Patrick Reilly '13 & Tom Coyne '93
Archmere's students are inspired to distinction in the classroom, on the athletic fields, in the studio, on the stage and in the community every day. After graduation, our alumni go on to become successful professionals in their fields, leaders in the community, and living testimonies of their Archmere education. Archmere senior Patrick Reilly and 1993 graduate Tom Coyne are just two examples of the unique students and alumni of Archmere Academy.
Patrick Reilly'13 won the 2012 JFK Profiles in Courage National High School Essay Contest & Archmere.
Tom Coyne '93 is a New York Times best-selling author who's first novel was made into a film.
Read more of their stories here:
Patrick Reilly'13 won the 2012 JFK Profiles in Courage National High School Essay Contest & Archmere.
Tom Coyne '93 is a New York Times best-selling author who's first novel was made into a film.
Read more of their stories here:
Patrick's story:
A St. Edmund’s alumnus from Wilmington, DE, Archmere senior Patrick Reilly is a strong academic with a love of history and gift for writing. His essay, “Governor Russell Peterson: Loyal to Future Generations,” won the 2012 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest for High School Students, organized by the JFK Presidential Library and Museum.
His piece outshone 2,077 student essays from 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories, and he was presented his certificate (and $10,000 scholarship) at a ceremony held in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.
A St. Edmund’s alumnus from Wilmington, DE, Archmere senior Patrick Reilly is a strong academic with a love of history and gift for writing. His essay, “Governor Russell Peterson: Loyal to Future Generations,” won the 2012 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest for High School Students, organized by the JFK Presidential Library and Museum.
His piece outshone 2,077 student essays from 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories, and he was presented his certificate (and $10,000 scholarship) at a ceremony held in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.
“It really was the moment of my lifetime thus far,” says Patrick, who is planning to apply to such colleges as Georgetown, Princeton, UVA, Penn and Columbia. A member of the Academic Bowl and Model UN club at Archmere, he enjoys reading nonfiction and following current events, and is considering majoring in political science in college.
“I hope to become a leader in whatever field I pursue,” he says. “I want to make a positive impact in society,”
A member of the school band, the fencing club, and National Honor Society, Patrick also writes for the school’s literary magazine, Tapestry, and is on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout.
“I love the freedom we have; the independence,” he says about being a student at Archmere. “I’ve learned to work efficiently and without constantly being directed, which I expect to benefit me as much in college as anything I’ve learned in the classroom.”
Tom's story:
Tom's story:
New York Times Best-selling author Tom Coyne is a 1993 graduate of Archmere Academy who experienced one of the “moments of his lifetime” in 2002 when his first book, A Gentlemen’s Game was made into a film starring Gary Sinise.
“Surreal is an overused word, but it applies in this case,” says Tom about how it felt to watch his story come to life on screen. “I was 24 at the time so I just kept thinking how cool it all was, but I really was very fortunate to have that happen in my career.”
After graduating from Archmere, Tom attended the Univesity of Notre Dame, where he became involved in the student magazine and the school newspaper. “I didn’t start focusing on getting published as a writer until my junior year of college,” says Tom, “but Archmere is where I learned to love to write and discovered that it was something that I could do - something I should pursue.”
Tom went on to get is M.F.A. in Fiction Writing at Notre Dame, and his thesis was his first book, (A Gentleman’s Game.)
His next two books, Paper Tiger and A Course Called Ireland, were not novels, but works of nonfiction, based on his experiences. Paper Tiger chronicles his attempt to make his way onto the PGA tour – training for a year with professional coaches, trainers, and psychologists, while A Course Called Ireland is about his four-month walk around the entire country of Ireland, playing at every seaside golf course on the Emerald Isle.
Now, Tom is working on ideas for his next book, and is an assistant professor of English at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pa.
Tom and his wife Allyson live in Philadelphia, Pa with their daughter, Maggie.
Archmere Academy is a private, Catholic, college preparatory co-educational academy,
grades 9-12 founded in 1932 by the Norbertine Fathers.
grades 9-12 founded in 1932 by the Norbertine Fathers.
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