Jamboree Champs! Basketball Best of Bergen
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Spring 2020 Knightlines Jamboree Champs! Basketball Best of Bergen • Kevin McNulty '78 Takes the Helm Plus: A Focus on • New Initiatives Enhance Academic Opportunities Business & • Dan Marangi Named Head Football Coach Entrepreneurship President April 2020 Kevin McNulty '78 Principal Dear Friends, Michael Bruno '05 Vice Principal, Admissions As you will notice, it has been quite a while since our last pro- Michael Doherty '82 duction of Knightlines. Perhaps that will be a blessing, and this be- Assistant Principal, Student Life comes a lifeline, reconnecting you to the amazing things that are Steve Roberts happening at St. Joe’s. We have all been affected deeply by the Assistant Principal, Academics Covid-19 crisis, but it has brought about so much good for so many David Stoto in unexpected ways. Our sense of community has become stronger, Director of Advancement and we appreciate how much we need to be in contact with those and Alumni Relations Scott Donnelly '02 we love. We know how real the Brotherhood is. In this issue you will read about some of the creative and ex- Chairman, Board of Consultants Dan Kelly ‘87 citing innovations that are coming. I am especially excited about the new Donnelly Scholars and Knights Bridge programs. Our stel- Staff Writers Barry Donnelly ‘71 lar arts and athletics programs shone once again this year until Scott Donnelly ‘02 they were tragically ended. See how our faculty and students have Contributing Photographers been living the mission in so many ways throughout the year. Paul Burns Change is part of life in a high school, and we have had more Barry Donnelly ‘71 Scott Donnelly ‘02 than our share of that this year. We celebrated Barry Donnelly’s re- Aaron Jarmusch ‘19 tirement with a Gala last fall that was simply stunning. It was a Tim Macdonald Karyn Ochiuzzo beautiful tribute to decades of commitment. We instituted a new Sherry Saccolitt medallion in honor of meritorious service. Head Coach Augie Hoff- Joanie Troast man moved on to Rutgers, and Dan Marangi has ably taken the sjrnj.org reins. We began an exhaustive self-study for Middle States Accred- facebook.com/saintjosephregional itation and reduced a rather lengthy Mission Statement to a man- @SJRHighSchool instagram.com/sjrhighschool ageable and memorable form: To educate the Vir Fidelis: The faithful man who will think, lead, and humbly serve in brotherhood. Knightlines is published by: Office of Alumni Relations Do contact the Advancement Office to let us know about the Saint Joseph Regional good things that are happening in your life. We invite you to come 40 Chestnut Ridge Road Montvale, NJ 07645 back and visit when the quarantine is over and see for yourself the 201-391-3300 wonderful things that are taking place here at St. Joe’s. [email protected] Please submit address changes to: Sincerely, sjrnj.org/updateyourinfo Circulation: 6,000 Publication Date: April 2020 Issue 27 On the cover: Green Knights Basketball was Kevin McNulty ‘78 one of three teams to capture championships in the winter. President See page 28 for more. 2 SJR Knightlines In This Issue 7 12 26 29 STORIES FEATuRES 10 The Family Business 04 Green & Gold Buzz Larry Inserra ‘75 maintains family creed at ShopRite 12 The Next Generation 07 Staff Spotlight Student entrepreneurs make their opening pitch 26 Performing Arts 14 Profiles in Business Alumni who think, create, sell, inspire and serve 28 Athletics 21 Green Knights in Business Alumni networking takes center stage 34 Photos & Events 22 New Initiatives Enhance Academic Opportunities 38 Alumni Notes 24 SJR Embraces Middle 42 Annual Report State Self-Study SJR Knightlines 3 GREEN & GOLD BuZZ JR offers plenty of service opportuni- One of those students, Alejandro Zayas a day camp for impoverished children who ties for students eager to help others, ’20, went in 2018 as well. He returned this would otherwise be vulnerable to violence Sexperience a new culture or simply see year and called the trip “eye-opening”. and drugs. The students served as camp a new part of the world. This past summer, “The kids we worked with were so counselors and supervised small field trips SJR students traveled to Mexico, Buffalo and grateful,” Zayas said. “It was truly humbling.” during the day that included a trampoline West Virginia. During the last week of June, The group spent most of their time working park, go-karting and mini-golf, and swim- five SJR students and Director of Campus with disadvantaged children and building ming in Lake Erie. Ministry Joe LoGiudice headed to the Centro fences to separate farm animals from the Ryan Collins ‘20 said, “What impressed Marista de Desarrollo in the Yucatan state of Marist Center’s school. In their spare time, me the most was the dedication of the peo- Merida, Mexico. They joined with three they visited Chichen Itza, ventured to “gru- ple running the camp." members of our larger Marist community tas” (caves) and “cenotes” (underground Jack Lynch '19 noted that “it was great from the New York area and a group of Mex- lakes) and, of course, enjoyed local Mexican to see how so many people were taking time ican high school students. food and culture. out of their summers to help out children Together, they worked across cultural “It was an exhausting week, but worth less fortunate than themselves.” and language barriers to serve the local it to help these people, meet our new The group also enjoyed checking out Marist Center. "Marcellin Champagnat be- friends and experience a culture unknown to the local sights, including a trip to Niagara lieved in young people and their ability to most of us,” said Matthew Webb ‘20. Falls where they rode on the famous Maid change the world, so this trip was a real In mid-July another group of SJR stu- of the Mist. dream come true," explained LoGiudice. "I dents and LoGiudice traveled to Buffalo to The final mission trip of the summer was not only able to help others who are at join Young Neighbors in Action. SJR had pre- was to Nazareth Farm in West Virginia. a huge disadvantage in poorer countries, but viously participated in this program in The Farm is a Catholic community in I also got to share my love of helping others Boston (2017) and Chicago (2018). This year, rural West Virginia, one of the poorest re- with our students.” they put in seven-hour days volunteering at gions in our country. Nazareth Farm has four 4 SJR Knightlines cornerstones: simplicity, service, prayer and Ayaz Khilji '20, John Santino '20 community. Students are trained to use and Dean Tobin '20. hand and power tools, before splitting up to Moore, Odierno work different sites each day, repairing the homes of people who are struggling with dif- ‘93 Join Staff ficult financial situations. Justin Chiovetta ’20 described the trip Laura Moore as extremely rewarding. Saint Joseph Regional is thrilled to wel- “The people whose houses we were re- come two new staff members at the start Steve Odierno pairing were really interesting to interact of the 2019-2020 school year. with and, of course, very grateful for our With the retirement of Director of Guid- help,” Chiovetta said. “On top of that, I ance Tom Krenn, current staff member Ar- will embrace those goals. I am excited to helped others not only by fixing the houses, lene DiFiore was promoted to that role and meet the students at SJR!” but also by being able to help some other Laura Moore joined the department. Additionally, Steve Odierno '93 has students on the trip with things going on in Mrs. Moore earned her B.S. from Okla- joined the Advancement Office. A Stony their lives. I would absolutely do it again.” homa State University before attending Point resident, Odierno is a graduate of After a day’s work, the volunteers en- SMU for her master's degree. She has been Boston College and completed his master's joyed some well-earned down time, visiting employed at Ridgewood High School for degree at Fordham before embarking on a a local pool one day, and hiking in one of the the past 30 years serving as a guidance career in sales. He started his own business beautiful areas near the Farm. counselor. While at Ridgewood, she taught in 2002, eventually working for New York According to Mr. LoGiudice, “one of accounting, economics, marketing and Life and Thomson Reuters before settling Nazareth Farm's key phrases is ‘expect a mir- sports/entertainment marketing. closer to home in recent years. acle,’ which honestly each year I do and I am “My goal is to cultivate, stimulate, and “My role is to develop understanding not disappointed. God seems to be speaking support inclusive environments that allow and support among the various con- in that valley and, if you go, you can experi- students to reach their highest academic stituencies of SJR to secure the resources ence it for yourself.” and personal potential,” said Moore. required to fulfill the school's mission of Expecting (and helping to create) mira- “Finding a great college for any student is graduating the Vir Fidelis. I am fortunate to cles is what summer service is all about. It’s about finding the right fit.” play a part in ensuring that today's SJR stu- another way God makes Himself present to “College is a time of building character, dents have as great of an experience as I us in our every day lives. self-worth, self-exploration, and mar- did and to work collaboratively to advance Written by ketable skills through an institution that the school toward an even brighter future.” Quinn Burns '21, Ross Foothorap '20, ROBERTS COMPLETES NYC MARATHON Mr.