Skip To Main Content

Browse Issues

Issue 1

Browse Categories

  • Advancement

2025 Annual Scholarship Gala

Six alumni and teammates honored

1. Val Phillipe ’02 2. Ayesha Blackwell-Hawkins, Esq. and J.B. Hawkins, Esq. ’87. 3. Marco Oliveira ’94 4. Fr. Edwin Leahy, O.S.B. ’63 and William V. Engel, Esq. H’87. 5. Fr. Edwin Leahy, O.S.B. ’63 and Joseph A. Hayden, Jr. Esq. ’62 

St. Benedict’s Prep honored six alumni and teammates at the 2025 Annual Scholarship Gala, held on May 14 at Nanina’s in the Park. The honorees shared powerful statements about how The Hive shaped their lives and why they give back to support the students and School. 

Val Phillipe ’02, recipient of the first Senpectae Award recognizing alumni from the past 25 years, said he began giving back to Benedict’s the moment he could because, “The only reason I was able to attend St. Benedict’s was because there were people before me who were still giving back to the School.” 

Marco Oliveira ’94, recipient of the newly created 1868 Loyalty Award, recounted that his family could only pay a fraction of the tuition in 1990, but he still got to attend St. Benedict’s. J.B. Hawkins, Esq. ’87, also a recipient of the Loyalty Award along with his wife, Ayesha Blackwell-Hawkins, Esq., spoke about how the community “remained loyal to me,” when he failed every freshman class on purpose in a self-initiated campaign to get kicked out of St. Benedict’s. 

The School’s highest honor, the Medal of St. Benedict’s, was awarded to William V. Engel, Esq. H’87 and Joseph A. Hayden, Jr. Esq. ’62. A partner at Engel Devlin Sgambati, LLC, and loyal donor for 40 years, Mr. Engel said he found immense satisfaction in seeing “the success stories of people who went here and have had wonderful lives and achievements. There’s nothing more gratifying than that if you can feel you had a small part in helping.” 

Mr. Hayden, a partner at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C., spoke about the values of excellence, persistence and helping others that he learned at The Hive. “You don’t get a medal for it,” he said. “You just do the right thing and learn from example.” 

6. Benay Nwajei ’25, Michael Fazio ’26, Walter Lawrence ’26, Guido Torres ’26, Christian Riche ’26 and Liam Vertreese ’25. 7. Walter Lawrence ’26 chatted with midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy. 

8. Abbot Augustine Curley, O.S.B. ’74, gave the Invocation. 9. Members of the Boys Prep Division with midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy. Front row (L to R): Rakshan Raveendran ’25, Guido Torres ’26, Jonathan Martinez ’25, Michael Fazio ’26, Walter Lawrence ’26, and Christian Riche’26 Back row (L to R): Liam Vertreese ’25, Aedan Kerr ’25 and Jaden Robinson ’25. 

10. Ayesha Blackwell-Hawkins, Esq., J.B. Hawkins, Esq. ’87, Fr. Edwin Leahy, O.S.B. ’63 and Will Barnes-Hawkins ’88. Back row: James Hawkins, Jr. and Adrian Blackwell ’88.  11. Gala emcee Liam Vertreese ’25

Proceeds from the Scholarship Gala support a robust financial aid program that assists students in the Middle and Prep Divisions annually. 

  • Advancement
  • Magazine