What have you done since you graduated?
"After Gilbert, I went to Ithaca College where I majored in Journalism. After I graduated from there, I spent a few years working for WFSB in Hartford and also ESPN in Bristol. After that, I made a move into higher education. I spent three years working at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York. I also spent three years at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. I have been at Boston College for the last eight years. I am currently working as a Major Gift Officer. In that role, I work to secure six-figure gifts to help advance the university's mission."
What do you remember from your time at Gilbert?
"Both of my parents, Craig Sr. and my mother, Lisa, worked at Gilbert. I went to preschool at Gilbert when they had a small program way back in the day. Gilbert has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. There's no particular memory that sticks out for me but I do know that the school has played a huge role in making me who I am today. It holds a special place in my heart."
Tell me a little bit more about your parents?
"My father, Craig Sr., worked at Gilbert for over forty years, mostly as a Chemistry teacher. My mother, Lisa, started as an English teacher. She eventually moved into working in the library. They both met and worked at Gilbert. Gilbert is the reason why I exist.
My mother left Gilbert by the time I was a student. My father was my Chemistry teacher. He was the only Chemistry teacher in school so I couldn't escape having him as my instructor. It was both a gift and a curse. I knew a lot of the teachers and the administrators a little bit more than a lot of the other students did. But I also knew that if I ever got in trouble it was going to go back to my father immediately. I always had to be well behaved and there was no skipping class, that's for sure."
What lessons from Gilbert have you applied to the real world?
"I think the overarching theme I found, is that the things that seem to be the hardest at the time, end up paying the greatest dividends in the long run. Whether it was a grueling basketball practice, or English class, the times that I was challenged and pushed to my limits were the times I look back on most fondly now. Those moments of discomfort usually held the greatest growth opportunities. I try to lean into those opportunities now. That's something that I took away from my time at Gilbert."
What advice would you give current students at Gilbert?
"Use your time wisely. If Covid has taught us anything, it's that you never know what's going to happen tomorrow. So surround yourself with the people that you love and things that you are passionate about. Make the most out of the time that you have at Gilbert."
