PrepNews-7-1

newsA magazine for alumni, parents, students, faculty and friends

of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School

Vol. 7, No. 1 Fall 2010

CCaatthhoolliicc LLeeaagguuee CChhaammppiioonnssPIAA DISTRICT 12

IDear Friends of the Prep,

“I am about to do something new.” These are the

words of the prophet Isaiah welcoming us to

consider the constant attitude of God’s creative

spirit. Every morning when I begin my day here

at the Prep, I hear these words, “I am about to do

something new,” not my words but the words

spoken each day by our Prep students.

Classrooms, sports venues, stages, performance

spaces, mock courts, media of all kinds! These are

all places where our students express themselves

in new languages, verbal, artistic, and physical.

A recent presentation at a Prep faculty in-service

event encouraged us to assist our students in the

use of thinking tools that foster understanding

and creativity. In this issue of Prep News our

featured entrepreneurs, perhaps even explicitly, used these four thinking tools as they created

something new: distinguishing identity from the other, identifying systems of wholes and parts,

recognizing relationships, and discovering perspectives. These are simple tools, our presenters asserted,

for use beneficially by thinkers of all ages from the youngest children to the most erudite doctoral

student. It is by these tools that Prep students can reach at least two of our general Jesuit high school

goals for our graduates at graduation: openness to growth and intellectual competency.

Even though our Prep entrepreneurs featured in this issue so often cite courage, confidence and

determination as sources of their success, I have no doubt that thinking skills offered a power of

analysis that complements and enhances their self-assurance and secures their practice of openness

and competency.

God’s spirit longs for more entrepreneurial men and women who will explore with courage and hope

new responses to our human needs for better solutions to such problems as those of education, energy,

poverty and health. God’s spirit, too, sustains us faculty and staff here at the Prep as we give our students

experiences that build both confidence and thoughtful insight.

Enjoy reading here about our graduates who epitomize these qualities of openness to growth and

intellectual competence. And may we together continually enjoy hearing God’s voice, in words spoken

especially in Jesus Christ, “I am about to do something new.”

Sincerely,

Rev. George W. Bur, S.J. ’59President

PRESIDENT ’S LETTER

Fr. Bur celebrates Mass out on the Prep plaza prior to the first FacultyMeeting of the school year.

inside:FEATURE STORY

Prep Entrepreneurs ....................... 8

SECTIONS

News .............................................. 2

New Faces ...................................... 2

Mother-Son Luncheon .................. 3

Spirit Week/Mixer ......................... 4

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels ................ 5

Sports ......................................... 6-7

Student Profile ............................ 12

Faculty Profile ............................. 13

Reunion Weekend ...................... 16

President’s Club Dinner ............... 18

Class Notes .................................. 22

Perspectives ................................. 28

Rev. George W. Bur, S.J. ’59 PresidentMichael Gomez PrincipalAlbert J. Zimmerman ’73 Director of DevelopmentRev. Bruce A. Maivelett, S.J. Director of Ignatian IdentityTimothy O’Shaughnessy Chief Financial Officer

ed i t o r

Bill Avington ’90 Director, Marketing and Communications

de s i g n e r

Maridel McCloskey McCloskey Designs

c l a s s n o t e s e d i t o r

Angie Falcone Class Notes Editor

ed i t o r i a l s t a f f

Ceal Biello, Beth Missett, Nancy Moule, Charles Schrier ’06, Al Zimmerman ’73

pho t o g ra phyDavid DeBalko, Andrew McCloskey ’88, Brendan Murphy ’01,Frank Raffa

wr i t e r s

Bill Avington ’90, Susie Cook, Robert Gerhardt ’95, Charles Schrier ’06

web e d i t o r

Brendan Murphy ’01

The Prep News is published twice a year. Please send comments or contributions to:Attn: Editor The Prep News St Joseph’s Preparatory School 1733 Girard Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19130 or e-mail to: [email protected] additional information, check our websitewww.sjprep.org/prepnews

Cover photos by Andrew McCloskey ’88 and Frank Raffa

editor’s note:Dear Friends,

Well, another calendar year has rolled around and we are preparing

for Advent and Christmas. It is my favorite time of the year and a

great time to be at the Prep. Special thank you to the Mothers’ Club

for their festive decorations in the foyer!

This issue focuses on a few entrepreneurs among the Prep alumni

ranks. While they are a very small sampling, these five men are

wonderful examples of men who took a risk and created careers.

In talking with each of them, I was struck by something. When

asked, how did the Prep prepare you to start your own company, each

of them spoke on the same themes: intellectual curiosity, determination

and exposure to people from across the Delaware Valley. In each profile, you will find the specific answers

from each person but I was impressed to find out that no matter the era (meaning different presidents,

principals, faculty members, etc.), the basic tenets of a Prep education remain the same.

Also in these pages, we celebrate the Prep soccer team’s Catholic League championship. It was the fulfillment of

a 40-year goal for Jim Murray ’59. However, that championship doesn’t change the affection or character of a

man, who for 40 years developed outstanding men who remain loyal to him no matter how many championships

he had won or lost. Great story: Mark Thomas ’90 left work in DC at 3:30 in order to arrive at Archbishop Ryan

for the championship game and was among at least several dozen alumni in the crowd for the game.

On a side note, the championship game was a fantastic celebration. More than 300 students cheered the team

on and “respectfully” stormed the field after the game. For all who were there, it will remain a great memory.

Finally, in this issue is a piece by Rob Gerhardt ’95. Rob’s a photographer who has received much acclaim for his

work with the Karen People of Burma. I encourage you to read the article and then go to Rob’s Website

(http://robertgerhardt.com/) for more photos.

As always, I am grateful that you have taken the time to open up The Prep News and give us a read. Your input

is always valued.

Bill Avington ’90

With classmates Jim DeMarco ’90, Rob Irwin ’90 and Chris Farley ’90 at Reunion Weekend.

Bill (right) with classmate Jason Zazyczny ’90,SJP Director of Admission, during ReunionWeekend 2010.

prep news

The new members of the Prep faculty and staff for 2010-11 are:

[Standing] Peter O’Connell ’06 (ASC, Religious Studies), Br. Bob Carson, S.J. (Mission and Ministry), Matt Boccuti ’06 (ASC, Science), Kevin Kearney ’06 (ASC, English), Gabe Infante (Manager of Student Activities, Football Coach), Charlie Schrier ’06 (ASC,Alumni/Development), Joe Kapusnick ’06 (ASC, History), Stephen Prybella ’02 (Economics) and Matt Schwartz ’02 (Music).

[Sitting] David Gullotti ’06 (ASC, Mission and Ministry), Ronan Kelly (Science), Marielle Bietz (Religion), Lisann Castagno (Math) and

Jaime Ball (Art).

NEW FACES JOIN PREP FACULTY/STAFF

The 2010 Open House, held on Sunday,

November 7, was a huge success with

a record 631 families, visiting and touring

the school. Of that number, 325 were

families of eighth graders, 278 of seventh

graders, 20 sixth graders, two fifth graders

and one fourth-grade family. In addition,

five families of current high schoolers

were in attendance.

A special thank you goes to the

Admissions team for organizing the

event and to the students, faculty and

staff volunteers who offered presenta-

tions and tours. In addition, the entire

Prep community spread the word for the

event by displaying lawn signs [pictured]

throughout the Delaware Valley.

OPEN HOUSESMASHING SUCCESS

Prep President Rev. George W. Bur, S.J. ’59 [right]

describes his work with the Saint Joseph’s University’s

Ignatian College Connections program (ICC) during

Gesu School’s 13th Annual Symposium on Transforming

Inner-City Education, Closing the College Gap:

What Can Universities, Schools and Communities Do?

Each year, the ICC helps 25-30 non-traditional students

who graduated from schools in Philadelphia and Camden

prepare for college. The complete symposium transcript

and audio recording are available online at

www.gesuschool.org/2010symposiumrecap.htm.

Fr. Bur [third from left] and the rest of the symposium

panelists: [pictured left to right] Dr. Wanda D. Bigham,

former Assistant General Secretary for Schools, Colleges,

and Universities for the United Methodist Church;

Eric J. Furda, Dean of Admissions for the University of

Pennsylvania; Symposium Moderator Dr. John J. DiIulio, Jr.,

Professor of Political Science at the University of

Pennsylvania; Semaj, Gesu School’s Student Council

President, Richard D. Kahlenberg, Senior Fellow at the

Century Foundation and author of Rewarding Strivers:

Helping Low-Income Students Succeed in College; John

Bridgeland, President & CEO of Civic Enterprises and

author of The Silent Epidemic; Taahira, Gesu School 8th

Grader; and Christine S. Beck, President/CEO of Gesu

School and SJP trustee.

GESU SCHOOL

THE PREP NEWS2

Tom Burgoyne’s mother Kathleen practices the “Phanatic whammy”

Event co-chairs Eileen Kennedy, Marybeth Taras,Melissa McGrath with guest speaker Tom Burgoyne ’83(AKA the Phillie Phanatic), Kathleen Burgoyne andMothers’ Club moderator Ceal Biello

MOTHER-SONCCoommmmuunniioonn LLuunncchheeoonnMore than 1,000 mothers and sons attended the annual Mother-Son Communion Luncheon, held onSunday, October 3. Prep President Rev. George W. Bur,S.J. ’59 celebrated Mass and then Tom Burgoyne ’83,AKA the Phillie Phanatic, was the keynote speaker.Special thanks go to event co-chairs Eileen Kennedy,Melissa McGrath and Marybeth Taras for organizinga wonderful event.

FALL 2010 3

HALLOWEEN MIXER

prep news

MMoonnddaayy

The Student Council sponsored the first SpiritWeek, leading up to thefootball game against La Salle on Saturday,October 30.

Monday: Clash Day, students, faculty and staff were encouraged towear plaids, stripes, andloud colors.

Tuesday: Clone Day,everyone was encouragedto wear a blue sports coat,white shirt, crimson tie and khakis.

Wednesday: After-schooldodge ball competitionbetween classes. Winningclass faced the faculty.

Thursday: Prep Pride Day,all students, faculty andstaff were encouraged towear a shirt that displayedtheir sport or club or justtheir Prep Pride.

Friday: Seniors woreHalloween costumes whileall others were encouragedto wear black. After schoolthere was a spirit festivalin the Fieldhouse.

SSppiirriitt WWeeeekk 22001100

FFrriiddaayy

TThhuurrssddaayy

“BEST OF NORTH PHILLY PIZZA CONTEST”

THE PREP NEWS4

FALL 2010 5

CCaatthhoolliicc LLeeaagguuee CChhaammppiioonnssTHE FALL SEASON WAS HIGHLIGHTED BY THE

PERFORMANCE OF THE SOCCER TEAM, WHICH WON

THE CATHOLIC LEAGUE TITLE FOR THE FIRST TIME

IN THE 40-YEAR HISTORY OF THE PROGRAM AND

THE PIAA DISTRICT 12 CHAMPIONSHIP. Pat Kardish ’11 scored two goals in the CL championship [photo]

and recorded a hat trick in the district title game. Jim Murray ’59,

the longtime coach who instituted the sport in 1970, celebrated

the victory with his team [photo]. The following Preppers have

earned spots on the all-Catholic soccer team: (first team) Joe

Adams '11 and J.T. Mauer '11, (second team) Ed McCartney '11,

(third team) Dan Bradley '11, Nick Bruno '11 and Kardish.

THE PREP NEWS6

THE GOLF TEAM WON ITS SECOND TITLE INTHREE YEARS WITH A WIN OVER LA SALLE.Seven Preppers (John Leighton '11, Greg Devine '11, Vince

Sirianni '12, Zach Melnick '12, Kieran Ryan '12, Ken Taras

'13 andWill Flood '13) were named to the all-Catholic

team [photo above].

THE CROSS COUNTRY TEAM WON THESOUTHERN DIVISION TITLE. At the District 12 crosscountry meet Owen Glatz '12 finished third and Brian Wolff

'11 finished sixth and both qualified for the State

Championship. Also the team ran at the Catholic League

Championships and finished fourth with Glatz, Wolff and

Paul Gennaro '12 earning first-team, all-Catholic honors

while Colin Sawyer '12 made the second team and Rafael

Donoso '12, an exchange student from South America,

earned honorable mention [photo, top left].

THE FOOTBALL TEAM, UNDER FIRST YEAR HEADCOACH GABE INFANTE, FINISHED SECOND INTHE CATHOLIC LEAGUE RED DIVISION. At itsgame against La Salle, the two schools combined to raise

$7,500 for the Kelly Rooney Foundation to support breast

cancer research [photo, bottom left]. The following players

earned all-Catholic honors: (first team) Luke Hutkin '12

(OL), Skyler Mornhinweg '12 (QB), Jeff Heath '11 (MP), Guy

Cook '11 (DL), Eric Medes '12 (LB); (second team) Pat Kueny

'11 (C), Mark Casale '11 (RB), Dan Sherry '13 (P), Heath (LB)

and Michael DeFeo '10 (B).

FALL 2010 7

sports update

SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

Mark Casale ’11 with his parents Mark and Karen during Senior Night festivities.

Kneeling [l-r]: Zach Melnick ’12, Mac Ryan ’13, Ken Taras ’13, Jim O’Brien ’62 (moderator)Standing [l-r]: Will Gallagher ’05(assistant), Greg Devine ’11, John Leighton ’11, FentonFitzpatrick ’11, Kieran Ryan ’12,Vince Sirianni ’12 ChristianPatragnoni (head coach).

Standing [l-r]: Kevin Kearney ’06 (assistant), Fran Kelly ’11, Colin Sawyer ’12, Brian Wolff ’11,Matt Winterle’12, Maguire Herriman ’12, Paul Gennaro ’12, Owen Glatts ’12, Terence Murphy ’11. Bottom row,[l-r]: Stephen Prybella ’02 (assistant),

Mike Quinn ’99 (assistant), Rafael Donoso ’12, Curt Cockenberg ’71 (head coach).

President Rev. George Bur, S.J. ’59, Prep Hawk, Obie O’Brien (Kelly Rooney’s father), SeanRooney ’80, Haley Rooney and Principal Michael Gomez at halftime of Prep–La Salle game.

sports

JAY DEVINE ’79 IS A PR MAN. HIS JOB IS TO ENHANCE,REPAIR OR RESTORE A CLIENT’S REPUTATION BUT IN

SUMMING UP HE AND PARTNER VINCE POWERS’ DESIRE

TO START A PR FIRM, THE WORDS SOUND PERFECT. Develop acompany that was honest with clients and provide to them experienced veteran PR minds.

Not surprisingly, the model has led to a successful firm that is among the country’s fastest

growing independent PR firms and was recently recognized as one of Philadelphia’s

“Best Places to Work.”

Devine, a 1983 graduate of Georgetown University, first went to work at PR firms in

Washington, D.C. In 1989, he was lured home to the Philadelphia area by an offer from

area PR guru Brian Tierney. “I was surprised to find a firm in Philly that matched those I

had worked for in D.C.,” Devine says.

He stayed with Tierney for 14 years and through many incarnations of the company, even-

tually becoming the head of a PR group of 35 employees. In 2003, he and Powers, who

ran the consumer group for the company, decided to open their own firm.

“My job had become too administrative,” Devine says. “I wanted to get back to finding

communications answers for clients’ problems.”

He and Powers had a model to follow: avoid the “bait and switch” sales tactics that other

firms were employing. That is, avoid the model of selling experience and then providing

clients with less experienced people running the day to day interactions.

“We went out and talked to clients at length and that was the biggest frustration that

they shared with us,” he says, adding that company’s model of “Expertise. Every time”

gave them “something unique to offer.”

Devine + Powers hired several senior PR experts, people with years of experience in their

particular areas. They then targeted several niches: consumer, B to B, tourism to build on

Philadelphia’s visitors boom; and now social media. The company now includes 12

employees and last year grew by 24% in the height of the great recession. They specialize

in public relations, issues management (think crisis communications) and social media.

Devine, who is in a long line of Preppers (father Mike is class of ’47, Uncle Dick is from

class of ’45 and four brothers: Mike ’76, Matt ’80, Rob ’82 and Dave ’83), believes that

his education at the Prep gave him the skills needed to run his own business. “I learned

many things that I am grateful for including excellent analytical skills and intellectual

curiosity,” he says. “The Prep introduced me to different subjects as well as a diversity of

people and ideas from all over the area. There is never a sameness about it. That is an

important skill in our business because I am always meeting new clients and learning

about their needs and their fields.”

He also points to high expectations. “At the Prep, we were always pushed to perform at a

high level and strive for excellence,” Devine says. “That was at the core of the school and

it’s at the core of our business. We hold ourselves to that same very high standard.”

And Devine understands the value of being a “Man for and With Others.” In addition

to numerous pro bono clients, Devine is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at

Neumann University, is a former president and still a member of the National Adoption

Center’s board of directors, and is a director of the Philadelphia Charity Ball and the

Brent Celek Take Flight Foundation. “I learned that the more you give the more you will

get back,” he says.

– Bill Avington ’90

JAY DEVINE ’79FOUNDING PARTNER, DEVINE + POWERS

Prep Entrepreneurs

“WWee ffeelltt lliikkee iiff wwee ddiidd tthhee rriigghhtt tthhiinngg,,bbuussiinneessss wwoouulldd ffoollllooww..””– Jay Devine on the founding of Devine + Powers

THE PREP NEWS8

DURING HIS PREP DAYS, MANY

PEOPLE WOULD NOT HAVE PEGGED

ROBERT VOGELBACHER ’00TO BECOME THE OWNER OF A STEEL

REBAR MANUFACTURING COMPANY.After all, he was headed for the U.S. Naval Academy where

he would major in English, not exactly a blueprint for

someone looking for a career in the steel rebar business.

Nevertheless, that is exactly where Vogelbacher finds

himself. He is the President of Men of Steel Rebar

Fabricators, a company he began shortly after graduating

from the Naval Academy in 2004. It was something that

came about as Vogelbacher worked for his dad in a general

contracting business.

“I realized that no one in the industry was doing steel

rebar from the beginning to end of the process,” says

Vogelbacher. “For a concrete contractor, rebar is a difficult

material. I saw the possibility of starting a company that

would provide the concrete contractor with everything they

would need for a rebar project.”

Steel rebar is used in virtually everything made out of

concrete. It acts as the skeleton, providing shape and

strength. Men of Steel does all of the work on the rebar,

from engineering to fabricating to delivering, project

managing and even installation. “There are companies that

do some of the levels involved in producing the rebar but

very few who do it all,” Vogelbacher says. “We pulled all of

the aspects of the process, every service and product that

the contractors need and provide it in one place. That has

been our niche.”

For the most part, Men of Steel works in the New York City

market, where there are several mid-to-high rise concrete

building projects. Men of Steel operates out of offices in

Edgewater Park, N.J. The company began with serious

“quick, on-the-job education,” says Vogelbacher, who

also benefitted from his father-in-law’s expertise in the

wholesale rebar business. But Vogelbacher himself had

no experience with this very intricate material.

Somehow, though, all of his training led to this. At the

Prep, Vogelbacher rowed and led Kairos, in addition to

playing basketball for three years. He says both the Prep

and the Naval Academy prepared him well for operating

his own business.

“I am able to get my point across, both verbal and written”

he says. “I can state my opinion and take a position and

defend that position. Those skills have helped me tremen-

dously in business.”In addition to the steel rebar,

Vogelbacher operates a solar business and a hardware

store out of their South Jersey location. All of it adds up to

knowing the value of hard work. “When we started, we

went through the construction blue book and called people

and then we called them again,” he says. “Then we went

to see people and broke down doors. I was surprised to

learn that people aren’t as good at that as you might

think.”

In addition, he learned another skill that makes him a

good business man—morality. “I try to be honorable in

business,” says Vogelbacher, who recently became

engaged to his longtime girlfriend Kristen Carlin. “That

might not always be the way to make a lot of fast money

but it has paid dividends. It has helped us build a

reputation. We always try to make a fair and moral

decision, we have respect for our clients, our competition

and our employees and we will do whatever it takes to

meet deadlines and be good partners on a project. That

has helped us tremendously.”

– Bill Avington ’90

ROBERT VOGELBACHER ’00PRESIDENT, MEN OF STEEL REBAR FABRICATORS

We felt like if we did the right thing,business would follow.”– Jay Devine on the founding of Devine + Powers

FALL 2010 9

THE PREP NEWS10

IT IS NO SURPRISE TO ANYONE THAT CLASSMATES

JIM MCHUGH AND TOM O’CONNOR WENT INTO

BUSINESS TOGETHER. In fact, they started their first company while still in

college when, in the summer of 1991, they founded PCS (Poor College Students) to

provide jack-of-all-trades work, everything from driveway sealing to pool cleaning.

“Anything that people wanted us to do we did,” McHugh says laughing. “I heard my

entire life, ‘you’ve got to work for yourself.’” McHugh took that literally, helping to start

seven companies, including Apex with O’Connor. They incorporated the company in 1994

after some advice from Tom’s father, a neurosurgeon.

“One day, my dad was talking about his need for custom-made devices for neurosurgery,”

says O’Connor. “No one was doing that at the time. There was a void in the market.”

O’Connor provided the ingenuity for the company while McHugh provided the business

sense. Their first days featured a lot of listening, an important aspect of the company still

today. “We went around to prominent neurosurgeons and tried to identify their needs,”

says O’Connor, who is the Director of Product Development at Apex. “We want to under-

stand their challenges and provide them a product that optimizes their abilities.”

The company is best known for Apex Arachnoid Knives, a disposable version of the

instruments used by neurosurgeons to operate on the delicate middle membrane that

surrounds the entire central nervous system. The knives are disposable but highly

engineered. O’Connor jokes that they are “over engineered” but that is part of what

sets Apex apart.

“We work directly with the end user and try to exceed their expectations so they never

have a problem,” says McHugh. “We never want there to be a problem. Apex far exceeds

anything else available.”

O’Connor agrees. “You build a reputation and you want people to know that what you

have is special,” he says. “People will pay a premium for that.”

While some might scoff at a business model that doesn’t skimp on costs, both agree

that skimping is non-negotiable. “We are dealing with an area of catastrophic failure,

so we want our product to perform perfectly every time,” O’Connor says. “It’s not even

debated,” McHugh adds.

Both men have leaned upon the experiences of their fathers. McHugh’s dad, George ’47,

started AGF Manufacturing after working for large firms his entire life. “He wanted to take

the positives of working for a big firm but none of the negatives,” McHugh says of his

father. “He taught me to give the customers exactly what they want and that profit isn’t

the first thing to think about.’”

It is another piece of his father’s advice that leads to Apex’s fundamental tenet. “He used

to say, ‘if you sell someone a good product, that person will buy more. But, if you sell a

bad product, not only will that person not buy again, they will tell others not to buy it.”

Apex has been built upon hard work and adaptability. O’Connor has no engineering or

medical background (he was a European history and German literature major at Penn) but

has learned the business through immersion. “I had to get out of my comfort zone and

understand what is important to those who will use the product,” he says.

That theory is echoed by McHugh, who majored in business and finance at Fairfield

University. “To answer customer needs, you need to get out there with the customer,”

he says.

And the men both learned the goal of doing your best at all times during their years

at the Prep. “The Jesuits taught me to do my best for the purpose of doing my best,”

McHugh says. “You do it because it is right.” O’Connor points to high expectations set

by Prep teachers. “You are given expectations when you arrive and are motivated to

meet or exceed them during your four years,” he says. “The Prep was hard but that

was the way we liked it. It was a challenge.”

And neither man has shied from a challenge. Perhaps that’s why they work so well

together.

“We’re selling something that makes a difference and that makes it all worthwhile,”

O’Connor says.

McHugh agrees: “If you don’t believe in what you are making, then why bother?”

– Bill Avington ’90

TOM O’CONNOR ’89 & JIM MCHUGH ’89PARTNERS, APEX MEDICAL, INC.

FALL 2010 11

“I always knew that I wanted to do something on my own, something in which I could

take ownership,” he says.

After graduating from the George Washington University in 2006, Spell went to work at

KPMG, an accounting firm but did web design work on the side. A few months later, after

seeking a partnership with Kunal Johar, a classmate from GW, his new company landed a

major client.

“It started off as part time,” says Spell, “but the side work snowballed into having a lot

of clients. Then we got a large client and that allowed me to do it full time.”

Spell and Johar started vOfficeware, a software development company that created

everything from custom web applications to iPhone and Droid apps to accounting

systems. It was originally set to create virtual offices for law firms but the broad reach

of the company didn’t allow them to find traction as a business. They needed a niche.

Being in Washington, D.C., where a large number of nonprofits operate, it seemed natural

to focus on nonprofits and Nonprofitcms.org was born.

“The whole reason it started was we were referred a nonprofit web design project,” says

Spell. “We thought it was a shoo-in but we didn’t get the project. It was then that we

realized that we needed to change our brand and become the company that nonprofits

would go to for anything web related.”

As their name alludes, the company’s main focus is creating content management systems.

However, they do all aspects of IT work.

“It’s hard for these organizations to find companies who specialize in nonprofit

technology,” says Spell. “There’s not a lot of people who are doing what we are doing.

TIM SPELL ’02OWNER,VOFFICEWARE &NONPROFITCMS.ORG

According to Spell, Johar handles most of the technical side while Spell deals with the

business end. The company now makes $500,000 in sales, has 150 clients on their list

and just hired their first two employees (another salesperson and someone to handle

search engine optimization). The company also utilizes a team of developers overseas

(programmers in Russia, designers in India and a virtual assistant named Amy in the

Philippines).

Besides the C++ computer science class that he had at the Prep, Spell says that he

learned leadership skills and how to portray himself thanks to his experience on the

crew team. He also credits the Prep for his communication skills and says those skills

are “the number one thing that I learned that was the most important going forward.

Communicating efficiently and effectively is essential for running your own business.”

For those looking to start their own company, Spell gives these words of advice: “there are

so many ups and downs in doing anything. Never give up…keep going, no matter what

you decide to do.”

– Bill Avington ’90

AS A CHILD, TIM SPELL ’02 LOVED VIDEO GAMES. HIS DREAM WAS TO START HIS OWN VIDEO GAME DESIGN FIRM.THOUGH THAT DREAM WASN’T EXACTLY REALIZED, THE ROOTS OF OWNING HIS OWN COMPANY AND WORKING FOR

HIMSELF RUN DEEP.

“II aallwwaayyss kknneeww tthhaatt II wwaanntteeddttoo ddoo ssoommeetthhiinngg oonn mmyy oowwnn,, ssoommeetthhiinngg iinn wwhhiicchh II ccoouulldd ttaakkee oowwnneerrsshhiipp..””– Tim Spell ’02

ANDREW DIERKES ’11

Andrew Dierkes ’11 knows all about the benefits of family. As one of seven

children, he has learned so many valuable skills that have helped him

through life.

Recently, when asked to hypothetically sell himself to a college admissions

director, Dierkes invoked his family, saying “I have had an interesting experience

at home and have learned how to live in a small community: communicating,

managing my time and schedule, and I think these are skills to take with me to

the next level.”

Although very much a part of the Prep community now, Andrew had a very

different beginning than many other Prep students. He was homeschooled

through eighth grade and embraces his experience, crediting his homeschooling

for truly opening up the world of music to him. One of the requirements in the

Dierkes family curriculum was to play the piano. At the age of eight, Andrew

picked up the violin, which he now considers to be his “main instrument.” He is

also proficient at playing the organ, having taken lessons twice a month for the

past few years, and now does so at many Prep masses. Andrew hopes to continue

to play music in college as he pursues an education in medicine, perhaps with

nursing and/or eventually medical school.

Andrew stands apart from his Prep brothers in another way—the Prep was not his

first choice. He began his high school career at Monsignor Bonner High School,

transferring to the Prep in his sophomore year. He wasted no time in becoming a

major asset to its community. “I actually did better academically in my first year

here than I did at Bonner,” he says.

The classroom was not the only place he succeeded; Dierkes brought his musical

talents to both the Christus Choir (vocals) and the Prep Open House (violin). He

feels lucky to have had Dr. Stew Barbera ’86 as his counselor because he assisted

Andrew’s transition and was able to help him with any questions.

Near the end of his first year at the Prep, Andrew received information about

an exchange student program run by the American Field Service (AFS) and

immediately became interested. After much discussion with his parents, family,

and the AFS coordinator, Andrew’s family became one of the first at the Prep to

participate in the exchange program, hosting Jorge Alfaro from Santiago, Chile,

for the first semester of Andrew’s junior year. Last summer, Andrew went to

Santiago to live with Jorge and attended San Ignacio el Bosque for seven weeks,

an experience that opened his eyes to a new world and made him cherish his

Jesuit education. “It was neat that I went from one Jesuit school to another,”

Andrew said. “‘AMDG’ was written everywhere, and it showed how universal

the Jesuit culture is.”

Right now, the University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, and Case

Western Reserve University are his top choices for their nursing programs. Many

applications inquire about an experience that has influenced the applicant in

some way. For Andrew Dierkes, that should not be too difficult.

– Charles Schrier ’06

“You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.”– DESMOND TUTU

student profile

THE PREP NEWS12

[Above] Milewski , right, with fellow 40-year veteran Jim O’Brien ’62 (English)

[Right] Milewski teaching in new bio lab

JOHN MILEWSKI

If you think the Prep’s relentless schedule discourages or weighs down Milewski,

think again. Having recently been recognized at the annual Honors Convocation

for his 41 years of service, he joins a special group of teachers who have been

instructing Prep students since 1970 or before. He says it is the students that

keep him coming back year after year. “There are no students in the world like

Prep students, and they are the reason I have been here for as long as I have,”

Milewski says.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Milewski is a graduate of North Catholic High

School and LaSalle University. He then journeyed over 5,000 miles away from

home to the University of Hawaii, where he received his Masters degree in

Marine Biology, which, he says, is the area of science he feels the most passion.

“I love the ocean,” he says, “it is nature at its best, the birthplace of life.” It is at

the University of Hawaii where he fell in love with teaching, as well, instructing

a General Science Lab for freshmen students during his graduate studies at the

university. Upon graduation from UH, Milewski joined the Peace Corps, opting

to teach multiple subjects on the small island of Tonga, where he served for two

years. After his time in the Peace Corps, Milewski was hired at the Prep,

beginning his tenure here at the same time as English teacher Jim O’Brien ’62

and Rev. J. Vincent Taggart, S.J., the beloved history teacher and Prep ambassador,

who passed away in 1996.

Throughout his Prep career, Milewski has remained true to his education, enlight-

ening freshmen and sophomores to the wonders of Biology. Additionally, in 1975,

he taught the first section of Marine Ecology, which has since evolved and today

is a popular component of the Biology Elective course for juniors and seniors. For

25 years, Milewski also dedicated his time to instruction of Advanced Placement

(AP) Biology, but has recently passed on those duties to Brian Martin ’95.

John Milewski’s dedication to and love for St. Joe’s Prep and its students is rivaled

by few, and his inspired science lessons stretch across four decades of young

men. With so many years of experience under his belt, Milewski says with

conviction, “I wouldn’t want to teach anywhere else.” The Prep and its students

sure are grateful for that.

– Charles Schrier ’06

“The hardest part about being a teacher [at the Prep] is the treadmill – you’re running all day setting up labs and preparing for class,” says long-time science

teacher John Milewski. “It never lets up, but it keeps me trim,” he adds with a smile.

FALL 2010 13

faculty profile

PAT KARDISH ’11

It was a sacred thing, too, when senior Pat Kardish saw a field

from the car window as they first drove into the dusty hamlet

where they’d live and work for the next eight days. Now, in

the English Department office, Pat recalls that moment. “I

remember when we first entered the Tohatchi mission, and I

saw that field--how wide it was, all that dirt.”

The group later noticed that this baseball field, forgotten, had

lost its basepaths. The adjoining playground was overgrown

with weeds. Is there anything sadder? Sometimes on the trip

they’d see kids outside, but the heat—and a beautiful, ancient

culture afflicted by poverty, obesity and alcoholism—kept them

in most of the time.

It’s been five months since I first met Pat at the Philadelphia

airport for that trip, and just two weeks since he scored the

winning goal in the Philadelphia Catholic League

Championship. In our conversation, he returns to that field in

particular. “I thought, ‘I wonder if we can play on that.’” He

smiles like he always does. “Do you remember those cactus

needles? Do you remember how the wind would blow and the

needles would rise up and sting us? Do you remember how

we’d come home covered in dirt and sweat?” Pat grins as he

fires off these questions whose answers we both know.

It went something like this: after a day’s work, nine of us would

walk down a gravel road with some stray dogs to a field on the

edge of town, on the edge of our world. We’d divide into teams.

We’d dribble and pass. Some Navajo kids would watch us from

behind a chain-linked fence. Or they, like me, would just sort of

watch Pat Kardish dash and fly under shards of blue-orange sky,

scoring and passing and kicking up all that brown dust, all

those cactus needles, the ones that would make the three cheap

balls we bought at the Gallup Walmartright off Route 66 go flat.

We’d scream. We’d laugh. We’d walk home.

We didn’t know then what we do now, that in a few months,

Pat Kardish would do one of the most sacred things in Prep

soccer history. This time, on a cold November night, on a lush

green field under those big white lights at Archbishop Ryan

High School, hundreds of fans—including no small tribe of Prep

soccer alumni—would watch him dash and fly and score that

winning goal in what had been a 1-1 game with Archbishop

Wood. The play began threading itself together 50 yards away

from Pat Kardish, and ended with Kardish duping a defender,

then the goalie.

There was one minute and 37 seconds left when heaven met

earth.

The win proved to be the biggest of Coach Jim Murray’s life.

“When I saw Pat get the ball, I said, ‘you know, this could be it.

This could be the winning shot, the winning goal.’ And it was.”

Murray, the school’s soccer sage smiles, his eyes staring at the

soda machine, at the walls, at the air, at 1971 when he started

the Prep soccer program, at those 544 wins since. “Winning the

Catholic League Championship is certainly the culmination of a

lot of effort of all our alumni,” Murray, a 1959 Prep grad, adds.

Eventually the team would lose to Central Dauphin in the

P.I.A.A. playoffs. The season was nonetheless karmic.

Brendan Sullivan ’92 is one of Murray’s most esteemed alumni,

a Prep history teacher who this season became Murray’s

assistant coach. Sullivan is an all-time Prep soccer great who

Murray says in the same breath as Justin Ceccarelli ’89, Jimmy

Wallace ’81, and Joe Diviny ’76. According to Sullivan, Pat, who

scored eight goals as a junior and 22 as a senior, developed

more poise and peace in his game this season. “Pat matured

greatly as a player this year,” says Sullivan, who played

professionally after college. “Near the midpoint of the season,

On a journey to Tohatchi, New Mexico, on a service trip this past July, the group saw many sacred things. They sawsomething sacred, for instance, in an old and wizened Navajo shepherdess who had no teeth and turquoise eyes. Shelived far away from anything, in the center of Earth, in a stack of sticks, her shelter a brown speck under the bluedome of Navajo sky. Hunched and barefoot, she held a rosary and walked a guest to her stable to show her twentysheep. It was a sacred thing.

student profile

THE PREP NEWS14

THE PREP SHOP IS OPEN FOR BUSINESSEVERY DAY ALL DAY

JUST VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT

www.sjprepshop.comfor the latest in Prep apparel and keepsakes.

Every item carried in the store is now availableonline. So save a trip to 18th and Girard and

do your shopping from home.

NOW YOU CAN SHOP

24/7 !he started to simplify his game. He ceased being so frenetic. Not

rushing allowed him a wider scope in terms of his field vision

and really slowed the game down for him.”

Nothing seemed slow in the moment Pat scored. Sullivan’s

comment about Pat’s peace is an ironic one in light of the crazy

speed and insane movement of Pat’s winning goal, the one that

unburdened the soccer community here after 17 title-game

appearances without a win. There was the pile-on. The crowd

stormed the field. The players doused Coach Murray in

Gatorade, then hoisted him onto their shoulders. Pandemonium.

The jubilance and the thrill, the relief and incredulity—these

were all palpable on that green field this past November, as

poignant as cactus needles in July in little Tohatchi, New Mexico.

Which is where Pat’s story has to return, because it may be

where Pat’s growth into someone new began. “The Navajo trip,”

Pat tells me, “was the best trip I’ve ever taken. It introduced me

to a new lifestyle. I needed to see how the Navajo have a lot of

trouble in their land.” Often, Pat—who moved from Alabama to

Bucks County right after eight grade—stayed longer to help

Calvin, our friend and Navajo carpenter. Calvin worked slowly

and never moved frenetically. Together, Pat and Calvin finished

the roof of a hogan, the name for a traditional Navajo dwelling

place. “Nailing those boards to that roof was painful,” Pat says.

“But I liked the symmetry and precision of it all,” he adds. Pat is

also the kicker for the football team and spends his autumn

days dashing to practices for both sports.

As our trip came to an end, we cleaned up our things and said

goodbye. We said goodbye to Tina, whose roof was the one we

fixed, who taught us about hard times and how the gods speak

to us in the changing skies. We said goodbye to Calvin, who

taught us how to fix a roof and, beyond that, how to build a

community. We said goodbye to our Jesuit friend, Fr. Bob, who

showed us how to be at selfless service for our neighbor, like the

old shepherdess with turquoise eyes who led me to her sheep.

Then, with Pat Kardish in the front seat, we left. We passed our

soccer field, the sandlot Pat saw and then baptized with his

footwork and laughter. There were some Navajo kids playing on

it. Much like the Prep’s soccer season, this was no small resur-

rection, some green in brown, a sacred thing.

– Susie Cook

FALL 2010 15

Class of 1985

THE PREP NEWS16

1965

19701975 1980

Class of 1985

FALL 2010 17

1990

2005

20001995

Reunion Weekend 2010

THE PREP NEWS18

Members of the Class of 1973 with Fr. Bur: [l-r] Frank McCusker, Joe McElwee, Al Zimmerman, Armand Della Porta and Jerry Maginnis

Mothers’ Club Chair Madeleine Farrell [second from left] with her brother Joe Fox[far right] and their spouses Christopher [far left] and Susan [second from right]

Two members of the 2009-10 Prep Fund Cabinet Kevin Maloney ’00 [far left] and Mark Meehan ’75[second from right] with Prep President Rev. George W. Bur, S.J. ’59 [middle],

Ceal Biello, Director of the Prep Fund, and Al Zimmerman ’73, Director of Development

Board chairman John McConnell ’70presents brief remarks

Rich and Mimi Devine, Prep Fund cabinet chairs for parents of 2011,with Principal Michael Gomez

Lee Casaccio ’70 with Athletic Director Jim Murray ’59

Music teacher Matt Schwartz ’02 (saxophone) with Evan Westcott ’12 (piano)

Classmates from the Class of 1950 John McBrearty and Michael Robinson, their wivesMarianne and Rosemary with Beth Missett, Director of Hawktion and Special Events

PPrreessiiddeenntt’’ss CClluubb DINNER

from the archive

PROMOTION FOR BASKETBALL GAMESt. Joseph's Prep 26 - (Roman) Catholic High 20

St. Joseph's Gymnasium 25 January 1919

Drawn by Clem McGovern ’19Donated by Betty Flynn, Wife of Joseph Flynn '50

and Daughter of Charles B. Laughlin '19, Captain of the 1918-19 Squad

1919

FACULTY 1911-1912Posed on East Side of Church of Gesu

1911-1912

REV. GEORGE MURRY, SJ & REV. ANTHONY MCHALE, SJFormer residents of Jesuit Hall

1970s

PHILADELPHIA WARD MAP, 1922Before high school building alongThompson Street was opened

1922

These photos are some of manyhoused in the Prep’s new archivecenter, which is managed by history teacher Bill Conners ’80. If you have any Prep photos, memorabilia or other items (pennants, yearbooks, pins, etc.),contact him at [email protected].

FALL 2010 19

This fall, James Maguire, founder of

Philadelphia Insurance Company, was

the keynote speaker at the annual

Honors Convocation, relating his “keys

to success” to the students. Afterwards,

Mr. Maguire, his wife Frances and

daughter Susie toured the new science

labs. Here they are pictured with

President Rev. George W. Bur, S.J. ’59,

science chair Barbara Brown and chem-

istry teacher Joe Feighan. Brown and

Feighan were the main designers of the

new labs.

[l-r] Feighan, Frances and Jim Maguire, Brown, Fr. Bur, Susie Maguire

MAGUIRES TOUR

SCIENCE LABS

HHaawwkkttiioonn 22001111::

SSaattuurrddaayy,, AApprriill 3300hhttttpp:://// hhaawwkkttiioonn..ssjjpprreepp..oorrgg

Volunteers NeededDonations Being Accepted

Sponsorship Opportunities Available215-978-1004

THE PREP NEWS20

Save the Date

This year’s honoreewill be

LLeeoo CCaarrlliinn ’’5555Monday, May 16, 2011

Philadelphia Cricket Club

http: / /prepclass ic .s jprep.org

ReunionWeekend

FALL 2010 21

Rev. Stephen Garrity, S.J. ’57 is working in pastoralcare with senior Jesuits at The Jesuit Center inWernersville.

Anthony Stevens-Arroyo ’58 writes an online col-umn for the Washington Post and Newsweek underthe title “Catholic America.” He also serves on theMonroe County board that makes grant awards tosocial services in the area. He has lived in Stroudsburgwith his wife since retirement in 2007 as ProfessorEmeritus at Brooklyn College.

Rev. George Bur, S.J. ’59, Prep President, offeredthe opening prayer at a ceremony in front ofIndependence Hall to celebrate the Fourth of July“Welcome America” festivities earlier this year.

Joseph Clark ’59 is President/CEO of CCM Services,Inc. in San Diego, Calif. The company provides over1,000 e-learning courses in financial, risk and compli-ance for Global Professionals. Courses are certified forcredits by NASBA, the Professional Risk ManagersInternational Association and the Global Association ofRisk Professionals. Exam Prep courses for several certi-fications are also available. The other valuable serviceis the “Hood Robbin” hotline where companies canprovide an independent, cost effective process forwhistleblowers to report waste, fraud and abuse.

Dr. Edward Szuszczewicz ’59, who is married withfour children and nine grandchildren, keeps busy pro-fessionally with two start-up businesses, a small R & Dand international technology transfer consulting com-pany and a small spin-off S-corporation developing theproduct form of a patent-pending technology. He isalso engaged at George Mason University as anAffiliate Professor in the Department of Physics andAstronomy where he is developing an initiative hecalls “A Forum on Physics in Medicine” with objectivesfocused on creating a new generation of practicingphysicians and medical researchers. He’s been a dedi-cated jogger since sophomore track at the Prep and isan ardent amateur photographer.

1960sWilliam McNulty ’60, who was employed in the titleinsurance business for 37 years including 24 yearsself-employed, is retired and living in Virginia Beach,VA. He is proud to announce the birth of his fourthgrandchild, but first granddaughter, Jade HyunchungVirella.

Eugene Norrett ’61 will be retiring from Fab OwnersAssociation at the end of this year. In his over 40 yearcareer in semiconductors, he has held senior manage-ment positions with Motorola Semiconductors, GartnerGroup and Amkor Technology, a high-tech semicon-ductor product manufacturer that includes Intel andIBM among its primary customers. He and his wifeLinda have two children and four grandchildren. Theylive in Lincoln, Calif., but plan to move to the Phoenix,Ariz., area after retiring.

Dr. Anthony Carbo ’62 is now retired, after mostrecently serving Director of Taylor Hospital’sDepartment of Emergency Medicine. He and his wifeLucille live in Media.

Joseph Toto ’63, who recently launched JRTConsulting, LLC, is a senior-level Human Resourcesand Business Leader who retired from BectonDickinson and Company in 2010 as Director ofLeadership Development and Learning. Joe’s experi-ence spans 35 years of broad based management,

consulting and coaching with several large scale glob-al organizations including Roche, Rhone-Poulenc (cur-rently Sanofi-Aventis), Betz Labs (currently par of GE)and Sperry Univac (currently Unisys).

Andrew Coates ’65 and his wife Anne recentlyopened a law practice in Glenside. Coates & Coates,PC specializes in elder law, wills, trusts, estate plan-ning and estate administration.

Dr. John McPhilemy ’65, physician for thePhiladelphia 76ers, was given the National BasketballAthletic Trainers Association’s award for TeamPhysician of the Year for 2010. Dr. McPhilemy is part ofthe Philadelphia Orthopedic Group.

Dr. Thomas Sutula ’67 was the recipient of theWilliam G. Lennox Award for 2009 for pioneeringresearch into mechanisms underlying seizure activity inthe brain. Sutula, professor and chair of neurology atthe medical school of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, received the lifetime achievement award dur-ing the December 2009 annual meeting of theAmerican Epilepsy Society in Boston. Dr. Sutula is co-founder and chief technical officer of NeuroGenomeX,Inc.

1970sJohn Devine ’70 and his wife Linda celebrated theirdaughter’s wedding in June. They then took a drivingvacation, visiting the Pro Football Hall of Fame(Canton, Ohio), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame(Cleveland, Ohio), Henry Ford Museum (Dearborn,Mich.), spent three nights in Chicago and toured theNotre Dame campus in South Bend, IN. They spendevery Easter in Key West, FL and plan of taking aseven-day cruise to the Western Caribbean in January.

Francis Lipiecki ’70 recently was appointed VicePresident of Engineering at Draths Corp., a bio tech,clean tech start-up firm.

Gerard Sena ’70 is employed as a BrokerageManager at Crump Life Insurance Services. He and hiswife Linda perform with a Polish Folkdance Group andan International Folkdance Group.

Gerald McHugh, Esq. ’72, an attorney with the lawfirm of Raynes McCarty, has been appointed Chairmanof the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Collegeof Trial Lawyers.

Rev. Richard Malloy, S.J. ’73, a Chaplain andProfessor of Anthropology at Chestnut Hill College,spent the summer as the chaplain at YellowstoneNational Park. He celebrated three masses per week-end at locations throughout the massive park.

Joseph Scott ’73 has been named President andCEO of Liberty Health, an integrated health care sys-tem with two hospitals located in Hudson Co., N.J. Joeand his wife Gail reside in Jersey City, N.J.

Br. David Betz, S.M. ’75 was recently appointed thelocal area coordinator for the Marianist Brothers andpriests in the St. Louis area. He continues to work atSt. Patrick Center as a mental health case manager forveterans who are homeless and have substance abuseand mental health issues.

Rev. Msgr. Paul DiGirolamo ’75, pastor of Old St.Mary’s Parish in Society Hill, has been appointed judi-cial vicar of the Archdiocesan Metropolitan Tribunal byCardinal Justin Rigali. Msgr. DiGirolamo has beenassistant judicial vicar since 1992. He succeedsBishop-elect Michael Fitzpatrick.

1930sEarl Martin ’38 was the guest of honor on the occa-sion of his 90th birthday at a family reunion in Villas,NJ this past summer. Attendees included his daughter,Bernadette Ruggles and her husband Mark, Earl’s sis-ter, Regina Herman, who is 95. Earl, a retired attorney,lives in California, but spends his summers at his vaca-tion home in Bethany Beach, DE.

1940sThomas Harrington ’43 was honored by theFootball Alumni Association at the annual HawkHuddle which was held in October at the Prep. Tomreceived the Ank Scanlan Award for his many years ofdedication to Prep football.

Rev. William Byron, S.J. ’45, former Prep President,has authored a new book, Next GenerationLeadership, a “toolkit for those in their teens, twentiesand thirties who want to be successful leaders.”

Rev. Francis Reese, S.J. ’45 celebrated his 50thAnniversary as a priest and is in his 13th year ofHispanic rural ministry in the mountains of westernNorth Carolina. He continues to work with theSpiritual Exercises with several lay groups and individ-uals.

1950sJohn Gahran ’50 reports that he shot his age, 76, ingolf on 7/20/09, just one day before his birthday.

Dr. John Lane ’50, called a “renowned CatholicDoctor” by The Catholic Standard and Times, hasretired after a long career, most recently as part of agroup practice in Penndel. Dr. Lane was a member ofthe Philadelphia guild of the Catholic MedicalAssociation and a former president and a past nation-al president of the group.

Rev. Joseph Feeney, S.J. ’52 delivered a paper onGerard Manley Hopkins at an international conferencein Spokane, Wash., in July, 2010. He began his 40thyear of teaching English at Saint Joseph’s University(punctuated by teaching at Georgetown, Santa Clara,and Seattle University) this fall. He tells us he enjoysteaching as much as the first day he started!

Most Reverend Robert Maginnis ‘52 officiallyretired from administrative responsibilities last summer.Throughout his 49 years as a priest, 14 of them as anauxiliary bishop, he touched the lives of thousandsacross the Archdiocese.

Leo Carlin ’55 was part of thePhiladelphia Eagles’ celebrationof the 1960 NFL Championshipteam, the year he started part-time with the team. “I amabsolutely thrilled to have sur-passed 50 seasons in professionalfootball. I owe a great deal ofthanks to the Philadelphia Eaglesorganization for honoring theteam and me on this memorableoccasion.” (Picture)

Rev. Anthony Bellesorte ’57 has been appointedgeneral manager of the Abbey of New Clairvaux inVina, Calif.

THE PREP NEWS22

Cdr. RobertHardegen, USN’84 is congratu-lated on his grad-uation from theNational DefenseUniversity, JointAdvanced

Warfighting School, by his father, Bob Hardegen ’61and his Professor, Dr. Charles Cunningham, Lt. Gen,USAF (retired) ‘59. (Picture)

Joseph Cunningham ’85, a realtor with Remax inNortheast Philadelphia, and his wife Tara live inPhiladelphia with their four boys Matt, Joey, Nick andAidan.

Michael Garry ’85, managing member of YardleyWealth Management, LLC in Newtown, has beennamed a 2010 Five Star Wealth Manager byPhiladelphia Magazine and was listed in theirNovember issue.

Dr. Joseph Iocono ’85 has been appointed Chief ofthe Division of Pediatric Surgery for KentuckyChildren’s Hospital. He is an associate professor of sur-gery in the University of Kentucky College of Medicineand is also Director of the Pediatric Trauma Programand Associate Director of the Minimally InvasiveSurgery Center for University of Kentucky HealthCare.

Matthew MacDonald ’85 is proud to report that hisson Joseph recently graduated with the Prep’s Class of2010 as a member of the National Honor Society andthe football program. Joseph is pursuing a biomedicalengineering degree at the University of Pittsburgh.

Sean Gabaree ’86 is in his fourth year of teachingsocial studies/history at Montgomery Blair High Schoolin Silver Spring, Maryland.

Scott Grande ’86 was recently promoted toAssistant Vice President of Banking OperationsManager at Firstrust Bank. In his new position, hesupervises the operations and compliance of ninebranches in Bucks County and Northeast Philadelphia.He has also recently become President-Elect of theRotary Club of Philadelphia.

Paul Jaskot, Esq. ’86, apartner in Reed SmithLLP, has been appointedthe new practice groupleader of the firm’s U.S.Corporate & SecuritiesGroup (C&S). Paul servedas deputy practice groupleader of C&S since2007. Paul and his wifeAnnamaria live in BrynMawr with their twodaughters Sara andJulianna. (Picture)

Brandon Brown ’87 has been consulting since themid-90’s in the areas of technical assistance andcapacity building of youth-centered non-profits inPhiladelphia and around the country.

Dominic Comeratore ’88, who started his actingcareer with the Cape and Sword Drama Society, wasrecently cast in a production of “Renovations.” Theplay, based on the book by John Marchese calledRenovations: A Father and Son Rebuilt a house andrediscover Each Other, was performed at The BlankTheatre Company in Los Angeles, Calif. Dominic playedthe role of John, a burned-out magazine writer as heattempts to re-connect with his construction workerfather by renovating a house near his hometown ofScranton. Dominic has an extensive resume of workincluding theater, film, and television and lives in SantaMonica, Calif.

Antony Braithwaite ’89 starred in MontgomeryTheater’s production of “Moonlight and Magnolias,”which ran this past summer. He was nominated fortwo Barrymore Awards, one for Outstanding LeadingActor in a Play (Sam in “Fully Committed” at theMontgomery Theater) and with Jim Stanek forOutstanding Ensemble in a Musical (“The Story of MyLife,” at Act 2 Playhouse). Tony won the BarrymoreAward in October for best ensemble for his work on“The Story of My Life.” He recently directed the Capeand Sword Drama Society’s production of the hitBroadway show “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.”

Anthony Ciotti ’89 completed a Masters Degreefrom Touro University in Emergency and DisasterManagement (Summa cum Laude) in late 2008. He iscurrently serving in Afghanistan with the 404th CivilAffairs Battalion (Airborne) working Health SectorDevelopment until March 2011. He and his wifeJanene, who were married in the fall of last year, haverecently become the proud parents of a son.

1990sFrank Costa ’90 is employed at Oak FinancialPartners in Marlton, N.J., as a Financial Advisor andEmployee Benefit Specialist. He and his wife Moniquereside in Mullica Hill, NJ with their two sons Frank, Jr.and Nicholas.

Christian DiCicco, Esq. ’90 has opened a highlypersonalized law practice specializing in consumerbankruptcy. He can be reached atwww.MyPhillyBankruptcyLawyer.com.

Michael Friedman ’90 and Greg Konow ’90 arethe Creators of “The Super Man.” The show, now in itssecond season, won the Audience Award at the 2010ITV Festival. Both Mike and Greg also star in the show.

Robert Campbell ’91, owner and founder ofAlliance Solutions Group, was recognized on the 2010INC 500/5000 list of fastest growing companies in theUnited States. Bob works to prepare communities, themilitary and emergency responders for the full-spec-trum of disasters. He and his wife Amy continue to beengaged in global mission work.

Kevin McGowan ’91 recently ran the successful re-election campaign of Congressman Mike Simpson ofIdaho. After the election Kevin moved back toPhiladelphia and has taken a job as a commercial realestate broker with Newmark Knight Frank Smith Mackin Wayne.

Gerard Stefan ’93 was appointed a business mem-ber of the 2010 Hero Thrill Show which was held onSeptember 18 at the Wells Fargo (formerly Wachovia)Center. The Hero Thrill Show is an honorablePhiladelphia tradition since 1954; its mission is to raisemoney to pay the college tuition for the children ofPolice and Firefighters who are killed in the line ofduty. Jerry’s association with the Fraternal Order ofPolice includes providing memorials at no cost to thefamilies of fallen police officers, in alignment with hisfamily company’s (Lifestone by Stefan) Catholic tradi-tion of giving back to those who protect and serve.

Michael Scullin, Esq. ’75 recentlywas named a Fellow at the Institutefor Corean-American Studies, Inc.(ICAS). Michael is Counsel to McElroy,Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLPand Honorary Counsel of France inPhiladelphia and Wilmington.

Philip DiPrimio ’76 is a Vice President and WealthAdvisor at Morgan Stanley in West Chester. He and hiswife Rosemary and their two children live in GlenMills.

Larry Dougherty ’78, Temple’s associate athleticdirector, was named the president of the CollegeSports Information Directors of America and receivedthe organization’s 25-year service award at its conven-tion.

Jay Devine ’79, Founding Partner of Devine &Powers and Chairman of the Board of Trustees atNeumann University, and his wife Bridget live inWayne with their two children, JP (12) and Meg (10).

1980sRobert D’Anjolell ’80 is happy to report that his sonRobert is in the freshman class at the Prep. His otherson Michael is currently in eighth grade at St. AloysiusAcademy where he plays football. Rob is an assistantcoach along with Tim Irvine ’87 and head coachLeo Carlin ’81. His daughters Tina and Abby are infifth and second grades.

Rev. Joseph Farrell ’80 has been named Pastor ofSt. Leo Parish in Northeast Philadelphia.

Bernard Kitzinger ’80 is Executive Vice President ofBusiness Development, CableNet Services, Inc., a lead-ing fulfillment services provider for Comcast Cable. Heand his wife Michelle reside in Washington Township,N.J., with their three children.

James Arimond ’81 recently began his fifth yearteaching at YMCA Triad North Alternative Program inSarasota, Fla. Triad is a program which allows studentswho have been expelled from Sarasota’s public schoolsto continue their education and remedy their behaviorissues. Jim is certified in Florida to teach SocialScience, Math and Science.

Dr. Martin Herman ’82 was named a top doctor fororthopedic surgery by Philadelphia Magazine in itsannual listing of the best physicians in thePhiladelphia area. The magazine determined the mostaccomplished doctors in specific specialties by a poll ofarea physicians. Dr. Herman is a staff physician at St.Christopher’s Hospital for Children and associate pro-fessor in orthopedic surgery at Drexel University’sSchool of Medicine.

John Kitzinger ’82 is with the FBI in Philadelphiaand was recently promoted to Supervisory SpecialAgent, Violent Crimes Task Force. His foreign assign-ments included deployment to Baghdad, Iraq in 2005.

Craig Eiser ’83 is employed as a mechanical engi-neer in Delaware County and lives with his wife andthree children in Cochranville.

Rev. Philip Florio, S.J. ’83 was recently appointedthe new director of campus ministry at FordhamUniversity after serving as Director/Chaplain at theNewman Campus Ministry Center at the University ofPennsylvania. Before that, he was chaplain and assis-tant to the vice president of student life at SaintJoseph’s University and director of campus ministry atthe University of Scranton.

FALL 2010

American Childhood Gone, Well, Wrong which is pub-lished by Harper Perennial.

Justin Pizzi ’97, a reporter and producer for NBC 10in Philadelphia, won an Emmy at the 2010 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards in the category of “HumanInterest Program/Special” for his segment “Be a 10 in10 Weeks.”

Dr. Sean Waldron ’97 recently finished his residencyin orthopedic surgery at Case Western ReserveUniversity in Cleveland, Ohio. He is currently workingon a one-year fellowship in pediatric orthopedic sur-gery at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital which concludesin July 2011. He has accepted a faculty position as apediatric orthopedic surgeon at the Ochsner Clinic inNew Orleans, La., which will start in the fall of 2011.

Steven Walsh ’97 has been named the men’s andwomen’s cross country/track coach at the College ofWilliam and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

Brian Conley ’98 has been named the new HeadRowing Coach at Lehigh University.

Howard Brown ’99, Will Dennis ’01 and LizMcDonald (MMA ’01), all Cape and Sword alums,starred in the comedy production “Everybody LovesOpal” at the Montgomery Theatre in the fall. The showwas directed by Tony Braithwaite ’89 with assistantdirector Patrick Dooley ’10, also a Cape and Swordalum. Also, Brown recently starred as boxing champJack Dempsey in the play “Molumby’s Millions” at theCentre Theatre in Norristown. Anthony Giampetro’87 was also part of the cast.

Brian Callahan ’99 won an Emmy Award as produc-er of the best morning newscast in Washington, D.C.for his work on WRC-TV’s “News4 Today.”

Joseph Kadlec, Esq. ’99 is an associate in theCorporate Practice Group and also assists theSecurities Litigation Practice Group at WilmerHale, alaw firm in Washington, D.C. In both his corporatepractice and securities litigation work, Joe representsclients with regard to accounting and auditing compli-ance standards involving the Public CompanyAccounting Oversight Board as well as domestic andinternational registration requirements.

Christopher Panna ’99 is now teaching at theInternational School of Port of Spain in Trinidad &Tobago after three years living in Paraguay.

2000sFrancis Cattie ’00 graduated from Penn StateUniversity with a B.A. in Crime Law and Justice. He iscurrently employed with Lower Moreland Township asa police officer.

Michael Day ’00 and John McConnell ’00 receivedthe San Miguel Febres Cordero award from San MiguelSchool of Camden for their continuing support of theschool through their annual XBA bike ride. The

Memorial Day weekend city to shore ride has grown toinclude over 80 riders drawn from students, alumniand friends of the Prep. (Picture)

Matthew Faber ’00 was recently married and livesin West Chester, Ohio. He is pursuing a law degree atNorthern Kentucky University and will graduate in2011.

Joseph Mirarchi ’00, graduated from the Universityof Pennsylvania in 2003 and received an M.S. inLibrary and Information Science from Drexel Universityin 2007. He worked as a legal and jack-of-all-tradeslibrarian for Penn and the Free Library of Philadelphiabefore starting law school at Rutgers University(Camden). He is a Staff Editor of the Rutgers LawJournal and will graduate in 2012.

Christopher Ryan, S.J. ’00 moved to Worcester,Mass., in August 2009 to teach at the Nativity Schoolof Worcester. He’s in the second of three years in thisassignment as a Jesuit regent; he currently teachesjunior high religion, social studies and Spanish. LastApril, he completed the Boston Marathon in underthree hours. He has been a Jesuit for six years, havingentered the Society just after graduating fromDartmouth College in 2004.

Michael Barker ’01 was named to the Board ofDirectors for The Center for Autism, the oldest autismtreatment facility in the country.

Ned DelGuercio ’01, Robert Duff ’06 and MikeNucci ’06 were selected to represent theUSA at the World Rowing Championships in NewZealand. Ned was coxswain of the men’s 8, Robertwas a member of the men’s lightweight 8 and Mikewas a member of the men’s lightweight pair withoutcoxswain.

Justin Hopkins ’02 returned to Philadelphia afterfinishing two successful opera engagements in Europe.The production of Macbeth with Le Theatre Royal de laMonnaie in Brussels was named Best Production ofthe Year in Europe by Opernwelt, a leading Germanopera magazine. Justin has been contracted withOpera Company of Philadelphia to sing Friar Laurencein their production of Romeo et Juliette. The produc-tion will take place in February, 2011 at the Academyof Music.

Edward Keels ’02 is the owner of Loose LeafConcepts, an advertising agency doing everything frombranding and logo creation to marketing materials andwebsite design. Ed works with a variety of clients,locally, nationally and even globally. He got his startworking at Alta Communications, now The KarmaAgency, a top public relations firm in Philadelphia.

John Cooper ’03, a high school math teacher inNorth Carolina, was selected Teacher of the Month. Heand his fiancé Holly will be getting married inDecember, 2011.

John Infanti ’03 who works asa producer at WPXI, the NBCaffiliate in Pittsburgh, received an Emmy award at the 2010Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards inSeptember in the category of“Outstanding Spot NewsReporting” for his coverage ofthe G 20 Protests last fall inPittsburgh. He was recognizedearlier this year for this workwhen he received the Edward R.Murrow award for “BreakingNews Coverage.”

Richard Dankanis ’95 is owner of Dank BrothersConstruction. He and his wife Meredith live inHavertown with their daughter Ryan Elisabeth andtheir new son Cooper John who was born in May.

Justin DiDomenico ’95 is President of BuildingBlocks Behavior Consultation, Inc., an agency that pro-vides services to children with autism. He is also anadjunct professor teaching graduate students at SaintJoseph’s University. He and his wife Leanne live inSwedesboro, N.J.

Robert Gerhardt ’95 has posted the first photo-graphs from his new photo reportage “BrooklynMasjid” on his website. The photographs document allthe aspects of the community center and the mosque,from prayer times, to the school that is run on theweekends, to following the various sport groups forthe children and the various children’s activities. Thisyear-long photo documentary will be updated through-out the year on his website.

Brendan Marzano ’95 is employed as a sales repre-sentative for Republic Services, Inc., a leader in theWaste and Recycling Removal world. He, his wife Julieand their daughter Nadia live in Springfield.

Christopher Pohlig ’95 is a superintendent for theWhiting-Turner Contracting Company. He recently fin-ished a multi-use stadium for Loyola University inBaltimore. He lives in Maryland with his wife Mary andchildren Ian, 7 and Guinevere, 4.

Maj. James Tobin ’96 has been in the Air Force for10 years and was recently appointed to a programcalled the AFPAK Hands Program. He will assist theAFG government build an acquisition program.

Daniel Annarelli ’97 is the History Department Chairat Loyola Preparatory High School in Los Angeles,Calif., where he teaches AP European and WorldHistory and is also the JV Baseball coach. In July, hewas the tour guide for a group of students travelingthroughout Italy.

Philip Doherty ’97 and James McCafferty ’97recently purchased McCloskey’s Tavern on CricketAvenue in Ardmore. McCloskey’s, the oldest Irish Pubon the Main Line, features live music on Friday nightsand Quizzo on Saturday nights hosted by Ed Scanlon’96.

Lt. Timothy Donahue ’97 (Battalion surgeon), Maj. Thomas McAvoy ’96 (Civil Affairs Officer), and Capt. Colin Graham ’02 (Logistics Officer) wereforward deployed with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, aninfantry battalion from Camp Pendleton, CA, toGarmsir District, Helmand Province in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom from April - November2010. (Picture)

Jason Mulgrew ’97, who writes a popular blog“Everything Is Wrong With Me: 30, Bipolar andHungry” with more than 200 million hits since itsinception and was named one of People magazine’s“50 Hottest Bachelors in 2005,” has released a bookEverything is Wrong With Me: A Memoir Of An

THE PREP NEWS24

Christopher Gannon ’07 was busy this last summercompleting the Leadership Development andAssessment Course (LDAC), the 29-day ROTC capstonetraining for Army cadets entering this final year beforecommissioning as a second lieutenant. LDAC takesplace every year at Fort Lewis, Washington, and servesto assess the training cadets have received over thepast three years in ROTC. Chris, who is a senior atFordham University, acts as a company commander atNYC Army ROTC. He plans on commissioning in thespring as a Military Intelligence officer in either theArmy Reserve or National Guard.

Matthew Iacoviello ’08, who transferred fromSyracuse University to Saint Joseph’s University in thefall, was an integral part of the Prep’s DevelopmentOffice for the spring semester. Matt helped withdesign, updating alumni profiles, reunions, andHawktion. He is majoring in Classics and FoodMarketing at St. Joe’s.

Andrew Goebel ’09 started off his sophomore yearat DeSales University by being cast as Morris in theseason opener for the Main Stage Production of “TheDark at the Top of the Stairs.”

Christopher Gosnell ’09 is a sophomore student atPhiladelphia University. He was selected as a recipientof the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust Scholarship and hasbeen inducted into the Alpha Lambda Delta NationalHonors Society. He is an active member in the CampusActivity Board and The American Society of MechanicalEngineers. Chris will be a Residence Assistant whilecontinuing his studies in engineering.

Pat McGlone ’10, Lou Lombardi ’11 and JohnMcGrorty ’11 represented the United States at theWorld Rowing Championships in Prague in August.McGlone and Lombardi won gold medals as part ofthe Junior Men’s 8 while McGrorty was in the JuniorMen’s 4 w/ coxswain that placed fifth at the WorldChampionship, the first time that the men’s four hadmade the final.

Louis Porreca ‘10, [photo below, standing, secondfrom left] a freshman biology major at the Universityof Scranton, was awarded a Presidential Scholarshipby the University. The scholarships are awarded toincoming freshmen with outstanding records in theirhigh school and community involvement. The scholar-ship covers four years of full tuition provided that thestudent maintains at least a 3.25 grade point average.

Jerry Sullivan ’03 received his Doctor of Pharmacydegree from Temple University this past spring.

Mark Rubbo ’04, who was the lead compositor forthe team on the HBO Series “Bored to Death,”received an Emmy Award in the category OutstandingMain Title Design. Mark, who worked at CuriousPictures, is now employed at Click3X in New York. Youcan see some of his work at www.markrubbo.com.

Matthew Behounek ’05 graduated from theUniversity of Delaware in 2009 with a degree infinance and is currently employed by PrudentialFinancial Services.

Juan Cave ’05 will be finishing his B.S. in BiomedicalEngineering at Georgia Institute of Technology in thespring of 2011. He plans on attending graduateschool, pursuing a masters’ degree in prosthetics andorthotics. Currently he is conducting research in theapplied physiology department at Georgia Tech wherehe is working with cats studying their muscle activityand forces exerted over different walking paths (nar-row, wide and normal). It is their hope that with thisdata, they will better understand how different mus-cles interact with each other along with the forcesnecessary to maintain stability. 2010 was his last sea-son of Track and Field for the Georgia Tech team buthe will still train to compete independently in thespring.

Brenden Connolly ’05 has returned to the UnitedStates after teaching English for a year in Changsha,China. He taught at Yali Middle School and spent hisfree time traveling around China, as well as, Thailand,Cambodia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

Colin Curtin ’05 was recently named the Director ofBasketball Operations for the Niagara University Men’sBasketball Program. Colin graduated from NiagaraUniversity in 2009 with a degree in SportsManagement. He was actively involved as a managerof the men’s program all four years.

Andrew Kennedy ’05 has recently married and isliving in Wayne where he works at Boyd Tamney Cross,a mid-size, full service marketing communications firm.

Matthew McCabe ’05 has been nominated byPresident Barack Obama to the Board of theCorporation for National and Community Service.McCabe is currently participating in Teach For Americawhere for the past year he served as a teacher atGeorge B. Swift Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois.

John Hendrickson ’06 has been hired to be a musicjournalist for The Denver Post. John, a 2010 graduateof Penn State University, received numerous writingawards during his four years at Penn State, and previ-ously worked for the Post as a summer intern in 2009.

Nelson Russom ’06 and Perry Russom ’07, bothSyracuse University baseball players, were named All-Americans by the National Club Baseball Associationthis past July.

Kyle Sweeney ’06 graduated from the University ofMaryland where he worked for four years as a studentmanager for the men’s basketball team. He now isstudying for an M.S. in Athletic Coaching Education atWest Virginia University and serves as a Grad Assistantfor their men’s basketball team.

Joseph D’Orazio ’07, a senior offensive lineman atthe University of Pennsylvania, was named to the pre-season All-American third team. He is the only IvyLeague player on the list.

FALL 2010 25

ALUMNI/FATHER-SONCCoommmmuunniioonn BBrreeaakkffaassttSunday, February 27

(SNOW DATE: March 6)

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:Maj. Brian Reed ’85

AWARD WINNERS:Jim Murray ’59 (Alumnus of the Year)

Sr. Kate Woody, G.N.S.H. (Schnorr Service Award)

WEDDINGSJFrank Felici '73 and Colleen Farrell

Anthony Ciotti '89 and Janene Bisceglie

Nevin McGinley '95 and Marissa McGlone

Mark Glanzmann '96 and Bridget Crowther [1]

Sean Waldron '97 and Christine Scott

Peter Castagna '99 and Meghan McCafferty

Gregory Camaratta '00 and Michelle Sandole

Philip Gerhardt '00 and Lisa Boettrich

Harry Egner '01 and Melissa Sousa

Colin Gorman '01and Molly Kerns

Robert Kennedy '01 and Emily Hodges

Charles Strowhouer '02 and Sara Johnson [2]

Ryan Cobb '03 and Radhika Ahluwalia [3]

Michael McHugh '04 and Annalee Moyer [4]

Andrew Kennedy '05 and Christine Long [5]

1 3

4

2

5

THE PREP NEWS26

BIRTHSOlivia Blake to Aliza and Mark Thomas '90 [1]

Thomas Maximus to Christina and Thomas Marsden '90

Kevin Louis to Kim and Brian Martin '95

Axel Lee to Kaitlin and Robert McElhenney '95

Cooper John to Meredith and Richard Dankanis '95

Nadia to Julie and Brendan Marzano '95 [2]

Grace Theresa to Amber and Sean Killeen '98 [3]

Kaylee to Erin and Michael DeHoratius '00

1 2 3

Tell Us Your News...We are interested in what you are doing. Please fill out this form and mail it to: The Prep News, 1733 Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. 19130or e-mail [email protected]

Name: Class:

Address:

Phone: E-mail Address:

News:

James B. McKearney ’33

Rev. James D. Campbell, O.P. ’38

William F. Martin ’38

M. J. O'Donoghue ’38

Francis X. Buchy ’40

Nicholas J. Carroll ’41

Stanley A. Bodalski ’42

Kevin B. O'Malley ’42

Thomas J. Ryan ’42

Donald M. Collins ’43

Rev. James P. Bradley, S.J. ’45

John J. Connell ’47

James J. McLaughlin ’47

Henry C. Bittner ’49

James J. Harkins ’49

Richard S. Kolecki ’51

Francis J. Sirch ’51

Ronald J. Quain ’52

Forrest J. Toutkoushian ’52

Gregory F. Conron ’53

John J. Zdunczyk ’53

Eugene R. Hewitt ’56

Philip H. Toutkoushian ’56

John J. Towey ’57

Kenneth J. Duckworth ’58

Arthur R. Shuman ’58

Thomas J. McCormac ’61

James M. Cartlidge ’65

Raymond V. Civatte ’65

Martin T. McKenzie ’73

REST IN PEACE

FALL 2010 27

This list reflects all alumni deaths that we have been notified of as of November 12, 2010.

Every morning, in my Bronx apartment in New York City, as I go

to retrieve the milk for my first cup of coffee, I am greeted with

the sight of a fridge covered with various drawings, collages,

little notes and photographs both by and of my two daughters.

Among the familial momentos however, there is one photo-

graph that to anyone else might seem out of place: a black and

white photograph of a smiling man with bright eyes and a big

smile on his face, as he sits at a table in small café with a small

pitcher of water in front of him. And as my eyes look at the

photography, the events of February and March of 2006 come

flooding back, just like they have done every day since I

returned to the U.S.

The man's name is Maung Maung Tinn, and he is half Karen

and half Burmese. He was my guide and translator for the four

weeks that I spent in and around the small town of Mae Sot,

which lies on the Moei River on the boundary between Thailand

and Burma. I had traveled to Mae Sot by an eight-hour,

overnight bus trip, following a seventeen and a half hour flight

from New York, to photograph the Mae Tao Clinic and the lives

of the Karen People. The Karen are an ethnic minority whose

THE PREP NEWS28

homeland exists within modern-day Burma. But the Karen are

fighting a 62-year long civil war against the brutal Burmese

junta who rules the country where their homeland lies. I had

first heard about the Mae Tao Clinic—and the Karen—through

a brief snippet on NPR in the summer of 2005. After finding

the clinic's website, I began a correspondence with Dr. Cynthia,

the director of the clinic and a refugee herself. That led to my

asking if I could come visit and make some photographs. I then

bought an airline ticket, took a leave of absence from work,

and made preparations to travel for a month to a village in a

country I had never been to, where I knew no one and didn’t

speak the language. While I realized there was a good chance

that I had no real idea of what I was walking into, what I saw

and photographed over those four weeks will never leave me.

My work there, which has become my traveling exhibition Life

on the Border: The Karen People of Burma, has shaped the way

that I see everything from my children to New York to the world

at large. In short, no matter how bad things are at my end of

the line, there are people with much more severe problems

than I could ever comprehend.

ROBERT GERHARDT ’95 IS A PHOTOGRAPHER IN NEW YORK CITY. IN 2005, HE TOOK A LEAVE OF

ABSENCE TO TRAVEL TO BURMA AND DOCUMENT THE LIVES OF THE KAREN. THIS IS HIS STORY.

PPeerrssppeeccttiivveess

Hand Made Prosthetic Leg, Mae Tao Clinic, Mae Sot,

Thailand, 2006

FALL 2010

For example, the 24-year-old young woman I met my first day

at the clinic who had lost both of her legs below the knee to a

landmine planted by the Burmese army in the remains of her

destroyed village in order to discourage the residents from

coming back. Or the roughly 200 people living in the Mae Sot

trash dump, who make their living by trying to collect what

they can from the trash to resell. The pungency of the dump,

the smoke, the rotting garbage and the stagnant water I can

smell even now as I am writing this. The people live there

because it is still a better situation than their homeland where

they are chased by the Burmese army and it remains safer from

deportation than other sections of Mae Sot because the smell is

so bad the Thai police won’t go in to kick them out.

But what can I do to change any of this? After all, I am just a

photographer. I wander with my cameras and a few rolls of film

and document what I see. Every time that I exhibit the photo-

graphs, talk to students at the colleges and universities that are

showing the work, and answer the questions of those who

approach me, I am still stunned by the fact that my photo-

graphs not only truly affect those who see them, but also drive

many to find out more about the Karen and their situation, or

even to go so far as to donate to the Mae Tao Clinic.

So maybe being a "Man for Others" has a much more complex

meaning than I ever thought, and service can mean many dif-

ferent things - including being a photographer, whose photo-

graphs can motivate viewers to get involved. As one man with a

camera I may not be able to do much alone, but if my photo-

graphs can inspire broader involvement and compassion, then I

have done something. And at the end of the day, I think that is

greatest thing photography can do.Karen Girl living in the Mae Sot Trash Dump, Mae Sot, Thailand, 2006

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