PHILADELPHIA -- On his first day at St. Joe’s Prep, NBC 10's Justin Pizzi says he didn’t want to go there, but now he's glad he did.

St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, or the Prep, is an all boys, Jesuit-run Catholic school sitting in the middle of North Philadelphia at 17th Street and Girard Avenue. The school has some well-known alumni.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter graduated in 1975.

"Most of the time I wasn’t walking very much, I was usually running because I was late, a good precedent of things to come. Absolutely. I was getting ready apparently for the job I have now," Nutter said.

That job, of course, is the mayor of Philadelphia. Nutter said what’s best about the Prep is the guys who make it up, from all over the area and all different backgrounds.

"Many end up in public service or just doing great things. Some end up on TV or the mayor of the city," Nutter said. "It’s still amazing."

It’s amazing for 40-year history teacher Jerry Taylor.

"How often do you get a mayor from your high school and be friends with him beside. I could retire tomorrow, die tomorrow and I’d go with a big smile on my face," Taylor said.

One St. Joe's hallway is full of school pictures, and full of NBC 10 connections. Bill Baldini’s son was the student council president Pizzi's freshman year. Pizzi and Terry Ruggles’ son rowed together. Next year, another one of Vai Sickahema’s son’s pictures will be added to the wall.

"People always say, 'How could you go to an all guys school? How do you do it?' You just kind of get used to it. I went to public school from K through eight and you don’t have to brush your hair. Don’t have to brush my hair, obviously," Trey Sikahema said.

Tony Braithwaite taught sophomore religion and doubled as a stand-up comic, complete with faculty impressions.

"Oh yeah, yeah. I remember Justin. He was a good kid. I had lots of little Pizzis, little people Pizzis," Braithwaite said.

Justin Pizzi's three younger brothers also went to the Prep.

These days, Chinese is now being chalked on boards and plasma screens spew announcements, but not much else has changed since Pizzi set sail, well prepared by the Prep.

"You always said as this pudgy little ball of happiness you wanted to one day be a reporter," Braithwaite said.