Xaverian Magazine Summer 2021

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The Magazine of Xaverian Brothers High School |

Summer 2021

Lucas Sarkar ’20

Introducing Xaverian Alumni Chapters!

It’s the best way to network and to feel at home no matter where you are. We’re creating alumni chapters across the country so that you can find a Hawk wherever you go. We’ve started with New York, D.C., California, and Florida, and we’re expanding from there.

Learn more on page 31.

In these times…

Sam Maloof ’21 and his mother, Renee Maloof

Xaverian

Reunion 2021

THE MAGAZINE OF XAVERIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL

Xaverian Magazine 800 Clapboardtree Street Westwood, MA 02090 781-326-6392 www.xbhs.com

Calling All Hawks from Classes Ending in 0, 1, 5, or 6!

The biggest reunion in Xaverian’s history is coming up on Saturday, November 27, and you won’t want to miss it! Join us to see all that has changed and all that remains the same at Xaverian. Catch up with old friends, tour the campus, and enjoy the party!

ADMINISTRATION Head of School Jacob A. Conca ’94, Ph.D.

WHO: Classes of 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016 WHERE: Xaverian Brothers High School WHEN: Saturday, November 27, 2021 COST: Free

Principal Michael G. Nicholson, Ed.D. Assistant Principals Stephen W. Dacey ’95, M.Ed. Teaching and Learning Lauren R. Hill, M.Ed. Academics, Grades 9-12 Joseph D. McGilvray, III, M.Ed. Francis Xavier Division, Grades 7 & 8

Register now at www.xbhs.com/reunion

Joshua M. Tranfaglia, M.Ed. Student Life OFFICE FOR SCHOOL ADVANCEMENT Chief Administrator for Advancement Christopher J. Vasta ’00, Ed.D. Advancement Services Manager Linda M. Calabrese, P ’20 Director of Data Management and Operations Pamela J. Fothergill, P ’07

Read more about your 2021 Catholic Conference Champions on page 14.

Director of Strategy and Implementation Dee M. Lane Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement James J. Scholl ’03

From the Head of School

OFFICE OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

You were created by the God of love in God’s image and according to God’s likeness, to be a unique expression of that love. It is through you that God desires to manifest love to the peoples of the world in these times...

Director of Strategic Communications Ann E. Alsfeld Assistant Director of Strategic Communications Kathryn E. Hickey Digital Marketing Coordinator Daggett R. Morse Communications Intern Nicholas J. Daoust ’21 Graphic Design Margaret Galeano galeano@optonline.net © 2021 Xaverian Brothers High School.

All rights reserved.

Now vs.

Dear Friends,

T

he excerpt above is from the Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers. Since the first faculty and staff meeting of the year on September 8, 2020, we centered our work on this goal: manifesting love to the peoples of the world in these times. “These times” may be called unique, extraordinary, challenging, or unprecedented, but as this passage reminds us, we are not called to manifest love only in “good times” or “peaceful times.” We are called to love in these times, regardless of circumstances. That is precisely what the Xaverian Brothers High School community did this year, as you will see throughout this magazine.

Pictured on the cover is Sam Maloof ’21 and his mother, Renee, as Sam learned he won

The Classes of 1970, 1971, and 1972 will celebrate their 50th reunions in the spring of 2022. Stay tuned for more information!

Then

Xaverian Spirit Award at Commencement—and what a beautiful image of love it is. Sam is one of 179 members of the Class of 2021 who shined as servant leaders this year, both at Xaverian as role models for the younger students and in the community at large through their service work. You’ll see their accomplishments highlighted on the following page.

Our Xaverian faculty, staff, and administrators have manifested love in countless ways, building enduring personal relationships whether screen to screen or masked face to masked face. They have truly gone above and beyond this year to ensure that all that makes Xaverian unique and wonderful has endured, even as COVID-19 demanded so many alterations to our daily lives. Three very special members of our faculty and staff are highlighted here as they move into retirement (page 17).

They are Mr. Jim Lewis, P ’95, ’02, Mrs. Paula Duddy, P ’93, ’95, and Mrs. Donna O’Connor, P ’01.

Grade 8 students learned about the power of love over hate through a live presentation from a Holocaust survivor, building on their study of Elie Wiesel’s Night. You can read more about that on page 8, as well as many other projects utilizing our X-Ploration Center this year (page 9). And whether it was through service with the Special Olympics (see Billy Lahart ’16 on page 33) or administering the COVID-19 vaccine at Gillette Stadium (see Shawn DiTomasso ’13 on page 32), Xaverian alumni

continue to manifest love for others, too. You can read more about the success of our alumni in the Class Notes section.

Lastly, we believe that when we are called to manifest love “to the peoples of the world,” this means all people. That’s why we are so excited about the appointment of our new Director of Community, Culture, and Equity, Mr. Anif McDonald ’12. Rooted in our mission, Mr. McDonald’s work will ensure that all students continue to be valued as unique expressions of God’s love. You can learn more about this new office and Mr. McDonald’s history with Xaverian on page 21.

With the world slowly moving forward from the strife wrought by COVID-19, we give our thanks to you, Xaverian. Thank you for your steadfast trust, collaboration, support, and love. May God bless you and your family, and may God continue to bless Xaverian.

Respectfully yours,

Jacob A. Conca ’94, Ph.D. Head of School

CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2021

O

n Saturday, May 15, Xaverian Brothers High School celebrated the commencement of the Class of 2021. Diplomas were conferred to the 179 graduates by Dr. Jacob Conca ’94, Head of School, and Dr. Michael Nicholson, Xaverian’s Principal. The Class of 2021 hails from 47 cities and towns and represents the 55th graduating class since Xaverian opened its doors in Westwood in 1963. Collectively, these young men were accepted to 195 different colleges and universities. They have committed to continue their careers at institutions such as Cornell University, Babson College, Tufts University, NYU, UCLA, Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland), Boston University, and Boston College.

The Class of 2021 valedictorian is Nicholas Gillespie. Nick is an avid ultimate disc player, competing all four years at Xaverian. He’s also an active participant and leader in Xaverian’s campus ministry program, traveling to San Diego and Tecate, Mexico on service trips and volunteering as a peer minister. Nick is a National Merit Scholar, a Harvard Book Award recipient, and a member of the National Honor Society. He will attend Northeastern University next year.

Neeraj Ramesh is the 2021 salutatorian.

Neeraj, a two-sport Xaverian athlete (tennis and cross country), also holds a black belt in

Legacy Grads & Dads Pictured here l to r are our legacy graduates with their fathers: Owen P. Tefft ’21 and Mr. Kevin M. Tefft ’84; Sebastien R. Sanon ’21 and Mr. Gabriel Sanon MH ’89; Matthew P. O’Halloran ’21 and Mr. Christopher M. O’Halloran ’86; Thomas M. O’Connell ’21 and Dr. Daniel J. O’Connell ’68; Sean J. O’Brien ’21 and Col. William J. O’Brien, Jr. ’83; Samuel J. Maloof ’21 and Mr. Christopher R. Maloof ’86; Matthew J. Kern ’21 and Mr. Stephen Francis Kern ’82; Karl E. Johnsen ’21 and Mr. Karl E. Johnsen, Sr. ’87; Justin O. Foster ’21 and Mr. Justin A. Foster ’94; Hunter D. Follen ’21 and Mr. Edward B. Follen ’77; Anthony E. Ferrara ’21 and Mr. Americo F. Ferrara ’90; John C. Connolly ’21 and Mr. John C. Connolly ’80; Timothy J. Bowers ’21 and Mr. Garrett T. Bowers ’87; and Eric M. Boulger ’21 and Sean T. Boulger, Esq. ’85.

Missing from the photo are Sam Noonan ’21 and his father, Sean Noonan ’90.

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Dr. Jacob Conca ’94, Nicholas Gillespie ’21 (Valedictorian), Neeraj Ramesh ’21 (Salutatorian), and Dr. Michael Nicholson Tae Kwon Do. He is a member of the National Honor Society, the French National Honor Society, and was the recipient of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Book Award. He has participated in a variety of extracurricular opportunities at Xaverian, including four years in the car club, as well as being a member of the

math team, chess club, and mock trial. This year, he was instrumental in helping to found Xaverian’s new robotics team, and he hopes to continue his focus on robotics next year as a computer engineering major at Carnegie Mellon University.

Every year at commencement, one senior is selected for the highest honor bestowed to a graduate

Joseph Wilson ’21

Thano Kazis ’21 and his family as he learned he was the recipient of the Xaverian Award

— the Xaverian Award. The members of the graduating class, in concert with the faculty and staff, nominate a senior for this special honor and the recipient isn’t revealed until the graduation ceremony. The Xaverian Award recipient must have distinguished himself by living the mission and core values associated

with Xaverian. This year’s recipient is described

by Dr. Conca as “a young man who freely gives of himself to the Xaverian community and to the greater community at large.” He has performed exceptionally well in the classroom while being especially active within Xaverian’s campus ministry program, as well as mock trial and

model United Nations. Dr. Conca describes him as “a true giver who believes deeply in service to others.” The 2021 Xaverian Award winner is Athanasios Kazis. Thano will attend Suffolk University next year.

See college acceptances on the next page >

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college acceptances Alvernia University American University Arizona State University (Main Campus) Assumption University Ave Maria University Babson College Bard College Baylor University Becker College Belmont University Bennington College Bentley University Berklee College of Music Boston College Boston University

Ithaca College

Ringling College of Art and Design

University of Arizona

James Madison University

Rivier University

University of California (Irvine)

Johnson & Wales University (Providence)

Rochester Institute of Technology

University of California (Riverside)

Keene State College

Roger Williams University

University of California (Santa Barbara)

Lafayette College

Rollins College

University of California (Santa Cruz)

Lasell University

Sacred Heart University

University of Colorado Boulder

Le Moyne College

Saint Anselm College

University of Connecticut

Lehigh University

Saint Joseph’s University

University of Dallas

Louisiana State University

Saint Louis University

University of Delaware

Loyola University Chicago

Saint Michael’s College

University of Hartford

Loyola University Maryland

Salem State University

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Lynn University

Salve Regina University

University of Maine

Maine College of Art

San Diego State University

University of Maryland (College Park)

Maine Maritime Academy

Santa Clara University

University of Massachusetts (Amherst)

Manhattan College

Savannah College of Art and Design

University of Massachusetts (Boston)

Marist College

Seton Hall University

University of Massachusetts (Dartmouth)

Marquette University

Siena College

University of Massachusetts (Lowell)

Maryland Institute College of Art

Skidmore College

University of Miami

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Southern Maine Community College

University of Missouri (Columbia)

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Southern Methodist University

University of New England

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Springfield College St John’s University (New York)

University of New Hampshire (Main Campus)

Merrimack College Mesa Community College Miami University (Oxford) Michigan State University

St Lawrence University St. Olaf College Stonehill College Suffolk University

Bowdoin College Bridgewater State University Bucknell University

ATHLETIC COMMITMENTS

Butler University

• FOOTBALL

Bryant University

Carnegie Mellon University Carroll College Case Western Reserve University Catholic University of America Citadel Military College of South Carolina Clark University Clarkson University Clemson University Coastal Carolina University Colby College Colgate University College of the Holy Cross Concordia University (Montreal) Connecticut College Cornell University Curry College

• BASKETBALL

Ty Murphy, Wheaton College Thomas Arrigal, Western New England University

Dean College DePaul University

Sam Maloof, Lehigh University Brendan Polles, Assumption University

• LACROSSE

Cristian Reyes, Saint Michael’s College Nick Bloom, Fairfield University Finn Maguire, Ohio Wesleyan University Jack Pastore, Ithaca College

Drexel University Elon University Emerson College Emmanuel College Endicott College Fairfield University Fisher College Fitchburg State University Florida Atlantic University Fordham University Framingham State University Franklin Pierce University Furman University George Washington University Georgia Institute of Technology (Main Campus) Gonzaga University Hamline University High Point University Hofstra University Indiana University (Bloomington)

Middlebury College

Syracuse University

Montserrat College of Art

Temple University

Mount St Mary’s University

Texas A&M University

National Collegiate Athletic Association

Texas Christian University

New England Institute of Technology

The New School

New York University

The Ohio State University (Main Campus)

Nichols College

The University of Alabama

Northeastern University

The University of Edinburgh

Norwich University

The University of Tampa

Ohio Wesleyan University

The University of Tennessee (Knoxville)

Pace University (New York City)

The University of Texas at Austin

Pennsylvania State University (Abington)

Trinity College

Pennsylvania State University (Main Campus)

Trinity College Dublin

Plymouth State University

Tufts University

Providence College Purdue University (Main Campus)

Trinity University Union College

Quinnipiac University

United States Merchant Marine Academy

Regis College

United States Military Academy

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

University College London

Rhodes College

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University of New Haven University of North Carolina Wilmington University of Pittsburgh (Main Campus) University of Rhode Island University of Rochester

• TRACK & FIELD

Noah Canty, Stonehill College • BASEBALL Connor Garland, The United Henry Fleckner, Tufts University States Federal Merchant Marine Cole Doyon, Ithaca College Academy (USMMA) Ryan Douglas, Stonehill College Michael Berluti, Tufts University Dylan Reilly, Rollins College Vince Gilchrist, Bryant University Patrick Hart, Endicott College Thomas Garland, Massachusetts Cam Harris, Worcester Maritime Academy Polytechnic Institute Mike Gordon, Union College Marc Cedrone, Bentley University John Connolly, Endicott College • GOLF Dan Elliott, Endicott College Eric Boulger, University of Connecticut

University of New Hampshire at Manchester

Nikolas Lorthe ’21

University of Scranton University of South Carolina University of Southern California University of St Andrews University of Utah University of Vermont University of Wisconsin (Madison) Vermont Technical College Villanova University Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Wagner College Wentworth Institute of Technology Western New England University Westfield State University Wheaton College William and Mary Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester State University

FINDING HARMONY DURING COVID Xaverian Music Program Hits All the Right Notes Written by Nicholas Daoust ’21, Communications Corps

I

f you know Xaverian Brothers High School, you’ve no doubt heard the saying “In harmony small things grow.”

In a COVID-regulated school year, harmony was hard to find, but Fine Arts Department Chairperson Dr. Robert Thorp still invoked this phrase to describe the Xaverian music program’s necessary shift in the face of the pandemic: “It’s with this that we continue to nurture music in our school and in the hearts of our community.”

Given what Dr. Thorp called “the nature of the pandemic” as a respiratory risk, the first necessary action was deciding which instruments were no longer practical under new restrictions. “In adhering to the state regulations regarding wind instruments, Xaverian was able to shift all wind players to percussion for this academic year,” said Mr. William Ricciardelli, who teaches grades 7 and 8 music. “This gave students the opportunity to study various percussion instruments, such as snare drum and bells, as well as continue in building a strong rhythmic foundation that will aid them on any instrument.” And the transition to percussion was not an exclusively curricular shift; as Mr. Ricciardelli further explained, the new extracurricular drumline Hawk-Force-1 “provided students in grades 7-12 with the opportunity to participate in a unique ensemble composed of snare drums, bass drums, tenors, and cymbals.” Meeting on a weekly basis to practice formation drills for future Xaverian events, the drumline was an exciting “compliment to the Jazz Band and Pep Band.”

Choral rehearsals faced similar challenges, but Xaverian’s music program was quick to adapt to a new COVIDfriendly environment. As Director of Choral Activities Mr. Murray Kidd mentions, state guidelines prohibited indoor singing,

requiring instead sufficiently-masked, sufficiently-distanced outdoor rehearsals. “X-Men and Choir shifted and sang outside as much as possible,” says Mr. Kidd, who began bringing the singing ensembles onto the tennis courts for practice. Another of his innovative techniques was mixing individual student recordings to create a collective track that mimicked group singing. “Students learned music independently and we prepared recordings for broadcasting,” he says. “It isn't easy recording music on your own as a member of an ensemble, but the guys did well and had a good attitude.”

Curricular music classes found as much success as the music program’s extracurricular ensembles.

Finding the silver lining within challenging circumstances, Dr. Thorp said, “We used this as an opportunity to focus on rhythmic fundamentals as well as music literacy and sight reading”—skills that he said are the foundation to musical performance for any aspiring musician.

Fortunately, a sense of normalcy still persisted within individual curricula; the Mac computers were still put to good use, with obligatory cleaning and vacancy procedures, and students adjusted well to a fully-masked and safely-distanced creative learning environment. “The Xaverian music program continues to grow,” says Dr. Thorp, “because of the love and enthusiasm of our students.”

Nathan Sayers ’25

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LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD Xaverian’s Thoughts on Life in a Pandemic

In a year that has often been described as “unprecedented,” there is a lot upon which we can reflect. With a renewed sense of hope from the onset of mass vaccinations and the lifting of restrictions, Xaverian students, faculty, and administrators were asked to reflect on what has been (to say the least!) a memorable year. Here’s what they had to say.

What was your most memorable pandemic moment?

Mr. Chris Roche, Computer Science Teacher: I think for me, it was being outside

with the 8th grade on the fields during their lunch break on the first day students didn’t have to wear masks outside. Since I am a first year teacher, this was the first time I saw them just playing!

Krish Shah ’22: My first virtual class and

logging on to the Zoom meeting to see all of my classmates in front of my eyes, but simultaneously so far away. It symbolized the start of a new experience, but also a realization of how fortunate I was to belong to a school that valued the education of its students, as Xaverian almost immediately continued learning after the pandemic first hit through this new format.

Kush Mehrotra ’25: My birthday in 2020. I

was very happy all day, but toward the end of the day I was feeling a little bit lonely...I was missing my friends this year. Just then, I heard honking in front of the driveway, and I saw so many of my friends in their cars holding happy birthday signs, yelling, waving, and honking! I was so surprised and so happy.

Did you pick up any new hobbies, habits, or interests during the past year-plus? What were they?

Rishu Nevatia ’23: To be honest, I didn’t

really pick up any new hobbies, I just rekindled my relationship with old ones. I had almost stopped reading entirely, but due to the need to stay indoors, I began to read again. I used to read every single waking second of my life, and 6

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I missed the familiar feel of being transported to a new universe. Now that I am reading again, I can’t stop!

Mrs. Donna O’Connor, P ’01, Special Projects Manager: Watching ‘Stars in the

House’ on YouTube has been a lot of fun; but more notably, on the very first day of quarantine, I began keeping a document of what I was making for dinner each night planned it out for every week - and I have never stopped. It began as a guide for a shopping list, but then turned into something I looked forward to doing. I’m still doing it and have no intention of stopping. Give me a date, and I’ll tell you what we had for dinner!

As restrictions are lifted and things begin to open up, what are you most excited about for post-pandemic life?

Antwine Burdett, Jr. ’24: I am most excited

about making new friends and exploring new adventures on campus. I am looking forward to experiencing all that Xaverian has to offer.

Brendan Colin ’22: As the world returns to

normal, I’m looking forward to seeing the people I’ve missed and doing the things I couldn’t for over a year...I think that across society, as people start seeing loved ones again, the world will heal and humanity will reunite. Over the past year and a half or so, millions of people across the globe have suffered.

While I haven’t been affected nearly as much as some people, I pray that those who have felt the explosion of COVID

the most will start to get better and have hope for a brighter future.

What is something you found positive or convenient about life under quarantine that you will miss in the future?

Mr. Conor Fitzgerald ’09, Social Studies Teacher: The amount of time I was able to

spend with my family, and how life did seem slower.

Max Nicholson ’22: I found remote learning extremely convenient, as I am sure many other people did as well. The ability to create my own schedule allowed me to complete my tasks much more effectively and be more productive throughout the day.

COVID BY THE NUMBERS

The changes wrought by COVID-19 required significant investment from Xaverian in PPE, specialized cleaning tools and products, technology, and so much more (from storage containers for the 630 desks removed from classrooms to the purchase of 144 adirondack chairs for outdoor mask breaks, to the addition of six new employees). Here’s a look at a few of these stunning stats.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Ms. Jenna Vona, Theology Teacher: Even though holidays were not what we are used to, I did find living through quarantine holidays refocused my family on what matters most.

We will be so thankful to just be in each other’s company without worry for the holidays. I hope that realization stays with us in the future.

What was your favorite part about coming back to school in-person this past fall?

Mrs. Laura Guzzi, P ’24, World Language Teacher: I love seeing the students and my

colleagues. I love observing the interactions between the members of our community. I love just being physically present with the people I care about, both colleagues and students.

Thomas Skerry ’22: The best part about

coming back was getting active again. With a modified cross country season and clubs in person, instead of being tired from a long school day I would feel excited to get to my after school activity.

Liam Maguire ’22: Seeing a lot of my friends again in person after not seeing them in around six months...It felt like a somewhat normal thing, despite all of the irregularities.

Mr. Jim Lewis, P ’95, ’02, World Language Teacher: I was so happy to have

my first class with students physically present in my room in September. Although hybrid

teaching was a big step forward, the real joy came when we were finally able to be fully in-person during the past several weeks. It was so exciting to have my entire class present for the first time in over a year with no Zoom necessary!

181,855 Hand wipes 34,900 Gloves 8,449 Oz. of hand sanitizer 3,327 Masks 205 Face shields

TECHNOLOGY

How has the Xaverian community supported you during this time?

Mr. Stephen Brennen, World Language Teacher: They’ve been the best, and have

accommodated my needs every step of the way.

Ethan Duhamel ’23: My teachers have kept

the workload reasonable and they made sure that students both online and in person got a chance to participate in class, and my friends who I hadn’t seen in almost a year were glad to see me, just like I was glad to see them.

150 Zoom licenses 91 Laptops (compatible to

livestream from classroom)

65 Docking stations 50 Classroom cameras 10 Microphones for

classrooms with noisy vents

Ryan Mullen ’22: Xaverian has allowed me to have the same opportunities as any normal school year despite all of the challenges. I know that many other kids did not have access to certain sports or clubs that I have as a result of Xaverian’s effort.

7 Document cameras

Dr. Jacob Conca ’94, Head of School:

2 Extra physical cable drops for

Seeing everyone do their best, support one another, and really work to live the Xaverian mission, especially when it comes to supporting one another. That was powerful and I drew strength from witnessing this each day.

for remote teaching

5 Webcams 4 Extra wifi access points for outside coverage (mask break areas)

office moves due to Covid spacing requirements

1 External antenna for Brother Daniel Skala, C.F.X. Plaza

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STOPPING HATE

LESSONS FROM THE HOLOCAUST Written by Nicholas Daoust ’21, Communications Corps

These are the words of Louise Lawrence-Israëls.

She is a Dutch-Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, and she visited Xaverian’s eighth graders via Zoom this May with her moving story of perseverance through hate. Lawrence-Israëls was born in Germanoccupied Holland, and at only six months old was moved to a small attic in Amsterdam to escape rising antisemitic profiling and Nazi persecution. For two and a half years, she lived in hiding with her mother, father, brother, and family friend, Selma, whose own family had already been tragically deported from the Netherlands by Nazi leaders. During this time, Lawrence-Israëls was denied even her own identity in exchange for the family’s safety—because of necessary false identification, Louise explained, “I thought my name was Maria.”

Louise Lawrence-Israëls in hiding as a young girl during the Holocaust

“Our life was very quiet,” Lawrence-Israëls remarked to our Francis Xavier Division students, who have been studying Holocaust accounts as part of the eighth grade theology curriculum. “There was nothing coming in from outside—it was just us. My parents never told us about the outside world, and they never told us about their worries.”

Despite the horrors of these two and a half years— years marked by hidden anxieties, sickness, and hunger—Lawrence-Israëls maintains that she was “a happy little girl,” oblivious to her family’s precarity, thanks to the strength of her parents: “I 8

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was a normal child who happened to be in hiding for two years.”

When their hiding ended in 1945 with the Canadian liberation of Amsterdam, Louise and her brother were initially wary of the new world they found outside the attic. “The sun blinded us—we didn’t know about that, and it was scary,” she explained. “We thought if you walked off the end of the street, you would fall right off.” But, as she said, children are resilient. After years of scarcity, their first taste of dessert post-liberation changed their minds: “Being free meant eating cookies.”

Lawrence-Israëls is a speaker from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The Museum’s Office of Survivor Affairs offers schools, civic groups, military bases, and other institutions nationwide the opportunity to hear a Holocaust survivor share his or her experiences. A major theme of her presentation doubles as the USHMM’s founding principle: “Never again.” Lawrence-Israëls and other USHMM speakers educate young people about the Holocaust in order to prevent recurring instances of genocide across the globe. Xaverian students later examined this idea, comparing Lawrence-Israëls’s story to their studies of Elie

Wiesel’s Night before continuing the day with other activities meant to memorialize the tragedy of the Holocaust and discuss its lasting effects. As Krish Dhingra ’25 eloquently commented after the presentation in his small group discussion, “Hate comes out of hate. The best thing we can do is stop hating in our own lives.”

Pictured here is Krish Dhingra ’25. After studying Elie Wiesel’s Night, students created identity boxes to reflect on how experiences shape our identity. The boxes are stored in a custom wooden box that was created in the X-Ploration Center, in order to demonstrate that the students are each part of one larger Class of 2025 community.

CELEBRATING ONE YEAR of ACADEMIC X-PLORATION Written by Joseph Martucci '24, Communications Corps

X

furniture building to newscast creation, the X-Ploration Center has quickly become a new favorite spot on campus. We can’t wait to see all that is to come for the X-Ploration Center’s second year.

A TE E CRinnovate

RN

Grade 8 students created models of the island in Lord of the Flies in the X-Ploration Center.

Henry Schwartz '26 and Charlie Roberts '26 take on the role of newscasters for their grade 7 social studies class.

EA

averian Brothers High School is celebrating a successful first academic year for the X-Ploration Center, which was constructed during the summer of 2020 and was ready for use at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.

The X-Ploration Center was built as a way to increase hands-on learning opportunities and to provide students with access to new technologies and opportunities for creative problem solving. The Center enables students to demonstrate their knowledge of the curriculum through activity-based learning, using the abundant resources available, ranging from 3-D printers and laser cutters to larger workshop-style tables, and even green screens for superimposing backgrounds during video production, all under the supervision of Mr. Ryan Howard, Director of the X-Ploration Center.

Mr. Howard is a veteran science teacher with nearly 20 years of experience at Xaverian. He was appointed Director of the X-Ploration Center in the spring of 2020 and was instrumental in building out the space.

“In this new role, I’ve been able to watch as students have learned how to use new tools and instruments, and have been truly excited about what they are learning. Seeing the creativity of our faculty and our students has been so gratifying.”

From students building aquaponic gardens to English classes creating 3-D models of the island in Lord of the Flies, and

L

Sam Maloof ’21 helps to build the adirondack chair.

This adirondack chair was hand built by students in the X-Ploration Center to commemorate the pandemic school year, as adirondack chairs were placed throughout campus to allow for mask and lunch breaks.

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Pictured (l-r) is Krish Shah ’22 and Michael Parent ’22

X-PLORING SCIENCE K

rish Shah ’22 and Michael Parent ’22 take conscientious, inquisitive, and driven to new levels. They’re the founders of Xaverian’s newest club for 2020-2021, X-Ploring the World of Modern Science. It’s an amalgamation of all things science, whether that’s learning from existing research and sharing their findings in scientific articles, encouraging their fellow students to embrace the COVID-19 vaccine, or tackling design and build projects. Krish and Michael have shown no lack of creativity, enthusiasm, or organization, as they’ve piloted their fledgling club through its first year, and they’ve brought Mr. Ryan Howard along with them for the journey.

Afterall, he’s a large part of the reason they’re so interested in science. Krish explains, “Michael is a really good friend of mine. We were in Mr. Howard’s AP Chemistry class last year and we sat next to each other. We had a shared interest in science and I thought he was the right person to co-found this club with me. He wants to go into ecology and I want to go into biochemistry, so we thought that it would be the perfect way to start that off.”

It all began with COVID-19. As the world raced for a vaccine, it became clear to Krish that science is important, and that professionals across scientific fields are doing research and making contributions to the world that can improve and save lives. He wanted to talk about it, and he wanted other students to talk about it, too. So he approached Michael about creating a club to share their love of science and to highlight (for both

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club members and the student population as a whole) the contributions of scientists around the worId. Michael jumped on board and they knew they needed a club moderator. At the same time, they heard about the X-Ploration Center that would be opening, and that Mr. Howard had been named the director. It all came together – a new club called X-Ploring the World of Modern Science, moderated by Mr. Howard, operating out of the X-Ploration Center.

“It was the perfect coincidence,” says Michael. “It also shaped our idea of the club, because having these resources in the X-Ploration Center allows us to do so much more than if we had just been in a classroom.”

Hybrid learning made meetings for their new club complicated. Rather than the handson experiments and model building they were anxious to get into, they settled for some solid scientific research to get their year under way.

Each member of the club researched a specific topic and the group published their first scholarly journal. Whether it was “The Ethical Concerns of CRISPR Cas9” or “The Inferno Dilemma,” students took on the role of science reporters and shared their articles in an online publication. With the return of full in-person learning, the club was able to meet collectively and start some more hands-on projects, such as creating a 3-D design for a water dam that could combat rising sea levels and building a solar

panel. Now they’re looking ahead to next year and beyond. Krish and Michael want to ensure their club continues after they’ve graduated, so they’re grooming new leadership to be ready to take the reins upon their graduation. But it’s not just about their club; they really want Xaverian students to be as excited about science as they

Michael Parent ’22 works to build a solar panel in the X-Ploration Center

are, and to take advantage of all the X-Ploration Center has to offer.

“Krish and Michael have shown a true passion for science,” says Mr. Howard. “But more importantly, they have also worked as enthusiastic ambassadors teaching the younger students that science can be both interesting and fun. I look forward to seeing what they come up with next year as their club continues to grow.”

MEET MR. HOWARD, DIRECTOR OF THE X-PLORATION CENTER

Mr. Ryan Howard joined the Xaverian faculty in the 2002-2003 school year. He holds a B.S. in chemistry from Saint Francis University as well as a master’s in chemistry and a master’s in education from Boston College. He has published both scientific and educational research articles in various journals and presented at the National Science Teachers Association meeting regarding 21st century learning in science. In addition to serving as Director of the X-Ploration Center and teaching science at Xaverian, Mr. Howard also coaches FXD cross country, varsity indoor track, and varsity outdoor track, and he co-moderates the ski club and moderates the cribbage tournament.

(And yes, they made new cribbage boards in the X-Ploration Center this year.)

Lastly, Mr. Howard is a part-time superhero. (Ok, he’s not. But he is a really good sport about saying yes to any wild ideas of his colleagues.)

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sports Spring 2021

Varsity Baseball is #1 The Hawks Cap an 18-1 Season with the D1 Title

I

n a year when championships were hard

season into July. However, on July 5, the Hawks

three times each, and eliminating highly-

to come by (with state tournament play

defeated Leominster 2-0 to clinch the third D1

ranked King Phillip, Braintree, Taunton, and

largely cancelled due to COVID concerns),

title in school history—the first since 2012.

Franklin in tournament play. They picked up

This team was ready for it. Led by Head

the Catholic Conference tournament crown

win felt sweeter than ever for the Hawks. It

Coach Gerry Lambert ’88, they dominated

on their road to the championship, and for

almost seemed like it wouldn’t happen as

throughout their 18-1 season, beating

the first time in 30 years, a Hawk was named

rain cancellations dragged an already late

conference foes BC High and St. John’s Prep

Catholic Conference MVP. That honor went

Xaverian’s varsity baseball Division-1 title

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Marc Cedrone ’21

to catcher Matt Brinker ’22, who is already

outs, Cedrone induced a soft grounder to the

committed to Northeastern University.

shortstop, but an errant throw sailed over the

Marc Cedrone ’21 (Bentley University),

first baseman’s glove. The Leominster runner

who pitched a no-hitter in his first varsity

scrambled toward second base, attempting to

appearance on May 10 against BC High, was

capitalize on the throwing error, not realizing

in total command against Leominster, pitching

that catcher Matt Brinker had sprinted down

a complete-game shutout and striking out 13

the first baseline anticipating a potential

batters with no walks. And facing one of the

overthrow. Brinker picked up the ball and

state’s top pitchers, the Hawks did what was

delivered a perfect throw to second baseman

needed at the plate to secure the title. Henry

Henry Fleckner, who slapped down the tag for

Fleckner ’21 (Tufts University) and Matt

the final out of the game.

Brinker drew first-inning walks. Ryan Douglas

“This was an extremely challenging

’21 (Stonehill College) singled up the middle

year for many reasons, but this team and

to send Fleckner home for the early 1-0

coaching staff really capped it off in a way

lead. John Connolly ’21 (Endicott College)

that we couldn’t imagine,” says Mr. Ted Currle,

smashed a solo home run in the fourth,

Xaverian’s Director of Athletics. “It was a great

expanding the Hawks’ lead to 2-0. Cedrone

run and they beat some phenomenal teams.

stifled the Leominster offense for the rest of

We’re just so proud of them.”

the afternoon, allowing just three hits in seven innings.

Pitching, defense, and timely hitting were the keys throughout the postseason.

The Hawks outscored their opponents 3413 through the D1 playoffs. Each game, it seemed that a different member of the team stepped up to be the hero. John Connolly launched two clutch home runs to eliminate Franklin High, Matt Brinker had two wall-ball doubles in the State Semifinals vs. the Prep, and Ryan Douglas crushed a 400foot moonshot against King Phillip.

The last play of the title game was

ROSTER Matt Brinker ’22

Cam Grindle ’23

Marc Cedrone ’21

Cam Harris ’21

Justice Ciampa ’21

Pat Hart ’21

John Connolly ’21

Jack Haynes ’22

Drew Cookson ’21

Bryce Kiley ’21

TJ Dimitriou ’22

Nico Lambros ’22

Ryan Douglas ’21

Nick Lewis ’21

Daniel Elliott ’21

Ty Longo ’22

Henry Fleckner ’21

Dylan Reilly ’21

Liam Foley ’21

Hunter Wolcott ’21

a microcosm of the season. With two

Matt Brinker ’22 Catholic Conference League MVP Summer 2021

Xaverian Magazine

13

Victory!

Hawks soar to top of the Catholic Conference Tournament with 2-1 win over CM

A

muted celebration in a rink-adjacent changing area (rather than a locker room) was the scene following the Catholic Conference clinching game back on February 16. The Hawks had fallen to the Knights 2-1, but due to the results of other conference games had broken a 53-year drought and claimed the conference crown. Players sat on their chairs, still dressed, and took in the news with at best a half smile. Despite appearances in seven of the last thirteen Super 8 tournaments, a title had eluded the program. This one didn’t feel like the triumphant end to a grueling campaign. It felt like unfinished business.

Focused and hungry, the Hawks had rebounded from a 2-2 start and finished the season at 5-3-2. In the always hypercompetitive Catholic Conference, their record was rewarded with the top seed in the first-ever conference tournament. A Friday night semifinal victory over Malden Catholic set up a rematch with Catholic Memorial.

A spirited first period saw the boys from Baker Street strike first, while the Hawks would find the equalizer a mere four minutes later on a shot from Joe Di Martino ’23. The usual strong play of the Hawk’s penalty kill unit held the tie score, but it would be netminder Kevin McGrath ’21 who was tasked with rising to the biggest moment of the night. Following a penalty in the Xaverian crease, CM was awarded a penalty shot.

McGrath stayed up on his skates for what seemed like an eternity, baiting the 5-hole shot that he knew was coming from his film study and familiarity with the CM

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The Xaverian hockey team erupts in celebration as the clock hits 00:00 in the Catholic Conference Final. offensive players. Finally dropping low, he turned the shot aside with a stick save, the most important of the 25 he would make over the course of the evening. Minutes later, Braden O’Hara ’22 put the Hawks ahead for good with a backhanded bid that sailed over the right shoulder of CM’s goalie.

As the clock hit all zeros, gloves and helmets flew into the air and a raucous celebration ensued. “We were fortunate to have a season and appreciated the efforts and all the support that we received from the administration,” said Head Coach Dave Spinale, P ’21.

His pride in the sacrifices that the

boys made to ensure the season continued was topped only by the joy he saw in his seniors as they rushed the ice. “We were happy that the senior class was

able to have a season...that was so much fun. The whole team worked so hard to get there and they all contributed, and were all rewarded.”

ROSTER Andrew Barton ’21

Will Fondo ’21

Braden O’Hara ’22

Peter Barton ’21

Owen Gunning ’22

Kevin Parrish ’22

Brock Casey ’22

Pat Hart ’21

Jesse Peck ’24

Trevor Connolly ’21

Kyle Harvey ’21

Kevin Richardi ’22

Joe Crowley ’21

Shane Heron ’22

Aiden Rodriguez ’22

Jake Curley ’22

Max Lockwood ’22

Jack Silva ’22

Joe Di Martino ’23

Kevin McGrath ’21

Shane Spinale ’21

Nolan Dion ’22

Gavin Moynihan ’23

Sean Steck ’22

Thomas Dunn ’23

Front row, l to r: Alex Kelly ’21, Braden O’Hara ’22, Philip Gelso ’21 (captain), Hunter Follen ’21 (captain), Noah Mcguire ’21 (captain), Nick Gillespie ’21, Kevin Richardi ’22, AJ MacIssac ’21, Ryan Mullen ’22, and team manager, Logan Duhammel ’21. Back row, l to r: Jonathan Ewanchuk ’22, Jon Tierney ’21, Will Nelson ’21, Dan Cogliandro ’22, Dan Almeda ’23, James Murphy ’21, Abishek Raja ’22, Ryan Hurley ’21, and Andrew Flaherty ’21.

The ULTIMATE Champions!

X

averian’s ultimate disc team came out

It was truly a team effort, as every player

come and cheer on JV ultimate in their

with spirit and force to win the state

threw and caught at least one goal

playoffs as well. In practice and in games,

throughout the ultimate season.

the Hawks conducted themselves with honor

championship this year. After a one-month

“This team was special,” says Coach

and good sportsmanship. They recognized

a loss to Natick and key wins over BC High,

Joe Sotelo. “Former players were texting

in themselves and in each other the value

Needham, Sharon, and Medway, Xaverian

and encouraging this year’s team, even

and zeal of playing hard for their brothers,

entered the state playoffs. They settled

recording video messages of support. Our

and were committed to helping each other in

the score with Natick for the state title,

varsity players, while busy with finals and

their team goals.”

relentlessly chipping away to a 15-13 win.

their own playoff run, made it a point to

shortened season (due to COVID-19), with

Swimming & Diving Congratulations to Steven Koertje ’21, Xaverian’s

as a 279.40 (first place finish!) in the 2021 Catholic

first-ever, six-year diver, for making it into the Hawks’

Conference. For a little historical data, see the stats to

HAWK DIVING HIGH SCORERS

record books! Steven (who qualified for the state meet

the right. Steven, like all Hawk divers since the 2002-

Historical Data

all six years, grades 7-12) has set the record for the

2003 season, was coached by Eastern Massachusetts

highest score ever achieved by a Xaverian diver—480.60

Swimming and Diving Hall of Famer, Jim Locke. He will

at the 2021 state meet (second place finish!), as well

attend Villanova University in the fall.

Steven Koertje ’21 11 Dives, State Meet, 2nd place, 480.60 6 Dives, Catholic Conference Meet, 1st place, 279.40 Adam Devito ’08 11 Dives, State Meet, 4th place, 368.40 6 Dives, Catholic Conference Meet, 1st place, 264.25 Matt DePalo ’11 11 Dives, State Meet, 4th place, 389.75 6 Dives, Catholic Conference Meet, 2nd place, 264.25

Pictured here (l to r) is Steven Koertje ’21 with one of his fellow co-captains, Justin Foster ’21. The other two captains were Timothy Bowers ’21 and Michael Scuderi ’21.

Pictured here (l to r) are swim and dive coaches, Jim Locke, Courtland Morse ’70, and Jim Stallings, celebrating Mr. Morse’s coaching retirement after more than 20 years with the Hawks swim and dive team. Congratulations, Mr. Morse!

Cole Buckovich ’15 11 Dives, State Meet, 5th place, 444.95

Summer 2021

Xaverian Magazine

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Join us for the 26th annual GOLF CLASSIC 9.27.21 | Wellesley Country Club

Sponsorships are available! Register at

www.xbhs.com/golf-classic 16

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Congratulations To Our Retirees!

With over 100 years of collective Xaverian experience, the retirements of Mr. Jim Lewis, Mrs. Paula Duddy, and Mrs. Donna O’Connor will certainly be felt by all in our community. Here’s a look back at their decades of service to Xaverian, as we wish them all the best on their next endeavours.

Jim Lewis, P ’95, ’02 World Language Teacher, 2001 Ryken Award Winner

W

hether he was known to a student as Herr Lewis, Señor Lewis, or Mr. Lewis, few have passed through Xaverian Brothers High School in almost 50 years and not known and loved Jim Lewis. Jim was hired as a mathematics and German teacher in the 1973-1974 school year by Brother William Drinan, C.F.X. World languages ultimately won out and he spent his career teaching thousands of young men to speak German and Spanish.

Over the last five decades, Jim has served as a teacher, department chair (12 years), coach (Alpine Ski), chaperone, bus driver, moderator, and most recently, as the unofficial chief preserver of the history of the Xaverian Brothers at the school. He has done yeoman’s work to capture the stories of these Brothers in order to hand them down as part of the school’s collective history, ensuring that the Brothers’ legacy lives on into the future. Jim sends his regards to Brother Daniel Skala, Brother Joe Pawlika, Brother Paul Feeney, Brother Richard Mazza, Brother Richard Cook, Brother Henry Marino, and Brother Kevin McClean, all of whom he served with while at Xaverian, as well as many other memorable and dedicated Brothers who have since passed on.

Having served as a mentor to countless teachers over the years, as he prepares for retirement (which will include travel, time with his grandchildren, and some antiquing), Jim shares his words of wisdom for new faculty and staff. He says, “The best advice I could impart would be to really incorporate the mission of the school into the fiber of everything you do here at Xaverian. It is what makes this school great and sets us apart from so many others.”

Q& A How is Xaverian different now than when you began working here?

The changes in the school are obvious as you walk throughout the building.

What has not changed is the Mission and spirit in the school which is palpable to anyone who walks through our doors.

What are your plans for retirement?

I plan to travel, spend time with my grandchildren, and buy and sell antiques and collectibles.

If you could ensure a particular legacy at Xaverian, what would it be?

I would like people to remember me as someone who loved his work, and who flavored his contributions here with humor and kindness.

Favorite language (and do you speak it?)

I can speak English, German and Spanish with some degree of fluency. If I could ingest a chip, and become instantly fluent in another, I would choose Italian or French. I have studied both of those languages, but lack real fluency.

I spent 48 years here because I believe that Xaverian is one of the finest schools in the entire Northeast. I found the work and mission of our school very meaningful, and I cherished the opportunity to be able to incorporate my faith life into my professional calling. One year led to the next, and here I am as a 70-year-old man ready to move on to the next chapter of my life in retirement.

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Congratulations To Our Retirees!

(CONTINUED)

Paula Duddy, P ’93, ’95 Fine Arts Teacher, 2005 Ryken Award Winner

F

or Paula Duddy, Xaverian Brothers people by starting an arts program for children High School is more than a career or struggling with autism. Of her legacy at Xaverian, a calling, it’s her family. Paula became Paula says, “I hope that I will be remembered as a familiar with the school through her worker among workers, each of whom was striving husband, the famed Charlie Duddy, Jr., who in his/her own way to provide a safe and bountiful was serving as a physics teacher and science educational experience for our students.” department chair in the 1980s. “He loved Xaverian and always bragged about the school,” she says. Paula became part of the community If you could give advice to new teachers or staff as Charlie’s wife, attending events, meeting members, what would it be? the Brothers, and bringing their children onto Take advantage of all of the outstanding campus. So when an art teacher position became training available at Xaverian to help you to grow available in 1986, she applied and was hired by in your ministry, whatever it may be. Remember Brother Richard Cook. For more than three that students want to be in a safe and caring decades, Paula has been the driving force behind learning environment where they feel cherished and the fine arts curriculum at Xaverian. Under authentically understood. Honor the parents of our her leadership, what was an arts department of one has become a talented team of teachers, offering a robust menu of both curricular (32 academic classes, including two advanced placement classes) and extracurricular opportunities for I hope that I will be remembered as Xaverian students. a worker among workers, each of In her decades at Xaverian, Paula worked with many of the whom was striving in his/her own Xaverian Brothers, including way to provide a safe and bountiful Brother Paul Feeney, Brother educational experience for our Joseph Gerard, Brother Jason Black, Brother Richard Cook, Brother students.

Charles Moran, Brother Daniel Skala, Brother Raymond Hoyt, and Brother Joseph Pawlika. She says, “When I look back to my early years at Xaverian, I was always impressed with the community that the brothers had formed. All of the brothers were so welcoming and supportive. During my tenure I have been equally impressed with the dedication of the lay men and women who have shared their Xaverian ministry with the zeal and humility that has become part of the Xaverian tradition.”

Paula’s service at Xaverian extended far beyond the classroom. She formed the Art Club and the National Art Honor Society, served as artistic director for The Concordian (the school’s literary magazine) since its inception, was the producer for theatrical productions, assembled a liturgical music group, and served as department chair for an incredible span—32 years!

Additionally, she traveled as a chaperone five times for campus ministry’s Xaverian Pilgrimage to Italy (XPI).

In her retirement, Paula plans to spend as much time as possible with her children and grandchildren in California. She also wants to continue bringing art into the lives of young

Q& A

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students who do so much to make our school a very special place.

What will you miss the most about Xaverian?

What I will miss the most is the energy that radiates throughout the school. I believe that “XB Energy” is contagious and that it moves reciprocally in a circular motion from student to teacher. I will sorely miss that profound energy.

Secondly, I will miss the professionalism of all of my colleagues who continually each and every day raise the bar of excellence of our Xaverian community to new heights.

Favorite Museum and Favorite Artist: The Met and Andy Goldsworthy.

There are so many wonderful people at Xaverian; it would be unfortunate to not experience their friendship, humor, talent, and passions. Enjoy the opportunity you have been given to be part of this amazing community.

Donna O’Connor, P ’01 Special Projects Manager

D

onna O’Connor began her role at Xaverian as a volunteer in 1997 while her son was a student. She took volunteering to a new level, coming in on a weekly basis to assist in the advancement office, coordinating the raffle drive, and lending a hand on special events. Since 2002, she has officially served as an integral member of the advancement team in a variety of capacities, most recently as the Special Projects Manager.

However, no title can adequately capture Donna’s role at Xaverian. For nearly 20 years, she has served as the keeper of the details for the school community, from cataloging news for 10,000+ alumni (such as birth announcements, marriages, and new jobs), to ensuring that special events are decorated to the nines, to mapping out the meetings and events calendar for the year... even catering! Donna single-handedly shopped, cooked, and served for countless special occasions at Xaverian, including meetings of the Board of Trustees, as well as community events like the teacher appreciation breakfast. And she took her love for all things culinary into the student community as founder and moderator of

the Cooking Club.

When asked what she will miss most about Xaverian, Donna enthusiastically replies, “The people! The visits from students to solve the wuzzle (a word puzzle) and collect candy, faculty stopping by to chat and grab a sweet treat, Dave Palmieri exuberantly waving at me through the window in my office, our volunteers who are a joy to have around, and of course, the friendship of my colleagues. I consider myself very lucky.”

Her parting advice to those at Xaverian Brothers High School is to embrace the opportunities to get to know people. She says, “There are so many wonderful people at Xaverian; it would be unfortunate to not experience their friendship, humor, talent, and passions. Enjoy the opportunity you have been given to be part of this amazing community.”

Q& A If you could ensure a particular legacy at Xaverian, what would it be?

I think I would like to leave memories of moments and events that brought people comfort

and made them feel ‘warm and fuzzy.’ It would be nice to know if I could have had a hand in something that brought beauty, a laugh, or a smile to someone’s life.

What are your plans for retirement?

I want to be available for the caregiving and support of family members who need extra time and attention. When time allows, I look forward to tackling lots of projects that have taken a backseat for so long, as well as getting back to taking vacations again. Of course, the silver lining will be in spending as much time as possible with my grandchildren!

Favorite thing to cook for colleagues?

There are so many items that I have enjoyed making over the years, but I think the one that stands out would have to be my cornbread stuffing, which I include in one of my sandwiches. The reason it stands out to me is because of the pure joy it brought to Steve Dacey ’95 (Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning) when he described to me how he loved to eat it “like an ice cream sandwich when it squishes out of the side.” His reaction is the reason people cook from their heart!

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Mr. Stephen Dacey ’95 with his wife Renee, and his children, Stephen and Sabrina

MR. DACEY WINS THE RYKEN AWARD

M

r. Stephen Dacey, Xaverian’s Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning and 1995 alumnus, remembers his first time on campus as a young child—he and his father were sitting in the bleachers for a football game and the score was 3-0.

However, he wasn’t rooting for the Xaverian Hawks; rather, he was on the visiting team’s side. Mr. Dacey and his father were at the home of the Hawks to cheer on the BC High Eagles, as was family tradition.

His father and uncles were all BC High grads and it was assumed that young Mr. Dacey would be an Eagle someday, too. That is, until he looked at both schools in eighth grade and fell in love with Xaverian’s science program.

His father gave his approval and eventually became enamored with the school himself. Now after nearly three decades of affiliation with Xaverian, Mr. Dacey has been awarded the highest honor given to

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an adult in the school community, the Ryken Award.

Though he is known for being a talented administrator, Mr. Dacey says he is a teacher at heart. “I love teaching; it’s my passion,” he says. “When you see those ‘aha’ moments, no matter what class it’s in, that makes it all worth it.”

After graduating from Xaverian, he went onto Stonehill College where he earned a Bachelor of Science in biology. He started teaching at the Red Cloud Indian School at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He went from there to NASA, working at the Goddard Space Flight Center to improve educational use and access of NASA data applications in the classroom. “It was an amazing job, but it was also a systemic job,” says Mr. Dacey. “It was more training teachers than teaching students, and I missed the teaching aspect.”

With a desire to return to the classroom, Mr. Dacey planned to

move back to Massachusetts and applied for positions at a variety of schools. As luck would have it, his mother ran into Mr. Domenic Lalli, P ’98, Xaverian’s former principal, while out grocery shopping. Mr. Lalli asked how her son was doing and she said he’d be returning home soon. One thing led to another, and Mr. Dacey’s career on Clapboardtree Street began in 2003. He has since earned his Master of Education from Boston College (2008) and is presently a doctoral candidate (2022) in BC’s Professional School Administrator Program.

In his 17 years working at Xaverian, Mr. Dacey has taught a variety of subjects, served as a department chair, and held two administrator positions (while continuing to teach). He also served as a volleyball coach (two years at the JV level and six years at varsity) and has been active with campus ministry, coordinating

Xaverian Global Encounter trips to South Dakota, Ecuador, New Orleans, and Chicago. “No matter the request, Mr. Dacey always says ‘yes’ for the benefit of our school and our students,” says Dr. Jacob Conca ’94, Ph.D., Head of School.

“He demonstrates a particular zeal for Xaverian education and has a can-do, upbeat attitude. These are among many reasons he was selected as this year’s Ryken Award winner.”

The Ryken Award is bestowed annually as part of Xaverian Brothers High School’s Founder’s Day liturgy, which celebrates Theodore James Ryken, founder of the Congregation of St. Francis Xavier (more commonly known as the Xaverian Brothers). It signifies an exceptional commitment to Ryken’s vision and dedication to the core values of a Xaverian Brothers education. This year, the liturgy was held virtually due to COVID-19.

However, as is tradition, the name of the Ryken Award winner is kept secret and the winner’s family members are brought on campus as a surprise. When Mr. Dacey’s name was called, he walked into the main office and was greeted by his family.

There were his children, Sabrina and Stephen, his wife, Renee, and his mother, Jane Dacey, P ’95, ’98.

And while his father passed away 15 years ago after a long battle with illness, Mr. Dacey says he was there, too: “I broke the rules and gave my mom a hug for the first time since March, and I think we both knew in that moment that my dad was present in spirit.”

Though he could never have known it that day as a young boy sitting on the visitors’ side of the bleachers with his dad, now decades later Mr. Dacey is an integral part of the Xaverian story. In his humility, he acknowledges this blessing: “At the risk of sounding corny, I have my family, my students, and my colleagues. They all put a smile on my face,” he says. “Mr. Lalli (former principal) would walk down the hall asking faculty, ‘How is your ministry going today?’, and it truly is a ministry. I have never ‘gone to work’ a day in my life at Xaverian. I consider it a blessing to be a teacher and to serve in the field of education, and there is no better place to carry out that ministry than at Xaverian Brothers High School.”

Meet Our Newest Director The Office of Community, Culture, and Equity

M

r. Anif McDonald, a 2012 and the betterment of the community. graduate of Xaverian, has Additionally, he collaborated with fellow recently been appointed the students and professors to implement school’s new Director of Community, an enhanced African American studies Culture, and Equity. Mr. McDonald program at Fairfield. has served as Xaverian’s Assistant In his new capacity, Mr. McDonald Director for Admissions since 2017 will collaborate with the admissions and has also been instrumental in the team and administration to ensure that work of the school’s Diversity, Equity, Xaverian is able to continue attracting and and Inclusion Committee. In 2020, he supporting an equitable experience for a was recognized by the Association of student population that is representative Catholic Admissions and Advancement of our surrounding communities. This Professionals of New England with the includes Black students, persons of color, 2020 Sister Ann Moynihan “Rising Star” and students from various religious Award for his early success, innovation, traditions, single-parent households, professionalism, and leadership low income families, inner city families, qualities. This spring, he began a and other historically underrepresented fellowship in Boston College’s Lynch populations at Xaverian. This new Leadership Academy, a competitive office and initiative are made possible program for rising school leaders. by a generous $1 million anonymous “Mr. McDonald’s appointment to gift, which will support both necessary this position is a great step for Xaverian, financial assistance for families in need one that has been a long time in the as well as help to fund the work of the making,” says Dr. Jacob Conca ’94, Director of Community, Culture, and Head of School. “He is extremely well Equity. respected by our students and their “Our vision of this important initiative Mr. Anif McDonald ’12, Director of Community, Culture, and Equity families, his colleagues, and the broader is firmly rooted in the Gospel message, Xaverian community. In many ways, he the social and spiritual teaching of the is perfectly suited to lead this effort and the time is right. The work to grow Catholic Church, and the long-standing tradition of the Fundamental with regard to diversity, equity, and inclusion has been happening quietly Principles of the Brothers of St. Francis Xavier,” says Dr. Michael Nicholson, at Xaverian for several years, resulting in year-over-year increases in the Principal. “The Fundamental Principles states, ‘We are a band of brothers diversity of our student population. However, in our Mission Effectiveness and sisters in which all are known, needed, and empowered.’ We have (2018) and Re-Accreditation (2019) studies, in conjunction with the work always believed that every single person is created in the image and likeness of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (2020), the Xaverian of God. The work of the Community, Culture, and Equity Office will help to community identified the need for an expansion of this important work.” ensure that all students experience this reality every day at Xaverian.”

To facilitate the process, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, “Xaverian has always been such a strong community, one rooted in composed of 30 faculty and staff members, researched, learned, and respect,” says Mr. McDonald. “I look forward to working with Xaverian’s shared their findings with their colleagues and the Board of Trustees. One faculty, staff, students, and parents to build on this long-standing tradition.” immediate outcome is the creation of this new director’s role as well as a Community, Culture, and Equity Advisory Council.

“Our school diversity levels are at an all time high, and we’re incredibly proud of that,” says Mr. McDonald. “However, there’s certainly room This June, Dr. Michael Nicholson, Xaverian’s for growth in admissions, faculty and staff development, and student experience. That’s why I’m so enthusiastic about this new position. I’ll still Principal, presented at the International Boys’ be involved in the enrollment process, getting to know students and families School Coalition Conference. Dr. Nicholson, as they first begin their Xaverian journey, but now I’m also empowered to along with fellow XBSS educators, Dr. John help ensure student success and an equitable experience once they enroll.

Morse and Ms. Eileen Breeze (Saint John’s I want every student to have the same positive experience at Xaverian that High School - Shrewsbury), and Ms. Susan McRory (Roxbury I did. I want them to feel seen, appreciated, and understood, and I want all Latin School) led a workshop for an international audience of us as a community to learn from each other’s lived experiences and to called “Returning to Our Strengths: How Boys’ Schools Promote celebrate our differences. There’s so much opportunity here and I’m excited Meaningful Wellness.” The workshop discussed the need to deliver for what’s ahead.” wellness curricula in spite of competing academic demands This work is not new for Mr. McDonald, who blazed trails to improve on students’ time and the Black student experience even when he was a student himself. He was the existence of ideas on the senior class president at Xaverian and then went to Fairfield University where he became the first-ever Black student-body president. He also masculinity that undermine served in the Black student union and was a member of the Diversity wellness.

Office and the “Distinguished Gentlemen,” a group committed to justice

A LEADER IN BOYS’ EDUCATION

Summer 2021

Xaverian Magazine

21

THE ORIGINS OF

SpiritHawk Written by Nicholas Daoust ’21, Communications Corps

I

t’s hard to imagine Xaverian Brothers High School without SpiritHawk.

The student-led campus ministry extracurricular has been paramount to almost two decades worth of students’ Xaverian experiences, and is considered across the board to be an integral part of the community. Chief Administrator for School Advancement Dr. Christopher Vasta ’00 says it best: “It’s a refined experience of being part of this community,” he says, “that teaches you not to navigate the difficulties of life alone.”

That’s a message that has clearly resonated.

Aside from being a crucial program within Xaverian, the legacy of SpiritHawk has spread extensively, in proportion with all the Xaverian alumni who leave high school with an enthusiasm for similar campus ministry programs. Joshua Mould ’19, now a Villanova student, was so moved by his experience with SpiritHawk that he started “Cari-TALKS,” inspired by Xaverian’s program.

“I felt it was important to bring this kind of program with me to college,” he says of the program, established with Xaverian alum Casey Driscoll ’18. “I’ve always loved hearing the stories of other students and I thought it would be a great way to strengthen the community at Villanova.” SpiritHawk, the first of its kind, has

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also inspired other Catholic college preparatory schools in their student-led campus ministry activities. Mr. James Conley, Director of Campus Ministry and SpiritHawk sponsor, comments that through the annual XBSS retreat “a lot of ideas have been shared about SpiritHawk and many other schools”—Saint John’s in Shrewsbury, Xavier in Connecticut, Lowell Catholic—“have started their own programs because of that.”

But what became influential began humbly.

The original SpiritHawk—a Bible study in its germination stage—would be virtually unrecognizable to students today. “In the late 90s I was asked by a student if we could have a Bible study,” Mr. Conley says. “We did that for a few years, with maybe 10 to 12 guys who would come every other week.” The genesis of the extracurricular as it exists now came with a program called Pilgrimage 2000, established by the Archdiocese in 1999. Mr. Conley explains: “The idea was that people would follow this program of small meetings from 1999 into the year 2000 as a way to get people together in small-scale sharing groups. We decided to adopt that, not so much to replace the Bible study, but it just added a different structure to our meetings.

We followed the Pilgrimage 2000 program until the spring of 2000, and when it ended that raised the question of, ‘What now?’”

The answer was SpiritHawk. Mr. Conley, who immediately asserts that this was not a solitary effort, was approached in 2001 by four then-

juniors of the Class of 2002. These students— Peter Quaranto, Matt Costantino, Andrew Sweeney, Joe Imparato, and Andy Ray in the following year—were “very instrumental” in establishing the SpiritHawk we know today, and are responsible for the club’s legacy of intensive student engagement.

Quaranto explains that “it was important from the beginning” that these student founders took on a major leadership role in the program. “We founded SpiritHawk to create a welcoming, safe space for students to be connected in our daily experience, struggles, and anxieties,” he explains.

“We really took on the responsibility for setting the agenda and making it run.”

In its early stages, which corresponded to a construction project that put the chapel temporarily off-limits, SpiritHawk was small enough (typically 16 to 18 students) to be held in the guidance conference room of what was then the campus ministry and guidance wing.

Still, Mr. Conley reflects that “our meetings at the beginning were very much like SpiritHawk now,” even despite the dramatic change in scale. “We had an opening prayer, a meal, some kind of talk on a theme—we didn’t break into small groups at that time because the group was small enough as it was.” Even in its genesis, the influence of SpiritHawk was felt enough to warrant more student participation. This came in the form of a retreat to Craigville—the first of many to come. “That was the beginning of SpiritHawk

Above: Mr. Jim Conley navigates some SpiritHawk antics from (l to r) John Saad ’09, Alex Barry ’07, and Joe DePalo ’08 Top Right: 2005 senior SpiritHawk leaders, Joe DeFelice and David Frost Right: SpiritHawk Retreat 2019 Opposite page: Ryan Plunkett ’15 addressing fellow students at SpiritHawk

retreats, right from year one.” SpiritHawk retreats quickly became a hallmark of the program, foundational to many enduring Xaverian alumni memories.

“The SpiritHawk retreats were an amazing experience,” Joshua Mould explains. “They consisted of bonding time, team building time, reflection time, and recreational time, and they managed to fully immerse you in the powerful faith community of Xaverian.”

Eventually, Mr. Conley was joined by Mr. Robert Gill, and later Dr. Vasta; by 2006, the three of them were running a SpiritHawk that had grown from 10 Hawks to nearly 100. With the guidance of each year’s student participants, the program became a crucial resource for spiritual development, moral introspection, bonding, and leadership. Mr. Conley also stresses SpiritHawk’s inclusive atmosphere, which was present early on and remains to this day. “We have tried our best to keep SpiritHawk inclusive and open and have always encouraged people to come,” he says. The balance between SpiritHawk’s inviting climate, emphasis on the Catholic identity for those interested, and focus on building strong servant-leadership dynamics have kept students coming, and kept the club expanding. “In the beginning of the school year, we’ll usually get 100+ students coming to the first meetings, and the Craigville retreats are at capacity every time,” Mr. Conley says of the program’s titanic progress. “We added a Francis

SpiritHawk is so meaningful because it creates space for people to share their challenges, struggles, and aspirations, and to connect them with a spiritual tradition. Peter Quaranto ’02 Xavier Division version of SpiritHawk in the first year of FXD. Even when we went into quarantine in spring of 2020 and began to meet online, we had 40 to 50 guys logging onto SpiritHawk through the summer. Though we were separated in so many ways, we were able to come together for SpiritHawk.”

It comes as no surprise that so many Xaverian alumni are left deeply affected by experiences with SpiritHawk. “It made me feel like I was part of a community,” says Mould.

“A community that shares a faith and supports each other through strong relationships built through sharing our own stories with others.”

Separated by almost two decades, Quaranto still echoes this same sentiment. “SpiritHawk is so meaningful because it creates space for people to share their challenges, struggles, and aspirations, and to connect them with a spiritual tradition,” he explains. “As a program, SpiritHawk really resonates with the desire to feel connected, to share stories and journeys through the confusion and angst of middle and high school.

Adolescence can be such a powerful and often turbulent time of personal and spiritual discovery and search for meaning—SpiritHawk enabled us to realize we were not alone in that journey.”

But the journey continues, long after graduation. Xaverian realizes this, and recognizes the immense impact SpiritHawk has on its alumni; with this in mind, the school has devised an exciting new plan for an alumni SpiritHawk program that will fulfill the desire to return to the inclusive, supportive, and spiritual network Xaverian’s campus ministry offers. “Many Xaverian alumni desire to return to that shared experience after graduation,” says SpiritHawk founding member Peter Quaranto of the upcoming program, “and hopefully the alumni SpiritHawk program can provide that.” Look out for more details coming soon about this momentous new addition to the legacy of one of Xaverian’s most treasured institutions. Those interested in participating in an alumni version of SpiritHawk should contact Jim Scholl ’03, Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement at jscholl@xbhs.com.

Summer 2021

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CLASS NOTES

MISSION CHURCH HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1964

Fr. John Culloty is assigned to the Sts. Mary & Joseph Collaborative in Plymouth and Kingston.

XAVERIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1968

Bill Coady is still alive and kicking; working and living in Charlestown with his wife, Lauren, and son, Alex, who is entering grade 10 at Dexter Southfield.

CLASS OF 1969

Ed O’Brien retired from his position as a psychology professor at the University of New Hampshire in March of 2020.

CLASS OF 1970

Rich Carolan and his wife, Marie, welcomed their fourth grandchild, Mabel Murphy Carolan, in May. Three grandchildren live in Nashville, and the newest entrant resides in South Boston.

Rich and Marie live in Wellesley and Vero Beach, Florida in the winter.

Nicholas Cardellicchio is an attorney for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as a professor with Bunker Hill Community College.

He resides in Natick.

Steve Coughlan is a retired consultant living in Amherst, New Hampshire.

Ted English, executive chairman at Bob’s Discount Furniture, was honored on November 19 by the Joe Andruzzi Foundation at their annual (but virtual) gala with a Game Changer Award. This award honors those individuals and organizations who have had a critical and meaningful impact on the Foundation, especially given the pandemic. Through Ted’s leadership at Bob’s Discount Furniture, he has partnered with the Foundation on many campaigns to help cancer patients around New England.

Charles Foley retired from the Randolph Fire Department in 2014 after 42 years of service, the last 12 of those years as their fire chief. He and his wife, Nancy, reside in Mashpee and also spend some of their time at their home in Naples, Florida.

Mark Fraser has retired from Fraser Insurance Services. He and his wife, Linnea, reside in Laconia, New Hampshire.

Chris Barry has now retired from his position as owner of PIP Printing. He resides in Orleans.

Walter Bassett is the vice president of product development at Alievo, Inc. He resides in Durham, North Carolina.

Bob Kelliher is a project engineer for the Chrysler Corporation. He resides in Oxford, Michigan.

Bryan Belsito is a captain at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay. He resides in Plymouth.

Paul Lamprey has retired from the Harbin Clinic where he was a physician assistant.

Kevin Beswick is now a retired attorney from the United States EPA office.

Michael Buckley is a retired supervising director of municipal research at Macquarie Investment Management.

John Lapsley is now retired from Olympus America. He resides in Crossville, Tennessee.

Stephen Menno is now retired from the Electric Boat Corporation. He resides in Mystic, Connecticut.

Fr. Hugh Burns, O.P. is the parish administrator at St. Teresa of Avila - St. Anthony of Padua Parish in South Ozone Park, New York.

Santo Triolo is self-employed as a clinical psychologist and forensic examiner in psychology in Wailuku, Hawaii.

Joe Carbone retired from the Berkshire Gas Company. He resides in South Deerfield.

Themis Tsoumas has retired from his law practice. He and his wife, Linda, reside in Belchertown.

www.xbhs.com

Michael Collins received an honorary degree and offered remarks at the commencement of his alma mater, the College of the Holy Cross.

Michael has been an engaged leader during his 14 years as chancellor of UMass Medical Center in Worcester, as well as being a Vaccine Corps advocate.

John Fraser is happily retired and living with his wife, Kate, in Seekonk.

CLASS OF 1975

Patrick Coyne is the program director and palliative care and clinical nurse specialist at Medical University of South Carolina.

John Holiver appeared in a segment on Channel 5’s Chronicle on April 20 about his antique collecting hobby. He once gifted Colorado-based singer/songwriter, Chris Collins, his 1948 Gibson guitar. Fun fact: Collins looks and sounds like John Denver, and Denver got his start on a Gibson guitar that he had been gifted.

CLASS OF 1976

Lloyd McDonald runs Coastal Connecticut Dentistry in Waterford. He resides in Groton, Connecticut.

Ted Bunnell has retired from his position with the USPS. He resides in Jamaica Plain.

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CLASS OF 1973

Bob Danehy is the lead scientist at Catchment Aquatic Ecology in Eugene, Oregon.

Jim Goggin is happily retired from his position as a physical education teacher. He and his wife, Deborah Boykin, reside in Williamsburg, Virginia.

CLASS OF 1971

Greg Williams is now retired from New England Biolabs. He resides in South Hampton, New Hampshire.

Paul Faenza and his wife Brigid recently sold their bakery and are enjoying retirement in Vermont with their daughters, Alice and Mary, who graduated from college in June.

CLASS OF 1979

At the end of February, members of the Class of 1979 came together virtually to kick off their “Beer with a Bro” gatherings. With custom XB pint glasses and growlers from 10th District Brewing Co. in Abington (bearing a custom “HawkTail Ale” sticker), classmates on the virtual meet were able to share in some good drink and conversation. “We had 27 guys (two more than last year), along with Brother Cook [previous Headmaster], and Mr. Connolly [retired science teacher],” said Paul Dauwer, who was responsible for planning the virtual gathering alongside Robert Ingeno and others. “We also raised over $500 for Xaverian.” The funds raised will directly support the Fund for Xaverian. Good cheer, plenty of smiles, and so much Hawk pride made this event one for the books. Paul and his classmates look forward to planning their next gathering, and can’t wait for the day they can return to holding in-person events.

CLASS OF 1977

John Sullivan continues to serve as US Ambassador to Russia. Though appointed by then-President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden’s administration announced in April 2021 that they would keep John in his critical position in Moscow. According to CNN.com, “He is viewed by administration officials as a steady hand as the administration ramps up the pressure on Russia for taking actions to undermine the US and democratic values broadly.”

CLASS OF 1978

Kevin Carr is a certified arborist and division manager of Bartlett Tree Experts in Lynnwood, Washington.

Steve Crawford is the director of operations at Unicco Service Company in Atlanta, Georgia.

CLASS OF 1980

Bob Frady was recently named a Top 25 Insurtech CEO for his company, HazardHub, by Technology Innovators Magazine. He, his wife

Leslie, and their three children live in Ladera Ranch, California.

Steve May was ordained as a permanent deacon by Cardinal Seán O’Malley for the Archdiocese Boston on October 3. He has been assigned to St. Margaret Mary Parish in Westwood. Stephen and his wife, Karen, reside in Mansfield.

CLASS OF 1981

Dennis House is the new chief political anchor for WTNH, Channel 8, in New Haven, Connecticut. WTNH, virtual channel 8, is an ABC-affiliated television station.

Marty Malloy is the professor of practice finance at Wake Forest University, as well as the director of Pre-Wall Street Career Track.

Hiren Patel has recently retired and moved full-time with his wife to their home outside of Beaver Creek, Colorado, where they spend their time skiing, hiking, napping, and generally messing around.

CLASS OF 1982

Captain Sean McNiff is sailing as Master aboard the tanker American Endurance. The vessel trades on the US West Coast and Alaska.

CLASS OF 1984

Tony Keady was recently appointed the director of human resources for the Duxbury Public Schools. He and his wife, Sue, reside in Hanover with two Xaverian graduates, Liam ’18 and Colin ’20.

How’s it going?

Stay in touch and let us know what you are up to. You can reach us at

notes@xbhs.com.

Summer 2021

Xaverian Magazine

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CLASS NOTES Class of 1984

(Continued)

Tim Viola is the campus director of dining services for Lorien Health Services in Columbia, Maryland.

CLASS OF 1985

COVID-19 & TOURISM: One Alum’s Perspective W hen the pandemic hit, tourism and travel ground to a halt as countries around the world closed their borders. Here’s how one alumnus experienced the pandemic in his line of work, and his thoughts on the future of travel. Paul Bachant ’89 is a passionate explorer. He’s turned that passion into a boutique business, making people’s travel dreams come true with his agency, Insider Voyages.

How did COVID-19 impact your business, Insider Voyages, and how did you adapt?

Jerry Giusti ’85, Chuck Carmone ’85, Tod Dillon ’85, Pat Sweeney ’86, and Paul Kelly ’85, longtime Hawk buddies, hiked up Cathedral Ledge in North Conway, New Hampshire on a warm day this past November.

Chuck Carmone, who took over as head ski coach at Boston College, recently led his athletes to a new team record. For the first time in the program’s history, an entire squad of six skiers qualified for the NCAA Championships.

“This was a goal and a dream I had four or five years down the road, not in year two. But I’m really thrilled with the six skiers that we have (at the national championship),” Chuck said in an article on BC’s website.

Matthew Kidd is grateful to the Brothers, administration, teachers, and his classmates for giving him the preparation and tools necessary for him to excel in his profession.

After graduating from Babson with a degree in finance and investments, he founded his own law firm, The Law Office of Matthew J. Kidd.

He handles litigation related to employment, personal injury, and criminal defense matters.

He is also a notary public and trained mediator.

Matthew is continually chosen as a rising star in the field of law and was rated in the top 20 for accident and injury attorneys in Boston, and in fact was selected for the fifth consecutive year as a Super Lawyer Rising Star for 2021.

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The impact of COVID-19 was intense and unprecedented. I spent the first months of the crisis canceling client trips and I was able to get all of my clients full refunds or future travel credits. That’s one major advantage of having a travel advisor on your side. There were horror stories of people losing thousands of dollars because they booked through online travel sites. I used my free time this past year as an opportunity to deepen my knowledge of destinations, hotels and tours by participating in webinars and training courses provided by my industry partners.

What major travel trends are you seeing now that travel and vacations are coming back?

Now that we see hope on the horizon for a return to travel, there is a major reassessment happening both within the industry and on the consumer side. Travelers are looking for more meaningful and immersive experiences. They are interested in taking a deeper dive into local culture, spending more time in one place and taking longer trips.

One important lesson COVID-19 has taught the travel industry is that sustainability in travel and tourism is critical. We want to prioritize unique and authentic experiences in undiscovered destinations, ensure that travel dollars go back to local communities, and minimize the environmental impact of our journeys.

The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that travel and tourism account for one in 10 jobs worldwide and 10% of global GDP. The money we spend while traveling helps sustain the neighborhoods, lands

and entire ecosystems of the places we visit by supporting the livelihoods of airport employees, hotel staff, shop owners, craftspeople, guides and restaurant workers.

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel or some positive of the pandemic when it comes to travel and tourism?

We’ll see travel start first in the U.S., Europe, and other countries, like Israel and New Zealand, since they’ve made great strides to vaccinate their populations. Several countries in Europe are already accepting American travelers who are vaccinated. Over the summer, we should see a reopening of the borders between the U.S. and the European Union. On the other hand, several regions still have low vaccination rates, mainly in the developing world, and it may take until 2022 before these countries can welcome travelers. I’m eagerly waiting to go on safari in Botswana, one of my many postponed trips, and I’ll go as soon as it’s safe.

Do you have any tips for safe travel, whether in a pandemic or “normal” times?

My most valuable tip for safe travel is to use a travel advisor. We provide insights on changing safety protocols, personalized service, and access to special benefits that are not available online.

And most importantly, we offer you peace of mind.

Other general tips:

• Be sure to check the expiration date on your passport. For most international destinations your passport must be valid at least 6 months from the date of your return. And give yourself plenty of time for the renewal process, since many government agencies are still understaffed due to the crisis.

• Check the U.S. State Department travel website, which is a great resource for travelers and includes country-specific information.

• Get a credit card with no transaction fees for international travel. Credit cards offer better exchange rates than changing money at a bank or even withdrawing from an ATM. However, you should keep about $100 worth of the local currency in small bills for tips and other minor expenses.

For more on Paul Bachant and Insider Voyages, go to www.insidervoyages.com.

Class of 1985

(Continued)

Pat O’Connor was deployed to Washington, D.C. from March 13 to May 25 as part of Operation Capitol Response II. This mission included over 2,500 National Guard members from 12 states and Washington DC, working with the US Capitol Police to re-enforce US Capitol security.

Patrick is a longtime traditional member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard and when not on duty he works as a program manager for Oasis Systems at Hanscom Air Force Base.

CLASS OF 1986

Mark Pannes is the managing director at Inner Markets Media, LLC.

CLASS OF 1988

Steve Jalkut is the senior vice president for corporate marketing and strategic initiatives at the Arch Insurance Group in New York. He resides in Fairfield, Connecticut.

CLASS OF 1993

Antonio Ferrara’s son Antonio Ferrara ’26 received the Brother Ray Award in February/ March 2021 for Discipleship.

CLASS OF 1994

Dom Brodeur recently became the director of development for major gifts at Massachusetts General Hospital. He and his wife, Amanda, have three children - Ben, 18; Claire, 16; and Lily, 14.

Dennis Crowley’s name and business was mentioned on the October 20, 2020 episode of Jeopardy, when an answer was given, “Dennis Crowley co-founded this numeric technology platform that in 2009 unveiled its check-in.” Of course, the question was, “What is Foursquare?”

CLASS OF 1995

Dave Banville is the lead production support specialist at CNN. Max Damm is the managing director (Pacific) of IntraFi Network, based in Irvine, California.

CLASS OF 1996

Will Roberts is now the president of Foss Maritime Company in Seattle, Washington.

CLASS OF 1998

Brian Mann and his wife, Hilary, welcomed their first child, a son named Russell Jackson Mann, born on April 14.

CLASS OF 1999

Frank Connell is the annual giving officer for Caritas Communities, Inc. in Braintree. He resides in Randolph with his family.

Justin Gagnon received an Emmy Award for his work on the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Derrick Knight recently participated on the Eagles for Inclusion Panel for Boston College’s Forum on Racial Justice in America, which provides a meeting place for conversation and a greater understanding about racism in our country, while bridging differences and encouraging new perspectives. During the discussion, Derrick shared that his transition to BC was an easy one when coming from Xaverian.

CLASS OF 1989

Joe Cheverie is a senior technical writer at BD in San Diego, California.

Mark Jalkut is a urology surgeon in private practice in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Warren Mead is the vice president of channel and business development at Qumulo.

CLASS OF 1990

Joe Dugan is a senior policy analyst at DELTA Resources, Inc. in Alexandria, Virginia.

Brendan Fowkes has been promoted to IBM’s chief technology officer for health plans, using data/artificial intelligence and automation to improve health outcomes. Brendan and his family reside in Mansfield.

CLASS OF 1991

Kevin Moynihan is the president of Caton Construction Group in Charlottesville, Virginia.

He plays an integral part of the success and growth of the company, taking the lead on innovative initiatives and quality and safety controls that will make the Caton Construction Group the front runner in the Mid-Atlantic civil construction industry.

Todd Partridge leads global marketing for SS&C Intralinks. He, his wife, Kerry, and two sons, Jack and Charlie, reside in Charlestown.

CLASS OF 1992

Mike Vitelli is the assistant director of development at Bishop Feehan High School. He resides in North Attleboro with his family.

Xaverian’s Alumni Speaker Series Goes Virtual

I

n a year characterized by Zoom fatigue and screen time overload, committed Xaverian alumni still showed up for their younger Hawk counterparts as part of Xaverian’s virtual Alumni Speaker Series. Providing insights on everything from earning Ryken Honor Roll designation to applying to medical school and leveraging networks and relationships, our Hawks helped mentally prepare our sophomores and juniors for their futures.

Through their experiences, our Hawks were able to imagine potential careers in industries like health sciences, business and entrepreneurship, finance, accounting, investing, and athletic recruiting. A huge thank you to the following Hawks who gave their time to students during our 2021 Alumni Speaker Series: • Tom Babich ’04, Healthcare Investment Banker, Head of Capital Markets, Torreya • Peter Dolan ’09, Business Operations Manager, AtScale • Vidur Khatri ’10, Vice President, Abry Partners LLC • Dr. Neal Patel ’88, Pediatrician • Joe Sullivan ’10, Football Director of Player Personnel and Recruiting Coordinator,

Boston College • Jason Touhey ’99, Internal Medicine, Berkshire Medical Center • Mike Weafer ’98, Tax Partner, PwC

If you would like to be considered as a speaker for the 2021-2022 academic year, please reach out to Mr. Jim Scholl ’03, Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement, at jscholl@xbhs.com.

Summer 2021

Xaverian Magazine

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CLASS NOTES

CLASS OF 2001

NAVIGATING COVID-19 AS A RESTAURANTEUR

R

estaurateur Matt Tropeano ’97 hasn’t let the most challenging year in business slow him down. As the chef and owner of Spoon and Seed in Hyannis, Matt has spent his fair share of the past 14 months putting his business skills to the test during an almost impossible time for those in the food service industry. He has thoroughly lived and breathed the word “dynamic.” From constantly adapting his offerings to best meet the needs of his customers, to hiring staff willing to take on multiple roles, he hasn’t missed a beat. The restaurant never once closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, even when it got to the point where he was cooking solo in the kitchen by himself.

Even with the worker shortage issues plaguing many restaurants at the moment, Tropeano remains focused on his strategy during the busy summer season. Undoubtedly, he will continue to persevere, to pivot when necessary, and to continue serving customers the fresh, holistic cuisine they have come to know and love.

Class of 1999

(Continued)

Justin Valanzola is the owner and clinician of Northeast Behavioral Services, Inc. in Mansfield, which offers behavioral and educational consulting services.

CLASS OF 2000 Dennis Finn and his wife, Patricia, welcomed their son, Dennis Joseph Finn, on May 29, 2020.

Dennis is employed at the Bose Corporation.

For over six years, Matthew Hayes worked for Nortis, a biotech firm in Woodinville, Washington, which manufactures microfluidic chips that mimic human organs for the purpose of biomedical research. During that time, Hayes also worked as a quality-control coach in two college all-star games, as a summer intern for the Philadelphia Eagles, and as director of operations for the XFL’s Seattle Dragons. In 2018, Hayes decided to pursue an MBA at the University of Washington. Hayes was married in September.

Mike Lowney has been a physician with Lowney Medical Associates since 2012.

Mike is also a primary care physician specializing in osteopathic medicine. He received his osteopathic medicine degree and completed a fellowship in osteopathic manipulative medicine at the Philadelphia

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College of Osteopathic Medicine. Mike completed his residency in family medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He is a member of several professional societies including the American Osteopathic Association, American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Medicine and the Massachusetts Medical Society. Mike has a holistic approach to medicine.

Joe Lorincz and his wife, Melanie, welcomed their first child, a son named Benjamin, on March 1. Joe is the strength and conditioning coach for the New Jersey Devils. He and his family reside in West Orange, New Jersey.

Dave McLaughlin is the executive sous chef at Oyster Harbors Club in Osterville.

Charlie Moran is the leader of public sector healthcare with Amazon Web Services in Boston.

CLASS OF 2002

Dan Brown is currently working at Hilco Vision in Plainville, which operates within the optical industry, having left Line Skis a couple of years ago when he and his family moved back from Seattle. They reside in Franklin.

Derek Cummings is a nurse and nurse practitioner, practicing in critical care and emergency medicine. He also teaches as a certified healthcare simulation educator in Boston. He and his wife reside in Duxbury.

Peter Quaranto started a new assignment with the White House National Security Council as the director for the Horn of Africa.

CLASS OF 2003

Bo Toof and his wife, Julia, welcomed a son, Desmond Xavier Toof, on June 14. Bo and his family reside in Somerville.

Congratulations to Christopher Vasta ’00, our Chief Administrator for School Advancement, as well as Michael Nicholson, our Principal, on the completion of their doctoral programs. Dr. Vasta recently earned his Doctor of Education from Northeastern University, with a concentration in Curriculum, Teaching, Learning, and Leadership. Dr. Nicholson has earned his Doctorate of Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University, in addition to a certificate in Catholic School Leadership.

James Daley asks, “How do I tell my two and four-year old boys that I can’t take off my N95 at home this week because Daddy was sprayed in the face-shield with bloody COVID sputum at work? How do I explain that we can’t see Grandpa and Mimi because Daddy is too ‘high risk’?” The COVID pandemic has forced many of us to ask hard questions and deal with difficult life-and-death ethical problems.

Class of 2003

(Continued)

Bleday ’06 Joins Salvation Army as Major Gifts Officer

Fortunately, my parents and XBHS helped to instill in me a strong moral compass, which has been instrumental in guiding me through some very challenging situations at work. Huge thanks to all the people at XBHS who helped shape who I am and make it possible for me to contribute to my community in this time of need.

A

Bryan Hart is the advanced technology specialist for Kangaroo IRIS technology & NPWT at Cardinal Health in Boston.

Photo Credit to Joe DiFazio ’08

Matthew Lovetere and his fiance, Evelyn Romero, welcomed their first child on April 20, a daughter named Vida Rosario Lovetere. Matt and Evelyn postponed their wedding due to the pandemic and were married on June 26.

Blessings all around!

Nate McMahan is the physical trainer at the Crossroads School in Marlborough. He and his family reside in Holliston.

CLASS OF 2004

Matt Anderson recently graduated with a masters degree in special education from the University of Southern Maine. He just began a position as the executive director of Kids4Peace Boston, an interfaith organization using programming to bridge divides and create a more just, equitable, and peaceful community.

Jason Healey and his wife, Alyssa, became parents to a daughter named Kaelin.

Keith O’Hara is the account manager at Medtronic in Mansfield.

CLASS OF 2005

Mike DeCenzo and his wife, Caroline, became parents to their first child, a son named Liam Quinn DeCenzo, who was born on January 8.

Michael and his family reside in Milton.

lec Bleday recently joined the Salvation Army Massachusetts Division as their new Major Gifts Officer. Prior to this new opportunity, Alec was the first Major Gifts Officer at the Celebrity Series of Boston. While there, he helped complete the organization’s first-ever $23 million capital campaign. Alec is also no stranger to Xaverian. He served as Director of the Fund for Xaverian from 2013 to 2017. According to a press release from the Development Guild, in his new role “Alec will build solid relationships and increase major donor giving through personal cultivation, communication, donor solicitation and stewardship, serving the needs of the Division’s and local fundraising priorities, including housing, food, employment and much more.”

Congratulations, Alec!

Alec and his wife, Samantha Ronan, welcomed the birth of their second child, a girl named Rory Ronan Bleday, born on April 2. She was welcomed home by her big brother, James. Alec and his family reside in Norwood.

CLASS OF 2006

Zack Cantin and his wife, Melissa, welcomed a daughter, Makayla Elizabeth Cantin, into the world on October 27 at Beverly Hospital. She was born nine weeks early at 3 lbs. 12 oz. and stayed in the Beth Israel NICU for eight weeks before coming home on December 22.

She is home now, happy and healthy!

Chris Fox became engaged to Courtney Sheber in March. He resides in Tempe, Arizona.

Ben Jackson and his wife, Katherine Waters, became the proud parents of Isabella Ann, born on April 30, 2019. They reside in Brookline.

HAWK EXPLORING SPACE

Matt Malacaria is a first mate for the Potomac Riverboat Company. He has been employed with them since October 2017.

Joe Starr and his wife, Caitlin, welcomed their first child, a daughter named Madelyn Olivia, born on August 7, 2020. Joe is the chef de cuisine at The Union Club of Boston, and Caitlin is the assistant director for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion for the Town of Brookline’s Public Health Department. They reside in Roslindale.

Joe Stieb had his first book published this June, entitled “The Regime Change Consensus: Iraq in American Politics, 1990-2003,” published

by Cambridge University Press. Joe says that he could not have done it without Xaverian, and gives a special shoutout to the history department! Joe is also currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Mershon Center for International Studies at Ohio State University.

Tom Harkins ’04 has worked in the aerospace industry since graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 2008. He is a flight operations engineer for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, specializing in RF communications (the subsystem responsible for transmitting science and engineering data to and from the Earth). NASA’s Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful space telescope ever built, and it is a cosmic time machine - it will take the universe’s baby pictures, seeing the first light after the big bang. Tom’s team will be on console to deploy and commission Webb for onorbit operations. It is scheduled to launch from French Guiana in October 2021.

Pictured are Tom, his wife, Caitlin, and their baby girl, Gwen, in front of a piece of the new telescope as it’s assembled.

Mark Webber and his wife, Abby, became parents on August 28 to a daughter named Nora Marie Webber.

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CLASS NOTES CLASS OF 2007

Ryan Crowley is a partner at Lee & Crowley, a Boston-based CPA and business advisory firm.

Dan Danckert is employed at Waters Corporation in Milford as a senior reliability engineer.

Brian Dubowski is currently the sous chef at the University Club of Milwaukee. He and his wife, Alli, are expecting their first child in September and reside in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Steve Maniscalco has opened his own jewelry store called The Diamond Bar in the Fox Point neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. They specialize in diamond jewelry, engagement rings, and wedding bands. He and his wife, Zhabrina, were married in a small ceremony this past year and currently reside in Warwick.

Tom McKenney is the president of the Nativity School of Worcester, an independent Jesuit middle school that provides a quality, allscholarship education to underserved boys of all faiths. Tom is a graduate of Stonehill College and went on to teach economics and English at Holy Cross School in India for a year. In 2013, he worked in advancement at Harvard University during The Harvard Campaign.

During this time, he also received his master’s in education from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. For the past three years, he has been executive director of the Holy Cross Family Ministries Foundation in Easton. He also serves on the advisory board at St. John School and as the co-chair of the development committee at St. Oscar Romero Parish in Canton.

David Polio has relocated to central Florida after seven years with Delta Air Lines and is now working in production planning and control at Lockheed Martin, an aerospace company.

home by his big sister, Charlotte. Drew and his family reside in Corona Del Mar, California.

Brendan Raftery and his wife, Riana Jumamil, were married on May 1 at the Paulist Center in Boston. Xaverian classmates John Scholl and Franco Gioioso were the best men. Brendan is currently working at a venture studio, Pilot44, and Riana is a physician doing her internal medicine residency at UCSF. They live in San Francisco.

Anthony Rinaldi has been given the opportunity to compete for The Greatest Baker where the winner will receive worldwide recognition as The Greatest Baker of 2021, be featured in Bake from Scratch Magazine, and take home $20,000.

Kyle Staal is the director of investor relations at Winterspring Capital. He works alongside fellow classmates Eric DiNicola, Nick Earls, and Sam Wotton.

Matt Tannozzini, his wife, Leyla, and twoyear-old daughter, Isla, reside in Wilmington, Delaware. Matt is a critical care transport nurse for Christiana Hospital in Newark.

Nick Tsimortos is a department attorney in the government relations and affordable housing practice groups at Nixon Peabody LLC in Boston. He represents both private and public sector clients across the country and offers strategic counsel on regulatory and legislative compliance at both the federal and state levels.

Sam Wotton is the director of operations at Winterspring Capital, working alongside classmates Eric DiNicola, Nick Earls, and Kyle Staal.

CLASS OF 2009

Brian O’Loughlin has opened his second Jersey Mike’s franchise in Dedham at 395 Providence Highway. His other location is 471 West Central Street in Franklin. About his new

CLASS OF 2009

Conor Fitzgerald and his wife, Brooke, welcomed their first child, a daughter named Ada Byrne Fitzgerald, born on November 1. Conor is also a social studies teacher at Xaverian.

Dedham location, Brian offered, “Having grown up in this area, I can’t tell you how excited I am to bring the Jersey Mike’s experience to Dedham.”

CLASS OF 2010

Anthony Breen has been selected as one of Venue Magazine’s 40 Under 40. Anthony is the owner and CEO of Synergistic Designs, specializing in marketing strategy, along with email and digital strategy. Anthony resides in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Ryan Forte is a captain and Army intelligence officer with Second Armoured Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart. He recently returned from a deployment to Poland, Germany, and Hungary.

Eric Gesimondo is the chief operating officer at XMondo Hair in New York.

Joe Sullivan recently spoke to our students as part of our Alumni Speaker Series about his career in sports management. He is the director of player personnel for football at Boston College.

CLASS OF 2008

Greg Burke is a fourth year accounting Ph.D. student at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Eric DiNicola and Nick Earls are the co-founders and managing principals of Winterspring Capital, helping investors earn passive cash flow through multifamily real estate investments throughout the United States.

John Gesimondo is the senior software engineer at Netflix in Los Gatos, California.

Drew Holden and his wife, Laura, welcomed their second child, a son named Matthew “Duke” Holden in January. Duke was welcomed

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CLASS OF 2011

Alex Cucchi became engaged to Giana Postiglione when he popped the question on a cold January night on The Greenway in Boston. Alex and Giana are looking forward to planning their wedding, most likely in the fall of 2022.

Hawks gathered for the California Chapter Zoom session on June 16.

XAVERIAN TO CREATE REGIONAL ALUMNI CHAPTERS ACROSS THE U.S.

T

his summer, Xaverian alumni have come together for the first time to discuss the formation of official alumni chapters across the United States. The vision for these chapters is to create a network of support, both personal and professional, for Hawks after they graduate. “When our Hawks graduate from college, we want them to have a network of professional mentors ready to guide them,” says Dr. Christopher Vasta ’00, Chief Administrator for School Advancement. “When our Hawks want to change career paths or move to a new city, we want a built-in support network available to them; and when our Hawks suffer a professional roadblock, we want fellow Hawks ready to get them back on track.”

The idea isn’t a new one, but for Dr. Vasta, making connections with fellow Xaverian alumni has been one of his top priorities in his new role over the past year. “I want alumni to know that they still have a home here at Xaverian,

regardless of what year they graduated or how far away they live.”

In June, Dr. Jacob Conca ’94, Head of School, Dr. Vasta, and Mr. Jim Scholl ’03, Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement, met with alumni in New York, D.C., California, and Florida via four area-specific Zoom sessions.

They were joined by guest speakers, Mr. David Palmieri ’93, P ’23 and Mr. Gary Bowers ’87, P ’21, ’23.

They led engaging reflections with alumni harking back to their time at 800 Clapboardtree Street and the feeling of being a part of a community where they were known and valued. The idea, according to Dr. Vasta, is to have alumni cultivate this very same feeling with fellow Hawks in their own communities.

“The impact of a Xaverian education has never ended on graduation day,” said Dr. Vasta. “By providing the necessary structure and opportunities, we hope to see our network of Hawks continue to flourish in every possible way.”

Interested in joining one of the ongoing efforts to establish an alumni chapter in your area?

Contact Mr. Jim Scholl ’03, Xaverian’s Director of

Alumni and Parent Engagement at jscholl@xbhs.com.

Learn more about the ongoing efforts by visiting https://www.xbhs.com/hawk-alumni-chapters.

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CLASS NOTES CLASS OF 2011

Cory Hodson has begun a new position as the middle school campus minister and student engagement coordinator at Xaverian Brothers High School.

Trevor Larrubia, upon completion of his clerkship for the Connecticut Appellate Court, joined Whitman Breed Abbott & Morgan, a firm based out of Greenwich, Connecticut and New York, where he practices complex commercial litigation. Trevor and his wife, Kelli, currently reside in Norwalk with their dog, Vokey.

CLASS OF 2012

Timothy Fazekas defended his thesis at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, on May 18, and due to it being virtual, he invited those interested at Xaverian, particularly Mr. Ryan Howard and his science students, to join the Zoom link to watch it take place. In one of his excerpts, he added the following acknowledgement: “I would not have made it to graduate school without a number of great teachers along the way. Thank you to Mr. McCready for teaching me not to be scared of the chemicals. And an especially huge thank you to Mr. Ryan Howard for sparking my interest in chemistry - we’ve come a long way from ‘-ate to -ic, -ite to -ous.’”

Aidan Flattery is an associate at Booz Allen Hamilton, based in Washington, DC. Patrick Kelleher is a logistics officer with the United States Marine Corps. He is currently serving with MWSS 472 out of Fort Dix, New Jersey.

Divyesh Mehta graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing science from the Honors College. He then completed medical school in Miami, Florida in 2021. Divyesh is now a resident at Mercy Hospital in Miami.

HAWK HEROES

T

here were many Hawks and Hawk parents on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic as we have reported throughout the year. However, this story has a twist. This time it’s not an alumnus or the parent of an alumnus, it’s both—mother and son—working side by side to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine at Gillette Stadium, a mass vaccination site. When we heard this story about Shawn DiTommaso ’13 and his mother, Mary, we needed to find out more.

SHAWN’S STORY How did you end up working at Gillette for the vaccine distribution?

In April 2020, I received a postcard in the mail to reactivate my EMT-Basic certification to help provide COVID-19 clinical testing. I tested potential COVID-19 positive patients in their homes until January 2021, when the vaccine clinics opened. After reaching out to a supervisor to see if there was a way I could relocate to Gillette, knowing my mom (a nurse) had started there just a couple weeks prior, I was Shawn delivers his mother’s second dose of provided with the appropriate training COVID-19 vaccine. and started vaccinating in February. I worked a few shifts as vaccinator before being asked to aid with the oversight of clinical staff as an Associate Site Lead. From then on, I had the opportunity to provide assistance to our clinical teams in order to support them to provide the safest care possible through clinical and nonclinical team management, training, and oversight.

Any idea how many vaccines you administered?

Before changing roles at the vaccine clinic, I would estimate I administered a couple hundred vaccines. However, nothing compared to the thousands my mother and the strong nurses, EMTs, paramedics, and other healthcare professionals were able to administer. Recently, the company we had the chance to work for reported the entire organization administered just over 1.2 million COVID-19 tests and over 800,000 COVID-19 vaccines over the last year to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, numbers that truly underline the impact of people working together for a greater good.

How did the pandemic impact you professionally?

In the beginning of the pandemic I knew I could provide more clinical services because during my undergraduate career I worked in an emergency department (ED) and learned a lot about being comfortable in the unknown. I knew we still had a lot to learn about this virus last April, but because of my past experiences, I wanted to provide any services I could in this unknown. The last year has helped me understand my interests in public health and decreasing barriers to care. This has driven me to continue my education, and I will begin the Tufts University Master of Public Health program this coming fall in order to grow my understanding of the determinants of health many Americans are impacted by daily.

We understand you gave your mom her second dose of the vaccine. How did that feel?

It was an incredible experience to administer her second vaccine, truly something I will always remember. After vaccinating my mom, I reflected on Mothers Day 2020. This was the first weekend I began COVID-19 testing and we did not get to spend the day together. It was a dismal feeling as I left to go to work, but if anyone told me that nine months later I’d be confirming my mom’s date of birth and asking which arm she’d prefer the vaccine in, I never would have believed them.

A few words from Shawn’s mom, Mary DiTommaso

Tim Miller and his wife, Sidney, currently reside in Bellingham and welcomed their first child, a little girl named Mia on September 8.

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My experience at Gillette Stadium’s mass vaccination site has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my career. As I am primarily employed in a non-clinical area of nursing, it was nice to have the opportunity to provide clinical assistance with this massive undertaking. Never would I have thought I would have the opportunity to train and work with Shawn. It was quite a memorable moment when he was there to give me my second dose, a perfect shot! Shawn quickly became our “go-to guy” when it came to the vaccination tracking system and many guest issues — a very proud “Mom” moment.

CLASS OF 2013

Tom Dion is an operations support specialist for the Commonwealth Financial Network.

Aaron Drummey became engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Emily Weber, last summer.

Aaron currently works as a technician for National Grid and Emily is a fourth grade teacher. An August 2022 wedding is planned.

Geoff Martello is relocating to Washington, D.C. from the west coast and is now the oncology insight leader for the lung cancer drug Tagrisso at AstraZeneca.

Matt Schamber graduated from Xavier University’s Williams College of Business with an MBA as part of the full-time Emerging Leaders Program this past August.

CLASS OF 2014

Doug DiPaola is a math teacher at Fusion Academy in Newton.

Tim Rose married Maura Maginnis on October 11 at St. Ignatius. They reside in Wellesley.

CLASS OF 2015

Matt Arsenault recently rejoined the government relations, public relations, and business development firm, Ventry Associates, as a public affairs associate. Matt had previously interned at Ventry during his senior year at Boston University. Matt will mainly be working out of the Boston office, but Ventry also has offices and clients in Worcester and Springfield.

Ted Katsaros is an associate data solutions analyst at Liberty Mutual Insurance Company in Boston.

CLASS OF 2016 A season lost, but much more gained.

Recent Bates College graduate Billy Lahart ’16, like so many student athletes this year, ended his college basketball career with a 0-0 record. Thanks to COVID, the Bates basketball team endured a season without any competition—no games, only practice and preparation for the hope of next year’s season. A NESCAC All-Academic Honors and AllSportsmanship honors student, Lahart has proven himself not just a qualified team captain, but a true servant leader in

Andrew Klim and Dan McDonagh were proud to be back at Xaverian this year, working as instructional mentors in the world language department.

CLASS OF 2016

Mike Lappas has been recently employed by NETSCOUT Systems, Inc. as a web application developer. He was also recently accepted into the graduate school of the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University.

James Santos spent the 2020-2021 school year as an instructional mentor at Xaverian and is grateful to everyone for giving him the opportunity to be part of this community. James was recently hired as an area sales manager at a new premium bottled water company.

the Xaverian mould. Without the normal amount of athletic obligations, Lahart had extra time to serve as co-president of the Bates Special Olympics Club, and even received the Roland J. Boutin Award from the JFM Navigators, a local organization based in Lewiston-Auburn that serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Despite an unfortunate athletic situation, Lahart made the most of his senior year—and found a way to be a positive force in the lives of others along the way.

PHOTO FROM WWW.BATES.EDU.

Zach Zollo is a line cook at Chomp Kitchen and Drinks in Providence. He was also kind enough to speak to members of Xaverian’s Cooking Club in March to share his experiences and offered helpful tips to our cooking enthusiasts.

CLASS OF 2017

Kevin Baker made the dean’s list this past year at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. He is also enjoying his time as a member of their basketball team, and his teammates have voted him as the player who practices the most and tries the hardest. Great job, Kevin!

Timmy Simoes was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year with Army baseball.

Sean Sperzel recently graduated from Trinity College. He will pursue his master’s degree from Babson beginning this fall.

HARIHARAN SHANMUGAM ’17 TAKES TOP AWARD AT BC

On May 24, during Boston College’s Commencement, Harry Shanmugam ’17 was presented with the Edward H. Finnegan, S.J. Award, the highest honor bestowed to an undergraduate student at Boston College. Valedictorian of his Xaverian class, Harry has always demonstrated his academic abilities to the highest possible degree. Most recently, he graduated summa cum laude from the Carroll School of Management, with a concentration in accounting for finance and consulting and a major in biology.

Photo Credit: Lee Pellegrini (Courtesy of Boston College).

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CLASS NOTES CLASS OF 2018 Mike Brodo is a student in Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service and recently co-wrote an article for the Center of Global Development with his professor, Ken Opalo. The Center works to reduce global poverty and improve lives through innovative economic research that drives policy and practice by the world’s top decision makers.

Mike and Professor Opalo’s article advocates for multilateral trade agreements in President Biden’s policy toward Africa.

New Baby?

Let us know and we will send you a bib as a gift from Xaverian. Contact the advancement office at advancement@xbhs.com to share the news.

CLASS OF 2019

Ben Lepper recently finished his two-year treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and has nearly made a full recovery. He is set to join the College of the Holy Cross community this fall as a member of the Class of 2025.

CLASS OF 2020

Members of the Class of 2020 reunited, sharing friendship and stories of surviving freshman year of college during a pandemic! Pictured here, l to r, are Teagan Alexander, Alex Di Martino, Nick Calabrese, Liam Chambers, Kevin Maxim, Ryan Mazzotta, and Tanner Alexander.

A NOTE OF GRATITUDE The strategic communications team would like to offer a giant THANK YOU to Nicholas Daoust ’21. Nick has served as a member of the student Communications Corps and as an intern in the communications office.

His dedication, talent, thoughtfulness, and attention to detail have been much appreciated over the past two years.

You can see his phenomenal work throughout this and previous magazines, on Xaverian's website, and on social media. We hate to let you go, Nick, but we know you're headed to great things at NYU. Thank you for sharing your gifts with Xaverian!

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Sean Doherty, representing the United States Naval Academy, and Emanuel Wrinkle Garcia, representing the United States Military Academy, held a mini Xaverian Brothers class reunion at the 2020 Army-Navy game.

In Memoriam

(as of July 7, 2021)

We regret to inform you of the passing of these beloved classmates, friends, and family members.

Mission Church High School Alumni

Joseph P. Harney, Sr. ’81

Gerald V. ‘Simon’ McNabb ’84

Brother of Liam Harney ’84

Peter J. Hurley ’70

John J. Muir ’81

John P. Connolly ’65 Thomas E. McManus ’54

Andrew A. Jeon ’69

Douglas W. Niles ’00 Brother of Ken Niles ’97, and cousin of Vincent Drago ’84, Jim Pyke ’84, and Paul McStowe ’90

Brother of Michael McManus, MH ’60

Stephen D. Kraus ’89

Lawrence B. Roche ’51

Brother of David Kraus ’87 and John Kraus ’95

Albert C. Nolan, Jr. ’68

Will Manning ’00

Paul V. Palange ’73

Cousin of William Scherber ’84

Brother of Mark Palange ’69

Edward J. McCormick, III ’71

William T. Perry ’81

Xaverian Alumni

Brother of Jack McCormick ’77 and cousin of Joshua Kirby ’94

Andrius Skrabulis ’01

John J. Antonelli ’03

Peter A. McCourt ’77

John T. Sullivan ’76

Brother of Bob McCourt ’71, Paul McCourt ’72, Gary McCourt ’73, Chris McCourt ’80, and Brian McCourt ’82, and uncle of Andrew McCourt ’17

Robert A. Weckesser ’00

Bro. John Shaughnessy, C.F.X., ’62 John F. Walsh ’51

Brian W. DeCoste ’80 William P. Fraser ’70 Brother of Leo Fraser ’69 and Mark Fraser ’71, and cousin of John Fraser ’73

Brother of George Sullivan ’82

Stephen A. Zilonis ’80 Continued on next page Summer 2021

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In Memoriam

(as of July 7, 2021)

CONTINUED

Relatives of Current Students

John T. Gunning

Thomas B. Zoppo

Grandfather of Michael Ganley ’23

Father of the late Michael Gunning ’91, and grandfather of Brendan Gunning ’18, Kevin Gunning ’19, Shane Gunning ’20, and Owen Gunning ’22

Relatives of Xaverian Alumni

Maureen H. Harrington

Father of Bro. Thomas Zoppo, FSC ’74 and Richard Zoppo ’77, uncle of David Zoppo ’81, grandfather of Nicholas Zoppo ’03, Kevin Stanton ’05, and Michael Zoppo ’09, and son of Rocco Zoppo, Xaverian’s first benefactor

Edwin Benton Aldrich

Grandmother of Will Harrington ’16 and motherin-law of Kevin McNulty ’78

James J. Clavin, Sr.

Grandfather of Kyle Aldrich ’13

John E. Amico Father of John Amico ’80, Bob Amico ’82, and Tom Amico ’91

Ursula Begley Sister of John Begley ’72 and Larry Begley ’73, a member of Xaverian’s Board of Trustees

John Calabrese Grandfather of Nick Calabrese ’20 and father-in-law of Xaverian’s Advancement Services Manager, Linda Calabrese, P ’20

Marylou Conley

Tracy A. Hickey

Relatives of Xaverian Faculty and Staff

Mother of Bryan Hickey ’13 and Brad Hickey ’15

Janet Ruth Farr Kidd Bertaut

Richard W. Hogan

Mother of Director of Choral Activities, Murray Kidd

Father of Rick Hogan ’87, Tom Hogan ’89, and Brad Hogan ’00

Patricia M. MacDougall Mother of William MacDougall ’73, mother-in-law of Denis Smith ’67, and grandmother of Brandon Smith ’95 and Shane Smith ’98

Irene Martin Mother of Jim Martin ’87

Michael Buczynski Father of Director of Maintenance Richard Buczynski and Custodian Michael Buczynski

Robert P. Driscoll Brother of Library Aide Elaine Adjemian

Gerard Lawlor Uncle of Campus Minister Mike Fitzgerald

Grandmother of Christian Balasco ’14 and mother of Xaverian’s Director of Campus Ministry, Jim Conley

Marianne Morelli

Regina Connolly

Jennie R. Palange

Grandmother of Declan Kelly ’16

Mother of Mark Palange ’69 and the late Paul Palange ’73

Friends of Xaverian

Denis J. Pembroke

John Cormac Barch

Ruth E. DiMarzio Great-grandmother of John Pignato ’18

Richard Duckett

Mother of Jerry Morelli ’95 and the late Timothy Morelli ’99

Father of Brendan Pembroke ’07

Father of Dan Duckett ’83

Leonard F. Perry

Eugene A. Franciosi

Grandfather of Jason Waitkevich ’06 and Joshua Waitkevich ’10

Grandfather of Franny Franciosi ’09

Louis M. Galante Father of Michael Galante ’92 and Anthony Galante ’94

Marc R. Pessa Father of Daniel Pessa ’04 and Joe Pessa ’06

Carol Zanelli Grandmother-in-law of Xaverian’s Client Technologies Administrator, Chris Gollnick

Father of former English teacher, Kate Barch Heaton

Bro. Matthew Burke, C.F.X. Former Principal, St. Mary’s Ryken, a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School

Bro. Joseph Comber, C.F.X.

Mary Roycroft

Bro. Harold William Eccles, C.F.X.

Grandmother of Carl Roycroft ’11

Doris J. Harvey

Grandmother of Sam Gelso ’19 and Philip Gelso ’21

John R. ‘Jack’ Schnyer

Mother of Bro. Lawrence Harvey, C.F.X.

Father of Kevin Schnyer ’03

Charles P. McCarthy

John P. Gesimondo

Catherine B. Smith

Former Xaverian hockey coach

Father of John Gesimondo ’08 and Eric Gesimondo ’10

Wife of Scott Smith ’77

Beverly Malatesta Temple

Luigi Gioioso

Mother of Sean Thomas ’13 and Brian Thomas ’15

Theresa Gelso

Grandfather of Franco Gioioso ’08, Marco Gioioso ’16, Daniel Gioioso ’17, and Gino Gioioso ’26

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Karen A. Thomas Joan Zoppo Stepmother of Brother Thomas Zoppo, FSC ’74 and Richard Zoppo ’77, grandmother of Nicholas Zoppo ’03, Kevin Stanton ’05, and Michael Zoppo ’09, and the aunt of Dave Zoppo ’81

Xaverian

Reunion 2021

THE MAGAZINE OF XAVERIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL

Xaverian Magazine 800 Clapboardtree Street Westwood, MA 02090 781-326-6392 www.xbhs.com

Calling All Hawks from Classes Ending in 0, 1, 5, or 6!

The biggest reunion in Xaverian’s history is coming up on Saturday, November 27, and you won’t want to miss it! Join us to see all that has changed and all that remains the same at Xaverian. Catch up with old friends, tour the campus, and enjoy the party!

ADMINISTRATION Head of School Jacob A. Conca ’94, Ph.D.

WHO: Classes of 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016 WHERE: Xaverian Brothers High School WHEN: Saturday, November 27, 2021 COST: Free

Principal Michael G. Nicholson, Ed.D. Assistant Principals Stephen W. Dacey ’95, M.Ed. Teaching and Learning Lauren R. Hill, M.Ed. Academics, Grades 9-12 Joseph D. McGilvray, III, M.Ed. Francis Xavier Division, Grades 7 & 8

Register now at www.xbhs.com/reunion

Joshua M. Tranfaglia, M.Ed. Student Life OFFICE FOR SCHOOL ADVANCEMENT Chief Administrator for Advancement Christopher J. Vasta ’00, Ed.D. Advancement Services Manager Linda M. Calabrese, P ’20 Director of Data Management and Operations Pamela J. Fothergill, P ’07

Read more about your 2021 Catholic Conference Champions on page 14.

Director of Strategy and Implementation Dee M. Lane Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement James J. Scholl ’03

From the Head of School

OFFICE OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

You were created by the God of love in God’s image and according to God’s likeness, to be a unique expression of that love. It is through you that God desires to manifest love to the peoples of the world in these times...

Director of Strategic Communications Ann E. Alsfeld Assistant Director of Strategic Communications Kathryn E. Hickey Digital Marketing Coordinator Daggett R. Morse Communications Intern Nicholas J. Daoust ’21 Graphic Design Margaret Galeano galeano@optonline.net © 2021 Xaverian Brothers High School.

All rights reserved.

Now vs.

Dear Friends,

T

he excerpt above is from the Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers. Since the first faculty and staff meeting of the year on September 8, 2020, we centered our work on this goal: manifesting love to the peoples of the world in these times. “These times” may be called unique, extraordinary, challenging, or unprecedented, but as this passage reminds us, we are not called to manifest love only in “good times” or “peaceful times.” We are called to love in these times, regardless of circumstances. That is precisely what the Xaverian Brothers High School community did this year, as you will see throughout this magazine.

Pictured on the cover is Sam Maloof ’21 and his mother, Renee, as Sam learned he won

The Classes of 1970, 1971, and 1972 will celebrate their 50th reunions in the spring of 2022. Stay tuned for more information!

Then

Xaverian Brothers High School 800 Clapboardtree Street Westwood, MA 02090 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Parents, if your son has finished college and you are receiving his Xaverian Magazine at your home, please notify the advancement office of his change of address so the magazine can be sent directly to him. Call 781-326-6392, ext. 6662 or email lcalabrese@xbhs.com.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 243 Brockton, MA

The Magazine of Xaverian Brothers High School |

Summer 2021

Lucas Sarkar ’20

Introducing Xaverian Alumni Chapters!

It’s the best way to network and to feel at home no matter where you are. We’re creating alumni chapters across the country so that you can find a Hawk wherever you go. We’ve started with New York, D.C., California, and Florida, and we’re expanding from there.

Learn more on page 31.

In these times…

Sam Maloof ’21 and his mother, Renee Maloof