Alum is Enrollment Director at Sister School, Notre Dame

Gaetano Marra says SHU shaped his commitment to helping others reach their goals

As Sacred Heart University and Notre Dame Prep embark on a novel partnership, Gaetano Marra ’02, MAT ’15 a SHU alum, is in a key position as the high school’s director of enrollment.

SHU purchased Notre Dame Catholic High School earlier this year. Sacred Heart and Notre Dame, now called Notre Dame Prep of Sacred Heart University, have a long history of cooperation and shared experiences, and the new partnership builds upon that tradition.

Marra is proud to be in a key position as the new partnership gets underway. He’s been with Notre Dame since 2009, when he started as an English teacher. He later moved into guidance counseling, and realizing he had found a home at Notre Dame, he pursued an administrative position. In 2012, as the school saw a tremendous rise in interest, he took over the high school’s admissions office.

Before eventually leaving admissions to oversee the school’s enrollment, he helped secure his replacement, someone he knew could do the job. “When we started getting busy, we hired someone to replace me with the day-to-day operations at Notre Dame—Karen Guastelle,” he said. “True story, she had been the director of admissions at SHU for many years, when I applied there.”

In his current role as director of enrollment and financial aid, Marra works in tandem with Guastelle on admissions strategies and recruitment. He also oversees Notre Dame Prep’s marketing, shadowing program and special events like open houses, entrance exams and guided tours.

In addition, Marra works closely with the local community at special events and fundraisers, networking with people and helping families who apply to Notre Dame Prep with the financial assistance process.

As both a SHU alum and Notre Dame Prep administrator, he values the recent partnership with Sacred Heart. “Seeing this partnership finally come to fruition is such an incredible moment for all the students, staff and faculty of Notre Dame. No student body deserves it more,” he said.

The road to SHU

Marra was a heavily recruited track athlete when he was in high school. However, the Connecticut native was determined to plant his roots close to home, and he turned down offers from schools nationwide.

“I felt a pull to stay local and come to SHU,” he said. It was this choice that set the trajectory of Marra’s life, a decision he’s never doubted. As a track and field athlete, Marra held the University’s longest-standing high jump record, which he set in 1998 and which was only broken two years ago.

During his time at the University, Marra worked as an orientation leader and student ambassador. It was in these roles that he truly fell in love with helping others succeed.

“These programs taught me the value of helping others and the true importance of working to make my community a better place,” he said. “The lifelong connections and relationships I built at SHU with other students and friends helped me grow.”

Marra returned to Sacred Heart more than a decade after he first graduated, and in 2015 he earned his master’s degree in teaching from the Farrington College of Education & Human Development. A busy man, he also works in the real estate industry. His work with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate: Gaetano Marra Homes has enabled him to help many families find their first homes.

He sees a connection between education and real estate: guiding people along life’s path. “I love being able to help a diverse range of clients and homebuyers. Helping people find their dream homes is incredibly rewarding,” he said.

Assisting high school students along their path is equally rewarding, and he’s grateful for the new opportunities the SHU connection will provide. “This [partnership] was fueled by great people on both sides. I’m excited to work even closer with my alma mater in the future,” he said.