Trinity-Pawling’s three-part Practicum for Civic Leadership fosters problem-solving skills, promotes interdisciplinary exploration, builds authentic communication skills, and encourages passion-based learning. Through the Winter Project, Global Collaborative Challenge (GCC), and Senior Independent Project (SIP), students are placed at the center of the learning process. They become active participants and co-creators, in and out of the classroom. Particularly with the SIP, many students also see the project as an opportunity to be a part of something bigger than themselves — giving back to the community which means so much to them.
For his Senior Independent Project, Joseph (JoJo) Impellizeri ’23 did just that, inspired by his classmate and friend, Matt Dooley ’23, who tragically lost his valiant battle with brain cancer in 2022.
“At the beginning of the year, I knew I wanted to give something to the School in honor of Matt,” Impellizeri began. “I also wanted to learn how to woodwork, so it seemed only fitting to make a bench.” Over the course of a weekend, Impellizeri successfully constructed, sanded, stained, and coated a stunning wooden bench, which now proudly sits beneath the scoreboard on Coratti Field.
“I wanted this bench to symbolize all of the best qualities Matt Dooley had. This bench is strong, resilient, and beautiful, just like Matt. I hope that it will quite literally support students in the same way that Matt did for so many of his brothers.”
Impellizeri is grateful for his SIP experience, including the help and support of his parents and advisor Bill Dunham and all the lessons he learned along the way — from woodworking skills to patience, problem-solving, and perseverance. “I think the greatest lesson I learned was one that my dad taught me while working on the bench. I was getting frustrated during the construction process and I remember being worried that it wouldn’t be good enough to give to the School,” he shared. “But my dad told me: ‘It does not matter how perfect the bench is. All that matters is that you’re building something beautiful out of loving memory.’”
Thanks to Impellizeri, members of the Trinity-Pawling community will enjoy the wooden bench for years to come. It is truly a beautiful reminder of Matt Dooley and the indelible mark he made on the School. “The best moment for me was during lacrosse practice when I saw the bench sitting under the scoreboard for the very first time,” Impellizeri concluded. “It was so comforting to see and it truly felt like Matt was sitting up there cheering us on.”
by Emma Quigley