Led by Proud Legacies, Class of 2019 Registers

Three hundred new Sons of Xavier descended on 16th Street for the Class of 2019’s Registration Day on March 4, filling the gym with activity as incoming families submitted paperwork, fitted their sons for blazers, and purchased Xavier gear galore.

Members of the incoming class hail from across New York City’s five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester, and New Jersey. Among the newest Knights are dozens of members of legacy families, including Brendan Buckley ’19 of Rockaway, younger brother of Jimmy Buckley ’13 and Connor Buckley ’17. Brendan's mother, Margaret Buckley P ’13 ’17 ’19, said she will never forget the first time she heard about Xavier High School. 

Several years ago, Mrs. Buckley and young Jimmy ran into a family friend whose baby daughter had been diagnosed with cancer. The child’s father was a Xavier alumnus, and when he experienced difficulty getting a doctor’s appointment for his daughter, he did his research and discovered the doctor was a Xavier alum, too. The family called the doctor’s office and asked if the Xavier connection would help at all—and the child had an appointment the next day. Many years later, the child is thriving, and the Buckley family is committed to Xavier.

“I didn’t really think Jimmy was listening to the story,” Mrs. Buckley recalled, “but when we walked away, he said, ‘I want to go to a school where people take care of me like people took care of that baby.’” 

Jimmy Buckley is now a sophomore at the University of Scranton and a proud Xavier alumnus. His younger brothers never considered another high school, Mrs. Buckley said.

“Xavier has everything for them,” she said. “You couldn’t charge us enough for Xavier. I genuinely mean that.”

Incoming freshman Terence Strehle ’19 of Rockaway, cousin of Brendan Buckley ’19, also follows a long line of proud Sons of Xavier. His brother John Strehle ’14 is now a freshman at Iona College, Kyle Strehle ’16 is a junior at Xavier, and Kevin Strehle ’17 is a sophomore.

“There was never a question about where we wanted our boys to go to school,” said Christine Strehle, P ’14 ’16 ’17 ’19. “When my son John began at Xavier, we saw a major change for the better in him within two-and-a-half months’ time.”

“My husband and I are very grateful that everything at Xavier is consistent, which brings a lot of structure to a young man’s life,” Mrs. Strehle continued. “We feel fortunate that everything we’ve done here at home has been reinforced by Xavier. It’s a team effort.”

Admissions Counselor Alexandra Bushery said such loyalty to Xavier is part of the school’s legacy.

"The love our alumni, parents, and students feel for Xavier is obvious to me every day," Ms. Bushery said. "The fact that our alumni want their sons to receive the same level of education they did strengthens our student body and Xavier as a whole."

To view photos from the Class of 2019 registration, visit our Flickr page.