y classmates and I lef school on
March 12 unaware that we would
never step foot in a high school
classroom again. Tat day started
off with a loudspeaker announcement on the
status of the spread of COVID-19, and as the day
went on, the vibe in our classes became more and
more eerie. Tey say that unconventional times
call for unconventional measures, and that’s
exactly what happened. Our final nine weeks of
senior year were nothing if not unconventional.
We rounded out the home stretch of our high
school careers from our bedrooms, dining
tables, and home offices. While we continued
to learn online, our expectations for the prom,
awards night, senior nights on the playing fields,
Christian Senior Service, and so much more
suddenly seemed unrealistic.
COVID had the ability to strip seniors of
nearly everything that is typical at the end of the
year, but Xaverian’s administration remained
determined to have a graduation ceremony that
was as normal and routine as possible. While
other schools were making their plans early
to drop off diplomas at homes or host virtual
commencements, Xaverian surveyed the Class of
2020 families and waited until they could do that
which the majority of families wanted...an in-
person commencement ceremony. It finally came
together on July 25, 2020, and I know that I speak
for all of my classmates when I say how grateful
we were to have the opportunity to gather one last
time and to cross the traditional graduation stage.
Here’s a look at my class, the 212
members of the Class of 2020:
Te Class of 2020 marked a major milestone
in Xaverian history, as they completed the
inaugural journey of the new Francis Xavier
Division (FXD), and were the first class to
graduate afer taking part in that program (see
more on page 4).
Te valedictorian of the Class of 2020
was Benjamin Karasko. Ben is a person of
incredible character and is always willing to
assist others in his classes with confusion about
difficult topics. He was a four-year member of
both the indoor and outdoor track and field
teams, a founding contributor of the Aerospace
Club, and a National Honor Society member. Ben
is attending Dartmouth College.
Te salutatorian of the Class of 2020 was
Kevin O’Brien. Kevin was known to put
his best effort in everything that he did over
his six years at Xaverian. He was a four-year
varsity tennis player, three-year cross country
participant, and a member of both the Spanish
Honor Society and the National Honor Society.
He was also an active participant in SADD and
the campus ministry program. Kevin is attending
Georgetown University.
Te winner of the Xaverian Award, the
highest award that can be given to a student, was
Samuel Stearns. Dr. Conca aptly described
Sam at graduation when he said, “In the
classroom, this graduate performs exceptionally
well, ofen producing work of the highest caliber
while offering commentary that further enhances
classroom discussion and student understanding.
He actively shares his gifs with our community
through campus ministry, his athletic prowess,
and through our fine arts programs.” Sam is
attending Tufs University.
I wish we could say that graduation happened
and we all went off to start college like normal,
but we know that’s not the case. Some of us are
in dorms as we planned, while some of us are
learning from home. A handful of us are taking
a gap year or a PG year, pursuing sports, or are
involved in other endeavors. Ninety-six percent
of us headed straight to college, and you can see
that list here. As for me, I enrolled at Boston
College and I’m loving life on campus. Wherever
my classmates landed afer graduation, we all
remain #BrothersForLife.
CELEBRATING THE
CLASS OF 2020
By Matthew Malley ’20, Communications Corps
Samuel Stearns ’20,
Xaverian Award Winner
2 www.xbhs.com