Falcon Flashback | Jack Casey '17

I was fortunate to attend O’Neal from 3rd to 12th grade. My dad was stationed at Fort Bragg. He was a surgeon in the army, so my family moved from Boston down to North Carolina when I was young. At O’Neal, I was the student life prefect (our version of student body president at the time), a member of the honor council, and founder of a club called O’Neal for St. Joseph's that brought volunteers to a local nursing home to spend time with the residents. I also ran track and cross country, which I loved, though these days I’m kicking myself for not getting into golf sooner.

 

I graduated from O’Neal in 2017, then attended Davidson College, and am now a medical student at Brown University. Up next, I’ll be applying for residency to work towards becoming an orthopedic surgeon. I spend most of my free time exercising, cooking, and golfing. I volunteer with a group in New England that helps children with disabilities play and obtain therapeutic benefits from golf. I got a bunch of my classmates in the medical school and some engineering students involved to help me design adaptive sports equipment to make golf more accessible for the kids.

 

I think any college is going to be difficult as you transition out of your home and make new friends. The town of Davidson is charming, and the people there are very welcoming, a lot like Pinehurst. Three of my four grandparents suffered from neurological conditions, which drove me to want to learn more about neuroscience, and Davidson has a strong neuro program. I also have very supportive parents who encouraged me to pursue my interests, and two brothers who always pushed me to be better. My dad is an orthopedic surgeon in Pinehurst, and my mom worked as a large animal veterinarian when I was younger. My older brother is an aerospace engineer at Boeing, and my younger brother is pursuing medicine. I have one living grandparent, my dad’s mom, Nana, whom I try to call regularly. She lived the American dream, leaving her impoverished family in Ireland at 16 to work in Boston as a maid to send money back home. Nana is truly ‘built different’ and my family is thankful to her, and my other amazing grandparents, for every opportunity we have. She lives at Belle Meade in Pinehurst now, and if you’re lucky to find yourself at Walmart before 6 am you might run into her!

 

I will continue studying to become an Orthopedic surgeon. I have always wanted to work with my hands and ortho is such a cool specialty that involves a lot of problem solving and working with tools. I’m excited to pursue a career where I can work with an adult population, helping people get back to work and their favorite activities. I’m currently interested in spine or joint surgery, but I’ve got some time to narrow it down. One thing I love about the field of medicine is that it is constantly updating, making it a career where you’ll spend each year learning and questioning things so you can be better.

Medicine is a long journey, and one thing that’s really motivated me along the way is getting involved with whatever community I’m in. This is something I learned at O’Neal, where I was free to explore my interests and find unique ways to combine the things I’m studying with initiatives to better the local community. At Brown, I spend a lot of time working with the local homeless population, promoting foot health. As I mentioned before, I’ve also found ways to combine the things I’m learning in medical school with my love of golf, helping children with disabilities learn to love the game.

 

O’Neal will always hold a special place in my heart. It has such a strong, tight-knit community. The friends I made and the faculty/staff I grew close to had a profound impact on my development. It has become clear to me after spending time in college and medical school that O’Neal has created a uniquely fantastic learning environment. My peers and I were encouraged to question things. We were taught how to think, not what to think. I can’t emphasize enough how powerful this is. I truly believe that O’Neal prepared me more for medical school than college did. It’s refreshing for me to look back at my time inside and outside of the classroom at O’Neal, where students and teachers engaged in thoughtful discussion, where nobody felt bad for having an opinion. O’Neal helped me develop one of my biggest strengths, which is the ability and desire to engage in conversation with people who disagree with me while being open to changing the way I think. O’Neal equipped me with the tools to block out the noise, and the confidence to stay true to my beliefs regardless of the social and political pressures around you.

 

I had a great group of friends at O’Neal whom I’m still in touch with today. Most important are the teachers and staff, some of whom have retired and some of whom are still inspiring the next generation. I don’t want to leave anyone out, but I must shout out some O’Neal legends. Mrs. Suzanne Phillips in the Lower School, Mrs. Jan Simmons in the Middle School, and Mrs. Robin Prim in the Upper School. Their smiling faces held each division together! Ms. Cindi Carr, Ms Beth Garrison, Dr. Chris Miller, Mrs. Blanche Hancock, Mrs. Woody Wilder, Mr. Matt McMurray, Mrs. Bullock and Mrs. Beverly O’Donnell. This group, and many, many others, of faculty, staff, coaches, and substitute teachers are cherished by me and many other O’Neal graduates!

 

O’Neal is full of superstars, including students, faculty, and staff. One person in particular, who shaped the way I think and inspired me during my time at O’Neal, is Ms. Cindi Carr. I took biology and environmental science with Ms. Carr, but that was just a portion of the time I spent with her because her door was always open to chat with students. Ms. Carr would be a great person for a Falcon Flashback!

 

She sure would be. I’ll make sure that happens soon. Thanks for taking the time to do this, Jack. Now I know why everyone at O’Neal speaks so highly of you. Well done, young man.

About the author: 
Jared Lina '97, and also an O'Neal Trustee, recently took the opportunity to connect with Jack Casey '17.

Want to nominate someone for Falcon Flashback? Email alumni@onealschool.org.

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