28 THE QUEENS COURIER • JUNE 7, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
graduation
Photo by Michael Graziano
Queens high school teacher
retires as grandson graduates
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
Th ere have been many highlights in
Bobby Guthenberg’s 42-year tenure at
St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh
Meadows. But what stands out most are
the students’ success stories.
“When the students come back aft er
they graduate and tell me about their
success in college — that’s the most satisfying
thing for me,” Guthenberg said.
“When they come back and they tell me
that they’re doing well in college or they
have a job they’re happy with … Th ere’s
a lot of success stories.”
On June 2, Guthenberg topped
off his career at the private Catholic
school when he watched his grandson
Christian walk the stage and receive
his diploma from St. Francis Prep. He
and administrators believe it is the fi rst
time in the school’s over 150-year history
a teacher retired as his grandchild
graduated.
Originally from Hicksville,
Guthenberg moved to Queens Village
shortly aft er getting married in 1974.
He’s lived in Bayside since 1993.
Th e math teacher spent four years
working at other schools in the area
before joining St. Francis Prep in 1976.
He’s taught subjects including calculus,
probability, statistics, geometry, algebra
and trigonometry.
“Courses that we teach are accepted
at the junior and senior level for college
credit through diff erent schools,”
he said. “And every year the amount of
scholarship money given out to our students
increases.”
Guthenberg’s grandson grew up in
Italy, where Gutherberg’s son Michael
— who also graduated from St. Francis
Prep — met his wife while working for
the USO.
Th e 17 year old Christian Guthenberg,
who played on the school’s soccer and
volleyball teams, has not yet committed
to a school and is deciding between
institutions including St. John’s
University and Queens College.
“Christian is ‘Mr. Sports.’ Soccer
was really his fi rst love,” Guthenberg
said.
In retirement, Guthenberg will continue
his over fi ve decades of volunteer
work at LIU Post public radio, WCWP,
where he interviews artists from the ’60s
and musical newcomers.
“We play stuff that you might not
hear at other radio stations: new artists,
new albums, things that aren’t repetitive
like some of the commercial stations,”
he said. “We have the freedom
to play unique things. It’s a lot of fun.”
While St. Francis Prep has undergone
many physical changes over the years
through capital improvement projects,
Guthenberg said, the general philosophy
has remained the same.
“We’re all on the same team here,”
he said. “We have an expression here:
‘High school is four years; Prep is forever.’
Long aft er you leave, you’ll always
be considered part of this institution.”
Bobby Guthenberg and grandson Christian at the June 2 graduation
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