Ceremony planned for Reunion Weekend includes two new categories
Several alumni – including a Paris Olympian, the president of a leading wholesale distributor, an award-winning sportswriter and columnist, and the storied 1964 track team – will be inducted in the Cheshire Academy Hall of Fame at Reunion 2025.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievements of these individuals,” said Rich Ferraro, director of alumni engagement. “Their success is a powerful reminder of Cheshire Academy’s unbroken thread, connecting our storied past with a promising future.”
After carefully considering many nominations for the five annual honors, the Office of Advancement has announced this year’s inductees:
The Kevin Slaughter Memorial Athletic Hall of Fame
1964 Track Team and Shakir Saunders ’07
The 1964 Track Team
The 1964 Track team won the New England Prep School competition at Mt. Herman and took the Exeter Invitational Relays by storm – taking first place for both shotput and javelin and setting New England Prep School records to win the 2-mile relay. Later in the day, the 2-mile team decided to try the 1-mile race and set a record to win that as well.
Shakir Saunders ’07
Captain of Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse, Saunders also played basketball, soccer and ran track and field at Cheshire Academy. After CA, he went on to play varsity lacrosse at Elizabethtown College and later went pro with the Jamaican Men’s National Lacrosse Team and traveled to Israel, Colombia, and Canada to compete on the world stage. Now a talent acquisition manager, he coaches and referees the sport.
The D. Robert Gardiner Arts & Letters Hall of Fame
Julie Robles Montero '07 and Rick McGowan ’64
Julie Robles Montero ’07
Having performed in 19 theatrical productions in four years at CA, Montero went on to earn her BFA in acting at Pace University and an MFA in acting at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She was recently named performing arts department chair at The Allen-Stevenson School, an all-boys prep school in New York City. A professional actor, she performed in multiple productions at LaMaMa ETC, created the educational program “A Morning of Mythical Proportions, and formerly worked behind the scenes on “Inside The Actors Studio” with James Lipton.
Rick McGowan ’64
A member of the Slaughter Hall of Fame for achievements in hockey and lacrosse, McGowan will be honored for his professional work as a sportswriter/columnist. A 35-year veteran of the Newport Daily News, McGowan is a member of the Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame, the Rhode Island Words Unlimited Hall of Fame, the Newport Gulls of New England Collegiate Baseball Hall of Fame, among others. He has received numerous honors and awards from the Associated Press, United Press International, and the Rhode Island Press Association and was named the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters Rhode Island Sportswriter of the Year 14 times.
The Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Alexis Holmes ’18
Holmes won a gold medal in the 4x400m relay and was a finalist in the 400m at the 2024 Paris Olympics. A former world champion and two-time world record holder, she graduated cum laude from the University of Kentucky and is committed to being a role model for young female athletes. Competing for Nike and Team USA, she embodies the spirit of dedication and excellence. She actively engages in mentorship and outreach initiatives, inspiring and empowering the next generation, including speaking to the entire student body last fall at CA’s Alexis Holmes Day.
The Alumni Achievement Award
Pat McCaskey ’68
After serving as a contributing editor to the literary magazines at Loyola University Chicago and Indiana University, McCaskey, who ran cross-country and track at Cheshire, started working for the Chicago Bears in 1974. Now the Bears’ corporate secretary and vice president, he is chairman of Sports Faith International, which recognizes people who are successful in sports while leading exemplary lives. He is the author of 12 books, including Bear with Me: A Family History of George Halas and the Chicago Bears and Sports and Faith: Stories of the Devoted and the Devout.
The Distinguished Alumni Service Award
Michael Bozzuto ’75
Michael A. Bozzuto is the chairman, president, and CEO of Bozzuto’s, Inc., a leading organization in the wholesale distribution industry. Upon graduating from Stetson University, he started his formal career at Bozzuto’s, Inc., working his way up the ladder. He has grown the family business into a $3 billion dollar company with tenured employees servicing over 1,500 retail accounts from Maine to Maryland. He is a member of the IGA Inc. Board of Directors and a former member of the National Grocers Association and the Food Marketing Institute Board of Directors, among other positions.
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Since 1987, Cheshire Academy has been recognizing alumni success both on campus and beyond commencement through induction into our athletic and academic hall of fame. On Reunion Weekend 2024, about 100 alumni, family, faculty, and friends gathered outside Bowden Hall to celebrate the achievements of the most recent class of deserving Cats.
