Students, Kiely and Cambria DeQuattro, Elyse Brassard and Lila Schaumburg from St. Augustine School, interviewed W. Albert Martin, the 2019 recipient of St. Augustine’s Distinguished Graduate Award. W. Albert Martin was a member of St. Augustine’s first graduating class of 1955. When interviewed, he shared fond memories of Principal Sister Marie Edward and Pastor Reverend Thomas P. Gilfillan. The Sisters of Saint Ursula lived in the convent on Elmcrest Avenue and taught in the school. Mr. Martin developed a real sense of loving and caring from his school experience. With a smile, he shared his favorite things about school which were recess, lunch and winning the Blueberry Pie eating contest. He then admittedly said he liked math too. Students at that time had lunch sitting on the floor of what is now the kindergarten and pre-K classrooms. Students who lived close enough were allowed to go home for lunch. Mr. Martin had lunch at school since he lived about one mile from the school and walked home after school. He developed good friendships, and strong family values e developed and He felt that the Sisters prepared him well for high school and the Catholic values that they instilled in him. One of the most important values that he learned from Sister Marie Edward is that: “There is no right way to do the wrong thing.” Mr. Martin continued his education at the University of Rhode Island earning a B.S. and MBA degrees, Bryant College earning a MST degree and a law degree from Suffolk University Law School. He has practiced law for forty years and has taught business law at URI and at Johnson and Wales where he was chairman of the Legal Studies Department. Mr. Martin married Helene Forrest at Our Lady of Mercy Church in East Greenwich, Rhode Island in 1970. Their two children, Michelle and William, both attended St. Augustine School. Presently two of his grandchildren, Kiely and Cambria DeQuattro attend the school. Mr. Martin’s advice to parents today contemplating enrolling their children in a Catholic school would be simply to “Just Do It.” He realizes that families sacrifice to send their children to a Catholic school, but it is a good investment. His advice to students,” Do your classwork, homework, be respectful, and learn the Catholic values. Mr. Martin has been giving back to the school and parish for the last 50 years. He has been actively involved in Catholic Charities and was Chairman of the St. Augustine School Finance Committee for ten years working closely with Pastor Edward Egan concerning school, financial and legal issues .He was instrumental in introducing computer education to the curriculum for all grades in the mid 1980’s. He and his family continue to support the school, his wife Helene volunteers at the school and he volunteers reading to the early grades. He feels very strongly that “the school is the future parish”. It is with great pride and gratitude that the St. Augustine School community recognize W. Albert Martin as the 2019 Distinguished Graduate of St. Augustine School.