GSB Alumnus Encourages Students to "Dream Big"
GSB Alumnus Todd Kowalski '94 returned to campus to share a special message with Upper school students. Currently a Special Agent for the Violent Gang Task Force for the state of New York, he is responsible for supervising a team of 20 Homeland Security investigators, NYPD, and other local state agencies.
Agent Kowalski attributed much of his success to his parents and the education he received at Gill St. Bernard's School. Having been diagnosed with severe dyslexia, his parents enrolled him at GSB in the ninth grade. Looking back on his childhood he reflects, "As a young child, I was told I was not smart enough — not good enough until I came to GSB. When I came to Gill I was surrounded by teachers who would not let me fail; they taught me to think outside of the box." It is that out-of-the-box thinking which continues to serve him well today, enabling him to be a creative problem-solver in his goal to make communities safe.
Agent Kowalski encouraged GSB Upper School students to "dream big," to know "you can do anything you want," and to "not be afraid of failure." He shared a favorite Michael Jordan quote with the captivated audience: "I've failed over and over and over again, and that's why I succeed." Attesting to his success, he has received many accommodations throughout his career. In 2019 Agent Kowalski was the recipient of the United States Attorney General – Distinguished Service Award, the highest award bestowed upon a federal law enforcement officer. Special thanks to Director of Alumni Relations Chanelle Walker for making Agent Kowalski's return to GSB possible.
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Agent Kowalski attributed much of his success to his parents and the education he received at Gill St. Bernard's School. Having been diagnosed with severe dyslexia, his parents enrolled him at GSB in the ninth grade. Looking back on his childhood he reflects, "As a young child, I was told I was not smart enough — not good enough until I came to GSB. When I came to Gill I was surrounded by teachers who would not let me fail; they taught me to think outside of the box." It is that out-of-the-box thinking which continues to serve him well today, enabling him to be a creative problem-solver in his goal to make communities safe.
Agent Kowalski encouraged GSB Upper School students to "dream big," to know "you can do anything you want," and to "not be afraid of failure." He shared a favorite Michael Jordan quote with the captivated audience: "I've failed over and over and over again, and that's why I succeed." Attesting to his success, he has received many accommodations throughout his career. In 2019 Agent Kowalski was the recipient of the United States Attorney General – Distinguished Service Award, the highest award bestowed upon a federal law enforcement officer. Special thanks to Director of Alumni Relations Chanelle Walker for making Agent Kowalski's return to GSB possible.
Gill St. Bernard's School
Gill St. Bernard’s is a private, coeducational day school for students age three through grade 12, located in suburban New Jersey. Each of the three school divisions provides a rigorous, meaningful, and age-appropriate curriculum, and all students benefit from the environmental learning opportunities that exist on our 208-acre campus.