Angelo Perino (Class of ’80) and wife Andrea cut the ribbon accompanied by, left to right, principal Michelle Mershon, Abbot Philip Davey O.S.B., Director, Legacy Project Matt McGinnis (Class of ’85), academy treasurer Eve Postula (Class of ’84), superintendent Dr. Ted Struck, Dr. Angelo Perino Jr. (Class of ‘06); and Suzy and Dante Perino. (Photo contributed)

PERU - A dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony was held Aug. 19 for St. Bede’s Perino Science Center. The newly constructed 17,500 square foot academic STEM building and student commons pays homage to St. Bede’s history while modernizing the facility for 21^st century learning.

“We’re happy to introduce this state of the art space to both the local community and to our students who will benefit from the improvements.” said Superintendent Dr. Ted Struck. “The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Perino Science Center marks the completion of Phase Two of the Legacy Project.”

“We’re delighted the public could join us to see how the transformation and elevation of our STEM program has been improved with the state of the art Perino Science Center,” stated Principal Michelle Mershon.

The public was invited to tour the building and meet the staff at an open house, which followed a mass and the official ribbon cutting by the Perino family. Angelo Perino and his wife, Andrea, along with daughter Anna and son Angelo, both St. Bede graduates, attended a special brunch for supporters of the Legacy Project prior to the Mass and the ribbon cutting ceremony. At the brunch, Perino shared, “I have the privilege of recognizing and thanking many of you specifically for your gifts and contributions because without them, this doesn’t happen.”

“Angelo’s extraordinary gift and all the generosity made to the Legacy Project will provide a significant improvement to the quality of student life on campus,” Struck said. “The supporters of the Legacy Project can take great comfort in considering the generations of St. Bede students who will reap the benefits of their contributions.” “We are deeply grateful for their devotion to making Phase Two a reality.”

Perino, a 1980 St. Bede graduate, currently holds the position of North America Enterprise Applications Delivery Leader for IBM. After St. Bede, he went on to University of Notre Dame graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Computer Applications and also achieving a Masters of Business Administration in Finance from Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University in Chicago.

After Superintendent Dr. Ted Struck presented Perino with the ceremonial scissors, Perino shared remarks with the public present outside the front of the Perino Science Center prior to cutting the ribbon. “I am personally grateful for the education I received here and I’m blessed to be able to give back to this school,” he said. “All high schools that are private need the support of their alumni in order to continue their mission. St. Bede’s Academy’s strong leadership, vision and financial stewardship have encouraged me and others to commit to the Legacy Project. For all here, I’d like to say thank you, and I’m happy to be a part of this.”