When student-athletes attend Saint Ignatius High School, they learn that there is more to the game than wins and losses. At Saint Ignatius, a hallmark of Jesuit education is that students emerge as intellectual competence, openness to growth, religion, loving, commitment to work for peace and justice. This mission is now more evident in the Strength and Conditioning Center, where athletes train, thanks to a gorgeous mural painted by Joseph Richmond ’21.

“My inspiration was to create a piece of art that would embody Saint Ignatius as a whole,” says Richmond. “I wanted to show the culture around here, and what came to mind was the grad at grad, the Saint Ignatius quote, and the main building tower, which shows who we are and encourages us to embody that.”

The process of painting the mural in the weight room was a lot quicker than Richmond thought it was going to be initially. Richmond worked with the director of strength and conditioning, Anthony Rubino. “We chatted about different sketches; he decided on his favorite and passed it along the chain of command,” Richmond noted. “Between the time of designing and planning, the mural took 60 hours to put together.”

Richmond is a member of the Swimming & Diving team at Saint Ignatius. He has learned a significant amount over his four years of being a student-athlete at a Jesuit Institution. “The biggest take away I have had is making every experience something with a deeper meaning,” Richmond says. “I think this mural summarizes that well; I help create a space that shows the people in there that this is more than just a weight room and school.”

“I want to keep this skill as a side hobby for now,” Richmond noted about a chance to pursue art and design as a career. “This can turn into something down the road, I do a lot of different kinds of media with art, and I’m interested to see where that takes me.”

With education at Saint Ignatius,  you embody the mission of a Jesuit education through your four years. Richmond strives to live by the Jesuit mission each day to make himself a better person. “These pillars summarize the core values that I want to live, “Richmond explained. “My favorite and strongest pillar is open to growth, I look at myself now vs. myself coming in as a freshman; I think that is one of the most important things I have followed that continues to build the other four pillars.”

With Richmond being a senior, he wanted to give advice to the class of 2025 that will be attending Saint Ignatius in the fall. “We have a lot of resources; take advantage of the opportunities you have,” Richmond explains. “A place like this is special; make the most out of your time here.”

Head Football and Track and Field Coach Chuck Kyle ’69 has stated, “to say faith has nothing to do with it is absurd.” At Saint Ignatius, students train their faith through four years with a Jesuit education. For student-athletes, it is more than just wins and losses. Their faith continues to grow. The mural located in the Strength and Conditioning Center embodies the identity of the mission of Saint Ignatius.