Antonio Cavalcanti '24 considers himself a representative case study of the St. John Prep experience. Now at Boston College, he says his high school inspired him to aspire to something greater. Even before he matriculated there. "It started during my tour [as a prospective student]," he says. "I saw all these very presentable young men. The students looked so developed as if they knew where they were heading. I thought, 'I want to be that.'"

For Cavalcanti, that feeling only grew. Finding a friend group was followed by real familiarity with everyone in his class. He built relationships with faculty and gradually drew upon their passion for and mastery of their subject matter.

The programmatic supports backing Cavalcanti's trajectory are as abundant at the Prep as they are pivotal.

"I think there are so many opportunities here for students from grades six to 12 through which they encounter situations where they have to self-reflect," says Dr. Steve Brown, assistant principal for student life. "They have to talk with each other and become accountability partners for what's supporting their growth and what's not."

Dr. Jason Larocque, the Prep's associate principal for grades six, seven, and eight, is aligned with developmental psychologists who observe that boys tend to form deeply connected, emotionally rich relationships in their preteens before beginning to internalize narratives and societal norms that front-load themes of autonomy, self-sufficiency, and strength. Larocque also considers the Prep tailor-made to counter that culture in a healthy and responsible way.

"I think we're a place where those young adult relationships can continue on that original path, allowing those connections to flourish with permission and without judgment," he says. "To me, that's what we mean when we talk about 'the brotherhood' here. On this campus, they're encouraged to latch on to those friendships unapologetically."

Conor Dowley, director of school counseling at St. John's, says this process nurtures agency. As in, personal initiative. An intangible he believes flows from self-esteem and confidence, which are often born of experiential learning supported by both adult mentorship and an example set by peers.

"Organically navigating St. John's Prep as a student tends to nudge you to consider who you want to be," he says. "At the same time, we're very intentional about consistently spreading a shared message to young men on campus about taking this time here to explore different opportunities to learn about yourself. And when the guys next to you are doing that at the same time, you begin to understand the benefits of being vulnerable with your peers."

St. John's Principal/Associate Head of School Dr. Keith Crowley contends the best disposition from which to achieve that end is face-to-face. The structural and spiritual support for building community and cultivating enduring personal relationships has been a fixture at St. John's since 1907. By the same token, the Prep experience has evolved to meet the needs of young men living in the second quarter of the 21st century. The school's social-emotional dimensions have grown more customized.

"It's about how best to minister to the whole person in a way that allows them to be more successful in regulating, responding to, and being accountable for curating their overall wellness as they move forward," says Crowley.

The Prep's focus is to foster lessons of problem-solving, critical thinking, and reflection so students progressively learn as much about themselves as they do the classroom content.

"Our educational mission is preparing students to meet the challenges of the world in whatever they enter into, but also to ensure they also know how to self-care and manage and positively influence others," says Crowley. "That's going to allow them to give more of themselves if they're taking care of themselves."

Director of Campus Ministry Rob Tyler says deeper discoveries happen by prompting all Prep students to reflect on and consider how they see themselves in their relationships and, ultimately, their relationship with God. In the context of this faith exploration -- young men's relationship with God, Jesus, the Church, the divine -- Brown thinks wider cultural norms can serve as a navigational tool for St. John's students in terms of how they respond to what society is telling them to be.

For Dowley, the cheat code is slowing down those challenging moments of the school day so they become growth opportunities.

"Kids take on so many different dimensions of growth here," explains Dowley. "I think there's the micro, one-on-one building of resilience, and there's also a rising-tide-lifts-all-boats component. So, you get good at building resilience because you're not going at it alone. At some point in life, everyone needs a sounding board or someone to pick them up and encourage them in a positive direction to build momentum again. Think of St. John's as a training ground for that."



CHAD KONECKY IS A COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST (CKONECKY@STJOHNSPREP.ORG OR 978-604-0232) AT ST. JOHN'S PREP IN DANVERS, MASS., AN INCLUSIVE, CATHOLIC, XAVERIAN BROTHERS SPONSORED SCHOOL FOR YOUNG MEN IN GRADES SIX THROUGH 12, DEDICATED TO EDUCATING STUDENTS FROM MORE THAN 90 COMMUNITIES TO BE, DO, AND STAND FOR GOOD IN THE WORLD. TO LEARN MORE, VISIT WWW.STJOHNSPREP.ORG.