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In This Issue

Marist Wins Six Awards at Model U.N. Competition

A group of Marist High School students participated in St. Peter's College's Model United Nations last month, with several of the students receiving awards.

St. Peter's College held its annual High School Model United Nations on March 13 and 14, where groups from high schools across New Jersey each represented a different country in a simulation of the United Nations.

In all, the group from Marist, led by Marist Model UN club moderator Thomas Murphy, took home six awards. Seniors Daryl Domo and Jordan Jones received Outstanding Delegate awards, senior Shereea Gaskin received the Outstanding Delegation, senior Navidra Hardin received the Honorable Delegate award, and junior Ricardo Pereira and sophomore Kamille Moise both received awards for Outstanding Position Paper.

Each day began with rigorous debates on issues ranging from humanitarian intervention to the European debt crisis. Students were required to participate in the debates while adhering to United Nations speaking protocol.

"It's not an easy task to follow every speaking logistic when you're in the full swing of your debate," senior Kimberly Fonseca said.

Meet Paige Morris '12

Paige Morris is a senior at Marist High School. During her time at Marist, she has been involved in nearly every area or group. She managed the swim team and the girls' JV and Varsity volleyball teams, was elected Student Body President in September, and is a member of Marist's three honors societies - the Spanish Honors Society, Montagne Honors Society, and National Honor Society. When she's not involved in athletic or academic pursuits, Paige enjoys putting her creative side to work. She serves as a writer and photographer for the yearbook, contributes to the school's literary magazine Visions, and is a Studio Art II student specializing in film.

Paige is currently preparing to attend the college of her choice - Brown University, an Ivy League university in Providence, Rhode Island. Though she received acceptances from schools like Hampshire College and the University of Notre Dame, Paige ultimately decided on Brown because, according to her, "Brown has everything I could ever hope for in a University: an academic challenge, of course, but also the freedom to choose what I want to learn. It's a warm and accepting environment where I will be embraced."

When asked about her Marist experience, Paige had this to say... "Marist has really transformed me into the person I am today. I came into high school as a shy, unconfident student who avoided clubs and challenging classes, and avoided meeting new people. As a senior, I can say I've had a complete turnaround. I've made such good friends and developed so many interests here that I would never have explored otherwise. It may sound cliche, but I've come out of my shell here in a way that I don't think I could have anywhere else. If I had chosen any other school besides Marist, I can't say that I would have had the support and resources I had here to apply to and be accepted to my dream college. I'll always be grateful to Marist and the people here for pushing me to be who I am."

Alumni Spotlight: Decundi Watkins '05

Decundi Watkins graduated from Marist High School in 2005 and from New Jersey City University in 2010. At NJCU, he earned a B.S. in Business Administration with a specialization in Finance. While at NJCU, Decundi was an active member and sector leader in NJCU's Student Investment Management Group where he and his fellow classmates managed an investment portfolio valued at well over six figures. He completed his studies as a Dean's List student graduating with Honors.

After graduating from New Jersey City University, Decundi followed his dreams by pursuing a career on Wall Street. His first taste of the exciting, fast paced and lucrative industry was at Pendulum Capital Markets where he worked at the equity sales desk. During his tenure at Pendulum Capital, Decundi bought and sold securities for high net worth and institutional clients. Currently, he works at the Equity Derivatives desk at Barclays Capital, the British investment banking arm for Barclays Bank PLC. At Barclays, he helps risk manage various over-the-counter equity derivative positions the bank has on its books. Currently, Decundi is waiting to begin his M.B.A program at Rutgers University and is also studying for his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) license.

Decundi was born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey and has overcome a lot of adversity to get to his current position. Being raised in the Greenville section of Jersey City, and having strict parents that only preached education has given Decundi the necessary courage to pursue his dreams. Once he obtains his M.B.A., Decundi plans to start his own Investment Management Company where he hopes to help urban communities manage their finances effectively.

When asked about his Marist experience, Decundi had the following to say... "Marist High School has really prepared and given me the necessary tools for my success. Not only has the school laid my foundation, it also provided me with discipline. The teachers took a strong interest in my academic development. During my years at Marist, I sometimes doubted myself because I was the only African American male in my Honors and A.P classes and worried more about being accepted by my peers. In spite of this, I took this as a blessing and focused all of my attention on my studies. The Economics teacher at the time was Mr. Hansen, who is currently the Associate Director of Alumni Relations. He played a pivotal role in my decision to pursue a degree in Finance. Informative and encouraging in the classroom, he gave me the necessary courage for this hard-hitting industry. At the end of the day, all the friends I've made, and lessons I've been taught, I owe it all to Marist. To me, Marist is home!"

If you have a success story and Marist played a role in achieving that success, tell us all about it! Send John Taormina, Director of Institutional Advancement a

n email at jtaormina@marist.org.

Upcoming Events

June 19th - 18th Annual Blue and Gold Golf Classic Honoring Lou Laico '71
July 7th - Day at the Races Honoring Harold Catlaw '71

You may register for an alumni event by visiting www.marist.org.

*For all Marist Spring Athletic schedules click here: www.highschoolsports.net

A Quick Note from John Taormina

Dear Marist family,

I can't believe that spring has sprung and we are almost at the end of another successful school year at Marist! Our goal this year has been to provide you with the most up to date information within the school and help you connect with Marist in a variety of new ways. Our hope is that you will feel better informed on current happenings and also to keep up-to-date on what some of your fellow alumni have accomplished since graduation.

Many of our alumni have realized the importance of staying connected to the school that helped build their foundation for future success. Marist really does hold a special place in the hearts of so many! By remaining connected to Marist High School, you will be able to see that your education means more as we continue to grow and receive recognition for the many achievements of our talented students and faculty.

I would love to have the opportunity to get to know you better and to hear your thoughts and ideas on what you'd like to see featured in this newsletter, or how you would like to be more involved with Marist High School. So, please feel free to contact me at jtaormina@marist.org.

Sincerely in St. Marcellin Champagnat,

John A. Taormina, M.A.
Director of Institutional Advancement