Joseph Monte

At 80-years-old, Joseph Monte is a master at connecting with the students at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, Md.

He gently guides them along the path to college.

"The main role of a counselor is to be a beacon of hope," he says.

And any issue they need help with, Monte is there for them, even spearheading a fundraising effort for a student with medical needs.

Before Monte became a school counselor, he was studying to be a Catholic priest. Monte says that training helped him when he changed course and took a job at Albert Einstein in 1962 to work with teenagers.

"(I was) a barrel of energy and with all that energy I have found that my health is good and I attribute it to everyday dealing with teenagers," he says.

But after half a century, Monte is retiring. It's something he never imagined.

"He will be missed very, very much because he doesn't just help kids, he helps people," says principal Jim Fernandez. "He helps alumns, staff members and he comes to us when he knows there is a family in need and what he does for these kids when it comes to college admissions is unbelievable."

Monte says there's nothing he will miss more than the students he loves so much.

Joe Monte Celebrating 50 Years

Online registrations for the first 200 people are now being accepted by Clicking Here  

For those who cannot attend and wish to do so, Mr. Monte has suggested contributions To the AEHS Hall of Fame or AEHS Alumni Association.  You can donate by Clicking Here.

We look forward to celebrating Joe's 50 years of dedication to the students, alumni and faculty of Albert Einstein High School.  

Brian Elliott can't help but smile while thinking about how much the Albert Einstein High School boys lacrosse team has changed over the past five years.

A 2003 Einstein graduate, Elliott remembers barely having enough kids to field a varsity team when he took over the program in 2009. He remembers a lack of commitment to offseason training and, in general, not much skill.

This year, coming off the best season in program history, he almost didn't have enough jerseys for his 24-man roster.

"It's amazing how much the sport itself is blooming around here," said Elliott, who played on the Titans' first boys lacrosse team in 2000. "We're getting kids that have actually played before. That's been the problem. We'd get kids who haven't played the sport before. ... We'd have kids who are football players who also play lacrosse. Now, we have lacrosse players who play a little bit of football."

It's taken some time for the culture to change at Einstein. After losing seasons his first three years, Elliott and the Titans finished last year with eight wins, the most in school history, and the school's first playoff victory. And after starting this season 4-3, the Titans have a chance to pass last year's numbers.

The early years when Elliott returned to the program were difficult.

Only 13 kids were on the varsity team - most didn't pick up a stick between the end of May and March 1 - and many didn't play lacrosse prior to high school.

The Titans spent the vast majority of its games on defense and scored around five goals per game, Elliott said.

"We had kids who may have needed two more years to blossom, but we didn't have a guy there where you could take two more years to blossom," Elliott said. "We needed them now."

Last year's seniors helped build interest in the sport and encouraged participation during the offseason.

It carried over to this year's team. Elliott remembers coming to campus in January to fill out paperwork. When he parked his car, he saw around 15 guys out on the field tossing the ball.

"We came out this season and most of us were already conditioned, so that was good," senior Michael Carlson said. "Then we could come out and throw around and it was less working on fundamentals and more on actual playing. And that's what definitely helps you come out and dominate on the field more."

The results have been mixed so far this season.

In four wins, Einstein has won by an average margin of nine goals, with its biggest win coming against Seneca Valley, 16-0. In all three losses, the Titans have allowed at least 10 goals.

"We're a good team and we're out to prove it," senior Sean Loftus said. "It's not about saying it, we have to go out and prove it."

As of Monday, Einstein had five games remaining on its schedule and only one team, Rockville, has a winning record.

At a school that has developed a reputation for not being good at sports, the current Titans don't want to be associated with the stigma. And in their last season, the seniors want to take another step at building the boys lacrosse team into a perennial contender in the Montgomery 3A/2A Division.

"I really hate being overlooked because we're Einstein," senior Shawn Reynolds said. "I hate the bias. But it's going to happen. I just want to change it."

Whether you graduated in the 1960s or the 2000s, whether you live in the DC metro area or in faraway lands, whether you attended AEHS for one year or four, we share a connection reflected in our participation in last fall's 50th anniversary celebration. It has inspired two girlhood friends (and alumnae) to see about launching an AEHS Alumni Association. We have received support from the AEHS Hall of Fame and AEHS.

To become a reality, the AEHS Alumni Association needs help from you.

We envision the Alumni Association:

• Connecting AEHS alumni to each other and to AEHS
• Disseminating information re: alumni-related events (and even sponsoring a few)
• Contributing financial resources and expertise to AEHS programs and students

We need your ideas and skills to realize this vision. Help especially needed in the areas of: (1) locating alumni, (2) using social networking sites, (3) organizing events, (4) communications, and (5) fundraising. Any and all contributions of time and talent are appreciated.

CLICK HERE to Contact Linda Behrns Browne (Class of 1966) and Carol Chelemer (Class of 1966) to help.