Creating a Culture of Excellence
This fall James Callaghan ’25 is taking on an important new role in the Prep brotherhood: president of Prep’s senior class. But that’s not the only way James will make his mark at Prep this year. In the spring, the summa cum laude student will be among the first cohort of Magis Scholars to graduate from Prep. Designed to build the Prep brotherhood by enhancing the culture of excellence on campus, the Magis scholarship program has increased enrollment of accepted students with a GPA of 3.75 or higher by 50% since its inception with the Class of 2025.
As a freshman, leading a club— let alone the entire student body— wasn’t something James thinks would have crossed his mind. Today, with encouragement and support from his teachers, he’s responsible for the existence of two clubs that feed his passion for writing: the school newspaper Prep Pages and the Creative Writing Club.
The moderator of both clubs, English teacher Brian Hoover, is one of several teachers James considers an invaluable mentor and played an instrumental role in helping James put together his writing portfolio for the University of Michigan—his top college choice where he hopes to study English in preparation for law school.
“At Prep, there’s a really big emphasis on growing true relationships as a mentor and a student with the teachers,” James explains. “I feel like the connections you can make with the teachers here are like no other. Every adult at Prep cares about the kids here and wants to make their experience the best possible.”
While creative writing is certainly one of James’ passions, his interests aren’t limited to the arts; he is also captain of the rugby team in addition to participating in the National Honor Society. The way Prep’s faculty and staff cultivate well-rounded individuals and encourage students to get involved in a variety of opportunities is one of the things James loves about the school.
“You might see Prep as a place where sports are big, but the arts are equally as big with equally as many people,” James explains. “There’s amazing people to meet from each type of group. I have plenty of friends who are in the band and play hockey.”
James and his friends are also deeply involved in the service opportunities Prep offers. “Prep makes it easy to be a man for others,” James observes. He sees the faculty as an important part of that equation. “Having a lot of alumni being part of the faculty, they really know what it means to be a man for others and what the brotherhood is. It’s impressive that after they leave Prep, they are open and want to come back.”
When James took that first tour of Prep that sold him on the school, he says, “It felt new and innovative, but also based in its own history.” With your support, Prep’s current students and faculty are writing the school’s next new chapter for the history books.