At the Academic Awards Assembly on November 17, 2023, Assistant Headmaster Michael Nerbonne delivered the following remarks:
A friend of mine shared a story with me recently which beautifully and powerfully reflects this year’s School theme of “love”.
Here’s the story:
My friend and his wife were making preparations for the upcoming wedding of their daughter. Their future son-in-law had endured a very serious medical issue as a young boy which would end up nearly thirty years later becoming a very important part of the wedding celebration.
When he was just two years old, this boy was visiting his grandmother who became quite concerned about his health. Something just didn’t seem right to her, so she insisted that his parents take him to see a doctor right away. They soon learned, much to their dismay, that his liver was failing and that the only hope for his recovery would be a liver transplant. So, they put his name on a national registry in the slim hope of finding a matching donor somewhere out there in the broad expanse of our whole country.
They were delighted to learn that the registry did find a matching donor liver, from a 1-year-old boy who had just tragically died from SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Surgeons were able to transplant the liver from the deceased boy into my friend’s future son-in-law, despite the thousands of miles of distance between the donor and the recipient.
This boy has enjoyed remarkably good health since the transplant and had a very full and happy childhood in all respects. So, now flash forward to his pending marriage to my friend’s daughter. And the story might have ended there.
But this young man wanted the parents who donated their son’s liver decades ago to share in the happiest day of his life, so he began searching for them and after several months located them thousands of miles away. He then extended to them an invitation to attend his wedding. They immediately said “yes”, flew to Boston, and here they met for the first time the extended family of a boy to whom they had made this life-saving gift almost thirty years prior. All were incredibly grateful and delighted to meet and get to know one another on such a happy occasion.
I’ve been thinking about that word “yes” and its inextricable link to this year’s theme of love. These parents who lost their young son, surely the most painful experience any parent can endure, said “yes” to an organ donation despite their terrible sadness and grief. And no one would have faulted them for saying no. And the groom to be said “yes” when he had the instinct to include them in his and his fiancée’s wedding planning. He probably had some mixed emotions about even extending the invitation, would he cause them more pain by contacting them, would his wedding be a reminder of all they had lost when their young son died. And then the “yes” of these parents to accept the invitation, to embrace a young man and his family to whom they had literally given the gift of life. How different it all might have been if any of these “yeses”, especially the first one, had been a “no”.
In Goethe’s Faust, the eponymous main character Dr. Faust asks the devil in disguise, Mephistopheles, “who are you?”. Mephistopheles replies “Ich bin der Geist der stets verneint”, “I am the spirit who always says no”. Love always wants to say “yes” to the right things, and its opposite wants to say “no.”
Sometimes it just takes a “yes’, motivated by love, to make all the difference.
May our answer to all forms of life in all seasons ever be a resounding “yes”.
Thank you and God bless.
St. Sebastian's School is proud to announce those students who were named to the First Quarter Honor Rolls under the following categories:
High Honors: A- or above in all subjects
Honors with Distinction: B or above in all subjects
Honors: B- or above in all subjects
Superior Effort: Marks of 1 in all subjects
Effort: Marks of 1 or 2 in all subjects
FIRST QUARTER
High Honors
Class of 2024
Raif S. Boit, Deven S. Carkner, Neal R. Carlson, Gianluca Centola, Jonathan J. Demosthene, Rui S. do Rosario, Henry J. duBose, Quinn B. Feyler, Brendan T. Fulham, John R. Harney, Dylan M. Lipof, Chase W. McCann, Seamus M. McDonough, John J. McHugh, Brendan M. Schmidt, Elliot C. Slayne, Christopher J. Thompson, Ye Tian, Cormac A. Walsh
Class of 2025
Peter J. Bachiochi, Ty Ciongoli, Benjamin D. Corbett, Maxim D. Kalinichenko, Robert R. Keller IV, Colby W. Nash, Ryan Pat, Erik J. Saradjian, Peter A. Stavaridis, Joseph B. Sullivan, Hugh P. Turner
Class of 2026
Alistair P. Cooper, Sebastian F. Culleton, Michael M. DeMatteo, Luca J. Faggiano, Dominic D. Funke, David H. Greaney, John Grimes, Seth D. Janchar, Joseph D. Koh, Oliver R. Manning, Tiernan P. Massenburg, Brendan M. McHugh, Casey W. Mutryn, Andrew W. Plotner, Michael A. Rohatgi, Dominic S. Scioli, John C. Sullivan
Class of 2027
Ethan J. Abdella, Cormac E. Anderson, Demetrios P. Catrickes, Ryan M. Connolly, Nicolas P. Doglioli, John M. Dorsey, Connor J. Fleming, Jackson W. Fulginite, Ryan Healey, Taylor E. Holmes, John J. Joyce, Rowan G. Koppenheffer, John Lynch, Aiden E. Mack, Anthony T. Marcucci, John B. McRoskey, Carter G. Rich, Thomas M. Saulnier, Benjamin E. Stuart, Akul Trikha, Ryan P. Walsh, Maxwell E. Weber, Nolan W. Wishart
Class of 2028
Nathaniel M. Antebi, Decker L. Bannish, Connor P. Carroll, Richard X. Condron, Felix G. Cressotti, Rohan Ghatge, Finn Govender, Peter J. Lipscomb, William E. Madden, William D. Reed, Joseph B. Ryan, Matthew Spalla, Emmett J. Sullivan, Brady Williams
Class of 2029
Benjamin M. Aidlen, Charles R. Lans, Alvaro J. Martinez, Benjamin J. Yu
Honors with Distinction
Class of 2024
Nicholas A. Adams, George E. Addona, Brendan W. Arcara, Aiden J. Barclay, John M. Barry, Kamden S. Carkner, Matthew P. Cataldo, Lochlan C. Chisholm, Jack C. Condron, Aidan B. Connors, Jack R. Connors, Owen J. Connors, B. Patrick Cooney IV, Matthew C. Dalto, Stephen J. DeMatteo, Adric I. Denis, Tyler J. Derenzo, Nolan M. Flynn, Daniel E. Gillis, Colin T. Gorman, Brian D. Hall, James R. Joyce, Kellan R. Kilmartin, James Y. Ko, Charles J. Leverone, Owen T. Lynch, Matthew McLaughlin, Jack A. Mulka, Sebu P. Najarian, Max J. Proia, Perry J. Rassiger, Benjamin L. Scemama, Michael A. Spalla, Derron J. St. Marie, Benjamin R. Stavaridis, Edward B. Zhang
Class of 2025
Karson M. Bilezerian, Cooper J. Bolton, Connor J. Carroll, Declan H. Carroll, Kaelan C. Chudzinski, Ace Ciongoli, Liam N. Cunjak, Travis M. Engel, Brendan P. Keaveney, Brian M. Keene, Theodore C. McKeigue, Benjamin G. Molinsky, Avedis B. Najarian, Luc J. Olivier, Manuel R. Pereira, Alexander C. Perkin, John P. Stenberg, Robert W. Wallace, Michael A. Williams, Daniel W. Yang, Owen L. Zhang
Class of 2026
Carson E. Arevian, Sawyer R. Bean, Brian R. Burke, Davis W. Cassler, Sean P. Collins, Tyler D. Curry, Finn N. Daley, Carter A. Dedier, Nolan L. Dunphy, John F. Fabbro, Gavin L. Feyler, Brett Gallo, David J. Hahm, Jared E. Hughes, Peter T. Keefe, Jack T. Kelleher, George K. Kelly IV, Joseph P. Martin, Brendan J. Matthews, Carter J. Mays, Eamon J. McCarthy, Quinn A. Mulvey, Wachira Njoroge, Finneas C. Noonan, Donal J. O'Connor, Antonio Petruzziello, Evangelos S. Poulos, Richard H. Sutphin III, Jeffrey Q. Welham, Colin L. Williams, Andrew Zhang
Class of 2027
Tristen S. Alexander, Joseph J. Bachiochi, Gus Baer, Rocco E. Boyle, Rohit Dabas, Henry M. DeBevoise, Karl A. Edouarzin, John A. Esserian, Jaxon R. Fantuzzi, William T. Finnegan, Conor Greaney, James Q. Harney, Derek N. Hassey, Chase R. Hernandez, Lukas R. Hiles, Ty Y. Hymovitz, Ryan Krummell, Tiancheng Liu, Andrew P. MacDougall, Abner Machuca Diaz, Matthew J. McCarthy, James J. McNulty V, Charles M. Melchionda, Milo B. Mistry, Constantine Mitrokostas, Daniel J. Porter, William B. Rowe, Wright J. Shinzawa, Jack A. Stavaridis, Ryan Sullivan, Gavin F. Wainwright, Alexander J. Wasynczuk, Samuel J. Weston, Nathan F. Yesehak
Class of 2028
Thomas D. Ashe, Jr., Jack C. Connolly, Killian F. Cunjak, Charles H. Daley, Liam M. Eastwood, Robert T. Ferguson III, Richard C. Joyce, Eamon Keefe, Andrew C. Matthews, Connor J. McDonald, Cade Noonan, John J. Queally, Noah R. Wagner, Jonathan Yang
Class of 2029
Luke Burch, Jackson J. Burke, Caleb D. Casiano, Griff Ciongoli, Brennan R. Condron, Finn D. Condron, Brayden M. Cruz, Quentin J. Donoghue, Patrick J. Fennell, Samuel A. Fishbone, Brendan T. Fleming, Peter R. Furmonavicius, Jasiah A. Galvao-Fernandes, Anthony A. Gray, Jack M. Halloran, Tyler J. Hehir, John R. Kane, James Keller, James W. Kilmartin, Carter M. Kubec, John O. Lemke, Cameron J. Plotner, Ray E. Rush, Rhett D. Shevlin, Patrick A. Sullivan, Nicholas M. Winslow, John F. Wishart
Honors
Class of 2024
Liam J. Barbosa, Luke S. Eastwood, Liam C. Field, Liam V. Gavin, Benjamin C. Goffredo, Ronan I. Massenburg, Nicolas McLaughlin, Christopher J. Merageas, Isaac M. Mitchell, Michael J. Quinn, Colin K. Sullivan
Class of 2025
Rhys W. Amorosino, Donald P. Armstrong III, Kevin M. Bresnahan, Lucas B. Candiotto, Lucas C. Cox, Connor B. Crane, Luke C. Harrington, Charles R. Hinman, Joseph W. Maxwell, Chandler G. McClements, Benjamin P. Merrill, Matthias J. Ogrinc, Jacob A. Pichay, Julian J. Singh, Luis E. Sosa Espinal, Nicholas P. Ward
Class of 2026
Samuel J. Barbosa, Paolo R. Castro, John L. Cronin, Andrew J. Donovan, Alan M. Felix, Theodore C. Frisoli, Cesar A. Hernandez, Gavin M. Joyce, Samuel Li, Sebastian R. Martinez-Moule, Benjamin O. Osunsanya, Isaiah M. Simmons, Cameron N. Steele, Reagan M. Straub, Brendan J. Treseler, Dylan C. Van Biert, Caden A. Young, Ian Zhou
Class of 2027
Preston Bollin, Rian R. Chudzinski, Duke Ciongoli, Gregory P. Derenzo, Matteo L. Fainelli, Theodore T. Farren, Antonio J. Martinez, Luke P. Murphy, Luke G. Puglia, Quincy F. Quillard, Declan Schwarz, John E. Usechek, Samuel J. Ward
Class of 2028
Oisin E. Asaad, Benjamin M. Deschenes, Joseph P. Dunn III, Reece H. Feyler, Robert L. Kennedy, Joseph B. Leto, Jack Matyska, Ryan S. Mutryn, Jack S. Sherman, Austin Wu
Class of 2029
David O. Ashenuga, Ryan P. Cullen, Jason C. Dorman, Gavin J. Herlihy, Paul P. Joyce, Michael P. Keene, Christian M. Kuo, Connor T. Martin, Christian R. Martinez-Moule, Wesley C. Nahabedian, Daniel X. Pichay, Cole C. Shevlin, Jacob R. Ward
Superior Effort
Class of 2024
Raif S. Boit, Neal R. Carlson, Gianluca Centola, Jonathan J. Demosthene, Rui Do Rosario, Brendan M. Schmidt
Class of 2025
Ty Ciongoli, Maxim D. Kalinichenko
Class of 2027
John J. Joyce, Rowan G. Koppenheffer, Benjamin E. Stuart
Class of 2028
Joseph B. Ryan, Matthew Spalla, Brady Williams
Effort
Class of 2024
Nicholas A. Adams, George E. Addona, Liam J. Barbosa, Aiden J. Barclay, John M. Barry, Raif S. Boit, Deven S. Carkner, Kamden S. Carkner, Neal R. Carlson, Matthew P. Cataldo, Gianluca Centola, Lochlan C. Chisholm, Jack C. Condron, Aidan B. Connors, Jack R. Connors, Owen J. Connors, Matthew C. Dalto, Stephen J. DeMatteo, Jonathan J. Demosthene, Adric I. Denis, Tyler J. Derenzo, Rui S. do Rosario, Henry J. duBose, Luke S. Eastwood, Quinn B. Feyler, Liam C. Field, Nolan M. Flynn, Brendan T. Fulham, Liam V. Gavin, Daniel E. Gillis, Colin T. Gorman, Brian D. Hall, John R. Harney, James R. Joyce, Kellan R. Kilmartin, James Y. Ko, Charles J. Leverone, Dylan M. Lipof, Owen T. Lynch, Ronan I. Massenburg, Chase W. McCann, Seamus M. McDonough, John J. McHugh, Matthew McLaughlin, Christopher J. Merageas, Jack A. Mulka, Sebu P. Najarian, Max J. Proia, Perry J. Rassiger, Benjamin L. Scemama, Brendan M. Schmidt, Elliot C. Slayne, Michael A. Spalla, Derron J. St. Marie, Benjamin R. Stavaridis, Colin K. Sullivan, Christopher J. Thompson, Ye Tian, Cormac A. Walsh, Edward B. Zhang
Class of 2025
Rhys W. Amorosino, Donald P. Armstrong III, Peter J. Bachiochi, Karson M. Bilezerian, Timothy Bollin, Cooper J. Bolton, Kevin M. Bresnahan, Lucas B. Candiotto, Connor J. Carroll, Declan H. Carroll, Kaelan C. Chudzinski, Ace Ciongoli, Ty Ciongoli, Benjamin D. Corbett, Lucas C. Cox, Connor B. Crane, Liam N. Cunjak, Matthew E. Doherty, Travis M. Engel, Charles R. Hinman, Maxim D. Kalinichenko, Brian M. Keene, Robert R. Keller IV, Jack M. Knight, Joseph W. Maxwell, Theodore C. McKeigue, Benjamin P. Merrill, Benjamin G. Molinsky, Avedis B. Najarian, Colby W. Nash, Matthias J. Ogrinc, Luc J. Olivier, Ryan Pat, Manuel R. Pereira, Alexander C. Perkin, Jacob A. Pichay, Erik J. Saradjian, Julian J. Singh, Luis E. Sosa Espinal, Peter A. Stavaridis, John P. Stenberg, Joseph B. Sullivan, Hugh P. Turner, Robert W. Wallace, Robert Walusimbi-Mitchell, Nicholas P. Ward, Michael A. Williams, Daniel W. Yang, Owen L. Zhang
Class of 2026
Carson E. Arevian, Samuel J. Barbosa, Sawyer R. Bean, Brian R. Burke, Davis W. Cassler, Paolo R. Castro, Griffin Collins, Sean P. Collins, Alistair P. Cooper, John L. Cronin, Sebastian F. Culleton, Tyler D. Curry, Finn N. Daley, Carter A. Dedier, Charlie M. Delay, Michael M. DeMatteo, Andrew J. Donovan, Luca J. Faggiano, Alan M. Felix, Gavin L. Feyler, Theodore C. Frisoli, Dominic D. Funke, Brett Gallo, David H. Greaney, John Grimes, David J. Hahm, Cesar A. Hernandez, Jared E. Hughes, Seth D. Janchar, Gavin M. Joyce, Peter T. Keefe, Jack T. Kelleher, George K. Kelly IV, Joseph D. Koh, Samuel Li, Oliver R. Manning, Joseph P. Martin, Sebastian R. Martinez-Moule, Tiernan P. Massenburg, Brendan J. Matthews, Carter J. Mays, Eamon J. McCarthy, Brendan M. McHugh, Quinn A. Mulvey, Casey W. Mutryn, Finneas C. Noonan, Donal J. O'Connor, Benjamin O. Osunsanya, Antonio Petruzziello, Andrew W. Plotner, Evangelos S. Poulos, Michael A. Rohatgi, Dominic S. Scioli, Isaiah M. Simmons, Cameron N. Steele, Reagan M. Straub, John C. Sullivan, Richard H. Sutphin III, Mark J. Walbridge, Jr., Colin L. Williams, Andrew Zhang, Ian Zhou
Class of 2027
Ethan J. Abdella, Tristen S. Alexander, Cormac E. Anderson, Joseph J. Bachiochi, Gus Baer, Preston Bollin, Rocco E. Boyle, Demetrios P. Catrickes, Rian R. Chudzinski, Ryan M. Connolly, Henry M. DeBevoise, Gregory P. Derenzo, Nicolas P. Doglioli, John M. Dorsey, Karl A. Edouarzin, John A. Esserian, Jaxon R. Fantuzzi, William T. Finnegan, Connor J. Fleming, Jackson W. Fulginite, Conor Greaney, James Q. Harney, Ryan Healey, Chase R. Hernandez, Lukas R. Hiles, Taylor E. Holmes, Ty Y. Hymovitz, John J. Joyce, Rowan G. Koppenheffer, Ryan Krummell, John Lynch, Andrew P. MacDougall, Abner Machuca Diaz, Aiden E. Mack, Anthony T. Marcucci, Antonio J. Martinez, Matthew J. McCarthy, James J. McNulty V, John B. McRoskey, Charles M. Melchionda, Milo B. Mistry, Constantine Mitrokostas, Daniel J. Porter, Luke G. Puglia, Quincy F. Quillard, Carter G. Rich, William B. Rowe, Thomas M. Saulnier, Declan Schwarz, Wright J. Shinzawa, Jack A. Stavaridis, Benjamin E. Stuart, Ryan Sullivan, Akul Trikha, John E. Usechek, Gavin F. Wainwright, Ryan P. Walsh, Samuel J. Ward, Alexander J. Wasynczuk, Maxwell E. Weber, Samuel J. Weston, Nolan W. Wishart, Nathan F. Yesehak
Class of 2028
Nathaniel M. Antebi, Thomas D. Ashe, Jr., Decker L. Bannish, Reid M. Bolton, Connor P. Carroll, Brooks H. Carter, Richard X. Condron, Jack C. Connolly, Felix G. Cressotti, Killian F. Cunjak, Charles H. Daley, Liam M. Eastwood, Robert T. Ferguson III, Reece H. Feyler, Rohan Ghatge, Ethan Giraldi, Finn Govender, Richard C. Joyce, Eamon Keefe, Robert L. Kennedy, Joseph B. Leto, Peter J. Lipscomb, William E. Madden, Andrew C. Matthews, Jack Matyska, Connor J. McDonald, Cade Noonan, John J. Queally, William D. Reed, Joseph B. Ryan, Tucker Shanks, Jack S. Sherman, Matthew Spalla, Emmett J. Sullivan, Noah R. Wagner, Brady Williams, Jonathan Yang, Connor Young
Class of 2029
Benjamin M. Aidlen, David O. Ashenuga, Luke Burch, Jackson J. Burke, Caleb D. Casiano, Griff Ciongoli, Brennan R. Condron, Finn D. Condron, Brayden M. Cruz, Ryan P. Cullen, Quentin J. Donoghue, Patrick J. Fennell, Samuel A. Fishbone, Brendan T. Fleming, Peter R. Furmonavicius, Jasiah A. Galvao-Fernandes, Anthony A. Gray, Jack M. Halloran, Gavin J. Herlihy, Nicholas S. Hiles, Paul P. Joyce, John R. Kane, Michael P. Keene, James Keller, James W. Kilmartin, Carter M. Kubec, Christian M. Kuo, Charles R. Lans, John O. Lemke, Connor T. Martin, Alvaro J. Martinez, Christian R. Martinez-Moule, Elliot M. Mays, Wesley C. Nahabedian, Cameron J. Plotner, Ray E. Rush, Cole C. Shevlin, Rhett D. Shevlin, Patrick A. Sullivan, Jacob R. Ward, Nicholas M. Winslow, John F. Wishart, Benjamin J. Yu