From Boys to Men for Others
One of my favorite memories about Strake Jesuit happened during my freshman year, the first week of classes, in World History with Fr. Frank Vanderwall, S.J. In those days, we still wore blazers every day, and the school had around 500 total students. In that class, Fr. Vanderwall asked us to stand and introduce ourselves. Immediately upon introducing myself, Fr. Vanderwall shouted “George” with no further explanation. After class, I went up to find out about the “George” reference, and he said, “George Gordon, Lord Byron, perhaps the greatest British poet of the late 1700s.” This was day one, and I had information about a namesake I had never heard of. The learning was immediate, and that learning continued over the four years at SJ.
To describe the learning, I would use three words for myself, and also for the Class of 1976: we were rambunctious, we were competitive, and we were reverent. Perhaps in the years of high school, we thought of ourselves as renegades, flying kites in the parking lot and taking turns not to let them get away, even if that meant flying them from the open window in the classroom. Lots of pranks and “boys being boys.” We got into plenty of trouble, as evidenced by the frequent Saturday Penance Hall for some of us. However, those boys grew into men and went on to become physicians, lawyers, accountants, financiers, businessmen, and entrepreneurs. Driven in part by the educational rigors of the Jesuit curriculum and, for me, also by the holistic focus on growing men to be contributors not only to their work and their families but also to the faith into which we were raised.
As we have matured, the teachings from SJ are evident in how we have lived our lives. One great example from my family is that I have two sons who I thought should have the Jesuit education I had, and they are now both graduates of Rockhurst High School in Kansas City. Another example of the impact of the Men for Others initiatives is for me set by the examples of the 20+ years of international mission work in 16 countries around the globe. In my daily life, there always seems to be time to give an ear to a friend, a co worker, or even a stranger because that’s what we are called to do. To God be the Glory.
To describe the learning, I would use three words for myself, and also for the Class of 1976: we were rambunctious, we were competitive, and we were reverent. Perhaps in the years of high school, we thought of ourselves as renegades, flying kites in the parking lot and taking turns not to let them get away, even if that meant flying them from the open window in the classroom. Lots of pranks and “boys being boys.” We got into plenty of trouble, as evidenced by the frequent Saturday Penance Hall for some of us. However, those boys grew into men and went on to become physicians, lawyers, accountants, financiers, businessmen, and entrepreneurs. Driven in part by the educational rigors of the Jesuit curriculum and, for me, also by the holistic focus on growing men to be contributors not only to their work and their families but also to the faith into which we were raised.
During our high school years, we probably didn’t recognize our reverence at the time. It wasn’t until later that I fully realized how formative those four years of teaching in theology, the sacraments, and world religions really were. I can say now that most of the classmates of 1976 are married with children and grandchildren, and as they were taught, have made their respect for the Church a centerpiece of their families. Most notably, these men of 1976 have been benevolent to mission organizations and churches around the world.
As we have matured, the teachings from SJ are evident in how we have lived our lives. One great example from my family is that I have two sons who I thought should have the Jesuit education I had, and they are now both graduates of Rockhurst High School in Kansas City. Another example of the impact of the Men for Others initiatives is for me set by the examples of the 20+ years of international mission work in 16 countries around the globe. In my daily life, there always seems to be time to give an ear to a friend, a co worker, or even a stranger because that’s what we are called to do. To God be the Glory.
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