ALUMNI FEATURE
It was budget season for educators
in July 2020, as summer vacation’s
end crept near and a new school year
, approaching his
seventh year as principal at Philadelphia’s
School of the Future, was sitting in his
Just then he received a phone call from
his high school alma mater. During that
call, Sherin agreed to share his story and
be featured in the magazine, which was
he didn’t realize was the impression his
story would have on the many Jesuit
alumni who read it – as well as the
A couple of months later, just
outside of St. Louis in Edwardsville,
Ill.,
through the pages of Perspectives
when he came across Sherin’s story.
Budzban, a professor of Mathematics
Edwardsville and Emeritus Dean of
was prompted to call Sherin about a
unique opportunity in St. Louis Public
Schools. Sherin vividly remembers the
34 JESUIT PERSPECTIVES • WINTER 2021-22
conversation.
“I read the article in the Perspectives,”
Sherin recalls Budzban saying. “I know
some people in St. Louis doing some
great work that I feel like would be right
in your wheelhouse. Are you interested?”
Sherin, who has a chemical engineering
degree from MIT, learned that St. Louis
Public Schools planned to open a new
charter school focused on STEM and
someone with knowledge in education
in addition to STEM or healthcare and
with the charisma to build community
relationships.
“It was the (Jesuit) alumni network
that got activated and made phone
calls,” Sherin said. “I went through the
interview process. And now I'm in St.
Louis.”
year at School of the Future before
transitioning to St. Louis as the new
school’s Lead Founder. The school’s
name was recently established:
The Wellness Institute of STEM and
Healthcare (WISH). It’s aiming to open in
“What has gone on now is a lot of
coalition building,” Sherin said. “A lot of
meeting, learning, and trying to build
While the school is still in the early
stages of construction, Sherin has
already established the four pillars on
which the school will metaphorically
be built, corresponding with the school
acronym: Wisdom, Integrity, Self-
“There’s always going to be a little ‘Men
for Others’ wherever I go,” Sherin said.
“So that’s our Integrity pillar.”
And as this new opportunity takes
shape, Sherin also is focused on his place
in the Jesuit community. He visited his
alma mater on January 10, delivering
an inspiring convocation, meeting
with faculty and student leaders, and
speaking in several classes.
“The Jesuit brotherhood is one of the
more powerful things that I've ever been
a part of,” Sherin said. “As much as I'm
happy that I got connected and moved
onto my next (opportunity), I'm now
more interested in how many young
people I could be helping, and in keeping
the Jesuit network churning.”
2020 edition of Perspectives
Education” feature section.
to that story.
Sherin speaking at
Convocation at Jesuit
Sherin spoke with
student leaders
such as Jamar
Randolph '22
and Jabarri
Summerline '23
during his visit to
Jesuit
Scan to view Sherin’s Convocation presentation at Jesuit on Jan. 10
RICHARD
SHERIN ’98
SEIZES A NEW
OPPORTUNITY