Suburban Life - Bucks/Princeton - Issue #9 (September 2024)

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SL_LaSalle Profile_0924FINAL.qxp_Layout 1 10 / 2 / 24 2 : 23 PM Page 1 by Matt Cosentino | photos by Jeff Anderson Rob Johnson , shown here advising a student , previously worked as a producer at Comcast Sportsnet . He’s now La Salle’s director of digital strategy and leader of the school’s award - winning media program . Expanding the Horizon or as long as he can remember , it was ticular industry , but the Professionals in A new program at Matt Hersh’s goal to play baseball in Residence program at La Salle takes the Fhigh school and beyond . In his wildest idea to a whole other level . Professionals La Salle College dreams , he even thought about an MLB from various fields — photography , for ex - career . He still may make it to the World ample — are teaching elective courses Series someday , though it would likely be through the program , offering their knowl - High School helps in a different role than he first imagined . edgeand then giving the students a chance Hersh , a junior at La Salle College High to develop their skills through real - world students develop new h School in Wyndmoor , was crushed when experience . Fritc he got cut from the baseball team on the “ We have a lot of opportunities for ex - skills in real - world am last day of tryouts as a freshman . The en - periential learning , ” says Rob Johnson , di - S y couragementof his friends and the La Salle rector of digital strategy at La Salle and the b situations , guided by ra faculty helped him discover a passion for leader of the school’s award - winning media ame sports photography . Now , thanks to a new program . “ The boys are learning the skills c professionals who th progressive program at the Catholic , all - in class , whether it’s from me or other pro - wi t boys college preparatory school , he can’t fessionals that we have , and then they’re en excel in their d envision a future without it . going out and applying those skills . The stu f High schools have long relied on guest students learning photography are taking o respective fields . to speakers to visit a class or club and talk to pictures at Mass or during our football Pho students about their experiences in a par - games . We have students writing articles SUBURBANLIFEMAGAZINE.COM VOLUME 16 ISSUE 1 14 |

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SL_LaSalle Profile_0924FINAL.qxp_Layout 1 10 / 2 / 24 2 : 23 PM Page 2 Through La Salle’s Professionals in Residence , students hone their interests and build their skills under the guidance of leaders in various areas of expertise . has even started his own sports photogra - phy business in which he shoots local games and posts the pictures on his website for purchase . “ I came from a public school back - ground in which we didn’t get a ton of and then posting them on our website . variousprofessionals with ties to the school opportunities like this , ” he says . “ When I Theprogram has really taken off with the to act as the teachers , including a digital was told that I could choose a class and courses we’ve added and the extra man - artist and a journalist . have a professional teaching me , it really power . ” Ryan Warrender , a La Salle alumnus showed how much La Salle cares for us Now in his 18th year at La Salle , John - and a product manager at Google for the and how far they’re willing to go for the son is a veteran of the television industry past 10 years , is also on board . students just based on what they like . I who previously worked as a producer at “ I’vespoken in the past at a few classes think it’s incredible what they’ve done , Comcast Sportsnet . With his oversight , down in the lab at La Salle , and I was ba - because they’ve turned people like me , the media program has evolved into a sically looking for more ways to pay it for - who had a rough situation , and helped digital marketing and content creation ward , ” Warrender says . “ When I was me make the most of it . For that , I’m club in which the students do all of the learning more about these paths at La really grateful . work themselves , not only building their Salle , which they didn’t have when I was “ This is what I want to do for the rest portfoliosfor college applications or future there , I really identified with it . Like most of my life , ” he continues . “ I would really careers , but also helping to promote La 18 - year - olds , I didn’t know what I wanted love to continue with sports photography , Salle and inform the community . In a to do and I switched my major a lot in but honestly , I’m having so much fun just similar fashion , the IT department and college . So when I found out they were taking pictures of anything . La Salle has Lab Manager Program give students the doing a concentration that was technolo - really helped me with getting out and chance to help run the network and trou - gy - focused , which is where my career having diversity with my work , so as long bleshoot any issues while taking relevant ended up , I was super excited . I wanted as I’m able to stay with this , that’s all I courses . to be on the ground floor and help build care about . ” TheProfessionals in Residence program the program and curriculum as a way to Johnson credits the La Salle adminis - was developed as a companion to La help these young men . ” tration for having the vision to develop a Salle’sflourishing Concentrations program , His flexible schedule at Google will programlike this . Furthermore , he believes which is similar to a college major ; it allow him to teach in person early in the it will expand to include even more fields , allowsstudents to choose among six study morning several days a week in addition perhaps with the possibility of a doctor areas and take core courses and electives to doing a portion of instruction virtually . acting as a professional in residence for in that field while also participating in In his class , titled “ Intro to Mobile App De - sciencecourses . Hersh encourages current related clubs and completing senior cap - velopment , ” he plans to show students and future students to take advantage of stone projects . Johnson helped to recruit how things are actually done in the tech anythingthat piques their interest , because industry , with a focus on collaboration and it might just change their path for the identifying real - world problems that need better , like it did for him . solutions . At the same time , he will em - “ Obviously , in my perfect world from phasize the importance of both the user when I was a kid , I would still be playing interface and the end - to - end experience . baseball , ” he says . “ But I think there’s a “ I want to help high school students reason God opened this door for me and developa passion for building , innovating , allowed me to pursue this . As much as I andultimately creating products that people miss baseball , I think this is the plan he enjoy and find useful , ” he adds . “ I had ? has for me . ” amazing mentors and coaches early in my career , so even if I can just get a few sparks going for some of the students in La Salle College D the class , that would be a huge win for me personally . ” High School Hersh has certainly had a spark for 8605Cheltenham Ave . With Johnson’s oversight , La Salle’s media photography ignited through classes such program has evolved into a digital marketing Wyndmoor , PA 19038 as “ Mobile Video Production with Adobe ” and content creation club in which the students ( 215 ) 233 - 2911 | LSCHS.org and “ Foundations of Photography . ” He do all of the work themselves . SUBURBANLIFEMAGAZINE.COM VOLUME 16 ISSUE 1 | 15

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