Partners in Excellence breakfast recognizes donors, students

Gavin Vaughters, a 17-year-old senior at Archbishop Curley High School, stood before those gathered at the Partners in Excellence annual Back to School Breakfast Sept. 30 and expressed thanks.

Gavin Vaughters, a senior at Archbishop Curley High School, shares the significance of the Partners in Excellence scholarship on his educational success during remarks at the annual PIE breakfast hosted by the Archdiocese of Baltimore at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture Sept. 30, 2025. His future interests include pursuing a career in journalism. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

“Catholic education has improved my life in more ways than I could ever imagined,” Vaughters told the crowd of educators and business leaders. “Without it, I would not be the athlete, scholar or man of faith you see before you.”

He highlighted the benefits of his experiences at Curley – from its motto of brotherhood to its excellent teachers. He also emphasized that he wouldn’t have had any of the experiences if it weren’t for PIE and its donors helping relieve some of the financial burden from his mother.

“For as long as I can remember, my mom has worked her hardest to give me the most comfortable life possible. While knowing it would come with a cost, she still believed Curley was well worth it,” Vaughters said. “I stand here now, eight months away from graduation, and I believe me and my mom can say attending Archbishop Curley was the best decision we could have made. From the bottom of my heart, I thank PIE for all their contributions to students and the families. It is your generous donations that can help change the lives of so many.”

Founded in 1996, the PIE scholarship program, funded by corporate partnerships, foundations and individuals, has awarded 31,2000 tuition-assistance scholarships, more than $42 million in tuition aid.

The breakfast and PIE Giving Day raised more than $350,00 for the program.

“There are so many families who want to send their young people to our Catholic schools,” Archbishop William E. Lori told the full conference room at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore. “PIE is an engine that makes that possible. A lot of money has been coming in this morning. Dear friends, keep it coming. And why do I say that? It has a direct impact on young people.”

PIE scholarships, he noted, not only benefit students in Baltimore City, but in the surrounding areas as well as Bishop Walsh School in Western Maryland.

The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Choir performs outside the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture in Baltimore Sept. 30, 2025, as part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Partners in Excellence scholarship breakfast. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

“All of us know today that it’s very difficult to raise a family,” Archbishop Lori said. “A heartfelt thank you for all of the ways all of you in this room and beyond support Partners and Excellence and this whole mission of Catholic education.”

Leonard “Lennie” Attman, chairman of Attman Holdings real estate development, and Gary Attman, president and CEO of FutureCare, received the annual PIE award for their contributions to the scholarship program.

“Though our traditions may differ, we share a profound commitment to values that transcend any one faith,” said Leonard Attman, who is Jewish. “The pursuit of knowledge and nurturing of character, the cultivation of moral integrity. Catholic schools stand as a beacon of these principles.”

Catholic schools, he added, nurture academic excellence, spiritual and ethical development, and install a sense of purpose and community – “a moral compass that guides students throughout their lives.”

“Education is not merely just about personal success, but about contributing to the greater good of our communities, our state and to the welfare of the United States,” Lennie Attman said.

Archbishop William E. Lori presents the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s annual Partners in Excellence Award to Lennie Attman, chairman of Attman Holidings, and Gary Attman, president and CEO of FutureCare, during the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s PIE scholarship breakfast. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff) (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

Gary Attman, Lennie’s nephew, echoed his uncle’s words, adding that all religious schools – Catholic, Jewish or other – provide a place where “young minds can grow in wisdom, kindness and faith.”

“Ultimately, our shared goal is the same, to nurture generations who are not only knowledgeable, but also compassionate, principled and ready to make a positive impact on the world,” Gary Attman said.

The legacies of Raymond “Chip” Mason, Mark Fetting and Mike Batza also were recognized for their roles in creating PIE.

“Through their vision and generosity with Partners in Excellence, they didn’t just invest in a program, they invested in people,” Tom Geddes, a partner and head of Family Office at Brown Advisory, said. “And those young people, inspired, educated and uplifted, now carry that legacy forward as leaders, mentors and change makers in their own right. It is a living legacy.”

During the event, student musicians from Archbishop Borders School in Highlandtown performed as did the student choir from Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Essex. Students from several schools opened the presentation by leading the Peace Prayer in both Spanish and English. Mark Viviano, a former sportscaster who is a columnist and radio host for the Catholic Review, was the emcee.

Email Katie V. Jones at kjones@CatholicReview.org

To view more photographs from the PIE breakfast, click through the slideshow below: