Coming into work every day not only feels like a privilege. It is a homecoming.
Christ School began the 2019-20 academic year with nine members of the Faculty and Staff who are alumni. While their roles vary, what bonds the men together is their love for a school that shaped them into who they are today.
Passing on the values they hold dear as Greenies is paramount to Drew Hyche ‘94 (Dean of Students), Dan Stevenson ‘72 (Director of Alumni Relations), Eric Thorp ‘01 (Athletic Director and Golf Coach), Graylyn Loomis ‘10 (Director of Communications), Matt Cioce ‘13 (Assistant Dean of Students and Varsity Basketball Coach), Ross Weathersbee ‘10 (Digital Media Specialist), Guy Campbell ‘00 (Varsity Soccer Coach), Matt Knighton ‘87 (Director of Grounds), and Reid Memmel ‘14 (Assistant Strength Coach).
“Many faces have changed since I graduated and many of the buildings have been renovated or expanded, but the foundational core of the place is still just as present,” Loomis said. “The foundation is the boys and the sense of community they build with the teachers, staff, and administrators. Some of my strongest friends from Christ School today were teachers and mentors that I had as a student. Now I get to see those bonds forming from a different perspective and that is why returning and working here is such a rewarding experience."
Like Loomis, Cioce is a new addition to the faculty. He served as an assistant coach for the Greenies’ state runner-up basketball team last winter.
“I am extremely blessed to be able to live, work, and coach the game I love in a place that meant so much to me as a student,” Cioce said. “There are a ton of people who work very hard to make Christ School as special as it is. I look forward to being someone who can help these young men navigate through the challenges we present them and put them in position to be successful down the road.”
Stevenson travels thousands of miles every year to reconnect with alumni but is also a friendly face for on-campus visitors. One thing is constant – his enthusiasm for Christ School.
“I tell people all the time that I thought the school was really cool when I was a student but that it is so much cooler now. And that’s the truth,” Stevenson said. “It is a joy and a privilege to work here and the love I have for it is just the icing on the cake.”
Thorp was appointed Athletic Director in 2018 after working his first 11 years here in advancement and admissions.
“My ‘why’ is that frankly, I’m envious of the experience that the guys enrolled now are having,” Thorp said. “I had a really great experience at Christ School as a student, but I can only imagine the experience I would have had if I were a current student with all the campus upgrades and such a strong student body. I learned and grew so much during my time here as a student at Christ School and a lot of lessons that I learned I still use to this day. I hope that on some level I can help the students of today learn what I did as a student.”
Campbell and Greenie soccer kick off a new season Thursday. Presently, he has the most tenure of any varsity head coach at Christ School. Campbell’s staff includes Daniel Shaw ’13, who is serving as Director of Player Development for 2019.
“I learned so much from my coaches and faculty when I attended Christ School and I always felt a calling to pass down what I learned,” Campbell said. “Working at Christ School the last 10 years has made me a better person and I’m very thankful to continue to have that opportunity.”
Weathersbee produces video features for the Communications Department and oversees the Christ School Broadcast Network, a student-run operation for live streams of Greenie athletics on YouTube.
"Christ School has represented so many things for me – it’s the place where I learned to be a man, where I’ve made the most lifelong friends, and where I got my first real job after college," Weathersbee said.
"Returning as a faculty member meant that I could now work alongside the people who shaped my adolescent life for the better. Working here allows me to give what I learned here back to current students, who stand to benefit from Christ School just like I have, and I am truly honored to be a steward of the Christ School experience. Experiencing both sides of the proverbial Christ School coin is something I hope to pass down to current and future Greenies – that they may cherish this incredible place and carry on the Christ School legacy long into the future."