Final Letter from President Andrew Brady '02

Dear Members of the West Catholic Prep Community,

As we close the 2025-26 school year, I also close my time at West Catholic Prep. Over the past month or so, I have spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted to say in this final letter, and how I wanted to thank a community that has meant so much to me for so long.

More than anything, I want to thank you for believing in this school.

Of course, I am grateful for the support that so many of you have shown me personally over the years, but what stands out to me most is the faith that generations of alumni, parents, faculty, staff, donors, and friends continue to place in West Catholic Prep and in the young people we serve.

One of the great privileges of my role has been getting to see the impact this school has on students. I have had the opportunity to watch young men and women arrive on campus as freshmen and leave four years later as confident, capable graduates who are prepared for whatever comes next. I have seen students discover gifts they didn't know they possessed, overcome obstacles that once seemed overwhelming, and grow into people who lead with faith and purpose.

Many of you don't get to witness those moments firsthand. Instead, you support this institution because you believe in its mission and because you believe a Catholic education rooted in faith, values, and opportunity can change the trajectory of a young person's life. I understand that belief because my own experience at West Catholic did exactly that.

As a student, West Catholic changed the course of my life. The education I received here opened doors for me, but more importantly, it introduced me to people who challenged me, encouraged me, and believed in me. The lessons I learned in these hallways extended far beyond the classroom and helped shape the person I became.

Over the years, I have come to appreciate that the story of West Catholic has always been a story about people who are willing to invest in something bigger than themselves. Time and time again, people have stepped forward because they believed this place was worth supporting and worth ensuring it thrives for the next generation.

That belief has never been limited to one segment of our community. It exists in alumni who continue to give back decades after graduation, in parents who make sacrifices to provide their children with opportunities they may not have had themselves, in faculty and staff who devote themselves to students every day, and in donors and benefactors who understand the difference this school is making.

As I prepare to begin a new chapter, I do so with tremendous gratitude. I am grateful for the opportunity to have served a school that has given me so much, grateful for the people I have had the chance to work alongside, and grateful for the trust this community placed in me throughout my time as President.  While I will be beginning a new role with The Connelly Foundation next week, I will be watching from the outside with great pride and gratitude for all that this community continues to accomplish.

While my role at West Catholic Prep is coming to an end, my connection to this school never will. This community helped shape my life, and I will always be proud to call myself a loyal son of West Catholic Prep.

Thank you for your support, your faith in this mission, and your continued belief in what West Catholic Prep represents. The future of this school remains incredibly bright because of people like you, and I leave with tremendous confidence that its best days are still ahead.

It has been the joy of my life to be part of West Catholic Prep, and the honor of my life to lead this school.

St. John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us.

Live Jesus in our hearts. Forever.

With respect and gratitude,

 

 

 

Andrew Brady ‘02
President