Class Notes
Chris Page ’ 99 is thankful for the opportunity he had to attend Fordham Prep . Growing up in the South Bronx , one of his biggest influences at a young age was Thomas Beck P ’ 87 , ’ 89 , who encouraged Chris to attend the Prep . While in school , several faculty members proved to be huge inspirations . “ I had a close relationship with Mr . ( Bruce ) Bott ’ 59 . And Dr . Morris , Fr . Sullivan and Mrs . Bulis were my mentors . The education and the people were awesome . It is one of the times of my life that I look back on with great fondness – and an experience that has stuck with me for my life .”
After high school , Chris went to LeMoyne College and into real estate after graduation . All was well for six years , before the market burst during the financial crisis of 2008-09 . After the crash , Chris went to work for an energy company he had encountered during his time in real estate .
With his career now settled , Chris had a desire to assist students at Fordham Prep and give back to his alma mater – the school which had given him so much . He wanted to find a significant way to give back to the school and its students that involved more than just a donation . Page ’ s experience at Fordham Prep was life-changing , and since he was a tuition assistance recipient , one of the ways he felt he could repay the school was giving other aid recipients an opportunity .
As coincidence would have it , one day Chris sat down on Metro-North and struck up a conversation with a person sitting by him . That person was none other than Fordham Prep ’ s president , Fr . Christopher Devron , SJ . The two connected and later went to lunch . During the lunch , Page talked about an organization he was involved with , The Five Borough Realty Managers ’ Social Club , which assists people with finding work in the New York real estate industry . Intrigued by the idea , Fr . Devron asked if Fordham Prep students could be a part of the program .
This turned out to be a unique opportunity that allows students to work at apartment buildings as summer relief for vacationing full-time employees . Students can earn close to $ 20 an hour working as doormen , porters , elevators operators , or doing manual labor . The students selected must be at least 17 years old , have done well in school and be in need of assistance as they move on to college . It was a win-win for both the students and the building owners : the students earned money for college and the building owners had reliable vacation replacements .
The call went out last spring for eligible seniors – eleven students submitted resumes and cover letters , and of those eleven , five were placed at apartment buildings in Riverdale and Manhattan properties . Chris and Larry Curran ’ 77 , Assistant to the Vice President , met with the eleven students to ensure that they were comfortable with taking on the responsibilities and were up to the challenge . Page checked in with the students periodically to see how the jobs were going .
For their part , the students did an excellent job and had the opportunity to be invited back for next summer . For Chris , the fact he is able to give back to the next generation of Fordham Prep alumni makes it worthwhile .
“ As a younger alumnus , it ’ s a great feeling to give back to the Prep in some sort of way . I would like to see this type of program expand where alumni are actively engaged to give recent graduates opportunities and see the networking side the alumni community . We all went through the school and are all connected .”
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