When describing Saint Stephen’s, one thing many are quick to point out is the sense of community that is shared between students and teachers.

Earlier this week, this was exemplified by a striking act of kindness by senior Hamish Robertson. When Robertson heard that Mandarin teacher Mr. Jack Ryan Mazzarelli was getting married, the senior artist set out to paint a wedding portrait as a gift for his teacher. 

When Robertson presented the painting to his favorite teacher, Mazzarelli was utterly shocked at what he saw. 

The painting renders the couple embracing in a field of flowers, with clouds above them, and it includes a series of mysterious “anime” elements within the composition (nods to Mazzarelli’s love for anime films).

Robertson’s portrait takes inspiration from a photo of Mazzarelli and his fiancé Madison at Emerson Preserve (pictured to the left), and the artist included elements of anime as a special touch because of the couple’s love of the style.  

According to Mazzarelli, the painting contains references to the couple’s favorite Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli. 

Robertson was able to incorporate the personal touches due to his close relationship with Mazzarelli.

“From the trip to Taiwan [an IQ trip led by Mazzarelli] I knew that he and his wife had a couple of favorite shows and animes,” said Robertson. “So I took those elements and I selected some pieces that would fit into the painting and make it look kind of anime-ish but also realistic.”

When it comes to the couple’s reaction, Mazzarelli and his fiance were blown away by not just the artwork itself, but the act of kindness.  

“Immediately I teared up, I was very overwhelmed with emotion,” said Mazzarelli. “The art is gorgeous, I was blown away by the craftsmanship. I think for any young person to be able to capture that kind of emotion or beauty… that kind of hit me all at once.”

His fiancé, Madison, reacted in a similar manner. 

“She said that we should put this on our wedding table,” said Mazzarelli. “She stared at it for 10 minutes… It made her day.” 

The act of generosity reminded Mazzarelli of the Saint Stephen’s School Prayer, which is recited during every chapel service. 

“It reminds me a lot of the Saint Stephen’s prayer,” said Mazzarelli. “With the [line] you want God to love you freely and expect nothing in return… I felt that through Hamish a little bit.” 

Although Mazzarelli and Robertson initially met for tutoring in physics, the pair’s teacher-student bond deepened during the 2025 Taiwan IQ trip. 

“We started to talk about our ideals, how we thought, our philosophy, and morals,” said Robertson. “And then we just kind of clicked.” 

Robertson said he was grateful for the opportunity to craft the piece for such a special occasion. 

“It was a privilege and an honor to use my artistic talent for someone who genuinely enjoys it and will continue to enjoy it,” said Robertson.