Accepting Applications for the 2026-2027 School Year
Xavier Jesuit Academy welcomed Kenny Pope, a Cincinnati native and doctoral student at the University of Cincinnati, to Morning Meeting for a session that left students with a challenge they won't soon forget.
Mr. Pope, who grew up in Cincinnati and attended Purcell Marian High School, opened his talk with an interactive sound exercise, guiding the entire student body through building the sound of a rainstorm using only their hands and voices. From a light patter to a full downpour, the room filled with the unmistakable sound of something much larger than any one person could create alone.
That, he told the young men, was exactly the point.
"One raindrop is not a storm," Mr. Pope said. "But all of us coming together is a storm that can create great things, positivity, and impact."
Mr. Pope reminded students that they spend roughly 185 days of school together each year, more time than many spend at home, and challenged them to make the most of that shared time. He called on each young man to be the one who notices when someone is sitting alone, to extend a hand, to offer a smile to a teacher at the start of a difficult day.
"You don't know how you can impact somebody's day by just doing something like that," he told them.
Mr. Pope brought those words with personal weight. A standout running back at Purcell Marian High School, he went on to earn a B.A. from Wittenberg University and a Master's in Education from The George Washington University, where he also helped launch a rugby program that remains connected to its founding members more than a decade later. He now serves as a faculty member in the Division of Experiential Learning and Career Based Education at UC, and is pursuing a doctorate in Educational Studies with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in information technology.
As Mr. Pope wrapped up, he left students with three words to carry with them: brotherhood, community, and impact.
