Mr. Messina grew up in Duxbury, Massachusetts, where he attended his local high school. While a student at Duxbury High, he played football in the fall, wrestled in the winter, and did track and field in the spring. Throughout high school, his favorite classes were history and science. Outside the classroom, he grew up fishing in Duxbury, primarily catching striped bass. In the summertime, Mr. Messina was an oyster farmer, and he worked shifts from 4:00 am to 4:00 pm. Even in the early hours, Mr. Messina said he enjoyed just getting outside.
After he graduated from Duxbury, he attended Middlebury College and continued to play football. He chose Middlebury for its academics and the campus’s proximity to the outdoors, and he majored in environmental geology with a minor in education. As a student-athlete, he was selected for the NESCAC All-Academic Team all four years of his higher education. Since Mr. Messina graduated from Middlebury only this past February, teaching at Belmont Hill is Mr. Messina’s first employment opportunity after college. Mr. Messina first learned about Belmont Hill from a few of his father’s friends who spoke highly of the school. Mr. Williams and Mr. LaLiberte ’14, his former Middlebury teammates, further recommended Belmont Hill to him as a teaching opportunity.
So far, Mr. Messina has enjoyed teaching First Formers since both are experiencing the same highs and lows of being new on campus. He also appreciates the tightly-knit school culture: “I like how a lot of people get along with a lot of people here.”
He also noted how welcoming Belmont Hill has been as a first job. Outside of Belmont Hill, Mr. Messina enjoys hiking, fishing, listening to music, and skiing. This year, he will teach Form I Science and environmental science. Additionally, he will coach the Varsity Football and Wrestling Teams.
Belmont Hill is thrilled to have Mr. Messina make an impact across Campus and knows that he will improve many boys’ experiences on The Hill.
