Water, electricity and mathematical acumen are super-powers divined from a CM education. Powers that don’t belong to a lineup of superheroes, but three alums now at college.
Ryan Dermody '22
Hometown: Needham, MA
College: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Mascot: Bucky Badger
Colors: Cardinal & White
Miles from CM: 1125
Leaving high school with an independent mindset was a quality Ryan Dermody needed entering college. Especially attending one halfway across the country.
Touching down at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a school of 50,000 students would be a huge unknown coming from a 600-person high school. By Dermody’s own admission that first semester was “overwhelming.” “A combination of adjusting to classes, feeling lost and being homesick made me question my decision,” he recalls. Undaunted, Dermody met the challenge finding his friend group, including “a lifelong friend,” joining the Student Leadership Program while also playing intramural soccer. Academically, as an environmental engineering major, Dermody connects the style of teaching he received at Catholic Memorial dovetailing with his concentration. “CM taught me problem solving skills as way to overcome all kinds of academic obstacles. My environmental studies class with Mr. Mulcahey was where we’d do all sorts of projects with next to no guidelines, solving the issues and correcting when things went wrong. That’s what I do now.” More than finding similarities, Dermody gained perspective, perspective in understanding what Brother Cavet called “integrity” being the foundation to learning; being responsible for being prepared; going the extra mile to do the work; and studying to the fullest for exams. There’s also been a cultural shift. “It’s an understanding of life outside of the Boston area.” Dermody describes the Midwest as a place people make time for people, where life is slower and less transactional. As a senior, he hopes to work in the field of water resource engineering and is excited for what’s to come. “I’m a different person from the freshman who showed up. A lot of that points to me holding myself accountable. If I had slacked off and done the bare minimum, I might not be in the position I’m in now and looking forward to the future.”
Dominic Olohan '23
Hometown: South Weymouth, MA
College: Purdue University
Mascot: Purdue Pete
Colors: Black & Gold
Miles from CM: 955
As electricity flows through wiring, so it courses through Dominic Olohan. It was enough to send him to one of the country’s top engineering schools and enough to keep his hustle on high.
“I always knew I wanted to be an engineer,” says Olohan. “My freshman year at CM, I took a scratch programming class with Mr. Murray. Sophomore year, AP computer science, then junior year, Python, and senior year, dual enrollment at Wentworth (Wentworth Institute of Technology).” But the prospect of writing code didn’t thrill the Class of 2023’s valedictorian, working with hardware did and is why he ended up at a STEM research powerhouse. Settling into his new life, Olohan attempted to replicate that close-knit brotherhood he’d cultivated at high school. “That first semester, I got really lucky with my roommate,” recalls Olohan. “Then, during my second semester, I joined a fraternity, one that was academically focused, but where guys still had fun. That helped push me.” Not that he needed it. “As a small school, CM instilled in us that hustle beats talent. I mean look how we compete. Small but mighty.” At its core, engineering is math, a subject that Olohan describes as having always “clicked.” “Miss Tucker’s class taught me the meaning of truly understanding the material, not just doing it just to get a good grade.” But feeling like a little fish in an ocean can make that transition from high school to college a challenge. “I definitely relied heavily on my faith,” notes Olohan. “Since Purdue is a secular school, I’ve been very intentional in living out my Catholic faith. The foundations I’ve received through my family, going to CM, and through Dr. Corso’s classes and Mr. Hartman’s, that went beyond simple Bible stories, has inspired me to look further into my faith and the why of it.”
Sam Gonser '24
Hometown: Norwood, MA
College: University of Miami
Mascot: Sebastian the Ibis
Colors: Orange, Green, & White
Miles from CM:1505
“Life’s a beach” could describe Sam Gonser’s Miami college experience. Only his version isn’t sun, sand, and sea, more like quantitative economics, speaking Spanish daily, and figuring out what’s next.
Sam Gonser is taking the hardest major in business school, quantitative economics. In fact, difficulty and maxed-out workload seems to be the MO for this full ride recipient. “I’m trying to get as much out of the scholarship as possible,” says the sophomore. Coming from high school, Gonser was prepared, owning 50 credits from all the advanced placement courses, and the two dual enrollment courses he’d taken. “To be honest, up until now, I’d say high school has been harder.” Minoring in Spanish was a conscious choice in the same way it was to attend “The U.” Simply by being in Miami, Gonser gets to speak the language every
day. “One of the things I like to do is walk to this Cuban place where it’s almost like you’re in a different country. Everyone is bilingual. If you speak Spanish to them, they’ll speak Spanish to you.” But coming from CM where the emphasis is on balancing academics, physical exercise and pursuing passions, Gonser has found ways to maintain the physical side of life. “Now that I’m not playing sports, I need to expend energy. I play a lot of basketball, and competitive flag football with my ‘frat.’ Playing for fun has kept me sane.” Another club he’s involved in is UCatholic. “My faith leads a lot of the decisions I make and is one of the reasons why I’m not really sure if I want to go into finance after I graduate.” His junior theology class grappled with finding meaning with what to do after school. “I’m not sure exactly what I want yet, but hopefully it will lead to a vocation.”
