There’s both joy and curiosity in discovering what endeavors former students pursue, and how they might carry aspects of their education into adulthood. For a 65-year-old institution such as Cathedral, the stories are endless. One notable commonality among grads is the practice of service. That’s because learning at CSB embodies both the acquisition and application of knowledge in support of improving communities. “I think it’s important for our boys to understand that there is a world beyond themselves to which they are responsible,” explains Head of School Burns Jones. As such, students engage in various service-oriented endeavors—from volunteering at local organizations to mentoring boys in lower grades—with the hope that this principle extends beyond the boys’ time at school. Below are four examples of how Cathedral alumni have continued to manifest a dedication to serving their community.
MICHAEL COLIN, CLASS OF 1971
CAPTAINING WARSHIPS TO COMBAT SEA LIFE POACHERS is just one of the tasks Michael Colin fulfilled for Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a group famed for protecting marine life via direct action. “I had been volunteering for years at a homeless shelter when I reached an inflection point to find a broader impact, and filled out an application for Sea Shepherd,” explains Colin, a documentary filmmaker and professional sailboat captain. When he got the call to join the agency, he booked a flight to Annapolis, Maryland to help repurpose two former Coast Guard cutters. “I was happy to simply chip paint off of these vessels, but when a captain unexpectedly backed out, they tapped me to transport the 110-foot ships down to Key West,” shares Colin. A few months later, he stepped out of the cockpit and into the editing suite to produce the film “Why Just One?” which documented a Sea Shepherd campaign to prevent the poaching of sea turtle eggs in Costa Rica. Colin credits his sense of activism to his experience at Cathedral during the 1960s when Vietnam War protests spilled out into the school’s surrounding streets. “It was a distinct moment in time, and it was impossible to separate what was in the air with the foundational gift of being at a school like Cathedral,” he says. Colin says that each of his teachers was imbued with a sense of mission. “These were educators of substance,” he shares. “They weren’t afraid to draw outside the lines, and they earned our respect.”
WINTER 2023 • RED & GOLD | 19
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