IN A YEAR OF TREMENDOUS GROWTH AND CHANGE, CATHOLIC MEMORIAL HAS DONE WHAT NOT A LOT OF SCHOOLS COULD EVER HAVE ACCOMPLISHED: HERALD A NEW ERA IN ITS CATHOLIC IDENTITY, RESHAPING A SCHOOL-WIDE MINDSET AND OPERATING STRUCTURE WHILE STAYING FOCUSED, AND NEVER LOSING SIGHT OF ITS MOST IMPORTANT DUTY: ITS STUDENTS.
Marked by meaningful academic growth and a renewed and visible commitment to faith, CM’s 2025–2026 school year was an exciting shift and change of pace. At its helm, just one year into his new role, is President and Head of School Adam Lewis.
“CM’s classrooms are increasingly rigorous, student-centered, and focused on critical thinking, while our spiritual life—Masses, retreats, and daily prayer—has deepened,” says Lewis, who arrived at CM after six
CM’s signature pedagogical philosophy, Knight Based Learning, continues to drive innovation in the classroom—from debate-based history classes and Shark Tank-like student presentations, to seminar-style theology classes and peer tutoring in AP Calculus classes.
“Teachers make lessons student-led, hands-on, real-world relevant, and interdisciplinary whenever possible, leaning into structured student collaboration as a high-water mark for student engagement,” explains Outgoing Principal Michael “Mickey” Corso, Ph.D. “Our approach is to develop young men who are agents of their own learning.”
This past year, the school completely reimagined the look and functionality of its interior courtyard—which now features a three-season pavilion, two 800-square-foot classrooms dedicated to robotics and the performing arts, and a prayer garden furnished with a trellis and labyrinth.
“We want families to see how thoughtfully we approach learning, our schedule, and our spaces. We want families to walk onto our campus and not only hear about our dedicated approach but also see and understand without words the kind of work we do here and the things we value,” says Brian Palm, Assistant
In those classrooms sit robotics and the performing arts. These have evolved so as to require such dynamic learning spaces—a reflection in students’ growing interest in these electives. Robotics has become an established and well respected FIRST Robotics Competition team, while CM’s choir—both an academic course and co-curricular program—currently comprises more than 20 singers who are quite literally finding their voices.
As with all of CM’s development projects, design principles and elements were carefully followed and intentionally chosen to create a more functional, flexible, and student-centered space that encourages intellectual, social, and spiritual growth, both indoors and outside.
“The garage doors on the courtyard side of each classroom allow for the school and its curriculum and co-curriculum to spill out into common, open spaces where student life is now ‘happening’ organically,” Palm says. “The turf yard is activated with Adirondack chairs and enough room for hacky sack, spikeball, and moments of joy that bring smiles to students’ faces while allowing for extra movement within the school day. And the prayer garden encourages quiet reflection meditation, and a healthy ‘headspace’—a welcome respite in today’s world.”
Prayer has always been part of the CM experience, but this past year saw changes to the ways Masses are held and Advent is celebrated.
“Rather than treating liturgy as something separate from the life of the school, we’ve worked to make Mass a central, communal, and formative experience for our boys, faculty, staff, and families, reflecting our belief that faith should not sit at the margins of school life but should shape the culture we build each day—a place where Christ is at the center and we bear witness to that through the relationships we share with each other,” Lewis explains. “Advent has become a united celebration across the school, bringing together prayer, music, reflection, service, and community in a way that helps students experience the season not simply as a religious observance but as a shared expression of who we are.”
Several members of the administration possess professional backgrounds in campus ministry and theology. Mickey Corso has taught theology at the school, while Incoming Vice Principal for Grades 9–12 Michael Dermody ’07 and Incoming Principal Kevin Durazo have both taught theology and served as Director of Campus Ministry.
“The leadership and faculty at CM are people of prayer and profound gratitude for the opportunity to express their relationship with God—however they understand that—through their work at CM,” Corso says. “The practical outcome of being centered in that way is a commitment to the mission of our school to transform boys’ lives and attend to them and one another in love and support.”
This commitment is demonstrated in innumerable ways and is rooted in Christ and CM’s calling to prepare boys for college, manhood, and a world full of unknown challenges, complex problems, and navigating people and relationships.
“Mr. Lewis is a man of deep faith and devotion and has overtly invited us all to make Christ the center of our
Lewis—who, Corso adds, knows every student by name—calls his first year as President and Head of School “a profound blessing: energizing, humbling, and deeply relational.” Similarly, he has approached his new role with “a mindset rooted in presence, listening, and mission clarity, emphasizing love, connection, and drawing our community closer to Christ, and an energy of accompaniment, walking alongside students, faculty, and families as we live our mission daily.”
Lewis attends multiple co-curricular events each week as well as wakes, funerals, and tributes for members of the CM community. He even made a special appearance in the 2026 spring musical, School of Rock—which featured the largest cast to appear on the CM stage in the past 10 years.
English teachers show their care and concern by spending hours providing detailed feedback on their students’ writing assignments. Recently, several faculty members covered a colleague’s class, enabling her to be present during her mother’s final days, and mathematics teacher Erin Tucker and Social Studies Department Chair Vincent Bradley, Ph.D., came to campus during April vacation to provide extra support for their AP students.
“CM’s philosophy centers on the formation of the whole person—head, heart, and hands,” Lewis says. “We believe boys learn best through relationships, where care and high expectations coexist. This philosophy continues to evolve by deepening personalization—knowing each student’s story—and by integrating emerging tools and ideas without compromising our core mission.”
Kevin Durazo, who will assume his new position as Principal at the start of the 2026–2027 school year, understands just how important it is for CM to remain true to that philosophy. Like a compass, he says, CM’s mission will continue to guide him and all members of the school into the future.
“We’re educating boys for a world that’s rapidly changing, and it can be tempting to operate by responding to trends or fads or what seems most exciting or desirable in the market,” he explains. “In a world that seems to always be increasingly superficial, we know boys desire deeply for a life that’s purposeful and impacts their communities. CM provides the platform for boys to work hard, pursue their passions, care for one another, and serve others with poise and class.”
This past year, alumni engagement was more intentional and relational due to an increase in the frequency and quality of touchpoints with former students, including small gatherings, one-on-one meetings, and more purposeful communications that highlight the direct impact alumni and their families have on the school’s mission and its future.
“Rather than viewing engagement as a series of events or transactions, we’ve focused on creating meaningful points of connection—opportunities for alumni to see, feel, and participate in the life of the school today,” says Vice President of Institutional Advancement Joe Bradley. “That shift—from a model of obligation to one of invitation—has created renewed enthusiasm toward a mission that’s consistent from their past and is something very much alive and worth investing in today.”
Alumni, who are not only attending events but also re-engaging as mentors, advocates, and supporters and speaking to members of CM’s newly formed Future Business Leaders of America Club, have already enjoyed the return of the Scholarship Breakfast, the introduction of a Legacy Family Breakfast and Career Day, and will look forward to the Hall of Fame induction in the fall.
With a record number of families attending Open House, CM is preparing to welcome the next generation of students—with plans to strengthen academic innovation, invest in faculty excellence, and expand opportunities across arts, athletics, and service.
“Our plans include broadening access to us, enhancing facilities, and ensuring every student is known and supported, so families see CM as both forward-looking and deeply rooted in mission. Our Board and leadership team work collaboratively through strategic planning and disciplined decision-making, always asking what best serves our students,” Lewis says. “This shared commitment allows us to explore new possibilities, such as innovative programs, financial models, and partnerships, while remaining grounded in who we are. Trust, clarity, and a shared purpose position us well for the future.”