5 AQUINAS LANDMARK | SUMMER 2020 What’s News 5 William “Bill” McGrath ’65, our current bus driver, grew up in Hilton and used to hitchhike to get to Aquinas every day—making the fact that he didn’t have a bus back then all the more ironic! Aquinas parent Scott Hinds P’28, co-founder of Flower City Entertainment & Multimedia, went above and beyond this year. He volunteered his time outside of his regular work hours to photograph our Girls Varsity Soccer Team, Varsity Football Team, and several other AQ sports teams, while generously allowing AQ to use and share his photos with our community. Scott is just one example of the many parents who generously share their time and talents to support our school and students. Thank you, Scott—and thank you to all the parents who continually go above and beyond. If we could list every one of you, this page would be overflowing. Todd Clicquennoi ’86 and Larry Young have spent decades revitalizing homes, buildings, and neighborhoods across Rochester, with Todd’s son Zachary ’13 joining the team in 2017. Their most notable project, the High Falls Neighborhood, transformed abandoned city properties into vibrant spaces housing offices, high-end condos, and creative businesses. Their work has also created homes and workspaces for many members of the Aquinas community, including faculty, staff, and alumni. For more information, visit www.metrofalls.com. Two sixth graders, Palar Banks ’32 and Robert DeLorme III ‘32, were honored with the Rochester Police Department’s Do The Right Thing Award for their leadership, kindness, and courage while attending their previous elementary schools. Palar helped protect a classmate expressing self-harm, while Robert comforted a struggling peer and involved the proper adults—using the strength he gained from the loss of his twin sister, Giselle. #AQPROUD This past October, parent Leslie Allen shared a heartwarming story about her son Carson ’27 and a group of about 17 students who stopped at Olympia Restaurant after taking the PSATs. While unwinding from test-taking over lunch, an older gentleman seated nearby asked where they went to school. When they told him Aquinas, he explained that he had once dreamed of attending AQ himself, but his family couldn’t afford it at the time—reminding us how grateful we are to offer financial aid to deserving families today. After the meal, the students went to pay their bill, only to learn that the gentleman had quietly covered the cost for all of them, tip included. His kindness made a lasting impression on these students and showed that generosity is still very much alive—and often appears when we least expect it. Kudos as well to our students, whose positive presence clearly made an impact. Thanks to the generosity and dedication of our AQ community, our Varsity Ice Hockey team now has a newly dedicated locker room space at Lakeshore Ice Arena & Sports Center. Hockey Head Coach Chuck Dossier (father of Chuck ’26, and son of Michael ’69) shared that this project was made possible largely through the leadership and vision of rink owners Jeff Nuccitelli ’90 and David Nuccitelli ’99, who helped bring the idea to life. Additional financial support from parents and donors — led by Richard Gray, father of Reagan Gray ’26, and Steve Smola, father of Zach Smola ’26 — helped ensure that the dream became a reality. Team Captain Caleb Wood ’26 shared how grateful the players are for the space, noting that it has strengthened the bond among teammates and created “their place” to carry forward the proud tradition of AQ hockey. Caleb spoke to the importance of pride, leadership, and passing along respect for the program to the younger players coming up behind them. The new locker room includes individual player areas, laundry facilities, showers, and dedicated spaces for coaches and video review, providing a true home base for AQ Hockey for years to come.
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