Tom Hubert is a class of 1973 graduate of Cathedral Prep. He is currently a professor of art at Mercyhurst University. Choosing Prep for high school was not a hard decision for Hubert. “Most boys in Erie looking to go to a Catholic high school went to Prep. It was the place to go,” he said.
The brotherhood experience really went well for Hubert who noted his favorite thing about his time at Cathedral Prep was the friends he made. He still enjoys seeing a lot of his friends and classmates around Erie. Prep also did a great job of preparing him for college and becoming an adult. “The math programs at Prep were second to none,” he said. All the hard work at Cathedral Prep really helped make academics in college easy for him.
Hubert originally wanted to go to Penn State University Park for college and wanted to become an architect, but he was not accepted into Penn State’s main campus, so he decided to go to Penn State Behrend. Art had always been a huge part of his life ever since he was young. His mother, the late Jean Hubert, was also very interested in art. Although he had been exposed and surrounded by art while growing up, he never really thought you could make a career out of being an artist.
Hubert then looked into the strong art program at Mercyhurst College (now Mercyhurst University). He decided to leave Penn State Behrend and go to Mercyhurst instead. Attending Mercyhurst gave him a chance to have a career doing something he was truly interested in. When he first started the art program he imagined that he would end up being a painter, but that changed once he got his hands into clay and figured out ceramics was definitely his calling. In addition to his work as a ceramic artist, which has been featured in many shows and showcased in many art galleries, Hubert has been teaching art at Mercyhurst University for more than 35 years.
Hubert and his wife Maureen have been happily married since 1979. They have four children: Matthew (’03), Michael (’06), Jeffrey (’07), and Molly. They also have one grandson with a second grandchild due in May. All three of Hubert’s sons followed in his footsteps by attending Cathedral Prep, but he did not force his sons to attend Prep for high school. He left it up to them on where they wanted to continue their academics. “My sons’ decisions to choose Prep had a lot to with their cousins going there, and it had become somewhat of a tradition for the boys in the family to go to Prep,” he said.
Hubert has a number of interests and hobbies in his life. One of his favorite things to do in his free time is to play music in his studio where he has a number of instruments, including an electric bass, keyboard, organ, and slide guitar. Photography is another big interest in his life. In addition to teaching ceramics he also taught photography at Mercyhurst for a short period of time. He also enjoys working in his garden in his free time during the warmer months.
When asked about retirement, Hubert said that he will be 65 in a few years and plans on retiring around then, although he added, “Artists don’t really retire because they will always continue to make new pieces.” 
To see examples of his work, check out the gallery page of his website at hubertceramics.com.