11 minute read
Xaverian Voices
In their own voices, students, faculty and alumni talk about the many strengths of Xaverian today.
Honors classes, band, football, an internship with Gil-Bar Industries — Brandon Ramrattan ’19 certainly made the most of every opportunity at Xaverian. “Xaverian was the place for me,” said the recent graduate, who described his four years at 7100 Shore Road as “a dream come true.”
Mr. Ramrattan grew up outside of New York City and later moved to Brooklyn. “My family in upstate New York knew about Xaverian, but now the school’s reputation is even stronger. In my four years, we definitely upped it a notch.” The Clipper considered enlisting in the U.S. Navy to save money for college, but with his stellar high school record, “Notre Dame offered enough money to make it financially sound for me to go there,” he said. Mr. Ramrattan plans to study aerospace engineering and possibly even play football for the Fighting Irish as a walk-on. As a member of the last all-male class to graduate Xaverian, Mr. Ramrattan believes the transition to coeducation in 2016 was overwhelmingly positive. “I’ll always have my brothers,” he said, pointing to the close bonds he formed with football teammates. “Not only did we have brothers, we also had sisters. It made us a stronger family.”
Tackling New Opportunities and Challenges
While Kasey Noss ’20 is planning for college, she’s also reflecting on the circumstances that brought her to Xaverian four years ago. As an 8th grader at Our Lady of Good Counsel on Staten Island, Xaverian wasn’t even on Noss’s radar. Since the school was transitioning to coeducation in 2016, Noss attended Buddy Day with friends. Being a part of the first cohort of female high schoolers at Xaverian was a little daunting, “But in the end, I thought it would be mostly exciting,” said Noss.
Now immersed in college applications — Northeastern University and University of Notre Dame are her top choices — Noss is very happy with her decision to attend Xaverian. The senior is in her third year of engineering, the pathway she chose as part of the school’s highly regarded Michael T. Strianese ’74 STEM program, and a member of Speech and Debate.
“I definitely wouldn’t have veered toward engineering had I not gone to Xaverian,” she said. Joining Speech and Debate was also a surprise. But as Noss explains it, that’s why the Xaverian experience is so distinctive. “It’s easy to get involved and accomplish things you didn’t think you could do.”
A Teacher Who Never Stops Learning
Roseann Guido, Ed.D., has had an immense impact on the lives of her students for decades, in part because of her educational philosophy. “I always remain a student, even though I am the teacher,” said Dr. Guido, who began her 35th year at Xaverian this fall. Married to Ronald Guido ’75, the science teacher felt a connection to her husband’s alma mater years before becoming a mainstay of the Science Department. She taught summers at Xaverian, and when a position opened in 1984, Dr. Guido was thrilled to join the faculty full time.
She has taught a range of courses, from Living Environment to Human Biology and Anatomy & Physiology, a college level class offered at Xaverian through the College Advantage Program at St. John’s University. Her AP Biology students, meanwhile, surpassed state and national averages on the AP Biology exam last June, with 88 percent of the class achieving a qualifying score of three or higher. “No matter what the course is, my end goal is always the same,” Dr. Guido explained. “Success for our students.” Dr. Guido’s own professional development is integral to this success. “For me, the question is, ‘What can I be doing better?’” she noted. The science teacher holds a master’s in biology from Hunter College and completed a Doctor of Education, Curriculum and Instruction from Northeastern University in 2018. She attributes Xaverian’s rising profile to factors that have always defined the Clipper experience. “We have an academic program that is very rich, and we have top level faculty who care. You cannot replace that.” Even with a full class load and new students to teach and mentor, Dr. Guido keeps track of her former students. Some have gone on medical professions; many are pursuing careers in business, law, education and other fields. “I’m so proud of them,” she said. “It warms my heart to see their success and milestones.”
At the start of each year, Peter Barone ’09 shows his students pictures of two very different wolves. “One has a single arrow in its back and is on the ground. It’s done,” said Mr. Barone. “The other has about 70 arrows and is still standing.” It’s an introduction to a much bigger lesson: defending your position, backing it up with facts and withstanding questions and criticisms. “That’s what you have to be able to do,” emphasized Mr. Barone, who teaches AP Microeconomics and Financial Investing and serves as Director of XCEL. “If you can still stand and your argument holds, you have a nice explanation to something rather than getting shot down with one criticism.”
A graduate of the London School of Economics and Baruch College, Mr. Barone brings international perspectives into his classes each day. While an undergraduate at Baruch, he completed study abroad in Rome and interned at the U.S. Department of State as a Colin Powell Fellow. The teaching methods he experienced — lecture and seminar in England and oral defense in Italy — “Made me a better teacher,” he said. Xaverian students would agree.
Since becoming a faculty member in 2015, Mr. Barone’s courses have grown from one to three sections. “They are not easy classes,” he admitted. “I think it’s a reflection of the flexible kind of learning that comes when students are presented with content but can also discover material on their own.” The high standards he sets during the academic year are also at the forefront of XCEL, Xaverian’s summer enrichment program for rising eighth graders. “The plan is to constantly challenge and bring in a stronger group of 180 students from an even wider range of schools,” he said.
As someone who left high school an accomplished graduate himself, he feels that he’s back where he belongs. “It’s a tremendous family. There is never a day you don’t want to come to work, because the people you are working with are more than just colleagues.”
Truly a Family Community
These five words are music to Kimberly Cruz’ ears: “What are we dissecting today?” A teacher in the Biomedical Science Program at Xaverian, Ms. Cruz says the enthusiasm of her students is infectious. “What draws them into biomedical science is the hands-on learning,” she explained. The program, part of the Michael T. Strianese ’74 STEM Program, began in the 2014–2015 school year with 25 students. With dynamic offerings ranging from Principles of the Biomedical Sciences to the capstone course Biomedical Science, which tasks students with designing innovative solutions for current health challenges, there are 235 students enrolled in the program today.
Not surprisingly, the rise of the STEM program has intensified interest in admissions. The number of incoming freshmen has increased steadily over the past three years, and the Class of 2023 is at full capacity with 327 students. Ms. Cruz, who teaches many of the biomedical science classes, says talking to prospective parents and students about STEM and Xaverian was a natural progression. “This is a place I love, and it’s important to share that with the community,” she said.
As Director of Admissions, a role she assumed in 2018, Ms. Cruz works closely with Assistant Principal for Enrollment Mark Spelman ’92 P’22 ’23. “There is one thing Mr. Spelman and I say all the time,” she explained. “Xaverian is academically rigorous, with motivated students who want to do well, but there’s also a place in our school for really great kids who will give back to their community and peers.”
This fall marks Ms. Cruz’ sixth year at Xaverian. She said it is a privilege to work for a school that consistently encourages professional and personal growth. “This is truly a family community,” she said. “We want each other to grow, and that really appeals to others. Our future is looking good. We know who we are and what we are about.”
Xaverian is a Great Place to Learn
Sophia Finiguerra ’25 wasn’t thinking about changing schools in middle school. However, the Bay Ridge resident attended orientation for Genesis in 2018, and, she said, “I immediately decided I wanted to come here.”
Now a seventh grader, Finiguerra was instantly drawn to The Whitcome Genesis Center, the dedicated middle school wing designed for studentcentered learning. She also felt an immediate affinity for the faculty members, whom she described as “smart and fun.”
Finiguerra loved her first year in Xaverian’s program for academically talented middle school students. Her favorite subjects are literature and science. “I like learning about how the world works,” she explained.
She also enjoys working on her spoken Spanish, and has begun to learn the flute, playing in the Genesis Band. “It’s my first experience in an ensemble. We’ve really learned to work together and to listen to each other,” she said. Finiguerra is excited about the year ahead at Genesis. “I hope to make even more friends this year,” she said. “Seventh grade is definitely more challenging than sixth, but I’m looking forward to meeting new teachers and gaining new experiences. Xaverian is a great place to learn.”
Paul Whittaker ’88 expected to play football when he arrived at Xaverian in 1984, only the school didn’t have a team. The ninth grader went out for cross country instead and blazed a new path, setting Track & Field records at Xaverian, and later, Georgetown University. Though running was an enormous part of his life, Whittaker credits his entire Xaverian experience for the person he is today. “You don’t appreciate it as much when you’re in it,” he said. “Looking back, Xaverian made me a stronger person. The lessons in resilience and adversity, and whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability, are something I’ve instilled in my own kids.”
Now a physical therapist specializing in orthopedics and sports medicine, Whittaker clearly values the character that Xaverian education instills. His sons, Nicholas and Alex, both graduated from Mount Saint Joseph High School, a Xaverian Brothers sponsored school in Baltimore. During the spring, he coaches outdoor Track & Field at Mount Saint Joseph. His daughters attend the all-girls Mount De Sales Academy, where Whittaker also volunteers to coach Track & Field. Most parents would be proud to say their sons attend Ivy League colleges (Nicholas graduated from Harvard last spring and was one of 59 college students in the country selected for the Truman Scholarship in 2018, and Alex is studying at Yale), but Whittaker is even prouder that “My sons have turned into men who care and make others be their best.”
The Clipper, who currently resides in Laurel, Md., has kept abreast of all the progress at his alma mater and hopes to visit 7100 Shore Road soon. “Other Catholic schools have shrunk,” he said. “I’m impressed that Xaverian has grown as much as it has.”
For Matt Bartholomeo ’21, coming to Xaverian as a member of the Genesis middle school program was an easy decision. The Bay Ridge native followed in the footsteps of his elder sister. But his choice resulted in a shift from just going to school to really loving it. “Before, I went to school and got the day over with. When I started at Genesis, I began to really love coming to school. It’s an entirely different approach to learning — more hands-on, more access to technology — and a different relationship with the faculty. They are so open to helping us.” Bartholomeo has developed his talents and interests at Xaverian, including engineering. Through the Architecture, Construction & Engineering (ACE) mentoring program, he is learning what being an engineer entails and exploring the different engineering tracks. Bartholomeo has also found an interest in broadcasting. He serves as a producer and founder for WXBN, the student-run broadcast network. A lacrosse player, he said he and his teammates have become close friends. “We all love coming here,” he said. “It’s not difficult to make yourself wake up and come to school each day when you attend Xaverian. I really have fallen in love with this place.”
