It’s no secret that there is something special about Catholic schools.
The proof is in the classrooms, auditoriums, gymnasiums and hallways of schools across the Diocese of Camden, where students thrive as they grow in their faith and prepare for their future.
The proof can also be seen in Catholic school graduates. According to the National Catholic Educational Association, 99% of Catholic high school students graduate, and 85% of those students go on to higher education. Catholic school alumni find success in furthering their education and making a name for themselves in their fields – all while maintaining the faith, morals and work ethic they learned in their alma maters.
Following is the final piece of a series of these success stories.
Bruno Catrambone began his educational journey in the Catholic tradition at what was then Our Lady of Grace Grammar School, Somerdale, and later went on to attend a Catholic college – Biscayne College in Miami, Fla. – now known as St. Thomas University.
The years in-between, which he spent attending Paul VI High School, Haddonfield, taught Catrambone a great deal.
“Paul VI has impacted my life with humane qualities set up in a school culture that taught me about life, about love, about faith and about giving,” he said. “It taught me about trying to do the right thing.”
Referring to his high school years as “a wonderful era in my life,” Catrambone reflected on the culture of mentoring he experienced, with upperclassmen supporting newer students and building friendships.
“[We] really enjoyed the relationships we had with the people we attended school with daily,” he said.
While he graduated from Paul VI High School five decades ago – in 1974 – Catrambone still has fond memories of his time there, and has kept in touch with fellow alumni as they plan their 50th reunion.
“We continue to share the memories through social media that we shared together in the 70s, and look forward to connecting again in a few months,” he said.
Catrambone later attended graduate school at Villanova University, Villanova, Pa., to prepare for his career in the business world. Today, he serves as CEO of Bruno and Company, a wholesale supplier that works with firms and retailers throughout the Northeast. The North Wildwood-based firm, a family business, got its start in 2006 working with one of its core manufacturers, Aurora, and focusing on one category of licensed sports that marketed the Philadelphia Eagles.
In a recent interview, Catrambone said that, when he was a child, Catholic education was not seen as an alternative to public school.
“It was not an option in our life,” he said. “It was who we were, and how our parents raised us. We never considered an option to transfer out of our ‘Catholic heritage.’”
He added, “Being raised Catholic was an honor and a privilege, and it still is.”
Today, Catrambone is proud to have two sons who have each completed 12 years of Catholic education – and who both have decided to continue that tradition in college, with one attending Villanova and the other St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
Catholic School Success Stories
Lawyer reflects on leadership, compassion learned at Camden Catholic
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