MAGIS: Manny Lamarre
(This article first appeared in the Belen Jesuit Alumni Magazine, Winter 2020 edition)
The importance of service and the passion towards doing good for others without expecting recompense are two integral values at Belen Jesuit and the essence of what the MAGIS is about. Manny Lamarre, an esteemed alumnus from the Belen class of 2005, has held these two values very close to him throughout his life and lives them out through everything he does.
The importance of service and the passion towards doing good for others without expecting recompense are two integral values at Belen Jesuit and the essence of what the MAGIS is about. Manny Lamarre, an esteemed alumnus from the Belen class of 2005, has held these two values very close to him throughout his life and lives them out through everything he does.
When he was a young man just starting out at Belen, he and his family lost everything when their apartment burned down. However, when word reached Belen about what had happened, the community volunteered to aid and support them without asking for anything in return. As Lamarre remembers, “one of the first people who was thereafter the firefighters was a friend from Belen and his mother.” After this demonstration of Belen brotherhood, Lamarre strives to show that same compassion and kindness in his daily life. During his time at Belen, his teachers and coaches had high expectations of him and inspired him to work to the best of his ability. They instilled in him the value of MAGIS, which is to always do more of what expected of you, and have the integrity to do it when no one is watching.
As an athlete, Lamarre excellent in both football and track and field. “Being an athlete meant a lot to me at Belen because I believe it made it easier to develop relationships and build connections with other students,” said Lamarre. “However, the most important part of being a student-athlete at Belen was the feeling of being part of a team and the lessons that come with that experience. More specifically, being an athlete meant I had to learn how to be disciplined and balance my time efficiently between school, practice, and working part-time.”
Another very important thing that he learned as a Wolverine was the true definition of “success”. At Belen, he was taught that success is measured not by how much money, status, or power you receive, but from how much you grow and how you are able to overcome challenges. It is also measured by the positive impact you make on the world. “Success is not merely achieving a goal,” Lamarre explains. “It is advancing a cause that one cares about.” “If the goal does not lead to some type of improvement in the community, then I don’t think it is really a success.”
After graduating from Wittenberg University, he joined Teach for America, an AmeriCorps program that is committed to educational equity. Lamarre then taught for three years in the neighborhoods of his childhood and led a mentoring program. After receiving his master’s degree, he has worked tirelessly to teach, inspire, and help others through his passion for education. As a senior member of the Nevada Governor’s Office, Lamarre helped the youth in the area be more prepared to improve and thrive in a dynamic economy through his work in education and workforce policies. Currently, he works for WestEd, where he continues to work towards his goal of providing educational equity for all.
“I’ve always been intentional about pursuing professional careers where my day-to-day is serving others,” says Lamarre. “In addition, I have always been intentional about consistently volunteering in different capacities, such as serving as a mentor for high school students.” He also lives out the MAGIS principle by spending time with family and friends, and by always making sure to be kind and loving towards them. In all the good that Manny Lamarre has done in the world, he shows us that the values taught at Belen are essential in today’s modern age. According to him, being a man for others is very important today due to the rising challenges that the world currently faces, which can only be resolved through collaboration and camaraderie. In Lamarre’s opinion, if more people learn to think outside of themselves and become committed to empathy and service, many issues such as inequality and the overwhelming amount of information can be more readily addressed. As Lamarre puts it, “One person or group cannot solve the challenges we face. Our modern challenges are too complex and nuanced and require more individuals who genuinely want to serve others (in whatever capacity they can) and show some love while they’re at it.”
“I think the best advice I would give current students who are struggling with living the MAGIS is first to remember the purpose of living the MAGIS,” said Lamarre. “Students should try to find a mentor that they respect to connect with on their experiences. They should be reflective and intentional about the person they reach out to and ensure it’s someone they trust and comfortable with; it should also be someone that they believe is living the MAGIS in their actions, not just their words.”
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.