CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
From the Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Board Chair Mario Ciampi graduated from Fordham
Prep in 1978 . He originally served on the Prep ’ s Board of Trustees from 2011 to 2018 , and then rejoined the board in 2019 . He is the Founder and Managing Partner of
MCII Advisors , LLC .
Of what are you most proud during the Prep ’ s response to the COVID-19 pandemic ?
Covid-19 had major effects on practically all aspects of life at the Prep . When the pandemic began , the school ’ s senior administration and the Board of Trustees established three aggressive and important goals . All the actions we took during those turbulent times were with these in mind . We focused on maintaining the safety of the Fordham Prep community ; our students , faculty , administration , and staff . It was important to us to provide assistance to any and all families in need , both financial and other , due to the pandemic . Finally , we were committed to avoiding furloughs and job cuts . I am proud to say we accomplished all three of these goals . I am especially proud that we were able to provide an additional $ 2 million in financial aid ( outside of the Prep ’ s regular financial aid program ) for those families in need . This was the result of a tremendous effort from so many in our community . The Prep availed ourselves of every dollar of support . We , of course , could also not have done this without the tremendous generosity of our alumni and friends .
Is there a Prep activity or event that you are particularly looking forward to this coming school year ?
I am very much looking forward to all events this year as our community has been too long apart . Certainly our annual Igniting Our Mission gala event comes to mind . After attending last June ’ s impressive graduation ceremony at the historic St . Patrick ’ s Cathedral , especially hearing the inspiring words of guest speaker Dr . Ernest Patti P ’ 20 , I cannot wait to share our most special moments this year in each other ’ s company .
In 2020 , the Prep released a new strategic plan specifically for Diversity , Equity , and Inclusion and announced the creation of the George Jackson Initiative . How does the plan align with the school ’ s mission ?
I have always believed that Fordham Prep is a leader in terms of fostering Diversity , Inclusion and Equity . The richness of our community had a profound effect on me as a student and helped prepare me to live and work in a diverse world . The George Jackson Initiative both continues and improves upon this tradition . The GJI is a great example of how we strive to live our mission to create and form “ men for others ”. The fact that there are so many alumni , parents and friends who are contributing to advance scholarships and mentoring for both Black and first generation students is indicative of our community as a whole .
How can the Prep ’ s alumni and friends get more involved with supporting the school ?
These are challenging times for private secondary schools . Demographic trends in a post COVID world are just a few of the challenges we face . I would encourage all alumni and friends to spend some time learning about and participating in the numerous important initiatives we have at the Prep . I guarantee they will be both impressed and proud at the efforts of our students , faculty , and staff . I also hope that it will encourage them to offer up their own resources in support of the school ’ s mission . Go Rams !
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