Mentoring
Each student is assigned a mentor who guides the individual student in finding practical applications of the principles taught in the classes. He is like a coach who teaches, challenges, and encourages each student to reach his best.
Specifically, he helps the student set goals that are important and practical. In an ongoing way, he helps the student track his progress toward these goals.
Student mentoring sessions typically take place once a month at Southmont or Overlook, on the first or second Saturday of the month. For the sake of continuity, the mentor also tries to maintain contact with the student by phone in between mentoring sessions.
Mentor Bios
Conner Reilly
Conner Reilly is the director of The Grade. He brings over 10 years of experience in mentoring and helping families to educate their children. Conner studied at Boston College and later worked in supply chain & logistics in Boston and New York and then strategy & business development in Dallas. He then spent three years in Dallas directing educational programs and now does the same in New York as the Director of Schuyler Hall. Conner enjoys reading, the outdoors, and sports.
PETER CONROY
Peter is the assistant director of The Grade. Originally from Chicago, Peter graduated from the University of Dallas with a degree in Politics and a Master's in American Studies. He then taught government, US history, and economics for a year at Founders Classical Academy in Lewisville, TX. Peter now works as the Program Officer with Manhattan Institute's Adam Smith Society. His favorite pass-time is going on adventures with friends.
nicolas abouchedid
Nic was born in Caracas, Venezuela, but spent much of his upbringing in Beijing and Shanghai, China. Having received his B.A. in Philosophy from University of Notre Dame, Nic now works in the Manhattan Institute's communications team. In his free time, he enjoys reading, playing sports, and watching great movies.
Nick beatty
Born and raised in Virginia, but educated in Maryland, Nick attended The Heights School in Potomac before going to the University of Dallas where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Politics this past May. Nick works as a Territory Development Representative for Varonis Systems, selling cybersecurity software to tech companies. He enjoys pickup sports, mainly soccer, and any sort of adventure.
Joe Boyle
Joe is a Minnesotan by birth but a Texan by adoption, having attended the University of Dallas for both his undergraduate degree and his Master's degree in English. His cowboy boots even made the trip with him to NYC! He now teaches high school history at the Montfort Academy, a Catholic classical school in Mount Vernon. From his youth, Joe has loved camping, playing elaborate board games, and following Minnesota sports, although the latter always disappoints his hopes.
Miguel Caranti
Miguel was born Houston, Texas to Argentine parents and was (naturally) raised in the saddle. He graduated from Princeton University with an AB in Physics in 2021 and a Master’s in Electrical Engineering in 2023. He currently does materials science research at a lab at Columbia University. In his spare time he enjoys grilling, long runs, and catching up with his siblings.
TONY CRNKOVICH
A proud son of Virginia, Tony grew up on the outskirts of our nation's ever expanding capital. While at The Catholic University of America, he studied Philosophy and was elected Student Body President. Currently he works for Seton Education Partners recruiting teachers for its network of charter schools. For fun, Tony enjoys playing Squash (not the fruit) and working with his hands.
Javier Mazariegos
Javier was born in Providence, Rhode Island. He grew up in the Washington DC area where he attended The Heights School and graduated as the Salutatorian in 2019. He studied Philosophy and English at The Catholic University of America where he won the President's Award in May 2023. Javi now manages operations for Cornerstone, a start-up promoting fatherhood and family flourishing. The second of seven boys, he enjoys sports, story-telling, and learning from the people around him.
Rizaldo Salvador
Growing up in a military family, Rizaldo spent much of his life overseas, mainly South Korea and Italy. He graduated from The Catholic University of America, where he studied International Business with a dual specialization in Chinese and Arabic. Following in his family's footsteps, Rizaldo's professional journey includes serving as a Commissioned Army Officer in the U.S. Army, leading a logistics team, and engaging in professional mentorship. In his free time, Rizaldo loves studying foreign languages and long-distance running.
zig sanchez
Zig hails from Houston, Texas. A veteran mentor for The Grade, he graduated from University of Houston in 2022 with a B.A. in History. Since then, he’s moved to New York where he works as a middle school teacher at Resurrection Ascension Catholic Academy in Queens. In his free time, Zig enjoys the outdoors, reading (he’s a history buff), and playing sports, especially Frisbee.
Philip Spence
Philip grew up in Dallas, Texas and graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2021. For the past two years, he worked as a designer for an architecture firm in NYC. He recently began a Master’s program in architecture at Columbia University. Philip is also a watercolor painter whose work currently focuses on NYC architecture and urban street scenes. On the side he enjoys playing any sport, sketching, reading, and singing slightly out of tune.
Max Yun
Max was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. He received his B.A. in Public Administration with a Specialised Honours in Law, Justice, & Public Policy at York University. Max has experience in both federal and provincial levels of Canadian government and will be working for the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN this year. For several years, Max was heavily involved with the OneUP program, The Grade’s brother program in Canada. Max is an avid skier and enjoys reading in his free time.
