From Saint David’ s to Regis, a Strong Sense of Service Leads Our Graduates
This spring, in connecting past and present, our proud Saint David’ s alums were able to bridge their strong sense of community and service as Regis upperclassmen. In returning to East 89th Street as high school interns to serve a multitude of mission-aligned duties on campus, our five senior class alums Matthew Cosenza’ 21, Maximus Hansen’ 21, Colin Jennings’ 21, Ethan Klimczak’ 21, and Emmet O’ Sullivan’ 21 personified the theme of‘ giving back’ for their school. As a culminating celebration of their participation, Emmet and Ethan delivered Alumni Series Chapel Talks for boys in Grades Seven and Eight( see coverage in Generations). Emmet shared his journey after being diagnosed with Type I Diabetes in seventh grade and Ethan shared his experience with Horizons at Saint David’ s, thereby inspiring the next generation of Upper School boys to follow his lead and work for the greater good.
During their final week of interning for several administrative departments, the boys sat down and shared a few words to commemorate their experience. Here are a few of the many reflections that they offered:
“ I think Saint David’ s is the most wonderful place. Reflecting on my time as a student, you expect that the Saint David’ s experience is the status quo elsewhere. That is not the case. From the partnerships to the international travel that we experience, it’ s different at Saint David’ s – it makes us both nostalgic and enthusiastic about our K-8 years. I believe Dr. O’ Halloran does a phenomenal job running the school, he is always seen and present – you can always count on him to be at the door to greet you in the morning … At Saint David’ s, all of the right people are in the right places – from the coaches to the teachers to the maintenance staff; everyone is an integral part of the school community. For current parents, I encourage you to enjoy being a part of this special community, and your son will leave happier than when he entered.” – Matthew Cosenza’ 21
“ I’ m realizing that I will miss Saint David’ s even more after my time working here. Seeing the continuity of traditions, i. e. Silk Road, Mock Ellis Island – I didn’ t anticipate that it would be so important to me to see current students having a similar curricular experience through thoughtfully-planned learning activities. If I could express one sentiment to our current Saint David’ s boys, it would be that these experiences have the highest level of care behind them – it’ s unmatched. From printing graphics for the Italian study tour, to photographing first-grade art and painting stage props, I’ ve now begun to understand why this school is special. Having lunch with current boys also reminded me how important our family-style lunches are towards building community. I could not stop smiling when I sat down at the head of the third-grade table, I felt so welcomed, so very much at home; and the boys reinforced that with their curiosity, demonstrating incredible self-awareness and reflection skills … As a senior at Regis, I have encountered many different perspectives about life, but I’ ve felt so prepared and grounded in my actions and philosophies because that openness was encouraged at Saint David’ s. In reflecting on my time here, I have an immense feeling of pride in the moral framework that was instilled. Thank you, Saint David’ s.” – Colin Jennings’ 21
Maximus Hansen’ 21 Word cloud entry:“ everlasting”…“ genuine”…“ authentic”…“ collaborative”…“ integrity”…“ wordly”…“ piety”…“ fortitude”…“ legacy”…“ neoclassical”…“ diplomatic”…“ rigorous”…“ renaissance men”…“ nostalgic”…“ compassionate”…“ sincerity”.
Colin Jennings’ 21 Word cloud entry:“ planetary gearbox”( center remains consistent and still, other gears rotate)…“ classical”…
“ foundational”…“ disciplined”…“ determined”…“ standard”…“ tradition”…“ devoted”…“ engaging”. •
32 • Saint David’ s Magazine