Bright Future Ahead

The life changing impact of the John C. Lobo ’52 Memorial Scholarship

Kelvin Cooley ’23 has an amazing future ahead of him. The Gray Bee who entered St. Benedict’s Prep as a Middle Division student, graduated with high academic honors, served as Group Leader of Fr. William Koelhoffer, O.S.B., was president of both the National Honor Society and the National Math Honor Society, and ran track and field. “I’ve really grown up here,”said Mr. Cooley, who was admitted Early Decision to Boston College and plans to study engineering. “Coming to St. Benedict’s turned a lot around for me. It represented a real change in life.”  

Honoring One Life by Improving Others

Mr. Cooley was supported by the John C. Lobo ’52 Memorial Scholarship for his four years in the Boys Prep Division. The endowed scholarship, one of the largest at St. Benedict’s, was established in 2006 by members of the Lobo family to honor the memory of John C. Lobo ’52 and to provide financial support to students in good standing from families demonstrating financial need. To date, more than 20 Gray Bees have received significant support from the endowed fund.  

“St. Benedict’s students are serious and looking to better their lives,” said Paul A. Lobo, Ph.D. ’46, a retired chemical engineer who, with his brother, Walter ’47, played an instrumental role in establishing the scholarship. Paul was the first of three Lobo boys to graduate from The Hive. Benedict’s continued to occupy a significant place in his heart long after graduation. “I have fond memories of St. Benedict’s and have always been impressed that the School stayed together as long as it has,” Dr. Lobo noted. “Graduates keep going on to a better education and a better life.”  

In 1984, Dr. Lobo’s younger brother, John ’52, passed away suddenly at the age of 50. John attended Cornell University under the ROTC program, became a U.S. Navy officer and with his wife, Esther, raised seven children before his untimely death. The idea of a scholarship originated with Paul and Walter, who regularly attended St. Benedict’s reunions and events. Initially, the scholarship was supported by the Lobo siblings, and soon after, extended family members began contributing. Now, between 15 and 20 family members invest in the scholarship every year, and they closely follow the progress of the scholarship recipients. 

Setting the Bar High for Future Lobo Scholars

“The Lobo Scholarship meant a lot to me personally,” said Mr. Cooley. “I never thought I’d get the opportunity to go to a school that ingrains real life lessons inside of you.” One of those lessons came early, freshman year in fact, when Mr. Cooley was on The Trail, the 55-mile trek required of every first-year student. “I’d had fears about what was out there in the woods — deer, ticks, bears. Stuff that can harm you,” he recalled. “Hiking up the mountain, I realized what I truly feared were the things I didn’t know.” Confronting the unknown during the five-day journey on the Appalachian Trail was an epiphany of sorts. “The Trail taught me that I could overcome the unknown, and I started applying it to other parts of my life.”  

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“The Lobo Scholarship meant a lot to me personally. I never thought I’d get the opportunity to go to a school that ingrains real life lessons inside of you.”

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Determined to find the man he wants to be, Mr. Cooley also drew inspiration from his older Benedict’s brothers and alumni. “I saw kids who came through here and excelled and the way teachers talked about them,” he shared in an address to the Board of Trustees about what it meant to be a Lobo scholarship recipient. “I realized that I wanted to be talked about the same way. I want to achieve what they achieved.”  

There’s no doubt that Mr. Cooley left his mark on The Hive. Younger Gray Bees will look at his academic record and contributions to community, his acceptance to Boston College, and being named one of 13 Horatio Alger Association Scholars in New Jersey and think, “Maybe I can do that, too.”