As the Hume Library sparkles with Christmas spirit, alumni, parents of alumni, and faculty and staff mingle, catch up, and wish each other well for the holidays and new year ahead.
The evening is also a special one because we announce the recipient of the Alumnus of the Year Award.
This year's award recipient was Marc Robert '74, who epitomizes the mission of this school...Ut Viri Boni Sint.
Mr. Robert has worn several Saint David's hats--student, alumnus, father of alumni Oscar '08 and Nicholas '09, Alumni Council Chair and, for the last six years, first alumnus to be President of the Board of Trustees.
Following in the footsteps of his father, who served as trustee for many years in the 70s, Marc shepherded Saint David's through the public phase of the Continuing Our Best Traditions Campaign. He has been instrumental in our ongoing consolidation and expansion project. Marc has been visionary and dedicated, and his inter-generational relationship with Saint David's has provided an incredibly valuable and insightful perspective.
Before he presented the award to Marc, Alumni Council Chair Sam Samuels '84 read a quote from an article that Marc penned for our Magazine a few years back, in which he summarized his many roles at Saint David's:
“The lenses through which I experience the school aren’t discrete; they blend together. As an alum, I look at the past and want to ensure a certain continuity with it. As a parent, I look at the qualities the school is bringing out in my sons. Serving as a trustee is like having a rare or old car; you don’t really own it, you are taking care of it for the next generation – for the future.”
In accepting his award, Marc spoke about the "intangible quality" at Saint David's which bonds us, and commented on how unique it was that his sons had some of the same teachers that he had had as a Saint David's boy.
I also have been impressed by how many times people approach me at gatherings such as this to make note of the same thing: that our little school is so much more; there is a deep sense of connection to and love for the school; it embodies the warmth and care of home. You could feel it in the Hume Library Monday night.
In accepting his award, Marc spoke about the "intangible quality" at Saint David's which bonds us, and commented on how unique it was that his sons had some of the same teachers that he had had as a Saint David's boy.
I also have been impressed by how many times people approach me at gatherings such as this to make note of the same thing: that our little school is so much more; there is a deep sense of connection to and love for the school; it embodies the warmth and care of home. You could feel it in the Hume Library Monday night.
What better way to celebrate the Christmastide?
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