n Saturday, May 14, Xaverian
Brothers High School celebrated
the Commencement of the Class
of 2022. Diplomas were conferred
to the 187 graduates by Head of School
Jacob Conca ’94, Ph.D. and Principal
Michael Nicholson, Ed.D. The Class of 2022
hails from 55 cities and towns and comprises
the 56th graduating class since Xaverian
opened its doors in Westwood in 1963.
Collectively, these young men have enrolled
at 94 different colleges and universities. They
have committed to continue their academic
careers at top institutions such as Harvard,
New York University, Notre Dame, Brown,
Boston College, Cornell, West Point, Syracuse,
Holy Cross, Providence College, Northeastern,
Tulane, Baylor, and many more.
Krish Shah is the Class of 2022
Valedictorian. Krish will attend Brown
University in the fall. He was an important
member on Xaverian’s Speech and Debate
Team, earning a State Champion title in Group
Discussion this year. He is an AP Scholar
with Distinction and was the recipient of
the Harvard Book Award. He is a member
of the National Honor Society and was a
NHS Scholarship Semifinalist. He served as a
Hawk-to-Hawk mentor to younger students
at Xaverian, and worked as a math tutor at
Mathnasium in Walpole. He also contributed
to Xaverian’s literary magazine, Te
Concordian, co-founded a new student club
called X-Ploring the World of Modern Science,
and worked on the daily student bulletin.
Zachary Usher is the Class of 2022
Salutatorian. Zach took 11 AP classes
during his time at Xaverian and is an AP
Scholar with Distinction. He held multiple
leadership positions within Xaverian’s Model
UN, including Head of Underclassmen
Recruitment, Junior Chair, and Senior Chair,
and also served as Co-President of the PolitiX
Club. Zach led the student bulletin news team
as Editor-in-Chief, helping to compile daily
news to share with the Xaverian community. In
addition, he was an active member of Speech
and Debate and the Student Council, serving as
Student Council Secretary his senior year. Zach
is a member of the National Honor Society and
was the recipient of the Rensselaer Medal. He
will attend Northeastern University.
Every year at commencement, one senior
is selected for the highest honor bestowed to a
graduate – the Xaverian Award. The members
of the graduating class, in concert with the
faculty and staff, nominate a senior for this
special honor and the recipient isn’t revealed
until the graduation ceremony. The Xaverian
Award recipient must have distinguished
himself by living the mission and core values
associated with Xaverian. This year’s recipient
is described by Dr. Conca as someone who is
“seen by many as a true giver, who believes
deeply in service to others. It is not uncommon
to find this young man volunteering his time
in support of worthy causes and charities,
leading a campus ministry retreat, or assisting
our youngest students as they begin their
Xaverian experience.”
The winner of the 2022 Xaverian
Award is Tyler Stearns. Among many
extracurricular activities, Tyler is a four-year
track athlete, a member of the Business Club,
the Entrepreneurship Club, a singer with the
chorus and a capella group, a performer in
Xaverian’s theater program, a member of the
Mock Trial team, and lastly, a member of both
the National Honor Society and the Tri-M
Music National Honor Society. He will be
attending Bates College in the fall.
This year’s “Loyalty and Service Awards,”
another high honor, were bestowed to the
following graduates:
• Christian Bonadio, who will attend
McGill University
• Brendan Colin, who will attend Loyola
University Maryland
• Christopher “CJ” Curtin, who will
attend Virginia Polytechnic Institute
• Joseph Cucinotta, who will attend The
College of the Holy Cross
• Owen Kidd, who will attend Tulane
University
• Michael Parent, who will attend The
University of Notre Dame
Outside of the academic and character
awards, members of the Class of 2022 have
made their mark at Xaverian in many ways.
Nicolas Gill, for example, is a National
Merit Finalist. Nick will attend Worcester
Dr. Nicholson, Zachary Usher (Salutatorian), Krish Shah (Valedictorian), and Dr. Conca
elebrating
THE CLASS OF 2022
2 www.xbhs.com