McQuaid Jesuit is no stranger to the event known as Agape Latte. You may be familiar with the stylish, light purple T-shirts that read the group’s name across the chest.  The word “Agape” itself is a greek word for a kind of love that seeks nothing in return, and the event found its roots at Boston College over nine years ago.

Thanks to numerous McQuaid students, Campus Ministry decided to reproduce this program in our own community.

Agape Latte has been a part of McQuaid for close to a year and has gained popularity very quickly. The story was just the same this fall. The event was once again held in the Wegman Center and caught the interest of many students and faculty during the day’s flex period.

The event began with senior Kevin Reed showcasing some of his skills on the guitar as students and faculty enjoyed refreshments and awaited the event’s keynote speaker, Mrs. Alba Lupia.

Mrs. Lupia has been a member of the community for over eight years now as she continues to be the head of the Italian education program at McQuaid.  She took the request of speaking at the event with open arms.

“I couldn’t say no to such an honor,” she said.

In her talk, Mrs. Lupia covered topics that related to the development of herself over the course of her life. She also talked about how the peaks and valleys of her life affected her, and ultimately lead her to McQuaid.

Lupia delved deeply into her stories as she shared personal information about her life as a young adult and mother. She chose stories that held heavy emotional weight.

Phineas Brauer, ’19

“Know that no matter what we encounter, our soul and our spirit will find a way to prevail,” Mrs. Lupia said.

This was a recurring theme in Mrs. Lupia’s speech. She became vulnerable as she gave the audience insight into parts of her life that she said were “dramatically personal.”

A main goal of Mrs. Lupia was to engage even further with the students of McQuaid by branching out of the classroom.

“It gives me the opportunity to open up to people I’ve never encountered.  I think the best way to be a teacher is to be as real as possible,” she said.

The realness and wisdom of Mrs. Lupia’s talk gave much reason for senior Angus Chase, the Founder and President of the organization at McQuaid, and others to call this year’s event a success.

Mrs. Lupia gave further insight as to why she agreed to speak at the event by saying, “It is what I love most about teaching at McQuaid, getting to know my students!”

McQuaid students now know a little more about Mrs. Lupia and the steps she took to become who she is today.