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6 minute read
The Ideal Solution
As the pandemic raged on last summer, it became clear that a few of our most beloved teachers would need to continue teaching from home in the fall while their students learned from the classroom. Although our goal was to provide the best possible learning environment for our students, the safety of every member of our community was paramount. This unprecedented scenario presented a host of new challenges and enlisting the help our young alumni proved to be the ideal solution.
The administrative team worked together to develop the alumni intern program. Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne led the recruitment efforts, reaching out to college students who would be learning remotely in the fall due to COVID-19 restrictions at their schools, from Harvard and Middlebury to Dartmouth and Northwestern. By the time the first day of school rolled around, several young alumni were on board, including: Raffi Barsamian ’17, Eric Jeremiah ’17, Nicholas Connelly ’17, James Esperne ’19, Thaddeus Kennedy ’17, Tommy Seidl ’17, Jack Frisoli ’17 and Anthony Perez ’19. Geoff Wade ’15, a graduate of Holy Cross, also joined the team. As a full-time faculty member, Geoff took on a leadership role of coordinating the alumni interns’ schedules, in addition to covering Deirdre Rynne Annan’s art history classes while she was on maternity leave.
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James Esperne ’17 helps out in Denis Cleary’s history class.
The primary responsibility of the alumni interns is to facilitate dayto-day logistics for those teachers working from home, making sure the technology is functioning properly, passing out papers, checking homework assignments—whatever a teacher would do in class that they can’t do over zoom. In addition to assisting the few faculty who are teaching remotely, the interns have also served as an extra set of helping hands for other teachers, monitoring lunches or covering any other needs that come up each day. Wade has played a pivotal role in matching the needs with the schedules of the interns, most of whom are also managing a college course load.
While the physical set-up of the classroom may look different, with desks spread apart and the teacher projected onto a large smart board, the content is still the same and the students are still engaging with their teachers and with each other. “Having done remote learning myself, the fact that these kids are able to come into the classroom every day and learn with their peers is so important,” said Barsamian, who has been working in classes taught by Mark Rogers, Chair of the Fine Arts Department. “My favorite part about being here is seeing the way the boys interact with each other, how much they love each other and are building that brotherhood. I was in their seat not too long ago; seeing it from the other side and the way it’s fostered on a day-to-day basis is incredible.”
For the three faculty members who have needed to teach from a distance, the alumni interns have made the opportunity to educate from home possible. This group of Arrows have proven themselves to be committed, conscientious, on time and willing to follow up on any tasks asked of them. “This is a novel experience in my 49th year of teaching and I didn’t think old dogs could learn new tricks,” noted Denis Cleary, Chair of the History Department. “With these young men I’ve been able to do a lot of stuff that I never believed I would have the capacity to do. I can’t say enough nice things about their efforts and am so appreciative to the administration for creating the program and the Board of Trustees for supporting it.”
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Eric Jeremiah ’17 offers support to a student during English class.
The alumni interns have not only been a saving grace for these teachers, but have also had an impact on the students as well. “One of the great things about having the interns around this fall has been that they both model and demand the best virtues,” noted Nerbonne. “There’s a kind of mentoring that’s going on.” Eric Jeremiah, who assists in David Cornish’s classroom, has developed a fan base, as evidenced by the stack of cards that piled up for him in the front office after the Christmas Card Assembly. “The boys have gotten to know Eric quite well and they love him,” shared Cornish. “Having been a star hockey and lacrosse player during his years here has been a plus, too, for they look up to him and see him as a student-athlete to emulate.”
—Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne
The alumni, who are distance learning themselves, often have their laptops open, demonstrating their work ethic as serious students at exceptional colleges and universities. From academic accolades to athletic accomplishments and leading roles in the play, each of these young men were outstanding Arrows who serve as great role models for our youngest students and our older students have had the chance to engage in conversations and enjoy their company. “I think it’s important to be able to see yourself five or six years down the road and realize this is what I can be like when I grow up,” said Jeremiah. “The best part of coming to school every day is being able to set an example for these kids.”
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Matt Karpowicz ’16 assists with coaching the varsity basketball team.
Some of the interns have also been an enormous support to our coaches and the athletic program. Barsamian assisted with varsity soccer, Wade and Seidl with varsity football, Jeremiah with the hockey teams, and a set of new recruits have joined to help with other winter sports. Matt Karpowicz ’16, a Williams grad, was meant to be coaching at WPI this winter. When the season was cancelled, Athletic Director Dave Hinman saw a great opportunity to bring Matt, and his passion and knowledge for the game, back to St. Sebastian’s as head coach of the JV team, as well as assist with the varsity and middle school teams. Miguel Vega ’19 and Trace Gotham ’20 are also helping to coach basketball and Andrew Ko ’19 and Brian Piatelli ’19 are working with the squash team. All these interns served as leaders of their team when they played for the Arrows. “Who better to turn to than a group of former St. Sebastian’s captains who model the values that define our great community,” shared Hinman. “It has been so rewarding to see the respect and admiration our youngest students have for these guys.”
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Geoff Wade ’15 sets up the technology in Deirdre Rynne Annan’s art history class while she teaches remotely.
Along with the students and faculty, the interns themselves have benefited from this experience. Due to the pandemic, these young men are not where they should be—in their college classrooms and dorm rooms, playing for their teams, many of them in their senior year—but this program has given them a sense of purpose and community. “Routine is important for everyone and this initiative has not only provided the alumni interns an opportunity to get out of the house, but to give back to a place they love,” shared Wade. “Coming back here has been super nostalgic, although it’s funny being on the other side as a teacher.”
Some interns will stay on through the end of the year, others have headed back to college, and a new round of interns will join the team to serve the school that served them so well. Having these young men in our classrooms during these challenging times has been a true blessing for everyone involved. Thank you to our alumni interns for reflecting the ideal St. Sebastian’s graduate and showing a new generation of students what the brotherhood is all about.