Holy Child Academy Alumnus to Row Across Atlantic Ocean to Raise Money for ALS

By Elena Perri, HCA Director of Marketing and Communications

Holy Child Academy alumnus George Pagano has plenty of confidence to take on an ambitious challenge: rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. He and his teammate, Caitlin Miller, have entered the 2015 Atlantic Challenge to raise money for ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and suicide prevention. The race begins in December 2015, and George and Caitlin are seeking donations and sponsorships to reach their $300,000 fundraising goal.

George’s grandfather passed away from ALS 11 years ago, so he chose the Blazeman Foundation as his charity because of their mission to raise awareness about ALS and funding for research.

George Pagano and rowing partner Caitlin Miller

George’s confidence can be traced back to Pre-Kindergarten at Holy Child Academy in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. He credits HCA teachers for encouraging him to go beyond his comfort zone and try new things. Among his favorite faculty members are science teacher Scott Hartsock and music director Carol McGarvey.

“What I really enjoyed about Holy Child is that I was very diverse in what I did (outside the classroom),” said George, now a senior at the University of Nebraska. “I think the teachers did a really good job of getting you involved in different things.”

While George played different sports at HCA, he also was in the choir and played the trumpet and cello for several years. “I joined the handbell choir and absolutely loved it,” he said. “It’s one of the greatest things I ever did at Holy Child.”

In addition, George had roles in school musicals and helped with stage crew. All these activities “helped me be a really well-balanced student,” he said.

After graduating from HCA in 2007, George attended The Haverford School in Haverford, Pa. While attending Haverford he was considering playing baseball until two fellow students invited him to a meeting about the school’s rowing team.

“I went to the meeting, and I’m glad I did because I probably wouldn’t have played baseball all four years at Haverford, and I definitely wouldn’t be playing baseball at Nebraska,” George said.

His willingness to try new things led to rowing for Haverford and now for Nebraska. George is majoring in business administration with a minor in criminology, and he hopes to attend law school after graduation.

“Actions Not Words,” the motto of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, remains an integral part of his life. The motto is “something that I tried to live by and still do,” George said. “I try to lead by example more because I think that’s a better way of showing than telling.”

This is especially relevant to being a member of a crew team. “We have to lead by our actions because we’re not supposed to talk in the boat,” George said. “Rowing is totally a team sport because you need everyone to follow each other.”

While George and Caitlin are taking on an incredible challenge to raise funds for ALS research and suicide prevention, he prefers the spotlight to be on their charities. “It’s not about me or my partner,” George said. “We’re the ones doing the challenge, but we’re not doing it for ourselves; we’re doing it for something that is bigger than ourselves.”

For more information on the Atlantic Challenge, visit http://www.thecranialquest.com/