By Currents News
St. Francis Prep High School turned the tables on its alumni veterans this week, inviting them back to class not as students, but as teachers.
The school celebrated these military graduates with an assembly presentation, followed by classroom sessions where students engaged with the veterans, discussing the diversity of their service and how their faith and Prep education have shaped their lives.
Sergeant Jonathan Ally, a 2016 St. Francis Prep alumnus and cybersecurity expert in the Marines, shared how his role protecting government IT infrastructure reflects his growth.
“It’s showing the importance of one, education, two, growth, and three, just, you know, being a better person, being a stronger person,” he said. “So that’s why I love coming back. I love being what I didn’t get.”
Major Alfred Garbarino, a 1975 graduate and U.S. Army veteran, brought photos from his time in Iraq, where he earned a Bronze Star and Combat Action Medal.
“I carry that with me to the day. I have PTSD as a result of that,” he explained of his time. “I still pray for the soldiers that I lost. My Catholic faith carries me through that. It really does.”
The Queens, New York school also continues its annual tradition of raising funds for America’s Vet Dogs, naming and sponsoring a service dog trained to assist veterans with physical, emotional, or medical needs.
To date, St. Francis Prep has provided five service dogs and is eagerly awaiting the birth of their sixth, named Kent.