The Alternative Press

SUMMIT, NJ - Despite tornado warnings issued the night before and thunderstorms early on graduation day, the sun came out to shine on Oratory Prep’s Class of 2012 at their June 2 graduation.

Fifty-five diplomas, conferred by Associate Head of School Owen McGowan, awaited the young men on the Cavalero Memorial Field.

The Rev. Salvatore DiStefano, chaplain of the Roman Catholic all-boys school in Summit, delivered the invocation followed by greetings by Head of School Bob Costello. Salutatorian Ryan Montalvo of Morris Plains and valedictorian Fernando Garcia of Basking Ridge addressed their classmates as well as Alex Quow of Springfield, the Head of School Award recipient.

After the presentation of graduates and conferring of the diplomas, Board of Trustees Chairman Joseph Weinhoffer spoke to the graduates. He offered advice to them to “find a career that you are passionate about” and to “think globally” since the world is seemingly getting smaller.

The asterisks following a graduate’s name designates his being a member of the Newman Chapter of the National Honor Society. Their college choice is listed along with their home town.

Nicholas Benelli* of Madison, Pennsylvania State University; Solomon Bennett of South Orange, New York University; Matthew Billups* of Watchung, Johns Hopkins university; Robert Bohrer of Basking Ridge, Rhodes College; Michael Brennan*of Randolph, Lehigh University; Gerard DeFilippo* of East Hanover, Babson College; Christopher Ditta* of Florham Park, Wake Forest University; Drue Doman*of Plainfield, Brown University; Darin Earl of Union, Rider University; John Fitzpatrick of Mendham, Hobart & William Smith Colleges; Fernando Garcia*of Basking Ridge, Class Valedictorian, University of Notre Dame; Erik Garnes of Cliffwood Beach, Rider University.  

Matthew Gerecht of Millington, Fairleigh Dickinson University; Thomas Giaquinto of Little Falls, Montclair State University; Marko Grimm*of Summit, Villanova University; Alfonso Guerriero III of Madison, Seton Hall University; Joseph Iacoviello of Madison, NJIT; Jobin Kalappura  of Millington, Stevens Institute of Technology; Matthew Kelly*of Green Brook, The Catholic University of America; Timothy Kelly*of Caldwell, Loyola University of Maryland; Matthew Lynch of Bernardsville, Villanova University; Timothy Lynch* of Mendham, U.S. Military Academy at West Point; Christopher MacTaggart* of East Hanover, The College of New Jersey; Ryan Mantone of Madison, Saint Joseph’s University; Andrew Marshall of South Orange, Rutgers University; Joseph Mascolo* of Convent Station, The Catholic University of America.

Kenneth Mika of Cranford, George Mason University; Peter Mondiello of Mendham, Seton Hall University; Richard Montalvo of Morris Plains, University of Richmond; Ryan Montalvo* of Morris Plains, Class Salutatorian, Colgate University; Mario Nasta* of Green Brook, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Joseph Nunn of Chatham, Auburn University; James O’Hara of Florham Park, Loyola of Maryland University; Abdul-Razak Ologunebi of Bloomfield, Pennsylvania State University;
 

Christian Otterman of Morristown, Quinnipiac University; Michael Pacelli* of West Caldwell, Stevens Institute of Technology; Emanueli Pagan of Union, Undecided; Andrew Palmer of Summit, St. Leo University; Christopher Pederson of Madison, Ramapo College of New Jersey; Anthony Perrella* of Millville, Villanova University; Alexander Quow of Springfield, Lehigh University; Loren Reinoso*of Roselle Park, Princeton University; Connor Riley of Montville, Michigan State University; Daniel Santos* of Union, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Michael Sbarra* of Totowa, Belmont University; Jordan Spritzer of Bridgewater, Elon University; Andrew Stigliano of Clark,  Seton Hall University; Ian Strozniak of Elizabeth, Arizona State University; Matthew Toscano of Fairfield, Seton Hall University; William Vander Meulen of Madison, Michigan State University; Raoul Velazquez of Belle Mead, University of Richmond; Liam Thomas Ward, Jr.* of Chester, University of Chicago; John Wassman of Mendham, Seton Hall University; Kieran Windorf of Westfield, Champlain College; Kevin Zychowski of Mendham, Stevens Institute of Technology.

*NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY