Our Work

Every Student Has a Story: Looking Back at the Voices That Inspired Our Galas

Every year at the CSF Gala, there is a moment when the room grows still.

A student steps up to the podium.
The spotlight shifts.
And suddenly, we are reminded why this night matters.

This year’s Gala theme — “Every Student Has a Story” — celebrates the journeys made possible through your generosity. As we prepare to gather once again, we’re looking back at some of the incredible students who have taken the stage before — students like Armani, whose story continues to unfold in powerful ways.

Because when you support CSF, you are not just funding tuition.
You are shaping futures.

When Armani walked back into a Catholic school classroom during a CSF bus tour, the moment stopped him.

The desks looked familiar. The students wore the same uniforms he once wore. The energy in the room felt instantly recognizable. For a moment, time seemed to fold in on itself.

“Going back into a classroom was surreal,” he said. “You see exactly where donor support turns into opportunity.”

That moment captured something Armani has come to understand more deeply with time. The support of CSF donors was never just about helping him get from one school year to the next. It created the conditions for a much bigger journey, one that would carry him from Catholic school classrooms in Boston to Georgetown University and now into a growing career in finance.

Today, Armani works as a Model Risk Analyst at Fidelity Investments. He is also deeply committed to mentoring younger students, expanding access to financial education, and helping other first-generation and low-income students see possibilities they may not yet be able to imagine for themselves.

Armani’s education was rooted in Catholic schools from the very beginning. He attended Catholic school his entire life, beginning in elementary school in Mattapan, then continuing on to Saint John Paul II School, Cathedral High School, and later Georgetown University.

Looking back, he does not see those years as separate chapters.

“Looking back, it feels like one continuous path rather than separate stages,” he said.

That continuity mattered. Each school prepared him for the next one, not only academically, but personally. Catholic education gave him rigor, structure, and challenge. It also gave him relationships that would shape him for life.

“Catholic education gave me strong academics, but more importantly, it gave me people,” Armani said. “Teachers, mentors, administrators, people who took the time to really know me and invest in my future.”

For much of Armani’s childhood, scholarship support was simply part of the fabric of his education. He knew he was receiving aid, but he did not fully understand how much of that support came through CSF until later.

“I always received financial aid,” he said. “How much of it came from Catholic Schools Foundation, that wasn’t very clear to me until I actually did the gala.”

At Cathedral, like many students, he knew that scholarship support made Catholic education possible. What he came to understand over time was just how much that support mattered for his family.

“My parents were just barely getting by,” Armani said. “So I would say that it definitely helped my family in the way that we were able to navigate the financial strain.”

His mother was raising him and his younger sister while carrying significant financial pressure. His father had cancer and was not working regularly at the time. The strain on the family was real.

“It made it so that we didn’t have to compromise on certain things that other families might have to compromise on, like food versus school fees,” he said.

Armani first learned the true scale of CSF when his headmaster called him down to the office and asked him to consider something he did not expect.

He was invited to speak at the Gala.

His first reaction was not excitement. It was anxiety.

“Whenever I’m told to speak in front of a bunch of people, it just puts a pit in my stomach,” he said.

After talking it through, he agreed, without fully realizing what the opportunity would mean.

“Often when you have the opportunity to do something, you don’t realize the scale of it until after it’s done,” he said.

With support from CSF staff, Armani developed a speech that reflected his voice and personality.

“They’re very good at helping you develop the speech in the way that you want to present it,” he said. “They give you the creative liberty to tell jokes if that’s your personality, be serious if that’s your personality.”

That night became a turning point.

“It really was a stepping stone for me into developing into a more confident person,” he said. “A more confident person who was grounded in their ability to speak and connect with others.”

One of the most meaningful outcomes of the Gala was the relationships that followed.

Through the event, Armani connected with Bob O’Neill, a former Fidelity executive and longtime supporter of his school. What began as a conversation developed into a lasting mentorship and friendship.

“He was very involved in my personal development,” Armani said. “Even before we talked about jobs, making sure that I knew what was important to me.”

Their conversations went far beyond career advice. Together, they explored Armani’s skills, talents, and aspirations, taking a holistic approach to understanding who he is and how he could grow.

“It was about evaluating my strengths, what mattered to me, and how to align that with where I wanted to go,” Armani reflected.

That kind of mentorship mirrored something central to Armani’s Catholic education: care for the whole person.

“He became a friend of mine, and we still have that relationship today,” he said.

During high school, Armani was intentional about expanding his horizons.

He participated in a mock trial, where he learned accountability, teamwork, and the importance of showing up for others. He was also part of the Crimson Summer Academy at Harvard, a selective three-year program that brought together first-generation and low-income students for college preparatory coursework, financial literacy, mentorship, and advanced academic experiences.

In addition, Armani participated in Junior Achievement for two years, gaining exposure to entrepreneurship, and was a member of the National Honor Society.

These experiences challenged him, broadened his perspective, and helped him realize he was capable of more than he had initially imagined.

That confidence carried him to Georgetown University, where he studied economics.

College brought a new level of challenge.

“I used to pray for a challenge in high school,” Armani said. “And I definitely got one at Georgetown.”

The academic rigor pushed him to better understand how he learns.

“Learning how you learn is one of the most important things you can do for yourself,” he said. “Georgetown really forced me to figure that out.”

Community played a critical role in that journey. The Community Scholars Program provided support and belonging for first-generation and low-income students. The Student Investment Fund gave him hands-on experience in finance. The Cornerstone Program allowed him to mentor newer students.

And his work-study job at the Student Centers gave him both friendship and a love for helping others.

“All of those communities gave me a sense of belonging,” he said. “And that made all the difference.”

After graduating from Georgetown in 2023, Armani began building his career in finance. Today, he works at Fidelity Investments as a Model Risk Analyst and is currently studying for the CFA.

“I was very committed to it,” he said. “I showed myself that I’m still growing, still learning, and still improving.”

Years after his own school days, stepping back into a Catholic school classroom brought everything full circle.

“You hear about donor support,” Armani said, “but when you’re standing in that space and seeing students who remind you of yourself, it hits differently.”

He could see his own journey reflected back in those classrooms.

“CSF means knowing someone believed in me before I could fully see it myself,” he said. “That belief propelled me and gave me more confidence to achieve my goals in life.”

If Armani could share one message with donors today, it would be simple:

“Thank you for your investment in me. It has meant more than you can imagine because this is the type of thing that stays with you for life.”

Because of donor support, Armani gained more than an education. He gained confidence, mentorship, belonging, and a foundation that continues to guide him.

“Because of CSF donors, students like me don’t just get an education,” he said. “We get confidence, mentorship, and a sense that we belong. That stays with you for life.”

Armani’s story is not only about achievement. It is about formation.

It is about a student shaped by community, strengthened by opportunity, and committed to lifting others as he climbs.

It is about the lasting impact of belief, and what happens when that belief is matched with action.

That is the power of CSF.
That is what impact looks like.