May 2025 - David Holquin, President

Dear De La Salle Community:

In schools, we sometimes use the phrase 'thousand days of May'. This idiom expresses what I have often said about education: we cram into nine months what should take twelve, and May accounts for at least three of those months. From year-end banquets and concerts to last-minute moments for redemption and graduation, our students and staff are very busy right now. And so are our parents! 

In this context, Easter may seem like a distant memory, and perhaps that's why the Church has us celebrate for 50 days. We need the opportunity to be continually reminded that we are an Easter people, not a Good Friday people. Even after darkness and struggle, light and hope always prevail. We recently experienced the passing of Track and Field Head Coach John Harvey and our Holy Father, Pope Francis. Both men are examples of hope in their way.

Similarly, education itself is a uniquely hopeful enterprise. All it takes is a few moments with our young men. Watch them excel in a classroom debate, or stun on the stage at Hadestown (I’m not embarrassed to say I had tears in my eyes on closing night). When you witness their perseverance building a robot or their attention during Mass with the Bishop yesterday, you can see that they are an amazing collection of humans who give hope for our future. We know it intellectually, but on Winton Drive, we see that our young people are, quite simply, our greatest hope. Each day, they teach us about resilience, curiosity, creativity, and compassion. Their questions challenge us to grow; their dreams dare us to believe more boldly; their kindness lifts our spirits when we need it most.

Pope Francis, when discussing Catholic education in November 2024, shared that “The world does not need sleepwalking repeaters of the status quo, but new choreographers, interpreters of the potential within humans, new social poets….Schools must teach people to desire, to stay thirsty, to have dreams, rather than passively accept the current state of the world."

Our young men are people who are poets in their own right and impress and inspire. At an age where so much is still being formed and discovered, they reveal courage in standing up for what is right, tenderness in caring for others, and a hunger for justice that echoes the heart of Christ. They are not just preparing to become leaders of tomorrow — they are already leading today, in countless quiet and courageous ways.

As we close this academic year and look ahead to the next, may we hold fast to the hope that Easter gives us. And may we continue to walk with our young people, recognizing the sacred in their journey, and the light they so freely share. Seeds are planted here, and our job is to give them the tools to help them grow. I hope you would agree that we have done so.

Wishing you and yours my very best in this busy month. Be assured of our prayers, and please pray for us as well.

Warmly,

David J. Holquin

President