2025 Young Alumnus Award–Sean Stefancin '08

Sean Stefancin ’08 is the recipient of this year's Young Alumnus Award. For Sean, the journey at Saint Ignatius started in his early childhood as he crawled on the wrestling mats in the Sullivan Gym while his father, Dan Stefancin ’77, coached. Receiving the award has been a humbling experience for Sean, especially considering the accomplished list of past recipients and the many current young alumni he believes are equally deserving.

Sean credits his father for the nomination and acknowledges the profound influence of the late Jim Skerl ’74. He reflects that the most impactful lessons from Skerl were often indirect, arising from challenging situations that pushed him beyond his comfort zone. A significant aspect of Sean’s development stemmed from his involvement with L’Arche, a program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, which Skerl encouraged him to join. Sean, who had not previously worked with adults with disabilities, shares that "Saint Ignatius challenges you to go outside of your comfort zone. That is part of the involvement and growth.” He emphasizes Skerl’s leadership by example, a principle he strives to do as an assistant coach for the track and cross country teams.

Sean's commitment to L’Arche continues into adulthood, where he serves as a member of the board of directors. He now contributes his professional skills to the organization, expressing his passion for their work. He sees the connection between L’Arche's mission and the values instilled at Saint Ignatius: "A lot of what we do at the school is caring for people, serving our community. It's good people doing good things in the community, and I'm just grateful to be helping them out.”

Other alumni that Sean credits for having a meaningful impact on him include Cross Country Coach Dr. Michael “Doc” Gallagher ’71, Tom Healey ’77 and Coach Chuck Kyle ’69. He recalls Healey as early as his days in the Summer Enrichment Program and Coaches Gallagher and Kyle from his time running for each of them to coaching alongside them. He adds with a smile, “To run for them was an honor, but then to coach with them was just a lot of fun.”

Recently, Sean returned to Saint Ignatius to participate in the Suscipe Capstone Project presentations given by seniors. This program provides seniors with an opportunity to reflect on their experiences at Saint Ignatius. Sean enjoyed hearing the seniors' perspectives on what it means to be a Man for Others, which prompted him to reflect on his own interpretation. For Sean, being a Man for Others means making a positive impact on the community, whether through coaching, family relationships, or simply striving to have a positive influence each day. He believes it's about contributing to the well-being of those around you in tangible and meaningful ways.

Sean is a Partner at Clearsulting in the Risk Advisory practice. Sean and his wife Dr. Ling-Ling Lee have a daughter, Leah.

Sean will be presented with the award at the 1886 Society Leadership Awards on September 25th, 2025.