Scott Fedor ’94 credits his faith and experience at Saint Ignatius with preparing him for life. As a student at Saint Ignatius, Scott was given tools for his toolbox that helped him navigate a journey far different than anything he had imagined. A devastating diving accident in 2009 left him with a C-3 spinal cord injury that paralyzed him below the neck. The 2024 recipient of the Hon. John V. Corrigan ‘38 Distinguished Alumnus Award would use those tools as he recovered from the accident to become an author and motivational speaker.
“I've been preparing for this all my life, in a way. I just didn’t realize it. You start to trust in your faith and fall back on it in a way that helps you appreciate what it means. When you have to rely on your faith to help carry you through your day and help you adjust to a whole new way of life, you realize how strong faith is. I think Saint Ignatius helped me form that bedrock, even though I didn't realize how much was being formed at the time” says Scott.
Scott recalls Mr. Dan Corrigan ’78, Mr. Tom Healy ’74, Mr. Rich Fujimoto ’66, Coach Chuck Kyle ’69, Mr. Joe Toner ’73, Doc Pennock ’64 and Mr. Jim Skerl ’74, as teachers who had a profound impact on him. “Mr. Skerl’s teachings and The Little Prince, I still hold that book very near and dear to my heart, as I think a lot of students do. Coach Kyle taught us about teamwork and that a group of ordinary individuals can work together to accomplish great things” he continues.
Today Scott is a motivational speaker and author of “Head Strong”, a memoir he released in 2019. He is also founder and president of Getting Back Up, a non profit organization that provides individuals with spinal cord injuries funding for exercise-based recovery programs and adaptable products. He serves on the Board of Directors for LEAP (Linking Employment, Abilities and Potential) and is an advocate member of The Adversity 2 Advocacy Alliance.
“I think there's a difference between an Ignatius man and someone who didn't go to Ignatius. And you can certainly appreciate that and sense that when you're in the company of alumni and others, there's just a difference; a different outlook, a different faith, a different base. A bedrock that your experiences since you were an adolescent teen have been built upon and it's more of a spirit that I think Saint Ignatius represents, as opposed to just an education” Scott continues.
Scott credits Saint Ignatius for the resiliency he developed as a student and he is grateful to the community for its unbelievable support. He comments that people he hadn’t spoken to since high school were the first to reach out to him following the accident. To this day, some of his best friends and best relationships are fellow classmates, as well as teachers.
“It’s the community, you start to really sense that being a Man for Others isn't just a slogan or a catchphrase that we're taught. You start to understand what that means. And as much as I try to give back to the school every chance I get just because of how much the school has given me, I still feel like I'm taking more than I'm giving. I don't think the Saint Ignatius community realizes how strong I've been able to become due to their support and their constant prayers. That faith and bedrock that formed all those years ago has really been what's carried me through” Scott reflects.
“The fact that I can look back on my time here that I enjoyed, but even today, I can look back to a week ago when I last saw some of my friends that went to Ignatius, and we're still in touch. We still would do anything for each other. In fact, I'm living proof of what they have done” Scott shares.
Scott has many great stories to tell, but one in particular stands out is when he got to meet Bruce Springsteen. Scott had gone to see “The Boss” with some friends, including childhood friend Rev. Damian Ference. During the concert, Springsteen dedicated “We Are Alive” to Scott and afterward Scott and his friends met the superstar backstage. Springsteen noticed that both of them were wearing a Miraculous Medal of Mary and Scott told him that the “good Catholic guys have to stick together”. It may be an understatement when Scott refers to the moment as “pretty cool.”
Scott was humbled, surprised and grateful when he found out he was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award. To think of all the amazing people that have come through these halls, and all the years that the school has been around, to be recognized with such an achievement, is an honor.
Scott Fedor '94 will be presented with the 2024 Hon. John V. Corrigan ‘38 Distinguished Alumnus Award at the 1886 Society Leadership Awards on September 26th, 2024.