CELEBRATE XAVIER SCHOLARSHIP GALA

March 31, 2023 • Gotham Hall

and Thelonious Bennett ’26. 7. Myriam and Pierre Nicolas P’22 ’25. 8. Andrew Gheraldi and Ema Gaubaite. 9. Myrita Pindar and A. Ross Wollen ’61. 10. Sean Hagerty, S.J. ’02, Kim Smith, and Dennis Baker, S.J.

1995

Matt Meehan Scalzo was recently appointed the director of mission at Christian Brothers Academy, a Catholic, all-boys preparatory school in Lincroft, New Jersey.

Lieutenant Colonel Geoff Cole, USA and his wife left Korea in June 2019. They now reside in Arlington, Virginia, while he works in the Pentagon with other Sons of Xavier.

1996

In 2021, Jason Almonte was promoted to director for large bank licensing of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) with the U.S. Treasury Department. Almonte has worked for the OCC since 2007, except for his time with the Financial Risk Advisory Practice of KPMG, LLP from 2014 to 2016. He works out of the OCC’s New York office in Midtown and resides in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn.

Captain Tim Sommella, USCG, is the prospective commanding officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Calhoun—the 10th ship in the National Security Cutter class. The 418-foot ship is currently under construction in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and scheduled to be commissioned in Baltimore, Maryland, at the end of August. The ship and crew will return to the homeport of Charleston, South Carolina, later this fall.

Dr. Kwame Ohemeng and his family were featured in the July/ August 2022 issue of Better Homes and Gardens. The centerpiece of their living room is an original artwork by Jamel Robinson ’97 titled “Just Before Dawn.”

1997

In May 2023, Rev. Jared Brogan earned his licentiate in sacred theology degree in sacramental and liturgical theology at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois.

After a decade at TT Club Mutual Insurance, John Murillo began a new role at Tokio Marine in Newport, New Jersey, as an ocean marine cargo underwriter. He recently donated six 14-inchlong ponytails to Wigs for Kids after more than two years of growing his hair out. This is his second hair donation since 2015.

1998

Dr. Charles Larkin lives in Sligo, Ireland. He serves as director of research at the Institute for Policy Research, University of Bath, with affiliations at Trinity College Dublin and Johns Hopkins University. He was appointed chair of the Governing Body/ Board of Trustees of Technological University Dublin, the first and largest technological university in Ireland, as of January 1. He also serves as secretary and a member of the Board of Trustees of Accounting Technicians Ireland, advising on postsecondary education strategy resulting in the recent joint government approval of an all-island, UK-Ireland degree-level apprenticeship in accountancy. Last September, he presented to the 77th United Nations General Assembly Science Summit in New York on Ireland’s digital health strategy and innovations.

2000

Mike Benigno and his wife, Ellen, are enjoying life in Rockaway, Queens with their 3-year-old daughter, Leah Angeline.

2002

Marcin Kurzatkowski was elevated to partner at Russo & Gould in January.

San Iswara was recently named the head of acquisition and product strategy at Rockefeller Capital Management. He lives in Midtown East with his wife, Rebecca, and their two sons, Winston and Wyatt.

Michael O’Brien earned a master’s degree in journalism and works for a digital marketing start-up in New York City. His fiancée, Megan, also works in marketing.

Timothy Turbiak lives in Ballston Spa, New York, with his wife and two kids. He was elected to the Ballston Spa CSD Board of Education, where he is serving a three-year term.

2003

Chris Silvestri recently took his daughter, Mia Joelle, to her first hockey game at Madison Square Garden, where they watched the New York Rangers beat the Los Angeles Kings. After the game, they met Sam Rosen—the announcer for the Rangers—and Dancing Larry, a staple of the Garden who dances during the last timeout in the third period.

Major David del CuadroZimmerman, USA writes that he recently completed an assignment as a brigade operations officer and was selected for an Army fellowship, working at the Office of Management and Budget as a defense legislative analyst.

2004

Dr. Jonathan DePierro was recently promoted to associate professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York. His first book, which focuses on factors that support resilience in difficult times, will be published in September by Cambridge University Press.

John Romeo Gomes is living in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he and his husband, Dr. James McGinn, founded the Lighthouse Foundation ACNJ, a nonprofit organization that focuses on local humanist causes. They and their three St. Bernards would like to wish the entire Xavier community all the best.

2005

In January, Eric Saa and his wife, Sarah, set off for a trip around the world. Their first stop was Antarctica. They later had a blast exploring Patagonia. If you wish to follow their travels, follow them on Instagram @thesaabbatical

2006

Mike Patti attended this year’s Beefsteak Dinner with fellow members of the Class of 2006. He runs a real estate sales team that markets properties in New York City, the Hamptons, South Florida, Southern California, and now Europe. He is launching a sustainable real estate investment fund this year, as well as a nonprofit focused on eliminating pollution on a global scale. Patti invites fellow Sons to reach out via email at mdjpatti@gmail.com

2007

Seamus Campbell graduated from The George Washington University with a master’s degree in political management in 2021.

Michael Chiaia now resides in Falls Church, Virginia, where he closed on a house in January.

In August, Dr. Anthony Porcelli began a new role as senior assistant dean at the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Studies at Hofstra University.

2008

Tom Reilly recently joined the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office as an assistant district attorney in the Major Economic Crimes Bureau.

Vincent Lopes earned a spot on the FDNY’s hockey team for the 20222023 season.

2009

Kevin Bridy recently began a new career at Workday, an enterprise management cloud and software company.

Nicholas Pope, USMC, was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in November 2021. He was deployed to Norway for NATO training and then to Lithuania in response to the war in Ukraine in the spring of 2022, when his fluency in Czech and Russian proved useful. He brought back a Lithuanian Jesuit publication for his family.

2010

Patrick Nilsen graduated from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia in May and now works at J.P. Morgan in investment banking.

Chris Corrado is a staff software engineer with Johnson & Johnson MedTech in Providence, Rhode Island. He is in his eighth year with the company.

2011

Christopher Edgell works as the packing manager at Astor Wine & Spirits, which was recently sold to its employees as part of an employee stock ownership program. Edgell was interviewed by FOX 5 New York after the sale. “So yes, technically, I am now a co-owner of the legendary NYC wine store, occasionally visited by faculty and alumni,” he writes.

Sean Lee is teaching middle school social studies at a Catholic school in Seattle, Washington.

Patrick Steffens and his colleague were presented with co-member of the year awards for the United Way of New York City’s Young Leaders Council at the 2022 Moonlight Masquerade. The two set a New York City chapter record in fundraising to help some of the city’s most vulnerable communities on the path to self-sufficiency.

2012

Dr. Nicholas Primiano recently graduated from Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and started his residency as a doctor, specializing in radiology at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. Prior to attending medical school, Primiano graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor’s in biomedical engineering and a master’s in bioethics.

John Cortese recently founded Tripiamo—a newly-formed startup that is the first comprehensive online travel guide that teaches the fundamentals of driving in foreign countries.

Daniel Donahue recently joined his mother, Nadine, and sister, Courtney, in their home health care business, Grace Private Nursing. Grace Private Nursing is a home health care agency dedicated to providing excellent home care options for loved ones. After a thorough assessment of the patient’s needs, a comprehensive plan of care, which will recommend specific steps to be taken to optimize health and wellbeing, is implemented. Donahue invites friends to learn more at GracePrivateNursing.com.

2013

John Chiaia concluded his time at Mount Saint Mary College, where he worked as the assistant director of residence life, last summer. He is now a New York City high school counselor, assisting students with social/ emotional and college/career developments. He graduated from St. Bonaventure University with his master’s in school counseling in December 2022.

2014

Aidan Hughes recently completed his first year as a public diplomacy officer at the Irish Consulate. In September 2022, he had the pleasure of meeting An Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin during his visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week.

Michael Flynn teamed up with classmates Jake Nicholson and James Amodeo to move the Emerging Xavier Leaders (EXL) alumni group forward. EXL seeks to connect young leaders throughout various industries and professions from classes over the last 20 years. Programming is open to all constituent groups within the Xavier community. “We are looking forward to our next program. Through EXL, members will have an opportunity to contribute to Xavier’s mission and gain access to networking and professional development,” Flynn writes. “The 2014 Class would also like to congratulate Jake Nicholson ’14 on his engagement to Jillian Caristo.”

Captain Patrick Walsh, USA, and First Lieutenant Nick Velez, USA are stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia, where they visited with Lieutenant Colonel Roy Campbell, USA (Ret.), Xavier’s former Senior Army Instructor, in February. “They both graduated from West Point as well and lifted weights together both as Raiders at Xavier and at the Military Academy. Now they are still lifting tons of weights together here at Fort Gordon,” Campbell said after his visit. “Both of them are strong and healthy and faithful Army Officers, and it was a great joy to buy them breakfast.”

2015

Anthony Chillo recently started medical school at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.

Matthew Rienzi moved to Rhode Island with his fiancée, Caitlyn. He recently joined the baseball coaching staff at nationally-ranked Roger Williams University. He was also promoted to director of baseball operations and retains his coaching position with the Ocean State Waves of the New England Collegiate Baseball League.

Brandon Efap runs the commercial real estate division at Investment Property Realty Group (IPRG). The company is optimized for broker and firm efficiency.

2016

At the TCS New York City Marathon in November 2022, Alberto Mena earned 18th place overall and first place among New York City runners after running a 2:23:10 full marathon.

After five years of service as a Coast Guard Reserve enlisted man, Ensign Paul Gargiulo, USCGR graduated from the Coast Guard Reserve Officer Candidate Indoctrination Program in New London, Connecticut. He returned to New York Law School in fall 2022 to finish his final year of legal studies.

2017

In February, Isaiah Blake moderated “Brother to Brother: A Forum on the Black Masculine Body,” a panel discussion at Lincoln Center.

Sader Matar graduated from UCLA in 2022. He is a delegate intern at the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations in New York.

Kraig Puccia graduated from Fordham University with bachelor’s degrees in history and Italian studies in 2021. The following year, he earned his master’s degree in modern world history, focusing on economic developments around the world during the time of the New Deal. He just finished his first year at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. This summer, he will attend a study abroad seminar at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa to learn about international law and economics. Upon returning home to New York City, he will work with the Veterans Advocacy Project— serving veterans in civil, VA, and Department of Defense suits.

Joshua Vazquez is a middle school teacher pursuing a graduate degree in ESL Education. “I hope to have the same impact on my students that my teachers had on me during my four years at Xavier,” he writes.

2018

In 2022, Tom Knight graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.

Andrew Salmieri writes that he recently accepted an offer to work as an analyst for the New York City Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget.

Clark Sevcik graduated from the City College of New York in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a psychology minor. He currently works as a medical technologist in New York City. “I’d like to thank Xavier for molding me into the man I am today,” he writes.

After graduating from Fairfield University, Timothy CusackMcPartlin was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps at the 9/11 Memorial in August 2022. He currently attends The Basic School and will start his flight training in Pensacola in July.

Thomas Treussard was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserves, where he serves as an officer in the Ordnance Corps, in September 2022. He is an associate partner at Callahan & Westmoreland, a retained search and talent advisory firm.

2019

Joe Schlafer’s band, Hero, just released its first song, “Sidekick.” The song is available on all streaming platforms.

Senior Airman Michael O’Hagan, USAF Security Forces, is stationed in Spangdahlem, Germany, after a year’s tour in the Republic of Korea. “Xavier JROTC led me to enlist in the USAF,” he writes. “The USAF is a true brotherhood. Thanks to Colonel Campbell, Sergeant Adams, and Sergeant Atherton for their leadership at Xavier.”

2020

In June 2022, Omar Richardson began a new position as congressional intern to Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (now the Democratic Leader).

Anthony Bruno just completed his junior year at Penn State, where he serves as president of the Asset