Climb Every Mountain
Sparling learned early on that passion and determination can take you a long way. From the moment he enrolled at St. Joseph’s, he knew he wanted to pursue a legal career.
Choosing to stay close to home, Sparling attended St. Joseph’s after being awarded the Medaille scholarship for academic excellence. He quickly realized that “failure is not an option” was more than a saying. It would become his mindset.
“You had to have good grades to keep the scholarship, and one semester I didn’t do so well. That pressure to not fail was something I learned. I think I had that character trait already, but St. Joe’s helped to reinforce that,” Sparling said.
He took advantage of the University’s sociology, psychology and social studies courses to prepare for law school where he made the law review. In one class at St. Joe’s, he read Robert Caro’s “The Power Broker,” a biography of Robert Moses, an urban planner who used the power of state and local politics to advance New York’s infrastructure.
According to Sparling, it cemented his decision to pursue a career in construction law.
During his career, Sparling built a legal firm’s construction department with the help of his team from a single desk into a $20 million a year division with more than 50 attorneys.
And while law has been how he made his way in the world, music is his true passion.
“I remember locking myself in my room after elementary school and for hours and hours just listening to music,” Sparling said. In grade school, he also had been in “The Sound of Music” and loved the song “Climb Every Mountain,” which literally foretold his future adventures.
A member of the burgeoning theatre program at St. Joseph’s, some of Sparling’s most cherished memories involve the stage. He had lead roles in “Godspell,” “Gypsy” and “The Children’s Hour.”
Sparling continues to make beautiful music with his spiritual rock band, The Om-en, which has performed at the Great South Bay and Montauk Music Festivals for over 10 years. All proceeds he makes from music sales and show performances go toward teen suicide prevention and child meditation causes.
While he now considers himself semi-retired since this September, Sparling’s legal work seems far from finished. He now offers his expertise through his newest venture, Pay What You Can Legal LLC. The company’s aim is to make it more affordable for those in need to access law services reasonably and without spending their last dollar.
When he isn’t helping others or playing alongside his bandmates, Sparling can be found halfway around the world. He has visited dozens of countries and summited Kilimanjaro, Etna, Teide and Pilatus, to name a few mountains he has climbed. His next adventure: a spiritual journey through India.
As a man who reached the summit of his profession, John Sparling is looking to continue to give back to those in need and those who helped him along the way, like St. Joseph’s.