Impact Report 2025-2026

Go Forth

Thank You for Supporting Prep as we “Go Forth”

 

Fairfield Prep, you have once again shown us the power of community. United by a shared purpose and a collective desire to make a difference, your support enables us to create transformational experiences and transformed men of Prep to go forth and transform the world.  Your gift made an impact. 

Giving for Fairfield Prep 2025-2026

Every donor makes a difference.

2347

Donors

$ 526919

From Gifts of $1,199 or Less

$ 11941006

Total Dollars Raised

46.6 %

of Donors are in the Hearthstone Society

132

Households are part of the McAuliffe Society

96

New members in Loyola Circle
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We could not deliver a transformative Jesuit education without you, our alumni, parents, grandparents, and benefactors. Because of your heroic generosity, Fairfield Prep is able to deliver a transformative, Ignatian education encourages our young men to use their talents in the service of others, especially to those in need, Ad majorem Dei gloriam. "

— President, Dr. Christian Cashman, P ’15, ’23

Build the Brotherhood – Giving in Gratitude

“Why am I like this?” It was a question Todd Ulman ’96 had been asking himself a lot. From his freewheeling high school days to the showbiz career that took him to LA and back, one thing has remained constant in his life: an inexplicable drive to help others. Of course, his parents were part of the equation—especially his mom, who worked three jobs to give him a Jesuit education. But still, he was different from his siblings somehow.
“I just kept going back to Prep,” says Ulman. “The teachers, how kind they were even though I was such a pain in their neck. That idea of men for others, that the world’s a bigger place than you, of giving back. Prep was the only thing I could point my finger at that shaped who I am.”

A bit of an enigma, Ulman was the smart kid in honors classes who failed French. He was respectful and appreciative of his teachers but was constantly getting kicked out of class. He loved Prep yet was dubbed Mostly Likely to Be Seen in JUG (an old-school Catholic term for detention).

“There are so many Prep moments I remember like yesterday,” Ulman says. “Why? Because they were important, and you really remember the import things. So many of them were small things—just that they’re still in the bank proves how valuable that Prep currency is.”

After starting as a production assistant carting coffees on the set of Friends, Ulman built a successful career in the film industry, launching his own post-production company. He gave to charities. He threw fundraisers for Prep in L.A. Goaded by the sense of injustice and isolation ushered in by the George Floyd tragedy and COVID, Ulman and his wife Angela reached out to Prep about paying 100% of an economically disadvantaged Black student’s tuition for all four years, including any incidental expenses that arose.

“If I didn’t have a Prep background or understanding of how I want to be, or how I want my kids to see how I want them to be, I would have done other things with that money,” Ulman explains. “The commitment is a lifelong commitment, and you don’t realize it until later. It’s a commitment in reverse. There was no sense of obligation or duty. I just felt so grateful.”

Even when upheaval in the film industry slowed the flow of income to a trickle of what it once was, the Ulmans agreed they would do whatever it took to honor the financial pledges they had made to Prep. After their sponsored student graduated, they committed to continue building the brotherhood through a gift to Go Forth. While no longer able to give at the level they had previously, Ulman rightly acknowledges that simply giving is what matters.

“It all counts. No one needs to know if you give 10 cents or 10 million dollars. When you know all these people who sacrificed for you, what you learn through the brotherhood is that you need to be ready to sacrifice for others. Because that’s the right thing to do. It’s what humanity does,” asserts Ulman. “Whatever that looks like for you, you should think about how far it goes for others who can’t even fathom the life that you might have.”

Ulman tells his kids that his drive to help others stems from his own “selfish” desires—that he’d like to believe that lending a helping hand means that when he’s down on his luck, someone will help him, too.

He can call it whatever he wants. We call it belief in the power of the brotherhood.

Whatever that [sacrifice] looks like for you, you should think about how far it goes for others who can’t even fathom the life that you might have.

— Todd Ulman '96

Invest in Intellect – Paying It Forward

Sending their kids to an independent school wasn’t the plan when Carrie and Anthony Preisano P’22, ’23, ’28 decided to settle in Wilton, Connecticut, a town with a phenomenal public school district. But around fourth grade, A.J. ’22—the oldest of their three sons—started asking about attending an all-boys school with smaller class sizes. Carrie and Anthony had already begun noticing little things about their son’s learning style that prompted them to pursue the idea for ninth grade. A.J. ultimately landed at Prep, and the family has never looked back.

“Now we’re on the other end with our oldest son in the workforce. He was prepared to succeed, both professionally and in college thanks to the foundation he received at Fairfield Prep,” says Carrie. “If you have a child who takes advantage of everything Prep has to offer, it’s a huge win.”

Today A.J. is working in the financial industry, supported by his Fairfield Prep and Lehigh University alumni networks. His younger brother Ryan ’23 is studying business and playing baseball as a senior at Wake Forest University. And Brayden ’28, dubbed “Little Pres” when he arrived at Prep as the youngest of the clan, is now a junior making his own mark.

But these incredible young men aren’t the only gifts Carrie and Anthony have shared with the Prep community. They’ve become generous champions of our mission as donors to Go Forth, splitting their support between the goals Invest in Intellect and Care for the Boy.

“We believe in everything that Prep’s doing through the campaign and wanted to support it in every way that we can,” explains Carrie, who was especially impressed with the initiatives around faculty professional development as well as academic success and support.

In addition to having two retired educators in the extended family, Carrie’s extensive volunteer work with the Wilton Educational Foundation has given the Preisano's insight into the ongoing professional needs of exemplary teachers. They also witnessed the tremendous impact of the additional support Prep’s faculty provided to Brayden, who needed help closing the gaps that had developed in fourth and fifth grade during the pandemic.

“We’ve seen the success of our son who benefitted from extra support,” notes Carrie. “I think there’s a misperception that public schools have better learning support resources than Prep does, and we’re eager to help dispel that myth.”

Throughout their Prep experiences, the Preisano boys have been deeply invested in the service aspect of the school, organizing various drives to level the playing field for students in under-resourced areas. But the Prep’s service-oriented environment simply reinforces the examples of service and generosity that Carrie and Anthony provide.

“We thought it was important for our family to pay it forward to students in need,” says Carrie. “We would love for everyone to have the same experience that our children have had at Prep.”

We thought it was important for our family to pay it forward to students in need. We would love for everyone to have the same experience that our children have had at Prep.

— Carrie Preisano P’22, ’23, ’28

Commit to Care – Opening Up Kairos

Craig Maloney ’84 is quick to acknowledge the many people and institutions that invested in him throughout his life. The list starts with his mother, Adrienne, who was pregnant with him when she was widowed during the Vietnam War; she worked hard to ensure he graduated with a college degree. Fairfield Prep and Fairfield University provided him with financial aid and a strong Jesuit foundation. Along the way, he benefited from the guidance and mentorship of his grandfather, JJ LaMarsh, Prep baseball coach Ed “Skid” Rowe, and many others.

More so than his impressive business career, the impact of this investment is evident in the descriptor on Maloney’s LinkedIn profile: “Servant Leader”—or in Ignatian terms, “Man for Others.”

As a member of the Board of Governors, Maloney has been a driving force behind the Go Forth campaign’s objective of endowing Prep’s Kairos retreat, a four-day off-campus experience for juniors and seniors that many students describe as truly life changing. After learning about the potential to grow participation in Kairos, Maloney was determined to ensure that financial barriers, real or perceived, would never interfere with students’ decisions about whether to pursue this unique and invaluable dimension of formation at Prep.

“To me, Kairos is the beacon of Prep’s true differentiators—culture and mission,” says Maloney. “When we talk about developing the whole person at Prep, Kairos is too powerful to be overlooked. Every student should have the opportunity to go.”

Although Maloney himself attended Prep before the advent of Kairos, he witnessed its powerful impact on his own children, who attended Jesuit- and Salesian-sponsored high schools in the D.C. area.

“In this era of technology, social media, and constant distraction, creating opportunities for students to step away, unplug, connect authentically, and develop deeper bonds is incredibly valuable. Kairos offers a safe environment where people can truly communicate, express themselves in different ways, and share aspects of themselves they might not otherwise reveal,” Maloney observes. “The impact it had on my children was profound. All three of them went back to serve as Kairos leaders.”

“Students at the Prep are coming from all walks of life and have different needs,” Maloney notes. “Supporting Kairos and the Go Forth campaign is an investment in the Prep brotherhood so our boys can realize their full potential.”

You can help us fully fund the Kairos endowment today with your gift to Go Forth. Contact Colleen (Claflin) Hallisey, VP of Advancement at cclaflin@fairfieldprep.org for more information.

When we talk about developing the whole person at Prep, Kairos is too powerful to be overlooked. Every student should have the opportunity to go.

— Craig Maloney '84

Commit to Care – Anticipating the Barron Center

As the opening of the Barron Center for Arts and Recreation approached, Paul Halas ’74 couldn’t decide what he was looking forward to most: Admiring the genius that would undoubtedly emerge from the Black Box Theatre… Seeing the championship banners finally displaying Prep’s hard-fought victories in the rafters above our own homecourt… Sitting in front of the locker he had sponsored while picturing Prep teammates past and future preparing for contests, celebrating victories, and building the brotherhood…

"The new Barron Center really fits what the Prep has been creating on campus—both in terms of its physical structure and the way it reflects the school’s stature and mission,” says Halas, member of the Campaign Leadership Council and past Board Member. “It’s great to be just a very small part of the amazing team making it a reality.”

Halas came from a family where the arts and athletics were equally valued and various siblings pursued different passions. More athletically inclined himself, Halas found his home on Prep’s sports fields, earning himself a place in Prep’s Athletic Hall of Fame. A stellar intercollegiate athletic career in football and baseball at Harvard followed. Even though the arts weren’t his primary focus, Halas credits Mrs. Betty Kachmar and Prep’s visual arts program with opening his eyes to the wonders of the creative world. He’s excited to see the Barron Center enhance the way Prep fosters excellence in many realms, just like it did in his own life.

“Who knows how many minds the new arts facilities will open to avenues they might not have explored otherwise?” Halas wonders. “We want to make sure that the well-rounded kids we’re cultivating have excellent opportunities to reach their goals, uncover their skills, and find their way in whatever endeavors attract them.”

Last year, Halas received an invitation from his Prep and Harvard football teammate Tom Shea ’73 that gave him a front-row seat to the talent and character of the young men the Barron Center will serve. Shea had been asked to bring his enormous organizational and motivational skills to Prep’s increasingly popular freshman football program, and he wanted Halas to help him deliver the complete Prep football experience to each and every young student-athlete.

“We had an unbelievable group of freshmen that year. The selflessness and dedication of these young athletes is remarkable. They’ve been men for others from the beginning,” says Halas. “When the Barron Center opens, they’ll have facilities that are unmatched among our peer schools, and they’re very deserving of it.”

Halas has been delighted by the number of football players involved in artistic pursuits. “Our student body is so diverse in their interests—and embraces students who have more than one passion. We’ve got kids who are both great athletes and great artists,” notes Halas, recounting an evening that roughly two dozen of the freshman players rushed from their (victorious, of course!) away game to their choir concert in Fairfield University’s Quick Center. He also recalls the many times throughout the season one of the freshman captains regaled the team with his musical abilities on the piano in the Student Life Center, which served as a makeshift locker room while everyone dreamed of the day the Barron Center would open.

“The Barron Center’s spectacular facilities will bring all of these areas of growth together in one campus hub that matches the quality of our kids and the level of the academic and athletic experience Prep provides.”

There’s still time to make Prep history by supporting the Barron Center for Arts and Recreation. Lockers and theater seats are also available to sponsor. Contact Arielle Romeo, Senior Director of Annual Giving at aromeo@fairfieldprep.org for more information.

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— Paul Halas '74

At a Glance

Academics

25

AP courses offered

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Faculty

22

Faculty to participate in Jesuit Educators Academy

94%

Faculty holding an advanced degree

16%

Faculty (27% of male faculty) are Prep Alumni

2

New faculty added in 2025-2026 academic year

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Students

38

Magis Scholars in Class of 2029

26%

Students of color

50

Different Towns in CT

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Athletics

82%

Student participation in athletics

366

Multi-sport athletes

102

Head and assistant coaches

475

Athletic games and competitions

35

Students committed to play in college

5

SCC Championships in Baseball, Hockey, Lacrosse, Swimming and Tennis

3

State Championships in Golf, Skiing and Swimming

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Visual and Performing Arts

9

Performing ensembles

11

HALO Award nominations including Best Contemporary Musical for Come From Away.

39%

of students participate in the Visual and Performing Arts

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Mission and Ministry

84

Student leaders

62

Adult leaders

31

Student-facing programs

182

Participants in Kairos Retreats

52

Participants on Urban Plunge Immersions

12,258

Hours of Service

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Clubs and Activities

41

Co-curricular clubs offered

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Innovation

5

Expansions to McLeod: Entrepreneurship Institute, eSports lab, virtual broadcast studio, fabrication lab, and woodshop.

43

students (24%) who were admitted to Prep attended an innovation camp or esports camp

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Enrollment

$4.4m+

Need-based financial aid provided

33%

Students received need-based financial aid

172

Students Part of our Magis Scholarship Program

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Annual Financial Summary