Dr. Chris Maggio, Class of 1982, followed in his family’s long tradition of attending St. Mary’s Catholic School. His mother and father and their siblings attended St. Mary’s. His father Henry “Buddy” Maggio graduated in 1947 and his mother Nita Perot Maggio graduated in 1956.

Chris started his career at St. Mary’s when he got a job teaching and coaching. “I remember being just as excited on my first day of school as I was on my first day working as a teacher,” he said. “It’s always had a small environment with a good Catholic education.”

Dr. Maggio will speak at Saturday, March 10, starting at 6 pm during the St. Mary’s Second Annual, “Whatever Happened To…A Trip Down Memory Lane.”

Get ready for an evening of stories and lore from St. Mary’s alumni and former employees including:

Barry Guillet, Entrepreneur, Class of 1964

Henry Chandler, Celebrity Chef, Class of 1977

Dr. Chris Maggio, NSU President, Class of 1982

Mrs. Nona Bobo, St. Mary’s Librarian, 1973-2008

Dr. Maggio will talk about his quest for learning, from the foundation he received at St. Mary’s, to his role as president of Northwestern State University.

“There wasn’t a single thing I disliked about St. Mary’s,” he said. “I just loved learning.”

He credits fellow speaker Nona Bobo as being instrumental in setting a great foundation for him early on in his life. He grew at St. Mary’s, watching his peers receive awards and wanting to emulate them.

He took the advice of then student body president Joe Stamey and soon became student body president himself. He then passed down the wisdom he’d learned to the next group of students.

“I really liked that about St. Mary’s,” he said. “There was always opportunities for mentoring, in academics and athletics.”

Now his children go there (one is a sophomore and two are alum of the school.) As a parent, he has volunteered as a coach and his wife Jennifer worked as a counselor and religion teacher at St. Mary’s before becoming NSU’s first lady.

As a university president, Dr. Maggio said it’s good to have St. Mary’s as part of the collective K-12 system in Natchitoches Parish. NSU offers dual enrollment to high school students and has a great working relationship with the local athletic teams.

While St. Mary’s has changed over the years, Dr. Maggio said he loves that its mission and values have remained constant. He does enjoy seeing the expansion in technology and student opportunities.

The evening will feature Live Auction Items, Light Hor d’oeuvres, and a Cash Bar. Social Hour starts at 6 pm, and the program begins at 7 pm in the St. Mary’s Gym.

Tickets are $50 per person. Contact Susan Wright, 318-352-8394, swright@smstigers.org or Payne Williams, 318-352-6695, willwill@cp-tel.net.