Flanked by the top leaders of the PA House, Representative Ismail Smith-Wade-El presented a citation to ‘Brother’ Frank Albrecht, McCaskey’s peer mediation coordinator, on his pending retirement after 42 years of service.
“Throughout his career, Mr. Albrecht demonstrated remarkable knowledge, ability and integrity in carrying out his many responsibilities,” the proclamation reads, “thus earning the respect and gratitude of all those who received the benefit of his tireless devotion to duty.”
Rep. Smith-Wade-El was joined by House Speaker Joanna McClinton, of Philadelphia, and Republican Leader Bryan Cutler, of Lancaster County.
Calling Brother Albrecht “an unforgettable, irreplaceable part of the SDoL community,” Rep. Smith-Wade-El said the citation will ensure he is part of the permanent memory of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
“Hosting my neighbor and his family and just a few of the thousands of students he has impacted is an honor I won’t soon forget,” he added.
Brother Albrecht was accompanied by his wife and children, district leaders including superintendent Dr. Keith Miles and LEA president Joseph Torres, and about a dozen members of REACH, a student-led after-school club promoting positive mental health practices.
“He changed my life. He changed everybody else’s life. You’ll never meet another person like him,” said McCaskey junior and REACH member Yusma Morales. “One of the last things he said to me was, ‘Reach deep within yourself, find your inner beauty, and lend a hand out to someone else in need’ because that’s what REACH is about.”
Junior Nemari Morales called Brother Albrecht “one of the most amazing people I have ever known” and said his impact spanned generations—both of her parents worked with Brother Albrecht when they attended McCaskey.
“He doesn’t promote an idea that there is a way to be perfect or that there is a specific way to be in life,” Nemari Morales said. “Instead, he promotes an idea that you can always grow to be better.”
Freshman Elianys said she was pleased to get to know Brother Albrecht in his last year of teaching.
“He’s helped me bring up my grades and just making sure in general that I’m okay,” she said. “Not a lot of people that you meet will be willing to help you in the way that Brother Frank has.”
As he approached retirement, Brother Albrecht also revealed his diagnosis with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
“Our educators give their lives to our students and to our communities,” Rep. Smith-Wade-El said. “There’s no better example of this than Brother Frank Albrecht, who models a level of purpose and optimism in the face of adversity that we should all strive to emulate.”
A community retirement celebration for Brother Albrecht is scheduled for Saturday, March 30, from 2-5 p.m. in the JP McCaskey cafeteria.