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Waldron Mercy Academy students in grades three through seven gathered in the Dixon Gymnasium for the annual achievement assembly. Stephen Gleason '09, was chosen as the speaker, and encouraged the students to "live in the moment, have an open heart and mind, and be grateful."
Accoring to Stephen, "No matter how well you plan everything out, you’re going to get some curveballs now and again. I think WMA taught me how to step out of my comfort zone and come out a better person when things don’t go my way. My teachers here always asked us to think outside of the box and use what we learned in class and apply it to real life. I remember building bridges in Mrs. Kuzan’s science class, learning about current events with Mr. Fogarty, and answering Mrs. Guarini’s reflection questions. Waldron also made me think outside of our WMA Bubble. I remember when I went to the Catholic Worker for the first time, I didn’t understand why there were homeless people outside. When I went to the Clymer School a year later, I wondered why there were bars on the classroom windows."
Stephen started Waldron Mercy in fifth grade and was a member of the soccer and baseball teams for each of his four years. After graduation, he went on to St. Joe’s Prep, where he was a member of the track and cross country teams, wrote for the school newspaper, and was a part of the mission and ministry team. While at the Prep, Stephen volunteered during the founding of Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School and spent a gap year between high school and college working there full-time. Stephen’s two younger brothers, James and Michael, both graduated from WMA. His mom was on the parents’ association and his dad was a member of the board of trustees. This fall, Stephen will begin his senior year at Harvard, where he studies Government.