Shrewsbury – Alex Zequeira has been named the next headmaster of Saint John’s High School effective July 1.
Zequeira is currently president of Nativity School of Worcester, where he has served since 2011. While at Nativity, he oversaw a growth in enrollment, expansion of the endowment, and broadening of curriculum – all the while acting as the school’s spiritual leader on behalf of the Jesuit Provincial. Saint John’s and Nativity have built a close relationship for many years.
Prior to his tenure there, he served in various academic leadership capacities including dean of Upper School at Wooster School in Danbury, Conn., and executive director of Belen Jesuit Alumni Association in Florida. Zequeira began his career as a teacher and coach at Kingswood-Oxford School in West Hartford. He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and will complete his graduate studies at Boston College later this year.
Throughout his career, Zequeira has demonstrated experience as an educator, with exceptional communication and leadership skills, strong strategic thinking, a clear understanding of the importance of advancement, and a personal commitment to Catholic education as embodied in the mission of Saint John’s.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to join and serve the community at Saint John’s High School,” Zequeira said. “For nearly 120 years, Saint John’s has been a school deeply rooted in its Catholic and Xaverian mission to educate the whole person, promoting the values of humility, trust, zeal, compassion and simplicity.
“Saint John’s has an enduring legacy of excellence and an unparalleled commitment and loyalty from thousands of alumni, current students and families, and outstanding faculty, staff, and administration who understand that education is not limited to the four walls of a classroom. These committed educators value opportunities to connect with students and create enduring and transformative relationships. I congratulate Michael Welch on his passionate and committed service to Saint John’s over the last 15 years at headmaster. He served his alma mater well.”
Zequeira is a first generation American born to Cuban immigrants. He understands on a personal level the importance of education, opportunity, citizenship and faith. He is bilingual and has formed deep roots in the Worcester community. He and his wife Jessika have three children and their oldest is currently a student at Saint John’s.
“Alex embodies those ideals which we hold dear as a Xaverian and Catholic school,” Welch said. “He makes manifest the concept of servant leadership. He is a man committed to forwarding our mission. The future of Saint John’s is bright with Alex Zequeira as its next leader.”
Welch, who began serving as headmaster of Saint John’s in 2001, announced in November that he would be leaving the school.
Chair of the Saint John’s Board of Trustees, Carl Rapp, remarked “the Board of Trustees believes that we have selected an exceptional leader as a result of a thorough and competitive search process which involved representatives from our faculty, administration, alumni, students and parents. Alex embodies the most important qualities that we were all looking for in the next headmaster of Saint John’s and who also has the benefit of having deep roots in the Worcester community.”
