On a foggy day before Christmas in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, Chris Giangregorio (33) followed his early morning routine on the school steps: he greeted each and every student by name, with a firm handshake and a word of welcome.
At just about the same time on Hale Street in sunny Memphis, TN, Daniel Salvaggio (28) held the school door open with one hand, and extended the other in greeting to each young student. Conversations varied from sports to school uniform to homework, but were always in complete sentences.
These are two of almost a dozen elementary and junior high schools across the country where students are recognized as special and gifted from the first moments of the school day. They come to these schools to learn, grow, compete and have choice about the best high schools. It’s the San Miguel Schools Movement under a variety of local names.
Giangregorio at De Marillac Academy in San Francisco and Salvaggio at De La Salle in Memphis are part of an ever increasing number of young men who have chosen to be principals of these small urban Lasallian schools. Some will say it’s because they attended Lasallian high schools and colleges. Others may refer to family values and church affiliations. All true, but there is more.
Lasallian Volunteers Forever
Shortly after graduation, Giangregorio and Salvaggio both left home—friends, family, and things familiar—to go to distant places like St. Louis, MO, Albany, NY and Harlem, in New York City, to work with children and their families. On these amazing pilgrimages, just a few years apart, both shared intentional community with other volunteers and De La Salle Christian Brothers. On one level, it was two years of work on the mission of human and Christian education of youth, especially the poor. But like most pilgrimages on a deeper personal level, it was simply a life changing conversion experience for these young men. Ask any child or adult at De Marillac and De La Salle and they’ll confirm this.
“Daniel has a lot of heart for our kids, and you can tell he cares so much,” says Jackie Markowski, religion and computer teacher and current Lasallian Volunteer at De La Salle. “It reminds me of De La Salle’s words: ‘You can perform miracles by touching the hearts of those entrusted to your care.’ ”
“Last summer at orientation I read Virtues of a Good Teacher by De La Salle,” says Kristen Brenner, math teacher and current Lasallian Volunteer at De Marillac. “Since then, I’ve watched Mr. G practice many of them daily. It’s mostly wisdom and gentleness. He has established sunshine awards among the staff whereby last month’s award winner passes the award to another member this month while describing how they have brought sunshine to all of us.”
All pilgrims eventually head for home expecting it to be the home they left, but it never is because they have been dramatically changed by the struggles, challenges, and demons on the road. Generally they are not happy until they set out again.
Mr. S
The two years as a Lasallian Volunteer was formative for Daniel Salvaggio. Prior to serving at La School Albany he knew he wanted to help people and make a difference. While there he realized that his contribution to the court appointed youths was small but irreplaceable.
Daniel returned home to Memphis knowing full well that he had to make a difference in the lives of children and that “it’s not going to be easy.” He joined LANCE (Lasllian Association of New Catholic Educators) at Christian Brothers University, which involves teaching the 3rd grade at De La Salle Elementary while attaining a master’s degree from the university. Daniel was again leaving home for still another journey.
On June 4, 2011, he married the love of his life, Ashley Prevost, a fellow pilgrim in Lasallian Volunteers and dear friend for many years.
In the spring of 2012, Brother Rob Veselsky announced that his term as principal of De La Salle Elementary was up and that the position was open. Daniel seized the moment “as a sign from above” and applied.
The position was a new calling for him as an educator and professional in the world. God is not a distant father to be feared, but someone present and involved with all that is happening at De La Salle Elementary.
“If I trust in God and pursue what I believe to be right and just,” says Daniel, “God will guide me to a fulfilling life.”
For Daniel, God comes to him disguised as his life. He credits this imminent view of God’s presence to the confidence and support he received from incredible people on his Lasallian Volunteers journey.
Mr. G
Chris Giangregorio was affected most by people and places on his pilgrimage. It was only a few weeks into his year in St. Louis, MO, that he realized the power of a handshake and a few words of affirmation for San Miguel students. Recently he has realized the incredible effect the environment in St. Louis and in Harlem has had on his own growth.
“As a Lasallian Volunteer, especially in the small and intimate communities of San Miguel Schools,” says Chris, “you are involved in so many different levels of the process of running a school. Through working closely with the principal, president, fellow teachers, and families, the roles of an administrator are more visible to a young teacher much earlier in your educational career than would be in a traditional educational setting. The operations and needs of San Miguel schools are so unique. Because of that I feel they tend to promote their administrators from within, so as to cut down on the adjustment period.”
At Resurrection School in Harlem, Chris drove the bus, shoveled snow off the sidewalk, coached basketball ( he is 6′ 3″), shopped for the community and taught 6th grade math. He was a team player who learned the power of working together with parents, students and fellow teachers—something Lasallians call “Association.”
After returning home from pilgrimage he sought out a teaching position at a school that valued association: De Marillac Academy in San Francisco. De Marillac (and San Miguel schools in general) are flat organizations that give staff a great opportunity to participate in the process, experiment with ideas, own the outcomes, and to impact the lives of children. Imperceptibly, he was leaving home again on a new journey.
On June 14, 2008, he married the love of his life, Kristen Corbal, also a pilgrim on the Lasallian Volunteers journey in Harlem. Their son, Matteo, was born on the journey in 2009. He mastered fatherhood in 2010. He enrolled at St. Mary’s College of California to master educational administration in 2011. He was appointed principal in 2012, and today the pilgrimage continues.
Mr. K
Ted Kanelopoulos (43) is a Lasallian Volunteers alum, and— similar to Chris Giangregorio and Daniel Salvaggio—was appointed permanent principal of La Salle High School in Yakima, WA, this past year. He set out on his pilgrimage almost 25 years ago by choosing to take the Christian Service Internship (CSI) at St Mary’s College of California. Ted calls this “the most pivotal moment in my Lasallian journey.”
“The month I spent at Saint Gabriel’s Hall in Audubon, Pennsylvania, forever changed the direction of my life,” says Ted of his prep to join Lasallian Volunteers. “In the midst of planning a future in hotel and restaurant management, through this month of service and living in community God, in no ambiguous way, made me aware of my vocation to serve young people.”
Upon graduation he signed on to the Lasallian Volunteers and was assigned back to St. Gabes, this time for a full year. He was smitten by the Lasallian charism that permeated the institution and the lives of so many Brothers at St. Gabes.
Following his service year, he joined the community of the De La Salle Christian Brothers for eight years and taught young adults in Berkeley, CA, and finally moved to the new rural high school in Yakima, WA. This would be the ministerial love of his life.
As Ted helped the fledgling school make a good start by teaching religion and developing the first campus ministry program, he began to realize the call to settle permanently in the northwest.
“I have made this beautiful valley in central Washington my home,” confirms Ted.
He married Lisa Torres, the personal love of his life in 2002. Isabella was born in 2004 and Costas in 2006.
Much to Ted’s surprise, in 2010 when Brother James Joost (then principal) was called to serve the Brothers’ District of San Francisco, the Board of the school along with the Brothers invited him to be the interim principal. “I could never have imagined myself in this capacity at La Salle,” he recalls.
However, he accepted their trust and served as interim principal until his permanent appointment in late 2012.
Lead on Lasallians
2012 holds the record for numbers of Lasallian Volunteer alums invited to be chief administrators of schools. Each of these men see the hand of God in their life, feel their lives as journeys and are deeply touched by the Lasallian mission. Each are eternally grateful for the chance to serve. These leaders of 2012 are young, gifted, male and married.
Special thanks to Ashley Salvaggio, Kristen Giangregorio and Lisa Kanelopoulos for being the great women behind each of these good guys. And thanks to giants of men like Avila, Sweeney, Martino, McAlice, Farrell, Mahon, Kestler, and Scanlon for the inspiration to move ahead.
Brother Ed,
Thank you for capturing the history and spirit of the contemporary expression of the Lasallian mission and charism through the lense of the volunteers. You often have been a prophet in our midst – in these writings you help us look back to see the future.
Your face (magnet), for inspiration, hangs on my office door. You do walk the walk!
Gery