Photo by Andrew Brown ’18 | Will Alpert ’17 mounts a photo for AP Studio Art. Will has been named Man of the Year.
By Andrew Howard ’17
THE ROUNDUP
Will Alpert ’17 seems to always have a smile on his face.
What is even more admirable is this year’s Roundup “Man of the Year” winner’s desire to put a smile on the face of others.
Almost everything that Alpert said he enjoyed doing on campus was for others.
Alpert has led Kairos, is an executive board big brother, is a part of PHAM, a math tutoring club, went on two service oriented immersion trips, and works with Brophy Relief, a grief support group on campus.
Outside of campus Alpert spent his summer hours at the Arizona science center teaching students who wanted to learn more about coding and engineering. Alpert has spent time in Nogales working with KBI, St. Mary’s, St. Vincent DePaul and Andre House.
Alpert became involved in Brophy Relief because his father passed away when he was in the sixth grade.
“One of the biggest things I’ve enjoyed about Brophy is helping out in Brophy Relief, which is a grief support group, it’s mainly run by Mrs. [Katie] Widbin and Ms. [Karen] Parise,” he said. “It’s been really cool to see the group grow over time and I’ve really enjoyed that.”
Ms. Breanne Toshner, who taught will honors pre-calc and AP Calculus AB praised him for his ability to achieve high grades while also being willing to help others.
“He was not only one of the most brilliant students I taught, consistently receiving the highest grade on any test given, but he was also the student who took time to help others,” she said in an email. “Many young men their sophomore year struggle with maturity and acting out in class. I never had this experience with Will. He was and always is respectful and focused, eager to learn and to participate in class with enthusiasm.”
Big Brother moderator Mr. Scott Heideman also praised Will for his positive spirit and impact on campus.
“Will has a way of making good things great. He has been an amazing influence on the Big Brother program and his outlook on life is a constant reminder of why it’s always a great day to be a Bronco,” he said.
Ms. Toshner said his character explains why Alpert is Man of the Year.
“Will to me epitomizes what a young man should be. He is respectful. He listens, and extends himself to others,” she said. “He works hard and constantly pushes himself to be better but never at the expense of others. He is guy that doesn’t shout to be seen, but once you have the opportunity to share a few words with him, you realize he’s a person worth getting to know; whether in the classroom, on a retreat, through his art, or in the student section at a game … he’s an all-around great guy who lives to be better and is a friend to everyone.”
