Students Meet Catholic Professionals During Leadership Course

Students from Pinecrest Academy and Saint John Bosco Academy, Catholic schools in Cumming, came together, along with students from Holy Spirit Preparatory School, at Georgia Tech to learn from Catholic leaders of Atlanta. This first annual Summer Leadership Course for rising high school upperclassmen took place June 16-23, 2021.

Pinecrest Academy participants included Felipe Castro, Gabriel Figueiras, Natalie Jennings, Hyojun Lee, and Ernesto Solera. Saint John Bosco Academy participants included Peter Duarte and Claire Donner. Holy Spirit Prep participants included Emil Sacco, Alek Grigorian, Ava Sipos, and Riordan Gatwood.

Organized by Fr. Andrew Gronotte, LC, and sponsored this year by Holy Spirit Prep, students visited with and learned from the following Catholic leaders in Atlanta:

• Kelly Angelo - Former Treasurer of The Coca-Cola Company
• Anthony Cabrera – Attorney at The Coca-Cola Company
• Dr. Adolph Casal – Children Psychiatric Medicine at Scottish Rite Children's Hospital
• Robert Donner – President of Southern Gentry Homes
• Dr. Arthur Grigorian - Neurosurgeon
• Erik Gunderson - Vice President at Primus
• Frank Hanna - Hanna Capital LLC
• Neil Johnson – President/Owner at Canonbury Homes, Inc.
• Kelly Loeffler - former Senator of Georgia
• Kathleen Magnusson - Mentor (Cherokee Country Club)
• Rick Medina – Finance Manager to Director of Catholic World Mission
• Bob Nardelli - former Home Depot CEO
• Orlando Ojeda - Founder/CEO of Full Circle Restoration
• Hector Padilla - Vice President of Home Depot

Students engaged in conversations with these professionals about their lives, touching on themes such as discernment, facing challenges, building trust, management, discipline, faith in the workplace, and having a humble attitude, knowing there is always more to learn.

In addition to these visits, students had the opportunity to organize mission work, tour Georgia Tech, attend daily mass, play games, and enjoy fellowship and fun.

"One speaker told our students that, as they prepare for college and careers, to remember that preparation for marriage would be much more important to happiness in their lives," commented Fr. Terrance Allen, one of the course moderators and High School Chaplain at Pinecrest Academy. "Another man who just merged his very successful business with another business worth over 500 million said that his greatest pride in life was that he has always sincerely sought to honor God in his work."

"What a joy to be able to bring these young adults, still in high school, to open their horizons on how to have successful careers, and yet, at the same time, receive incredible lessons for life. I can't wait to grow the program and bring many more upperclassmen to have this experience," Fr. Terrance continued.