From Student to School President, Helping To Shape the Futures of Tomorrow’s Leaders

Michael Cerio
Posted 9/3/15

John Jackson long ago lost track of how many times he’s walked the halls of Bishop Hendricken High School. When the school’s 2015-2016 academic year began in late August, it marked the 40th year …

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From Student to School President, Helping To Shape the Futures of Tomorrow’s Leaders

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John Jackson long ago lost track of how many times he’s walked the halls of Bishop Hendricken High School. When the school’s 2015-2016 academic year began in late August, it marked the 40th year on staff for the class of 1971 alumni, and his fifth as school president. Yet, not a day goes by that Jackson doesn’t embrace the privilege bestowed upon him and his colleagues to help shape the futures of tomorrow’s leaders.

“Bishop Hendricken is a very sacred place, where our mission and the teachings of Jesus are front and center in everything that we do,” says Jackson. “Knowing that each and every day I can come to school hoping to inculcate those teachings into the minds and hearts of our students is the most challenging, yet invigorating part of my vocation.”

As a Bishop Hendricken student, Jackson was drawn to history and also enjoyed a successful athletics career, starring on the school’s baseball and basketball teams. He later attended Providence College, graduating in 1975 with a degree in Education, prepared to parlay his interests into a career in teaching and coaching. Little did he know, at the time, that his life would truly come full circle.

“To be totally honest, I didn’t think too much about the future when I was in high school,” recalls Jackson. “The real value of what we call the ‘Hendricken Experience’ did not hit me until I returned to teach and coach.”

Jackson returned to Bishop Hendricken in 1976, joining staff as a social studies teacher and as part of the school’s basketball program. He coached the freshman team for five years before leading the Junior Varsity squad until the end of its 2009 season.

Where Bishop Hendricken’s expectations and rigorous academic courses satiate students’ thirst for knowledge, the school’s celebrated athletic programs help instill the values of teamwork, dedication and loyalty.

“Some of my fondest memories are of having played a small part in shaping the characters of hundreds of young men through coaching,” says Jackson. “All of our students are encouraged to balance their studies with an extracurricular life that helps develop the mind, heart, soul, and body—there’s something at Bishop Hendricken for everyone.”

Whether a student has interest in chess, bowling, hiking, art, music—or anything in between—there’s a club for them at Bishop Hendricken. In fact, the school offers nearly 50 clubs, organizations and honor societies to occupy students’ time and hone their talents.

Away from extracurricular activities, it is often students’ performance in the classroom that defines their time as a Hendricken Hawk, and rightfully so. Considered one of the finest Catholic college preparatory schools for young men in the region, Jackson sees Bishop Hendricken as the land of great opportunity.

“Growth is the key to a student’s development, and in all areas, the opportunity to grow is abundant at Bishop Hendricken,” says Jackson. “He has the potential to grow as a student, a person, an athlete, an artist, musician, singer—whatever oath he chooses.”

Students’ academic growth, in particular, is a point of pride for Jackson. The school serves students from many different backgrounds, and some of the young men etched in Jackson’s memory are those who may have struggled in high school and later became success stories. There is little more powerful than when Jackson hears they credit Bishop Hendricken with helping them become the men they are today.

Jackson is quick to point out that regardless of the path a student takes while at Bishop Hendricken, upon graduation, they’re well-prepared to take their next step in life’s journey. Students are recruited by some of the finest colleges and universities in the country and a sampling of the schools 2015 graduates are attending include Brown, Notre Dame, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Boston College, Johns Hopkins, and The University of Alabama Honors College.

“As president, I am the guardian of our mission, which is to bring every member of our community into a closer relationship with God through education of the total person,” says Jackson. “I get a lot of satisfaction out of being a positive influence on the lives of our students; this is an extraordinary place.”

An additional way that Jackson imparts the school’s values upon students and conjures up reflection is through the orientation sessions for each class that mark the start of each school year. The sessions begin with a prayer service and focuses on a specific theme. This year, in keeping with the Holy Father’s Year of Mercy, Jackson delivered remarks on forgiveness in the modern world.

“The spiritual realm is an important area for students to grow and develop,” says Jackson. “Bringing each and every young man who walks through our doors into a closer relationship with God is a central part of our mission.”

Through parts of five decades, Jackson has touched the lives of thousands of students. He has little doubt that his unique perspective—first as a student and then teacher, coach, and now president—has influenced him the same way he works to influences others.

“The Hendricken experience is real; it certainly helped to shape my life and it’s heartwarming to have the opportunity to pay it forward,” ends Jackson. “We have a proud tradition of producing young men of fine character, high intellect and a deep social conscience, and that’s something everyone within the Hendricken community is proud of.”

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