21 INDUCTIONS WAKILI MOORE ’86 Meritorious Service Wakili was a two-year starter for the Li’l Irish basketball team, and led the team in scoring in his senior year with 18 points per game. That same year he helped lead the team to its first sectional final appearance in 65 years, while being named to the Section V Finals All–Tournament team. After Aquinas, Wakili attended St. John Fisher College where he played four years on the men’s varsity basketball team. He had the honor of being inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003. Wakili received his teaching degree from Geneseo State College in 1993, and his Master’s Degree in Special Education from Nazareth College in 1996. He taught for seven years, one year at John Marshall High School and six years at Greece Apollo Middle School. He received his Master’s in Administration from Canisius College in 1999. In 2000, Wakili began his school administration career with the Rochester City School District, when he was named assistant principal of Virgil I. Grissom School No. 7. In 2003 he was promoted to principal. Wakili transitioned to being the principal of Charlotte High School in 2010 and in 2011, had a tremendous opportunity and founded the Leadership Academy for Young Men – the first public all–male school in the state. He served as principal there for eight years. Wakili then moved on and served as principal of Theodore Roosevelt School No. 43 for the 2019-2020 school year and is currently the principal of James Monroe Lower School. Even after graduating from Aquinas, Wakili stayed involved with the Li’l Irish, working as a camp counselor at the Mike Dianetti Basketball Camp from 1990–2005, and serving on the Board of Trustees from 2002–2012. SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH Meritorious Service The Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester have had an enduring presence at The Aquinas Institute, beginning in its formative years and continuing a century later. The origins of Aquinas can be traced to a two-year high school business program offered beginning in 1902 at the Cathedral School, located at St. Patrick’s Cathedral Parish. Sister Aquilina Moriarty, SSJ, was the pioneer teacher of the program, which the Democrat and Chronicle noted began “with a single typewriter, in one room, and with one teacher.” Two years later, when the business course expanded into a full academic program and was given the name Cathedral High School, additional Sisters of St. Joseph joined the faculty. In 1913, Cathedral High School opened its doors to students from throughout the Diocese and became Rochester Catholic High School, predecessor of The Aquinas Institute. Forty-two Sisters of St. Joseph taught at Aquinas and its forerunner schools from 1902 through the 1955-56 academic year, providing in total 365 years of service to thousands of students. They were joined by 21 Sisters of Mercy, who helped staff The Institute for four decades. Sister Brendan Maguire, SSJ, holds the remarkable distinction of 41 years of service, teaching courses in Latin and Art at Aquinas and its predecessor schools from 1912 through 1953. When the Sisters of St. Joseph departed from the Aquinas faculty, the Basilian Fathers gratefully acknowledged their contribution: “We appreciate the sacrifices you made to keep your Sisters on our staff as long as you possibly could. We also appreciate your generosity in the high quality of teachers you have consistently sent us.” In 2010, with the closing of Nazareth Academy, the Sisters of St. Joseph once again entered into a partnership with Aquinas. Many Nazareth students completed their high school program at The Institute, and the Congregation organized and staffed an innovative Women’s Leadership Program. The SSJ presence at Aquinas continues today. Notably, the land on which The Aquinas Institute stands was purchased from the Sisters of St. Joseph. The Sisters provided the original parcel on Dewey Avenue to the school in 1924. In 1942, they provided land on Augustine Street, formerly the location of Nazareth Normal School, to the Basilian Fathers. That parcel, once known as “the Sisters’ woods,” is now the site of Aquinas’ athletic fields.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTcyNDA=