When you think of De La Salle, you think of a family-rich environment. That’s true because one thing that drives De La Salle is our legacy families. Legacy Families have walked the halls at De La Salle for generations, and one family that comes to mind is the Liberti’s. I was given the chance to interview Joe Liberti ’91 and Mia Liberti ’24, at the 2023 Golf Classic last week, where they were also golfing with Joe’s Dad and Mia’s Grandfather, Tom Liberti ‘64. They were kind enough to give me a few minutes to answer some questions as to why they love De La Salle, and constantly look to be involved. Joe was on the Golf Team at De La Salle where he was coached by none other than our very own Mr. Hopkins. Mia plays Volleyball under Coach Marassa and Golfs for you guessed it? Mr. Hopkins!
How cool is it that Mia is coached by the same teacher/coach you had while you attended De?
JL: It’s so special to have her coached by Mr. Hopkins. Mr. Hopkins was my favorite teacher and coach when I attended De La Salle, and he has meant so much to me over the years.
Mr. Hopkins told me I need to ask you about your first three shots as a member of the Golf Team?
JL: *Chuckles* yeah, my first three shots went straight out of bounds, to the point that my teammates started calling me “Reload.” Mr. Hopkins was patient enough to stay with me throughout my years and helped me improve my overall game to the point that I was able to walk on to Lewis University’s Golf Team.
What’s going through your head as Mia is entering her Senior Year?
JL: You know? It’s bittersweet actually. She has worked so hard over these last four years and I’m very proud of her. I’m really looking forward to seeing her walk across the stage and I get to hand her, her diploma.
Mia, when I say that Mr. Hopkins coached your dad and now coaches you, what goes through your mind?
ML: Honestly, it’s really cool to me. Mr. Hopkins has such a warming personality that makes it easy to be on the golf course with him. He also makes it easy to be his student. He’s so approachable and I feel I can go to him with anything. I’ve been practicing extremely hard this year and want to do well for myself and my teammates.
You also play Volleyball and I know you guys had a solid season last year, what’s the goal this year?
ML: We are going to have a really good team this year. We brought back a lot of our girls, and we are ready to make a deep run. We’ve been working hard to correct the mistakes we made last year, and Coach Marassa is fun to play for. I’ve known these girls since I was 8 years old, so I’m looking forward to going out there with them for one more year and doing something special.
Are you excited for Graduation?
ML: You know, the girls and I just talked about that the other day. We had a senior photo shoot for Volleyball, and we got to put on Graduation Caps, and it was surreal. To think my time at De La Salle is almost over is crazy. I am excited but I don’t want to look too far ahead; I want to be able to enjoy my time with my friends this year and make more memories.
Thank you both for taking time to speak with me today.
JL: Thank you, this was very cool to be a part of. Go Meteors!
ML: Thank you!
