Young Alumnus Spotlight: Meet Jack Sabo, ’23

As a recent graduate, what was the transition like from Central Catholic to college?

The transition from Central Catholic to Duke was very seamless, which reflects the strong academics of Central Catholic. Coming into a school like Duke, where you have a lot of talented students, I was a little worried. I thought: am I going to be able to survive academically? And instead of “surviving,” Central Catholic prepared me to thrive in what is a very intense and rigorous academic environment.

I entered Duke with strong writing skills, which is a testament to the English Department. Thanks to the AP curriculum and all our awesome teachers at Central Catholic, I was able to focus on aspects of college life beyond academics. Central allowed me to flourish during my time in high school and I feel that I came out of my first year of college with a well-rounded experience.

Tell us about the company where you are an intern and give us a brief description of your responsibilities.

I’m interning for a company called ColdSpark, which is a full-service political strategy and crisis communications consulting firm. This internship is an awesome opportunity for me because we’re in an election year like no other. We’re on the front lines of everything that has to do with politics this summer. What is the most effective way that we can tell a story, and how do we tie all those things together into a winning campaign come November?

Within Coldspark, I’m interning specifically with the political department, so I work primarily with our political team, which is focused on basically everything when it comes to campaign consulting, which means pitching a digital strategy for a candidate. We do a lot with direct mail, so one of my favorite things I was able to do this summer is write and design pieces of direct mail that go straight to voters. It has been an interesting experience because direct mail focuses on the message, design principles, voter targeting which comes with data implications, fundraising implications, and all that fun stuff.

One of the coolest things in my opinion is that we’ll sit around the table, and we’ll mull over what’s the best message for our candidates to tell. We do a lot of polling and we'll crunch the numbers. It's been a great exercise in using the data analysis that I learned from Central Catholic from Mr. Hoss and our Math Department. My prior experiences have been very beneficial in contributing to our strategy discussions and client meetings.

How did the Central Catholic alumni network play a role in earning your new position?

I think simply, I wouldn’t have gotten my internship without the Central Catholic alumni network. What I don’t think a lot of young alumni realize is that it’s there for you the day you graduate. One of the partners in my firm, Mike DeVanney, also graduated from Central Catholic in ’97. And when I was looking for something in the political space this summer, I knew I wanted a hands-on experience, especially because it’s an election year. I was able to reach out to Brandon Haburjak in our advancement department and he connected me with DeVanney within two days. The rest is history. I think that speaks to the power of the Central Catholic alumni network, specifically to young alums who are eager to break into that job space. It’s hard to do that and to make a clean entrance into a market where the forces are not there when it comes to internships.

Internships are down 13.7% this year, so leveraging the alumni network was incredibly valuable for me. I also think it’s nice to know how available the older alums can be. DeVanney graduated in ’97, but he’s still connected to the school. It's been a great full-circle experience that demonstrates the strength of the Central Catholic community. I’m eternally grateful to all the alumni of Central Catholic, our office of alumni engagement, and our entire advancement team because they’re the ones who are facilitating these relationships. My summer internship simply would not be possible without their help.

What are some skills that you have developed at Central Catholic that served you well in your current position?

The skill that comes most easily to me is the "art of the handshake" that I learned at Central Catholic. I mean that Central teaches you to look someone in the eye, introduce yourself, and engage in a meaningful conversation. That's a level of connection that I think many people can miss in life nowadays. I think Central excels at teaching students how to put themselves out there even when it’s intimidating. The interactions that I remember most from Central Catholic are not necessarily the lessons in the classroom. There were lessons on the Quad that I learned when the Brothers walked with me for one or two laps as we talked about what I was doing that week. Those opportunities to ask meaningful questions and to communicate in a way that makes people want to reach back out are very important.

I think the other thing that Central Catholic offered me, now that I’m a year removed, was all the extracurricular opportunities for leadership development. At Central, I was fortunate to get involved in various organizations on and off campus. Those organizations helped me learn how to lead a team, how to understand and navigate various struggles, and how to leverage diverse perspectives toward a common goal. These skills are not only important in high school and college, but also in life, as they teach us to understand and appreciate how people think, function, work, and what their strengths are. Most importantly, I think Central Catholic at its core teaches people how to be empathetic leaders.

Why would you recommend Central Catholic to a prospective student?

Central Catholic embodies what it means to be a well-rounded person. When I think about Central Catholic educating the whole person, I think about the academic rigor in the classroom. It’s second to none. The discussions I’ve had at Central, as a part of the Scholars Program, or in our AP classes, have prepared me to thrive in a university setting that is rigorous and leads to a lot of high-level discussions. As a result, I’m able to assert myself with confidence in these discussions.

From a social perspective, I don’t think there’s anything better than interacting with people from all walks of life. My best friends from Central Catholic are all from places like North Allegheny, the South Hills, and even Bloomfield. The geographic diversity at our school is what makes it Central Catholic. There’s a centralizing effect about this school that brings people together. In my opinion, there’s nothing that can beat that.

There is something to be said about being a part of something bigger than yourself. Over four years, you learn to leave your mark on Central. After my time at this school, I left a little piece of myself at Central Catholic. I believe I've brought about some positive change, whether in the classroom, in student life, or in collaborating with teachers and administrators. I say this with confidence, but also recognize that I'm not the most important person here. It's the collective contribution of many individuals that shapes Central. That’s what it means to be part of Central Catholic. You are a part of an institution that was here long before you were here and will be here long after. You play just a small role in the life of this institution. Being a Central Catholic Viking means giving yourself to something greater, and ultimately being a part of a faith that's much larger than any one person.