As the new President of Academy of the Holy Names, Mr. Art Raimo presents a welcoming attitude and a warm smile to each student he greets.
Mr. Raimo has devoted a career of thirty-three years to Catholic schools, with most of his time at Our Lady of Good Council High School in Maryland, where he served successfully as teacher , assistant principal and principal. His experience shows that Catholic schools offer an important religious dimension that other schools lack. “The opportunity to put faith into action for students is a fundamental difference.”
In his career, Mr. Raimo has seen the benefits of both single-sex and co-ed education. While working at an all-boys school that transitioned into a co-ed institution, he has realized that girls add a more thoughtful aspect to education. However, at an all-girls school like the Academy, he feels that young women have even more opportunities for developing leadership and self-growth. Orientation Day at Academy especially impressed Mr. Raimo. He witnessed “a spirit and a joy you that you wouldn’t see in a co-ed school.”
Mr. Raimo knew very little about Tampa prior to his move here. Because his wife is an alumna of the Silver Springs Academy of the Holy Names, they were both enthusiastic about the prospect of being a part of another Holy Names Academy. Through this association, Mr. Raimo is both knowledgeable and passionate about the mission and charism of the Sisters of the Holy Names here in Tampa, including the Academy’s rich religious traditions and mission trips.
A native of Brooklyn, Mr. Raimo attended Catholic schools. Although he always wanted to become a teacher, it was during his sophomore year of high school, when he was assigned a history lesson to teach in front of the class, “I began to think, ‘Boy, I think I’d like to do this.’”
As a result, Mr. Raimo started off his career in education by teaching history, including American History, World History, Modern European History, and Constitutional Law. He especially loves American history, a subject to which his students could relate. “The periods I enjoyed most were the Colonial period and the Revolutionary War.”
In his career, Mr. Raimo saw the benefits of both single-sex and co-ed education. While working at an all-boys school that transitioned into a co-ed institution, he realized that girls add a more thoughtful aspect to education. However, at an all-girls school like the Academy, he feels that young women have even more opportunities for developing leadership and self-growth.
Orientation Day at Academy this year especially impressed Mr. Raimo. He witnessed “a spirit and a joy you that you wouldn’t see in a co-ed school.”
Mr. Raimo thinks that Academy’s environment is well-suited for the preparation that students today need to receive. In an all-girls school, Mr. Raimo sees an ideal environment for “learning how to work with others, how to cooperate, how to think critically.” In addition, he believes that taking risks can offer new ways of thinking or solving problems.
Mr. Raimo would not change anything about Academy. “My goal is to celebrate our past while we look to the future.”
