John Monarek '87 Carries Bridgton Lessons Throughout Career
While attending three different high schools and always being “the new kid” may help a young man adjust to his year at Bridgton Academy; it can also result in a history of academic challenges. Such was the case for John Monarek ‘87 in his high school years. “Dad was in medical sales, so we moved a lot,” John shared. “My focus was sports. I didn’t know how to study and my grades suffered.” Upon graduating from high school, there were not many college options for John. Motivated by a love for hockey and a need to improve as a student before attending college, John came to North Bridgton, Maine in the fall of 1986 to re-evaluate his situation and establish a plan. As many Wolverines find out, John would also learn valuable life lessons that he would utilize for years to come.
John’s decision to attend the Academy netted immediate benefits. Playing for Mr. Randy Greason, he was one of only two young Wolverines from outside of New England to make the team. “We had huge numbers for hockey that year,” noted Monarek. “Tryouts were competitive. Just making the team was an accomplishment.” Though he loved hockey, John also tried lacrosse at Bridgton, and was met with a great deal of early interest and success on the pitch as well. As do many Wolverines, John found himself looking ahead to the future and which college he would choose. He wanted to find a school in Pennsylvania where he could play both sports and ultimately selected Slippery Rock University. Monarek played both club hockey and club lacrosse while there, but the desire to play Division 1 athletics was enticing so he transferred to the University of Delaware to play varsity lacrosse for the Blue Hens. It wasn’t long before his grades started to suffer and he found himself calling on past lessons learned at Bridgton. “I needed to re-evaluate in a similar way that I did at Bridgton,” John admitted. Dialing in his academics, Monarek successfully graduated from college and began a career in hospitality in Stamford, Connecticut. It’s a good Bridgton story if it ends there, but with John Monarek, it is just the beginning.
The career in hospitality was short-lived for Monarek as his passion for law enforcement called him to serve as a police officer, where he credits Bridgton Academy for perhaps his most valuable lesson learned. “I learned how to write from Mr. Goepel (English teacher Arthur Goepel ‘66),” noted Monarek. “I was more successful in college because of it, and learning how to write technical reports helped me with police reports and search warrants. I’m sure there were many on the other side of the law that wished I hadn’t gone to Bridgton.” His first stop was in Newport Beach, California in 1994 to work for the Los Angeles Police Department. After ten years, which included two years as a special agent in the California Attorney General’s Office, Monarek chose to come home to the east coast.
The Maryland State Police hired Monarek in 2004 to work investigations. Since then, he has worked in gang investigations, on a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) task force in New York, and in multiple cases of police-involved shootings. Monarek has achieved the rank of Lieutenant and is currently the Statewide Region 4 Commander of the Maryland Criminal Investigation Bureau, as well as the Head of the Homicide and Cold Cases Units. Through all of it, John clearly articulates valuable core lessons learned at Bridgton that have helped him be successful in his leadership in law enforcement. “Certain things from Bridgton I definitely use,” notes Monarek. “Stay in your lane and be good at what you’re good at. Put the right pieces together and the right people in the right places. Teamwork is huge at Bridgton,” he continues. “There are people behind the scenes pulling it all together where there are weaknesses.” A homicide unit with a clearance (solvability) rate of 90% when the national average hovers near 60% is proof of Monarek’s effectiveness as a leader and the efficiency of his team.
As John’s career winds down and retirement is on the horizon, he talks about how he has grown in his experience as a law enforcement officer. “With time and experience, your perspective changes,” he admits. “It’s important to me that formerly incarcerated people have an opportunity to contribute when they are done.” Monarek’s dedication to his profession is strong. So, too, is his commitment to his Bridgton friends. “I am in regular contact with my Bridgton buddies,” John shares. “I have a close bond with them.” He tries to return to Maine as often as he can to ski Pleasant Mountain and, of course, does not miss the annual Alumni & Parent Hockey Game. John still plays hockey three or four times a week, particularly in the First Responders League—the largest league in Washington, D. C.—where his team is looking for its third title. Monarek is most proud of his regular participation in various hockey charity events, such as Troopers Helping Troopers (a tournament to raise money for injured troopers) and the D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation Tournament (raising money for injured firefighters), as well as fundraisers for the Children’s Hospital and Toys for Tots. While the roots for his service reach far beyond Bridgton, there are hints that his year at the Academy had a part in this as well. “Bridgton had people that looked out for the kids from far away,” he recalls. “They took care of those of us that couldn’t go home every weekend.” Lt. Monarek credits Bridgton Academy for many valuable lessons learned, and we at Bridgton Academy credit John for a career dedicated to taking care of others. Thank you for your service, Lt. Monarek.
