November 17, 2025 • 34 mins
What if the best measure of a school isn’t just where graduates go, but who they become? We sit down with President David Laughlin to unpack how Rockhurst High School forms young men who work hard, love well, and aim their gifts toward something bigger than themselves. Across four decades in Catholic education, David maps the Jesuit DNA that powers our culture: prayer that frames the day, retreats that reset priorities, service that tempers ambition, and a rigorous college prep program that treats study habits as spiritual habits.
You’ll hear how excellence at Rockhurst avoids the comparison game. We talk about confident humility—reaching for high standards not to outdo others, but to honor the Giver of the gift. From STEM labs and speech team to choir and athletics, faculty set clear expectations and coach students into them. The rumor that “it’s a lot of work” becomes a rhythm when you look left and right and see everyone leaning in. That shared effort builds joy and resilience, making early mornings, office hours, and rehearsals feel like a path, not a punishment.
We also travel with David through alumni stories that stretch from Kansas City to San Diego, New Orleans, and Houston. The thread is striking: graduates stay connected, lead with purpose, and carry Rockhurst habits into families, careers, and communities. As the metro’s only all-boys Jesuit high school, Rockhurst holds a distinctive place—shaped by history, energized by parents and Jesuits, and committed to forming men for others. If you’re weighing where your son can be known, challenged, and guided, this conversation offers a clear window into a school where faith, scholarship, brotherhood, and service come to life.
If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help more families discover Rockhurst.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (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,
(00:54):
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'm your host, Steve Redman,one of the directors of
Admissions and Marketing.
(01:14):
And I am here today with theone, the only Mr.
David Laughlin, who is ourpresident of this great
institution.
Mr.
Laughlin, if you would introduceyourself to the people, please.
SPEAKER_01 (01:27):
Sure, it's great to be with you today, Steve.
Appreciate you with thisinnovation and the podcast.
And I'm grateful to be servingas the president at Rockhurst.
I'm in my eighth year as ourpresident, but it's my 13th year
overall.
And as you well know, uh Iserved as principal here in the
early 2000s when a younger SteveRedmond was running around the
hallways.
SPEAKER_00 (01:47):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (01:48):
And uh it's just been great to be back.
And I've spent 36 years inJesuit all boys' college prep
schools and for two years at aSacred Heart school.
So I'm approaching 40 years inCatholic secondary ed.
SPEAKER_00 (02:01):
Man, and and and yes, uh, for those of you who
don't know, Mr.
Laughlin was my principal when Iwas here in 2000 to 2004, and we
privately joke about how we werethe reason he might have walked
away for a time.
Because we were No, no, that'snot true.
SPEAKER_01 (02:20):
You guys had a powerful class, you were a
little rambunctious.
SPEAKER_00 (02:24):
We uh I've seen a lot of classes over we we we had
some some really good times, andtruthfully, some of you I say
some of your leadership, all ofyour leadership was very
formative for for for me and Iknow a lot of my classmates when
we look back on that time.
So we appreciate your serviceand your leadership over the
(02:45):
years.
And I think that leads me to aquestion I'm curious about
because this this this episode,folks, is gonna be a little bit
different because, you know,with the amount of time you've
spent in this game, Mr.
Laughlin, I'm curious.
Like what you said you'reapproaching 40 years in in
(03:06):
Catholic education.
What is like what goes on in amind like that that keeps you in
this for that amount of time?
SPEAKER_01 (03:18):
I mean, I can go all the way back to my own
discernment in college aboutwhat it was I wanted to study
and to do.
You know, I came from a familywith great love and great
parents, but my parents didn'tattend college, so in terms of
giving us direction, they wantedus to go to college, but they
didn't necessarily have a lot ofadvice to give out because they
didn't have that experience.
(03:39):
So yeah, I prayed and discerneda lot about what I wanted to do,
and I I knew I wanted to go intoeducation, and I don't I don't
know for sure, but I thinklooking back on it, probably I
had a really good experience.
I had a lot of great teachersand coaches and mentors, and
that struck something in me thatI could I could choose to do as
a vocation.
Now, having made that choiceobviously years and years ago at
(04:00):
at Creighton University, Iwouldn't have ever imagined my
life's journey.
I wouldn't have imagined leavingOmaha, Nebraska where I'm from.
But I think part of the power ofJesuit education was making the
spiritual exercises and thenjust being open to kind of
discernment and God's call.
And that's led me on quite apath.
So really grateful to be atRockhurst, but it all goes back
(04:22):
to a kid in college trying tofigure out what he was gonna do,
and and uh, you know, it's beena lifetime evocation.
SPEAKER_00 (04:28):
Yeah, and and I mean that's interesting.
Like part of what I enjoy aboutdoing this podcast is just
getting to know people moredeeply.
I was similar in a way, youknow, my parents didn't go to
college, and so when I got tocollege, I was figuring out a
lot of stuff, but uh that'sthat's powerful.
SPEAKER_01 (04:47):
And you went to did you go to Creighton Prep and
then go to Cray or where did youNo, I my father was a graduate
of Creighton Prep, but I went touh Benedictine High School,
Mount Michael, it's called, justoutside of Omaha.
It's a very small school.
I had 28 uh young men in mygraduating class.
Wow, so it's a really smallplace.
It was a boarding high schoolback then.
It takes both now boarders andday students.
(05:10):
And I would say I went therebecause it was the direction my
parents gave me.
I like I didn't know much aboutthe place, they just said this
would be a good idea.
Um so my familiarity with theJesuits really started at
Creighton University.
SPEAKER_00 (05:23):
Okay, and then that leads me to this question
because as I've been back, Ihave I I think I told a parent
this the other day of the stuffthat I wasn't paying attention
to when I was in school, I amfar more interested in now, and
I'm amazed at the the Jesuitreach in education.
(05:44):
And you know, the map that wehave in our hallway, I'll stop
when I give tours and show,like, hey, when we say the
Jesuits are in the business ofeducating, it's worldwide.
What is a what what are theparallels of a Jesuit university
in um to like Rockhurst HighSchool, for instance?
(06:06):
Like what is what does that looklike or a connection there?
SPEAKER_01 (06:10):
Well, it it can depend on the university or the
high school.
I mean, we're all Jesuit in thatwe're sponsored by the Society
of Jesus, right?
So the Jesuits are the RockhurstHigh School is owned by the
Jesuits, run by the Jesuits.
It's the sponsoring religiousorder.
Uh at university level, some ofthe governance of that around
(06:30):
that can be a little bitdifferent in terms of of what
happens, but effectively you'retrying to live out that that
charism.
And a high school is obviously asmaller place than a university.
But they're effectively on thesame mission, yeah.
Just sometimes dealing withdifferent operational matters,
different structural matters.
But you're on the same mission.
SPEAKER_00 (06:50):
Yeah.
Yeah.
And speaking of mission, youknow, we talk about this a lot
here and it's a big mission,even at a high school.
But what are some of the majorfactors that go into us at
Rockhurst High School pressinginto that mission?
And if you would, let me backup.
(07:12):
For those listeners who mightnot be super familiar with
Rockhurst High School and themission, can you explain the
mission and how we go aboutexecuting on that mission on a
daily basis?
SPEAKER_01 (07:25):
Yeah, I mean, I think I think the most immediate
and direct way we serve ourstudents is providing them a
great college preparatoryeducation.
And so that's not just academicselections.
It's uh it's it's hard work andstudy, study skills, study
habits, how to ask for help, howto prepare them to go into
(07:46):
higher education so that they'reequipped not just to survive,
but to excel.
And and and the reason for thathas to do with the vision that
Ignatius had, which he calledthe multiplier effect.
How do you take bright andcapable students from a
metropolitan area and providethem a rigorous education so
that as they go on, they'regonna use that education to
(08:07):
serve their families, theirtheir neighborhoods, their
cities, their communities, theirchurches in a way that makes the
world a better place.
I mean, so at a reallyfundamental level, the the
nature of our curriculum and ourformation program that is unique
is is the core of the mission.
(08:27):
Now, there's deeper languageunderneath all of that.
So the we're a Catholic school,and the Catholic Church is
certainly a worldwide entity,but as a Jesuit school, a
religious order school likeRockhurst is living out a
charism, a particular way thespirit works in the church.
And for the Jesuits, that was inthe founder of St.
Ignatius, the spiritualexercises.
(08:49):
And there's a lot of uhcatchphrases that fall around
that finding God in all thingsand Father Rupe's men for others
talk.
But I think at the end of theday, that that goal, the deeper
spiritual goal of the school, isto help students come to know
and love Jesus Christ and serveGod with their talents.
(09:09):
And those talents, becauseJesuit spirituality is really
fine truly finding God in allthings.
And if you think about theintellectual pursuits that I
just talked about, that's notseparate from retreats and
service.
Whether you're talking about thestudy of science or math or
history or language and culture,whether you're talking about
(09:30):
sports teams, theater, music,robotics, everything that we
undertake at Rockhurst is partof creation.
And everything in creation hasthe chance to lead us closer to
God.
It's all about our orientation.
How do we how do we orientourselves to recognize that it's
all coming from God and to useit in a way that draws us closer
(09:51):
to God and therefore our actionsbecome actions that are
reflective of the service ofGod.
SPEAKER_00 (09:59):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (10:00):
So, like the Jesuit concept of trying to be
excellent, right?
I mean, I've I've joked, and itshould be a joke, but it's a
joke.
Like, we teach many things wellat Rockhurst, but two things we
don't teach well is RSVPs andhumility.
So, like, there's this fine linebetween arrogance and
(10:21):
confidence.
Yeah.
And to have somebody who'sconfidently humble, they don't
mind pursuing excellence becausein our tradition, in the
charism, then the excellenceisn't making myself better than
somebody else.
The excellence is a reflectionof a service to God.
SPEAKER_00 (10:37):
Correct.
SPEAKER_01 (10:37):
And therefore, I get out of this kind of competitive
plane of whether or not we'rewe're beating somebody else, and
I live more into the question,am I living into my potential?
So I think at a deeper level,that's a very long answer,
Steve.
I love it.
At a deeper level, our coremission is helping people to
(10:57):
understand do they recognizeGod's hand in their life?
And are they responding to theabundance of the grace of
whatever they are doing everyday by responding ever more
deeply and applying themselvesin a way that is excellent and
that gives glory to God?
SPEAKER_00 (11:13):
Yeah.
I enjoy that answer a lot, and Ithink that's powerful because
when I talk to our young men,and the more acclimated I am day
to day and meeting new guys andgoing to talk to classes and all
of those things, helping themdigest that is a personal
(11:35):
mission I have because when Iwas here, although I had you
know my own set of trouble athome and different distractions,
uh one thing that I appreciatedabout this place was the
expectation of use your gifts tohonor and glorify God.
Whatever those are.
(11:56):
And you could look around andyou could see the the the
studious academic, you could seethe theater art guy, you could
see the science guy, you couldsee the athlete, the whole and
and what I tell our young man,you know, when I say I want you
to press into the brotherheadsooner, I want you to see what
(12:16):
this opportunity environmentactually is.
Because when you can look aroundand you can see a bunch of
different guys all held to thesame standard, and all of them
are doing or are excelling andexceeding and or trying to, you
are in an environment whereyou're naturally going to do
this.
You're going to rise, right?
(12:37):
You're going to I didn't want tobe the guy that came from here
that didn't do something great.
I'll be honest with you, I wrotea book with the with the
thought.
A lot of people don't know.
And and part of it was my heart,my passion.
It was, you know, I'm very bigon helping, you know,
God-fearing athletes navigatesport well.
(12:58):
It's one of my things that I wasdoing before I was here.
I still do it.
But part of the thing was I wantto do something to honor the
Lord with my gifts of writingand communicating and whatever,
but I also don't want to be theguy that didn't do something
that came from this great place.
And it's this interestingdynamic, but it starts with all
(13:20):
of that in getting them tounderstand this is about you and
the Lord and doing that.
SPEAKER_01 (13:29):
It's interesting when I talk to prospective
families, and it's kind of beenthis way for a year, and
certainly at Rockurst, but atany of my stops, there's this
concern/slash question of, well,you know, kind of I hear it's a
lot of work in order to do that,right?
And I I like to talk about theself-fulfilling prophecy.
I think one of the reasons thatthat pocklets rise is this nice
(13:50):
combination of the expectationsour faculty, our staff, our
coaches, our moderators set.
Like if you've heard our choirsing, you know Dr.
Coker's setting a very highstandard, and and guys get there
because he's got talented guys,but he's gonna get them there,
and he's not gonna let them notget there.
And that's true across uh ourcurriculum in a number of ways.
But the the self-fulfillingprophecy is students who say,
(14:13):
Okay, if I'm gonna be successfulthere, I have to apply myself.
And then they look to their leftand they look to their right,
and everybody else is applyingthemselves.
And so suddenly what seemed likesomething that was gonna be hard
to overcome, or a worry, if youwill, on the part of somebody,
gosh, I hear it's a lot of workthere.
Suddenly it just becomes therhythm of school.
SPEAKER_00 (14:33):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (14:34):
And you're and you're applying yourself in a
way that is is escalating kindof what your potential is in a
way that I think is thetradition of Jesuit education.
SPEAKER_00 (14:44):
Yeah.
And I and I had a con I havethis conversation often,
especially that I get more outand about and continue to try to
push, you know, the boundaries,if you will, of, you know, and
you know, because you you hiredme, like telling the real story
about this place.
And, you know, talking to folksabout that and realizing, oh,
(15:07):
you you don't know what goes onhere.
So I was talking to a parent,you know, not too long ago, and
you know, we were on a tour, andour boys just you know, it was a
longer tour than usual, and sothe boys are moving around.
And my wife also had the sameexperience, and she's looking
and like she they almost likethis astonishment of like
(15:30):
watching our how well behavedour young men are and they're
all working and they're all likeyou know, and there were boys
that were playing basketball anddoing this kind of stuff too,
but like it's like yeah, likewhat do you think they they
they're in an environment wherethey grow up and they realize,
oh, I I you said it this way, Ihave to apply myself.
(15:53):
Yeah, this you can't come inhere and think you're gonna
skate by.
It's not the design of it.
And what you find is our youngmen, they work, you they'll get
here early and they'll work,they'll stay after they'll work,
you know, they use their time tomake sure that they meet that
demand and they're better forit.
SPEAKER_01 (16:13):
Yeah, and I think I think if you think about the
human condition, like if Ireflect in my own life, and I
think if it's fair when peoplereflect on their lives, we we
feel more fulfilled andpurpose-driven when we are
working up to our potential.
So I I do see our guys work allthe time too, and they appear to
be quite happy and content doingit.
So I think that that's gotta bethat again, that rhythm of of
(16:35):
the culture of the school in away where you are moving in a
way that that you're tappinginto the potential God gave you.
And I think when we human beingsdirect ourselves that way, we're
we're happier.
We're we understand the thesacrifice of why the hard work
is there, and that happens in ain a culture, in a community of
reflection, too.
(16:56):
You know, we're praying threetimes a day, we're we're uh
we're going on retreatsperiodically to take a pause and
say, you know, what's been goingon in my life.
I had the same experience atOpen House this year.
One of my former students fromCreighton Prep came through with
his family.
Oh wow.
I'm kind of getting old, Steve.
I got I got former I got formerrocker students coming through
with their kids.
(17:16):
But but his wife said to me atthe end of the tour, I said, you
know, I hope you hadn't.
And she said, I had no idea uhthe breadth of what's offered at
the school.
She said, that the physicalfacility is amazing.
I've never been inside thebuilding.
And and her husband said, Yeah,I I guess we just didn't know
everything that was here.
And I said, Is that because youheard about our sports teams in
(17:37):
the in the media?
And she laughed and goes,Exactly.
And she said, But from fine artsto the STEM programs to kind of
all these things, she just said,I just I just didn't know that
about Yeah, yeah, and it andit's a big task.
SPEAKER_00 (17:49):
You know, we talk about it all the time of there's
how do we get better at tellingthe story because there are so
many great people, our faculty,our staff, our kids doing so
much great stuff.
It's not easy to uh put all ofthat out there to where people
can know.
And and you know, it's like,hey, we're working because
(18:12):
again, the expectation, youknow, today I was talking to
somebody, the expectation is thesame no matter who you are.
Right?
We're we will support you, wewill we will make sure you have
what you need to go glorify Godwith those gifts, and it's cool
to see what that looks like on aday-to-day basis.
So question for you You sit in avery unique seat, and not just
(18:36):
through your experience, but youget to see a perspective of this
place kind of from all angles.
What are some of your favoriteaspects of our community that
drive this mission to raise upthese young men to be you know
who the Lord called them to be?
SPEAKER_01 (18:55):
Oh gosh.
That's a that's a big question.
Uh let's see.
I I mean, yeah, I I do have aunique seat.
I mean, I I I joke and speakpretty openly, in some ways,
being the president of Rockhurstis the office of title and
ignorance.
I'm in charge of everything andI don't know anything.
Because there's so many elementsof every single school day,
(19:17):
thousands and thousands ofthousands of experiences and
interactions and goals andachievements.
So, broadly speaking, one of thethings that I observe with kind
of a humbleness of gratitude forjust the abundance of it is I I
say this, you know, I do a lotof public speaking on behalf of
the school.
I'm traveling to alumni indifferent cities or I'm talking
(19:38):
to parents.
And and one of the truths ofRockhurst High School for me in
that role is I I don't have tospend a lot of time researching
to prepare what I'm gonna sayabout what's happened lately at
school.
Like it's it's unbelievable onan every two-week basis.
Yeah, the things I can name thatour kids are achieving, that our
teachers are being recognizedfor.
Like it is just freakingunbelievable.
(19:59):
Right.
The the achievement that happensin our school.
And so, in some ways, my talkswrite themselves.
SPEAKER_00 (20:05):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (20:05):
Uh so I have that perspective because I am usually
talking about everything fromyou know, a need for a
benefactor to maybe support usto a mission-based program or
working with the local church toconnecting to a good
not-for-profit or a business inthe community to the actual core
of what we're doing on a dailybasis in the school.
(20:26):
And so just the abundance ofgrace, broadly speaking, is
there.
And then individually, things Ilove about the school.
I mean, we we have a fantasticfaculty and staff.
I think they're they're verytalented.
I think they're they're diverse.
I think we have a great set ofJesuits who are incredibly
dedicated and present andvisible, and that's very
(20:48):
fortunate.
We have great parents.
I mean, I I've not had theexperience in my eight years
here as the president when therewasn't a moment when the school
needed help in some regard thatif we ask for parent support,
like it's just there.
SPEAKER_00 (21:03):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (21:04):
And broadly speaking, we just have parents
who who are incrediblysupportive, like they've
enrolled their son here and theywant his success.
And so, generally speaking,they're gonna they're gonna
circle the wagons to try to helpus help him.
Um so gosh, there's there's alot of things.
And then in the alumni communityhere, you know, it's it's a it's
a proud group, it's an involvedgroup, and it's kind of the same
(21:24):
thing that it's whether it's ouralumni board of governors or
individual people with theirtalents and skill sets, I just
I've got lots of great storiesabout times you reached out to
help a person in this situationor that situation and that
network.
Yeah.
Is yeah, we're really fortunate.
It's easy to activate becausepeople are so good.
SPEAKER_00 (21:43):
And and I'm curious, this is, you know, as we're
having this conversation, I'm Ijust get curious.
So, like when you're on the roadand and folks, he's on the road
a lot, uh you know, talking totalk as he said, what kind of
peer me back in uh behind thatcurtain of like our alumni that
(22:05):
are far gone and far removed insome cases, right?
I know you go meet with youngones and just kind of all over
depending on where you're at,but what is their like
temperament or or what's theword I'm looking for?
Like, how do they respond orlike how are they engaged with
the community?
Like when you show up and you'rebringing them news, like what
(22:26):
are they like, I guess?
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (22:30):
It's interesting as we travel city to city, and we
like think last year we were in16 cities, this year we've
probably been in six or seven.
And I'll do a combination ofindividual appointments, and
then we try to have a gatheringand pull off.
And and to watch that kind ofroll and grow.
Sometimes the guys coming arenew, and so they tend to be like
interested in the high school,and times they've been
(22:51):
disconnected and they'rereconnecting because their lives
are busy somewhere else.
Other times they're the guysthat stay very deeply connected.
Uh and I would say, I would saythat that our alumni continue to
have a strong interest in theschool in the day and age of
social media and updates.
Most of them are coming.
(23:11):
And I if I am not careful in mytalk, they've already read it
all on social media because theyare paying attention.
Yeah.
I think I've been most struck bythe associations and the
affiliations.
And so I'll just give you anexample.
We were out in San Diego acouple weeks ago, and there was
a man from the class of 1959 whocame in.
He hadn't really been toanything for a long time.
Very, very strikingly, I justbefore Andy Hagedorn came to
(23:35):
Rockhurst and taught for between35 and 40 years, he taught in
San Diego.
SPEAKER_00 (23:40):
Oh, wow.
SPEAKER_01 (23:41):
And this 1959 alumnus told me he taught his
son.
And so I said, Really?
And I knew the story from Mr.
Hagedorn that he had been in SanDiego and then chose to come to
Rockhurst.
Anyway, that 1959 alumnus, I hada wonderful conversation with
him.
He hadn't really come out toanything before.
And then I got an email a weeklater from a 1959 alumnus who
(24:01):
was in New Orleans.
And he emailed me because FatherKramer, our new principal, came
from New Orleans and said, TellFather Kramer, and I didn't know
this alum in New Orleans, tellFather Kramer hi.
I was in the parish that heserved at in New Orleans.
So I, of course, did that.
And I said to the man in NewOrleans, I said, Hey, by the
way, two of your classmates, Ijust met this classmate out in
(24:21):
San Diego.
Oh man.
And he said, and Steve Ryan isyour classmate, and he taught
science here for years andyears.
And I said, So it's been fun toconnect the guys from the class
in 1959.
And I was shocked.
This man from New Orleansemailed me back.
He said, Actually, I'm on theroad driving back.
I just drove out to San Diego.
I had lunch with my classmate inSan Diego.
SPEAKER_00 (24:40):
Oh, wow.
SPEAKER_01 (24:40):
The day before you guys came for your event, he
loved it.
So, you know, the over the yearsand over the miles, it's just
always remarkable to me howclose groups of alums keep no
matter where they are.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (24:53):
The connections are pretty amazing.
And it and it's been it's beenconvicting for me because, you
know, we've had other folks onthe podcast that, you know,
whether they're parents, somealums, and motivating me to be
more connected.
Because, you know, to yourpoint, depending on how life
goes after you leave, you know,I got married, I started having
(25:15):
kids, and I'm zipping 100 milesan hour down parenthood and all
of that.
But you're always payingattention.
And you're always like aware ofwhat's going on, even if you're
not there.
And it's always cool for me tojust see some of those folks
that, dude, you've you've stayedconnected for 50 years, this
many years, and you know, kindof get my butt and gear on doing
(25:38):
the same with my guys as well,especially now that I'm back
here.
SPEAKER_01 (25:41):
So Yeah, and I again I think that's the natural
rhythm of life.
I think the guys who are havebeen disconnected, it's just
because they've been busy doingother good things.
And that's another thing I wouldsay that's that's great to see.
I mean, I know the impactRockhurst alums have in Kansas
City.
I can feel that, you know.
But it's great to go to othercities.
I was in Houston recently and Imet with an alum, and then you
(26:01):
go do just a basic research onhim.
I mean, he's been the head ofCatholic charities of Houston,
which is an enormous city.
Jeez.
And he's done a lot of good downthere.
And and so sometimes when peoplearen't connected to the high
school, it's part of why we'redoing the visits, because it's
not that they have anything butaffinity for the high school.
It's just they get busy in theirlives doing good things, and
they're always appreciative toreconnect to the school.
SPEAKER_00 (26:23):
Yeah.
So on this piece, as we'reheading towards a close of the
podcast, but this segment, youknow, on informally you've been
a lot of places in your career.
You've been here twice.
Right?
Yeah, if I if I remembercorrectly.
What makes this place I guess Iuh stand out the word I want to
(26:51):
use compared to other placesyou've been?
Like when you think aboutRockhurst High School and you
think about what we do and theyoung men that we produce, the
alumni involvement, theteachers, the whole thing, like
what are what are some thingsthat make this place unique
across the board from some ofthe other places you've been?
SPEAKER_01 (27:12):
Well, of course, I'm every alumni base thinks their
school's the greatest.
And I'm at I'm at the greatestschool in the Jesuit network.
So uh that's not hard to answer,even though I'm not an alum.
You know, I mean, uh uh I'll getthere.
I was able I've been able totravel with the Jesuits all over
the world, and I remember beingat a 300-year-old Jesuit high
(27:34):
school in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
I had given a presentation tothis group of Jesuits that
meeting, and they took us todinner, and like we would do,
they had students and they hadsingers and musicians.
But I was able to visit withsome of the students, and the
pride that they exuded in theirschool was it just reminded me
of of talking to Rockhurstalums.
(27:57):
And so, in some ways, I thinkthat sense of excellence and
exuberance is is consistent atat many, many schools.
I I would say one of the thingsthat I'm grateful for at
Rockhurst, if you look athistory, so we're a Catholic
school in a city, and and in theUnited States, you're still,
even though we've been around along time, 116 years, I I my
(28:20):
view on it is I see the historyof how our country unfolded and
how the expansion of the Westunfolded in the character and
the vibe and the feel of theschools that I've been at.
And and what do I mean by that?
Kansas City was an expansioncity.
The Catholic Church establishedits kind of second home outside
of the Maryland area in St.
(28:41):
Louis, and so people were sentwest from here.
And, you know, there's KansasCity is when it comes to like
faith and religion, overallCatholicity historically had
been relatively small in KansasCity.
And so the the passion that Ifind for the church here, and I
(29:02):
think the church is growing, andI think the church is expanding,
and of course the Jesuits beingecumenical, our kids are coming
from different faith backgroundsand different zip codes.
But the core of the mission, interms of the Catholicity of it,
I find in our alumni base a zealhere that in my own mind, when
you're talking about third andfourth generation families, it's
(29:23):
a passion that kind of tiesitself back to if it's going to
be great, we're gonna be thereto make sure it's great.
And so there's an earnestness,and I'm this might all be kind
of crazy psychology on historyfor me, but but there is
something here that has uh agreater uh passion and zeal and
(29:43):
earnestness of the alums, whichI imagine in my mind's eye goes
back a few generations to theroots and the and I'm gonna call
it the survivability of uh aschool new coming here and and
going.
So, you know, we're in the ageof Jesuit schools, the two other
schools that I've been at, onewas founded in 1818 and the
(30:03):
other was founded in 1878, andwe're 1910, and that first class
was 1914.
So we can trace our history backjust a little bit closer.
And I I think that kind ofpassion Brockhurst alums have
for the school, I think it isrooted in that sense of you
know, on the one hand, we'reold, on the other hand, we're
not really that old.
SPEAKER_00 (30:23):
Yeah.
So yeah, and uh, I mean, themoment you said a 300 year old.
School in Brazil.
I'm like, it even when I look atthat map I mentioned earlier, I
forget like, oh, there were someschools that have been around
for a long time still doing thisthing.
And that's that's a good point.
SPEAKER_01 (30:43):
And another thing that's unique.
I mean, this is the only Jesuithigh school I've been at where
you're the only all-boys schoolin the metropolitan area.
We we we carry a very highprofile in Kansas City.
We're it.
We're the only all-boys option.
And that isn't true in the othercities that I've worked at,
Jesuit schools.
SPEAKER_00 (30:58):
Okay.
So when I'm looking at, and I'mand I'm trying to ask this, you
know, because we ask thisquestion every podcast, because
I could have this conversationwith you for probably five
hours.
SPEAKER_01 (31:12):
But uh nobody wants to stay on that long.
SPEAKER_00 (31:15):
When you again going back to the seat that you sit in
and the years of experienceyou've had, you've come and gone
and back again, you know.
We asked this question, youknow, if you could tell a
prospective family or someonewho's thinking about sending
their young man to Rockhurst,what the number one reason you
(31:38):
would or they should, what wouldthat be?
SPEAKER_01 (31:43):
I think if we're doing our job right, the number
one reason is old language thatSt.
Ignatius would have called thesalvation of souls.
You know, I I want our studentsto know their eternal purpose.
I want them to understand thatthis life is is temporary and
how you live it matters and howyou use your gifts matters.
But but if you asked me thoughif I had to say one thing, it's
(32:04):
it's the reason they put bricksup here on State Line Road, is
is this deeper purpose of theschool.
If you if you allowed me to havea 1A, yeah, go for it.
I would say because I think theeducation is gonna serve you in
a way, uh, both in the immediateand in the long term of your
life, that's gonna lead you tothe roots of success we we hope
(32:25):
for.
So the immediate is that collegeprep piece that everybody I just
hear it over and over and overagain from graduates, the the
success they have in college orgraduate school, the confidence
that they went with them.
And then from older graduates,they're they're not talking as
much about their test average ortheir career, they're talking
about a deeper set of valuesthat they look back at their
(32:46):
life and say, I I had a lot ofthose things given to me as a
foundation at Rockhurst HighSchool.
So it really is an education fora lifetime into eternity.
But I I think of those kind ofthree building blocks as most
important.
SPEAKER_00 (33:00):
Yeah.
And that's a well said, youknow, I think the one thing that
I've been chewing on as, youknow, the the lion's share of my
role is talking to prospectivefamilies and getting them
information.
Is we're also talking about allof that in a very important,
(33:20):
impactful four formative yearsin these young men's lives.
I know that was my experience.
You know, no matter what wasgoing on at home, I was showing
up here and getting love,accountability, obviously
educated, opportunity, all ofthese different things in a time
where, you know, me and my wifewho's in education talk about
(33:44):
this a lot.
You know, that's not universal,you know, uh in education.
And so great answer.
Love how you answered that anddefinitely appreciate your time.
Guys, this is always a fun joyof my day.
And you know, again, this isSteve, your host.
(34:06):
This is Mr.
Laughlin, the president of ouruniversity, and this is The Rock
Talk.
We're gonna close this episodeout and we'll talk soon.
SPEAKER_01 (34:14):
Thanks for having me today.
Go hawklets.
SPEAKER_00 (34:18):
Go hawklets.
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,
(00:54):
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'm your host, Steve Redman,one of the directors of
Admissions and Marketing.
(01:14):
And I am here today with theone, the only Mr.
David Laughlin, who is ourpresident of this great
institution.
Mr.
Laughlin, if you would introduceyourself to the people, please.
SPEAKER_01 (01:27):
Sure, it's great to be with you today, Steve.
Appreciate you with thisinnovation and the podcast.
And I'm grateful to be servingas the president at Rockhurst.
I'm in my eighth year as ourpresident, but it's my 13th year
overall.
And as you well know, uh Iserved as principal here in the
early 2000s when a younger SteveRedmond was running around the
hallways.
SPEAKER_00 (01:47):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (01:48):
And uh it's just been great to be back.
And I've spent 36 years inJesuit all boys' college prep
schools and for two years at aSacred Heart school.
So I'm approaching 40 years inCatholic secondary ed.
SPEAKER_00 (02:01):
Man, and and and yes, uh, for those of you who
don't know, Mr.
Laughlin was my principal when Iwas here in 2000 to 2004, and we
privately joke about how we werethe reason he might have walked
away for a time.
Because we were No, no, that'snot true.
SPEAKER_01 (02:20):
You guys had a powerful class, you were a
little rambunctious.
SPEAKER_00 (02:24):
We uh I've seen a lot of classes over we we we had
some some really good times, andtruthfully, some of you I say
some of your leadership, all ofyour leadership was very
formative for for for me and Iknow a lot of my classmates when
we look back on that time.
So we appreciate your serviceand your leadership over the
(02:45):
years.
And I think that leads me to aquestion I'm curious about
because this this this episode,folks, is gonna be a little bit
different because, you know,with the amount of time you've
spent in this game, Mr.
Laughlin, I'm curious.
Like what you said you'reapproaching 40 years in in
(03:06):
Catholic education.
What is like what goes on in amind like that that keeps you in
this for that amount of time?
SPEAKER_01 (03:18):
I mean, I can go all the way back to my own
discernment in college aboutwhat it was I wanted to study
and to do.
You know, I came from a familywith great love and great
parents, but my parents didn'tattend college, so in terms of
giving us direction, they wantedus to go to college, but they
didn't necessarily have a lot ofadvice to give out because they
didn't have that experience.
(03:39):
So yeah, I prayed and discerneda lot about what I wanted to do,
and I I knew I wanted to go intoeducation, and I don't I don't
know for sure, but I thinklooking back on it, probably I
had a really good experience.
I had a lot of great teachersand coaches and mentors, and
that struck something in me thatI could I could choose to do as
a vocation.
Now, having made that choiceobviously years and years ago at
(04:00):
at Creighton University, Iwouldn't have ever imagined my
life's journey.
I wouldn't have imagined leavingOmaha, Nebraska where I'm from.
But I think part of the power ofJesuit education was making the
spiritual exercises and thenjust being open to kind of
discernment and God's call.
And that's led me on quite apath.
So really grateful to be atRockhurst, but it all goes back
(04:22):
to a kid in college trying tofigure out what he was gonna do,
and and uh, you know, it's beena lifetime evocation.
SPEAKER_00 (04:28):
Yeah, and and I mean that's interesting.
Like part of what I enjoy aboutdoing this podcast is just
getting to know people moredeeply.
I was similar in a way, youknow, my parents didn't go to
college, and so when I got tocollege, I was figuring out a
lot of stuff, but uh that'sthat's powerful.
SPEAKER_01 (04:47):
And you went to did you go to Creighton Prep and
then go to Cray or where did youNo, I my father was a graduate
of Creighton Prep, but I went touh Benedictine High School,
Mount Michael, it's called, justoutside of Omaha.
It's a very small school.
I had 28 uh young men in mygraduating class.
Wow, so it's a really smallplace.
It was a boarding high schoolback then.
It takes both now boarders andday students.
(05:10):
And I would say I went therebecause it was the direction my
parents gave me.
I like I didn't know much aboutthe place, they just said this
would be a good idea.
Um so my familiarity with theJesuits really started at
Creighton University.
SPEAKER_00 (05:23):
Okay, and then that leads me to this question
because as I've been back, Ihave I I think I told a parent
this the other day of the stuffthat I wasn't paying attention
to when I was in school, I amfar more interested in now, and
I'm amazed at the the Jesuitreach in education.
(05:44):
And you know, the map that wehave in our hallway, I'll stop
when I give tours and show,like, hey, when we say the
Jesuits are in the business ofeducating, it's worldwide.
What is a what what are theparallels of a Jesuit university
in um to like Rockhurst HighSchool, for instance?
(06:06):
Like what is what does that looklike or a connection there?
SPEAKER_01 (06:10):
Well, it it can depend on the university or the
high school.
I mean, we're all Jesuit in thatwe're sponsored by the Society
of Jesus, right?
So the Jesuits are the RockhurstHigh School is owned by the
Jesuits, run by the Jesuits.
It's the sponsoring religiousorder.
Uh at university level, some ofthe governance of that around
(06:30):
that can be a little bitdifferent in terms of of what
happens, but effectively you'retrying to live out that that
charism.
And a high school is obviously asmaller place than a university.
But they're effectively on thesame mission, yeah.
Just sometimes dealing withdifferent operational matters,
different structural matters.
But you're on the same mission.
SPEAKER_00 (06:50):
Yeah.
Yeah.
And speaking of mission, youknow, we talk about this a lot
here and it's a big mission,even at a high school.
But what are some of the majorfactors that go into us at
Rockhurst High School pressinginto that mission?
And if you would, let me backup.
(07:12):
For those listeners who mightnot be super familiar with
Rockhurst High School and themission, can you explain the
mission and how we go aboutexecuting on that mission on a
daily basis?
SPEAKER_01 (07:25):
Yeah, I mean, I think I think the most immediate
and direct way we serve ourstudents is providing them a
great college preparatoryeducation.
And so that's not just academicselections.
It's uh it's it's hard work andstudy, study skills, study
habits, how to ask for help, howto prepare them to go into
(07:46):
higher education so that they'reequipped not just to survive,
but to excel.
And and and the reason for thathas to do with the vision that
Ignatius had, which he calledthe multiplier effect.
How do you take bright andcapable students from a
metropolitan area and providethem a rigorous education so
that as they go on, they'regonna use that education to
(08:07):
serve their families, theirtheir neighborhoods, their
cities, their communities, theirchurches in a way that makes the
world a better place.
I mean, so at a reallyfundamental level, the the
nature of our curriculum and ourformation program that is unique
is is the core of the mission.
(08:27):
Now, there's deeper languageunderneath all of that.
So the we're a Catholic school,and the Catholic Church is
certainly a worldwide entity,but as a Jesuit school, a
religious order school likeRockhurst is living out a
charism, a particular way thespirit works in the church.
And for the Jesuits, that was inthe founder of St.
Ignatius, the spiritualexercises.
(08:49):
And there's a lot of uhcatchphrases that fall around
that finding God in all thingsand Father Rupe's men for others
talk.
But I think at the end of theday, that that goal, the deeper
spiritual goal of the school, isto help students come to know
and love Jesus Christ and serveGod with their talents.
(09:09):
And those talents, becauseJesuit spirituality is really
fine truly finding God in allthings.
And if you think about theintellectual pursuits that I
just talked about, that's notseparate from retreats and
service.
Whether you're talking about thestudy of science or math or
history or language and culture,whether you're talking about
(09:30):
sports teams, theater, music,robotics, everything that we
undertake at Rockhurst is partof creation.
And everything in creation hasthe chance to lead us closer to
God.
It's all about our orientation.
How do we how do we orientourselves to recognize that it's
all coming from God and to useit in a way that draws us closer
(09:51):
to God and therefore our actionsbecome actions that are
reflective of the service ofGod.
SPEAKER_00 (09:59):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (10:00):
So, like the Jesuit concept of trying to be
excellent, right?
I mean, I've I've joked, and itshould be a joke, but it's a
joke.
Like, we teach many things wellat Rockhurst, but two things we
don't teach well is RSVPs andhumility.
So, like, there's this fine linebetween arrogance and
(10:21):
confidence.
Yeah.
And to have somebody who'sconfidently humble, they don't
mind pursuing excellence becausein our tradition, in the
charism, then the excellenceisn't making myself better than
somebody else.
The excellence is a reflectionof a service to God.
SPEAKER_00 (10:37):
Correct.
SPEAKER_01 (10:37):
And therefore, I get out of this kind of competitive
plane of whether or not we'rewe're beating somebody else, and
I live more into the question,am I living into my potential?
So I think at a deeper level,that's a very long answer,
Steve.
I love it.
At a deeper level, our coremission is helping people to
(10:57):
understand do they recognizeGod's hand in their life?
And are they responding to theabundance of the grace of
whatever they are doing everyday by responding ever more
deeply and applying themselvesin a way that is excellent and
that gives glory to God?
SPEAKER_00 (11:13):
Yeah.
I enjoy that answer a lot, and Ithink that's powerful because
when I talk to our young men,and the more acclimated I am day
to day and meeting new guys andgoing to talk to classes and all
of those things, helping themdigest that is a personal
(11:35):
mission I have because when Iwas here, although I had you
know my own set of trouble athome and different distractions,
uh one thing that I appreciatedabout this place was the
expectation of use your gifts tohonor and glorify God.
Whatever those are.
(11:56):
And you could look around andyou could see the the the
studious academic, you could seethe theater art guy, you could
see the science guy, you couldsee the athlete, the whole and
and what I tell our young man,you know, when I say I want you
to press into the brotherheadsooner, I want you to see what
(12:16):
this opportunity environmentactually is.
Because when you can look aroundand you can see a bunch of
different guys all held to thesame standard, and all of them
are doing or are excelling andexceeding and or trying to, you
are in an environment whereyou're naturally going to do
this.
You're going to rise, right?
(12:37):
You're going to I didn't want tobe the guy that came from here
that didn't do something great.
I'll be honest with you, I wrotea book with the with the
thought.
A lot of people don't know.
And and part of it was my heart,my passion.
It was, you know, I'm very bigon helping, you know,
God-fearing athletes navigatesport well.
(12:58):
It's one of my things that I wasdoing before I was here.
I still do it.
But part of the thing was I wantto do something to honor the
Lord with my gifts of writingand communicating and whatever,
but I also don't want to be theguy that didn't do something
that came from this great place.
And it's this interestingdynamic, but it starts with all
(13:20):
of that in getting them tounderstand this is about you and
the Lord and doing that.
SPEAKER_01 (13:29):
It's interesting when I talk to prospective
families, and it's kind of beenthis way for a year, and
certainly at Rockurst, but atany of my stops, there's this
concern/slash question of, well,you know, kind of I hear it's a
lot of work in order to do that,right?
And I I like to talk about theself-fulfilling prophecy.
I think one of the reasons thatthat pocklets rise is this nice
(13:50):
combination of the expectationsour faculty, our staff, our
coaches, our moderators set.
Like if you've heard our choirsing, you know Dr.
Coker's setting a very highstandard, and and guys get there
because he's got talented guys,but he's gonna get them there,
and he's not gonna let them notget there.
And that's true across uh ourcurriculum in a number of ways.
But the the self-fulfillingprophecy is students who say,
(14:13):
Okay, if I'm gonna be successfulthere, I have to apply myself.
And then they look to their leftand they look to their right,
and everybody else is applyingthemselves.
And so suddenly what seemed likesomething that was gonna be hard
to overcome, or a worry, if youwill, on the part of somebody,
gosh, I hear it's a lot of workthere.
Suddenly it just becomes therhythm of school.
SPEAKER_00 (14:33):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (14:34):
And you're and you're applying yourself in a
way that is is escalating kindof what your potential is in a
way that I think is thetradition of Jesuit education.
SPEAKER_00 (14:44):
Yeah.
And I and I had a con I havethis conversation often,
especially that I get more outand about and continue to try to
push, you know, the boundaries,if you will, of, you know, and
you know, because you you hiredme, like telling the real story
about this place.
And, you know, talking to folksabout that and realizing, oh,
(15:07):
you you don't know what goes onhere.
So I was talking to a parent,you know, not too long ago, and
you know, we were on a tour, andour boys just you know, it was a
longer tour than usual, and sothe boys are moving around.
And my wife also had the sameexperience, and she's looking
and like she they almost likethis astonishment of like
(15:30):
watching our how well behavedour young men are and they're
all working and they're all likeyou know, and there were boys
that were playing basketball anddoing this kind of stuff too,
but like it's like yeah, likewhat do you think they they
they're in an environment wherethey grow up and they realize,
oh, I I you said it this way, Ihave to apply myself.
(15:53):
Yeah, this you can't come inhere and think you're gonna
skate by.
It's not the design of it.
And what you find is our youngmen, they work, you they'll get
here early and they'll work,they'll stay after they'll work,
you know, they use their time tomake sure that they meet that
demand and they're better forit.
SPEAKER_01 (16:13):
Yeah, and I think I think if you think about the
human condition, like if Ireflect in my own life, and I
think if it's fair when peoplereflect on their lives, we we
feel more fulfilled andpurpose-driven when we are
working up to our potential.
So I I do see our guys work allthe time too, and they appear to
be quite happy and content doingit.
So I think that that's gotta bethat again, that rhythm of of
(16:35):
the culture of the school in away where you are moving in a
way that that you're tappinginto the potential God gave you.
And I think when we human beingsdirect ourselves that way, we're
we're happier.
We're we understand the thesacrifice of why the hard work
is there, and that happens in ain a culture, in a community of
reflection, too.
(16:56):
You know, we're praying threetimes a day, we're we're uh
we're going on retreatsperiodically to take a pause and
say, you know, what's been goingon in my life.
I had the same experience atOpen House this year.
One of my former students fromCreighton Prep came through with
his family.
Oh wow.
I'm kind of getting old, Steve.
I got I got former I got formerrocker students coming through
with their kids.
(17:16):
But but his wife said to me atthe end of the tour, I said, you
know, I hope you hadn't.
And she said, I had no idea uhthe breadth of what's offered at
the school.
She said, that the physicalfacility is amazing.
I've never been inside thebuilding.
And and her husband said, Yeah,I I guess we just didn't know
everything that was here.
And I said, Is that because youheard about our sports teams in
(17:37):
the in the media?
And she laughed and goes,Exactly.
And she said, But from fine artsto the STEM programs to kind of
all these things, she just said,I just I just didn't know that
about Yeah, yeah, and it andit's a big task.
SPEAKER_00 (17:49):
You know, we talk about it all the time of there's
how do we get better at tellingthe story because there are so
many great people, our faculty,our staff, our kids doing so
much great stuff.
It's not easy to uh put all ofthat out there to where people
can know.
And and you know, it's like,hey, we're working because
(18:12):
again, the expectation, youknow, today I was talking to
somebody, the expectation is thesame no matter who you are.
Right?
We're we will support you, wewill we will make sure you have
what you need to go glorify Godwith those gifts, and it's cool
to see what that looks like on aday-to-day basis.
So question for you You sit in avery unique seat, and not just
(18:36):
through your experience, but youget to see a perspective of this
place kind of from all angles.
What are some of your favoriteaspects of our community that
drive this mission to raise upthese young men to be you know
who the Lord called them to be?
SPEAKER_01 (18:55):
Oh gosh.
That's a that's a big question.
Uh let's see.
I I mean, yeah, I I do have aunique seat.
I mean, I I I joke and speakpretty openly, in some ways,
being the president of Rockhurstis the office of title and
ignorance.
I'm in charge of everything andI don't know anything.
Because there's so many elementsof every single school day,
(19:17):
thousands and thousands ofthousands of experiences and
interactions and goals andachievements.
So, broadly speaking, one of thethings that I observe with kind
of a humbleness of gratitude forjust the abundance of it is I I
say this, you know, I do a lotof public speaking on behalf of
the school.
I'm traveling to alumni indifferent cities or I'm talking
(19:38):
to parents.
And and one of the truths ofRockhurst High School for me in
that role is I I don't have tospend a lot of time researching
to prepare what I'm gonna sayabout what's happened lately at
school.
Like it's it's unbelievable onan every two-week basis.
Yeah, the things I can name thatour kids are achieving, that our
teachers are being recognizedfor.
Like it is just freakingunbelievable.
(19:59):
Right.
The the achievement that happensin our school.
And so, in some ways, my talkswrite themselves.
SPEAKER_00 (20:05):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (20:05):
Uh so I have that perspective because I am usually
talking about everything fromyou know, a need for a
benefactor to maybe support usto a mission-based program or
working with the local church toconnecting to a good
not-for-profit or a business inthe community to the actual core
of what we're doing on a dailybasis in the school.
(20:26):
And so just the abundance ofgrace, broadly speaking, is
there.
And then individually, things Ilove about the school.
I mean, we we have a fantasticfaculty and staff.
I think they're they're verytalented.
I think they're they're diverse.
I think we have a great set ofJesuits who are incredibly
dedicated and present andvisible, and that's very
(20:48):
fortunate.
We have great parents.
I mean, I I've not had theexperience in my eight years
here as the president when therewasn't a moment when the school
needed help in some regard thatif we ask for parent support,
like it's just there.
SPEAKER_00 (21:03):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (21:04):
And broadly speaking, we just have parents
who who are incrediblysupportive, like they've
enrolled their son here and theywant his success.
And so, generally speaking,they're gonna they're gonna
circle the wagons to try to helpus help him.
Um so gosh, there's there's alot of things.
And then in the alumni communityhere, you know, it's it's a it's
a proud group, it's an involvedgroup, and it's kind of the same
(21:24):
thing that it's whether it's ouralumni board of governors or
individual people with theirtalents and skill sets, I just
I've got lots of great storiesabout times you reached out to
help a person in this situationor that situation and that
network.
Yeah.
Is yeah, we're really fortunate.
It's easy to activate becausepeople are so good.
SPEAKER_00 (21:43):
And and I'm curious, this is, you know, as we're
having this conversation, I'm Ijust get curious.
So, like when you're on the roadand and folks, he's on the road
a lot, uh you know, talking totalk as he said, what kind of
peer me back in uh behind thatcurtain of like our alumni that
(22:05):
are far gone and far removed insome cases, right?
I know you go meet with youngones and just kind of all over
depending on where you're at,but what is their like
temperament or or what's theword I'm looking for?
Like, how do they respond orlike how are they engaged with
the community?
Like when you show up and you'rebringing them news, like what
(22:26):
are they like, I guess?
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (22:30):
It's interesting as we travel city to city, and we
like think last year we were in16 cities, this year we've
probably been in six or seven.
And I'll do a combination ofindividual appointments, and
then we try to have a gatheringand pull off.
And and to watch that kind ofroll and grow.
Sometimes the guys coming arenew, and so they tend to be like
interested in the high school,and times they've been
(22:51):
disconnected and they'rereconnecting because their lives
are busy somewhere else.
Other times they're the guysthat stay very deeply connected.
Uh and I would say, I would saythat that our alumni continue to
have a strong interest in theschool in the day and age of
social media and updates.
Most of them are coming.
(23:11):
And I if I am not careful in mytalk, they've already read it
all on social media because theyare paying attention.
Yeah.
I think I've been most struck bythe associations and the
affiliations.
And so I'll just give you anexample.
We were out in San Diego acouple weeks ago, and there was
a man from the class of 1959 whocame in.
He hadn't really been toanything for a long time.
Very, very strikingly, I justbefore Andy Hagedorn came to
(23:35):
Rockhurst and taught for between35 and 40 years, he taught in
San Diego.
SPEAKER_00 (23:40):
Oh, wow.
SPEAKER_01 (23:41):
And this 1959 alumnus told me he taught his
son.
And so I said, Really?
And I knew the story from Mr.
Hagedorn that he had been in SanDiego and then chose to come to
Rockhurst.
Anyway, that 1959 alumnus, I hada wonderful conversation with
him.
He hadn't really come out toanything before.
And then I got an email a weeklater from a 1959 alumnus who
(24:01):
was in New Orleans.
And he emailed me because FatherKramer, our new principal, came
from New Orleans and said, TellFather Kramer, and I didn't know
this alum in New Orleans, tellFather Kramer hi.
I was in the parish that heserved at in New Orleans.
So I, of course, did that.
And I said to the man in NewOrleans, I said, Hey, by the
way, two of your classmates, Ijust met this classmate out in
(24:21):
San Diego.
Oh man.
And he said, and Steve Ryan isyour classmate, and he taught
science here for years andyears.
And I said, So it's been fun toconnect the guys from the class
in 1959.
And I was shocked.
This man from New Orleansemailed me back.
He said, Actually, I'm on theroad driving back.
I just drove out to San Diego.
I had lunch with my classmate inSan Diego.
SPEAKER_00 (24:40):
Oh, wow.
SPEAKER_01 (24:40):
The day before you guys came for your event, he
loved it.
So, you know, the over the yearsand over the miles, it's just
always remarkable to me howclose groups of alums keep no
matter where they are.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (24:53):
The connections are pretty amazing.
And it and it's been it's beenconvicting for me because, you
know, we've had other folks onthe podcast that, you know,
whether they're parents, somealums, and motivating me to be
more connected.
Because, you know, to yourpoint, depending on how life
goes after you leave, you know,I got married, I started having
(25:15):
kids, and I'm zipping 100 milesan hour down parenthood and all
of that.
But you're always payingattention.
And you're always like aware ofwhat's going on, even if you're
not there.
And it's always cool for me tojust see some of those folks
that, dude, you've you've stayedconnected for 50 years, this
many years, and you know, kindof get my butt and gear on doing
(25:38):
the same with my guys as well,especially now that I'm back
here.
SPEAKER_01 (25:41):
So Yeah, and I again I think that's the natural
rhythm of life.
I think the guys who are havebeen disconnected, it's just
because they've been busy doingother good things.
And that's another thing I wouldsay that's that's great to see.
I mean, I know the impactRockhurst alums have in Kansas
City.
I can feel that, you know.
But it's great to go to othercities.
I was in Houston recently and Imet with an alum, and then you
(26:01):
go do just a basic research onhim.
I mean, he's been the head ofCatholic charities of Houston,
which is an enormous city.
Jeez.
And he's done a lot of good downthere.
And and so sometimes when peoplearen't connected to the high
school, it's part of why we'redoing the visits, because it's
not that they have anything butaffinity for the high school.
It's just they get busy in theirlives doing good things, and
they're always appreciative toreconnect to the school.
SPEAKER_00 (26:23):
Yeah.
So on this piece, as we'reheading towards a close of the
podcast, but this segment, youknow, on informally you've been
a lot of places in your career.
You've been here twice.
Right?
Yeah, if I if I remembercorrectly.
What makes this place I guess Iuh stand out the word I want to
(26:51):
use compared to other placesyou've been?
Like when you think aboutRockhurst High School and you
think about what we do and theyoung men that we produce, the
alumni involvement, theteachers, the whole thing, like
what are what are some thingsthat make this place unique
across the board from some ofthe other places you've been?
SPEAKER_01 (27:12):
Well, of course, I'm every alumni base thinks their
school's the greatest.
And I'm at I'm at the greatestschool in the Jesuit network.
So uh that's not hard to answer,even though I'm not an alum.
You know, I mean, uh uh I'll getthere.
I was able I've been able totravel with the Jesuits all over
the world, and I remember beingat a 300-year-old Jesuit high
(27:34):
school in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
I had given a presentation tothis group of Jesuits that
meeting, and they took us todinner, and like we would do,
they had students and they hadsingers and musicians.
But I was able to visit withsome of the students, and the
pride that they exuded in theirschool was it just reminded me
of of talking to Rockhurstalums.
(27:57):
And so, in some ways, I thinkthat sense of excellence and
exuberance is is consistent atat many, many schools.
I I would say one of the thingsthat I'm grateful for at
Rockhurst, if you look athistory, so we're a Catholic
school in a city, and and in theUnited States, you're still,
even though we've been around along time, 116 years, I I my
(28:20):
view on it is I see the historyof how our country unfolded and
how the expansion of the Westunfolded in the character and
the vibe and the feel of theschools that I've been at.
And and what do I mean by that?
Kansas City was an expansioncity.
The Catholic Church establishedits kind of second home outside
of the Maryland area in St.
(28:41):
Louis, and so people were sentwest from here.
And, you know, there's KansasCity is when it comes to like
faith and religion, overallCatholicity historically had
been relatively small in KansasCity.
And so the the passion that Ifind for the church here, and I
(29:02):
think the church is growing, andI think the church is expanding,
and of course the Jesuits beingecumenical, our kids are coming
from different faith backgroundsand different zip codes.
But the core of the mission, interms of the Catholicity of it,
I find in our alumni base a zealhere that in my own mind, when
you're talking about third andfourth generation families, it's
(29:23):
a passion that kind of tiesitself back to if it's going to
be great, we're gonna be thereto make sure it's great.
And so there's an earnestness,and I'm this might all be kind
of crazy psychology on historyfor me, but but there is
something here that has uh agreater uh passion and zeal and
(29:43):
earnestness of the alums, whichI imagine in my mind's eye goes
back a few generations to theroots and the and I'm gonna call
it the survivability of uh aschool new coming here and and
going.
So, you know, we're in the ageof Jesuit schools, the two other
schools that I've been at, onewas founded in 1818 and the
(30:03):
other was founded in 1878, andwe're 1910, and that first class
was 1914.
So we can trace our history backjust a little bit closer.
And I I think that kind ofpassion Brockhurst alums have
for the school, I think it isrooted in that sense of you
know, on the one hand, we'reold, on the other hand, we're
not really that old.
SPEAKER_00 (30:23):
Yeah.
So yeah, and uh, I mean, themoment you said a 300 year old.
School in Brazil.
I'm like, it even when I look atthat map I mentioned earlier, I
forget like, oh, there were someschools that have been around
for a long time still doing thisthing.
And that's that's a good point.
SPEAKER_01 (30:43):
And another thing that's unique.
I mean, this is the only Jesuithigh school I've been at where
you're the only all-boys schoolin the metropolitan area.
We we we carry a very highprofile in Kansas City.
We're it.
We're the only all-boys option.
And that isn't true in the othercities that I've worked at,
Jesuit schools.
SPEAKER_00 (30:58):
Okay.
So when I'm looking at, and I'mand I'm trying to ask this, you
know, because we ask thisquestion every podcast, because
I could have this conversationwith you for probably five
hours.
SPEAKER_01 (31:12):
But uh nobody wants to stay on that long.
SPEAKER_00 (31:15):
When you again going back to the seat that you sit in
and the years of experienceyou've had, you've come and gone
and back again, you know.
We asked this question, youknow, if you could tell a
prospective family or someonewho's thinking about sending
their young man to Rockhurst,what the number one reason you
(31:38):
would or they should, what wouldthat be?
SPEAKER_01 (31:43):
I think if we're doing our job right, the number
one reason is old language thatSt.
Ignatius would have called thesalvation of souls.
You know, I I want our studentsto know their eternal purpose.
I want them to understand thatthis life is is temporary and
how you live it matters and howyou use your gifts matters.
But but if you asked me thoughif I had to say one thing, it's
(32:04):
it's the reason they put bricksup here on State Line Road, is
is this deeper purpose of theschool.
If you if you allowed me to havea 1A, yeah, go for it.
I would say because I think theeducation is gonna serve you in
a way, uh, both in the immediateand in the long term of your
life, that's gonna lead you tothe roots of success we we hope
(32:25):
for.
So the immediate is that collegeprep piece that everybody I just
hear it over and over and overagain from graduates, the the
success they have in college orgraduate school, the confidence
that they went with them.
And then from older graduates,they're they're not talking as
much about their test average ortheir career, they're talking
about a deeper set of valuesthat they look back at their
(32:46):
life and say, I I had a lot ofthose things given to me as a
foundation at Rockhurst HighSchool.
So it really is an education fora lifetime into eternity.
But I I think of those kind ofthree building blocks as most
important.
SPEAKER_00 (33:00):
Yeah.
And that's a well said, youknow, I think the one thing that
I've been chewing on as, youknow, the the lion's share of my
role is talking to prospectivefamilies and getting them
information.
Is we're also talking about allof that in a very important,
(33:20):
impactful four formative yearsin these young men's lives.
I know that was my experience.
You know, no matter what wasgoing on at home, I was showing
up here and getting love,accountability, obviously
educated, opportunity, all ofthese different things in a time
where, you know, me and my wifewho's in education talk about
(33:44):
this a lot.
You know, that's not universal,you know, uh in education.
And so great answer.
Love how you answered that anddefinitely appreciate your time.
Guys, this is always a fun joyof my day.
And you know, again, this isSteve, your host.
(34:06):
This is Mr.
Laughlin, the president of ouruniversity, and this is The Rock
Talk.
We're gonna close this episodeout and we'll talk soon.
SPEAKER_01 (34:14):
Thanks for having me today.
Go hawklets.
SPEAKER_00 (34:18):
Go hawklets.
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