Doherty is valedictorian at St. Joseph

With the highest grade point average of 93 seniors, West Milford resident Timothy Doherty was named valedictorian of the Class of 2023 at St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale.

He was notified of the honor about a month before graduation on June 3.

At the ceremony, he also was awarded the St. Joseph Medal, which is given to a graduating student who demonstrates the highest level of loyalty, leadership, scholarship, service, industry and active Catholicity. Those are traits that the school tries to develop in its students.

Hillary Barnett, the school’s director of communication and marketing manager, said the medal is given to a student who exemplifies the well-rounded man. The winner is selected by the faculty and staff.

“It was a nice thing to receive. I was honored to get it. It was definitely unexpected,” Timothy said.

At St. Joseph, he was in the High Honors program and was captain of varsity soccer team and played on varsity basketball team.

His other activities included the Student Council, newspaper club, yearbook club and media club. He was a Eucharistic Minister for the school and held an executive position with the Green Knights Ambassadors, giving school tours and speak to prospective students and their families.

Timothy said two of his favorite classes were English and history; he doesn’t really like math and science. His favorite teacher was Nick DeVito, who teaches history.

St. Joseph, an all-boys regional college prep school, was founded in 1962 by the Xavarian Brothers in Park Ridge. The school moved to Montvale in 1963. In 2000, an affiliation began with the Marist Brothers.

The students are from various towns in New Jersey and Rockland County, N.Y.

“We help our young men to become Vir Fidelis, the faithful man, and to think, lead and serve,” Barnett said.

Camp volunteer

This summer, Timothy will be volunteering at the Mid-Hudson Valley Camp in Esopus, N.Y. The camp, which is run through St. Joseph, provides one-week sleep-away sessions for disabled people.

Young adults with physical, mental and developmental disabilities will attend June 25-July 1. A session for children ages 4-15 with special needs is July 2-8.

Timothy also be a counselor during two sessions of the Green Knights Ambassadors Basketball Camp for grades 3-10, which will run July 17-20, then July 24-27.

His father, Michael, is a St. Joseph alumnus and has been an employee of the school for more 30 years. He is a senior English teacher and a freshman guidance counselor and also helps out with the Esopus camps.

During his tenure there, Michael has been vice president of academics and vice president of discipline; from 1994 to 2000, he was director of admissions.

He recently retired as the basketball coach after coaching 547 games in 34 seasons. He won a combined five Bergen County titles as a player and a coach for the Green Knights.

Timothy’s uncle, Martin Doherty, also is employed at the school.

“I kind of grew up there,” he said. “It was my home away from home. Both of my brothers, who are older, also went there. It’s like a family legacy.”

Sharing the credit

Timothy credited his parents with pushing him to be the best. They also let him know that when things were not going well, everything would be OK, he said.

His entire family and St. Joe’s also helped.

Outside school, he helps out at the food pantry and the carnival for Our Lady Queen of Peace in Hewitt.

This fall, Timothy will attend Villanova University, where he was accepted in the Honors Program. He has not chosen a major; he may want to study statistics and communication.

He said he chose Villanova because of its reputation for strong academics, a Catholic background and the offer of a good financial package.

He plans to play club basketball, club soccer and other intramural sports there. He also would like to be involved with the media, campus ministry club and something similar to the Green Knight Ambassadors where he can give tours.

Asked about his career plans, he said, “It’s all up in the air right now. I would like to intern with a pro sports team and see where that takes me. I may want to do something with statistics for a pro sports team, but I’m undecided right now.”