October 20, 2025 • 38 mins
Doors open wider when a community decides they should—and that belief is on full display at Rockhurst. We sit down with Director of Engagement Moira Healy and Director of Community Engagement (and alumnus) Martin Radosevic Jr. to explore how parents, students, alumni, and staff turn Jesuit ideals into everyday action. From team Masses and days of reflection to mother–son brunches and the father–son bags tournament, we trace the moments that make a big school feel small, personal, and grounded in purpose.
Martin shares how his new role supports coaches and moderators with mission-based programming so every team and club experiences more than competition. He spotlights a student-led win: the golf team, driven by senior Connor Vickers, raised over $17,000 for Pete’s Garden by turning their skills into local impact. Moira opens the curtain on the Parents Club and the Spectacular Auction, showing why parent involvement is more than logistics—it’s the model students copy during Mission Week, service days, and holiday food drives. We also talk access: Rockhurst meets 100% of demonstrated financial need, and the Hurtado Scholars program pairs scholarships with years of academic prep and community, lifting boys into rigorous high school work and beyond. One powerful example: a graduate now thriving at Georgetown through the Jack Kent Cooke scholarship.
Along the way, we share practical ways to plug in—from Hispanic Heritage Month activities that fund matched scholarships, to alumni events and Rock Giving Day on November 11. If you’ve wondered whether a faith-centered, college prep education can also feel like a home you return to for decades, listen to the stories of parents who still volunteer years after graduation and alumni who reconnect like no time has passed. That’s the Rockhurst difference: formation through relationships, service, and a community that keeps showing up.
If this resonates, follow the show, share this episode with a friend, and leave a review so more families can find their path to Life at the Rock.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:30):
Welcome to Rock Talk, the official podcast of
Rockhurst High School in KansasCity, Missouri, where we explore
the voices, values, and vibrantlife of our Jesuit college prep
community.
Hosted by the admissions andmarketing team, each episode
features conversations withstudents, faculty, alumni, and
special guests as we sharestories of academic excellence,
(00:53):
faith formation, brotherhood,and service.
Whether you're a prospectivefamily, a proud alumnus, or
simply curious about what makesRockhurst unique, this is your
inside look at Life at the Rock.
And I am your host.
We're back.
We're ready to go.
I got Beth with me.
And uh we got some specialguests.
(01:14):
Beth, would you like to uhintroduce our guests, please?
SPEAKER_02 (01:17):
Yeah, thanks, Steve.
Today we have with us kickingoff our new series, Moira Healy,
Director of Engagement, andMartin Rosfitch, Jr., Director
of Community Engagement.
You're going to talk to us alittle bit about not just our
rich legacy of many generationsthat have supported Rockhurst,
but also kind of the future ofRock Earth, and that lies in our
(01:40):
current student population, ourparent population, and clearly
our future alumni.
SPEAKER_01 (01:45):
So this next four episodes is going to be about
the community and legacy ofRockhurst and how we keep this
beautiful machine going top tobottom.
There's a lot of behind thescenes stuff that takes place
here to uh keep making thisplace great, keep it evolving,
keep it uh in a position toserve our young men and and live
(02:07):
out the mission.
So which one of you wants tostart?
SPEAKER_00 (02:11):
I can start.
Yeah, sure.
Love it.
Uh so Beth and Steve, thank youso much for having us on.
It's an honor to be on RockTalk.
I've really enjoyed listening tothe great episodes and the
guests that you have had on andand really have given a deeper
look for everybody that isinterested in rockers, that is
(02:31):
involved with Rockers in thisgreat place, to show and
showcase the people and thefolks here that really make it a
truly amazing place to be.
And so I really appreciate youinviting the philanthropy and
engagement team and uh being apart of this.
We're really looking forward toit.
So my name is Martin RodosevicJr.
I graduated from Rockhurst in2016.
(02:53):
Okay.
I am the oldest of threeRadosovich men that have
graduated from here.
McGuire is a member of the classof 2017, and then Maddox
graduated in 2023.
And my dad, Martin RadosovichSr., is a member of the math
faculty here.
So he came aboard Rockhurst andjoined the teaching community my
(03:15):
senior year.
So my final year here, I got tospend with him.
None of us, uh Radosvich men hadhim for math class, though.
So that's kind of an interestingtidbit.
And so this place really is aspecial uh it holds a special
spot in all of our hearts here.
And for me to, I assumed thedirector of community engagement
(03:36):
position in July.
And it's been a blessing to beback at Rockhurst and to serve
in this role.
I had been away from Rockhurstin the Kansas City area after
completing college and andbeginning my professional life.
And when I had the opportunityto come back, it just meant the
world to me.
And so a little bit of what Ido, I work closely with our
(03:58):
athletic teams and co-curriculargroups and connect them with our
parent community and alsoengaging our young men that
participate on those athleticteams and co-curriculars as well
as the coaches and moderatorsand create mission-based events
and activities for them.
(04:19):
So planning team masses, uh,team days of reflection, doing
service projects with the groupas a whole and inviting families
to be a part of that.
That's cool.
To really live out the missionof Rockers and looking at what
can each team based on theculture and identity of that
program and that coach and thatgroup, how can we carry that out
(04:41):
to all the Rockers communitycommunity, but also the Kansas
City community as a whole?
And how can we get our messageout to and our impact out to
others and really live out ourmission here at Rockers?
And so I do that.
And then I also help facilitatethe Hawklet Leadership Fund,
which we'll get more into as wetalk today.
(05:03):
And um that was just created forour benefactors to support
athletic teams, co-curricularsof their choosing what they're
passionate about to support theRockurst student experience
here.
So cool.
Um I'll kick it over to Mora forher to tell a little bit about
her role.
SPEAKER_03 (05:19):
Thanks, Martin.
We're happy to have Martin onour team to uh spread the wealth
a little bit.
I'm Mora Healy.
I am starting my 13th year atRockhurst.
I am the director of engagement,which is kind of a nebulous
title.
I work with the parents on theParents Club, all the Parents
Club activities.
So I get to plan a lot of eventsin cooperation with our parents:
(05:43):
the mother-son Mass and Brunch,the father-son bags tournament,
the mother-son dinner dance, andI'm also involved in the
fundraising aspect of thephilanthropy and engagement team
with coordinating theSpectacular Auction, which is
Rocker's largest fundraiser.
(06:03):
The date this year is April18th.
SPEAKER_04 (06:06):
Okay.
SPEAKER_03 (06:06):
Save that date.
I am the mother of five childrenand the grandmother of 10
children.
Oh wow.
My youngest son graduated in2014.
I'm gonna tell a little story onthe Rodosevich family.
Lori started volunteering whenMark Martin was a freshman, and
(06:28):
Maddox was enough younger thatMrs.
Rodosevich was a parents' clubpresident twice for me.
So the Rodoseovich family isvery involved in Rockhurst, and
we appreciate all that they do.
SPEAKER_00 (06:41):
Awesome.
And I'd like to thank Maura forher mentorship and helping me
become reacclimated withRockhurst and showing me the
behind the scenes info here anddifferent things that as a
student you really don't see ona day-to-day basis.
And I think that what she doesas a part of the PE team and it
(07:01):
speaks volumes, and the auctionis an unbelievable success every
year.
And she organizes so manydifferent events, as she alluded
to, with having parents beinvolved with their son's
experience here.
And Mora is a huge, she makes ahuge impact on the Rockers
experience.
And I'm very thankful that she'staken me under her wing and
(07:22):
helping me get a get back intothe Rockers experience.
SPEAKER_01 (07:26):
Very good student.
I love it.
And and so, Martin, I want topiggyback a little bit because
you and I started at the sametime.
And you know, I've had theluxury of talking on several of
these episodes about howgrateful I am to be back and
just involved in the communityon the other side of the fence.
(07:46):
And this is exciting for us totalk about because you guys do a
lot of work.
You you when I was and and Mora,I think it was homecoming.
I saw the home the whole week, Iwas like, this is unbelievable,
event after event andcoordinating this and getting
(08:09):
these people here and all ofthis.
And you know, I guess I wantthat to lead into this question
because you guys are constantlyengaging our community in
different aspects, and we are acommunity that lives off of
people's willingness to give andsupport us in various ways,
whether we're talking abouttheir time, their treasures, or
(08:30):
their talents.
What is so important, other thanobviously us functioning as a as
a as a school, but why do youthink that is so important for
that to be you know takingplace?
And we have to go and you know,I dare say, you know, drive the
ship.
But like how do what's soimportant about that in this
(08:52):
community, or what's so specialabout this community that's
willing to do that?
SPEAKER_00 (08:56):
Since coming back to Rockhurst and being in this role
and not working at the school, Ithink what really stands out to
me about the people that workhere and that make these events
and everything happen is howmuch they're passionate about
making the experience for theyoung boys here a success and
(09:17):
really motivating to continue topush the needle on a daily basis
and elevate the rockers'experience.
And that's something that reallyhas stood out to me is the group
that we work with and thedifferent parts of the school
always coming together andstriving towards the same
mission and goals of formingyoung young boys into men for
(09:41):
others and into future leadersof this world.
And I think that's really thecore of what we do.
And there's gonna be long days,and uh, there's gonna be the
with alumni reunion weekendsomething going on every single
day, and you're you're grindingit out.
But what really I think made ita special experience on the
(10:02):
working side of things is we itwe got to celebrate our alumni
and welcome so many graduates ofRocker Sci school back to this
place and back home.
And I think that that continuesto be the motivation for all of
us is we dig deep and continueto work hard and and push the
needle to elevate the experiencehere and have have it continue
(10:24):
to grow.
And that's something I thinkthat working here and being in
this side has really beenspecial and meaningful to me.
Cool.
SPEAKER_03 (10:31):
For me, uh so many parents come from the parochial
schools, and those parochialschools are classes of 50, 60
students, and then they come toRockhurst and the class is 200
students or more.
And I want the parents to feellike it's their community as
well.
We do a great job of getting thechildren, the students involved
(10:55):
in things, and I want theparents to be involved so they
feel a part of the community.
And I the moms that work at thefront desk, they beam with pride
when their boys come up to sayhello to them.
Or the moms are downstairspassing out donuts on the first
freshman day of service, andtheir students, their boys are
(11:18):
coming up and saying hi, mom.
And that it just brings theminto the community.
And my goal is to bring everyparent into the community at
whatever level they want to beinvolved.
That's cool.
SPEAKER_02 (11:31):
I think that's really cool.
And so thinking back to legacy,I really think about my grandma
and my dad's mom when my dad andmy uncle were attending Rockers
in the late 60s, early 70s, andthe kind of lasting legacy of
the Parents Club.
So back then they were doingthings like Sailorama.
I think there was like some kindof Folly show that they did.
(11:54):
But these these moms and dadsthat were very committed to
doing things to support theschool back then.
And then I think back to when mybrothers were here and my mom
was involved heavily and soinvolved that when my brothers
graduated, she kind of missedher rockers' moms.
And so they uh formed a littlegroup called the Rockettes,
which I know is is experiencinga revival.
(12:16):
I'm excited about that.
Yeah.
Just as an opportunity for thosemoms that have built
relationships, you know, duringtheir time here and when their
boys are here to get togetherand and do something and give
back to the community, which Ithink is great.
So this idea that you guys havebeen here, you know, 12 years
and you know, a couple months,but this train has been moving
for a very long time and isreally, really reliant on that
(12:38):
community and that sense ofcommunity.
So thank you guys for that.
Just, I know you're very new,but if you can think back, like
what is one of your favoritestories you've had so far in
your current role?
Maybe it's an experience you hadwith a family.
I know you mentioned a littlebit just seeing mom's pride when
they see their sons throughoutthe school day.
(12:59):
But what's it maybe one givingstory, one volunteer story that
you really have enjoyed so farand um in your time here?
SPEAKER_00 (13:07):
Yeah, so one of my favorite stories actually
happened just last week.
So our golf team they ran afundraiser and a golf tournament
for a local nonprofit calledPete's Garden out at Oakwood
Country Club last week.
And one of the student leaders,a senior Connor Vickers, was
(13:29):
really the one that took chargeof this event and did a terrific
job in organizing it, sendingout invitations and inviting
people to participate in it,whether they were a golfer,
whether they supported it in thePete's Garden Initiative and
contributed that way, or evenhelping with the pre-the- the sh
(13:51):
the event before the tournamentbegan and the post-event as
well, and giving out prizes andthings like that.
And to me, that's exactly whatsuccessful community engagement
looks like is the when you thinkof time, talent, and treasure,
those those boys they gave uptheir Thursday afternoon to go
run that event after school andbe a part of that.
(14:13):
And using their talents, they'reall on the golf team.
They were able to integratetheir experience as a member of
the golf team into a charitableway and really make that happen.
And um, they the the team raisedover$17,000 for Pete's Garden
and really made a huge impact onthat organization and um did a
(14:34):
wonderful job.
And you know, that's what wewant to see is and have our
coaches and moderators and ourteams and co-curriculars
consider is how can we make animpact on the community while
using our talents and what we dowell and creatively think of
ways that we can we can do that.
And I the golf the golf team didthat beautifully, and we're so
(14:57):
proud of Connor and the hardwork and effort he did to
organize that and to make thatevent a success.
And we're really excited to seethat continue for years to come.
SPEAKER_03 (15:07):
One of my favorite stories is similar to Martin's,
but during COVID, the studentshad a difficult time getting
their service requirementcompleted.
And so the moms came up with theidea of doing a student parent
service project.
And we've done that for a numberof years.
(15:27):
We started it in COVID and it'scontinued.
We've done it at Habitat forHumanity, we've done it with
Giving the Basics, and this yearfor sophomores and juniors in
February, the the parents andstudents will get together to
build bicycles for CASA.
And so I'm really excited aboutthat opportunity.
(15:49):
And the parent that is leadingit now, Katie Cowan, has worked
really hard to do to create anopportunity that would be
interesting and engaging forboth the students and the
parents, and still help thecommunity in a meaningful way.
So they're going to be buildingbicycles, and then CASA will
(16:10):
deliver those bicycles to thethe children that are part of
CASA.
So that's one thing.
The other that I want to mentionis what Beth brought up about
the relationships that parentsform when they are together at
Rockhurst and working forRockhurst, volunteering for
Rockhurst.
(16:30):
The f the sports teams, that's anatural way to build your
relationships.
But when you're volunteering andyou're working together for a
common purpose, I havevolunteers that are Rockettes,
so they're alumni moms, and theycome back and their student has
graduated four, five, six yearsago, and they still come back
(16:52):
every year and help with theauction.
They help with parents' clubactivities, they bring other
people to come and play bingofor the ladies' bingo night.
So they still feel thatconnection to Rockhurst and they
still feel part of thecommunity.
And that's really the goal.
SPEAKER_01 (17:13):
Excuse me.
And I'm curious, with your rolesbeing so heavily geared or
centered around giving, right?
You're you're dealing with folksthat want to give again their
time, their talent, theirtreasure.
How or what impact do you seethat have on our young men?
And and and hopefully I askedthat question well enough, uh,
(17:35):
although it's pretty pump, butlike we're talking about a long
historic legacy of young menseeing a community give and give
and give and want to beinvolved.
How do you think that impactsour boys?
SPEAKER_03 (17:51):
I think that the boys see their what their
parents are doing, and the boysdemonstrate uh what they've
learned from their parentsthrough mission week, through
the community food drive that wedo at Thanksgiving, through uh
the days of service.
They're it's ingrained in themand they know it.
And so it's not a big deal tothem to want to reach out, just
(18:16):
like with what Connor did forPete's Garden.
It's in their hearts.
Yeah.
And and they see that from theirparents and they they want to
continue that mission.
And it's part of the Jesuitmission.
Martin was talking aboutmission-driven work.
It it's part of who they are,and it just becomes a part of
(18:36):
the whole.
SPEAKER_00 (18:37):
To go along with that, I think that as a young
boy that comes here thinkingabout my time at Rockhurst, you
grow so attached to this placeand you develop a love for the
school and for the brothers thatyou walk the halls with here.
And I think that it adds anotherlayer to this experience when
(18:59):
you have your family involved involunteering, or you know, if
they're they're around at yourevents, and that's really what
makes it special.
And there's so many wonderfulways that and so many stories
that uh that we can think of.
But I think that that's reallyit, it continues to I think
that's what makes it a specialexperience is if your family is
(19:20):
involved, then they becomeattached.
And I think that really is shownbest through the Roquettes
because the those parents havehad sons go through this place
and have have departed here, butthey still have that special
place in their heart for rockersthat they continue to give their
time and and treasure and canand want to see this place
(19:40):
succeed for future hawklets.
And so I think that the parentinvolvement, my mom being so
involved volunteering anddedicating her time here is
really, I think, what made myexperience even better because
yeah, when she was at the frontdesk, it was always if I was
having a tough day, uh, youknow, and I had a tough test or
(20:01):
assignment, I could always gothere and you know, she would
just she would say hello and wewould check in.
So I think for those moments tohelp get through Rockhst and you
know, have the that affinity forthe school, I think really comes
out with the the parents andtheir involvement here.
And shout out to the moms.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (20:20):
I tell you this, and and this is coming from a mama's
boy.
I don't care how tough they tryto act, when mom is up at the
front, we get to see boys allthe time go up there, and and
mom is still mom.
So from from a mama's boy to allthe moms out there, we
appreciate you and what you guysdo for our community because
none of us would be here withoutyou.
SPEAKER_00 (20:42):
Yeah, no doubt.
And there was also anotheraspect of Rockers that I wasn't
even aware about that impactsour faculty and staff.
So there is a group of parentsthat is in charge of organizing
the candy jar in the faculty andstaff studio.
And yes, and yeah, Steve, do youknow about this candy jar?
(21:04):
Well, I know that I didn't knowparents were responsible for
that.
SPEAKER_03 (21:07):
Oh, yes, that's one of one of my committees.
SPEAKER_00 (21:11):
So my dad's my dad talks about this candy jar all
the time, and I didn't evenrealize that it was parents that
were the ones that were gettingthe candy and making sure it got
to the studio and organizing allof that until Laura at the
Parents Club meeting said thatthat was one of the biggest ways
that parents could get involvedand make sure that the faculty
and staff feel appreciated forall their hard work and forming
(21:34):
our young men.
SPEAKER_03 (21:35):
Absolutely.
I also want to mention that thefundraising that the
philanthropy and engagement teamdoes supports financial aid,
tuition assistance for ourstudents.
And that is so important to allof our students so that any
student who wants to come toRockhurst can come whether they
(21:59):
can afford it or not.
You know, the hundred percent oftuition assistance, let me say
that again, hundred percent ofdemonstrated need is uh
available to a family.
Absolutely, and that is so, soimportant.
SPEAKER_02 (22:14):
And that's funny, that's a perfect segue because I
was gonna chime in with kind ofmy favorite memory tied to this.
And what drew me to rockers inthe first place seven years ago
when I came here is that I wasworking at Holy Cross in
Historic Northeast, which is oneof our Hurtado scholar schools.
And Mart uh sorry, MarvinGrillio and Father Sheehan, I
(22:38):
spent a lot of time with in mytime at Holy Cross talking about
our boys, you know, making sureeverybody was on the same page
to help them be successful bothat Holy Cross and at Rockhurst.
And when the job opened inadmissions, Father Sheehan was
actually the first person totell me about it, say, you need
to come over here.
But I will say that HurtadoScholars is one of the reasons
(23:00):
that I considered coming here.
And it's because it's such animportant program because it's
more than just a scholarshipfund, right?
That's a huge part of it, likeyou said, and we're uh making
rockers accessible andaffordable.
But more importantly, it'sacademic support and preparation
that certain students in ourcommunity need.
And it provides that for themand it provides a sense of
(23:23):
community.
So these boys are together forthree years before they even get
to rockers.
Their parents get to know eachother, it builds a community.
And one of those young men,Angel Becerra from the class of
24, I got to see from sixthgrade.
Yeah.
Yep, sixth grade on, kind ofgrow and form into the young
man, very impressive young manthat he is.
(23:44):
And kind of the the crowningmoment for for him was receiving
the Jack Kent Cook scholarshipto Georgetown, where he
currently is a sophomore, whichis a huge opportunity.
And none of that would have beenpossible if it wasn't for the
support and the donors we havehere at Rockhurst to give him
that academic preparation tosucceed here and the the
(24:08):
financial aid to make itpossible for his family.
So I know they are very thankfulfor that.
I know Angel's very thankful forthat.
I'm very thankful for thatbecause I got to kind of see a
kid that I knew had greatpotential to achieve something,
get the opportunity to achieveit.
So you're absolutely right.
The the work that our P ⁇ Edepartment does is essential in
the support of our community,not just alums, but parents,
(24:32):
friends of the school.
It's it's so essential to whatwe do.
SPEAKER_03 (24:36):
The Hurtado Scholars program is a hidden gem of
Rockhurst.
And we work really hard tospread the word about the
Hurtado Scholars within thecommunity and outside of the
Rockers community, but thegreater Kansas City community.
One of my favorite memories fromthis school year, this calendar
(24:58):
year was the graduation ceremonyfor the eighth grade Hurtado
scholars that occurred last May.
Those parents are so proud oftheir eighth graders who have
been accepted to Rockhurst.
They've completed grade school,and now they're coming to
Rockhurst.
And the joy and pride that is atthat ceremony and mass is
(25:22):
palpable.
It's a wonderful testimony toall the people that work with
the Hurtado Scholars.
SPEAKER_02 (25:30):
The impact of that, I mean, I've seen just over the
last seven years in admissions,going from the majority of the
boys having to take summerschool to nearly none of them
having to take summer school.
And if nothing else comes out ofthat, that's a pretty amazing
leap.
And yes, Anthony Ray does agreat job, Vanessa, Vanessa
Wegman, who are running thatprogram, Marvin Grillio and
(25:52):
Father Sheehan, who started theprogram, uh the principals that
we work with at our feederschools, everybody really, the
community all comes together tosupport these young men, and
it's great.
You're absolutely right aheadand Jim.
SPEAKER_01 (26:04):
And I want to just to under the same umbrella of
all of the stuff we're saying,you know, I want to take the
time to just highlight what Idon't want someone to skip over.
Is that's how much people careabout this experience at
Rockhurst is we have donors thatwill commit to making sure that
(26:28):
this is affordable.
That, hey, if if there's a youngman that wants to come here, you
know, the hundred percent havedemonstrated or exhibited need,
you know, financially, we'llmake sure we can get a get him
in here.
And if you're listening to this,I I want to break the myth that
(26:50):
you know, this is for certaintype of people, you you you
gotta be super wealthy to gohere, all of that stuff.
It's not true.
It's absolutely not true.
And you know, the reason part ofthis podcast when me and Beth
were talking about starting apodcast was to be able to tell
the truth about what Rockhurstis, and that's the truth.
(27:11):
People care so much about whatthis does for young men, they
have committed funds to makesure that anyone who wants to
come here will be able to comehere, and I think that's just
really powerful, and I don'twant people to skip over that
because we know that, right?
We come here every day, youknow.
We we know what we do here, butbeing able to make sure that
folks out there understand hey,this is this is for everybody,
(27:35):
and that means a lot to me.
So definitely appreciate all thework that goes into this.
Let me ask this question becausewe gotta you got a couple more
questions, but is theresomething that you guys would
like to see, you know, impactedby community giving?
Like, is there an area that whenyou're working and you're going
(27:56):
to do what you do on a dailybasis that you're like, man, I
wish we could or I'm lookingforward to being able to move
the needle in this area.
SPEAKER_03 (28:07):
I think that's gonna come to light in our strategic
planning.
Okay.
There is so much, you know, wehadn't had a strategic plan in a
really long time.
And David Laughlin and the Boardof Trustees have worked really
hard and for a number of yearson this strategic plan.
And there is so much coming thatI don't want to burst his
(28:31):
balloon.
I like that.
SPEAKER_02 (28:35):
So appreciate you giving the good lead in.
So listen in for more detailsthere.
SPEAKER_00 (28:40):
Yeah, that that'll be very exciting.
For me, I think I'll answer it'sin starting my this new role.
And the position that I'm in wascreated through the strategic
planning uh process.
And so I think that one of mygoals is to start putting what
we've been preparing intoaction, and we want to have
(29:03):
consistency with the boys'experiences here.
Okay, a lot of our teams do aphenomenal job of hosting
events, creating programmingoutside of competition, and do a
really good job of the communityengagement aspect.
And why I was brought here andwhat this role is, the
philosophy behind it is to helpsupport our coaches and
(29:26):
moderators.
Since they have a lot on theirplate, whether it's in the
classroom teaching theircourses, and they might be
moderators of three, four, fivedifferent clubs coaching as
well.
I'm here to support them andhelp take some of that pressure
off and creating the events andoutside of competition and
(29:47):
practice and games and andevents and making that happen.
So what I am excited about is tobegin putting this into practice
and creating these masses andservice opportunities and um
parent engagement social eventsso we can create that community
engagement aspect and bring thatto life here in the future.
(30:08):
Cool.
SPEAKER_02 (30:10):
I know coming up, our listeners who are mostly
alums, parents, students of thisgreat community, they have a
great opportunity to give backwith Giving Tuesday on November
11th.
And that's that was reallydesigned to help boost our
annual fund called the ErieFund.
But Really to try and getengagement all on one day, which
(30:32):
I think is a great thing.
And I know I was excited to takepart in some of the promo
videos.
Although we realize, Steve, thatI'm way better on the microphone
than I am in front of thecamera.
Thank God Robbie Hayden from PEcan cut things together in a
nice way.
But, you know, it was a greatopportunity for me to share my
thanks to our donors, which Itruly feel.
(30:54):
But if you're looking for a wayto support Rockers, that's a
great opportunity.
I know it's really there's ahuge push to increase our alumni
giving across the board, butalso look at bigger community
and wider community as anopportunity to give.
You brought up the auction,Moira, which I'm really happy
you did.
Um so saving the date for thatis April 18th.
(31:15):
Is it April 18th?
April 18th.
So mark that on your calendar.
But what other opportunities arecoming up for giving of either
their time or their talent ortheir treasure?
SPEAKER_03 (31:25):
So this week is the conclusion of Hispanic Heritage
Month.
And we at Rocker celebrateHispanic Heritage Month with
student activities.
Last week there was a Hispanictrivia contest where the
students participated and couldwin prizes.
There was also a dress down day.
(31:46):
We do all of this, and there's araffle that this week is the
last week to buy raffle ticketsfor Sporting KC Autograph Jersey
or a Chris Jones AutographFootball.
And we do this in conjunctionwith the Hispanic Development
Fund.
And the Hispanic DevelopmentFund matches all the money that
we raise dollar for dollar, andit comes back to our seniors who
(32:10):
apply for college scholarships,seniors of Hispanic Heritage,
and they receive scholarships tocollege.
So that's one thing that'shappening right now.
We also have the father-son bagstournament on Saturday.
So we'll have 200 of our fathersand sons playing cornhole for
(32:32):
prizes and pride.
Then next week is the ladies'bingo, Mamma Mia bingo.
That sounds like a lot of fun.
A lot of fun.
So there are lots ofopportunities.
And then we roll right into thefirst week of November where we
have the alumni, alumni for all,which is Rock Connect for the
(32:53):
first hour.
And we run it goes right intothe Father Percelli spaghetti
dinner, which is a longtimealumni tradition.
And then the Rock Giving Day isNovember 11th.
And that opens the season ofgiving that will go right
through the National GivingTuesday, which I believe this
year is December 2nd.
(33:15):
So there's lots ofopportunities.
All of those events require alot of volunteer participation
to set them up, to work them, tohelp clean them up, tear them
down, as well as participationjust to have fun.
So where can parents findinformation on volunteering?
On our website, under Parentsand Students, there is a list of
(33:38):
parent volunteer opportunitiesand it's all-encompassing.
Another thing that Martin and Iare working on is a web page on
our website that is open toparents, always there, always
easy to access with everythingthat both of us are working on
at the time with theco-curriculars and athletic
(34:00):
events as well as the otherparent activities.
SPEAKER_02 (34:04):
That's great.
That I'm sure will be veryhelpful and make a lot of
parents happy.
Because I know one of the thingsI've heard from parents is,
well, I can't be there duringthe day, but there's so many
opportunities on the night, atnight, on the weekends.
So I always try and drive themyour way because everybody wants
to be involved and have theopportunity.
But sometimes it's just aboutknowing how to get involved.
(34:27):
So thank you for sharing that.
Absolutely.
Kind of close things out.
We've been asking this of all ofour guests.
And you as an alumni mom and youas an alum of the school are
both very qualified people, Ithink, to answer it.
But if you could tell aprospective family the number
one reason they should sendtheir son to Rockers, what would
it be?
SPEAKER_00 (34:45):
I would tell them that through the Rockers
experience, that their son willhave a place they can call home
for the rest of their life.
And there's one thing thatreally stood out to me at my
graduation.
It's when Father Baum addressedthe class and said, Gentlemen,
(35:05):
you will always have a home at9301 State Line Road from this
point moving forward.
And I think that that isexemplified in so many different
ways.
And for this place, it is justthe legacy and the continuance
of this for over a hundred yearsof Rockhurst.
It has just done so much goodfor this world.
(35:28):
And to be a part of this is anhonor and and it's a blessing
every day to now return in thisrole and to be on the
philanthropy and engagement teamin this role.
And the to be reconnected withclassmates, alumni from all
generations in so many differentexperiences is a lifelong
(35:49):
impact.
And so that's really what setsthe Rockers experience apart is
you have a place that you'regoing to make lifelong friends,
lifelong brothers, and somewherethat you can always go back to
and people are going to supportyou and care for you no matter
what.
SPEAKER_03 (36:04):
That's great.
Yeah.
And for me, beyond the uhtop-notch education and the the
faith formation and theformation of the whole person.
When my son Robbie was afreshman, we were in the Rose
Theater and listening to DeanAlvey and Father Baum and Greg
Harkness.
(36:25):
And then Judy Scanlon got up andsaid to us as parents, but also
to the boys, look to your left,look to your right.
These students, these boyssitting next to you, they are
going to be the best man at yourwedding.
They are going to be the uhgodparent to your child.
(36:46):
And that is so true.
So it's about the relationshipsthat was demonstrated a couple
weeks ago at the alumni reunionweekend where people came back
because a friend that theyhadn't seen in years was being
inducted into the Hall of Fame.
And they walked into the roomand it was a big bear hug.
(37:07):
These guys hadn't seen eachother in 20 years, but they
connected right back to wherethey were.
It's about the relationships,it's the friends that you've
made, the the your classmates,and how how that's gonna impact
you the rest of your life.
You don't know when, you don'tknow where, but the
(37:27):
relationships because you wentto Rockhurst are going to
benefit you.
SPEAKER_02 (37:33):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (37:33):
Yeah.
No, I I've got nothing.
That's a great way to close theepisode.
SPEAKER_02 (37:38):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (37:39):
Uh for sure.
SPEAKER_02 (37:40):
And it ties in perfectly because, Steve, next
week we're gonna be invitingsome of our alums to come back
and kind of talk a little bitmore about why they choose to
stay engaged with the school andand to give back to the school,
both financially and with theirvolunteering.
And we'll have also on thatepisode uh Meredith Suarez, our
director of alumni relations, isgoing to join us.
(38:01):
So it'll be a great episode tokind of see what keeps people
coming back.
I think we got a great previewtoday.
So thank you guys so much fortaking time to meet with us and
look forward to seeing everybodynext week.
Thanks for having us.
SPEAKER_00 (38:13):
Thank you guys.
Welcome to Rock Talk, the official podcast of
Rockhurst High School in KansasCity, Missouri, where we explore
the voices, values, and vibrantlife of our Jesuit college prep
community.
Hosted by the admissions andmarketing team, each episode
features conversations withstudents, faculty, alumni, and
special guests as we sharestories of academic excellence,
(00:53):
faith formation, brotherhood,and service.
Whether you're a prospectivefamily, a proud alumnus, or
simply curious about what makesRockhurst unique, this is your
inside look at Life at the Rock.
And I am your host.
We're back.
We're ready to go.
I got Beth with me.
And uh we got some specialguests.
(01:14):
Beth, would you like to uhintroduce our guests, please?
SPEAKER_02 (01:17):
Yeah, thanks, Steve.
Today we have with us kickingoff our new series, Moira Healy,
Director of Engagement, andMartin Rosfitch, Jr., Director
of Community Engagement.
You're going to talk to us alittle bit about not just our
rich legacy of many generationsthat have supported Rockhurst,
but also kind of the future ofRock Earth, and that lies in our
(01:40):
current student population, ourparent population, and clearly
our future alumni.
SPEAKER_01 (01:45):
So this next four episodes is going to be about
the community and legacy ofRockhurst and how we keep this
beautiful machine going top tobottom.
There's a lot of behind thescenes stuff that takes place
here to uh keep making thisplace great, keep it evolving,
keep it uh in a position toserve our young men and and live
(02:07):
out the mission.
So which one of you wants tostart?
SPEAKER_00 (02:11):
I can start.
Yeah, sure.
Love it.
Uh so Beth and Steve, thank youso much for having us on.
It's an honor to be on RockTalk.
I've really enjoyed listening tothe great episodes and the
guests that you have had on andand really have given a deeper
look for everybody that isinterested in rockers, that is
(02:31):
involved with Rockers in thisgreat place, to show and
showcase the people and thefolks here that really make it a
truly amazing place to be.
And so I really appreciate youinviting the philanthropy and
engagement team and uh being apart of this.
We're really looking forward toit.
So my name is Martin RodosevicJr.
I graduated from Rockhurst in2016.
(02:53):
Okay.
I am the oldest of threeRadosovich men that have
graduated from here.
McGuire is a member of the classof 2017, and then Maddox
graduated in 2023.
And my dad, Martin RadosovichSr., is a member of the math
faculty here.
So he came aboard Rockhurst andjoined the teaching community my
(03:15):
senior year.
So my final year here, I got tospend with him.
None of us, uh Radosvich men hadhim for math class, though.
So that's kind of an interestingtidbit.
And so this place really is aspecial uh it holds a special
spot in all of our hearts here.
And for me to, I assumed thedirector of community engagement
(03:36):
position in July.
And it's been a blessing to beback at Rockhurst and to serve
in this role.
I had been away from Rockhurstin the Kansas City area after
completing college and andbeginning my professional life.
And when I had the opportunityto come back, it just meant the
world to me.
And so a little bit of what Ido, I work closely with our
(03:58):
athletic teams and co-curriculargroups and connect them with our
parent community and alsoengaging our young men that
participate on those athleticteams and co-curriculars as well
as the coaches and moderatorsand create mission-based events
and activities for them.
(04:19):
So planning team masses, uh,team days of reflection, doing
service projects with the groupas a whole and inviting families
to be a part of that.
That's cool.
To really live out the missionof Rockers and looking at what
can each team based on theculture and identity of that
program and that coach and thatgroup, how can we carry that out
(04:41):
to all the Rockers communitycommunity, but also the Kansas
City community as a whole?
And how can we get our messageout to and our impact out to
others and really live out ourmission here at Rockers?
And so I do that.
And then I also help facilitatethe Hawklet Leadership Fund,
which we'll get more into as wetalk today.
(05:03):
And um that was just created forour benefactors to support
athletic teams, co-curricularsof their choosing what they're
passionate about to support theRockurst student experience
here.
So cool.
Um I'll kick it over to Mora forher to tell a little bit about
her role.
SPEAKER_03 (05:19):
Thanks, Martin.
We're happy to have Martin onour team to uh spread the wealth
a little bit.
I'm Mora Healy.
I am starting my 13th year atRockhurst.
I am the director of engagement,which is kind of a nebulous
title.
I work with the parents on theParents Club, all the Parents
Club activities.
So I get to plan a lot of eventsin cooperation with our parents:
(05:43):
the mother-son Mass and Brunch,the father-son bags tournament,
the mother-son dinner dance, andI'm also involved in the
fundraising aspect of thephilanthropy and engagement team
with coordinating theSpectacular Auction, which is
Rocker's largest fundraiser.
(06:03):
The date this year is April18th.
SPEAKER_04 (06:06):
Okay.
SPEAKER_03 (06:06):
Save that date.
I am the mother of five childrenand the grandmother of 10
children.
Oh wow.
My youngest son graduated in2014.
I'm gonna tell a little story onthe Rodosevich family.
Lori started volunteering whenMark Martin was a freshman, and
(06:28):
Maddox was enough younger thatMrs.
Rodosevich was a parents' clubpresident twice for me.
So the Rodoseovich family isvery involved in Rockhurst, and
we appreciate all that they do.
SPEAKER_00 (06:41):
Awesome.
And I'd like to thank Maura forher mentorship and helping me
become reacclimated withRockhurst and showing me the
behind the scenes info here anddifferent things that as a
student you really don't see ona day-to-day basis.
And I think that what she doesas a part of the PE team and it
(07:01):
speaks volumes, and the auctionis an unbelievable success every
year.
And she organizes so manydifferent events, as she alluded
to, with having parents beinvolved with their son's
experience here.
And Mora is a huge, she makes ahuge impact on the Rockers
experience.
And I'm very thankful that she'staken me under her wing and
(07:22):
helping me get a get back intothe Rockers experience.
SPEAKER_01 (07:26):
Very good student.
I love it.
And and so, Martin, I want topiggyback a little bit because
you and I started at the sametime.
And you know, I've had theluxury of talking on several of
these episodes about howgrateful I am to be back and
just involved in the communityon the other side of the fence.
(07:46):
And this is exciting for us totalk about because you guys do a
lot of work.
You you when I was and and Mora,I think it was homecoming.
I saw the home the whole week, Iwas like, this is unbelievable,
event after event andcoordinating this and getting
(08:09):
these people here and all ofthis.
And you know, I guess I wantthat to lead into this question
because you guys are constantlyengaging our community in
different aspects, and we are acommunity that lives off of
people's willingness to give andsupport us in various ways,
whether we're talking abouttheir time, their treasures, or
(08:30):
their talents.
What is so important, other thanobviously us functioning as a as
a as a school, but why do youthink that is so important for
that to be you know takingplace?
And we have to go and you know,I dare say, you know, drive the
ship.
But like how do what's soimportant about that in this
(08:52):
community, or what's so specialabout this community that's
willing to do that?
SPEAKER_00 (08:56):
Since coming back to Rockhurst and being in this role
and not working at the school, Ithink what really stands out to
me about the people that workhere and that make these events
and everything happen is howmuch they're passionate about
making the experience for theyoung boys here a success and
(09:17):
really motivating to continue topush the needle on a daily basis
and elevate the rockers'experience.
And that's something that reallyhas stood out to me is the group
that we work with and thedifferent parts of the school
always coming together andstriving towards the same
mission and goals of formingyoung young boys into men for
(09:41):
others and into future leadersof this world.
And I think that's really thecore of what we do.
And there's gonna be long days,and uh, there's gonna be the
with alumni reunion weekendsomething going on every single
day, and you're you're grindingit out.
But what really I think made ita special experience on the
(10:02):
working side of things is we itwe got to celebrate our alumni
and welcome so many graduates ofRocker Sci school back to this
place and back home.
And I think that that continuesto be the motivation for all of
us is we dig deep and continueto work hard and and push the
needle to elevate the experiencehere and have have it continue
(10:24):
to grow.
And that's something I thinkthat working here and being in
this side has really beenspecial and meaningful to me.
Cool.
SPEAKER_03 (10:31):
For me, uh so many parents come from the parochial
schools, and those parochialschools are classes of 50, 60
students, and then they come toRockhurst and the class is 200
students or more.
And I want the parents to feellike it's their community as
well.
We do a great job of getting thechildren, the students involved
(10:55):
in things, and I want theparents to be involved so they
feel a part of the community.
And I the moms that work at thefront desk, they beam with pride
when their boys come up to sayhello to them.
Or the moms are downstairspassing out donuts on the first
freshman day of service, andtheir students, their boys are
(11:18):
coming up and saying hi, mom.
And that it just brings theminto the community.
And my goal is to bring everyparent into the community at
whatever level they want to beinvolved.
That's cool.
SPEAKER_02 (11:31):
I think that's really cool.
And so thinking back to legacy,I really think about my grandma
and my dad's mom when my dad andmy uncle were attending Rockers
in the late 60s, early 70s, andthe kind of lasting legacy of
the Parents Club.
So back then they were doingthings like Sailorama.
I think there was like some kindof Folly show that they did.
(11:54):
But these these moms and dadsthat were very committed to
doing things to support theschool back then.
And then I think back to when mybrothers were here and my mom
was involved heavily and soinvolved that when my brothers
graduated, she kind of missedher rockers' moms.
And so they uh formed a littlegroup called the Rockettes,
which I know is is experiencinga revival.
(12:16):
I'm excited about that.
Yeah.
Just as an opportunity for thosemoms that have built
relationships, you know, duringtheir time here and when their
boys are here to get togetherand and do something and give
back to the community, which Ithink is great.
So this idea that you guys havebeen here, you know, 12 years
and you know, a couple months,but this train has been moving
for a very long time and isreally, really reliant on that
(12:38):
community and that sense ofcommunity.
So thank you guys for that.
Just, I know you're very new,but if you can think back, like
what is one of your favoritestories you've had so far in
your current role?
Maybe it's an experience you hadwith a family.
I know you mentioned a littlebit just seeing mom's pride when
they see their sons throughoutthe school day.
(12:59):
But what's it maybe one givingstory, one volunteer story that
you really have enjoyed so farand um in your time here?
SPEAKER_00 (13:07):
Yeah, so one of my favorite stories actually
happened just last week.
So our golf team they ran afundraiser and a golf tournament
for a local nonprofit calledPete's Garden out at Oakwood
Country Club last week.
And one of the student leaders,a senior Connor Vickers, was
(13:29):
really the one that took chargeof this event and did a terrific
job in organizing it, sendingout invitations and inviting
people to participate in it,whether they were a golfer,
whether they supported it in thePete's Garden Initiative and
contributed that way, or evenhelping with the pre-the- the sh
(13:51):
the event before the tournamentbegan and the post-event as
well, and giving out prizes andthings like that.
And to me, that's exactly whatsuccessful community engagement
looks like is the when you thinkof time, talent, and treasure,
those those boys they gave uptheir Thursday afternoon to go
run that event after school andbe a part of that.
(14:13):
And using their talents, they'reall on the golf team.
They were able to integratetheir experience as a member of
the golf team into a charitableway and really make that happen.
And um, they the the team raisedover$17,000 for Pete's Garden
and really made a huge impact onthat organization and um did a
(14:34):
wonderful job.
And you know, that's what wewant to see is and have our
coaches and moderators and ourteams and co-curriculars
consider is how can we make animpact on the community while
using our talents and what we dowell and creatively think of
ways that we can we can do that.
And I the golf the golf team didthat beautifully, and we're so
(14:57):
proud of Connor and the hardwork and effort he did to
organize that and to make thatevent a success.
And we're really excited to seethat continue for years to come.
SPEAKER_03 (15:07):
One of my favorite stories is similar to Martin's,
but during COVID, the studentshad a difficult time getting
their service requirementcompleted.
And so the moms came up with theidea of doing a student parent
service project.
And we've done that for a numberof years.
(15:27):
We started it in COVID and it'scontinued.
We've done it at Habitat forHumanity, we've done it with
Giving the Basics, and this yearfor sophomores and juniors in
February, the the parents andstudents will get together to
build bicycles for CASA.
And so I'm really excited aboutthat opportunity.
(15:49):
And the parent that is leadingit now, Katie Cowan, has worked
really hard to do to create anopportunity that would be
interesting and engaging forboth the students and the
parents, and still help thecommunity in a meaningful way.
So they're going to be buildingbicycles, and then CASA will
(16:10):
deliver those bicycles to thethe children that are part of
CASA.
So that's one thing.
The other that I want to mentionis what Beth brought up about
the relationships that parentsform when they are together at
Rockhurst and working forRockhurst, volunteering for
Rockhurst.
(16:30):
The f the sports teams, that's anatural way to build your
relationships.
But when you're volunteering andyou're working together for a
common purpose, I havevolunteers that are Rockettes,
so they're alumni moms, and theycome back and their student has
graduated four, five, six yearsago, and they still come back
(16:52):
every year and help with theauction.
They help with parents' clubactivities, they bring other
people to come and play bingofor the ladies' bingo night.
So they still feel thatconnection to Rockhurst and they
still feel part of thecommunity.
And that's really the goal.
SPEAKER_01 (17:13):
Excuse me.
And I'm curious, with your rolesbeing so heavily geared or
centered around giving, right?
You're you're dealing with folksthat want to give again their
time, their talent, theirtreasure.
How or what impact do you seethat have on our young men?
And and and hopefully I askedthat question well enough, uh,
(17:35):
although it's pretty pump, butlike we're talking about a long
historic legacy of young menseeing a community give and give
and give and want to beinvolved.
How do you think that impactsour boys?
SPEAKER_03 (17:51):
I think that the boys see their what their
parents are doing, and the boysdemonstrate uh what they've
learned from their parentsthrough mission week, through
the community food drive that wedo at Thanksgiving, through uh
the days of service.
They're it's ingrained in themand they know it.
And so it's not a big deal tothem to want to reach out, just
(18:16):
like with what Connor did forPete's Garden.
It's in their hearts.
Yeah.
And and they see that from theirparents and they they want to
continue that mission.
And it's part of the Jesuitmission.
Martin was talking aboutmission-driven work.
It it's part of who they are,and it just becomes a part of
(18:36):
the whole.
SPEAKER_00 (18:37):
To go along with that, I think that as a young
boy that comes here thinkingabout my time at Rockhurst, you
grow so attached to this placeand you develop a love for the
school and for the brothers thatyou walk the halls with here.
And I think that it adds anotherlayer to this experience when
(18:59):
you have your family involved involunteering, or you know, if
they're they're around at yourevents, and that's really what
makes it special.
And there's so many wonderfulways that and so many stories
that uh that we can think of.
But I think that that's reallyit, it continues to I think
that's what makes it a specialexperience is if your family is
(19:20):
involved, then they becomeattached.
And I think that really is shownbest through the Roquettes
because the those parents havehad sons go through this place
and have have departed here, butthey still have that special
place in their heart for rockersthat they continue to give their
time and and treasure and canand want to see this place
(19:40):
succeed for future hawklets.
And so I think that the parentinvolvement, my mom being so
involved volunteering anddedicating her time here is
really, I think, what made myexperience even better because
yeah, when she was at the frontdesk, it was always if I was
having a tough day, uh, youknow, and I had a tough test or
(20:01):
assignment, I could always gothere and you know, she would
just she would say hello and wewould check in.
So I think for those moments tohelp get through Rockhst and you
know, have the that affinity forthe school, I think really comes
out with the the parents andtheir involvement here.
And shout out to the moms.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (20:20):
I tell you this, and and this is coming from a mama's
boy.
I don't care how tough they tryto act, when mom is up at the
front, we get to see boys allthe time go up there, and and
mom is still mom.
So from from a mama's boy to allthe moms out there, we
appreciate you and what you guysdo for our community because
none of us would be here withoutyou.
SPEAKER_00 (20:42):
Yeah, no doubt.
And there was also anotheraspect of Rockers that I wasn't
even aware about that impactsour faculty and staff.
So there is a group of parentsthat is in charge of organizing
the candy jar in the faculty andstaff studio.
And yes, and yeah, Steve, do youknow about this candy jar?
(21:04):
Well, I know that I didn't knowparents were responsible for
that.
SPEAKER_03 (21:07):
Oh, yes, that's one of one of my committees.
SPEAKER_00 (21:11):
So my dad's my dad talks about this candy jar all
the time, and I didn't evenrealize that it was parents that
were the ones that were gettingthe candy and making sure it got
to the studio and organizing allof that until Laura at the
Parents Club meeting said thatthat was one of the biggest ways
that parents could get involvedand make sure that the faculty
and staff feel appreciated forall their hard work and forming
(21:34):
our young men.
SPEAKER_03 (21:35):
Absolutely.
I also want to mention that thefundraising that the
philanthropy and engagement teamdoes supports financial aid,
tuition assistance for ourstudents.
And that is so important to allof our students so that any
student who wants to come toRockhurst can come whether they
(21:59):
can afford it or not.
You know, the hundred percent oftuition assistance, let me say
that again, hundred percent ofdemonstrated need is uh
available to a family.
Absolutely, and that is so, soimportant.
SPEAKER_02 (22:14):
And that's funny, that's a perfect segue because I
was gonna chime in with kind ofmy favorite memory tied to this.
And what drew me to rockers inthe first place seven years ago
when I came here is that I wasworking at Holy Cross in
Historic Northeast, which is oneof our Hurtado scholar schools.
And Mart uh sorry, MarvinGrillio and Father Sheehan, I
(22:38):
spent a lot of time with in mytime at Holy Cross talking about
our boys, you know, making sureeverybody was on the same page
to help them be successful bothat Holy Cross and at Rockhurst.
And when the job opened inadmissions, Father Sheehan was
actually the first person totell me about it, say, you need
to come over here.
But I will say that HurtadoScholars is one of the reasons
(23:00):
that I considered coming here.
And it's because it's such animportant program because it's
more than just a scholarshipfund, right?
That's a huge part of it, likeyou said, and we're uh making
rockers accessible andaffordable.
But more importantly, it'sacademic support and preparation
that certain students in ourcommunity need.
And it provides that for themand it provides a sense of
(23:23):
community.
So these boys are together forthree years before they even get
to rockers.
Their parents get to know eachother, it builds a community.
And one of those young men,Angel Becerra from the class of
24, I got to see from sixthgrade.
Yeah.
Yep, sixth grade on, kind ofgrow and form into the young
man, very impressive young manthat he is.
(23:44):
And kind of the the crowningmoment for for him was receiving
the Jack Kent Cook scholarshipto Georgetown, where he
currently is a sophomore, whichis a huge opportunity.
And none of that would have beenpossible if it wasn't for the
support and the donors we havehere at Rockhurst to give him
that academic preparation tosucceed here and the the
(24:08):
financial aid to make itpossible for his family.
So I know they are very thankfulfor that.
I know Angel's very thankful forthat.
I'm very thankful for thatbecause I got to kind of see a
kid that I knew had greatpotential to achieve something,
get the opportunity to achieveit.
So you're absolutely right.
The the work that our P ⁇ Edepartment does is essential in
the support of our community,not just alums, but parents,
(24:32):
friends of the school.
It's it's so essential to whatwe do.
SPEAKER_03 (24:36):
The Hurtado Scholars program is a hidden gem of
Rockhurst.
And we work really hard tospread the word about the
Hurtado Scholars within thecommunity and outside of the
Rockers community, but thegreater Kansas City community.
One of my favorite memories fromthis school year, this calendar
(24:58):
year was the graduation ceremonyfor the eighth grade Hurtado
scholars that occurred last May.
Those parents are so proud oftheir eighth graders who have
been accepted to Rockhurst.
They've completed grade school,and now they're coming to
Rockhurst.
And the joy and pride that is atthat ceremony and mass is
(25:22):
palpable.
It's a wonderful testimony toall the people that work with
the Hurtado Scholars.
SPEAKER_02 (25:30):
The impact of that, I mean, I've seen just over the
last seven years in admissions,going from the majority of the
boys having to take summerschool to nearly none of them
having to take summer school.
And if nothing else comes out ofthat, that's a pretty amazing
leap.
And yes, Anthony Ray does agreat job, Vanessa, Vanessa
Wegman, who are running thatprogram, Marvin Grillio and
(25:52):
Father Sheehan, who started theprogram, uh the principals that
we work with at our feederschools, everybody really, the
community all comes together tosupport these young men, and
it's great.
You're absolutely right aheadand Jim.
SPEAKER_01 (26:04):
And I want to just to under the same umbrella of
all of the stuff we're saying,you know, I want to take the
time to just highlight what Idon't want someone to skip over.
Is that's how much people careabout this experience at
Rockhurst is we have donors thatwill commit to making sure that
(26:28):
this is affordable.
That, hey, if if there's a youngman that wants to come here, you
know, the hundred percent havedemonstrated or exhibited need,
you know, financially, we'llmake sure we can get a get him
in here.
And if you're listening to this,I I want to break the myth that
(26:50):
you know, this is for certaintype of people, you you you
gotta be super wealthy to gohere, all of that stuff.
It's not true.
It's absolutely not true.
And you know, the reason part ofthis podcast when me and Beth
were talking about starting apodcast was to be able to tell
the truth about what Rockhurstis, and that's the truth.
(27:11):
People care so much about whatthis does for young men, they
have committed funds to makesure that anyone who wants to
come here will be able to comehere, and I think that's just
really powerful, and I don'twant people to skip over that
because we know that, right?
We come here every day, youknow.
We we know what we do here, butbeing able to make sure that
folks out there understand hey,this is this is for everybody,
(27:35):
and that means a lot to me.
So definitely appreciate all thework that goes into this.
Let me ask this question becausewe gotta you got a couple more
questions, but is theresomething that you guys would
like to see, you know, impactedby community giving?
Like, is there an area that whenyou're working and you're going
(27:56):
to do what you do on a dailybasis that you're like, man, I
wish we could or I'm lookingforward to being able to move
the needle in this area.
SPEAKER_03 (28:07):
I think that's gonna come to light in our strategic
planning.
Okay.
There is so much, you know, wehadn't had a strategic plan in a
really long time.
And David Laughlin and the Boardof Trustees have worked really
hard and for a number of yearson this strategic plan.
And there is so much coming thatI don't want to burst his
(28:31):
balloon.
I like that.
SPEAKER_02 (28:35):
So appreciate you giving the good lead in.
So listen in for more detailsthere.
SPEAKER_00 (28:40):
Yeah, that that'll be very exciting.
For me, I think I'll answer it'sin starting my this new role.
And the position that I'm in wascreated through the strategic
planning uh process.
And so I think that one of mygoals is to start putting what
we've been preparing intoaction, and we want to have
(29:03):
consistency with the boys'experiences here.
Okay, a lot of our teams do aphenomenal job of hosting
events, creating programmingoutside of competition, and do a
really good job of the communityengagement aspect.
And why I was brought here andwhat this role is, the
philosophy behind it is to helpsupport our coaches and
(29:26):
moderators.
Since they have a lot on theirplate, whether it's in the
classroom teaching theircourses, and they might be
moderators of three, four, fivedifferent clubs coaching as
well.
I'm here to support them andhelp take some of that pressure
off and creating the events andoutside of competition and
(29:47):
practice and games and andevents and making that happen.
So what I am excited about is tobegin putting this into practice
and creating these masses andservice opportunities and um
parent engagement social eventsso we can create that community
engagement aspect and bring thatto life here in the future.
(30:08):
Cool.
SPEAKER_02 (30:10):
I know coming up, our listeners who are mostly
alums, parents, students of thisgreat community, they have a
great opportunity to give backwith Giving Tuesday on November
11th.
And that's that was reallydesigned to help boost our
annual fund called the ErieFund.
But Really to try and getengagement all on one day, which
(30:32):
I think is a great thing.
And I know I was excited to takepart in some of the promo
videos.
Although we realize, Steve, thatI'm way better on the microphone
than I am in front of thecamera.
Thank God Robbie Hayden from PEcan cut things together in a
nice way.
But, you know, it was a greatopportunity for me to share my
thanks to our donors, which Itruly feel.
(30:54):
But if you're looking for a wayto support Rockers, that's a
great opportunity.
I know it's really there's ahuge push to increase our alumni
giving across the board, butalso look at bigger community
and wider community as anopportunity to give.
You brought up the auction,Moira, which I'm really happy
you did.
Um so saving the date for thatis April 18th.
(31:15):
Is it April 18th?
April 18th.
So mark that on your calendar.
But what other opportunities arecoming up for giving of either
their time or their talent ortheir treasure?
SPEAKER_03 (31:25):
So this week is the conclusion of Hispanic Heritage
Month.
And we at Rocker celebrateHispanic Heritage Month with
student activities.
Last week there was a Hispanictrivia contest where the
students participated and couldwin prizes.
There was also a dress down day.
(31:46):
We do all of this, and there's araffle that this week is the
last week to buy raffle ticketsfor Sporting KC Autograph Jersey
or a Chris Jones AutographFootball.
And we do this in conjunctionwith the Hispanic Development
Fund.
And the Hispanic DevelopmentFund matches all the money that
we raise dollar for dollar, andit comes back to our seniors who
(32:10):
apply for college scholarships,seniors of Hispanic Heritage,
and they receive scholarships tocollege.
So that's one thing that'shappening right now.
We also have the father-son bagstournament on Saturday.
So we'll have 200 of our fathersand sons playing cornhole for
(32:32):
prizes and pride.
Then next week is the ladies'bingo, Mamma Mia bingo.
That sounds like a lot of fun.
A lot of fun.
So there are lots ofopportunities.
And then we roll right into thefirst week of November where we
have the alumni, alumni for all,which is Rock Connect for the
(32:53):
first hour.
And we run it goes right intothe Father Percelli spaghetti
dinner, which is a longtimealumni tradition.
And then the Rock Giving Day isNovember 11th.
And that opens the season ofgiving that will go right
through the National GivingTuesday, which I believe this
year is December 2nd.
(33:15):
So there's lots ofopportunities.
All of those events require alot of volunteer participation
to set them up, to work them, tohelp clean them up, tear them
down, as well as participationjust to have fun.
So where can parents findinformation on volunteering?
On our website, under Parentsand Students, there is a list of
(33:38):
parent volunteer opportunitiesand it's all-encompassing.
Another thing that Martin and Iare working on is a web page on
our website that is open toparents, always there, always
easy to access with everythingthat both of us are working on
at the time with theco-curriculars and athletic
(34:00):
events as well as the otherparent activities.
SPEAKER_02 (34:04):
That's great.
That I'm sure will be veryhelpful and make a lot of
parents happy.
Because I know one of the thingsI've heard from parents is,
well, I can't be there duringthe day, but there's so many
opportunities on the night, atnight, on the weekends.
So I always try and drive themyour way because everybody wants
to be involved and have theopportunity.
But sometimes it's just aboutknowing how to get involved.
(34:27):
So thank you for sharing that.
Absolutely.
Kind of close things out.
We've been asking this of all ofour guests.
And you as an alumni mom and youas an alum of the school are
both very qualified people, Ithink, to answer it.
But if you could tell aprospective family the number
one reason they should sendtheir son to Rockers, what would
it be?
SPEAKER_00 (34:45):
I would tell them that through the Rockers
experience, that their son willhave a place they can call home
for the rest of their life.
And there's one thing thatreally stood out to me at my
graduation.
It's when Father Baum addressedthe class and said, Gentlemen,
(35:05):
you will always have a home at9301 State Line Road from this
point moving forward.
And I think that that isexemplified in so many different
ways.
And for this place, it is justthe legacy and the continuance
of this for over a hundred yearsof Rockhurst.
It has just done so much goodfor this world.
(35:28):
And to be a part of this is anhonor and and it's a blessing
every day to now return in thisrole and to be on the
philanthropy and engagement teamin this role.
And the to be reconnected withclassmates, alumni from all
generations in so many differentexperiences is a lifelong
(35:49):
impact.
And so that's really what setsthe Rockers experience apart is
you have a place that you'regoing to make lifelong friends,
lifelong brothers, and somewherethat you can always go back to
and people are going to supportyou and care for you no matter
what.
SPEAKER_03 (36:04):
That's great.
Yeah.
And for me, beyond the uhtop-notch education and the the
faith formation and theformation of the whole person.
When my son Robbie was afreshman, we were in the Rose
Theater and listening to DeanAlvey and Father Baum and Greg
Harkness.
(36:25):
And then Judy Scanlon got up andsaid to us as parents, but also
to the boys, look to your left,look to your right.
These students, these boyssitting next to you, they are
going to be the best man at yourwedding.
They are going to be the uhgodparent to your child.
(36:46):
And that is so true.
So it's about the relationshipsthat was demonstrated a couple
weeks ago at the alumni reunionweekend where people came back
because a friend that theyhadn't seen in years was being
inducted into the Hall of Fame.
And they walked into the roomand it was a big bear hug.
(37:07):
These guys hadn't seen eachother in 20 years, but they
connected right back to wherethey were.
It's about the relationships,it's the friends that you've
made, the the your classmates,and how how that's gonna impact
you the rest of your life.
You don't know when, you don'tknow where, but the
(37:27):
relationships because you wentto Rockhurst are going to
benefit you.
SPEAKER_02 (37:33):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (37:33):
Yeah.
No, I I've got nothing.
That's a great way to close theepisode.
SPEAKER_02 (37:38):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (37:39):
Uh for sure.
SPEAKER_02 (37:40):
And it ties in perfectly because, Steve, next
week we're gonna be invitingsome of our alums to come back
and kind of talk a little bitmore about why they choose to
stay engaged with the school andand to give back to the school,
both financially and with theirvolunteering.
And we'll have also on thatepisode uh Meredith Suarez, our
director of alumni relations, isgoing to join us.
(38:01):
So it'll be a great episode tokind of see what keeps people
coming back.
I think we got a great previewtoday.
So thank you guys so much fortaking time to meet with us and
look forward to seeing everybodynext week.
Thanks for having us.
SPEAKER_00 (38:13):
Thank you guys.
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