Revere student among those celebrated as St. John’s Prep holds 113th Commencement Exercises

  St. John’s Preparatory School held its 113th Commencement exercises on Saturday morning: Head of School Edward P. Hardiman, Ph.D. conferred diplomas upon 272 seniors during an outdoor ceremony held on the school’s campus. In all, this year’s seniors represented 50 cities and towns across the Commonwealth, including Revere’s Santiago Quiceno.

  St. John’s graduating class endured a global pandemic that began halfway through their freshman year and had its final months on campus marred by unthinkable personal tragedy for an entire Prep family this past February. Not surprisingly, featured speakers – students and dignitaries alike – quickly put aside pomp and circumstance. Instead, both collectively and distinctively, they emphatically declared that each of us, all of us, must be accountable to one another to ensure that a just and peaceful world is part of our future. In his valedictory address, Jonathan R. Rodriguez of Lawrence, the son of a father who immigrated from Puerto Rico and a mother who immigrated from the Dominican Republic, urged graduates to shape their future in a manner that pays tribute to and creates avenues for both those who got them to this point, and those who will follow. In his remarks, Dr. Hardiman P’19 ’21 ’26 implored them to be forthright and true to their convictions, but to remain vigilant about a universal truth: Words matter, and more often than not, actions speak louder than words. Introduced by Belanger, the 2023 Commencement student-selected keynote speaker was retiring social studies teacher Bill Britton, who served as a Marine Corps tank commander during the Vietnam War followed by a successful career in business before coming to St. John’s 25 years ago. An Atkinson, N.H. resident, he delivered a stirring address framed by the concept of honor and leadership, adapted from his military service.

  Founded on the Xaverian values of compassion, humility, simplicity, trust and zeal, St. John’s educates students from 90 communities to be, do and stand for good in the world. To learn more, visit www.stjohnsprep.org.