Issuu

2021

ALUMNI COLLECTIVE

HISTORY IN 2005, JUST THREE YEARS AFTER WASHINGTON JESUIT ACADEMY OPENED WITH AN INAUGURAL CLASS OF SIXTH GRADERS, WE PRODUCED OUR FIRST GRADUATING CLASS — OUR FIRST GROUP OF WJA ALUMNI. As an incredible alumni base emerged and expanded with each subsequent graduating class, the needs for graduate support likewise emerged and expanded. The Office of Student and Alumni Success (OSAS) was initiated in response. Since our founding, OSAS has provided — and continues to provide — overlapping services of mentoring, coaching, academic, and social support. Prevailing, meaningful engagement is the lifeblood of our office, and what starts in the fourth grade continues well beyond the eighth grade. We encourage our young men to strive for success throughout their lifetime. Identifying the right path for each student’s personal journey is a key element of the WJA model and beginning in the seventh and eighth grades, we assist families in finding the best fit for their child’s next step: high school. While helping to determine realistic and appropriate high school choices, we also increase the awareness of education options such as private and Catholic schools, boarding schools, and public magnet and charter schools. Pairing this with an increased focus on test prep ensures our students approach high school placement as prepared as their peers. Through OSAS, we also ensure that the WJA support system continues even after high school placement concludes. We provide unparalleled resources to WJA’s diverse community of graduates, including college test prep as soon as they reach their sophomore year of high school. Our staff partners with parents, guardians, students, and high school administration to prepare each alumnus for a successful transition to his next step.

TEAM J.B. GERALD, Executive Director of OSAS ROSIE MACINNES, Director of Alumni Relations & 9th – 10th Grade Engagement Coordinator AARON SHEPPERD, Deputy Director of OSAS UYO EKANDEM, Alumni Support & High School Placement Associate ANTHONY HAYNIE III (WJA ’10), 11th – 12th Grade Engagement Coordinator (Joining July 2021)

OUR COMMUNITY ALUMNI

ALUMNI COUNCIL

The deep connections created on the Varnum Street campus extend in both directions. Each year, our alumni give back by returning to support current students, participating in interactive panel discussions, and connecting with fellow WJA graduates. These alumni serve as volunteers and mentors for our students, as well as referrals for new families. To date, WJA has also proudly welcomed seven alumni back to campus in both faculty and administration roles. As such, our alumni represent our greatest asset — and our greatest ambassadors — for the Academy.

In 2019, the Alumni Council was established as a deeper resource and connection point for WJA. The four inaugural members are pictured below, alongside an incoming member for 2021. Collectively, they embody what it means to be a “Man for Others;” seek to give back to the Academy; empower students to share experiences and ask questions; validate the unique experiences that WJA students navigate; and provide a model for a healthy, trusting relationship with peers.

Will Gates-Counts

The story of OSAS’s first few years is one of tremendous success, thanks in no small part to the support of the greater Washington Jesuit Academy community. Since its founding, WJA has forged strong partnerships with friends and leaders who commit resources and share expertise as our students transition to unprecedented leaders of tomorrow.

DeMitrius McNeil

(WJA ‘05) CESAR CHAVEZ PCS FOR PUBLIC POLICY ‘09

Greg Thomas

(WJA ‘08) GONZAGA HIGH SCHOOL ‘12

Airton Kamdem

(WJA ‘08) GEORGETOWN PREPARATORY SCHOOL ‘12

PARTNERS AND FRIENDS

(WJA ‘07) FRIENDSHIP COLLEGIATE ACADEMY ‘11

Kendrick Sanker

(WJA ‘08) GEORGETOWN PREPARATORY SCHOOL ‘12

ATE

IN HIS OWN WORDS: Q&A WITH JABARI GREENWOOD WJA alumnus JABARI GREENWOOD (WJA ’11) recently graduated from Towson University and returned to his hometown of Washington D.C. to begin working for property management company Rockrose Development Corporation. Jabari’s employer is a subsidiary of the company at which Peter Carroccio, Jabari’s Sponsor during his WJA tenure, serves as Managing Principal. Jabari welcomes this career opportunity and connection to WJA, sharing his perspective on his trajectory. WJA: What pathway led you from WJA to where you are now? JG: From WJA, I was one of only three classmates to attend Gonzaga College High School. I knew the opportunity I was getting and I was going to make the most of it. From there, I attended University of Kentucky before transferring to Towson, deciding on my communications major, and graduating. WJA: In looking back at your WJA experience, how would you define it? JG: The WJA community comes from so many different places and the Academy exposes you to so many different things. For me, it was those things that put me in a different head space. WJA: What were the most important aspects of the WJA experience for you? JG: The teachers, who really cared about your attitude. The Brotherhood — the friends and connections I made. And the opportunity to get to know Peter. It has all come full circle. WJA: Is there anything that WJA introduced you to that still impacts your life today? JG: Art. I was a member of the art club and began to draw a lot while at WJA. To this day, I still paint and give credit to the Academy for encouraging creativity. WJA: Anything else? JG: Accountability. There are no short cuts. You know what it takes to get to the next level.

OUR ALUMNI 338

70%

WJA Alumni Making a Difference in the World

BY THE NUMBERS: 2020

High Schools Attended by WJA Alumni

Years Since First Class Graduated from WJA

WJA Alumni Body who Embark on a College Career

85%

Alumni Actively Engaged with WJA and our Growing Community

WJA Alumni Currently Enrolled in Trade School

108

99%

High School Graduation Rate for WJA Alumni

WJA Alumni Holding Graduate Degrees or Currently Enrolled in Graduate School

WJA Alumni Serving Our Country in the Military (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force)

WJA Alumni Bettering the Community Through the Fire Department and Police Force

Distinctive Colleges Attended by WJA Alumni

Drew Duff DING

ATTEN (WJA ‘17) L IGH SCHOO H A G A GONZ

es Ronshai JoNnDING

ATTE (WJA ‘17) HOOL LL HIGH SC R OP CAR O ARCHBISH

Kenton KNinDINg G

ATTE (WJA ‘17) L P CARROL O ARCHBISH L O HIGH SCHO

Stalin Oaks (WJA ‘17) ATTENDING LA PLATA OL HIGH SCHO

houn Jamary CTaElNDING

AT (WJA ‘17) SCHOOL OTTI HIGH L L A P T N E C IN ST. V 4

Will StoneDyING

ATTEN (WJA ‘17) H SCHOOL IG H PATRIOT

ett Donté BirENcDkING

ATT (WJA ‘17) SCHOOL TONE HIGH THOMAS S

BECOMING SARGENT MITCHELL DENNIS FOR MITCHELL DENNIS (WJA ’11), THE WJA EDUCATION CAN BE SUMMARIZED IN ONE WORD: PREPARATION. As a Sargent in the United States Army and the only of his graduating class in the military, Mitchell draws on the multitude of ways WJA equipped him for service and leadership. “My experience at WJA prepared me not just for academics, but for life. I learned how time management and work ethic would lead me to not just be a good student, but a good citizen of society. There comes a lot of responsibility in my role, and I constantly see both time management and work ethic as the biggest traits that support this.” After completing all three middle school years at WJA, Mitchell attended St. Johns College High School for two years before transferring to Riverdale Baptist School for his remaining high school career. Just days after graduation, he enlisted in the Air Force. Mitchell resigned and completed a brief moment of civilian life, before enlisting in the Army in 2017. In that time, he has been based across the United States and in six foreign countries, and also become a father and a husband — all while rising in his rank. With almost a decade between him and his WJA graduation, Mitchell recalls the defining elements of the Academy — extended school hours, volunteerism, discipline, and camaraderie. For him, the most memorable aspects remain outside of the classroom. Mitchell reveres the retreats and team sports for his bonding with classmates, and study halls for motivating him to take the next step - “these guys were here, succeeding at top notch high schools. We realized if they can do it, we can too.” The teachers also proved an important part of WJA for Mitchell. He credits the tailored attention and approach to the whole student as the most compelling part of his faculty interactions, further connecting WJA to his preparation as a leader in the Army. “You can’t lead soldiers in one way, you have to adjust to the individual soldier. This was the same thing at WJA. I can’t think of a teacher who cared about Mitchell as a student. They all cared about Mitchell as a person.”

YEAR IN REVIEW GRADUATION

WJA CONNECT

Graduation is a significant day for the WJA community and each year, alumni return to Varnum Street to celebrate the eighth graders and welcome them to the alumni family. As WJA hosted its first virtual graduation in May, alumni embraced the digital platform and joined to support our graduating class of 2020.

This year, OSAS developed and launched WJA Connect as a safe virtual space for multi-directional communications between students and faculty, graduates and WJA, and the alumni community. WJA Connect allows OSAS to stay connected with students as they move through the all-important decision-making years. This invaluable tool and new way of communication is offered through all app platforms, ensuring its accessibility for WJA alums.

TWO BROTHERS. ONE LASTING IMPRESSION. To talk with NATE HILIGH (WJA ’11) 10 years after his WJA graduation is to learn just how much he absorbed from his time at the Academy. “I frequently think about the conversations I had with teachers,” says Nate. “They taught us to exceed expectations. To always represent ourselves in the best light. To always put our best foot forward. To never do anything halfway.”

Nate Hiligh 6

Derrick Aikens

Nate recalls how these conversations drove him to succeed at both the college level as an applied engineering major at Millersville University, from which Nate graduated in 2019, as well as in his engineering career in the concrete division of Clark Construction.

TEST PREP CURRICULUM

ACCEPTANCE RATES

2020 marks the second year of WJA’s test prep curriculum for alumni. 26 students took advantage of this resource, collectively scoring above the 60th percentile on the High School Placement Test. This reflects a jump from the 39th percentile just two years earlier, when test prep curriculum was not yet offered through OSAS.

The WJA graduating class earned a 100% acceptance and enrollment rate into Catholic, independent, and public charter schools. The high school graduating class (WJA Class of 2016) earned a 100% acceptance and enrollment rate into a four-year college or community college.

“In college, your professors won’t come back to you to say they ‘see potential and try harder.’ The same goes for your bosses. You have to stay motivated yourself to push and work hard. This is what WJA teachers instilled in us as students.” Nate’s brother, DERRICK AIKENS (WJA ’16) concurs. Like Nate, Derrick graduated from WJA and attended Gonzaga College High School. He then matriculated to Catholic University and is currently seeking dual degrees in Civil Engineering and Architecture. Derrick credits WJA with accelerating his drive to stay prepared — and to rise to the occasion — for the challenges ahead. As a member of WJA’s first class of fifth graders, Derrick completed four years at WJA and says the development of a strict routine and his time with the teachers taught him to stay focused and to see the big picture. He notes “During WJA, I learned what motivated me. And I learned to see the possibilities, and what my future could look like.” For both Nate and Derrick, their separate but distinctive WJA experiences created a lasting impression that has led them to their current positions, as well as prepared and motivated for what is still to come for these brothers and fellow alumni. 7

“SUCCESS FOR OUR ALUMNI IS NOT PRESCRIPTIVE. IT IS NOT DETERMINED BY ONE PATH OR ONE JOURNEY. RATHER, SUCCESS IS DEFINED BY EACH STUDENT AND GRADUATE IMPACTING SOCIETY IN HIS OWN UNIQUE AND POSITIVE WAY. FOR WJA, ALUMNI SUCCESS IS A COLLECTIVE.” – J.B. GERALD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF STUDENT AND ALUMNI SUCCESS

les Rashard Ly

(WJA ‘09) ‘13 S SCHOOL THE PHELP

inson Derrick Rob

(WJA ‘09) REY O CRISTO DON BOSC 3 ‘1 L OO HIGH SCH

no Paulin Mia

(WJA ‘09) L ICULTURA BELL MULT 2 ‘1 OOL HIGH SCH

OUR GRATITUDE Thank you for your interest and support of Washington Jesuit Academy and our unparalleled graduate support program. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to advance the development and success of all who attend the Academy. To learn more about our alumni programs and view a full list of the high schools and colleges to which our young men have matriculated, please visit: www.wjacademy.org/our-alumni

OUR PHILOSOPHY Educating, Empowering, Encouraging, Engaging, without Enabling

W A S H I N G T O N J E S U I T A C A D E M Y | 9 0 0 V a r n u m S t r e e t N E , W a s h i n g t o n , D C 2 0 0 1 7 | 2 0 2 . 8 3 2 . 7 6 7 9 | w j a c a d e m y. o r g