KELLY COLEMAN

It is truly a pleasure to be in the presence of a young person who is busy making the most out of life using and sharing the gifts and talents that he has been given. A hopeful attitude and inspiration to live each day to the best of your ability is a gentle reminder that life is precious and worth living without regrets. Upon meeting Saint Edward’s School Peter Benedict Scholar, Jake Corvino, it is quite easy to understand why he was chosen as the most recent recipient of the award.

A student at Saint Edward’s since the sixth grade, Jake and his parents Kerry and Steven moved to Vero Beach when Jake was three. “I think Saint Edward’s is the best place for me. The teachers are amazing and Mr. Mersky and the administrative staff and college counselors are all very supportive. I feel at home here …and, that’s why I get involved in the School as much as I can,” shares Jake.

Having just finished the Vero Beach Theatre Guild’s recent production of The Mikado in the lead role of Ko-Ko, one of Jake’s most passionate interests lies in the world of theatre. Auditioning for the production in the middle of the school year while studying for exams, Jake had already made the decision that he is going to pursue the world of theatre as he moves forward in life. “The audition was at seven in the evening and went four and a half hours. After the tryouts, I was asked if I would be ok with playing men’s chorus. I had actually checked interest in all of the roles, so I said of course but, when they called me and said I would be playing Ko-Ko, it was really a surprise – a great surprise!”

Having done Riverside Children’s Theatre at age nine, Jake is not a newcomer to acting. As a sophomore at Saint Edward’s, Jake started doing school productions which he continued participating in his past junior year. Also a singer in the choir, Jake additionally plays the French horn in band. It is no surprise then that musical theatre is what Jake states he would like to become involved in, if not what he selects as a major in college once he completes his experience at Saint Edward’s next year.

“It encompasses so much of what I truly enjoy. With musical theatre I can play the French horn in the orchestra pit – or, I can sing and act. A lot of the things that I really like to do are in theatre.” Jake is therefore applying to many of the colleges located in northeast because he would then be situated as close as possible to the pinnacle of the American theatrical world. “So far, we have looked at Columbia, Harvard, Yale and Princeton. At this point we are currently trying to formulate a plan. I ultimately might like to attend the graduate School of Drama at Yale.”

When speculating about his grades, Jake humbly laughs as he confirms any logical suspicions. “I do work hard to keep my grades up so that I can get into the top schools. I feel more satisfied when I can look at my grades and see that they are good. I don’t have any regrets like ‘if I had tried harder, I could have done better’. I just do as well as I can so that I have no regrets.” Words to live by- whether you are starting the journey or somewhere farther down the road of life.

Jake is also quick to credit his interests and academic success to supportive, encouraging parents. “My dad is very musical. He played the saxophone and the drums. And, my dad has all these old records. Every morning he has some record blasting through the house…so that’s how I wake up each day,” Jake beams! “He (dad) enjoys music and has passed that on to me and my mom enjoys music as well. We are essentially a very musical family.”

A legacy of music is only one of gifts and talents that this young man has taken advantage of. As an only child, Jake enjoys a close relationship with his parents, a relationship that has nurtured and supported Jake in the multitude of activities he is involved in. Jake states that his mom, Kerry, is “very diligent in keeping me on track” – something that this young man obviously appreciates and welcomes with such a busy calendar. Jake plays golf on the Varsity Golf team in the fall, he is a member of the Key Club, the Co-President of the National Honor Society, a member of the Science National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Model United Nations, and the International Thespian Society …and he is the Executive Secretary of the student body at Saint Edward’s.

Inspiring Jake with his positive outlook, Jake shares that he has been greatly influenced by a client of his father’s, Donald Winkler. “We met 9 years ago. He has dyslexia and the way he thinks is so much different than others. He talks to me about breakthrough leadership and he has been such a great mentor to me. He has taught me to keep a positive outlook on life and also insightful lessons on the real world. Thinking of life in a positive way keeps you from feeling down or being overcome by stress.” Another individual that Jake credits with being “very supportive of his endeavors” is his sponsor through the Saint Edward’s Society, Alice Beckwith. Alice was a crucial factor in Jake’s attendance at Saint Edward’s School. She passed away Saturday, August 2^nd. “I will miss her dearly. She has been very helpful to me over the years that I have been at Saint Edward’s School.”

When asked what makes him tick – what makes Jake Corvino the happiest, he paused thoughtfully before he answered, and what he said might surprise you. “The process of the theatre, in general, is something that really makes me happy. And…I really also enjoy just being involved at Saint Edward’s. It’s really such a great atmosphere for learning and intellectuality. I really enjoy my time here and am just trying to make the most of it with all the extra curricular activities and all the clubs. I am truly blessed to be here. I actually like school.” Jake is looking forward to the upcoming theatre production of Godspell, the 1971 musical that Saint Edward’s will be producing this coming school season.

When Jake first introduced himself, he almost immediately relayed another “part” or side to his happy place – the world of magic. At a young age, Jake discovered magic at the Vero Beach Children’s Book Center when internationally renowned magician/comedian, Jamie Porter was visiting. Opening the door to many other experiences in Jake’s life, it was the beginning of something that Jake would carry with him into his teenage years. Jake is a camp counselor at MagiCamp, the summer magic camp hosted by Saint Edward’s for children ages 6-12. Jake has done magic at children’s birthday parties, family reunions, the public library, and even shared that he would like to bring his love of magic to our local homeless shelter. “I feel that with all the things I have been given in life, I just want to give back to people that maybe don’t have as much as I do.”

The Peter Benedict Scholarship is an award given in honor of Mr. Peter Benedict, the longtime headmaster of Saint Edward’s School.  The award is designed to honor the student who, through his or her leadership, scholarship, and citizenship demonstrates the qualities that Mr. Benedict tried to instill in all the students under his care.  It is the most prestigious scholarship honor bestowed by this private school in Vero Beach, and one that carries with it the hopes and goals of both Mr. Benedict and the School.

This award carries with it a full tuition scholarship, as well as all additional fees and books.  It is the hope of Saint Edward’s School that the winner of this scholarship will undertake his year, as the Benedict Scholar, with a full understanding of the enormous pride the School has in him, and the hopes it has for success in the future.

“I am honored to have received the Peter Benedict Scholarship award. Saint Edward’s has been so good to me in the first place – and then they give this award to me. I try to do as many clubs as I can and to just take advantage of this opportunity and experience as much as I can…and to have fun!”

Congratulations, Jake. You are a remarkable young man who is more than deserving of this honorable award. May you be blessed in all of your endeavors as you step forward into the hope of your future.