Richard Greco, Jr., Founder and President of The Montfort Academy, Celebrates The Academy's 100th Graduate

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y., June 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Montfort Academy in Mount Vernon, New York celebrated the success of its senior class and honored their achievements during the Saturday Commencement. For the class of 2015, this was a particularly special moment, as their class included the Academy's 100th graduate, Ms. Maggie Haggerty. Founded in 2002, The Montfort Academy has been named for the past seven years one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools.  For founder and President Richard Greco, Jr., this provides an enormous sense of satisfaction.  But one never to be fully satisfied, it is only inspiration for Richard Greco, Jr. to work hard to grow the school further so that it can graduate its 1000th student in a few years. 

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Richard Greco, Jr. envisioned a high school curriculum that would unite the academic excellence of our present day with those ingenious persons whose momentous discoveries, aspirations, and achievements contributed to an unbroken tradition of wisdom and knowledge in the Western World.  Montfort, according to Richard Greco would therefore emphasize a keen awareness of the past and a deep appreciation for the contexts in which men and women pursued the truth, whether metaphysical, moral, or scientific.  Richard Greco, Jr. believed that by retracing the process of research and discovery, the imaginations of the young are stimulated and their passions become more easily engaged in those same pursuits.  Montfort would regain the excellence of the past carry the torch of esteemed tradition, and inspire today's youth to take hold of their future. 

When it came to developing the curriculum for The Montfort Academy, Richard Greco, Jr., and the other founders found partial inspiration in Raphael Sanzio's painting "The School of Athens." Capturing the learning in the practical and theoretical sciences in ancient Greece, Raphael links the genius of its philosophers, mathematicians, and scientists to the accomplishments of the day. This representation of ancient Greece and Raphael's architectural and artistic perspective that is technically superior to that of his contemporaries is exactly what the teachers at The Montfort Academy wanted to create in each of their classrooms. Along with the emphasis on science and technology that dominate today's curriculum, Richard Greco, Jr. believed that the languages arts of grammar, rhetoric, and logic would hold just as much importance in the curriculum as science and technology. 

Deciding what curriculum would be taught at the new Academy was only the beginning. The new challenge was finding extraordinary individuals to bring the ideas to life. Richard Greco, Jr. and the rest of the individuals involved in making the Montfort Academy a success searched for the most qualified and dedicated individuals to become educators at the Academy.  As the word educator implies, teachers are "leaders," drawing out from their students' talents, curiosity, imagination, and hard work. It was in 2002 that Richard Greco, Jr. created the first Catholic high school to open in the Archdiocese of New York in 40 years, and that Montfort would hold an Inaugural Mass at St. Mary of the Assumption Church for their first freshman class. This past weekend marked another milestone in the story of The Montfort Academy when the 100th student received her diploma during the 2015 Commencement. 

Congratulations to The Montfort Academy Class of 2015 Graduates.   

About: Richard Greco Jr. is the founder and president of the Montfort Academy in Mount Vernon, New York.  Previously he served as The Assistant Secretary of the Navy and is currently the Managing Partner of Filangieri Capital Partners, a merchant banking practice in New York. 

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SOURCE The Montfort Academy