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Alumni Blog June 2022

Having grown up in a Calvert Hall family, I always envisioned myself as a Cardinal. My mom worked at The Hall for over 15 years, and my uncle, Bill Wellein ’76, shared countless stories with me about his experiences and the friendships he built that have lasted a lifetime.
I was fortunate to be able to gain firsthand perspective on the impact of the CHC experience as a student in the early 2000s. My friends would always joke with me in the Dining Hall – we called it the Caf back then – that I was destined to return to The Hall one day. That dream became a reality for me in 2019… but my path to achieving that goal was not straightforward. At every step along the way, however, I always leaned on the relationships I built as a Cardinal for guidance, love, and support. I even married into another Calvert Hall family as my wife’s grandfather (CHC Hall of Fame member), dad, brother, cousins, and uncles are all Hallmen as well!
 
As a freshman in the fall of 2001, Mr. John Thaler instilled in me not only self-confidence and passion for learning but also a love for Math. I decided to major in Finance at the University of Maryland after graduating from CHC in 2005 because of my interest in numbers (I am a data nerd at heart!) and because Mr. Thaler taught me that I could be successful at anything in life that I put my mind towards achieving. I owe him a debt of gratitude for those critical life lessons.
 
After working in corporate Finance and Consulting roles for the first 5 years of my professional career, I was at a crossroads. I knew that I was on a path to monetary success, but something was missing inside me as I remained personally unfulfilled with my work. I decided to take a leap of faith and reach out to my Calvert Hall School Counselor, Mrs. Anne Hilgartner, for her advice. She was someone who I trusted during my years at The Hall and whose input I valued greatly. That conversation in 2014 changed my life. Mrs. Hilgartner told me that in order to be truly happy in life, I first had to be true to myself and take charge of the path I wanted… not what other people would want for me. Within a few hours of that conversation, I knew it was time to pursue my true passion of education. I enrolled in a M.Ed. program at Penn State University so that I could make an impact on others’ lives in a similar way that Mr. Thaler, Mrs. Hilgartner, and countless other CHC teachers affected mine.
 
I was fortunate to land a role in the Admissions Office of the Graduate School at Stevenson University while simultaneously pursuing my Master’s degree. From 2014 – 2019, I gained invaluable experience and unlocked a love for working with prospective students to help guide their journeys through education and through life. Deep down, however, I knew that I eventually wanted to return “home” to Calvert Hall. On a hot summer day in 2019, it was an interaction with another CHC connection that finally allowed me to live out my dream. I saw Mr. Jeff Blake at a local gym, and he told me there was an opening in the Admissions Office at Calvert Hall and that he thought I should submit an application.
 
For the past three school years, I have served as the Assistant Director of Admissions for my beloved alma mater alongside my classmate, friend, and colleague, Dan Mulford ’05. As Dan will be transitioning to the role of Athletic Director to lead the Cardinals athletics programs, I have now been charged with leading Calvert Hall’s admissions efforts starting July 1 as Director of Admissions. I could not be more excited for, humbled by, and ready to tackle this new opportunity. I firmly believe that I am where I am today because of the impact of the people that make Calvert Hall the incredibly special place that it is. I am blessed to be playing a role in recruiting the next generation of Cardinals and confident that those young men will experience the same opportunities and relationships that Calvert Hall has afforded me.
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