outside the Bronx. I was employed as a law clerk for a large law firm,
then for The Chase Manhattan Bank while I attended law school.
Armed with a law degree and admitted to the Bar, I joined the first
As mentioned, I thoroughly enjoyed my four years at the Prep, and
was and remain grateful for the opportunity to attend. I wanted to
do my small part in helping to allow otherwise qualified students
with financial constraints to attend my alma mater.
class of prosecutors hired by the newly minted Bronx District
Attorney, Robert Johnson.
I then worked in legal and administrative positions for banks, hedge
funds in London, Paris and New York, and eventually landed in my
current position as a manager and legal officer for a small
single-family office.
How did you get re-engaged with Fordham Prep and the
Fordham Prep community? When did you join the Board of
Trustees?
I had been a quiet supporter of the Prep for some years and was
approached by Father Kenneth Boller, SJ in May of 2013 at a lunch
How does it feel knowing that the Freeman Family Scholarship
is allowing young men to attend Fordham Prep? What impact
do you hope these students receive during their time at the
Prep?
It is both humbling and satisfying. Humbling in that I realize that the
impact of this contribution pales in comparison with the everyday
work and dedication of each member of the Prep community:
administration, faculty, parents, trustees, alumni and students. They
all are the life-blood and essence of Fordham Preparatory School.
Satisfying, in that I know it helps young men to participate in their
own way in what is the Prep experience and family.
meeting in his office where he asked whether I might be interested in
joining the Board of Trustees. I was and remain happy and eager to
help the Prep in any way I can, so I eagerly agreed to join for the
2013-2014 academic year.
In 2015, you established the Freeman Family Scholarship as
part of the Igniting Our Mission capital campaign - the
scholarship is awarded annually to students who show their
desire to receive a Fordham Prep education through
demonstrated academic achievement, strong work ethic and
moral compass, but who otherwise would be unable to attend
Fordham Prep without financial assistance. What was your
motivation behind establishing this scholarship? Why did you
feel it was important to start this family scholarship?
How important was it for you to participate in the Igniting Our
Mission capital campaign and what impact do you hope this
campaign makes on Fordham Prep?
It is an extremely satisfying investment, and among the most
important I and my family have made in recent years.
Again, I hope that our contribution is a small part of ensuring the
Prep’s legacy as a superior choice for young men of the Bronx and
greater NYC.
I confidently hope that the Igniting Our Mission campaign will put
the Prep on a solid financial footing, engage and re-engage
members of the greater Prep community to dedicate themselves to
its support and contribute to the legacy of our next 175 years.
When I arrived at the Prep in the fall of 1976, I was the youngest and
last at home of three children of a widowed mother. While my
mother returned to work after the death of my father in 1970, we
were, unbeknownst to me, on precarious financial footing. So, the
Do you have any parting words for the Fordham Prep
community?
Prep generously awarded me/us financial aid which allowed me to
attend my first-choice school. In those days, the Prep had financial
aid recipients “work” in return for the aid. I was assigned a small job
Go RAMS, beat Xavier! (All the while recalling that they are our
spiritual brothers in Jesuit education.)
with the drivers’ education office.
UPDATE — Igniting Our Mission: The Campaign for Fordham Prep
2015 $19.3 million
2016 $31.4 million
Public Launch $38.4 million
Current $40.0 million
W IN T E R 2018 | 21