Scott Allenby recently wrote a fine article entitled Transforming Lives! after catching up with Tommy Moyon, Class of 2007. Tommy, whose life was thoroughly transformed by his Proctor experience, has returned to a tough neighborhood in New York's Lower East Side, where he is transforming the lives of disadvantaged youth. A star football player and co-Captain at both Proctor and Morrisville College, he has helped launch a successful, rapidly growing football program for boys who--otherwise--would never have the chance to learn the lessons gained through competitive athletics. Below, Carlos Bryant, L.J. Cangiano, Tommy and Harold Shawn celebrate a 2006 victory.



Scott teaching Advanced Placement Economics.



Scott quotes Tommy as saying, ""This has all happened so fast, and is all so exciting....Allegiance Youth Football is impacting people's lives in a positive way and it is so exciting to be a part of that change. Our program seems to have a domino effect as one individual sees that he can have more for his life, have more opportunities and see more of the world than just his immediate surroundings in New York. Once one person sees this, others want it. We simply provide the channel through which these kids can access those opportunities." The statement that haunts me, however, is this: "My life was transformed by my experience at Proctor Academy and I am forever grateful to those teachers and coaches who helped me realize what I could become. Proctor showed me a different world and it was through those relationships, with guys like Gregor Makechnie... and others, that I realized what kind of man I wanted to become...."



For Scott, who is in his seventh year as a teacher at Proctor, this is one of the first times he has heard such testimony from a former student. It is powerful stuff, capturing the power of relationships--particularly in residential schools--where relationships extend so prominently beyond classrooms.





Tommy's observation that relationships at Proctor initiated a domino effect is enough to give us pause. Here, a student met adults who were more than teachers. They served as life models for ethical behavior.



Something good that happened years ago is now self-replicating in the Lower East Side.... and who knows where else?




"As soon as I graduated from Proctor, I knew that I wanted to somehow give back to the community...." -Tommy Moyon.