are taking a combined Latin and religious studies class that is unique among schools like St. John’s, according to Dr. Orlando. “In this course, we wanted to highlight the role of language throughout history, make the connection with our Catholic identity, and show how Latin continues to be alive through the Church,” says Dr. Orlando. Bringing Latin and religious studies together in one course is a good example of STREAM, or interdisciplinary learning. The STREAM approach, which encompasses science, technology, religious studies, engineering, the humanities and the arts, and mathematics, encourages students to look for common themes, patterns and links in their studies. Mr. Hartel and Jason Moore, Middle School campus minister, co-teach the Latin and religious studies course. Learning how to deconstruct Latin helps students arrive at a deeper understanding of the material, says Mr. Moore. “When we read a particular biblical passage, we start by looking at it in Latin. Once students learn the vocabulary, we help them with translation and interpretation – why one word was chosen over another, for example. That kind of discussion leads to a deeper reading and a deeper understanding of the religious studies concepts of the course.” Whether students are studying Chinese, German, Latin or Spanish, the Middle School world language program helps them understand the history, traditions and cultures of people in vastly different parts of the world. It’s a kind of cultural literacy that becomes more important every day in a global society, according to Mr. Orlando.
Mr. Jason Moore reviews a Latin translation with Mikey Pallazola ’23.
Bringing Latin and religious studies together in one course is a good example of STREAM, or interdisciplinary learning. The STREAM approach, which encompasses science, technology, religious studies, engineering, the humanities and the arts, and mathematics, encourages students to look for common themes, patterns and links in their studies.
“All of our teachers, in grades 6 through 12, use innovative ways to show students the importance of language use every day. Citizens need to know about cultures around them, and I think we’re hitting the mark.”
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Fast Water and Steep Trails
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tudents in sleek racing shells and on ultra fast bikes are wearing Prep blue this year, thanks to the addition of crew and mountain biking to the interscholastic sports program. The new programs represent a growing number of opportunities for interscholastic competition in sports that foster lifelong habits of health and wellness. “Both add new dimensions to our physical wellness offerings, and it’s wonderful to see community being built on the trails and in the boats,” says Keith A. Crowley, Ph.D., Principal/Associate Head of School.
New Strokes
Both add new dimensions to our physical wellness offerings, and it’s wonderful to see community being built on the trails and in the boats. — Keith A. Crowley, Ph.D., Principal/Associate Head of School
The crew program launched this fall through a partnership with Row America at Kazmiera Marina on the Merrimack River in Haverhill. There is a fall developmental program for students in grades 6 through 12. In the spring, students in grades 9 through 12 will race against schools like BC High, Phillips Andover, Salisbury, Tabor, St. Paul’s and Hingham.
Coach Andrew Finch, who started rowing as a student at Boston University, credits local awareness of races like the Head of the Charles and the popularity of “The Boys in the Boat” with burgeoning interest in the sport. He says that crew can set the stage for a lifetime of fitness because it is a “perfect combination of muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance. Apart from fitness, it helps build teamwork, dedication, discipline and short- and long-term goal planning.” Given the work ethic he sees at St. John’s, Coach Finch feels confident about the program. “Rowing isn’t easy. It’s a large time commitment, it’s physically exhausting, and it requires immense will power. I believe that the students at St. John’s Prep possess these qualities.”
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Hitting the Trail Mountain biking first gained traction as a co-curricular club in spring 2014. Now, the Eagles are competing in the fall and spring seasons against schools from across New England. Parker Heath, whose son Jackson is a senior, coaches the team. Vin Miserandino, an avid cyclist, is assistant coach. “To be successful, mountain bike racers need to combine rigorous athletic capacity, a cerebral understanding of the environment in which they race, and emotional maturity,” says Coach Heath, who started racing when he was in high school. “That said, mountain bike racing is fun, too.”
Coach Heath, who entered his first bike race in sophomore year of high school, loves the opportunity to give back to the sport he feels passionately about. “Few other sports offer the capacity for the boys find their own way and be independent. Each racer is responsible for maintaining control of his bike and himself in a constantly changing and fluid environment. They need to be self sufficient and independent while pursuing a result that will benefit the entire team,” he says. Jackson Heath feels proud that the club he helped to start three years ago has become an interscholastic sport. “To be able to wear the Prep jersey and represent my school in the sport I love is incredible, a true honor. It’s inspired me, for college and beyond, to know that if I go after something I can get it done.” For students interested in informal riding, the Cycling Club continues to go out for weekly rides, mountain biking in the fall and cycling on the road in the spring.
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The Art of Computer Science A video crew from Harvard University will be on campus this year to chronicle the AP Computer Science Principles course being offered for the first time this fall at St. John’s and other high schools across the country. The new course, which puts an emphasis on creativity, is generating a buzz in the academic and computer science world.
Ted Lawlor ’17 talks on camera about AP Computer Science Principles. “I took algorithmic thinking and wanted to take more computer science because I like the creativity and the freedom you have to do anything with it.”
Designed to appeal to a broad range of students with diverse interests, the course takes a multi-disciplinary approach. While the College Board’s existing AP computer science course focuses exclusively on programming with Java, the new course does not limit teachers to using one specific programming language. Instead, the emphasis is on originality, solving reallife problems, and understanding the way computer science affects people’s lives. “A tenet of the new course is that it is ‘language agnostic.’ The idea is to get away from the notion that computer science is somehow cryptic, and broaden the base of students who are interested in using creativity to solve problems. As a programmer myself, I know that the need to think creatively is real,” says Lisa Standring, who teaches the course at St. John’s. Ms. Standring already sees the course opening doors for students who hadn’t considered computer science before. “One of my students told me that before we offered this course he thought it was too late for him to have a career in computer science.” “The colleges and universities are trying to help high school teachers by giving a structure for the class and high quality resources,” says Bernard Gilmore ’80, who is chair of the Computer Science Department. “It’s great to see them live the mission of spreading knowledge in this way.” St. John’s uses a curriculum based on Harvard’s wildly popular CS50, which blends the art and science of algorithmic thinking and problem solving to engage students in creating solutions for settings as diverse as biology, finance, gaming or cyber-security. Taught by Professor David Malan, CS50 has grown steadily from about 200 students a year to nearly 900 today. One of
The College Board, which developed AP Computer Science Principles with support from the National Science Foundation, organized the course around seven “big ideas” that are fundamental to computer science: Creativity Abstraction Data and Information Algorithms Programming The Internet Global Impact Once this framework was in place, a number of colleges and universities – Harvard, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Texas and others – created curriculum materials and resources to support high school teachers.
the most popular courses at Harvard, CS50 is also available through edX, the global online learning site pioneered by Harvard and MIT in 2012.
A Chronicle of Year One The CS50 video crew plans to document the Prep course as it unfolds throughout the year. They plan to be on campus for events that are part of the course, including puzzle day and a computer science fair. When they approached Ms. Standring about documenting her class, she was happy to help. “It’s all part of the open philosophy to make resources, lectures and problem sets available online.”
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Forty Years of Shaping Campus Culture Going to PLI – shorthand for the Prep Leadership Institute – is a little like seeing Blue Man Group, says Wendy Olson, Assistant Principal for Student Life. Nobody tells you what to expect because they don’t want to ruin the surprise about this uniquely powerful five-day retreat for rising seniors.
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his summer marked the 40th year since Brother John Hamilton, C.F.X. and Brother Jim Connelly, C.F.X. organized the first PLI in 1977. Over time, the emphasis has shifted from traditional notions of leadership to the idea of servant leadership – the willingness to put your convictions into action for the benefit of others. “I tell students that we’re not training them to become CEOs. We’re training them to be good citizens and thoughtful people,” says Lawrence Molloy, who is Director of Campus Ministry and has planned PLI every year since 2006. “Spending five days together breaks down barriers and strengthens the sense of brotherhood. I don’t think there is a better way to instill the Prep’s values.” Every day is tightly packed with speakers, service projects, prayer, Mass, and activities that prompt students to look deep within. It’s all designed to create an atmosphere where students feel free to share honest thoughts about social justice, spirituality and brotherhood. The power of PLI comes from the space it creates to be vulnerable, and the fact that so many teachers and staff members participate, says Connor May ’11. “The conversations are the most important part of PLI. Walls come down when you’re away from classes and sports. It left a lasting impact on who I wanted to be for my classmates as a senior,” says Connor, who has come back to PLI several times to talk about his experiences with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Montana. Senior Jackson Heath agrees. “There’s a lot of camaraderie in your first three years, but at PLI you go pretty deep into the lives of the people around you. It’s good to know that you can be vulnerable and other people will have your back. It’s hard not to appreciate that.” When English teacher Eric Kimble ’85 took part in PLI as a student he found it both intimidating and motivating. “It’s a time when students are trying to figure out their place in the world, but they don’t know what it is yet. I remember feeling that way, but I also remember coming out of PLI with a much better answer to that question than when I went in. It was a catalytic moment in my development.” PLI takes place in August on a college campus where there is plenty of room to accommodate a growing number of
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Among the seniors who attended PLI in August were Kevin Casey, Jake Fitzgerald, Dave Fanaras, Estarlyn Hiraldo, Liam McCarthy, Michael Vinci, and Matt O’Leary.
Spending five days together breaks down barriers and strengthens the sense of brotherhood. I don’t think there is a better way to instill the Prep’s values. — Lawrence Molloy students. This year, 142 members of the senor class signed on. After a week of shared experiences, seniors come back to campus in September ready to share the lessons of PLI with the rest of the school community. Some of the ideas that began at PLI have become lasting parts of school culture, according to German teacher Chris Lynch, who has been involved with the program for more than 20 years. Eagles Wings orientation, cultural immersion programs like P.U.L.S.E., clubs like Always Our Brothers and Sisters, service trips and the liturgical music program all took root at PLI, he says. “PLI opens the window for students to ask themselves who they are and what they want to do with the opportunities they’ve been given,” says Mr. Lynch. “It generates this feeling of being connected to the community in a deeper way.”
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Members of the Improv Club ham it up after school. Kneeling in front: Sam Baylow ’20; standing l to r: Connor Wimble ’17, Christian Bova ’19, Nick Lopez ’20, Justin Demas ’17, Ms. Dobrowolski, Kevin Quinlan ’17, Cam Howell ’17, Nate DeLorenzo ’18, JP Collins ’19, Colby O’Brien ’19, and Diego Farrell ’18. Kevin O’Shea ’17 can be seen in the mirror.
Good People: A Formula for Compassion
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Students in Liz Dobrowolski’s math classes learn much more than equations from this humble mathematician. She inspires them to be good people. As moderator of the Improv Club and leader of a yearly service trip to a camp for children with cancer, this self-professed math geek’s love of numbers and life adds up to a perfect formula for compassion.
native of upstate New York, Ms. Dobrowolski double majored in math and secondary education at the University of Scranton before attending Boston College, where she earned her master’s in math. She did her student teaching at a Catholic high school and simply loved it.
cheer for the kids at their talent show as if they were cheering for Prep Pride. They were so caring and motivating, it just made me like our guys a lot.”
“It was meant to be that I wound up teaching here! St. John’s was wonderful enough to give me that chance,” Ms. Dobrowolski says. “I’ve loved math for a long time because I was good at it. I find it to be like a puzzle, fun to solve. As I got older, I also saw how cool and beautiful math can be. I like showing that to my students.”
Ms. Dobrowolski considers herself somewhat of an introvert, so it may have been a calculated risk to moderate a club that was clearly out of her comfort zone, but the Improv Club proved to be an ideal match for her inner comic.
Spreading Sunshine Each winter, Ms. Dobrowolski brings a group of students up to Maine for a week at Camp Sunshine, where she volunteers four times a year. “Camp Sunshine is one of my favorite places on earth! Despite being a camp for kids who have lifethreatening illnesses, it’s one of the most joyful places. The families are so nice and helpful to the volunteers and to each other,” Ms. Dobrowolski says. “It makes me a better person when I think about what these amazing people go through. Plus, it’s fun to have compassion and share it with others, especially our students.” Her enthusiasm has spread to the students, too. “The boys get so much out of it because it’s a different leadership experience,” she says. “They work hard and have a ton of fun doing it. One memorable moment for me was seeing our boys
Laugh Out Loud Funny
“Improv is awesome. I get to laugh for two hours a week with great kids. They are an eclectic group who just need a place to be their goofy selves. I like to think I’m funny, maybe not Improv funny, so it’s great to be with such funny kids,” Ms. Dobrowolski smiles. Whether it is helping a student who has struggled with math suddenly see the light, sharing smiles at Camp Sunshine, or trading jokes at Improv Club, Ms. Dobrowolski feels blessed to be at St. John’s. “The Prep is such a caring, thoughtful community. The faculty and staff are amazing, dedicated people, and I am lucky to be a part of it,” she says. “The students are great, too. The other volunteers at camp always give our guys glowing recommendations, saying the Prep boys are the first to jump up and help. At camp, they call people like that 100 percenters. Our boys are definitely 100 percenters! That’s a number I know for sure!”
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AROUND CAMPUS
Educators for Good This fall, St. John’s welcomed talented new faculty and staff who share the Prep’s commitment to educating young men to become forces for good in the world. Raisa Carrasco-Velez is Director of Multicultural Affairs and Community Development. “In this schoolwide role, Ms. Carrasco-Velez will lead our continuing efforts to foster the spirit of diversity and inclusivity at St. John’s. We are very pleased that she is bringing her considerable talents to help advance our mission at St. John’s,” said Keith A. Crowley, Ph.D., Principal and Associate Head of School. Ms. Carrasco-Velez, who serves on the Principal’s Leadership Team, focuses on developing cultural proficiency and equity, working with faculty to develop an inclusive curriculum, and fostering relationships among students and families in all grades. She brings local roots and a great deal of experience to the position. L to r: Jessaca Michaelsen, Matthew Spearing and Raisa Carrasco-Velez join the St. John’s Prep team. Most recently, she was the special assistant for community, family and student engagement in the Lawrence Public Schools. She also spent 16 years with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lawrence, including as director of programs and services. Ms. Carrasco-Velez is a graduate of Merrimack College and holds a master’s in public Team Approach to Diversity administration from Harvard University. Jessaca Michaelsen is Middle School Dean of Students/Student Life Coordinator. She is responsible for all aspects of co-curricular life for grades 6, 7 and 8, including intramurals, clubs and social activities. In addition to developing programs that engage students and foster leadership, wellness, diversity and inclusivity, she oversees discipline in the Middle School. Before joining St. John’s, Ms. Michaelsen was assistant head of school for academic affairs at Mother Caroline Academy in Dorchester, where she also taught eighth grade English language arts. Prior to that, she taught middle school English for six years in Greenwood, Indiana. Ms. Michaelsen is a graduate of Sonoma State University and holds a master’s in educational leadership from Indiana University. In a brand new role for St. John’s, Matthew Spearing is Freshman Life Coordinator. “Mr. Spearing will help our freshmen make a positive, growth-filled transition to high school at St. John’s,” said Dr. Crowley. In collaboration with faculty and staff from all areas of school life, Mr. Spearing engages students in programs that focus on friendship, wellness, leadership, study skills, and service learning. His experience includes five years as director of student activities at Williston Northampton School. In addition to working with a number of youth organizations, including Seeds of Peace International Camp and Nature’s Classroom, he has taught in Cairo and Abu Dhabi. Mr. Spearing is a graduate of St. Lawrence University and earned his master’s in education at Antioch University New England.
Welcoming New Faculty and Staff to the Nest
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The Office of Multicultural Affairs and Community Development is taking a newly developed collaborative approach led by Raisa Carrasco-Velez and a team of four faculty and staff. Working closely with her are High School social studies teacher Susan Bavaro and Middle School social studies teacher Jared Rodriguez ’09, who will develop curriculum resources and professional learning opportunities for teachers and students grades 6 through 12. The new team also includes Middle School counselor Mark Gafur and Elle Rupert, community programs coordinator, who will focus in providing meaningful engagement opportunities for Prep students and their families.
Kerry Heath Social Studies
Connor McCarthy ’09 Religious Studies
Chyanne Smith Math/Science
Joseph Hykel Mathematics
Julie Relyea Religious Studies
Robert Tyler Campus Minister
Evan Korol Mathematics
Heidi Rubin School Nurse
Krista Urquhart School Counselor
Anthony Lamanna ’08 Mathematics
Michael Russo Latin
AROUND CAMPUS
NEW TRUSTEES APPOINTED St. John’s is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members of the Board of Trustees this fall. We are grateful for their leadership, expertise and commitment to St. John’s.
Kevin Bottomley will serve on the Trusteeship Committee. He is a member of the Board of Directors of People’s United Financial, Inc., having served as chairman and CEO of Danversbank. He began his career with Bankers Trust Company’s Asia-Pacific Group and later went on to senior positions at Bank of Boston, US Trust, and Boston Private Bank & Trust. He has been involved with many civic organizations including Hospice of the North Shore and Greater Boston, the North Shore Chamber of Commerce, Salem Hospital, North Shore Music Theater, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and the Danvers YMCA. His wife, Rosemarie, is a 1977 graduate of St. John’s, one of the 77 young women to attend the Prep. Their son, Taylor, is a 2002 Prep graduate. Kevin holds an A.B. from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from the University of Virginia.
Mark Gudaitis ’84 will serve as chair of the Investment Committee and as a member of the Finance and Executive committees. He is managing director of Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management, where he is a senior relationship manager and portfolio manager. Before joining Atlantic Trust in 2008, he spent nearly two decades in investment management, including at Gannett Welsh & Kotler LLC, Scudder Kemper Investments, and Lehman Brothers. He serves as a member of the Zoo New England advisory council. He holds a B.S. in finance from Boston College. He and his wife, Heidi, have two daughters, Victoria and Alexandra.
Tim Tully will serve on the Facilities Committee. He is president of U.S. MarketsEast at BNY Mellon Wealth Management. Before joining BNY Mellon in 2002, he held senior management positions at T. Rowe Price, MCI, Fannie Mae and Marriott Hotels. Tim holds a B.S. in finance from Boston College. In addition to his role at St. John’s, he is a member of the Board of Trustees at the Catholic Schools Foundation. He and his wife, Trish, have two sons: Tim, who is a 2014 Prep graduate, and Trent, who is a member of the Class of 2019.
“We are very fortunate to have Kevin, Mark and Tim join the Board of Trustees. Their commitment to St. John’s and their professional expertise will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen everything that makes St. John’s a singular educational experience for young men.” —Headmaster Edward P. Hardiman, Ph.D.
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CAMPUS BUZZ
National Merit Commended Kudos to the seniors recognized in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program! Thirteen members of the Class of 2017 were named Commended Students: Jacob BarzSnell, Casey Bussone, Sebastian Carpenter, Scott Crowley, Timothy Degan, Connor Delaney, Joshua Follansbee, John Fraser, Hugh Gaffney, Blake Hekmatpour, Richard Johnston, Liam Kane and Joshua Turk. Commended students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.6 million students nationwide who took the PSAT exam last year. About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the country were recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Cole Sawyer and Mikhail Strelnikov were named National Merit Semifinalists. They are among approximately 16,000 students nationally to be recognized as semifinalists in the 61st annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
Here’s Looking at You! Students studied the intricacies of the human eye in Ms. Brook Boncher’s grade 6 art classes. Using their iPads, they were able to take photos of their own eyes and create sketches from that close-up view. These three sixth graders get an eye-opening art lesson about the human eye: Ben Bailey (front), Callum Brown and Coleman Connors.
No Excuses Penn State wrestler, Nike “No Excuses” athlete, and motivational speaker Rohan Murphy shared his powerfully inspiring story with students during a November visit to campus. Despite the challenge of losing both legs at the age of four, Rohan went on to achieve his goals of becoming an athlete, graduating from college, and living life on his own terms. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Whatever goals you may have in life, chase them. Don’t ever give up! No excuses!” Rohan said. Seventh graders greet Rohan Murphy after his presentation: Joshua Comito, Evan Fisichelli, Brandon George, Adam Schaeublin, Jack Perry, Rohan Murphy, Jack Laffy, Jack Valentino, and Connor Perault.
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CAMPUS BUZZ
Looking Good, SJP! The Prep website has a whole new look! The eye-catching, updated design brings our mission front and center, and highlights our commitment to educating young men who stand for good in all endeavors. The new design, which is being used in admission materials, was inspired by feedback from members of the Prep community.
Lives of Faith and Service Brother Tim Paul, C.F.X. and Brother David Mahoney, C.F.X. ’66 renewed their vows as Xaverian Brothers in a simple ceremony during the opening liturgy in September. They both also celebrated jubilees this year, as did three other Xaverian Brothers with close ties to St. John’s. Proficiat! Brother Phillip DiMarchi: 50 years – Science and math teacher at St. John’s since 1973. Brother Timothy Paul, C.F.X.: 50 years – A member of the Prep faculty since 1973, and served as assistant principal and principal. Brother David Mahoney, C.F.X.: 50 years – A 1966 graduate of St. John’s, Brother David taught at St. John’s for more than a decade before becoming a Xaverian missionary in Congo/Zaire, and then in Kenya, where he serves in Nairobi. Brother Bonaventure Scully: 70 years – Served in his first teaching post at St. John’s. Brother passed away on September 1, 2016. Brother Eugene Behenna: 70 years – As Brother Edgar, he taught and directed the Glee Club at St. John’s in the early 60s. Now retired and living with the Xaverian community in Middletown, Connecticut. Principal Keith Crowley and Headmaster Hardiman celebrate with jubilarians Brother Tim Paul, C.F.X. and Brother David Mahoney, C.F.X. ’66.
Projects Bring Summer Community Read to Life “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time” by Mark Haddon inspired an interactive exhibit of student creativity in October. A murder mystery of sorts, the book was the community read for grades 9 through 12 this past summer. Students pulled powerful emotions and visuals from the story to create a wide range of projects, from dramatic performances and printmaking art to short fiction, poetry and live music. English teacher Jay Pawlyk ’91, who organized the event in Kennealy Commons, was thrilled with the evening. “This was the sort of event that I love about the Prep. Kids from all grades engaged our summer read in a wide diversity of ways. Most important, students had a chance to discuss their work with adult and student members of our community, face‑to‑face. We hope to do more work like this in the future.” Benjamin Poleretzky ’17 (center) and family, including his brother, Samuel ’20, at the Community Read program in October. English teacher Jay Pawlyk ’91 (far right) organized the evening program.
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Spring Sports Review BASEBALL Coach: Dan Letarte ’86 Captains: Jacob Yish ’16, Jack Arend ’16, Jacob Spada ’16, Nolan Webb ’16 Record: 20-8 The baseball team finished the season as the MIAA Division 1A State runner up. A thrilling run through the Super 8 Tournament included a five-game winning streak, which forced the winner take all title game. LACROSSE Coach: John Roy ’87 Captains: Bradley Snow ’16, Liam O’Connell ’16, Danny Tighe ’16 Record: 4-13 The lacrosse team finished the spring with a 4-13 record that included wins at Malden Catholic and a season finale home win over Central Catholic. MOUNTAIN BIKING Coach: Parker Heath In its inaugural season at the Prep, the mountain biking team competed against more than 190 racers on 15 teams in the New England High School Cycling Association (NEHSCA) racing series. The 10 Prep racers consistently won podium and top ten finishes in all of the races and finished a close second in the team standings in the final three races. RUGBY Coach: Seelan Manickam Captains: Jared Swain ’16, Van McCoole ’16 Record: 20-3 The rugby team finished as the 7’s Catholic Conference Champs, but ultimately lost in the State final to Boston College High School. The season included multiple wins over rival Xaverian Brothers High School. SAILING Coach: Bill Mackinson Captains: Ben Pitman ’16, Matt Safford ’16 Record: 12-3 The sailing team went into states with a 12-3 record in the Mass Bay League. St. John’s Prep finished the season strong, capturing the 2016 Massachusetts State Sailing Title on the Charles River. SPRING TRACK Coach: Zach Lankow ’07 Captains: Tim Bogomolov ’16, Jay Carnevale ’16, Matt Flynn ’16, Zachary Maccario ’16, Ethan Roy ’16 Record: 3-1 The Track and Field team finished with a 3-1 record on the season, including a win over Xaverian.
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SPORTS
In the Pocket: John Pynchon ’01 Named Head Lacrosse Coach
TENNIS Coach: Mark Metropolis Captains: Dave Cunningham ’17, Scott Riester ’16 Record: 12-7 The tennis team fell to Newton South High School in the D1 MIAA tournament. The Eagles were Catholic Conference Co-Champions and finished the season with a 12-7 record. ULTIMATE DISC Coach: Jeff Cann Captains: Jack Viselli ’16, Jared Chapman ’16 Record: 8-3 The Ultimate Disc team had a great season finishing the year with an 8-3 record, capping it off with a win vs. Xaverian to finish 3rd at States. VOLLEYBALL Coach: Scott Celli Captain: Brian Purisky ’16 Record: 6-12 The volleyball team finished with a 6-12 record, which included multiple wins over BC High and Catholic Memorial.
Vintage Pynchon! This photo appeared in the 2001 Spire with a caption reading, “John Pynchon ’01 positions himself to strike with a lightening fast stick check to take the ball away from his ill-fated opponent.”
H
omecoming came early this year for John Pynchon ’01, who was named head lacrosse coach for the Eagles in September. He takes over the reins from John Roy ’87, who won 264 games and led the Eagles to two league championships (2005 and 2006) and a state title (2010) during his 22 years as head coach. “John brings a wealth of experience as a successful head coach at the high school level, and I know that he shares our commitment to the ideal of servant leadership in all aspects of our program, including varsity athletics,” said Keith Crowley, Ph.D., Principal and Associate Head of School. “We are very grateful to John Roy for his leadership of the program and for his willingness to assist in making a smooth and successful transition for our student-athletes.” Pynchon, who has been head coach at Beverly High School since 2008, couldn’t turn down the opportunity to return to his alma mater. “I wouldn’t have left Beverly for any other job except this one,” he told the Salem News in an interview following the announcement. Pynchon led the Panthers to 132 wins and seven Northeast Conference Championships. He was named Boston Globe DII Coach of the Year in 2015, Salem News Coach of the Year in 2013, and NEC Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2014. “My vision as a coach is to foster a spirit of leadership, a love of the game, and a positive attitude at all times. When players embrace these values, they succeed on the field, in their communities, and all aspects of their lives,” he said. Pynchon becomes only the third coach in the 35-year history of lacrosse at St. John’s. Don Cragg coached for 14 years after staring the lacrosse program in 1981. Roy, who continues to teach English at St. John’s, took over from Cragg in 1995. Pynchon played lacrosse and football for four years at St. John’s before going on to Providence College, where he was a two-year captain and key defensive player for the Friars. After graduating, he spent two years as assistant lacrosse coach at Providence. During that time, the Friars won the 2006 and 2007 MAAC Championship, and Pynchon coached in the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Men’s DII Lacrosse Championship Tournament. ST. JO H N’S PR E P TO DAY
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The Unspoken Victim of War: The Human Mind Both photos show Mike Niconchuk ’07 in the Za’atri Refugee Camp in Jordan. Photos courtesy of Adam Kennedy.
At the Intersection of Brain Science and Social Development with Mike Niconchuk ’07 “I feel the nasty, the brutish, every day, as I traverse sad deserts from Amman to the second largest refugee camp in the world, where thousands of beautiful people are trapped in another odd system we’ve created – the humanitarian aid system – where they are fed and clothed, and still alive, but barely so. Barely with agency. Barely recognized beyond their basic needs. With all the money spent, we hardly make things better. We hardly ever get to know who we are helping before proposing a bigger solution for them.” — MIKE NICONCHUK, “FINDING SISYPHUS IN GERMANY”
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ike Niconchuk works at the epicenter of the Syrian refugee crisis. As a researcher, consultant, and program designer, he has spent more than five years in post-conflict communities in Central America and in the Middle East. Now in Jordan, Mike draws heavily from his training in psychology and neuroscience to focus on the link between the brain and behavior. He’s trying to determine what happens to people when they live under profound stress due to violent conflict, poverty or displacement, and how that affects their communities. To empower refugees to heal their psychological wounds, Mike creates programs that take into account the science of stress, trauma, and resilience. Mike’s drive to understand what victims of war go through came about when he worked in Guatemala as an undergraduate at Tufts. He helped local residents develop micro-businesses to sustain their communities and provide economic independence. What stayed with him was the harsh truth that the people he met in Guatemala still carried deep psychological scars more than 20 years after civil war there had ended. “I knew in my heart that international relations – theories and treaties – was not what I was interested in any more. I wanted to understand what happens to a person’s heart and mind when they live in conflict.” After graduating, Mike spent several years working at the Za’atri Refugee Camp in Jordan, and later in Germany. He worked with Questscope, a British organization that designs programs aimed at reducing violence among youth in refugee camps. His experiences led him to a Fulbright scholarship at University College London, where he earned a master’s in social cognition. His research focused on the cognitive and neuroendocrine effects of displacement and profound stress on refugee youth, as well as the psychological aspects of violent extremism. Mike, who is fluent in Spanish and Arabic, believes strongly in sharing the results of his research with the people he is working to help. He created his assessment tools – which look at individual perceptions of victimhood, social power, and belonging – in both English and Arabic. In addition to his research work, Mike
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In everything he does, Mike’s efforts are aimed at healing the psychological wounds of conflict, particularly among young people. “Mental health is looked at in terms of symptomology like addiction and aggression. Really, the unspoken victim of war is the human mind, in ways unseen and profound,” he says.
also runs workshops for Syrian refugees about the brain and the body’s response to profound stress, trauma, and conflict. “The most valuable resource I have is the trust of the communities that trusted me enough to be a part of my research. I will always share my findings with them. I want to make science accessible to the people it claims to serve,” says Mike. “So much of scientific knowledge and literature is in English, but translating good scientific research for refugees should be a policy priority. Spending money on mental health, but not explaining to the people how they got to where they are in terms of mental health, doesn’t make sense. Access to knowledge is a critical step towards empowerment.” In everything he does, Mike’s efforts are aimed at healing the psychological wounds of conflict, particularly among young people. “Mental health is looked at in terms of symptomology like addiction and aggression. Really, the unspoken victim of war is the human mind, in ways unseen and profound,” he says.
Drive for Social Justice Mike’s interest in global affairs and humanitarian work began at home. His parents, Robert ’65 and Marta, met while Robert was doing missionary work in Marta’s native Guatemala. Mike and his brother, Jon ’05, both followed in their father’s footsteps to St. John’s. At the Prep, Mike traveled to Ecuador with Campus Ministry, and became involved in Model UN. “It was one of my childhood fantasies to work at the United Nations. The international people and languages, I loved it. I never thought that I’d get to actually speak at the UN in Geneva and New York someday.” Mike said. “Being a part of Model UN taught me a lot about negotiation and passion, and standing up for certain things. It got me thinking about how to work across politics, changing minds and policies.”
More Work To Do In addition to his work in Jordan, Mike is a neuroscience and social conflict innovation fellow with Beyond Conflict, a think tank in Boston. And he continues to provide technical, research and project design consulting services to a variety of INGOs (international non-governmental organizations) with projects in Washington, Boston, Jordan, and Germany. His efforts focus on conflict mitigation, mental health support, refugee integration and countering violent extremism. Mike remains optimistic that change will happen to address the refugee crisis, although he doesn’t use the word peace. He tries to stay positive himself by focusing on the good. Despite the suffering that he has seen, he’s also encountered great joy. “If there’s a silver lining, it’s the development of the strong bonds I’ve made with many amazing people,” Mike says. “Bonds gave me access to their pain, but I also share in their joy.”
Blog Brings Refugee Crisis Home English teacher Maryann Muhilly’s seniors followed the Syrian crisis closely last year, and created a blog to share multimedia artifacts. That’s when Ms. Muhilly heard about a post Mike had written on his own blog. “Finding Sisyphus in Germany” is a reflection about young refugees and migrants and the challenge of integration. Ms. Muhilly reached out for permission to link his blog to her class blog. Within minutes, Mike responded from across the globe. When Ms. Muhilly shared his blog, others in the Prep community were gripped by his story of working with at-risk refugee youth in Germany. His eloquent, perceptive writing, as well as his dedication to making a difference in the world, touched them. “I told my students that they too could follow dreams, passions, and desires in the work of their lives,” she said.
To read more about Mike’s work visit: https://mikeniconchuk.com
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Scouting Runs in the Family
Pictured in this photo, circa 1974, Ben Rossi (second row, third from left) and his Boy Scout Troop 82, which included Fred Hoysradt ’80 (front row, third from right and Fred Rossi, the only one whose face is obscured!)
Like many parents, Ben Rossi ’55 became a Cub Scout leader when his own boys became interested in scouting. In Ben’s case, however, it marked the beginning of a commitment that spans three generations of the Rossi family and helped deepen scouting as an integral part of community life in the town of Manchester.
“M
y dad is someone who always became involved – in town government, with the Knights of Columbus, and at St. John’s Prep. In scouting he saw an opportunity to do something with my brother and me, and at the same time, do something good for the community,” says Fred Rossi ’80. Ben started as Cubmaster of Manchester Pack 30, which at the time included about 60 boys. When Fred and some of the other boys were ready to move on to boy scouts, Manchester’s Troop 3, one of the oldest in the United States, was filled to capacity. Not wanting to disappoint them, Ben sat down with other folks in town, and they decided to start a second troop. Ben agreed to lead the newly formed Troop 82. “It’s no small feat to start a new troop, but that’s what my dad did,” says Fred with admiration. Though it is no longer active today, Troop 82 went on to produce an impressive number of Eagle Scouts, including Fred, Fred Hoysradt ’80, and Dan Metrano ’91. Today, Dan is Scoutmaster of Troop 3. Fred’s two sons, AJ ’10 and Tyler ’12, are second generation Eagle Scouts. Fred followed in his father’s footsteps as Cubmaster and Scoutmaster. Now he mentors Eagle Scouts, and runs backpacking activities for the troop and a blind guide program.
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It’s easy to see why scouting is popular when you hear about some of the trips Fred leads. In 2010, he and a group of scouts went on a 140-mile canoe trek through the boundary waters of Canada. Three years later, they returned to the same place, but in winter. They slept on the ice with no shelters and used dog-sled teams to cross the frozen waters they had explored earlier by canoe. He’s also led a 100-mile backpack trek at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, where he trekked as a young scout in 1978. The trips typically take two years to plan, which gives scouts time to earn the money they will need.
A Long Tradition of Scouting Like Fred, Manchester’s scouting leaders tend to stay involved even after their children move on because it’s both fun and rewarding to contribute so meaningfully to a young person’s growth and development. “As an adult, why wouldn’t you want to do it? You can’t measure the benefit for these kids and for you. You just feel good about it,” says Fred. Scouting, in turn, has benefited the town, and the surrounding area, in many ways over the years. In addition to an annual drive that gathers about 5,000 pounds of food for the Open Door food pantry in Gloucester, scouts have used
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Climb Every Mountain Above: Ben Rossi at the podium when his grandson, Tyler, became an Eagle Scout. Note that Ben is wearing a St. John’s Prep Eagle pin on his lapel. Left: Fred Rossi flanked by his sons, Tyler (left) and AJ, both Eagle Scouts.
Tyler admires his father’s philosophy about making a difference. “My dad’s view is not to do something that would happen anyway. He taught me to look for something important and out of the ordinary, something that wouldn’t happen if you weren’t there.” GPS technology to mark Manchester’s more than 500 fire hydrants to make them easier for the Fire Department to find in the event of an emergency. One scout put up braille markers on a town hiking trail to describe the terrain for blind hikers. That project dovetails nicely with the Blind Ambassador program Fred initiated in partnership with the Perkins School for the Blind. The program trains scouts to lead blind peers in the back country on hiking and other outdoor activities. More recently, Jack Carlson, a Troop 3 Eagle Scout and senior at St. John’s, interviewed local veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. His written accounts and recordings of their stories are now in the Manchester Public Library, where they will become an historical resource for the town. Ben, who served on the Board of Trustees at St. John’s from 1997 to 2006, remembers asking Fred if he would be interested in scouting if he became involved. “He said yes and his eyes lit up. That was the beginning of a whole lot. Fred’s too modest to say it, but he has been one of the best Scoutmasters Manchester has ever seen,” says Ben. “He’s organized hikes and trips, but the crown jewel is the interaction with the Perkins School. He has just opened up so many ways for the boys to get involved.” Fred believes that Manchester would be a different place without its long connection with scouting. “A lot of people who went through scouting live here and work here. They volunteer in town government, they’re scout leaders, they’re people with a visceral connection to this community.” Today, Fred feels the full impact of what his father set in motion when he and his brother Geoff ’84 were young. “When you’re a kid, you just think, ‘that’s my dad.’ When I became leader, I started to realize, wow, this guy made a difference. You feel it,” says Fred. “I look back at all the kids that he influenced and the experiences he provided, and I see his legacy. Maybe what I’ve done is a way of saying thank you for what he started.”
Scouting is popular among Prep students from many communities. Colton Webster ’17, an Eagle Scout in North Andover’s Boy Scout Troop 87, recently earned the National Medal for Outdoor Achievement by completing several of the toughest merit badges, including hiking, wilderness survival, emergency preparedness and SCUBA. He spent 190 nights of camping and more than 300 hours on the water, including a 7-day canoe trip to the boundary waters of Canada and a 9-day sailing trip around the Florida Keys. He also logged 250 miles of hiking, including a 14-day backpacking trip in the mountains of New Mexico. “Earning the National Merit for Outdoor Achievement it truly an honor,” Colton said. “It was not an easy task, but through it all, I learned that challenging myself and proving that I could rise to the challenge is incredibly rewarding.” Only 96 of the prestigious medals have been awarded since the Outdoor Achievement program was established in 2010. Colton is now number 97 in this elite group of Boy Scouts in the United States. “I would like to thank my parents for pushing me to achieve this great accomplishment,” Colton said. “The years I have spent as a Boy Scout, have been formative in my leadership development and will serve me for the rest of my life.”
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31st Brother Linus Golf Tournament
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n October 3, alumni, parents and friends of St. John’s Prep gathered at the Golf Club at Turner Hill in Ipswich for our annual Brother Linus Memorial Golf Tournament. It was a beautiful day for golf and a terrific day all-around for the Prep! Longstanding Presenting Sponsor Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group, LLC continued in their tournament leadership role, once again reinforcing the commitment of the first Brother Linus, C.F.X. Scholarship winner, John Carnevale ’81 P’07, to the event and the Brother Linus Scholarship Fund. John’s untimely and unexpected passing in April was on everyone’s mind during the tournament. John’s brother, Jim ’82 P’16, addressed the players prior to tee-off, and Headmaster Ed Hardiman led a moment of silence in John’s honor. The tournament and scholarship have grown significantly, and this would never have been accomplished without the steadfast dedication of John Carnevale and Sentinel. On the course, All-Scholastic golfer James Turner ’16 hit monstrous drives for players from the 16th tee, players had a chance to win golf-for-four at Turner Hill, and Brett Mason ’10 won the putting contest, outlasting many challengers to capture first prize. Anyone who was part of the tournament – players, sponsors, donors, volunteers – should take pride in knowing that their presence and generosity helped raise funds to support the Brother Linus Scholarship Fund and the Prep endowment.
Thank You to Our Leadership Sponsors! Presenting Sponsor
Driving Range Sponsors
Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group • Jim Carnevale ’82 P’16 • Anthony Carnevale P’81 ’82 GP’07 ’16
Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation • John Farmer ’79 P’08 ’13 • Paul Kurker P’12 ’15
Golf Cart & Beverage Cart Sponsors CrossHarbor Capital Partners • Sam Byrne ’83 P’16 ’17 Webb Transportation • John Webb ’68 • Andrew Webb ’07
Hole in One & Putting Contest Sponsor R.J. Devereaux Corporation • Michael Devereaux ’85
The Dellicker P’18 & Meurer P’18 Families Floramo’s Restaurant • Kerri & John Floramo P’16 People’s United Community Foundation of Eastern Massachusetts • Brian Mason ’04 Personal Financial Management Plus • Rich Biagiotti ’71 Salem Five Charitable Foundation • Kevin Rourke ’82
Left: 2016 tournament champions Jim O’Connell P’11 ’14, Bob Hurlbert P’11, Joe O’Connor ’77 P’10 ’14, and Steve Centrella P’14 ’18 finished as low foursome in the Bramble format, taking home the inaugural Carnevale Cup! Center: The smiling foursome of Norman Beaulieu ’85, Will Baker ’06, Kevin Rourke ’82 and Sam Byrne ’83 prior to hitting their next tee shots. Right: John Omasta, John Haraden, and the Ambrefe brothers, Brian ’81 and Bob ’73, take a break to visit the beverage cart.
Left: Team Sentinel: Joe McNamee P’15 ’18, Matt Daniels, Max Carnevale ’07, Michael Newhall ’80 P’11, Matt McPhail, Joe Keefe ’71, Rick Binder, Jim Carnevale ’81 P’16, John Cushing ’85, Anthony Carnevale P’81 ’82 GP’07 ’16, Matt Cushing ’88, David Haley ’80, and Chris English P’18. Right: John Carnevale’s family proudly holds the Carnevale Cup, the new championship trophy for the tournament: Brother Jim ’82, wife Linda, dad Anthony, daughter Ava, and son Max ’07.
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Annual Impact Report
A Year Like No Other
A D VA N C E M E N T
Your Generosity Makes Everything Possible From the irrepressible energy of our new Middle School students to the passionate commitment of our parents and the record-breaking number of alumni at Prep events, this has been a year like no other! Enthusiasm has never been higher and St. John’s is poised to advance its mission like never before. All of this is happening because of you. We appreciate all the good you do and share. The time, service and generosity of our community inspires a world-changing educational experience. Your involvement empowers us to provide the programs, resources, and initiatives that educate the whole student. Good empowers good.
appreciate To recognize with gratitude
inspire To exert an animating, enlivening or exalting influence
empower To make stronger and more confident
3,162 total donors, including alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, grandparents and friends $5,198,028 cash raised, including annual giving, endowment, and Prep 20/20 $4.8 million in tuition assistance for Prep families 5,800 people at 63 Prep events from coast to coast and internationally Faculty ignite and nurture student curiosity Alumni mentors share their experience and talents with students Parent volunteers enrich the Prep experience in every way Students set a powerful example of servant leadership Engage students from 80 communities in mindstretching courses Foster spiritual growth and offer after-school opportunities for students to learn and lead Develop healthy lifelong habits through sports and wellness programs Encourage creativity and innovative thinking
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$5,198,028 FY 2016 TOTAL CASH GIVING
$390,186
ENDOWMENT GIFTS
$1,207,360 UNRESTRICTED
ANNUAL GIVING
$3,600,482 PREP 20/20 GIFTS
3,162
Annual Impact Report In our Annual Impact Report, we pay special tribute to members of the Prep community whose generosity provides vital resources in all areas of school life, including tuition assistance to ensure that every family can choose a St. John’s Prep education. We proudly publish the 2015‑2016 Annual Impact Report at www.stjohnsprep.org/ impactreport.
TOTAL DONORS ST. JO H N’S PR E P TO DAY
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A D VA N C E M E N T
A Year Like No Other Dear Prep Community Members,
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t. John’s has experienced growth like never before in our school’s history. During the 2015-2016 academic year, we admitted 400 new students to fill out the ranks in grades 6 through 12, hired 70 new faculty and staff, welcomed nearly 6,000 people to more than 63 events worldwide, opened the new Brother Keefe, C.F.X. Academic Center, renewed Benjamin Hall for our Middle School, and broke ground in March on a Wellness Center that has been our dream for decades. All that we have accomplished together positions us to further enrich what it means to be a graduate of St. John’s Prep. Looking out over the next few years, and with your leadership and involvement, we will continue to advance our mission as an inclusive Catholic, Xaverian school by ensuring that we can make a Prep education affordable for all of our families.
As you read in the preceding pages of this Annual Impact Report, extraordinary philanthropic support from all quarters of the Prep community has driven our growth in this most recent fiscal year, July 2015 to June 2016. We are grateful to all those who embraced our call to action, and we humbly ask you to continue supporting St. John’s. With your help, we will inspire meaningful investment in the life of our school and the education of our students. Peace and prayers, Edward P. Hardiman, Ph.D. Headmaster
David Ives ’75 P’07 Chairman, Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees 2016-2017 Chairman David W. Ives ’75 P’07 CEO, Northshore International Insurance Services, Inc.
Vice Chairman Michael J. Kennealy ’86 Assistant Secretary for Business Growth, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Headmaster Edward P. Hardiman, Ph.D. P’19 ’21 Paul G. Barker, Ed.D. President, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School Kevin T. Bottomley P’02 Director, People’s United Financial, Inc. Kevin B. Churchwell, M.D. P’15 ’17 Executive Vice President of Health Affairs and Chief Operating Officer, Boston Children’s Hospital Kathleen Colin Assistant Head of School, Mount Alvernia Academy Charles E. Connor, Jr. ’75 P’08 ’10 ’10 Director of Operation/Civil and Utility Division, J.F. White Contracting
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Matthew J. Cushing ’88 General Counsel & Vice President, EnerNOC
Daniel L. Manitakos P’07 ’08 ’14 Vice President, Axsys Technologies, General Dynamics Corp.
F. Christopher Davis ’79 P’14 Vice President-Enterprise Business Development, Athenahealth
Michael C. Mason, Ph.D. Assistant Chair, Liberal Arts Department, Berklee College of Music
Jonathan DeSimone ’88 P’16 ’18 Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer, Sankaty Advisors
Carmen R. Monks ’83 Managing Director–UHNW Sales, Citigroup Private Bank
Amy Rogers Dittrich P’06 ’09 Managing Trustee, Rogers Family Foundation
Paul J. Nasser P’13 CFO/COO, Intercontinental Real Estate Corp.
Forrest N. Fontana ’83 Investment Manager
John O’Connor P’20 Executive Vice President, Fidelity Investments
Mark R. Gudaitis ’84 Managing Director, Atlantic Trust Thomas L. Guidi ’70 P’97 ’09 Partner, Hemenway & Barnes, LLP Dennis M. Hanson P’05 ’07 CFO & General Counsel, Steinway Musical Instruments Alice I. Hession Director of Sponsorship, Xaverian Brothers Generalate Mary Joy Hurlburt President, St. Mary’s Ryken High School Jeffrey J. Kaneb ’82 P’14 Executive Vice President, H.P. Hood, Inc.
Timothy M. Tully, Jr. P’14 ’19 President–US Markets, BNY Mellon Elizabeth Twomey, Ed.D. P’85 Professor, Lynch School of Education, Boston College
Headmaster’s Reception I
n a wash of lights, Kennealy Commons provided the perfect setting for an evening of gratitude at the Headmaster’s Reception. Headmaster Hardiman expressed his thanks to the Prep community for the generosity that has led to a period of unparalleled growth. He elaborated on the many blessings that occur in the midst of our daily Prep experience of educating young men to become forces of good in the world.
Brenda and Donald Ligh P’17 ’21, Jennifer Wehle P’21 ’22, and Argenis Serrao and Maria Monks Serrao P’19.
Left: Alyse Gause P’17 ’20 with Lyndie and Gerry Donovan ’86 P’23. Center: Trustee Amy Dittrich and her husband, Tim P’06 ’09. Right: Headmaster Ed Hardiman P’19 ’21; Kevin Doherty ’16, who spoke at the reception; and Board of Trustees Chair David Ives ’75 P’07.
Left: Tyler Rossi ’12 and Fine Arts Department Chair Alicia Greenwood. Center: Ron and Lynn Rossetti GP’22 ’20 ’18 with Ron Rossetti Jr. P’22. Right: Lynne and Taidgh McClory ’93 with Amy and Michael Dalton ’83 P’23.
Left: Maura and Paul Sweetnam ’73 P’18 with Mike and Maura McShane P’18 ’20. Above, left: Trustee Elizabeth Twomey P’85 with Brother Tim Paul, C.F.X. Above right: Christine and Jim Zampell ’71 P’00.
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Far left: Tom Kwei ’54 and his wife Amy are shown in front of the Kremlin in Moscow. They visited there while on a river cruise from St. Petersburg to Moscow in August. Left: Nine priests joined Rev. Leo Shea, M.M. ’56 to celebrate his 50th jubilee Mass in the chapel at St. John’s. Among them was fellow Prep graduate Rev. George Winchester ’52. Pictured in front of the Administration Building, front row: Rev. Daniel McLaughlin, M.M., Rev. Leo Shea, M.M. and Rev. Thomas Henehan, M.M.; middle row: Rev. James Bertelli, Rev. George Winchester, S.J. ’52, Rev. Msgr. Gregory Ramkissoon, Most Rev. Walter Edyvean, and Most Rev. Charles DuFour; back row: Rev. James Min and Rev. Albert Sylvia.
’51
Jack Keane recently took a driving trip from his home in California to Branson, Missouri, to attend a Marine air traffic controller’s reunion. They shared a host of stories of Vietnam experiences from 50 years ago. The trip took him through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Jack thought that Oklahoma was the most scenic and impressively clean. Being used to California traffic, he couldn’t help but notice that population is sparse once you get away from the coast.
’53
Norm Auger tells us that he and his wife Mary are enjoying their retirement and are blessed with good health. Although they no longer spend their winters in Florida, they still play golf locally. Any ’53ers interested in mini-reunion?
’56
William Lynn is retired and living in Bozeman, Montana, with his wife, Marie, and his daughter, Hope, who is a senior at Montana State University. John Casey was on hand for the Prep’s Commencement in May to celebrate his own 60th anniversary and the graduation of his nephew, Hugh O’Neil. He found the Commencement activities to be very impressive. John attended the Golden Eagles breakfast where he shared stories
Right: David Kobos ’61, David Dion ’61, and David Mills ’60 convene a mini reunion and discuss Kobos’ motor scooter trip to Canada with Bill McDonald ’60 (not shown). Far right: Dave Driscoll ’62 with one of his running protégés, Brynn Bergin, at the Falmouth Road Race.
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with George Gagnan. He says, “The Prep looks superb. It was an enthralling return. Every graduate should try to return. Looking forward to nephew Tom O’Neil’s graduation in 2017.” Father Leo Shea, M.M. marked his 50th jubilee as a Maryknoll priest and missionary by celebrating Mass at St. John’s on Sunday, October 23. Father Leo’s vocation has taken him all over the world, from Venezuelan and North China to Jamaica and posts in the United States. In addition to serving as Vicar General of the Maryknoll Society for six years, he was chaplain at Blessed Assurance, an orphanage and one of 13 Mustard Seed communities in Jamaica. Students from St. John’s volunteer every February at Blessed Assurance, which serves disabled and abandoned children. St. John’s presented Father Leo with the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2006 in recognition of his life of faith, service and commitment to those who are marginalized by society.
’59
Jim Yemma tells us that he has been working at lung and esophageal cancer surgery recovery since May and is nearly through chemo treatments. It has been rough going. He is counting his blessings. He says it is much
worse than the brain surgery he had in 1957, which his classmates may remember. God speed, Jim! Bill Costley is living in California and continues to write poetry. His latest one-poem booklets were published by POEMS-FOR-ALL, www.poems-for-all.com based in San Diego, California. They are O’H@R@LUNCH (V.5, #1346, 30 JUN 15) and TRUMPOLINI (V.9, #1409, 23 DEC 15).
’62
Dave Driscoll had his annual reunion with Chris Lane ’60 at the Falmouth Road Race on August 21st. He says, “Chris runs an efficient finish line seeing how there were 10,500 finishers for the 7-mile run. My Litchfield Track Club runners always attend as the Litchfield Hills Road Race was born out of the Falmouth race in 1978! In addition to covering the race for litchfield.bz, my 14 and Under Division runners have won first place for the past 4 years. This year it was 12-yearold Brynn Bergin, a USATF Junior Olympic National finalist in both track and cross country, who claimed the win. The photo was at the starting line in Woods Hole at the charming hour of 7:00 a.m.” Tom Kelly reports, “I have taken on part-time employment with a Federal contractor in support of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). We are working
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to identify the most promising innovation emerging from the transition of health care from the fee-for-service model to value-based payment. CMS is sponsoring experiments across the country to restructure models of care. We are helping them build an Integrated Learning System to move what is being learned locally up and out into more general practice. Good work, great fun, and a nice chance to use my professional skills after a few years of unhurried retirement.” Tom and his wife, Kathleen, live in the D.C. area, and beyond their many volunteer projects, enjoy being grandparents to two little ones.
’63
Linus Travers checked in from his home in the Philippines. He tells us that after graduating from the Prep he went to college, joined the U.S. Navy, traveled all over the world, fought in Vietnam and retired in 1989 after 23 years at the rank of Chief Petty Officer. He went on to work at The Boeing Company, Microsoft, and the City of Everett, Washington.
’64
Dick Farley was recently honored by Williams College when they named their new football and lacrosse stadium Farley-Lamb Field for him and his long-time colleague, lacrosse coach Renzie Lamb. Dick says, “I never expected it, never even thought of it. But it’s an awfully nice gesture by the school after all my years here. It gives me a great feeling every time I swing by this beautiful facility.” Dick served as an assistant football coach for 15 years before becoming Williams’ head coach. After going 4-4 his first season, Farley led Williams to a 110-15-3 mark over the next 16 seasons, including five perfect seasons, a sixth undefeated campaign (7-0-1) in 1995, and a 114-19-3 overall mark. His program earned significant stories in Sports Illustrated and USA Today.
’66
John Benecchi writes, “Just thought I would take this opportunity to thank St. John’s Prep for helping to make our 50th reunion a resounding success. It was fun serving on the reunion committee and getting together with so many of my classmates. The general consensus was that everyone who attended had a terrific experience. In fact, they want us to try to plan another reunion next year and see if some of those who could not make it for the 50th will be able to join us this time around. One of the great pluses for serving on the committee was that I was able to connect with so many of our classmates who were unable to make it this year. In fact even though Tom Bernardin and Bob Luongo could not fit the weekend into their busy schedules, I
1966 Classmates John Benecchi, Tom Bernardin and Mike Murphy.
was able to get together with them later in the summer. Mike Murphy and I took our wives for the weekend in NYC. Tom, who is a registered tour guide, gave us a spectacular tour of lower Manhattan and Ellis Island. We both agreed if anyone wants to see NYC they should get in touch with Tom at Ellisbook@aol.com. Still later we had a fun afternoon with Bob and his wife Gina, who summer in New Hampshire near us. They are on their way back to Texas but I hope we can get together again next year. Please keep the Prep in your hearts and if it is within your means, make a donation to The Fund for St. John’s.” Bob Luongo tells us, “Unfortunately I was unable to make the 50th class reunion last June, but I did get a chance to talk to my old roommate, Jack Paget. He is doing fine, living and still working in Florida. I got a chance to see some pictures of his new beautiful wife and young daughter. Jack has been able to maintain his athletic appearance – go Jack! Corresponded with Steve Twomey who is living on the Cape and lastly, had dinner with John Benecchi and his lovely wife, Liz. I never knew John sent all three sons to the Prep – wow. We reminisced about old times and wondered what happened to so many classmates who have disappeared. Peter Xeller says, “I had a wonderful time at our 50th reunion in May! Paul McNamara put together a terrific program, from the Friday night cocktail hour to our chance to attend Commencement on Sunday. It was great to see classmates and friends from a half-century ago, especially my senior-year roommate Jimmy Maguire; old friends Pierre Cousineau, Tom Collins, Phil Falkowski, and Robbie Perron; Brother Dave Mahoney; reunion chairman John Benecchi who did a great job getting us all together; and everyone else who came to share in a terrific time. Eric Kimble’s message to the grads was
very timely, and the student speeches showed the quality of education they had received! Thank you again to John, Paul, and Dr. Ed for a memorable weekend.” Brother Dave Mahoney tells us, “After coming from Kenya to the US for a month in December 2015, I ended up spending 2016 with the brothers at Xaverian House, among whom are two of our freshman year teachers, Br. Edwin Boissonneau (94) and Br. Tom Lydon (Cephas, 82). Severe back pain caused by a staphylococcus aureus infection of two lumbar discs sent me to the hospital for a week and rehab for two months for IV antibiotics, in May and June and again in August. Thanks again to the many classmates who visited me at rehab graduation weekend, when I was using a wheelchair. Lately I have been able to cycle distances from 13 to 27 miles. I think I’m cured. I’ll return to Kenya in January.
’67
Jim “Rocco” Centorino has written a musical about high school life titled, “Senior Prom, The Musical.” He says, “Although I wrote and recorded all the music for a sound track, the actual dialogue is a compilation of the things my students have said or done over the last 40 or so years.” The musical was performed in early November at Louisville High School in Woodland, California. One of the “kids” on which it is based is now a motorcycle cop in Idaho who does crash scene investigations. He came to see it with a couple of his buddies from the same 1987 graduating class at El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills.
’68
Joe McDonough recently returned from teaching law in the Sultanate of Oman as a Fulbright Scholar. He was elected president of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Fulbright Association this summer.
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’69
Peter Healey decided to pick up the hammer throw after a 45-year layoff. He says, “I had thrown at Bowdoin with success, so it was simply a matter of retraining old muscles to regain form. I compete at the USTAF Masters 65 level, have won two invitationals in Texas and am ranked in the top 10 nationally. Looking forward to Nationals next year. Between meets I am fishing, hunting and travelling.” Kevin Wallace returned to SJP in October for Senior Day to watch his son, Tristan ’17 (who was born in the Philippines), play against Malden Catholic. He is coached by Brian St. Pierre ’98 the son of one of his good friends at SJP, Dave St. Pierre ’70. He says, “It’s also the 50th anniversary of the first of two undefeated SJP state championship football teams I had the privilege to play on under for Coach Devo and Coach Glatz. I still live in Asia with my wife, Jane, and daughter, Sam, where I have lived for most of my post-Prep, postHarvard career, now in Bangkok running a large international hotel group.”
’71
David Breen was named vice president and chief operations officer at Anna Maria College in Paxton in November, 2015. David is a resident of North Andover and has held administrative positions at Merrimack College, the University of Massachusetts in Boston and Lowell, and at Brandeis University. He is a graduate of Saint Anselm College and holds an MBA from the University of Southern New Hampshire. He is also a graduate of the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. Joseph Orlando tells us, “The Orlando family continues to grow and thrive. We will soon be blessed with grandson #7. What are the odds on seven grandsons and not one granddaughter? But, happily God has blessed us with six handsome, healthy and happy boys and we are thankful. In January 2017, my son, Joe, who attended SJP for three years and wife, Jamie, are expecting their second boy. This past November, Joe, Jr. was elected to an at-large seat to the Gloucester City Council. In a field of nine candidates, Joe won big. As always this SJP alum is proud of a son who after spending three years at SJP, graduated from Gloucester High School and attended Endicott College on a Presidential Scholarship. He was twice named as an All-Conference baseball player in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC). He then went on to law school and has been successfully practicing law at Orlando & Associates for six years. Connie and I celebrated our 41st anniversary in June. For our 40th anniversary, our family
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of 13 cruised together and we renewed our vows aboard ship.” Orlando and Associates, the law firm that Joe, Sr. founded in 1980 was named Best Law Firm on the North Shore by Wicked Local media for 2016. His son, Joe, was nominated as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers magazine. Bob Attridge is assistant chief public defender of the major crimes division in Savannah, Georgia, where he is responsible for handling many murder cases and other major crimes. This past year he tried his 244th jury trial and hopes to reach the 250th soon. Bob lives in a beach community on Tybee Island which has been described as a cross between Key West and Mayberry RFD. Class mate David Paduch has retired to Blufton, South Carolina, not too far away and he and Bob get together a few times each year. Michael Howell hosted the 2016 edition of CornFest, a tradition-of-sorts begun at Larry Essember’s home in the summer of 1971. Also attending were John Polcari and Jay Penni. The four major food groups – corn, butter, salt and beer – were copiously consumed during a lovely Sunday afternoon in September. Dennis DiPaolo writes, “My wife, Jeanne Larssen, died on May 4, 2015, from ovarian cancer. We were together for 35 years, and married for 33. We were in love the entire time. I was able to spend her final 3 1/2 weeks living in her room at the Community Hospice House in Merrimack, NH. I am actively working to recover, and I am actually doing better than I had imagined. As we age, stories like this become, unfortunately, more common.”
’73
Mike Kelly visited the Prep campus during an August vacation trip to Maine. He was grateful for the time Alumni Coordinator Paul McNamara ’69 spent with him and his wife, Kate. Mike gets together from time to time with Walt Pechulis ’72. Both are living in the Midwest – Mike in Michigan and Walt in Wisconsin.
’75
Leo Kane is living in Waterfall, Co. Cork, Ireland, and works as a legal executive for a law firm in Cork City. He’s happy to be a contact for anyone traveling in the area! Robert Wright says, “Just celebrated 28 years married to the greatest woman ever. Oldest daughter in her 5th year of doctoral program in chemistry at George Washington University. Youngest daughter recently graduated from Towson University. Sorry I missed our 40th reunion earlier this year. Planning on attending the 45th in 2020. Shout out to my wonderful mother Mary who helped put 3 boys through the Prep. Any fellow 1975 graduates want to communicate with me, see me on Facebook. Good luck to all of our Boston sports teams!”
’76
Peter Torkildsen was recently elected chairman of the board of directors of the Federation of State Humanities Councils, a non-profit group advocating for the humanities in Washington, D.C. Eric Bornstein has had a busy year! After winning the 2016 IRNE award for Best Puppetry Design for his work for Company One’s Shockheaded Peter, he has designed many new original masks for clients nationally and overseas, including promotional masks for video giant Bethesda Softworks. He created a giant (4’ high) puppet head of the Ayatollah Khameini for an Iranian human rights group which was performed at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza at the United Nations Building in September. He is now working on an extended contract with the government of Jamaica, designing and building 12 giant puppet heads representing Jamaican national icons, for their annual national celebration. Eric’s studio is open every day, and he welcomes visitors. You can find him on FB at www.facebook.com/behindthemask1 or his website www.behindthemask.org and reach him at behindthemask1@gmail.com.
’74
Carol (Carrie) Stone was recently appointed to the Wine Enthusiast Board. She is also a corporate director at Yappn, where she serves as compensation committee chair and on the governance committee. Carrie is the co-founder of San Diego Women Corporate Directors and serves on the steering committee for the Director of the Year Awards for the Corporate Directors Forum. She continues to lead her global executive recruiting practice, cStone & Associates, providing comprehensive executive and board recruiting services in a diverse range of industries. Home for Carrie is Rancho Santa Fe, California.
Carol Stone ’74 with her son, Ben.
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Bishop Robert Reed ’77 was ordained an Auxiliary Bishop of Boston on August 24, 2016. He has long entertained a keen interest in the full use of television and new media for an engaging and truthful sharing of Catholic faith and life. A priest of the Archdiocese of Boston and president of The CatholicTV Network, he was born June 11, 1959, in Boston and currently lives in Newton, MA. He was educated at St. John’s Preparatory School and he prepared for the priesthood at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Bishop Reed holds an advanced degree in television management from Boston University’s College of Communication. His work at The CatholicTV Network has included serving as director of educational development, assistant director and director. He says of St. John’s, “To this day I remain grateful to St. John’s Prep for the strong intellectual and spiritual foundation that I received as a Catholic young man. Thankfully, that inclusive Xaverian education continues to mark the lives of young men on the Prep campus!” Ordained a Catholic priest in 1985, Bishop Reed served in parishes in Malden, Norwood, Dorchester, Haverhill and Whitman. He was appointed to direct CatholicTV in May 2005. He has collaborated in the rebranding and expansion of the network along with the build-out of a new HD broadcast and production facility. Reed oversees the creation, acquisition, and delivery of increasingly diverse and high-quality Catholic programming from around the nation and the world. The CatholicTV Network, available in over 13.5 million homes also boasts of a robust website with a 24-hour live stream and thousands of television episodes available for viewing on-demand and embedding via CatholicTV.com. In addition to his administrative responsibilities at America’s Catholic Television Network, Bishop Reed regularly celebrates the network’s Masses. He hosts the game show WOW: The CatholicTV Challenge; the reality series House+Home; the interview series Inter Nos; and several Blink segments. He has been recorded praying the mysteries of the Rosary at various locations around the world that airs three times daily. He is regular co-host of CatholicTV’s signature talk series This is the Day. Bishop Reed currently serves as president/CEO of iCatholic Media, Inc., the parent company of The CatholicTV Network. He is director of the Radio Apostolate for the Archdiocese of Boston and regularly assists at Corpus Christi-St. Bernard Parish in Newton and St. Bonaventure Parish in Plymouth, MA. He is the author of “Renewed: Ten Ways to Rediscover the Saints, Embrace Your Gifts and Revive Your Catholic Faith” and its companion television series RENEWED.
’77
David Champoux still lives in Maine and practices corporate/ transactional law at Pierce Atwood in Portland. He and wife Lynne are now empty nesters: Alexander (Trinity College ’11) is pursuing his Ph.D. in rhetoric and composition at the University of Minnesota while teaching writing to undergraduates; Phillip (Colby ’14) is a scientist at Envirologix, a small tech company located in Portland. David plays competitive tennis, is actively involved in the US Tennis Association at the New England and national levels, and last year became a part owner of the Racket and Fitness Club in Portland, a 9-court indoor facility that is the largest in northern New England. He has enjoyed the chance to reconnect with classmates at regular annual gatherings and looks forward to celebrating (?) the 40th reunion of the great Class of 1977 next year. He continues to be grateful, every day, for the education, friendships and life lessons received at SJP. But for that … who knows.
’79
Frank Grady, professor and chair of English at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, has been awarded the campus’s 2016 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. According to the university’s newspaper, “Semester after semester, Grady’s pedagogical approach to intimidating material ranging from ‘Beowulf’ to ‘Canterbury Tales’ to ‘Paradise Lost’ has earned him a reputation for sparking student engagement at UMSL.” Frank himself credits his decision to enter the
teaching profession to several inspirational teachers he encountered in his own student experience, including the Prep’s own Mr. Frank Cimerol. Frank is a 1983 magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University and holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Grady teaches courses in medieval literature, literary theory, and film. He has written widely on Chaucer and his contemporaries, and he served as editor of the annual Studies in the Age of Chaucer from 2002-2007. His book “Representing Righteous Heathens in Late Medieval England” (2005) explores how medieval writers used the figure of the virtuous pagan to confront a variety of historical, cultural and formal literary issues. A recent collection, Answerable Style: Form and History in Medieval English Literature (2013; co-edited with Andrew Galloway), addresses the intersection of form and history in Middle English writing. He also co-edited the revised edition of the MLA’s “Approaches to Teaching Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales” (2014; with Peter Travis). Current projects include work on “Piers Plowman” and on literacy in fifteenthcentury England and another edited volume, “The Cambridge Companion to the Canterbury Tales” (forthcoming, 2017). James Quinlivan, USN (Ret.) is proud to announce that his company, Mustard Seed Music and Sports Promotion, has had another successful year organizing and producing several concert events including the Hull Harbor Illumination Music Festival and the MASSVETSMUSICFEST
2016 onboard the USS Massachusetts at Battleship Cove in Fall River. These events included working with one of his rock and roll idols – Hirsh Gardner from the band New England. He also works with his wife, Lauribeth, lead singer of the Stevie Nicks tribute band Nightshade & Gold, who has also performed alongside the bands Rattle & Hum, Movin’ On, Jimiforever, and Partisan Rancour. This event was sponsored by Leroy Ashwood of BRAVE for Veterans, Inc., a local charitable organization out of Lynn that helps veterans reintegrate into the workforce after discharge from military service. James invites the Prep family to come out to one of the upcoming shows and concert events in 2017. For information go to www.facebook.com/ MustardSeedMusicandSports.
’80
Chris Hawthorne and his son James ’15 both rowed for the Riverside Boat Club in Cambridge this
Chris Hawthorne ’80 (right) and his son James ’15.
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summer. James was in the U23 program and Chris in the master’s program. James is rowing on the varsity crew at George Washington University, where his dad rowed in 1980-84. Chris is excited that SJP now has a crew program! David Brahm reports, “Twenty years ago I changed careers, from theoretical physics to quantitative financial analysis, and started working at Fidelity Investments. Since then, Geode, the spinoff company I helped start, has grown to $220B assets under management. Sometimes I wonder what I would be doing if I had stayed in physics, but honestly my field, BSM phenomenology, has suffered from a severe lack of interesting new experimental results – no proton decay, no monopoles, no superpartners, no dark matter detection. Meanwhile, as a ‘quant’ I’ve come to appreciate the joy of challenging problems that are actually solvable, and the tangible rewards that those successes can bring. So, in all I think it was a good choice.” Dr. Brahm holds a Ph.D. in theoretical particle physics from U.C. Berkeley and a B.S. in physics and math from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Andy Frazer reports, “In August I became a volunteer diver at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. By diving inside the largest aquariums we can clean the filter intakes, feed the corals and anemones, scrape algae off the windows, and wave at the museum visitors. The best benefits of this work include talking to the biologists about their research and introducing children to the world underwater.”
’81
Michael Sullivan reports that he is excited to have recently retired and moved to Naples, Florida. He tells us, “Now spending my days golfing, kayaking, boating and fishing with my lovely wife, Kathleen. Our son, Kevin (Xaverian ’04), is a computer engineer for IBM in Chicago. Our daughter, Courtney, is a physician, currently completing her residency in anesthesiology at UW in Madison. Enjoyed seeing fellow alums Ned Grady, Tom Grady ’80 and Mark Gilligan at Ned’s sons wedding at Sturbridge village.” Mark Nickerson is now in his 27th year representing GEICO exclusively in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts. He has two offices, one in Waterford, Connecticut, and one in Warwick, R.I. and together they employ a staff of 20 people. He has been married for 28 years to his wife, Marlene, whom he met at Stonehill College. Their two sons are at school in North Carolina; Ryan, a junior at High Point University, and Andrew, a freshman at Elon University. Mark is in his first term as First Selectman
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(mayor) in his adopted hometown of East Lyme, Conn. He says , “It’s the ultimate service to the community – something I learned at St. John’s being involved in various activities including the ‘morning radio station’, freshman orientation, and campus ministry. As the Chief Elected Official in town, I am extremely involved in the day-to-day operations of our town and I am responsible for our budget of about $70 million.” Rick Alpern tells us that his son Ben Alpern ’13 is a senior majoring in sport management at the University of Tampa. He plays on the soccer team and is finishing up an internship with the (damn) Yankees’ organization. His mom, Ruthann, who was president of The Guild of St. William while Rick was a student at the Prep, is living happily with his dad in Boca Raton. Rick and his wife, Dolores, started Single Source Marketing a little over 18 years ago. He was reflecting recently on how much the Prep alumni business community has impacted their business over the years. They are proud to have among their clients Align Credit Union, Tom Hammond ’82; Hancock Survey Associates, Wayne Jalbert; Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group, Jim Carnevale ’82; Teddie Peanut Butter, Mark Hintlian ’73; Village Pharmacy, Brian Ambrefe and Bob Ambrefe ’73; and AuXoGate, Mark and Stephen Mscisz ’79. He suggests to younger alumni that they employ the Prep network in building their businesses. Wayne Jalbert has been named president and CEO of Hancock Associates. Hancock is a surveying, civil engineering and environmental consulting firm. He is most proud having his firm work for both his alma maters, SJP and UMass-Lowell. At SJP, his firm has been civil designer for the new academic building, Wellness Center, and many other construction projects on campus. Says Wayne, “It gives me great professional pride and personal satisfaction to contribute our talent and expertise to the future of students at SJP. These facilities are state of the art and impressive in every category.” He lives in Danvers with his wife, Kathleen, and son Christopher. He enjoys coaching and was looking forward to seeing classmates at Homecoming. Jeff Shmase recently received his real estate license and is working for RE/MAX Advantage in his hometown of Peabody. Jeff is also active in the city, as a member of the Peabody Chamber of Commerce and serving on the Community Preservation Committee. Jeff’s son, Ben, is a freshman at the University of Connecticut while his daughter, Hannah, is a 2015 graduate of the University of Vermont.
’84
Ron Kowalski has been elected to serve on the Connecticut State Central Committee from Connecticut’s 25th State Senate District which includes Norwalk and Darien. Ron is a partner with the law firm of Cacace, Tusch and Santagata in Stamford. John Pabisz now lives in San Diego where he is an ASIC design modeling and verification principal engineer for Oracle currently working on a PCI Express root complex. He makes the most of San Diego’s climate by hiking, biking, running, walking on the beach and dining al fresco year round. He says he relaxes by playing the piano. John shares his home with two cats and sends long distance support to the Merrimac River Feline Rescue Society in Salisbury.
’86
Marc Goulding is an assistant professor at the University of Central Oklahoma. He holds the office of director of graduate studies in the Department of History and Geography. He also serves as president-elect of the UCO branch of the American Association of University Professors, and is a member of the editorial collective of a peer-reviewed journal titled Radical History Review. His article “African Diaspora, Empires and Anti-imperialism, Anticolonial Nationalism, Black Power, Pan-Africanism” was recently published and he is working on his manuscript for a book. Sean Kennedy tells us, “It has been a busy year at the Kennedy household! My daughter, Alexandra, just started her freshman year at Carnegie Mellon University. She will be studying chemistry. She’s a very good kid! My four-year-old son, Nicholas, is in preschool studying puzzles and finger-painting. My wife, Liliya, recently became a registered nurse and is working in the emergency rooms at Baystate Health in Springfield and UMass memorial in Worcester. In May I was elected to a three-year term as
Sean Kennedy ’86 with his son, Nicholas.
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school committee member for the Hamden Wilbraham Regional School District. I was also recently elected as president of the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Cooperative and I just began a sevenyear term as a Justice of the Peace in Massachusetts. And this year I learned how to make some wonderful Belgian waffles from a friend of mine who lives in Belgium. They’re quite tasty. Come by any Sunday morning and I will be happy to feed you!” John Malone tells us, “I finally took the plunge and left my career as a forensic accountant & litigation consultant in order to start my own voiceover business, something that has been a passion of mine for many years. I built my own broadcast quality studio in my home in Los Angeles where I currently do all my recording and recently launched my new website which is now live at www.MaloneZone.com. My wife Daisy and I just celebrated our 17th anniversary and are enjoying life here in Southern California. I had a blast at our 30th reunion earlier this year and really enjoyed catching up with fellow classmates. If any of you ever make it out to the West Coast then drop me a line — I’d love to see you!” David Hazlett and his wife Leslie celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in September. They live in Marblehead and have two daughters. Olivia is a freshman at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and Talia is a sophomore at Marblehead High School. David has recently been promoted to the position of director of sales process and training at Prime Motor Group.
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In 2015, Brian Lauzon joined Arin Risk Advisors LLC in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, as a partner and head of business development. Arin is an investment management firm that works with wealth advisors, asset managers and hedge funds to develop customized optionsbased overlay strategies. Brian lives in Newtown Square, Penn. Tom Repczynski is a principal in the law firm of Offit Kurman in Virginia. He is the president-elect of the Fairfax Bar Association and chairman of the South Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. Dan Hegarty tells us, “I’m a math teacher at a small Catholic school in Fairfax, Virginia, called Saint Anthony Academy. In fact we are so small that I’m the math teacher. I teach all math in all grades, 4 through 11 inclusive. In addition to that I have a math tutoring business where I work with a wide range of students from many local schools.”
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Jonathan DeSimone tells us, “This fall was a big one in our house as Brendan moved on from the Prep to Georgetown University and our daughter headed off to boarding school for 9th grade.
be. love. belove. John A. Driscoll ’90, beloved educator and former dean of admissions and freshman academics at St. John’s Prep, passed away on August 13, 2016 at the age of 44. After graduating from Villanova and embarking in a career in education, John returned to St. John’s in 2004 as an administrator, where his zeal for the Prep community made an impact on everyone who knew him. St. John’s celebrated his many contributions to the school in the spring of 2015 by honoring him with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. John was courageous as he dedicated himself to a “journey of healing,’ after being diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme in April 2013. He was inspired to live his life from a place of self-love, forgiveness and compassion. Steve Ruemenapp, Assistant Principal of Mission and Identity and a close friend of John’s, spoke at his service. “John’s capacity for learning and teaching didn’t just extend to his job. When he was diagnosed with cancer, he took his teaching to another level. He taught us all so much about personal growth, spirituality, becoming your true self, courage and humility. He taught so many people so much – how to be, to love, and to be love.” John leaves us inspired to follow his lead and to be.love.belove. He is survived by his wife, Gretchen, and their two sons, John Stephen ’21 and Liam.
That leaves lucky Christian (Prep ’18) as the sole focus of all our attention. Lucky him! Otherwise, I am still working at Bain Capital Credit in the high yield and leveraged loan market where I have been since 2002.”
’89
Jeffrey Maher recently accepted a new job at Bowdoin College as the physician director of health services. He lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his wife of 15 years, Jessica, and their two children, Helen (11) and William (8). He and his brothers, Billy ’83 and Chris ’85, all met for the Ray and Dianne Carey event at the SJP campus in early June. Jeff tells us that he continues to torment his classmates Mike Potter and Kevin Penders and their families any chance he gets.
Clinic serving 25,000 enrolled beneficiaries. He started his second career as a senior healthcare consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton in September. In July, he married C. Brooke Gilchrist and is living in Haymarket, Virginia, with their blended family of 5 children.
’92
Congratulations to Sean Corcoran, news director of WCAI‑FM in Woods Hole, for winning the national 2016 Edward R. Murrow award for writing in the small market radio category. Sean was also one of the People to Watch in the January issue of Cape Cod magazine. Sean and his wife, Linda, live in Mashpee.
’90
Lieutenant Colonel R. Scott Davis retired from 21 years of active service as a registered nurse in the US Army in August. His last assignment was at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, where he served as the chief of the Family Medicine
Left: Recently retired Lt. Col. R. Scott Davis ’90 is shown with his new bride, Brooke and their blended family of five children. Above: Sean Corcoran ’92, Edward R. Murrow Award winner.
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CL ASS NOTES Two foursomes of ’93 classmates played in Brother Linus Golf Tournament in October. Pictured left to right are: Brian Healey, Tony Polimeno, Sal DeMartinis, Kevin O’Keefe ’01 (playing in memory of Peter O’Keefe ’93), Luke Howarth, Tim Goldberg, Dan Peluso and Taidgh McClory.
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Taidgh McClory currently works in commercial real estate as a Partner of CBRE/New England and was recently promoted to managing director/ partner of New England Brokerage, where he will become more actively involved in leading and driving the firm’s business development initiatives and overall sales management in the region. In this role, McClory will be responsible for business development, investor/agency account management, client care efforts, and CBRE/NE’s civic and industry engagement across the region. Taidgh lives in Lynnfield with his wife, Lynne, and their three children, Kye, Estelle and Davin.
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Steve Nasson has had a very busy 12 months. He got married to Miss Jessica Stacy from Chicago in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, last November and they spent their honeymoon in Thailand, where they learned they are expecting their first baby: a boy on 9-30. After 17 years working in various national sales director and vice president roles in the medical device sector, Steve has started his own company. He is the founder and CEO of Drive Health, Inc, an ophthalmic consulting company focused on the sales and marketing aspects of running a successful medical practice. This fall, Steve was also the 17th player in school history to be inducted into the Kalamazoo College Tennis Hall of Fame. Steve and Jessica reside in downtown Chicago. Jeff Cross tells us, “My workplace action comedy sitcom Fugitive Cougar, based on a novel I am shopping around, was a TV comedy category finalist in the 2016 Filmmatic Screenplay Awards contest. This is my second finalist ranking in screenwriting, my first being for the 2010 Exposurama Screenwriting Contest for my heist caper screenplay Gumrunners.”
’95
Josh Vadala was recently named assistant superintendent of schools in Revere. Josh currently lives in Peabody with his wife, Courtney, and their
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three daughters, Ryleigh (7), Addison (5) and Kamryn (2). Peter Cushing earned his doctorate in education from Boston College’s Lynch School of Education in May. He is the principle of the Narragansett Middle School in Baldwinville. In June, Peter and his wife, Megan, welcomed their first child, Madeline. He says she is very healthy and has been smiling every day. The Cushings live in Ayer. Jeremy Long lives in Woburn with his wife, Giselle, and their two sons, Dylan (7) and Mason (3). He runs Prime Steel which erects some of the most high profile construction projects in New England, including the New Balance Corporate Headquarters, Boston Landing train station, the new Boston Bruins Warriors Area in Brighton, the FBI Corporate Office in Chelsea, Harvard University’s Law Center in Allston, 101 Seaport Square, Pier 4 high rise, and many others. Jeremy still stays in touch with some of his St John’s pals like Bobby Batten ’94, Joey Dooley ’95, John Pascucci ’95, Justin Dechene ’94, Dan Pucci ’94, and Matt O’Keefe ’95 to name a few.
’96
Luke Conlin is now living back in the area, having just started a new position as assistant professor in the department of chemistry and physics at Salem State University. Luke holds a B.S. from Tufts University and earned his Ph.D. at the University of Maryland.
’97
Jonathan Sheldon tells us that he has been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and that after about a year of planning, he’s started his own IT managed services company, FlightPath IT. They provide IT services such as data backups, monitoring and management to small and medium sized businesses. He says it has been a challenging yet rewarding experience. Jon is a 2001 graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a B.S. in information technology. Martin Connolly and his wife, Alessia, welcomed a son, Samuel Vincent Connolly on July 15. The Connolly family is now living in their new home in Gloucester. Martin is running a financial planning practice with Northwestern Mutual and is working with a lot of fellow Prep alums.
’98
Daniel DeMaina is now working for the Massachusetts Municipal Association as the organization’s associate editor, overseeing production of several MMA publications and editing and writing for other MMA publications. He previously spent three years working as the public information officer and speechwriter for Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone.
’99
Andy Shessler and his wife Christina live in Evanston, Illinois, and welcomed their first child, Harrington, in August. They took him to
This past summer Michael Buckley ’99 and his wife Kelly baptized their two boys, James Michael Buckley and Charles Rocco Buckley at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in New York City where they were married. The godfathers for the boys were Michael’s two best men at his wedding, his brother Matt Buckley ’94 and Andrew Yanchus ’99. Shown are: Matthew Buckley ’94, Meghan McEvoy, Michael Buckley ’99 holding Charles Buckley, Kelly Buckley holding James Buckley, Father Duffell, Jamie DeGiaimo and Andrew Yanchus ’99.
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Wedding Bells Justin MacDowell ’05 married Caitlin O’Malley at Willowdale Estate in Topsfield on May 21st of this year. Jon Niconchuk ’05 was the best man. Mike Carroll ’03 married Katie Wold in January 2016 in Charleston, South Carolina.
Katherine Goodwin-Potter and Michael Catapano ’92 were married in the chapel at St. John’s on Saturday, October 22.
Matt Lucerto ’00 and Michael Coppola were married on April 16. Matt’s brother Mike Lucerto ’98 was his best man. The couple is shown here in the company of their siblings and best friends.
Tim McAuliffe ’07 married Samantha Stokes in the chapel at St. John’s on October 9. The newlyweds are pictured here with the groom’s parents and brothers: William ’13, Connor ’09, Tim, Samantha, Lyne and Don ’77. No One Walks Alone or Marries Alone! Celebrating the nuptials of Prep campus minister Vijay DaCosta to Erin Casey on July 2, 2016, were several teaching colleagues from St. John’s including, left to right, Tony Caccavo, James Barry, Lawrence Molloy, Christopher Bauer and Liz Dobrowolski. The ceremony was at the Chapel of Mary at Stonehill College, followed by a reception at the Canoe Club Ballroom.
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Oh Baby!
Alan Rich ’99 and his wife, Chelsea, welcomed Brynlee Margrette Rich to their family on July 30. The Rich’s also have a son, Greyson and a daughter, Dylan.
Christian Paul Roberts was born on September 3rd to Paul Roberts ’01 and his wife, Amy. Big brother Henley is happy to be a great big brother.
Madeline Maureen Cushing was born in June to Megan and Peter Cushing ’95.
Christine and Andy Shessler ’99 are the proud parents of Harrington Shessler who joined their family in August.
Suzanne and Mark Ranta ’02 with their daughters, Natalie and baby Abigail, who arrived in July. Katie and Jonathan Dioli ’04 are living in Salem with their first child, Desmond Henry Dioli, born on August 20, 2016.
The Shanahan Family, Ted ’03 with his wife Jaclyn and daughters Elizabeth and new arrival, Olivia.
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Left to right: Tyler MacInnis ’05, John Gavin ’05, Patrick Flynn ’05, and Ted Costigan ’08 at the opening of Patrick’s Pet Care in D.C.
his first Red Sox game in September with classmate Patrick Devlin. Andy received his MBA from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 2014 and is the executive vice president of valuation for The Superlative Group, a marketing consulting company based in Cleveland. Daniel Vadala is living in Newbury with his wife, Lisa, and four children: Josephine, Isabelle, Guinivere, and Nicholas. The Vadalas own and operate CrossFit Full Potential, which has been awarded Best CrossFit on the North Shore for past three years by North Shore Magazine and Best Fitness Facility North of Boston by Boston Magazine for 2016. They also operate Full Potential Performance providing strength and conditioning services for local schools and sports organizations, and Full Potential Kids providing fitness classes for kids in their Newburyport facility. Ben Kenna, his wife, Catherine, and their daughters, Lily (5) and Nell (18 months), were fortunate to spend time with some fellow Prep alums this past Labor Day weekend. He says, “We caught up with Michael Abodeely and Mark Abodeely ’01, for a nice sail on Mark’s boat, The Flying Filet, down on Nantucket, and even got in a round of golf (scores were not tabulated) to cap a great weekend. Upon our return, we noshed at Chris Nabhan’s ’01 family restaurant, The Carousel Speakeasy, to put a nice little bow on a very busy summer. Hope everyone is doing well!”
’00
George T. Kougianos reports that he and his family returned to their roots when they opened Brothers Restaurant and Deli on the site of their original Peabody Square location in October. The restaurant moved from Peabody to Danvers when George was a student at SJP. His family still owns and
Lieutenant Tim Sullivan ’05
operates New Brothers Restaurant & Deli in Danvers. George is the principal owner of the Peabody location with his dad and long-time friend and master chef Michael O’Brian doing the cooking. George’s mom, Gloria, will be doing some of the baking.
’02
Mark Ranta and his wife, Suzanne, welcomed their second daughter to the world on July 9. Abigail Allison Ranta is now at home with her mom and dad and her sister, Natalie, who is enjoying her new role as big sister.
’03
Ted Shanahan and family have been living in New York since Ted’s 2014 graduation from Harvard Business School. Ted and his wife, Jaclyn, have two daughters, Elizabeth (3) and Olivia Kate who arrived in February. Mike Carroll married Katie Wold in January 2016 in Charleston, South Carolina. The wedding was attended by many SJP grads, four of whom were in the wedding party! Mike, Katie and their puppy, Harper, live in Manhattan, where Mike currently practices corporate law with The Giannuzzi Group, LLP and Katie serves as an investor relations associate with Alphadyne Asset Management, a global macro hedge fund.
’04
Ryan Messier reports that after six years as a staff nurse, he has decided to leave his position in the ICU/CCU at Lahey and return to school. Over the summer, he was accepted to the certified registered nurse anesthetist program at Boston College. He says that becoming a CRNA has been a dream for a long time and couldn’t wait to begin the new program. Ryan tells us that he managed to catch up with Andrew Desalvo recently in Salem. Robert Fitzgerald and Sarah Hoenigmann are recently engaged and
planning a wedding for September of 2017. Rob is a graduate of Fairfield University and a certified CPA. He is the fund controller at a private asset management firm in Greenwich, Conn. Sarah is a graduate of Muhlenberg College and holds a master’s of education from Sacred Heart University. She is a teacher and coach in Greenwich.
’05
Matthew Webber received his master of science in biophysics from The Ohio State University last winter and is now officially a Ph.D. candidate. He’s living in Columbus, Ohio. Justin MacDowell and his new bride, Caitlin, are living in Charlestown following their May wedding. Justin works in international operations at Northeastern University and Caite is a corporate attorney. Naval aviator Tim O’Sullivan was promoted to Lieutenant in the spring of 2016. Tim is an F/A 18F Super Hornet pilot with the Diamondbacks of VFA-102 stationed at NAF Atsugi near Tokyo, Japan. He and his squadron are on deployment on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan patrolling the southwest Pacific. After two terms in local elected office, Patrick Flynn is taking a break from public life to finish a master’s in public administration at The George Washington University, while also managing the growth of his rapidly expanding small business, Patrick’s Pet Care. Started as a side gig in 2012, Patrick’s Pet Care now employs 16 people and provides all manner of pet services in every corner of the nation’s capital. This past spring SJP alums Tyler MacInnis, John Gavin, and Ted Costigan ’08 flew in for the grand opening of his Columbia Heights dog day care. In May, Patrick was proud to join his uncle Golden Eagle John Flynn ’53 at his cousin, Trevor Gowdy’s graduation from the Prep!
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Maine. They have also purchased a house in North Reading and planned to move in November.
’09
Jeff Phaneuf ’06 (second from right) has returned from a deployment in Iraq where he supported the Iraqi Army’s fight against ISIS. He is shown here with his fellow officers.
’06
Chris Flanagan tells us, “I graduated 10 years ago in 2006, and a lot has happened since then. I am living in North Reading with my wife, Beth Flanagan. She used to come to all of my Swingtown concerts when I was in high school, and she is still around! We have 3 dogs at our home; we are big dog lovers and adopted them all from rescues. Most importantly, we are new parents to our 7-month-old daughter Shea MacKenzie Flanagan. She’s the best thing that we could have wished for, and with her being the first grandchild on my side of the family my parents are over the moon! I just started a new job at Transmedics. I am managing customer service and order fulfillment there. They are a medical device company trying to get FDA approval on a device that transports live human organs to help save more people who need organ transplants. This device is capable of helping save more people’s lives for two main reasons: it keeps the organ alive, as opposed to the traditional method of organ transport, and it allows medical professionals to analyze and even optimize the condition of an organ outside the bod… All in all, it’s pretty cool. There’s a lot going on in the Flanagan household these days, and in what little spare time I have, I build furniture in my workshop. Woodworking has become a hobby of mine, and it grounds me a little to the roots of my upbringing (my father is a builder). There is just something majestic about watching something wonderful come out of a few planks of wood – and to know that it was my own hands that did it.”
’07
Nicholas Dudich is working at the media company Upworthy, heading YouTube operations on their audience development team. Nick received his B.A. in economics from Flagler College and a B.A. in film production from the Miami International University of Art and Design. He is living in Miami Beach. Austin Bonnar has completed his MBA at Johns Hopkins and started working at the global consulting company McKinsey & Company in their healthcare systems and services practice. He is living in Washington, D.C. Matt Cocciardi is happy to announce he is engaged to Abbigail Alden of Danvers as of September 2, 2016. They are planning a fall 2017 wedding. Nick McPherson reports a couple big life changes in the past few months. He got engaged to his girlfriend, Casey Reilly, on July 16. They will be getting married next September at Sunday River in
Nick McPherson ’07 and his fiancée Casey Reilly
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Tucker Robinson-Neff graduated Brandeis in 2013 with dual B.A. degrees in political science and philosophy, and a minor in sociology. After working technology/financial sales in Boston for a few years, he moved to Silicon Valley to participate in the 500 Startups Accelerator program, serving as the interim director of business development for UCreate3D, where he was mentored by the founders of companies such as Google and Myspace. He is now working at WhiteHat Security, where he is the youngest account executive they have ever hired. He manages a majority of the Northeast and Southeast sales territory, as well as a number of key strategic accounts. Tucker has become an avid rider of sports bikes, and in March of this year, he was hit head-on by an out of control car while riding his motorcycle on the highway in California. Despite being ejected 150+ feet and being med-flighted to the hospital, he survived and is pretty much 100% healed/free of any major longterm effects. He still rides, but more at the track now than on the street.
’11
Nick LaRovere is working at Alarm.com, a smart home platform, and living in the Washington, D.C., area. He recently began graduate school part time at Johns Hopkins University’s Whiting School of Engineering, where he is studying for his master’s in computer science. Russell Hollis began an MD/MBA dual degree program at Tufts University School of Medicine this summer and will graduate in 2020. He says, “The foundational education I received from teachers at the prep in both
Tucker Robinson-Neff ’09
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the sciences and economics the courses I have taken thus proved instrumental in my far at Bowdoin and enabled desire and ability to pursue me to develop and launch this both degrees!” If you watch company. I am set to finish the political satire VEEP, you my computer science major may have recognized actor/ requirements next spring and singer Miles Hartfelder, have St. John’s to thank for who appeared in one of the my preparedness up here hit show’s holiday episodes at Bowdoin!” Ben Sword is last year. The producers were currently working at Boyce Miles Hartfelder ’11 looking for an a Capella group Thompson Institute (BTI) doing and Miles was one of eight singers chosen genetic and hormonal research on tomato for the part. “We actually went and recorded fruit development. He is also receiving several songs at this fancy recording studio grant money to build a food computer, a in Santa Monica the week prior to the shoot hydroponics growth chamber that has the so that we would have our own voices ability to be controlled remotely from his in earbuds while we filmed the scene. laptop. He expects to finish construction The actual shooting was fantastic. We soon and begin experimenting immediately walked into the soundstage and we were after on hydroponic lettuce production. legitimately IN the White House. Every room James Hawthorne is at George and every detail were included. We actually Washington University double had the opportunity to sing Happy Birthday majoring in international security policy and to Julia one night, which was an experience Middle Eastern studies. He continues to row I will most likely never forget. Overall it was and was on the varsity heavyweight team really fun and super easy-going, and I’m last spring. His boat finished sixth in the hoping they need an a Capella group again country. Last year, he worked as an English in the near future!” language tutor for elementary school Graham Billings graduated from children of foreign parents in southeast High Point University in May with a D.C., who have fallen behind in their reading B.A. in communications and a concentration levels. He spent part of the summer as a in electronic media production. He has counselor at Camp Christopher, but left accepted a position as a social media to work as an administrative assistant intern at DraftKings, a daily fantasy sports for an immigration law firm and accept platform, in Boston. He intends to pursue his first coaching job as the head coach full employment with the company after of the Gentle Giant boys and girls high his internship is complete. In his position, school rowing team. James plans on he supports the planning, monitoring studying international affairs abroad at the and execution of the integrated social University of St Andrews in Scotland in the channel marketing calendar and helps fall of 2017, as well as traveling to Amman, develop social media marketing plans for Jordan, to teach English and further study all channels, including Twitter, Facebook Arabic for a half semester this coming June. and Instagram. Nick Bouzianis graduated He has recently contracted for Officers from Loyola University Maryland in May Candidate School with the U.S. Marines. of this year and accepted a position at Liam Cahill is a first year SAP National Security Services (NS2) at Saint Michaels College in in October. Colchester, Vermont. He says, “I just started Nick Bragole, who played hockey as a finance intern for the Sue Minter for and baseball as an Eagle, was Governor Campaign. Sue Minter is the voted captain of the baseball team at Democratic Party nominee for governor. She Saint Anselm College for his senior year. is running to replace the retiring governor Peter Shumlin. I am mainly focusing on Sawyer Billings writes, “After campaign finance and planning events graduating from St. John’s in 2014 and fundraisers for the campaign working I have been a studying computer science with the finance director and the events at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. coordinator. It has really taught me how to Recently, a fellow classmate and I launched balance both school and a very demanding an app for iPhone called WodCash internship. It has also taught me how to which hosts online Crossfit competitions work in a very high stress environment but for the ever-growing functional fitness I wouldn’t trade it for anything. The Prep community. The programming skills that I really taught me the importance of time began to develop under the guidance of management and it is really paying off as I Mr. Gilmore in computer science classes have to use these skills a lot.” at St. John’s laid a strong foundation for
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IN MEMORIAM Please remember in your prayers these members of the Prep community who have passed away recently.
Brother Bonaventure Scully, C.F.X. Brother Peter Donohue, C.F.X. John R. Dolan ’43 E. C. Muehleisen, Ph.D. ’49 John F. O’Leary, Jr. ’49 Vincent F. Bolduc ’50 Joseph A. Jones ’50 Philip G. Sullivan ’50 Francis L. Campbell ’53 Paul T. Branon ’54 Raymond A. Farmer ’55 George T. Kelley ’55 John H. McNamara ’55 James M. O’Donnell ’56 John J. Hannon ’57 Paul M. O’Brien ’60 Thomas J. Callahan ’61 Peter M. Dalton ’66 Robert L. Smith ’69 Arthur J. Maurice ’70 John Didio ’72 John A. Driscoll ’90 Brian C. Story ’07
Kathie Flatley is class notes editor for St. John’s Prep Today. Please email her at kflatley@stjohnsprep.org with updates and submissions for upcoming issues.
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IN CLOSING
Mitch Trulli ’14: Carrying On
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Ryan Shaw ’15 Entrepreneurial Education Program To celebrate Ryan’s legacy, the entrepreneurship program at St. John’s is now called the Ryan Shaw ’15 Entrepreneurial Education Program. A booklet highlighting Ryan’s unique contributions to St. John’s will be shared with students who participate in the program. In this way, he will continue to inspire future entrepreneurs for years to come.
“Ryan had an incredible vision. He was always psyched about new ideas. Helping people define their ideas, brainstorming, and eventually bringing them to life – those were Ryan’s strengths.” — MITCH TRULLI ’14
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www.stjohnsprep.org
itch Trulli’s journey as an entrepreneur began at St. John’s when he participated in the SJP Shark Tank, the culmination of a 10-week Babson Entrepreneurial Leadership program. Economics teacher David Hennessey ’83, who leads the program, remembers Mitch ’14, Marcus Pelletier ’15 and Ryan Shaw ’15. They created Spark-Ideas, an online platform that brings entrepreneurs together with programmers, designers and other professionals in mutually beneficial partnerships. The team went on to compete at the Boston Babson Cup that year. It was an exciting time that inspired Mitch and his fellow entrepreneurs to think about what was possible. One thing they never imagined was Ryan’s death last year from meningitis. Mitch, now a finance major in his junior year at Quinnipiac University, continues to grow the company in Ryan’s memory.
How did the SJP Shark Tank prepare you for the real business world? The Shark Tank event was great. It got our first beta site, sparkideas.com, off the ground, which provided market validation for us. Ryan Shaw and I then assembled a new team and re-launched as www.equityowl.com. What is Equity Owl? Equity Owl connects entrepreneurs with designers who can bring ideas to life in exchange for equity in emerging companies. Entrepreneurs post their ideas on the site with the equity they will offer to a skilled worker who can bring their idea to life. Unfortunately, it’s hard for many entrepreneurs and startups to secure top talent. We change this dynamic by empowering entrepreneurs to leverage their equity. What inspired you to come up with Spark Ideas and the Equity Owl re-launch? We were looking for a social impact and we were passionate about helping people bring ideas to life. We started it together; Ryan was the brainpower with a passion for early stage companies. He lit the fire to grow into a big company. We didn’t know how to code or build products ourselves – we had to reach out to people – through equity. It’s been awesome – it changed the way we can bring startups to life. Right now we have 750 professionals and 150 start-ups on our site. What kind of businessman was Ryan? Ryan had an incredible vision. He was always psyched about new ideas. Helping people define their ideas, brainstorming, and eventually bringing them to life – those were Ryan’s strengths. He had the meticulous detail where I lacked it. I remember building our sites, he would always catch the things I would miss. We were a good team. Our families were very close, too. I actually went to the Prep because the Shaw brothers were going! Who has mentored you along the way? Mr. Hennessey and tech entrepreneur Curt Dalton ’92 are two people I consider mentors. I still chat with Curt. He’s been an incredible help – he’s a startup guru! How do you balance schoolwork with your entrepreneurship? Equity Owl doesn’t feel like work to me – it’s more fun. Any advice for young entrepreneurs? Take advantage of the resources at St. John’s! Every one of the connections I made at the Prep has helped along the way. I’ve realized it’s not every school that has the networks to help you take an idea and run with it.
Blue skies and bright spirits were the order of the day at Homecoming this year! A down-home BBQ lunch, music, and kids’ games on the lawn in front of the Administration Building kicked off the celebration of all things Prep! Enthusiastic crowds of family, alumni and friends cheered as the Prep Eagles prevailed over BC High in soccer (2-0) and football (35-17) action. Look for lots more pictures at stjohnsprep.smugmug.com.
Above: The newly launched Friends of Prep Football group came out in force to cheer for the Eagles. The group at Homecoming spanned six decades of Prep gridiron tradition. Right: Paul Hennessey ’52 (right) and Brother David Mahoney, C.F.X. ’65 catch up at Homecoming. Far right: A post-game picture of the Crowley family: Matt ’20, Barbara, Scott ’17, and John. Below: A show of pride after the Prep’s exciting win over BC High.
Fran and Michael Howley flank sons Brennan ’14 and Colin ’16.
Above: You’re never too young to be a Prep fan! Left: Brad Whitaker ’81 sported a vintage varsity jacket for Homecoming.
Left: Family, former players and friends of late soccer coach John Aucone gathered after the traditional alumni soccer game to dedicate a beautiful bench in his honor. Justin Deschene ’91 (left) and Ken Hannan ’91 (right) joined members of the family, including John Aucone’s children and his wife, Joan.
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Clockwise from top left: Prep pride filled the stands at Homecoming 2016! Sophomore Sean McMillan welcomes his grandparents to campus for Grandparents Day in October. Melissa York P’18 was one of the many parent volunteers who helped St. John’s roll out the red carpet for Admission Open House this fall. There was nothing “shady” about these Homecoming tour guides! Kneeling: Sam Rizos ’18 and Jack Ligh ’17; middle row: John Bibeau ’18, Jake Valeri ’18, Alec Powers ’18, and John Olds ’17; back row: Wes Miles ’18, Sean Lang ’18, Ronan King ’18, Ozzie Osborne ’18, Jordan Hoey ’17, Michael Finnegan ’18, Blake Hekmatpour ’17, Matt O’Leary ’17 and Andrew Ponsetto ’11.