It Really Does Take All of Us

It was a tremendous year for St. Benedict’s Prep. We launched our strategic plan, Rooted Forward, marked the 50th anniversary of The Trail, celebrated the accomplishments of 136 Gray Bee graduates and sustained commitments to signature programs like pre-college courses and the Grossman Family Counseling Center. We also raised $12.5 million in our last fiscal year, which made the aforementioned and a whole lot more, possible. Thank you for remembering St. Benedict’s in 2022-2023. Once again, our community has shown that when we come together, we can accomplish great things for the institution and the 950-plus kids we accompany each year. 

Your participation — at whatever level you contribute — is essential to the continued success of St. Benedict’s. That’s why we dedicate the 2022-2023 Annual Report to the core sources of support — the Annual Fund, Endowed Gifts and Planned Gifts — as well as the reasons these categories are a priority for the donors who support them. As the “My Why” stories of Mike Raysor Jr. ’06, Pete ’64 and Laura Connell and Bob Bercik, M.D. ’71 demonstrate, everyone can have a positive impact on the School’s mission and vision. 

It really does take all of us to keep The Hive open 24/7. It takes all of us to fund an 11-month academic year, meet the growing need for financial assistance awarded to 85% of Middle and Prep Division students, and to fund the experiences — arts, sports and extracurriculars — that shape a young person’s life. And it takes all of us to provide the resources and opportunities that place young men and women on a path to becoming their best selves. 

While we celebrate the 3,369 donors listed in this Annual Report and a record 38% alumni participation, I know for certain it’s going to take more of us to sustain the incredible work that happens in Central Newark every day. Building upon our hard-earned achievements, keeping The Hive affordable and making necessary improvements to the Property, require the involvement of more people. 

To that end, the Board of Trustees is actively recruiting new teammates and developing partnerships that support and improve all we do. Gray Bee to Gray Bee, I ask our alumni who missed last year’s Annual Fund or have yet to make a gift to The Hive, to please do so for 2023-2024. It’s on us to ensure the good things we received from St. Benedict’s Prep, get passed on to present and future generations. 

 

With gratitude, 

Robert J. DiQuollo ’65
Chairman, Board of Trustees