OLEAN, N.Y. — Students at Southern Tier Catholic School and Archbishop Walsh Academy were visited by a noted alum of the high school this past week. Edward M. Gabriel, a member of the Walsh class of 1968 and former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco during the second Clinton administration, toured the school and addressed students Friday afternoon.
The school hosted a reception and discussion with Gabriel, now president and CEO of The Gabriel Company, based in Washington, D.C.
“Students in grades seven through 12 had the chance to meet the ambassador and listen to him speak of the importance of diplomacy for leaders as well as the importance of an international baccalaureate education” offered at Walsh, Jessica Policastro, director of marketing and alumni relations, said. “The ambassador gave the students words such as compassion, trust and honesty and how each attribute was an important part of being a leader. … Throughout his international travels and experience he has come to understand the unique opportunity Walsh is giving its students.”
After meeting with the students, parents and teachers were invited to meet Gabriel to discuss their experiences within the school. At that time, he was joined by other members from the class of 1968 who sat in the audience to listen to his speech.
Earlier, Gabriel met with members of the Seneca Nation of Indians Tribal Council, touting the benefits of a Walsh education. Policastro says the former ambassador expressed his pride in the diversity in the student population at Walsh, noting it is an asset for the students to learn from each other.
Gabriel, saying he was impressed by the Southern Tier Catholic-Walsh campus, hopes to visit again soon and offered to be a guide around Washington to any student who would like to visit.
Ambassador to Morocco from November 1997 to March 2001, Gabriel was formerly president and CEO of the Madison Public Affairs Group Inc., one of the top 10 public affairs firms in Washington. His extensive background in international affairs includes having convened multilateral policy forums involving national security, environmental, trade and energy issues. He has been involved in matters of Russian and European nuclear nonproliferation and safety, and has been active in advising the U.S. government on Middle East policy matters.
