Xaverian High School
Xaverian High School offers the very best in secondary education not only in New York City, but throughout New York State. Xaverian serves young men from disadvantaged backgrounds, boys with learning disabilities and students that are in financial need. In fact, if it were not for the generosity of alumni, parents and friends, many of these students would not be able to afford the quality, college-preparatory education our school offers.

Xaverian has taught the best in Brooklyn since 1957, taking the role from its predecessor, St. Michael’s Diocesan High School. Today, Xaverian’s enrollment is approximately 1,400 students. While Catholic in origin, Xaverian is open to students of every race, religion and ethnicity.

At Xaverian, approximately 10 percent of the enrollment includes students with learning difficulties as defined by federal law. However, Xaverian is one of only four schools, and the only Catholic school, to offer the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. Created for the children of diplomats, students who graduate with an IB Diploma may be eligible to enter Ivy League schools as sophomores. In fact, 25 percent of the Class of 2005 matriculated to Ivy League schools or the equivalent. Proceeds of this night are shared for the greater good. Additionally, Xaverian, rooted in Brooklyn, NY, has a very strong Italian-American population that is currently at 55 percent.

The Joe DiMaggio Award Gala is the major fundraiser for Xaverian. Its programs for students with learning disabilities, including the Ryken Program, is presently adopted by the New York State Regents as the model of all such endeavors. Since the Ryken Program’s inception in 1994 (it was formerly known as the REACH Program), over 100 young men have graduated from this special initiative and all have gone on to four-year colleges of their choice. In fact, four students recently received scholarships to major New York-Metropolitan area universities. Without the Ryken Educational Program, these young men would have fallen through the cracks and would not have been granted the scholarly opportunities they so richly deserve.

In a very short period of time, it has evolved into the preeminent educational gala in the United States. Each year the DiMaggio Award outdoes the previous in money raised and national media attention. Since Xaverian is private and tuition driven, proceeds from the Gala will especially benefit its many students. Besides the dinner and awards presentation, the evening includes a silent auction of rare Joe DiMaggio memorabilia donated by the DiMaggio Estate and Morris Engelberg, Esq.

Previous recipients of the Joe DiMaggio Award include the “Yankee Clipper” himself, Dr. Henry Kissinger, Boston Red Sox legend and Hall of Famer, Ted Williams, operatic superstar Luciano Pavarotti, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, television legend Regis Philbin, music superstar Paul Simon and award winning actor James Gandolfini.