Rock Talk
Rock Talk is the official podcast of Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri — where we explore the voices, values, and vibrant life of our Jesuit, college-prep community. Hosted by the Admissions and Marketing team, each episode features conversations with students, faculty, alumni, and special guests as we share stories of academic excellence, faith formation, brotherhood, and service. Whether you're a prospective family, a proud alumnus, or simply curious about what makes Rockhurst unique — this is your inside look at life at The Rock.
Rock Talk
From Class Of ’67 To Freshman Mentors: How Alumni Keep Rockhurst’s Mission Alive
A small choice can define a lifetime: Jim Kopp and John Oades, two friends from the Class of ’67 sit down with us to share how Rockhurst formed their faith, sharpened their character, and gave them a brotherhood that still shows up—at service sites, retreats, tailgates, and alumni events. They talk about arriving as kids, becoming men for others, and why they now guide freshmen through Days for Others with the same joy their mentors once showed them.
We dig into access and inclusion with fresh honesty. Transportation remains a real barrier for some families, and simple solutions—carpools, neighbor networks,—can unlock a student’s path. From there, the conversation widens: participation matters, because small gifts and volunteer hours help secure corporate and foundation matches. We unpack how alumni presence transforms culture in the building. When students see seasoned grads grabbing shovels and leading by example, service becomes normal, not performative.
Career opportunity comes to life through Rock Connect, the Jesuit alumni network, and a growing speaker series that turns goodwill into internships, mentorship, and practical skills. First‑generation college students get tailored guidance on networking, internships, and campus engagement, with alumni stepping in as guides who translate experience into clear next steps. We also float a powerful idea: retired alums running hands‑on seminars that teach the real-world lessons you rarely get from a textbook.
At the heart of it all is a simple claim: academics open doors, but community keeps them open. Faith animates the bonds, and the bonds make the school more than a place—it’s a network you can lean on in any city, at any age. If you’ve drifted, start small. Read the alumni newsletter, show up for spaghetti dinner, say hello at a game, or lend an hour at a service site. Then decide how you want to give: time, talent, or treasure. If this conversation moved you, follow the show, share it with a classmate, and leave a review—then tell us how you’ll reconnect this year.
Welcome to Rock Talk, the official podcast of Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri, where we explore the voices, values, and vibrant life of our Jesuit college prep community. Hosted by the Admissions and Marketing Team, each episode features conversations with students, faculty, alumni, and special guests as we share stories of academic excellence, faith, formation, brotherhood, and service. Whether you're a prospective family, a proud alumnus, or simply curious about what makes Rock Rush unique, this is your inside look at Life at the Rock.
SPEAKER_05:And we're back, folks. This is Steve Redman, Director of Admissions and Marketing. We've got Beth Van Dyken here, the other director of Admissions and Marketing. And we got two special guests with us today, which we're excited to talk about. We got Jim Cop and John Odes of the Great Class. Did I say that right, gentlemen? You did the Great Class of 1967. Fellas, we appreciate you being here. And why don't you introduce yourself to the community and the listeners and tell us a little bit about what's going on right now in your life?
SPEAKER_00:Well, my name is Jim Cop. I graduated, as Steve said, in 67, and it's it's been a whirlwind since then and enjoyable. I joined Rockers my second semester, my junior year, coming from St. John's Seminary, which a lot of the young listeners would not understand what St. John's Seminary, because it doesn't exist anymore. It was a high school seminary, which we refer to as a minor seminary.
SPEAKER_05:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:And that's where my beginnings of high school life started, and it was just increased so much more when I came to Rockers. Uh we took it out of, let's say, more of the religious environment into the life environment by coming to Rockers and learning more and more about giving for others, doing for others, and had some great teachers and confidants. Father Martins, who is I don't know where he is today, but he was one of my religion teachers, or people would know as theology today, was was phenomenal. And my life evolved so much while I was at Rockers for a year and a half, I decided to go back into seminary and I must have been crazy because I decided after two years to come back out.
SPEAKER_02:Discerning, always discerning, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, exactly. And the basis that I got from Rockers continue to grow throughout my professional life, my married life. So today my partner in doing a lot of things, John Oates, we work with Rockers boys, freshman year, young men, and day for others, which we have the privilege of using their talents, their strength in giving to others in the community one day a quarter, which is just phenomenal. So my life started at a very young age, seventy-seven years ago. Still young. And yes, and I'm s as Beth said, I'm still discerning Yeah, there you go. And there's so many things that keep popping up from that. And I'm retired and it Rockers just gave me the basis to continue giving back to the community. And by letting us share with the young men, the freshmen, it encouraged me as I see them happily work within the community. And so that's where I'm at today is trying to find more ways to be involved in the community. And Rockers is, you know, they always have their phone line open, you know. So if you need to do something, call. But anyway, it's great. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:What about you, John? Well, I'm John Oates, and Jim just went through the entire agenda. So thank you, Jim. I I think he said it very very well. Obviously, I came to Rockstar my freshman year from visitation grade school, you know, Catholic grade school to to the Catholic high school and on to Rockhurst University or college at the time. And you know, as I look back at uh starting here, we we you know, well, it was a no-brainer. We were gonna go to Rockhurst. That was what m folks wanted us to do. That's what I think I wanted to do at the time. Except that, you know, back when we were all thinking about Rockhurst, high school was at 52nd and Troost, we lived at 52nd in Maine. Okay. So that's a you know, cakewalk. Yeah. It would have been a walk. And then they had to go m move it out here. And that almost almost scratched it for us. But you know, we worked it out. And I'm I'm just I I can't say how glad I am that that's what happened. Because Rockhurst was just it was all that's all we thought about, you know, really. I was involved in some sports primarily sports until I hurt my body too much and got out of it. But you know, it was just such a good uh experience that and that's why I think Jim and I get involved so much these days. I'm the chair of the volunteer alumni volunteer group, which is another challenge in and of itself, getting people to come out and and do these activities that we but the activities are so much fun. I mean they really are fun. Jim mentioned days for others for the freshmen. And and you know, the freshman retreat and the uh the uh alumni tailgate party, you know. They're all really, really fun. And I just I put a little plug in for volunteers. I urge you to come out and and and try it. You'll like it.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:So we hear. What are we here? And uh on that note, you know, as as we were talking before we got on air, you know, this four episodes is about giving and whether that's time, talent, or treasure. And, you know, you guys have given a lot. And, you know, I heard Meredith Forest told me, you guys have been rolling tough for a long time, you know, in in that capacity too, giving together, you know, just just living life together.
SPEAKER_00:We we do, we and we enjoyed it. And I think I would tag on what Johnny said that we always thought about going to rockers. You know, that was the the thing. But you know, since going there and now where we are in our life, we understand what it means to go to rockers. You know, we don't just think about going to rockers, we think about being part of Rockers community and being, you know, uh to us more well-rounded individuals because we came here. Right. And we understand what Rockers is. You know, it's not say I'm we're thinking about going to Rockers, we understand what it means. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Which is why the giving part is so easy to accept and to participate in, and whether it's financial or uh time, as you you've already said, but i it it's just a norm. It's just normal for at least well, Jim and I and a lot of the a lot of the guys, uh, the class of 67 is fairly involved. Yeah. We got a good group of of guys that get together every month, either for lunch or for happy hour. And and it it I I couldn't do without that. And I think it leads us into the giving of the financial part. Uh I don't think I could sleep well at night if if I wasn't you know participating in that.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah. I I got a uh question for you guys as a young alumni and and uh also a gentleman that came to Rockhurst, because I'm I'm impressed to say this, you know, because like how what what's the key for you guys as friends to stay connected the way you have for so long? Oh boy.
SPEAKER_00:Can we can we go off air? Do we have to be honest? You know, like Johnny said, we started in grade school and that was we graduated in 63 from grade school. I mean it's been going out ever since and uh And we still like each other. Yeah. I mean it it's and I have to say that as we discern and evolved what what we learn and what we did together is what glues us together, you know, and that's our faith, our religion and and our community. You know, we have the faith, but it's the community that supports it. And I mean when when Johnny says, you know, we do things, you know, outside together, we do a lot of things outside together that we've been friends with from 63. I mean we have a little group that we get known told about a project that could be done if if you guys had the time. The class jumps in and they do it, you know. And it's and I I really say it's the class of 63 from visitation. Okay. Not to be, you know, bias or anything, but yeah.
SPEAKER_04:We literally grew up together, if you can imagine that, and we're you're still talking to each other.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I think that's one of the powerful things that I've observed as a non-alum is that bond. I mean, I I went to St. Teresa's and to St. Elizabeth and have those same kind of bonds with my classmates there. But my dad, for example, goes to lunch once a week with his Rockers classmates, and a lot of those are his St. Francis classmates. And he too would agree that the move out south was a little bit rough for for a lot of families. And what's interesting, even about that, is one of the things that that Steve and I encounter in the mission's office today is still that transportation, so getting to rockers is sometimes the biggest hurdle for families. So you would think it might be financial, you think it might be maybe different beliefs or philosophies. It's not that. It's it's sometimes as simple as how do we get here? And so, you know, having people like you that come and and share your stories reminds us that this has been something that has been a continuing thread and something that we can still help families with. And a lot of times it's building that carpal right out the those neighborhood kids that then become lifelong friends because they drive to school every day from wherever in the city they're coming from.
SPEAKER_00:So Yeah, absolutely. I I think that when we talk about the strength of rockers alum to each other, a little uh incident happened one time. I was on a plane coming back from a business trip, and you know, as you said on a plane, you you hope that you know maybe I can talk to the guy next to me, you know. Or the girl. The guy.
SPEAKER_02:He doesn't want to get in trouble.
SPEAKER_00:And and we're talking and we exchanged, and he worked for Postanelli and was not a rockers alum or anything. We're talking, and he says, you know, one thing I gotta say about you, damn rockers alum. You are tighter than my fraternity in college. I said, Well, you know, you're right. Wherever you go, if you're in a new city and you find a rockers alum, all of a sudden you have friends and community there. You're not alone. And that's to me, that's strong about what this school, not the building, but the people in it build between each other.
SPEAKER_05:And and that's what we we always talk about, trying to get these young men to understand that sooner. Like that's you know, and honestly, that was a thing that you know, I left Rockhurst and you know, it was a great time. It was very form formative for me and all of the stuff. And but I never like stayed connected. And life accelerated pretty quick when I got out. But it was like, oh man, the older I got, the more I appreciated what I got from this place, and the more I was seeking to, you know, in little ways, I would come back and speak here, I would shoot a video. And now that I'm here, I'm like, guys, let's just move through all of the foolishness and the awkwardness and all of this, and just trust me. Just press into the brotherhood now because you can't even fathom how deep this is outside of you. Right, right. You just need to trust the the folks and and you guys too, you know. And and I'm curious, I guess, at least to a question of with with your involvement, you said with the freshmen and and the stuff that you do here, you know, when we're talking to those other alumni, how have you seen your presence, your wisdom, your perspective impact our our guys in the building? The students? Yeah, the students.
SPEAKER_04:That's a great question, and I'm not sure we can really answer it, because if we come in and do these events, then we leave. You know, we come back and do another event, then we leave. Gotcha. I can only hope that it has an effect on them because we don't even get an evaluation, so to speak, okay, when we're done. But I I I have to think we're we're making a uh an impression on them. Had a couple of guys, I guess, come back to us through other channels saying, that was a great deal. I'm I'm I'm glad these guys are here and that kind of stuff. But yeah, I just gotta hope that we do have the impact that we think we do.
SPEAKER_02:I will say I got to do service with you guys for freshman day for others at St. Trees a couple weeks ago at St. Trece the Little Flower. And I drove, you know, the van, and that's where you get all the good conversations, in case you're wondering, is driving the van. But you know, they did talk about how cool it was that you guys are still such good friends. I mean, that was something that they definitely took away from that day was I think that's really cool that they still hang out together, is how they put it. They still hang out together. So they like that. And I think too watching you joyfully give back to the community and and seeing kind of you putting your all in makes them buy in more. And I and I see that anytime we have our alumni at those service sites, because I mostly go to the police athletic league. And every so often we'll get an alum that comes there, but a lot of times our alums go to the bigger sites like Kansas Cubic Works and things like that. So when I see an alum come and they kind of set the tone for I, you know, they're in there with a shovel, they're in there with getting their hands dirty. It kind of for some of the boys that maybe aren't used to a life of service, they will get used to it.
SPEAKER_00:Uh I always say they have a hard time spelling L-A-B-O-R.
SPEAKER_02:That is correct. And some don't know how to use a push broom, but you know, we learn very important skills in that beyond the importance of giving back. But no, I think seeing you guys and having you lead by example definitely has an impact. So you are making a mark, whether you get a formal evaluation or not. I'll give you one and it's an A plus.
SPEAKER_00:So Yeah, well, thank you. And I think we do get an evaluation because we keep getting a call to come back and do that. That's true. So that is true. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:I I don't think we really need to have too much of a of uh feedback.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Because it's it's as I've said already, it's fun stuff.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:And I I know the kids are getting stuff out of it, the freshmen are supposed to be called kids. Uh but we just don't hear it maybe. But uh I know we I know we do.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. And I know you guys have helped with a couple of the missions events, and we always appreciate having alumni like at Night at the Rock, handing out posters and and things like that. Because I think again, when both prospective families and prospective students see you guys as kind of still engaged, still excited to share about your experience at Rockers. We had Spencer Hardwick uh speak this year, who's an alum at Night at the Rock, and it was great because I think what it shows parents is this is what your son can be. You know, I think every parent wants their kid to be someone who comes and gives back, who can make eye contact and shake a hand, you know, things like that. And they see that when our alums come out to events. So I know this office in particular appreciates your contributions for sure.
SPEAKER_05:And John, I want to ask you a question. And and and you're the president of the alumni, or is that what remind I'm forgive me. I'm the uh volunteer chair. Volunteer chair. What are some events coming up for alumni? Do we have any coming up?
SPEAKER_04:There's the alumni spaghetti dinner. Okay. Father Percelli, alumni, all alumni spaghetti dinner. I gotta think about that now.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Now our Rock Day of Giving is coming up, which is a big alumni event, trying to get as many alumni involved at at whatever level they can be involved, which I think is great.
SPEAKER_04:We've come in to make those calls, Jim and I both. I don't know if we're going to do it this year. I don't we haven't been attempted yet.
SPEAKER_02:There you go.
SPEAKER_04:Um but I that's yeah, that's right around the corner as well. And then we'll we'll have our own special alumni or not alumni, but class Christmas dinner.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, that's great.
SPEAKER_04:And then there's the alumni Christmas thing also. So I forgot about that. So I didn't write it down, so I I can't remember.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and we I know, and is that the Christmas thing? Is that the where they do the pizza party and the the young alums come back that are recent grads? Is it that one or is there two? There's probably more than one.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:That office is busy, busy. So Meredith's doing a great job. But yeah, what one of my favorite things to go to is that uh they do a pizza party and they invite like the last two years, I think, of students who have graduated. And so for someone who's been here for seven years, I like to go back and and see what the boys are up to and you know where they've landed and how they've landed. And overall, great reports always coming out of that that night. And I think they really enjoyed the chance to be back together, which shows you something.
SPEAKER_00:What's that Jesuit program or um like uh J Fan or something or yeah, J Fan? J Fan.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So there is, and that's through the Jesuit schools network, but it's pretty much like a Jesuit-wide alumni network, which is great. So that's a way that recent and grads from any year can get involved. But the other one I like, and uh right now we've talked about it a couple of times in this podcast, but it's it's getting revamped, but it's called Alumni Service Corps. And what it is is it's a chance for alums that are interested, maybe in the field of teaching, to donate one year of their time to come and teach at Rockhurst. And then they get put up in our ASC residence, which is right above our auction office, and get to live on campus and participate in everything. And they really do participate in everything. They work pretty hard that year. And as a lifelong educator, I think it's really an important program. And I understand in in today's economic environment, it's a little bit harder to donate a year of service when you've got, you know, college loans and things like that. But my hope is that we can we can get that started up again because not only do I think it's a great program, but I've gotten to meet some really great people through that who have come to work at Rockers and continue teaching, which I think is great because we need more great teachers.
SPEAKER_00:So maybe a little supplement to that is you could look at it, how can I use alumni who are retired, not maybe teach on a formal basis, but maybe to participate in some seminars with the kids. Yeah. Instead of letting that talent sit out there and work just on the younger kids for the teaching give back. Maybe we could be a more formal thing of getting the alumni together and and doing things like that.
SPEAKER_02:That would be great. Yeah, I know. Um Meredith and Tiffany Rennie, our uh librarian, have started an alumni speaker series and uh, which has been pretty successful. They've had people in from all different walks of life uh to come and talk about their experiences in the professional world. But I think expanding that, I agree, would be great into more of a not just a talk, but maybe a little bit more of a seminar s situation, which they've learned something from it. So maybe you want to go into sales. Well, we're gonna do a whole seminar on what I've learned in my, you know, 40 year sales career as opposed to what you're gonna hear in a college classroom, which is a little bit different. Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:Always just curious too. Like, so you're retired, you're both retired. What field did we retire from?
SPEAKER_00:Well, I was retired on how long do you have? I I was I've had an an interesting career. I started out at the police department. Okay. And then I went into uh corporate security with uh Phillips Petroleum in Oklahoma. And then the last company that well then I was in Houston, how did a friend of mine get his network security system set up. Okay. And then the last before I retired completely twenty-seven years, I was with a company out of Montreal where we produced yeast and bacteria for the food, health, and any industry that would use yeast and probiotics throughout the world.
SPEAKER_04:Wow. Very cool. And I was almost that exciting. I was in sales and marketing roles for uh billing materials manufacturers, siding and OSB, if you know what that is, uh trim and decking and all that kind of stuff. And worked the two-step markets for a long time, had a region that some guys reported to me and and then got into the national count side, you know, the Lowe's Menards Depot and the real tough people to deal with. So quite an education, and I retired in 2018. Okay. Now you guys get to do whatever you want to. Yeah, and we're busier than we've ever been working. It's just unbelievable.
SPEAKER_00:I remember my dad said he was busier than anything when he retired. I said, How could you be busy? You retired. Well, now I know.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, right, right. And I'll put a plug in real quickly for you as what's coming up. The the uh spaghetti dinner is coming up. I don't know when this gets out on the air, but it'll be out next week.
SPEAKER_02:Next week. Yeah, next Monday.
SPEAKER_04:Well, come on out then, November 6th. Yeah, yeah uh you know, there's not a lot of signups, but then a lot of people always come up. You know, they just show up.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, pretty open door policy for the most part in this building.
SPEAKER_04:But yeah, I urge you guys to come out and uh banter with your other alumni groups and other friends and people you haven't seen for a while. It it's really a great event. Cool. I'll put it on my calendar. Yeah. Oh, you don't already have it on? He wanted a formal invite from from John. Your formal invite is gonna be hopeful.
unknown:Love it.
SPEAKER_03:I love it.
SPEAKER_02:So what part of this this series is also around giving. And so one of the the questions we're asking kind of people as they come in, is there any particular area here at Rockers that you feel particularly passionate about, people giving to? You know, and that can be anything from scholarships to facilities to programs, you know, any anything like that that you feel passionate about?
SPEAKER_04:I think it's just giving to the eerie fund in general, because I, you know, I've I ask myself that all the time. What do you really want to contribute to? I just want to contribute to the school, let them put it where they need it most. So that's what I always you know, just direct it that way.
SPEAKER_02:You're everybody's favorite kind of donor.
SPEAKER_00:Good.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Well, and and I think there's also talents and besides treasures to give. And I go back to when my youngest son came here and he would talk to some of the cousins that were coming. And his thought to them was get involved in everything from day one. Then you'll know what rockers is really about. And I think that's what I look at also and given as people with friends, alumni, donors, do whatever you want to do in the way of giving, but give somehow time, talent, treasure.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:You know, and and even if you're a a young alumni that are you know, you just graduate, give five bucks, you know, if you can't do anything just to get into the the mood and habit of doing it. But I wouldn't restrict anybody who wants to give something to the community here to be involved in it.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. Great. Money is always definitely, you know. I always say, you know, once you're born a Catholic, you're gonna be given money. There's no way to justify it or anything. Just give it the right to check and go, you know, but be there for other things. And whatever helps you feel good about it, it helps the the school too.
SPEAKER_02:One one thing that I um, you know, I've talked with Dr. Marty about is that coming I came from a fundraising background. So my first several jobs were working on the advancement side at the university level. And one thing I learned, I was working at the time and planned and major gifts. And so a lot of our giving centered around getting different foundation matches and corporate matches. And a lot of that has to do with participation rates. So whether it's people that are actively engaged in your community, giving back time, that's one thing that they look at. They look at just people giving overall. So even if it's you're giving a dollar, that's one participation point in the favor of the university or school. And so I think that's a really good point that it really at the end of the day doesn't matter how much or what you give, but the fact that you're actively participating in the community and giving back to the community is is going to help not just run the day-to-day things that you see. I mean, you guys come in and help tremendously in that area, but also just helping us to really promote rockers to agencies that can really help support some of our student initiatives. I mean, alumni have connected us to many important things, like the Black Community Fund, which we get scholarships for our students from that. The Hispanic Heritage Fund was also an alum that kind of introduced us into that community. And so any chance we can get, I think, to engage better with our alums is is awesome.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, and I and I think, you know, for the listeners more than anything, because we in this room have a stronger sense of it, but it's starting with strengthening your relationship with the school. You know, that's that's what the connection is really about. It's it's okay, yeah, it's we'll get some people are given money, some people are given time, some people are coming to do seminars, but like strengthen the relationship with the school enough to where you can figure out, oh, this is how I can give or what I want to give. And that means just show up, just show up to the dinner. Right. Show up to a game. Again, we got to relatively hey, come up and say hi to somebody and just start laying that foundation. If you are again like me at a time, like you're just little life maybe swept you up and you you know you got disconnected, get reconnected. It's it's actually a lot easier than you would imagine because as we had with you know our guests last week, there's always something.
SPEAKER_03:Yes.
SPEAKER_05:You know, this, you know, the again, I want to this dispel this idea that you know, we don't need help or we don't want help, or we just got this whole thing. That's the the polar opposite of what the reality is, you know, and it's the same expectation we have in these walls. What gifts and talents do you have to enhance our community? And so, you know, I encourage all the alumni, I reach out, you know, somebody will answer the phone.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I think too what Dave and the president they do by traveling around the United States. I think that's a cool program where you you set up visits at different cities to help reconnect if you haven't been connected for a while, and again to spread the news of Rockers and the Jesuits. And I think it's a great program.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and it's it's really, I think, and I've been really encouraging our young alums that are still in college to attend those in those cities. So, like when they come to DC or when they come to Dallas to go to those, because like we said, part of the perk of the community is the alumni network. And if you're a young kid and you're looking for an internship opportunity or even just advice, I'm debating between going into marketing or business. This is what I want to do. Which path do you think might be better? I mean, those are great opportunities for our students to do that. So I I'm in agreement with you and in being meeting them where they're at, not expecting them always to come back here, which is great.
SPEAKER_04:That's where the Rock Connect uh I I think will make a big difference.
SPEAKER_02:Can you talk about that a little bit, John, for the the folks at home that don't really know what Rock Connect's all about?
SPEAKER_04:Well, it's a networking, basically a networking program where we we're trying to pull people in to connect them with people in the industries that they want to be in. You know, particularly the newer graduates probably are gonna be more advantageous to them. And then some of the alums have offered their time and efforts to talk to them. You know, if you're in sales and marketing or security or computers and stuff like that. So anyway, it's it's a it's a networking program that the guys doing that on the alumni board are just working their butts off. Uh it's really, really cool deal that they're and again it's getting people reconnected, right? Reconnected to the school and in your career, obviously.
SPEAKER_02:I got to take part in a uh program that the Hurtada Scholars is doing now with their graduate. Because now we have a good group of graduates out in college and some that have recently graduated called the Companyaris Program, which is kind of going to be an offshoot of Rock Connect in a way, but specifically looking at our students that are first generation college students. So their mom or dad didn't go to college, and they've never really known or understood how to go to the next step. So how do I network? How do I go out and look for internships? How do I engage on my college campus? Things like that that we take for granted. I mean, both my parents went to college. So I had I had the wisdom that they could share with me. I had an older brother in college that shared a lot of advice. So we had a bunch of alums come in and meet with those guys last summer and kind of do exactly that. What was nice is they had each boy get up and introduce themselves and say what they're majoring in and kind of what they're interested in. And then the alums kind of found them and said, hey, you know, I'm I work in this industry. It's it's similar to what you're doing. Let me tell you a little bit about it. And it was a great, great experience. So, like you said, I mean, I I think that we advertise these opportunities out, but if you aren't sure and you want to get connected, Meredith Suarez in our alumni office is is your contact, or reach out to John. He's he's our volunteer coordinator. I'm sure he won't turn you away.
SPEAKER_04:I know everything. And you know, even the the newsletter that Meredith puts out is a great reference piece. Uh I mean, my guy goes on for page after page after page of activities, and Meredith just does a fantastic job with that. All of you do on getting that out. And if people just look through that a little bit, they'll find all kinds of opportunities. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I think it's really great too to kind of see if you're not sure what's going on at Rockhurst, what's changed, what's evolving, it it's a great way to kind of get caught up.
SPEAKER_04:No, I get caught up. Pardon me, I get caught up on it every now and then as well. And I'm supposed to know what's going on.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely. Yeah. Sure.
SPEAKER_05:Well, gang, here's the uh the question of all questions we always ask. Uh-oh. I'll give a few bucks. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:That's a good question, though. But we'll take that.
SPEAKER_05:Okay. Um, you know, and and and I'm very interested. I love I love asking folks this question. If you could tell a prospective family the number one reason they should send their son to Rockhurst, what would it be, in your opinion?
SPEAKER_04:Education and community. Education's just top-notch. I mean, all the data shows that, so that's a no-brainer. But just to get a community of of of uh friends that will hopefully be with you forever.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Uh I I and if I'm gonna talk to a student, I'll say urge them to get involved. Jim already said earlier, get involved in everything. And then drop the things that you just can't handle anymore and add to something else. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. Awesome.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I I would tag along with what Johnny said. You know, definitely community support. I mean it's gonna be with you the rest of your life if you accept it and get involved. I mean it education you can get a good education in this area in a lot of the different schools. Blue Valley, Shine Mission, Olatha. But you can't get the community. And that community carries with you on and on in your life. So that's what I would tell a prospective student and their family, and also that I sent two of my kids here. So I do believe in rockers. Show off. Well, how many did you send? Zero. Oh.
SPEAKER_04:But we moved away. Yeah, we moved away. You were a long time. That was not. And I also think that the religious part is I don't know if we talk about that enough to to get that base into our system is just, I think, a huge benefit benefit to going to Rockers. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:One of my favorite moments from Night at the Rock this year is uh one of our seniors, Isaac, talked about what it meant to be religious and the kind of construct of the grad at grad, but specifically for him and his time at Rockers. He's a transfer. He was a junior transfer as well. And he talked about how it move moving to Rockers has deeply enriched his spiritual life. And he talked about going, he got invited to go on a discernment retreat, the Jesuits down in Dallas, and kind of talked all through his experience. And then about two days later, I got an email from a mom that was in the audience and she said, Hey, do you think that that kid would be willing to come and talk to our confirmation class because he just did such a great job of talking about why faith is so important to him? So I I agree with you. I think the faith foundation is is super important and maybe something that we don't tote as much as we should because it's happening. You you guys have seen that through the retreat program, through the days of service, through your own experience, but maybe that is something we need to be shouting from the rooftops more often.
SPEAKER_00:I agree. I don't think we do it enough. Yeah. And and I I think we I'm starting to see it in in my neighborhood because there's a family that are not Catholic. You can't say a bad thing about Rockers to them. They have a son here now who just thinks and the mother and the father think this is one of the best things that has happened in their lives. Yeah. So I go along with Johnny. Yeah, I I think the faith and the religion that's here, you know, started by Father Martins, Father Steiner, you know, it's some of the great priests from the past. You know, it's here. It lurks in the hallway. You know, whether you want it or not, it's gonna catch you.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:It's you know, and it's gonna be up to you to discern what you want to do with it. But it's here, and maybe we need, like Johnny says, to promote that a little bit stronger. Yeah, agree. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:Cool, cool, cool. Well, gentlemen, we appreciate you being here. This is always a the the joy of my week being able to get on this podcast and talk to different folks. And I again I I just want to say thank you and young men to other young men. Oh, I like that. Uh I appreciate you know, give me a bad Johnny you guys' uh commitment to you know the brotherhood. And I mean, genuinely from 63 to now, still rolling. That's inspiring and and convicting in a way, you know, for me to look at my circle and where I can tighten up with with some of my guys. So I appreciate you. We appreciate you. Community, this is uh the rock talk, another episode that we're closing out, and uh we'll talk soon.