Brophy Making a Difference
November 2006

50 days into the school year. Not quite 2 full months. How can Brophy make a difference in young men in such a short period of time? Here are some highlights of the first 50 days:

350 freshmen, Men of ’10, spent a weekend retreat being challenged to open themselves to growth with new friends, new technology, in a new environment. One third of the freshmen class has each spent a 10-hour day at St. Vincent de Paul preparing meals and serving the hungry. 75 Brophy sophomores have volunteered 1125 hours of time through the Loyola Project to tutor grade-school students at 5 different underprivileged schools in Phoenix.

160 boys joined the freshman football team. Over 1000 students have spent lunchtime playing Intramural dodgeball, basketball, softball, volleyball and handball. Brophy opened its campus to 1500 high school students over 3 nights under the banner Friday Night Lights to provide a safe, fun atmosphere for socializing. The Brophy Swim Team won its 19th straight state title.

For two weeks, the entire student body focused on issues of immigration as part of Brophy’s 3rd annual Summit on Human Dignity. Brophy students and faculty have prayed together at three school-wide masses, one junior Magis retreat, two senior Kairos retreats, along with the daily morning prayer and afternoon daily Examen.

This year, Brophy proudly boasts 17 National Merit semi-finalists, 64 Advanced Placement Scholars, 5 National Hispanic Scholars and 7 Advanced Science Research students who currently work with Barrows Neurological Institute, the Mayo Clinic, and ASU’s Natural Science Department, among others.

Also Brophy is making a Jesuit education possible for over 240 students this year through the awards of $1.5 million in financial aid.

Can 50 days make a difference? At Brophy every day students are making a difference: in the classroom, on the playing fields, in prayer, in action. Every day Brophy students are challenged academically, spiritually and socially to move beyond the familiar, to step outside their comfort zones.

Every day Brophy faculty spends hours with students, not just in the classroom. They attend countless school functions to cheer on their students; they coach them to bring out the best in each boy; they moderate 80 clubs that give every boy a chance to be part of something new, helping to teach every boy the skills he needs to become a leader.

For 78 years, Brophy has made a difference not only in the lives of its students, but in the life of the Phoenix metropolitan community. Look around and you will find Brophy graduates in just about every field and industry in the Valley. That is no coincidence. That is Men for Others in action. That is Brophy making a difference.