Brotherly Honors

When Matthew Podratsky '25 stepped up to give the Valedictory address during graduation on Sunday, June, 1, he was making Gonzaga history, marking only the second time that brothers have been named Valedictorian. 

 

Matthew's older brother, Daniel, was Valedictorian of the Class of 2019 and went on to the University of Virginia as a Jefferson Scholar. Matthew is headed to Columbia University in the fall. 

 

The other brother pair to be Valedictorians were Michael Lacovara '81 and Chris Lacovara '82. Michael and Chris both went on to have successful careers after Gonzaga in business and law. After Michael sadly passed away in 2022, his family endowed a scholarship fund in his name at Gonzaga to support tuition assistance for an upperclassman who demonstrates a special commitment to ethical and honorable conduct and to community service -- values that he embodied throughout his life and career. 

The Podratsky and Lacovara brothers are a testament to the enduring power of a Gonzaga education, and to the generations of families who continue to make Eye Street proud.