the magazineXavier High School Middletown, Connecticut | Winter 2016

March 2016

Dear Members of the Xavier Community,

Winter seems to be winding down as we enter the month of March and prepare for Spring. I know some of our students don’t agree with me, hoping for one of those wonderful snow days when school is closed! This has been a quieter year here since our new addition and field renovations are now completed and in full use. I am very grateful to all of you whose support made that possible, and we continue working to bring our Sustaining Excellence campaign to its $8.5 million goal.

We are now at the halfway point of the school year, and I hope you enjoy reading about some of the accomplishments of our students over the past few months. Our seniors are at the exciting time of college acceptances and future plans, and it caught my attention the other day that they are Xavier’s 50th graduating class. While many things have changed over the years, there is also a fundamental basis that is unchangeable, Xavier as a Catholic Xaverian school challenging students to live to the fullest the meaning of our motto “Be A Man.” Please also enjoy in this issue stories about some of our graduates who do know and live out that motto’s meaning.

Thanks to all of you for your continued support of Xavier. Pray for us as we continue to pray for all of you.

Sincerely in Christ,

Brother Brian Davis, C.F.X. Headmaster

Headmaster’s letter

The Magazine for Xavier High School is published twice a year.

Xavier High School Office of Advancement181 Randolph Road Middletown, CT 06457

(860) 347-6079

www.xavierhighschool.org

Office of Advancement

Greg BrinnDirector of Advancement

Torie Seidl Assistant Director for Events and Media

Lauren StotoAssistant Director for Annual Giving andAlumni Relations

Jenn SaittaAdvancement Associate

Co-Editors Torie SeidlLauren Stoto

PhotographyBill Braychak Michael Calentano ’19Yolanda Christine PhotographyStephen DeBise ’16Kelsey Doherty Peter J. DylagFacebook Nicholas Grasso ’05Hartford CourantBen JacobsenKathryn LeePeter LyonsMiddletown PressNew Haven RegisterNewsday SportsNortheast Collaborative ArchitectsHenry Prescott ’04Brother Thomas RyanTorie Seidl Lauren StotoBr. John Sullivan

DesignerMargaret Galeano www.gr8pg.com

the magazine

Cover photo: Kevin Ryff ’18 taken by Peter J. Dylag

Class stats

48Different Towns

59Different

Middle Schools

204 412 Have fathers who graduated from Xavier

17 Have older brothers that came to or currently attend Xavier

Number of Students

International Students

2019

Board of Directors2015-2016

Mr. Robert Guere ’81, Chair

Attorney Christopher Smith ’76, Vice Chair

Mrs. Amy Brough

Chief J. Edward Brymer (Ret.)

Attorney Christopher Carrozzella

Mr. James Coleman

Mr. Michael D’Aquila ‘83

Mrs. Jeanne Depasse

Mr. Peter Etzel ’71

Br. Raymond Hoyt, C.F.X.

Mr. Scott Jenkins ’85

Mr. George V. Keithan, Jr. ’81

Mr. Dennis LaVette

Mr. David Leone ’73

Br. Richard Lunny, C.F.X.

Mr. Neil Mitchill ’93

Mr. Jeffrey Muzio ’84

Brother Timothy Paul, C.F.X.

Mr. Michael Picard ’83

Mr. James Reidy

Mr. Mark Ryan ’81

Dr. Edward Shine

Rev. Michael Smith

Mr. William Voelker

Mr. William Wrang III ’75

ADVISORMr. James Parmelee ’84

AdministrationBrother Brian Davis, C.F.X., Headmaster

Mr. Brendan Donohue, Principal

Mr. Nicholas Cerreta, Dean of Students

Mr. Andrew T. Gargano, Academic Dean

Mr. David Sizemore, Academic Dean

www.xavierhighschool.org 1

O n Friday, October 30, 2015 Xavier High School held a mass and dedica-

tion ceremony at the school for the Theodore James Ryken Hall and the Ben Foisie Memorial Athletic Complex. This celebra-tion comes after the expansion of a new fine arts wing and other significant athletic facility upgrades. Headmaster Br. Brian Davis, C.F.X. welcomed over nine hundred people including the student body, faculty, staff, and 40 other guests. Among the guests were The Most Reverend Michael R. Cote, D.D., Bishop, Diocese of Norwich and Daniel Drew, Mayor of Middletown. The crowd heard from a number of supporters who were on hand to celebrate this exciting day at the school.

The $8.5 million Sustaining Excellence Campaign, which began in July 2012, will continue through June of 2017 when Xavier’s first graduating class will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their gradu-ation. This campaign, amongst other things, has given Xavier the

opportunity to build a new fine arts wing as well as make signifi-cant improvements to the athletic facilities on campus.

The Ben Foisie Memorial Athletic Complex is a brand new, lighted, multi-purpose syn-thetic turf field (Larry McHugh Field) inside a reconstructed 8-lane track (Robert Michalski Track). This is complete with a 1000 seat grandstand seating area with press box and a new baseball field with dugouts and upgraded bullpens. Additional work to be constructed in a later phase includes the development of an additional 500 seat grand-stand along with restrooms, locker rooms and additional storage.

“Through the generosity and support of our donors, the hard work of Brother Brian, Dan Cizauskas, Greg Brinn and our Advancement Office, Dick Webb from SMRT, Peter Etzel from Newfield Construction, DeRita Construction and so many others we now have a state-of-the-art Athletic Complex for our student-athletes,” says Anthony Jaskot ’69, Director of Athletics at Xavier High School. “Words cannot express our deep appreciation and gratitude to all those involved in this project and on behalf of our coaching staff, Physical Education staff, our students and student-athletes, I say thank you all so very much for this privilege,” he continued.

The Theodore James Ryken Hall Fine Arts Facility is a new 10,000 square foot building addition that is centered around a new music rehearsal space. The building is also home to a new art classroom and a chemistry class-room on the first floor. Xavier’s Instructor for Fine Arts, Jayne Vitale said, “As I have witnessed students working in our impressive new Art Suite, I cannot help but think that they have experienced a resurgence in school pride and an excitement over being a part of this spectacular new facility. I believe that there is no question that a student’s learning environ-ment both enhances and reinforces all that he accomplishes both academically and creatively.”

The new facility includes: four private music practice rooms; a music suite with seating for 130 students; state-of-the-art video and audio recording capabilities; climate controlled and secure

storage facilities for instruments; a music library housing thousands of musical scores; separate sound-proof music classroom that allows classes to occur concurrently; art classroom and state of the art chemistry lab.

“The addition of the new music suite provides our young musi-cians the chance to study, rehearse and perform in a space that matches their talent and creativ-ity,” said Erik Elligers, Fine Arts Department Chair at Xavier High School.

“The new music wing provides the space necessary to host this music program as well as provid-ing excitement and energy to those involved” says Michael Schober ’16, senior.

“The new wing allows our already expanding Fine Arts cur-riculum to have access to the space and facility necessary for a strong program.” says Ben Russ ’17, junior in AP Studio 2D Design Art.

DeDicatiOn

Celebration!“What a few years ago was just a dream is now a reality. I’m grateful to all of our donors who have made this possible as we continue our mission of Catholic education for Xavier’s young men.”Headmaster Brother Brian Davis, C.F.X.

For more information on the Sustaining Excellence campaign contact the Office of Advancement, email advancement@xavierhighschool.org.

Bishop Michael R. Cote celebrating Mass at the dedication ceremony.

Ben Foisie Memorial Athletic Complex and Theodore James Ryken Hall Building CommitteeBr. Brian Davis, C.F.X., Headmaster

Mr. Brendan Donohue, Principal

Mr. Daniel Cizuaskas, Business Manager

Mr. Peter Etzel ’71, Chair, Physical Plant Committee

Mr. Michael D’Aquila ’83, Physical Plant Committee

Mr. Michael Picard ’83, Physical Plant Committee

Attorney Chris Smith ’76, Physical Plant Committee

Mr. William Voelker P’12, Physical Plant Committee

Newfield Construction General Contractor

Northeast Collaborative Architects Architect

Sustaining Excellence Campaign CabinetMr. Robert Guere ’81,

Co-ChairMr. Brian Hetherington ’81,

Co-ChairBr. James Boyle, C.F.X.,

Honorary ChairBr. Thomas Ryan, C.F.X.,

Honorary Chair

Mrs. Amy Brough Mr. Carl Bulgini ’84 Mrs. Linda Charpentier Mr. Richard ChiozziMr. Matt Ciardiello ’00 Br. Brian Davis, C.F.X.Mr. Brendan DonohueMr. Chris DreskoMr. Rich Gula ’67 Mr. Dave Hetzel ’68Mr. Anthony Jaskot ’69 Mr. George Keithan ’81 Atty. Dennis LaVetteMrs. Rosemary Kilpatrick Mr. David Leone ’73 Dr. William Longo ’69 Mr. Sean Marinan ’80 Mr. Jim Parmelee ’84 Mr. Tom Patton ’82Dr. Perry SangalliAtty. Chris Smith ’76 Mr. Alex Strekel ’00 Mrs. Robin Taillie

Special thanks to the following Xavier supporters

www.xavierhighschool.org 32 the magazine Xavier High School

n e w f a c i l i t i e s

Headmaster Brother Brian Davis presents Bob Guere ’81 with the St. Francis Xavier award at this year’s Hall of Honors Induction and Dinner.

Congratulations on your new role as Board Chair. How and why did you initially become involved in the Board of Directors?

I re-connected with a few of my XHS Class of 1981 classmates at the Xavier Golf Tournament in 2004 and then got more involved in the Xavier Alumni Association. In 2008 I was invited to serve on the Xavier Board of Directors.

What are the Board’s priorities as we move into the last 18 months of the Sustaining Excellence campaign?

I am blessed to have a Board consisting of a group of talented and dedicated directors whose priorities are to insure we provide the school with the resources it needs to continue its mission of educating young men for many years to come.

What is the impact the Campaign will have on the success of Xavier?

The goal of the Sustaining Excellence campaign is to provide the school’s students and teachers with the facilities required to be competitive and successful in academics, the arts and athletics. As I walk the halls and speak

with students, parents, teachers, administrators and coaches the impact has been enormously positive. I believe we have put Xavier on track to continue its mission.

I ask all Xavier grads to consider making a gift the Sustaining Excellence campaign today.

“Sustaining Excellence” Campaign Continues…

In addition to recent renovations and improvements, our Sustaining Excellence campaign will continue until June 30, 2017. Plans for the remainder include building a larger team room facility for the Ben Foisie Athletic Complex along with 500-1,000 additional seats for spectators and guests. Thank you to all who have supported the Sustaining Excellence campaign thus far.

Xavier welcomes new Board Chairperson

Bob Guere ’81

If you are interested in supporting the campaign, please contact

Director of Advancement Greg Brinn at 860-347-6079 or gbrinn@xavierhighschool.org.

By Lauren Stoto

2nd Floor Hallway

Science Lab

Music Room

Art Room

Athletic Field

Stairs connecting St. Joseph Hall with

Theodore James Ryken Hall.

Images courtesy of Northeast Collaborative Architects/

Ben Jacobsen Photo.4 the magazine Xavier High School

Future Scientist and Technologist LeaderBrandon Muyano ‘16 recently represented Xavier High School and the State of Connecticut at the Congress of Future Science and Technology

Leaders in Boston, Massachusetts. Brandon was honored with an award of excellence for outstanding academic performance, leadership potential and dedication to serv-ing humanity through science, technology, engineering and math. This award was given to him by the Science Advisory Board of the National Academy of Future Scientists and Technologists.

SchoolHappenings

Collin O’Donnell ’16 Signs Letter of Intent with Marquette University

Collin O’Donell ’16 signs a national letter of intent to attend and play Lacrosse at Marquette University. Through his strong

character and outstanding academic efforts, Collin looks forward to competing in his sport and achieving a college degree.

Le Rosaire en Français

E very Thursday, Mr. Brodeur (French) leads any interested

members of the Xavier community in saying the Rosary en français in the school chapel. Senior and AP French student Phillip Kuzawa ’16 helped Mr. Brodeur lead the prayers while several non-French-speaking students, Mr. Donohue, and Br. Brian prayed along with the group. Mr. Lyons provided extra Rosary beads to those who needed them.

Abhishek Gupta ’16 (left) and Daniel Herlihy ’16 (right), seniors at Xavier High School, have been named as Semifinalists in the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Abhishek Gupta and Daniel Herlihy are two of approximately 16,000 students across the country to earn the distinction in the 61st annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for 7,400 National Merit Scholarships worth about $32 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition.

National Merit Semifinalists and Commended StudentsStudents Named SportsCenter of

Connecticut Scholar Athlete of the Month

18 Students Return from Costa Rican Expedition

This past June 18th Xavier students participated in an ecology trip to Costa Rica through Ecology Project International (EPI). EPI is

one of the nation’s most reputable non-profit ecology oriented organiza-tions. EPI’s mission is to improve and inspire science conservation efforts worldwide through field-based student-scientist partnerships.

During the trip, Xavier students assisted field scientists in their research of Leather Back sea turtles. Leather Back turtles are some of the most endangered aquatic species in the world. Xavier students assisted scientists by handling, releasing, collecting and analyzing sea turtle data. Additionally Xavier students drafted research projects pertaining to the history, habits, and behavior of these turtles.

F ifteen student-athletes from eight high schools have been named The SportsCenter of Connecticut/Southern

Connecticut Conference Scholar Athletes of the Month for September. Now in its 10th year, the program will honor outstanding young men and women each month during the 2015-16 academic

year. Each SCC member school can nominate up to two honorees per season (fall, winter and spring). The Conference is announcing the fall recipients in September, October and November. Student athletes must be a varsity let-terwinner and have a 3.0/B average while demonstrating leadership qualities such as: being a positive role model; helping teammates overcome adversity; showing a commitment to self-improvement; or putting the needs of the team before themselves.

The SportsCenter of Connecticut/SCC Scholar Athletes of the Month – September 2015 included the following two students:

Joe Zacchia ’16, captain of the Falcons’ soccer team, has been a stand-out in the classroom. Ranked ninth in a class of 203 students, Joe sports an impressive 4.03 grade point average and is a member of the National, Science, and Spanish Honor Societies. On the field, he is a three-year starter for the Falcons.

Abhishek Gupta ’16, member of the Falcons’ crew team, has been a stellar performer in the classroom. An AP Scholar with Honors, Asbhishek is ranked second in his class and holds a cumulative 4.14 grade point average. A member of the National, Science and Spanish Honor Societies, he is the recipient of the Harvard and Princeton book awards.

L-r: Principal Brendan Donohue, Abhishek Gupta, Joe Zacchia and Br. Brian Davis C.F.X.

Students Chosen for Southern Regional Ensemble

R ecently, 20 Xavier music students attended CMEA’s Southern Regional auditions at the Waterbury Arts Magnet School. These students prepared

scales, challenging solo pieces, and competed against some of Southern Connecticut’s finest musicians. This year 13 students from Xavier were accepted into various ensembles, including Concert Band, Jazz Band, Orchestra, and Chorus. This is the highest number of students that Xavier has ever sent to the Southern Regional Music Festival. This festival took place on January 9, 2016.

Students participated in a team building activity in which they used pipe to move a marble from one location to the other.

www.xavierhighschool.org 76 the magazine Xavier High School

FAll SpoRTS HigHLigHtSAnD AwARDS

t he Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools Retreat calls

together the 13 schools in our network, each sending six

representatives. The students who will be representing

Xavier at this year’s retreat are pictured (l-r): Ross Ayer

’17, D.J. Ciampi ’17, Nate Gonzalez ’17, Ben Ortolan ’17,

Rory Sherban ’17, and Hunter Woitowitz ’17.

During this five-day retreat the students will get to know one another,

work together, share ideas, and work on leadership skills. The experience

will help promote the common good in their schools upon their return.

Throughout the retreat, the life and mission of Theodore James Ryken

is emphasized along with the Xaverian charism and spiritual values which

unite us as a Xaverian family.

Two of last year’s participants, Van Augur ’16 and Michael Greco ’16,

share their experiences below.

pAR

TiC

ipA

Tio

n

XBSSXAvERiAn BROtHERS SPOnSORED SCHOOLS

Student Retreat

Van Augur ‘16Last March, I was blessed

with the opportunity to

represent Xavier High School

on the annual Xaverian

Brothers Sponsored Schools

Student Retreat. The retreat

was a deeply memorable and

transformative experience,

and was a keystone for

both my junior year and my

time as a student at Xavier.

Prior to the retreat, I had at

best an inchoate grasp of

what exactly made Xavier

High School the unique

community that I have come to love. After hearing countless positive stories

from XBSS alumni, I decided to give up a week of school for what would be an

enlightening and fulfilling retreat experience.

Each Xaverian school’s delegation made pledges to bring back the lessons

of the retreat to their school community. My fellow students and I have worked

to fulfill this by involving ourselves in many leadership roles throughout the

school. The experience and knowledge with which this retreat has provided

me give me both a greater appreciation for all that Xavier has to offer and an

inspiration to continue contributing to such a great community.

Michael Greco ’16The Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools

Retreat was the pinnacle experience of my

junior year. It has taught me that there are other

schools like Xavier, and allowed me to bring

back a passion for our school’s heritage that I

intend to share with the students, faculty, staff,

and all the Xavier High School Community.

CReW Over fifty-five athletes competed at each 5-km head race, between three Varsity Eights, two Varsity Fours, a Novice Eight and a Novice Four. The Novice

Four took bronze at the New England Regional in Worcester.

SAiliNG Biggest highlights for the Sailing

season included winning the Great Oaks Qualifier,

coming in 9th of 34 at the Great Oaks Regatta in

New Orleans in November (Gordon ’16 and Stewart

Gurnell ’19), plus the 3rd and 5th place finishes at the

Arnold Brown and Polar Open Regattas, respectively.

FOOtBAll Varsity Football won

their last 3 games to finish with a respectable 6-4

record. The team’s loss to St. John, Shrewsbury

knocked them out of the State playoffs.

Crew

55

Sailing

21

Cross Country

37

Football

93Soccer

61

Larry McHugh Senior Award • John Sadak ’16

Defense MVP Award • Anthony Caramanica ’16

Offense MVP Award • Kevin Lawrence ’16

Most Improved Player • Jarod Perry ’16

Tony Jaskot Champion of the Year Award • Austin Hurwitz ’16

Kevin Holder Unsung Hero Award • Spencer Mcmanus ’16

Spirit, Hustle & Desire Award • Ben Costello ’16

SOCCeR Varsity Soccer finished with

a 4-9-3 record. Aside from the record the team

played hard in every game and always put

themselves in a position to win.

Rookie of the Year Award • Zachary Coburn ’17

Offensive MVP Award • Joe Zacchia ’16

Defensive MVP Award • Zak Gardiner ’16 • Jason Hoops ’16

Coaches Award • Adam Beaty ’16

Senior Award • Benjamin Nolan ’16

CROSS COuNtRy The varsity cross country team finished the

season with a 7-3 record with all three losses

coming to the top 10 ranked teams in the

state. They finished in 6th place at the SCC

championship meet.

Most Improved Runner • Trevor Christie ’18

Freshman of the Year Award • Dillon Selfors ’19

Coaches Award • Tom Blanchard ’17

Most Valuable Runner • Owen Curran ’18

Senior Award • Trevor Anderson ’16

www.xavierhighschool.org 98 the magazine Xavier High School

X avier held its Nineteenth Hall of Honors Induction and Dinner on October 9th at the Crowne Plaza in

Cromwell, CT. Those receiving the St. Francis Xavier Award this year were:

AlumniMr. Chris Smith ’76Mr. Bob Guere ’81

FAculty/StAFFMr. and Mrs. William McKenna Sr.

FriendSSister Mary McCarthy

XAvier liFetime Service AwArdMr. Richard Feitel

At the Xavier High School’s Nineteenth Hall of Honors Mr. Chris Smith ’76, Mr. Bob Guere ’81, Mr. and Mrs. William McKenna Sr. and Sister Mary McCarthy were honored for their outstanding support of the Xavier community. Mr. Richard Feitel was also presented with the Xavier Lifetime Service Award that evening.

The awards were presented at a formal reception and dinner with music and danc-ing. This prestigious event included a cocktail hour, dinner, Hall of Honors and Lifetime Service Awards 2015 and live entertainment. The Xavier High School Hall of Honors has been held since 1987 and has over 140 past recipients.

The selection criteria for Hall of Honors nominees are:

Xavier Alumni — Graduates whose achievements have brought honor to them-selves and to Xavier High School. Alumni

2015 Xavier Hall of Honors & Lifetime Service Recipients

about our honorees…

become eligible for induction ten years after they have graduated from Xavier

Faculty and Staff — Past and present faculty and staff members, who, through their dedicated service, have made a significant con-tribution to the students, the school, and the Xavier community

Loyal Friends of Xavier — Individuals who have served Xavier in a very special way

Xavier Lifetime Service Award nominees are chosen from previous Hall of Honors recipients who continue to demonstrate their support of Xavier High School.

Bob guere grew up in Middletown and Durham, the son of Richard and Marilyn Guere. After gradu-ation from Xavier in 1981 he attended Western Connecticut State University, earning his degree in Business Administration in 1985. After graduation he joined the management training program of Union Trust Company in Stamford, where he rose to Vice President and Area Manager. In 1992 he joined Fleet Bank in Keane, New Hampshire, as a Market Manager, returning to Connecticut and working as a Vice President for the First Union Private Bank from 1994 to 1998. Since 1998 Bob has worked as a Financial Advisor and Senior Vice President at Merrill Lynch in New Canaan. Bob and his wife Mary Ellen have three children: Ryan of El Paso, Texas; Maura, of Cincinnati, Ohio; and Patrick.

Bob has served on the Xavier High School Board of Directors since 2008 as a member of the Finance and Advancement committees, and has recently been appointed as the chairperson of the board. He also served as the co-chair of Xavier’s Sustaining Excellence Campaign along with his good friend Brian Hetherington ‘81.

Sister Mary McCarthy, R.S.M., accepted the position of Dean of Students at Mercy High School in 1975. Since 1979 she has served as Principal and currently President of Mercy. The faculty and staff at Mercy find Sister Mary to be an innovative and scholarly leader, and students describe her as amazing, hardworking, and devoted to her school and students.

Sister Mary has contributed service and advice to many boards of trustees, includ-ing chairing St. Augustine’s school board in Hartford, and serving as a member of the board of St. Joseph University and St. Bernard School. In addition, she is co-chair of the Network for Mercy Education, was a founder and

Honorees

member of the Mercy Secondary Education Association, and a member of the Committee for the Evaluation of Ministries for the diocese of Norwich.

Her fellow Sisters of Mercy know her best, recognizing her as a dedicated religious figure whose vocation manifests itself in commit-ment to family, her religious community, and all those whose lives she touches.

Beginning in September of 1964, Bill McKenna would spend a total of 37 years (1964-1999) at Xavier as a teacher, coach, and administrator. After their four children were in school, Patty McKenna joined the Xavier staff in 1974 as secretary in the M-X Advancement Office. After serving Xavier for a combined 62 years, they retired from Xavier. Patty remains active as director of the annual production of the Mercy-Xavier Broadway Musical.

Patty and Bill are especially grateful to Xavier and Mercy for their educational and spiritual influence upon the lives of their daughters, Colleen Cudgma, Cathy McKenna, Erin DeToro, and son, Bill. Their Xavier and Mercy legacy began in 1964 and continues today as they remain life long members of the Xavier-Mercy Community.

A 1976 graduate of Xavier High School, Chris Smith attend-ed Providence College, graduating cum laude, and the University of Connecticut School of Law. Following law school, he served as law clerk to the Honorable Antoinette L. Dupont, Judge of the Connecticut Appellate Court, and then went into private practice where he has specialized in land use and environmental matters for the past thirty-one years.

Professionally, Chris has been named by Chambers USA on its list of America’s Leading Lawyers every year since 2007 and as

a Connecticut Super Lawyer for the past ten years. Chris is a James W. Cooper Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Association and served as chair of the Bar Association’s Planning and Zoning Section for three years.

Chris has served the Xavier community with distinction. He was appointed to the Xavier High School Board of Directors in 2004 and has been its Vice-Chair since 2008.

Chris and his wife Emily have two grown sons, Christopher and Brendan, both graduates of Xavier.

Xavier Lifetime Service AwardRichard Feitel is currently a senior development con-sultant for Catholic School Management, Inc., a full service financial, management, educational, mar-keting and development consulting firm serving Catholic schools, parishes, dioceses and religious communities. He specializes in comprehensive development programs and in the design and functioning of institutional advancement programs.

In 1997, Richard Feitel retired as Director of Alumni and Development for Xavier High School after serving the school for more than 29 years. In his position at Xavier, Mr. Feitel was responsible for organizing and conducting the annual fund drive; planning and manag-ing all fundraising events and reunions for the Xavier High School Alumni Association; pub-lishing a quarterly newsletter for alums, present parents, and parents of alums; preparing and publishing an annual report; and actively seek-ing additional revenues for Xavier High School through corporate gifts, grants, and planned giving programs.

Mr. Feitel served the Xavier High School community in various capacities prior to assuming the position of Director of Alumni and Development. During his earlier years at Xavier, he served as a teacher and chaired the Social Studies Department from 1975 to 1981. Mr. Feitel also served Xavier as assistant track coach for 18 years.

www.xavierhighschool.org 1110 the magazine Xavier High School

Alumni NewsALUMNI SOCCER GAMEOver 25 alumni came out to

play post Thanksgiving soccer in our annual alumni soccer game and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 1995 championship team!

Hundreds of alumni, friends, students and community

members joined in all the Homecoming festivities,

including the golf outing, 2015 Hall of Honors, pre-

game reception and Homecoming game!

The dedication of the Robert Michalski Track in Memory of Peter F. Dalton with special recognition of Rich Feitel and the Feitel Family took place at Xavier on September 12th 2015.

R obert Michalski, former cross country and track and field coach at Xavier, was inducted into the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall

of Fame November 18th. Michalski is Xavier’s second inductee. Former football coach Larry McHugh was inducted in 1984 and was Toastmaster for the event.

In his acceptance remarks, Michalski thanked Xavier for “talking him into coaching cross country.” The results of his accepting that position are now legend at the school. Career highlights include the following:

Over thanksgiving weekend Xavier held a number of events around Middletown for our Alumni.

CLASS OF 1975 REUNIONThe class of 1975 celebrated their

40th reunion at First and Last Tavern in Middletown. Not shown is the Class of 2005. They celebrated their 10th reunion at Billy Tee’s in Cromwell, CT.

ALUMNI HOCKEY GAME

Hockey alumni gathered at Wesleyan

to play a pick-up game othen enjoyed

some wings at Eli Cannons.

Robert Michalski track Dedicated

Homecoming A Hit!

Michalski Had Quite a Run at Xavier

• Coached at Xavier from 1967 until 2005

• 90 percent win percentage

• 37 CIAC Boys Cross Country Class Championships, seven consecutive

• 21 CIAC Boys Cross Country Open Championships

• 5 New England Championships

• National Record 169 Consecutive Boys Outdoor Track and Field Dual Victories: 1974–1985

• 1970 CHSCA Cross Country Coach of the Year

• 1974 CHSCA Outdoor Track Coach of the Year

• Connecticut Interscholastic Track Coaches Association Coach of the Year

• Connecticut Sports Writers Association Doc McInerney Award

• Director of CIAC Class M Indoor, Class LL Outdoor and SCC Indoor Track meets

• CIAC Cross Country and Track committee member

• Middletown Sports Hall of Fame

www.xavierhighschool.org 1312 the magazine Xavier High School

’95Trooper First Class larry Morello has been appointed as the new Resident State Trooper for the Town of Durham. A Connecticut State Trooper for nine years, he has been assigned to Troop F in Westbrook as a patrol trooper. Morello was also assigned to the Safe Streets Hartford Task Force in the City of Hartford in 2008, in which he assisted the Hartford Police Department during the summer months in an effort to combat crime in the city. He has been awarded the Connecticut State Police Medals for Life Saving and Outstanding Police Service in 2012 and a Unit Citation in 2008. He was also awarded the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) award in 2005 and 2007.

’05Mike townsend of Middletown CT was recently honored as a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 List for

Healthcare. Townsend is the co-founder of HomeHero, a platform that matches seniors to trusted in home caregivers.

’12timothy Muyano,

Criminal Justice and Legal Studies major at University of New Haven has applied to law

school and was given the opportunity to share his experiences with the community at the President’s Public Service Fellowship.

’14Cooper Clarkin was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Offensive Lineman of the Week. Morgan State’s starting left guard graded out at

84 percent of all blocking assignments as he anchored the offensive line that aided the team with a season-high 419 yards of total offense in a 21-13 victory against Howard at the 18th annual Chicago Football Classic. He recorded four pancake blocks and played without any

Alumni News

penalties and did not surrender a single sack. Clarkin becomes the first member of the Bears this season to be selected to the MEAC’s weekly honors. Clarkin was a solid two-way lineman at Xavier. He helped lead the Falcons to an 8-3 record during his senior year.

Kyle Andrukiewicz ’04 (Valedictorian) married Lauren McTague on June 20, 2015 in Essex, CT. Included in the wedding party was Kyle’s Best Man Ryan Keough ’04 and Kyle’s sister, Kelly Andrukiewicz, who attended Mercy High School (class of 2006). They currently reside in Astoria, NY where Kyle is an Associate Editor at Valiant Entertainment (a comic book company) and Lauren is a TV Producer.

Harwich Bullpen catcher trevor

Fredericks ’05 had the words “Find a Cure” stitched on his catcher’s mitt for the Cape Cod Baseball League’s All-Star Game on July 25. Fredericks designed the glove after his aunt’s passing due to cancer. The glove is being sold to help raise cancer awareness and funds for the Jimmy Fund.

Stay connected to XavierSend us your latest career and life achievement news for the Class Notes section of The Magazine for Xavier High School. Updates can include: Career News, Promotions & Awards, Birth and Marriage Announcements and other information you’d like to share with us!

advancement@xavierhighschool.org

tom Dente ’84 of New Rochelle, NY crosses the finish line at the

Havana Marathon on November 15, 2015. The Havana Marathon

marked his 100th marathon.

’15Steve Bruno and tim Brough, captains of the 2015 Xavier crew team, met up at a recent regatta in Hartford. Steve is rowing for the varsity program at the Coast Guard Academy and Tim is rowing for the varsity program at the College of the Holy Cross.

’86Congratulations to Mr. David Sizemore, Academic Dean, who was honored at our St. Francis Xavier Day Mass on December 3rd with the Theodore James Ryken Award. This award, named in honor of the founder of the Xaverian Brothers, is given for fidelity to the mission of Xavier High School and the Xaverian Brothers. Mr. Sizemore is pictured above with Br. Brian.

’70John Custy, President of JPC Group and a 35-year veteran of the IT industry, was doubly honored this year with the Ron Muns Lifetime Achievement Award and the IT Industry Legends Award from Cherwell Software at the HDI 2015 Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, NV, March 24–27, 2015. Cherwell Software, a developer of IT service management (ITSM) tools and processes, initiated the IT Industry Legends Award to acknowledge the leading lights in the IT service management industry. Custy joins a stellar group of honorees who are more than experts; they are the IT professionals who unselfishly teach, inspire and guide many others in the industry to career and customer service success.

Stonehill College fresh-man tight end Kaleb

lutton of Middletown, has been named the Northeast-10 Conference’s Football Rookie of the Week for

the third time. Lutton has had a major impact in his first collegiate season at Stonehill, lead-ing the team with eight touchdown receptions.

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Nicholas Maturo ’14 of Middletown, attending Dean College School of Arts, had principal roles as Lucentio in William Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” and the Scarecrow in “The Wiz” this past summer. Maturo was also awarded a summer internship at Dean College. During his school year, he performed in “Urinetown the Musical” and played the role of Sonny in the Tony Award-winning musical “In the Heights.”

www.xavierhighschool.org 1514 the magazine Xavier High School

By Lauren Stoto & Torie Seidl

w hen it comes to keeping his work environment and colleagues safe, Joey Fazzino ’10 has stepped up to the challenge. Fazzino, a Regional Security Specialist at Google Headquarters in

California, works to ensure Google’s safety and respond to emergencies internally and externally. We asked Joey to walk us through his line of work and tell us how his Xavier education helped land him a career at Google.

Tell us about your position at Google as a Regional Security Specialist.

As a Regional Security Specialist, my job is to keep Google safe and investigate any incidents/threats that may occur whether that be security breaches, civil uprisings, or natural disasters. I create risk assessment plans, designed to identify potential hazards and make sure the appropriate emergency plans are in place. Most recently, after the terrorist attacks in Paris, I was responsible for making sure our Google employees located in our Paris office were all accounted for and not harmed. I was also involved in making sure our employees who were in Nepal during the April 2015 earthquake were able to make it home to the U.S. safely.

You wanted to pursue a career in national security after 9/11. How did September 11, 2001 impact you?

I was actually in New York City visiting the World Trade Center two weeks before the attack. Having seen the World Trade Center only a couple of weeks before, I was deeply affected by what happened. I never wanted to see something like that happen again. September 11th also happens to be my birthday, which is a constant reminder of how I can make a difference.

What have you learned about the benefits of a Xaverian education after graduation?

Xavier gave me the moral standpoint needed to succeed in all aspects of life. My studies at Xavier helped me to learn how to manage a heavy work load and manage my time efficiently. The Xavier experience helped me to become a responsible and respectful man which has gotten me to where I am in my professional and personal life.

What advice would you give to current Xavier students?

My advice would be to stay involved and to get experience. The more experience you have, the more skills you acquire. When I was a student at Xavier I worked part time for an appraisal company, volunteered at an elderly home, and was on the crew team all while pursuing my pilot’s license. I now have my pilot’s license after attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and my ultimate goal is to work for Google’s aviation team. Everything you do now as a Xavier student will impact your future.

Joey Fazzino ’10A l u M n i S p o T l i G H T

16 the magazine Xavier High School

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Loving Father,

We ask you to protect the students, faculty and staff of Xavier High School. Guide us to salvation by following the example of Jesus Christ, your Son. Inspire us with your grace to seek both academic success and spiritual wisdom as we use our gifts and talents in service to others. Help us to find strength and passion to be leaders and pioneers like Theodore James Ryken, the Xaverian Brothers and those who founded our school. May we in turn accept the challenge to spread the word of God and make the world a better place for all people.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen

St. Francis Xavier, pray for us.

Xavier High School PrayerBy Chris Danko ’11 and Francis Rowland ’11

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Parents of alumni, if your son no longer maintains an address at your home, please notify the Office of Advancement. Phone: 860-347-6079Email: advancement@xavierhighschool.org