At Baccalaureate, Highlanders Encouraged to Work Hard, Be Curious, Take Risks, and Come Back Home

Following the invocation by Karoline Theobald P’09 ’14, the Anne S. and Ogden D. Miller Senior Master, Head of School Emily Raudenbush Gum delivered her opening remarks, inviting students to look around at their classmates and take a moment for gratitude and reconciliation. Reflecting on her relationship with a former classmate, who died tragically in a car accident just shy of their 20-year reunion, Raudenbush Gum shared with students a lesson from her own boarding school experience and encouraged them to stay connected to each other and the school. 

“These years are more formative than maybe you want them to have been,” she said to the Senior Class. “You are in an incredible phase of your life where you are coming into your own, and you are figuring things out, and that is not a perfect picture. But what it means is that right now, in this service, you have a moment where peacemaking and reconciliation are in your hands. You have that opportunity to make peace with yourself and who you've been in high school, make peace with your faculty, who are all here supporting you, and make peace with your classmates before you head off. Give that some thought. Take a minute to let that be true for yourself 20 years from now.”

Associate Head of School Seth Low P’26 introduced Marich, recalling that they first met soon after the Marich family arrived on campus in the fall of 2012. “Little did I know at the time that he would be such a big part of my life for the next decade,” said Low, who has called on Marich as a friend and colleague for the past 12 years, and coached boys lacrosse with him for 10 years. “Over time, I came to learn that Mr. Marich cares deeply. He cares deeply about his family, his school, his players, and his colleagues. That act of caring deeply makes it awesome for him to be in his role.” 

Marich joined the faculty as Director of Communications and in 2016 was named Athletic Director and Head Boys Varsity Lacrosse Coach. He has fulfilled those roles ever since, leading the team to win the WNESSLA League Championship in 2016 and the Colonial Cup Tournament in 2022 and 2024. Marich was named the WNESSLA Coach of the Year Award in 2016 and 2019 and currently serves as President of NEPSAC District IV. In the off-season, he coaches for 2Way Lacrosse, the CONNY New Balance All-America Highlight Team, and PLL Junior Championships. He and his wife, Kiersten, live on campus with their son, Will ’23, who will be a sophomore at Kenyon College this fall, and daughter, Caroline ’24, who will be attending the University of Mississippi.

His Baccalaureate Address was rich with life lessons and stories he shared from various times in his life. “I hope that you, the Class of 2024, can use some of these lessons as you start the next chapter of your journey,” he said.

A native of Long Island, New York, Marich played lacrosse and basketball in high school. At that time, he reflected, “My identity was wrapped up around athletics. The court or the field was where I was most confident and I hid behind that identity because it was safe.” In senior year, he passed up an opportunity to perform at the school talent show a song that spoke to him at that time, “Freedom,” by George Michael. “I was afraid of what other people would think,” he said, imparting his first lesson: “Don’t take yourself too seriously. Have some fun. Worry less about other people’s opinions.”

Marich went on to fulfill his childhood dream of playing Division I Lacrosse at Hofstra University, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He still remembers the lessons he learned from then-Head Coach John Danowski, who led the Hofstra Men’s Lacrosse Program from 1986 to 2006, and then-Assistant Coach Seth Tierney, who became Head Coach in 2007. Notably, Danowski has served as Head Coach of the D1 Men’s Lacrosse Team at Duke University since 2007, and was Team USA Senior Team Head Coach in 2018 and 2023, while Tierney served as Team USA Senior Team Assistant Coach in 2018 and 2023 and will serve as Head Coach in 2027.

“Coach Danowski worked to make every person on the team feel valued. He also made it a point to teach us more than Xs and Os. He taught us about life,” Marich recalled. “Coach Tierney taught me more than any other coach I’d had up to that point. He was able to take complex theory and make it simple and understandable. The way he taught helped me become a better player and gave me the foundation to want to teach and coach.”

At Hofstra, Marich made the Men’s Lacrosse team as a walk-on. “I was the lowest man on the depth chart. You probably would have needed a map and a flashlight to find me, but I had a spot and a role on the team,” he quipped. Despite this, he approached this experience with humility: “I’d love to tell you that I was able to crack the starting lineup, but it never really happened. Here’s what did happen: I was able to persevere and hang on. I was able to get better by playing against guys who were much better.”

In the end, Marich said, he was also able to make those around him better by playing his best, every day. His takeaway: “Work hard, be resilient, embrace your role. Make the most of your opportunities, whatever shape they may take.”

Acknowledging that he did not have life figured out by the time he graduated college, Marich said: “My path to where we are today has been pretty windy, but it allowed me to have some very interesting experiences. Lesson: Stay curious, try as many things as you can and see what you like. Be open to things and let the journey unfold in front of you.”

His first job as Assistant Dean of Admissions at Hofstra ultimately led to a position at Lehman Brothers, which yielded another lesson: “Be ready. You never know when opportunity will knock, but if it does, answer the door.”

Marich arrived on Wall Street at a time when computers and automation were replacing paper and manual processes. He enrolled in night courses to learn computer programming and develop applications and his innate sense of curiosity led to new opportunities, including his next job, at Morgan Stanley, where he began to take an interest in marketing. His role was expanded, and outside of work, he began coaching youth lacrosse two nights a week. “I was fortunate enough to work for people who believed in me and they encouraged me to explore things that I found interesting,” he said. 

After getting married and starting a family, he and Kiersten decided to take a leap and work at a boarding school. “We’re grateful that it happened here and that we built our home here at Gunn,” he said, imparting another lesson: “Don’t be afraid of a risk, especially when you have a dream and a plan.”

Through his experiences as a coach – which began with a team of third graders – Marich has learned the importance of knowing his team and knowing his own strengths and weaknesses. It’s also important to have fun and laugh as much as possible, he said. 

He spoke about the importance of developing a connection with something bigger than yourself, by nurturing your spiritual life and spending time in nature. Visiting Steep Rock, for example, allows him to unplug and experience a feeling of awe or wonder.

In conclusion, Marich shared the same advice he has given to every Highlander he has coached: “Stay connected to the school and come back. When people say, ‘home,’ many people think of a house or the town you grew up in. I am speaking about this place — our place — Gunn. So wherever the next chapter takes you — cheering on the Owls in Gambier, screaming ‘Hotty Toddy’ in Oxford, or any place in between, we want you to come back home.”

View more photos from Baccalaureate 2024 in our SmugMug Gallery.