Dragon Spotlight – John Prato

I attended Brick Township High School in 2013 and graduated in 2017.  As a freshman, I joined the football team right off the bat, and also the baseball team, and played all four years.  Sophomore year I joined the swim team.  Initially I joined to stay in shape for lifeguarding, however I fell in love with it, and remained on the team.  My senior year I was actually a three-sport varsity captain, for the football, baseball, and swim teams.  In addition, I was involved in the Interact Club.

My favorite memory at BTHS actually happened during my first semester of my freshman year. I was playing football and we had a nice little freshman season.  After the season was over, Coach Rob Dahl asked if I would be interested in coming out for the varsity team, coming to all the practices and the games, as almost a reward for a pretty nice season.  I accepted right away and was super excited. I attended practice, and was made the scout-team quarterback. I took an absolute beating on the football field, I was getting hit by some of the bigger names, like Ray Fataruso and Jake Layton, but I got them better, and Coach Dahl saw that I was kind of tough, and I was quick, so they actually made me the field goal blocker for the state championship game against Colts Neck High school.

After graduation, I attended Kutztown University in Pennsylvania.  I majored in secondary education with a concentration in Biological Science.   I was involved in some sports at Kutztown University, coming out of Brick Township High School with a scholarship to play football. They are division 2 and I got to play for 3 years.   Senior year I wasn’t able to play football because of covid-19 but had a great time.

I graduated this past May, and actually got extremely lucky because Mr. Reddan, an Environmental Science teacher, was retiring.  I came in, interviewed, and I got the position.   so Did I think that I would be back here off the bat like this? No.  But did I think that I was going to get her?  Yes.  I’m currently an assistant football coach for the defensive backs, and I’m hoping to be the coach of the men’s swim team.  I’ll see what spring has instore for me.

My favorite part about being back is being able to give back.  I am the spitting image, poster child of Brick Township High School.  I  came up through the PLC which is right down the road, went to Drum Point,  went to Lake Riviera, and on to Brick Township High School and  attended College.   I know the ins and outs and how to be successful when you leave here.  I am a product of this school district. 

The advice that I would give, try your hardest and never take the easy way out.  Don’t just try to go through the motions and get the work done listening to music on airpods, on the cell phones, on Instagram, Snapchat, or whatever.  I truly believe that you have to make the most of your time here, sit in your classes, be engaged, be involved, raise your hand, ask questions. That’s what’s going to drive your teachers to be better teachers and it also drives you to be a better student.  You are going to find out when you leave Brick Township High School,  when you go to college, or enter the workforce, you’re not going to do anything unless you ask questions and you want to be engaging and involved.  Employers are looking for people who are hungry and willing to learn so it’s got to put it in now and make it a habit rather than trying to scramble in the future.