BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — As students return to classrooms at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute for the new school year, nearly 30 percent of the faculty and staff are greeting them as both educators and alumni.
Twenty-six of the school's 89 faculty and staff members are graduates of the Catholic all-boys school, which has operated in the Lasallian tradition since 1861.
WATCH: St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute boasts a faculty and staff with a large number of alumni
"It's exciting more than anything else — the energy in the building when the students come back," said Principal Jim Spillman, a 1995 graduate entering his eighth year leading the school.
The alumni-turned-educators span decades, with graduation years ranging from 1975 through the 2000s. They include teachers, maintenance staff, and administrators across all levels of the school's operations.
"Lasallian schools really focus on developing very strong relationships between the students and adults, and I think that's at the core of who we are," Spillman said during freshman orientation.
Dan Warner, vice president of institutional advancement and a 2006 graduate, said the high percentage of alumni staff members reflects the school's enduring impact on students.
"It speaks to the strength of this enduring brotherhood," Warner said. "It's an honor in a lot of ways to be an alum working at an alma mater — at a place that changed my life tremendously."
Pascal Frisina, a 1996 graduate who now teaches public speaking and business at the school, believes the alumni presence adds authenticity to the institution's mission.
"I think it brings validity to what we say. It shows there is a true history, there is a true brotherhood, there's a sense of passing it on," Frisina said. "And maybe someday, as they graduate, they'll want to come back and also pass on that legacy, that history."
Physical education and health teacher Bill Schukraft, Class of 2025, said returning to work at his alma mater allows him to recreate positive experiences for current students.
"We had a lot of fun in high school, so creating that same experience for the guys now — it's pretty special for us," Schukraft said.
The school currently enrolls 630 students. For Spillman, leading his former school represents a unique opportunity.
"To be able to come back, there's really nothing more special than to be the principal at your alma mater, especially for a school that means so much to me," he said. "It's a gift for me to be able to do this."
