REALIZING THE VISION
Paul Gannon ’75 By Thomas Nugent ’09 At the beginning of the school year, students were treated to many surprises as they explored the classrooms and corridors of Fernandez-Duminuco Hall. The entire building has added much to the life and mission of the school, but one particular room may be its crowning jewel—the Gannon STEAM Classroom, a multi-purpose space made possible by the generosity of Paul Gannon ’75 and his wife, Patty. The Gannons’ support for the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) classroom was long in the making—in fact, his own fond memories of his time at Xavier helped form it. “Xavier was a formative time of life for me, as it has the opportunity to be for many. Xavier reinforced in me the principles of giving back, of being men for others,” he said. “These ideas start at home but were reinforced at Xavier.” “I always recalled the impact that Xavier had in my life,” he said. “At some point, Jack [Raslowsky] came to see me while he was in Boston, and I told him when the time comes and he had a meaningful project he wanted help on, that I would be there to support it.” After a few years, Gannon said, the time came, and Raslowsky approached him with the idea of a STEAM classroom to be built in the new Fernandez-Duminuco Hall. “I was impressed with the cleverness of the deal, selling the air rights, and the unique chance to tack on contiguous space. It was an extraordinary opportunity. It was the time to be supportive of an important initiative at Xavier.” That initiative has resulted in a space with incredible opportunities that did not exist before for Xavier students. The STEAM classroom contains cutting-edge equipment for a wide range of educational endeavors in robotics, coding, engineering, and filmmaking, among a host of others. “It seemed like a wonderful opportunity to help underwrite a part of the curriculum that is really important. If only 10% of students end up pursuing higher education or a career in the sciences who wouldn’t have had that opportunity before, it will have been worth it,” Gannon said. Complementing the STEAM classroom are curricular changes at Xavier that put a higher focus on technical skills and fields. For the first time ever, all freshmen take a semester of computer science. Those who decide to further their education in those areas have expanded options in computer technology, with courses available in Web Programming and Design and Advanced Computer Applications, along with mainstay technology courses in Robotics and Moviemaking and Editing. Gannon said his appreciation for Xavier and his hopes for the future of the school were encapsulated at the dedication of Fernandez-Duminuco Hall. “The component of Xavier’s mission of pursuing excellence in everything you do was well manifested that evening. It is a core value that is very important to instill in young people,” he said. And like all new additions to the school, the Gannon STEAM Classroom doesn’t change what Xavier is; it only enhances the ways in which mission becomes action. A graduate of SUNY Geneseo, Thomas Nugent ’09 works in Xavier’s Advancement Office. He attends Fordham University School of Law.