LYNN — Academic excellence, leadership qualities and getting involved in the community were all on the menu Tuesday when Mayor Thomas M. McGee Jr. had lunch at St. Mary’s with the school’s newest scholarship recipients.
McGee dined and shared his philosophy on public service with the inaugural recipients of the Msgr. Paul V. Garrity Scholarship, a four-year full tuition award that was presented to 12 incoming freshmen this year. St. Mary’s administration and trustee Paul Price were also at the luncheon, which was held as part of the Garrity Scholars Leadership Development program.
The mayor spoke of his path to the corner office, which included serving 23 years in the state legislature prior to successfully running for mayor in 2017. He said his role model was his late father, Massachusetts Speaker of the House Thomas W. McGee, whose philosophy was that if he helped one person, he considered the day a success.
During a Q&A, one student asked McGee what is the most difficult part of being mayor, and he responded by mentioning his first week in office when he learned of a $9 million budget deficit, there was flooding in West Lynn that was the worst in almost 40 years, and a Broad Street fire drove 30 people into the freezing cold.
McGee said he thought at the time, “Is this what I signed up for?”
The mayor said the city needs more people who want to get involved when they see something they don’t like, as opposed to simply complaining about it and asking that it be fixed.
“We are extremely grateful to Mayor McGee for taking the time to meet with our students and share with them his passion for public service and what they can do to become leaders in the city,” said Head of School Dr. John F. Dolan. “The mayor and the city are wonderful partners in what we are trying to accomplish in preparing students to be engaged, productive members of the community at large.”
The Garrity Scholars program is a $1 million initiative named for the former St. Mary’s pastor, who is credited with leading the school to new levels of academic achievement during his tenure in Lynn (1992-2010). The recipients were selected from more than 100 applicants who went through a rigorous evaluation process that included an essay, interview and placement exam. They are off to a great start, as 10 of the 12 made Principal’s List for the first marking period (all grades of at least 90).
Nine of the Garrity Scholars are from Lynn, including four who came to St. Mary’s from Lynn public middle schools. They are adjusting well to the Catholic-school experience.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” said Derek Garcia-Rodriguez, a Marshall Middle School product who played varsity soccer this fall. “It’s been challenging, but the teachers are great and we have a lot of hands-on learning with iPads, so we’re not carrying around a lot of heavy books.”
Aniya Wilhelmsen, who came from Breed Middle School, said while the smaller class sizes and emphasis on technology are what drew her to St. Mary’s, the family atmosphere has made her transition easy.
“It’s a very welcoming school,” said Wilhelmsen, a football cheerleader and choir member. “That’s very motivating; it makes you want to succeed and do better. Everything has just fallen together.”
Coming out of Pickering Middle School, Zack Perry considered other private schools, but after taking a look at St. Mary’s, he knew where he wanted to spend his four years of high school.
“It seemed like the perfect school for me,” Perry said. “The people seemed really diverse and inclusive. I’m into drama and tennis, so it seemed like the best option for me.”
So far, so good.
“The teachers are great, the students are fun and the classes are interesting,” Perry said.” There are high expectations here and I like that it is a challenge. It feels like the right place for me.”
Allie Fritz, who played varsity soccer this fall, decided to follow in the footsteps of her mother (Ellen) and brother (Lucas) by attending St. Mary’s. She said the new STEM building that is under construction was also one of the main reasons she chose to come.
Fritz, who also went to Pickering Middle School, said she took the Garrity Scholarship application process very seriously. “The essay was only 500 words but I must have spent two weeks on it. I prepared for the interview and took two practice exams for the placement test. It was definitely worth it,” she said.
Dolan said the school anticipates more than 150 applicants for next year’s Garrity Scholarship.
