2021 James P.B. McDonough Award Recipient
The 2021 recipient of the James P.B McDonough Award is John “Jack” T. Flynn ’22.
A member of the National Honor Society, Jack has received many awards during his time at St. Sebastian’s for his excellence in scholarship. At the Undergraduate Awards Ceremony this year, Jack’s versatility was on full display. He received the Harvard Book Prize given for excellence in scholarship and high character, the Hennessey Award for Artistic Achievement in Drama, and the Gandolfo Language Award for his pursuit of academic excellence in his study of Latin. Additionally, he received recognition for his Summa Cum Laude Gold Medal performance on this year’s National Latin Exam.
Jack loves learning, strives to achieve at the highest levels and his teachers have the very highest degree of respect and admiration for him. In addition to all of Jack’s impressive academic attributes, he is a member of the JV Hockey and Golf teams.
Jack’s teachers have incredibly positive things to say regarding his effort, energy, diligence and pursuit of academic excellence in meeting the significant demands of the courses he has chosen to take. They write about his high level of consistency, his outstanding participation, preparation and performance, his impressive writing, his willingness to try the more challenging tests, his excellent preparation for exams, his impressive depth of thought and his ability to articulate his thoughts in writing.
Jack has shown leadership in all of the School’s publications. This year Jack served as Managing Editor of the St. Sebastian’s Journal, Editor of the Quiver and Feature Editor of the Walrus. In addition, Jack is a founding member and one of the lead writers of the newly formed “Weekly Show”, a weekly video that takes a humorous look at student and faculty life at St. Sebastian’s. His keen sense of humor and spectacular writing skills are matched by his on-camera presence as a lead presenter, highlighting his all-around wit.
His participation and leadership on the Debate Team has been very impressive. In addition to his own stellar performance, Jack helps run practices and coaches novice debaters, another example of him sharing his talents with the broader St. Sebastian’s community.
Outside of St. Sebastian’s, Jack participates in many community service endeavors including making sandwiches for the homeless; tutoring at St. Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy; participating in field days with San Miguel students; loading coats, mittens, and food for the holiday drives; the father/son chop-a-thon at the Pine Street Inn; and Jack’s favorite, the Golf for All Program.
Jack is an avid golfer playing competitively for both the Winchester Country Club and St. Sebastian’s golf teams – and is a long-time year-round Senior Caddy at Winchester Country Club. In addition to caddying this summer, Jack was accepted to and is attending (on-line) the Columbia University Summer Immersion Program for Creative Journalism. Some of Jack’s achievements outside of school include: 1st Place – 2019 Boston Globe/ Will McDonough Writing Contest; Honorable Mention – 2020 Boston Globe/Will McDonough Writing Contest; 2nd Place – 2015 MWRA (Massachusetts Water Resources Authority) STEM writing contest; and Jack’s short story “Means To An End” was published in Mission Catastrophe – an anthology showcasing young writers from Massachusetts.
Jack is a true leader on the St. Sebastian’s campus. His intellect raises the bar of every class he is a part of, his humor is a welcome addition to any setting, and his selfless compassion strengthens our brotherhood. In short, Jack Flynn lives up to the ideals of the James P.B. McDonough Award, exhibiting kindness, sensitivity, good cheer, and an enduring passion.