Mr. Dave Freeman is a proud former Rambler of the graduating class of 1980. Together with his wife Laura, the two have been proud members of the Erie community for their entire lives. Mr. Freeman is currently employed as a worker’s compensation examiner in the private sector of business.

“When I look back at my time at Prep, I can’t help but smile at all the fun memories that I had,” Mr. Freeman said, “I can’t believe how long it’s been and how much I really benefited from a high school I went to more than 40 years ago.”

Mr. Freeman had a lot of choices to make during his 8^th grade year at Saint George school, and he reflects back on what drew him to Prep.

“To tell you the truth, I can’t exactly pinpoint the exact reason that I chose Prep,” Mr. Freeman said, “It was most likely a combination of reasons. For starters, I had a lot of my friends from my grade school going to Prep, so that certainly didn’t hurt. But the other school I was considering at the time was a school called Kanty Prep. Kanty Prep closed down during my sophomore year, so it was a good choice not to go there after all. Another major reason was the reputation of excellence that Cathedral Prep entailed. I believe that that was the final tie breaker between the two schools.”

Four years is a good chunk of your life, especially during your most formative years as a person. Mr. Freeman’s favorite memory while at Prep is certainly a common one, but still important nevertheless.

“My favorite memory is the brotherhood that we formed as a school,” Mr. Freeman said. “I know that might be pretty cliché from anyone you ask about Prep, but it is completely true. I have made lifelong connections from this school that I am eternally grateful for and will never forget.”

With Prep’s main purpose being a college preparatory school, Mr. Freeman was posed with the question of how he specifically believed that Prep accomplished that goal.

“Prep met and exceeded that goal with flying colors,” Mr. Freeman said, “I believe that there were two main ways that they accomplished this. The first main way being from the stringent regimentation and dedication that is needed to excel in these types of classes. This hard work being imposed on you for four years makes it completely bearable to deal with in college. The second way is making sure that you learn how to take care of yourself. Prep teaches you to plan your time, get your lunch ready, have your uniform ready, and all that fun stuff.”

With the vast network of Prep and Villa alumni being so extensive in almost every field, Mr. Freeman reflected on his encounters with various alumni.

“You can always tell when you are working with a Prep or Villa alumni,” Mr. Freeman said, “The funny part is that I mostly deal with alumni who are lawyers. I have one classmate who I had been going to school with since first grade and we graduated Prep together. Whenever I needed a lawyer for any reason, he was my go to guy for about 20 years before he moved. It is always refreshing to work with a fellow alum because of the high quality work you know that you will get from them”

Finally, Mr. Freeman wanted to give some advice for anyone who is currently going to Prep as a way he could help current students.

“Always listen to the lessons that your teachers are giving,” Mr. Freeman said, “If you pay attention and take those lessons to heart, then you will have absolutely no issue being successful in any field of work that you are in.”