Since 1996, Mr. Mike Curatolo has been a crucial part of Cardinal Gibbons.
He started off as the boys lacrosse coach and then fell fully into the Gibbons community when he started working for the school in 1999. Curatolo is currently the Director of Facilities at Gibbons, meaning he directs all the facilities on campus including the Short Journey Retreat Center.
Before Mr. Jon Armfield was hired as Dean of Students, Curatolo took on both roles. However when Armfield stepped in; Curatolo was glad for the change because it gave him more freedom to do more things he never had time to do before.
To this day, Curatolo helps out as the JV assistant coach, helps with freshman basketball, and runs the fishing club.
“It helps me meet new students and gets me closer to all of them which is the reason I do all of this,” Cuartolo said.
“Anything to make a student happy and involved in our community, I will help with.”
He values the relationships he created with all the students more than anything else, recalling how special it is not only to see all students develop during high school, but then see them become husbands and wives and moms and dads.
“I’ve gotten invited to many weddings and baptisms of my previous students which means the world to me, it’s really really special to continue having contact when they graduate and grow up,” he said.
“One of my favorite memories is getting to coach one of my former players’ children here at Gibbons. The legacy of having them continue to send their kids here is just really special to me.”
With all of Gibbons’ amazing teachers, Curatolo is undoubtedly the number one supporter of this school. When asked if he could see himself anywhere else in life, he claims “Absolutely not. I never see myself leaving, I hope to stay here forever.”
The energy this school has is something he would never trade for the world. Gibbons is a school community where kids aren’t miserable and just want to go home. Many kids stay on campus at all hours of the day whether it be for sports, clubs, or just to hang out with friends.
“I’m regularly reminded of how lucky we are to have such an amazing community when I walk around campus with Rogo and see kids all over campus with smiles on their faces,” said Curatolo.
Ask anyone around campus, teacher or student, and they’ll say Curatolo is a hard guy to find. He is always up and active, helping out with anything around school.
“He’s always anywhere except his office,” several seniors claimed, showing how involved he is.
Curatolo is usually always with his look alike work-best friend, Mr. Michael Rogosich. (If you’re new at Gibbons, bet you can’t tell the difference between the two!) They are always together and always cheering up the students.
Cardinal Gibbons would not be the same without Curatolo, if you know him you’ll love him.
