Reading a Prep magazine one day, I was surprised at some of the statistics that show how Prep alumni have done after graduation. The one that stood out to me was that there are Prep alumni living in every state in the US. And while my alumni is in a different state for school, it shows just how broad of an impact Prep can have across the country and even around the world.
Andrew Mancini is a name that may sound vaguely familiar to some Prep students. That is because his brother, Greg, is a substitute teacher and a basketball coach at Prep. Andrew is Greg’s younger brother, and he is a prime example of how far Prep can take a student in the world.
Andrew was a member of the Prep class of 2010. While he did look at other schools, Prep was the number one option since his father and two older brothers also attended Prep. He attributes Prep to helping him “break out” of his shell, and he made friendships while here that have lasted into college and beyond. Andrew said that his favorite class and subject were AP Chemistry with Mr. Clancey. “The class was laid back, but challenging,” he said. He also says Prep’s academics help out immensely in college. He got out to a quick start and was able to take more challenging classes.
Andrew graduated from Prep and went on to attend the University of Notre Dame where he majored in molecular biology. He said attending Gannon through dual enrollment helped with the transition to college. “There is a disconnect between college and high school,” he said. “Going to Gannon allowed me to bridge the gap… and it allowed me to think critically.” Andrew graduated from Notre Dame in 2014 and then went off to grad school. He is currently enrolled in grad school at the University of California, San Francisco, where he is pursuing his Ph.D. in biochemistry. He told me that he plans to become a professor and wants to do research in cancer biology.
While there is no doubt Andrew had a blast at Notre Dame studying and attending Fighting Irish football games, he said that he does miss a couple of things about being a Rambler. First, he said he misses the camaraderie between the students, and the sense of brotherhood that anyone that attends Prep has with other Prep students. He also says he misses the “sense of excitement” Prep gave him. He said it opened him up to a world of possibilities. “Prep is the first time you get to experience that,” he said, talking about all the opportunities available, “it is just exciting overall.”
That brotherhood he said he missed does not die after graduating, however. Andrew said that he is still in contact with a group of friends from his class that he meets up with whenever he comes home. He also said there are some Prep alumni in California that he is in contact with. He even attributed some of his hobbies now to activities he was involved in during his time at Prep. While at Prep Andrew was a part of the theater program, and he told me that got him into doing improv comedy and stand up. Another activity he does now that theater got him interested in is swing dancing. He was also on the debate team at Prep for three years and was involved in campus ministry.
In the end, Andrew said that the most important thing he learned while at Prep was that you need to have a good work ethic, and that Prep instills that. “The most important thing Prep taught me is that hard work pays off. Prep really taught me that to excel you need to work hard all the time.” Andrew is a remarkable case of the fantastic places and amazing opportunities Cathedral Prep gives its students, and he said that he knows that Prep was the best fit for him.