The Licata Family - Arts, Athletics, Academics, and Service at GSB

As part of our Alumni Spotlight Series, Gill St. Bernard's recently sat down with three of the four Licata children, CJ ’18, Joe ’22, and Talia ’24, and their mother, Kristin. The Licata children all started GSB during Middle School, and Kristin was an active parent volunteer throughout, most recently serving the last two years as the head of the Athletic Boosters Club. The family spoke about their time at GSB and about how one school was able to provide so many different areas of connection and so many opportunities to a group of individuals with vastly different interests.  

Do you have a favorite GSB memory?   

Talia: My favorite GSB memory was being on the Academic League during senior year. My friends and I joined it thinking it would be fun, and it ended up being the highlight of our year. Each week we found ourselves counting down the days until the next competition, and we even played trivia during the bus rides to get into the quick-thinking spirit.   

Joe: My favorite GSB memory was the lead up to the senior ping pong tournament. I played more ping pong in the weeks leading up to the tournament than ever before!  

CJ: My favorite memory was winning the Indoor Meet of Champions as dozens of GSB students came to cheer me on through a spirit bus on a Saturday morning in Toms River.  

Kristin: One of my favorite GSB memories was the annual Homecoming/Family Day. The campus was filled with GSB families, and to go there as a new parent (for me in 2012) was just amazing. The energy, the excitement, all the games and activities, the lunch: it was all so cool. It’s such a great way to kick off the school year and bring everyone together to simply enjoy campus and each other.   

What was your favorite class?  

Talia: My favorite class was AP 2D Art and Design with Ms. Isusi and Mr. Mazzotta because it got me used to working under pressure and creating a lot of art within a short period of time. It truly pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to work with materials that I would have never even considered.  

Joe: My favorite class was Mr. Corona’s precalculus class. He is the type of teacher that can make any subject enjoyable.   

CJ: My favorite class was AP European History with Mrs. Hiott because of the small class size and complicated/dense material that we worked through together. She was a great teacher, and we had a lot of fun diving into unique sources and readings.  

Kristin: Each of the kids formed relationships with their teachers. They all got involved in many of the clubs and activities offered, they participated in sports and the arts, and they were engaged in the classroom and motivated at home. They sought help if needed, and they always felt they were in an environment that truly cared about their successes.  

Tell us about the Extra Curriculars or Electives in which you participated.  

Joe: I participated in track and field, woodworking, and photography. Photography with Mr. Mazzotta was really fun because I learned how to become proficient in Photoshop, which is a skill I still use today.  

CJ: I participated in Habitat for Humanity as well as a club which focused on fundraising and events to support people struggling in the community. I also served in student government and was the vice president my junior year and president my senior year. I competed in track and field for my four years as well. I enjoyed how GSB encouraged students to step outside their comfort zone to try new clubs or activities.  

Kristin: I always loved the ‘balance’ theme—it was always how we raised our kids. Academics, athletics, arts, family time, social time, your own time. Balance. GSB gave our kids that, and along with it, a very caring place.  

Did you have a favorite place on campus? 

Talia: My favorite place on campus was the reference room in the library because I got to hang out with my friends there every day during the break times.  

Kristin: I began volunteering by doing small things at events like Homecoming. My first job was in the pumpkin patch, just to start to get to know people. My family ended our time at GSB in 2024, and by then, I was running the Athletic Boosters tent. I loved being a part of it and spending time at all the locations. All of it was very fulfilling.  

How did GSB prepare you for college? 

Joe: GSB prepared me for college through all of the writing assignments. I’m very confident in my essay-writing skills, and I have GSB to thank for that! In college, I’m writing close to 80 pages per semester, and it’s much easier to complete with the skills that the teachers at GSB taught me (Derek Martin and Fernando Gomez!).  

CJ: GSB prepared me for college extremely well. The rigor of GSB included multiple research papers in length from five to ten pages, as well as difficult exams to test our knowledge base in many courses. The wide array of honor and AP courses challenged me to think deeply and work very hard because the subjects were dense, and classes moved quickly. Princeton University requires that you have impeccable time management skills and be able to juggle many things at once. GSB trained me to handle these obstacles, and from day one, I was well prepared to deal with them.  

Kristin: With three kids going through GSB, each starting a year earlier in Middle School than the one before, we had a lot of experiences there! GSB engaged my kids in Middle School and motivated them much more than their previous school had. It prepared them for Upper School, and that prepared them completely for college.  

Tell us a little about what you are up to now. 

Talia: I am looking forward to going to Endicott College on the north shore of Massachusetts, because it will be a whole new experience for me. I am excited to meet new people.  

Joe: I’ll be a junior at Princeton this fall. I’m on the Varsity Track and Field team there. I’m studying politics and am an active member in the Princeton Poker Club.   

CJ: I graduated from Princeton in 2022 and finished with an extra three years of track and field eligibility due to an injury and two Covid-19 season cancellations. Therefore, I am currently still competing in the NCAA at the University of South Carolina and pursuing my MBA in Finance. I just finished competing at the Olympic Trials in Oregon, which was an awesome experience.  

What would be your advice to current GSB students?   

Talia: Get involved! Try new things!  

Joe: My advice for current GSB students is to play sports. You can meet some really cool people and dedicate yourself to a grind that shows direct results. Track and field in particular, being a sport dictating by measurements and times, is easy to track how you’re getting better every week.   

CJ: My advice to current GSB students would be to try new things and step outside your comfort zone. GSB offers a ton of opportunities from clubs, sports, classes, etc. that can expand your skills and thinking—and that lead to a lot of fun. I got into track and field because I took a chance on a new sport, and I found a love for something I never thought I would have.  

Kristin: My advice to current GSB parents—get involved. Volunteer. I loved all the different volunteering positions I was involved in. Athletic Boosters was pure fun—promoting school spirit and being able to support the Athletic Department was very rewarding. And I loved being a part of PAN. Giving tours, reaching out to prospective families, and talking about my children’s experiences on campus, as well as our own, was very easy. Start small and meet people. Get to know the faculty. See how the students walk around happy. GSB is a special place to be a part of.