Dan Avington ’18

Dan Avington ’18, a rising senior at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, is an alumnus who made the most of his time at the Prep. His work with WSJP, the student broadcasting group, was the hook he needed to study journalism at Marquette. “My proudest involvement at the Prep was WSJP, which my classmate Simon Williams ’18 and I built into an established organization at the school. My best memories from high school came from WSJP, like traveling to Florida with the baseball team and broadcasting multiple football state championships.” 

These experiences at the Prep led Avington to Marquette, where he saw the perfect combination of the Jesuit ideals learned at the Prep and his journalism goals. “I really enjoyed the Jesuit education I received at the Prep, and Marquette is one of the few Jesuit schools in the nation with an established journalism program. As soon as I stepped foot on campus and saw the opportunities I’d have, it felt like home.”

During the school year, Avington serves as a play-by-play broadcaster and communications assistant for Marquette Athletics, and this fall, he will be serving as a communications intern for the Milwaukee Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators. This summer, Avington received a unique opportunity which allowed him to test out his announcing chops on the road. “This summer, I had the opportunity to be the broadcaster for a summer college baseball team in Michigan called the Muskegon Clippers. I got to travel to each game on the team bus and broadcast 42 games in under two months, and it was just a spectacular opportunity. I was chosen to represent the whole division for the All-Star Game, which was another fantastic experience.” 

Like many others, Avington’s journey to the Prep was through one of family tradition. “My dad, Bill Avington ’90, has been working at the Prep for as long as I can remember, and so many of my childhood memories consist of Prep sporting events or hanging around the building with my younger brother and shooting hoops in the gym. It was sort of a no-brainer for me to attend the Prep, and I have absolutely no regrets.”

“Jesuit education runs deep in my family, and we really value the Jesuit ideals. It’s been instilled in me to always strive for more and not be content with less than my full effort. I also really value the idea of cura personalis and becoming as well-rounded as possible. While I’m not overly religious, the teachings of the Jesuits apply to pretty much every facet of my life, whether I realize it or not.”

Avington’s plans for the future include returning to the Philadelphia area to work in sports media or sports information. His dream is to be a full-time radio broadcaster for a Philadelphia sports team. In the meantime, “I’m really grateful for everything the Prep has done for me and my family, and I am so proud to call myself an alumnus of the school.”