Class Notes

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 ’64 
The Class of ’64 presented all the girls from the Class of 2026 with The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall. This is the fourth year the Class of ’64 has made this presentation. The book presentation began as a way for the Class of ’64 to welcome the girls to the alumni community and continued from there. Don Gerberg ’64 came up with the idea with help from Art San Filippo ’64 and Kevin Moore ’64.

 ’71 
Jack Voynick sent this picture of him and a group of Gray Bees at the Upper Montclair Country Club. Left to right: Jack, Peter Elias ’90, Edwin Hartung ’49, Jack McKee ’71 and Thomas Matthews ’68.

 ’78 
Councilman Alfredo “Al” Nadera, who has been residing in Paramus, N.J., for 35 years, was appointed to the Borough Council in 2022 and reelected for a three-year term in 2023. His next goal will be mayorship or New Jersey State Assembly for District 38.

 ’87 
Tim Peter recently spoke with seniors at The Hive about his book, Digital Reset. He wrote, “I’m a lucky, lucky man. One of the most meaningful opportunities that has emerged from writing Digital Reset is speaking with students about the book and the lessons I’ve learned in my career. Probably none of these discussions has been as gratifying as spending time with the amazing students at my alma mater. It was an absolute honor to meet these remarkable young people, hear their stories and share how I went from a kid from Newark to Business Owner and published Author — a journey that started at The Hive.

Tim said St. Benedict’s has been a massive influence on his life from high school to today. He added, “If you want to see why I’m so positive about the future, just spend a few minutes talking with young leaders like these. I gained as much as I shared. And I came away even more inspired for the road ahead. Truly one of the highlights of my year.”

 ’90 
Shorne Lawrence (aka Sabbuur “Saki” Ikhlas), Director and Producer, and Matthew Brewster ’01, Producer and Editor, recently won first prize for their documentary, Untouchables: The Story of Derrick Hoff and St. Benedict’s Fencing, at the Dances with Films festival in New York. The film was also shown at the Pan African Film Festival in February and will be screened at more festivals, including the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival in Dubuque, Iowa, in April and the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival in August.

 

 ’94 
Nasdaq celebrated and honored Edward Montesdeoca for his dedication and commitment to serving communities across America. Ed, a Banking Operations Executive with 25+ years of experience transforming and scaling complex operations for Fortune 100 financial institutions, has been named Senior Vice President for Customer Care & Strategy for Valley Bank. 

 ’98 
Andre Crompton was highlighted in the premier equipment finance publication, Monitor, as one of the most influential people in the industry. Andre is Senior Vice President, Capital Markets, Wintrust Commercial Finance. Monitor noted Andre’s disciplined approach — balancing client flexibility with prudent risk management — ensures Wintrust maintains resilience and ensures sustainable capital flow in the equipment finance industry. “In a volatile rate environment, applying rate discipline isn’t just prudent, it’s the difference between protecting margins and chasing yield into uncertainty,”
Andre said.

 ’02 
Neron Escalera published The Art of the Pivot in July 2025. The book is available for purchase on Amazon.

 ’06 
Br. Thomas Hall, O.S.B. presented at NJIT MiniCon recently, delivering a talk entitled “Anime Lectio: A Response to The Decline of Critical Thinking in Anime Culture.” His presentation proposed the model and method of Lectio Divina as a framework for a meditative and meaningful way of engaging with anime, manga and other forms of narrative art. Attendees were edified and the Q&A rolled well past the scheduled end time!

“Thinking critically about anime is what I like to do,” Br. Thomas said. “I like sharing that with others, especially in a relaxed setting.”

 ’09 
Santiago Naranjo is back in New Jersey. He wrote, “I was able to achieve my long-term goal to return here after landing a job at Merck, whose headquarters are in Rahway. I work in Merck’s business development group helping to evaluate external drug programs for in-licensing or acquisition.” 

 ’13 
Kehinde Togun is Managing Director, Public Engagement and Partnerships for Humanity United, a philanthropic organization focused on advancing the dignity and voices of those most affected by violent conflict, exploitation and injustice. He is currently working in Brussels. Kehinde said, “I lead our work policy advocacy, strategic communications, strategic partnerships and funding for independent journalism. My wife, Zsuzsi Lippai, and I have two kids, Abraham, 8, and Theodore, 4, and a goldendoodle who came with us to Brussels. Left to right: Kehinde, Zsuzsu Lippai, Kehinde’s sister, Doyin Togun, Abraham and Theodore.

 ’15 
Tiwa Eisape completed his Ph.D. in neuroscience at M.I.T. and is now pursuing post-doctoral studies at Princeton. His brothers, Adebayo ’15 and Seun ’20, are also excelling in science and technology fields. Adebayo, who earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, all at Johns Hopkins University, works at the Applied Physics Lab in Baltimore. Seun, a graduate of Haverford, is in his second year at Berkeley pursuing a Ph.D. in computer science.

 ’21 
Sunil Das wrote that he is currently in Bethesda, Md., at the National Institutes of Health as a post-baccalaureate IRTA Fellow researching Pain Perception in Dr. Yarimar Carrasquillo’s lab. And he added, “I have also recently been accepted into medical school.” 

 Marriages and Births 

Larry Geraghty ’05 and his wife, Melinda, welcomed their second child, Genevieve “Gigi,” on November 30, 2025.

Dan Sheehan ’08 and his wife, Maggie Drowica, welcomed a son, John William, on November 3, 2025. John weighed 7 lbs., 13 oz. and is keeping his parents busy.

Santiago Narajo ’09 married his college sweetheart, Brenda Acevedo, in October 2023, and they welcomed their first baby in October 2025. Santiago said, “Our baby’s name is Cecilia Diana Naranjo Acevedo, and we hope she can be a Gray Bee in the future.”

Matt Aaron ’10 and his wife, Christian, welcomed Madison Grace on July 29, 2025. Madison weighed 7 lbs., 1 oz. She and her parents live in Alexandria, Va.