Alumni Blog

The Future of the Alumni Brotherhood

Posted December 4th, 2020

The Hermits Alumni Leadership Team met this earlier this month with a small group of representatives from each decade of the Prep’s 61-year history. The meeting was the starting point for a much wider initiative by Coach Rodio and his team to energize and organize the Hermits Alumni Association. Attendees gathered in the Forum (following strict COVID-19 protocols) for fellowship and refreshments with Fr. Murray, O.S.A. and his fellow Friars. In a year when little to no social interaction between alums has been possible, it was a real joy for the participants to get together.  The alumni in attendance along with some of the most passionate advocates of the Brotherhood traded some of their fondest memories of the school while discussing the means to ensure its bright future. 

The meeting portion of the evening was led by both Coach Rodio and newly-minted Associate Director of Alumni Leadership, Brendan Towell. Together they shared the vision for the future of the Alumni Office and proposed a plan to bring about momentum to propel the Association and the Prep forward. The passion of the Alumni Brotherhood has always been a hallmark of the Association but all felt it paramount to find dynamic ways to engage with current students and families.  The first step in helping in that regard includes (sequentially): Partnership, Programming, and Participation.  The mastermind behind this approach was Brendan Towell who mentioned, “Everything begins with partnering with our graduates and their families. By deepening and re-establishing those relationships, we will see a renewed desire for new traditions to emerge. This, in turn, will lead to participation and collaboration between the Prep and our Alums.” Moving forward “Alumni Ambassadors” will be utilized in order to assist with coordinating, facilitating communication, and fostering partnerships based on each decade. 

The evening was an exciting step towards the future and the next meeting has already been set for February 2021. 

Alumni participants included

Mr. Edward Perugini ’64

Mr. Michael Carabrese ’70

 Mr. Paul Rodio ’70 P’09’11 G’25

Mr. Ralph Travaglione ’71 P’07

Mr. David Catalana ’82 P’13

Mr. David Zappariello ’83 P’18

Mr. Dennis Foreman ’87 P’15’16’20

Mr. Brian Coyle ’92 P’21

Mr. Philip Brunozzi ’96 P’25

Mr. Manuel DiJamco ’99

Mr. Timothy McGee ’01

Mr. Michael Hullings ’07

Mr. Austin Neri ’13

Interested in participating as an Alumni Ambassador? Reach out today by emailing Alumni@Hermits.com. #HermitPride