Ministry from a Distance

Cornerstone Youth Group During a Pandemic

By: Tim Wesmiller - Director of Campus Ministry

“How am I going to form friendships with classmates over Zoom?” asked one of our freshmen entering Archbishop Mitty this past fall. The question wasn’t just on that student’s mind. It was the question all the faculty and staff had to wrestle with for our students as we transitioned to distance learning for most of this past school year. How would we provide our students the type of community that makes Archbishop Mitty an incredible place to call home?

Campus Ministry, in particular, struggled to answer that vital question because so much of what we do is about creating spaces for young people to come together, away from distractions, and be present to each other. Hours on Zoom from bedrooms all over the Bay Area didn’t have the same feel of our youth group experiences done on campus or at a retreat center. But we took a leap of faith and spent the summer rethinking what it meant to do ministry with our students.

Initially, there was a feeling that we needed to “reinvent the wheel.” We eventually came to realize that whether youth ministry happens in-person or online, it still comes down to providing young people space to build community, engage in their prayer life, and do service. The revolutionary thing we did was trust that students would desire these important experiences, regardless of whether they were virtual or not. And so, we redesigned an expanded, virtual Cornerstone program.

Cornerstone is a youth ministry program for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, combining youth group faith sharing experiences and Christian Service in a supportive community. Ordinarily, students spend five sessions reflecting on faith topics and five sessions at various service sites around the South Bay. During the pandemic, sessions took place over Zoom in both large and small groups with the help of over 40 senior LIFE Team leaders and 20 dedicated AMHS faculty and staff.

So, did virtual Cornerstone work? Numbers don’t tell the complete story, but it was clear the desire to come together was present. Before the pandemic, the program attracted about 160 students a year. This year in distance learning, over 325 students participated. More importantly, over 95% of participants responded in our anonymous survey that they found Cornerstone to be a meaningful space to create community, build a closer relationship to God, and do service. One student said, “I had a great time at Cornerstone as it gave me an opportunity to really open up and do something I love, which is giving back to the community and those in need. Thank you to all the senior leaders and the adult helpers who helped put this all together. I had a great experience, and I look forward to continuing to help the community and get involved.” Another student stated, “I found our service very fun and meaningful because even though everything was done from home, I felt a sense of accomplishment for still volunteering my time in my community during distance learning. I feel like I’ve gotten to know several classmates and deepened my relationship with God.” Some highlights of our sessions included creating cards for kids experiencing cancer through an organization called Scarlett Fund, set up by one of our freshman participants, Lily Tebaldi. Another was sending videos of affirmation to a faith hero in the students’ lives. And another was hearing from the firemen fighting the wildfires in the fall and sending them words of encouragement and thanks. But probably the most remarkable part of the program was simply letting students have space in small groups to share how their weeks were going, where they saw God in the midst of the pandemic, and how they struggled to cope with the stress of not being together as a community. The leaders reflected every week that the students were amazing at opening up and being their most authentic selves.

Campus Ministry can’t wait to provide more traditional in-person experiences for our students soon. However, the lessons learned through this pandemic will never be forgotten. We will continue to trust that the Holy Spirit will always be there, regardless of the setting, and that the most important part of ministry is simply showing up.

ARCHBISHOP MITTY

2021

GOLF TOURNAMENT

EST. 1988

ALUMNI & FRIENDS The 33rd Annual Alumni & Friends Golf Tournament was held at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club on Monday, May 3rd. More than 150 players participated. Everyone had a great day on the course while following Covid-19 guidelines. While this year’s tournament was different from years past, we rallied together to create an enjoyable day. Proceeds from the event benefited the AMHS Alumni Scholarship Endowment, which provides scholarships for books, retreats, immersion trips, dance bids, sport packs, and more to families who demonstrate financial need. Thank you to all who played, participated, volunteered, and supported the tournament this year. We are already looking forward to next year!

This mother and daughter foursome included Lauren Lux ’16, Lori Lux, Brenda Chizanskos ’84, and Julia Chizanskos ’16, who came together to catch up over golf. Monarch Ryan Seay ’03 was cheered on by the rest of his foursome: Karen (Bryant ’85) Tersini, Terry Tersini, and Marci Fernandez Tersini.

New AMHS President Latanya (Johnson ’92) Hilton reconnected with classmates Jennifer (Campisi ’92) Sabatino and Renee (Diani ’92) Huerta who were volunteers at the event.

These current Monarch dads, Jim Gannon, Jim Murphy, Jonathan Conta, and Patrick Flynn dressed up for a fun day at Cinnabar Hills Golf Course. Current parents Don and Heather Casale and Challee and Aaron Fast came together for a great day of golf.

EVENT RAISES $90,000 FOR DIRECT AID FUND

On Saturday, April 24th, the Archbishop Mitty community tuned in to watch the virtual Mitty Auction. The escape-themed live auction was hosted by Mr. Carl Silva, AMHS English faculty, and Mr. Doug Santana, Director of Performing Arts. Broadcasted via YouTube by AMHS Live, the evening offered entertainment, moments of levity, and an opportunity for parents and alumni to connect. In addition to selling four auction items during the live program and more than 150 items online in the silent auction, donors contributed more than $90,000 in support of the AMHS Direct Aid Fund.

Following the live event, many parents of alumni and current parents participated in a virtual escape room “after party” where teams came together on Zoom and raced against the clock to solve puzzles while virtually traveling the globe. We look forward to bringing our Mitty community together in person next year!

On Friday, March 5th, the Archbishop Mitty community continued to display their Monarch pride by coming together for Monarch Day of Giving. This fundraiser is hosted by the Alumni Council and supports student scholarships in performing arts, campus ministry, student activities, and athletics. In 24 hours, alumni, current students, friends, and family raised more than $20,000 for the school. The overall message behind this event is for Monarchs to support what they love and give back to the programs that have impacted them and generations of alumni. Save the date for next year, Friday, March 4th, 2022 and join Monarchs, faculty, parents, and friends in making a difference in the lives of current and future students.

SAVE THE DATE FOR NEXT YEAR, FRIDAY, MARCH 4TH, 2022 and join Monarchs, faculty, parents, and friends in making a difference in the lives of current and future students.

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE DINNER

As with so much during the pandemic, Archbishop Mitty High School’s President’s Circle event turned to a virtual format. The annual celebration is traditionally an on-campus event where individuals who have made significant financial contributions to the school are thanked for their support of AMHS. On Thursday, March 18th, Interim President and Principal Kate Caputo recognized the following individuals for establishing scholarship endowments during the year: Mike and Anne Federwisch, Jon and Krista Gieselman, Steven and Susan Sordello, and Jason and Katie Watson.

Steven and Susan Sordello were also recognized as this year’s Benefactors of the Year for their substantial support, which included establishing an endowment and contributions to the school’s Emergency Tuition Assistance Fund, which helps students whose families were greatly impacted by the pandemic. Those viewing the virtual event were treated to a heartfelt message from faculty and staff members, who shared why AMHS is so special and what being part of the community means to them. To view the video, scan the QR code.

Steven and Susan Sordello were named the President’s Circle Benefactors of the Year for their substantial support, which included establishing an endowment and contributions to the school’s Emergency Tuition Assistance Fund.

CLASS NOTES

’69 PHIL KLEINHEINZ met an amazing girl who swept him off his feet a year after graduating from Mitty. One year after that, she met him at the altar and said “I do.” This year, on August 28th, Phil and his wife celebrated their 50th anniversary. There have been so many blessings that have resulted from this marriage and one that Phil is especially proud of is being able to witness his granddaughter’s acceptance into Archbishop Mitty High School’s Class of 2025.

’74 DENISE JABAUT MARCHU and her husband, Mark, recently adopted their fifth special needs child, which gives them 10 children, spanning several generations! They are looking forward to their 12th grandchild in July! Faith and family are first and foremost in their lives. Denise is currently the executive director at a nonprofit in Santa Clara County. The nonprofit is a support and advocacy organization for kinship, adoptive, and foster families. Denise has a strong passion for foster children and is fortunate to have a job where she is making a difference in the lives of the community’s most vulnerable children. Life has been full of ups and downs, craziness, and adventure. They are so blessed to be on such an amazing journey! ’75 CHARLES ERNST is working for Outdoor Supply Hardware, the company reopening many of the old Orchard Supply Hardware locations. This summer, he also celebrated 37 years of marriage. Charles has two boys, one wonderful daughter-in-law, and two grandsons.

MAURYA HENNESSY drove by campus recently and realized this September, it will have been 50 years since she was a freshman at Mitty by way of Mother Butler. All those enduring memories helped to ease the shock… So here’s a shout out to the Class of ’75!

DAVID MACHADO retired and bought a new home.

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MICHAEL PIETSCH retired and lives in Palmer Lake, Colorado, near his two granddaughters. Michael is active in the Knights of Columbus, the American Legion, and the local Parks Commission. He enjoys beekeeping, raising chickens, shooting sports, playing with dogs, and hiking the numerous trails nearby. CRAIG WATKINS and his wife have been staying at their Nevada home.

’76 MARK GRAHAM celebrated the 35-year anniversary of his business, Mission X-Ray, Inc., 42 years of wedded bliss, his daughter’s seventh year as a police officer for the San Francisco Police Department, and a year and a half as a grandparent.

’77 AILEEN CASANAVE was elected president of the California Black Lawyers Association! The California Association of Black Lawyers represents 6,000 attorneys, judges, law professors, and students in the state of California.

’79 DARICE JOHNSON started working in early childhood education 10 years ago. She has learned so much and is happy to be in the field. After starting as an office administrator, she became assistant principal two years ago. Darice is now the acting principal of a preschool, which combined with an elementary and middle school to form a super school. She says “It’s never too late to change your path and find your passion!”

’80 DAVID ROBERSON is principal of the Silicon Valley Property Management Group.

’81 ALLISON (RULAPAUGH) SANDS is enjoying retirement after 35 years of working for the U.S. Department of Defense. Alison and her husband, Ben, are still living in Virginia, hitting the links whenever possible, and making the most of their newly-acquired freedom from the daily grind!

’89 KIM COTTON currently lives in San Jose and started a design business in 2019. Her daughter, Cameron Fleury ’17, graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a bachelor’s degree in communications in May. In the fall, her son, Mason Fleury ’19, will be a junior working on his degree in construction management at Colorado State University. Kim is grateful that both her parents still live around the corner from Mitty. She often drives by the school, remembering the wonderful memories she had at AMHS!

’92 LATANYA (JOHNSON) HILTON, in a true full circle moment, returned as the next president of Archbishop Mitty High School this summer. Latanya is truly humbled and honored to serve in this role and looks forward to hearing updates about fellow Monarchs more often! Much love to the Class of ’92!

mitty.com/alumni BLACK AND GOLD GALA

RETURNS NOVEMBER 13, 2021

For more information scan QR code below

CLASS NOTES (CONTINUED)

’94 KATHY CHICHKANOFF SCHWEISSINGER’s family of three just got a new member! Her little girl, Larissa, joined them in December of 2020. Big brother, Benjamin, loves her so much. Kathy’s family is overjoyed and grateful to God for all things!

’95 MARK MASSOUND finished his J.D. and Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley. For the past 12 years, he has been a professor of politics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Mark published two books based on his research on human rights law and religion in Eastern Africa. He has held visiting positions at Stanford, Princeton, Oxford, and McGill universities. Most recently, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship. ’96 KATHY CHEN got engaged two years ago to her boyfriend of nine years. While they had to put wedding planning on hold due to COVID, Kathy is beyond excited to marry her best friend and the man of her dreams. After working for her previous company for eight years, Kathy is starting a new job for a bigger company and cannot wait to begin this new journey.

’98 JOHANNA WALSH is in the first year of the MBA program at Georgetown.

A LOOK BACK IN TIME (below) A group of juniors and seniors gathered together for a picture as they waited their turn to get dinner at the 1998 Prom. If you are in this photo or know any of these alumni, please share their names with the Alumni Office at alumni@mitty.com.

A LOOK BACK IN TIME (below) Desiray (Johnston ’07) Sigler, Adam Goodson ’07, and Jamie (Garland ’07) Tennant, led their freshman class in the Spirit Week tug-of-war event.

’00 BRIAN WHELAN married Rachael Kruk on April 24th after a one-year COVID postponement. The event was held at Kern County Museum. Monarch LEE PARDINI ’03 was a member of the wedding party. Brian is a professional musician, who played most recently with Post Malone. More information can be found at brianwhelanmusic.com. The couple resides in Los Angeles.

’01 MONICA (WALSH) PIERCE received the 2021 Hoffer Award for her first book, “Leaning Out: An Alternative Perspective for the Modern Professional Woman.” Monica is a ghostwriter for executives and influencers. She lives in Boise, Idaho, with her husband and three children.

’04 CHRIS NORTON is getting married this fall to his beautiful fiancée, Julie Holland, in Colorado.

CLASS NOTES (CONTINUED)

’05 MARIE JOHNSTON has been enjoying time outdoors, where she likes to hike and cycle. Working remotely has been a silver lining to this past year and allowed Marie to work from Montana for a month in the fall.

COURTNEY (POWELL) CORBELLO

graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2009. A few years later, she graduated from UCLA School of Law in 2014. Currently, Courtney is assistant attorney general for the state of Texas in the Law Enforcement Defense Division in Austin, Texas. She is married to Jeremy Corbello of Menlo Technologies-Quisitive. They have two young children and spend their free time traveling, snowboarding, and visiting family in the U.S. and Europe.

’06 MICHAEL MAHAFFIE recently completed writing and editing “Changing the Game” a new documentary for Hulu about high school transgender athletes and their struggle for civil rights and social justice. Michael also edited a documentary series for Showtime about the face-tattooed, rainbow-haired rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, called “Supervillain.” He is currently editing a new Netflix documentary series.

MICHELLE NATION BOWMAN

’07 MICHAEL CALDWELL is currently hard at work for a small start-up, Summit Research, in Scotts Valley. Since graduating, he has gained a positive industry reputation, completed a collegiate degree, married his high school sweetheart, Brittany, purchased his first home, and managed to start a small family of girls including Bailey Marie, 5, Skylar Rae, 3, and Morgan Jayne, 1. Mike received his bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University in 2014. Brittany received two master’s degrees in education. Currently, she is completing her Ph.D. dissertation in child and adolescent development with a focus on early math education at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Add your own class notes and read more about your classmates! mittyalumni.com

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opened her own hair salon.

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MATT RICHARDSON had a very eventful 2020. Apart from living through a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, he got married to the love of his life, Maya, in an intimate backyard ceremony on August 30th of 2020. He also managed to graduate law school, pass the California Bar Exam, and is now a full-fledged attorney working in immigration law. ’08 TEJA CHEMUDUPATI appeared on one of the last “Jeopardy!” episodes with Alex Trebek and was the runner-up against a tough opponent in December of 2020.

’09 JOSHUA RONEN completed his internal medicine residency at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. In July, Joshua became a clinical hospitalist attending physician in internal medicine and cardiology and a clinical instructor of internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco Division of Hospital Medicine.

’11 MATT FREDRICKSON moved to Reno, Nevada, for college. Later, he moved to Las Vegas. In November, Matt married the most amazing woman in the world, and they are planning to move back to Reno this summer to start a family.

Leave a Lasting Legacy

Become a Member of the Heritage Circle

The Archbishop Mitty Heritage Circle is comprised of alumni, parents of students and alumni, and friends who have made provision for the school by means of a planned gift. To become a member, simply advise the Advancement Office of your intention to make a gift to the school in your will or living trust. If you would like more information on making a legacy gift, please contact the Advancement Office at (408) 342-4224.

In providing for the school in a will, trust, or other vehicle of planned gift, pleased be advised that our corporate title is “Roman Catholic Welfare Corporation of San Jose,” a corporation sole, for the benefit of Archbishop Mitty High School.

CLASS NOTES (CONTINUED)

CODY KING was named the teacher of the year at Pioneer High School for the 2020-2021 school year.

BRIANNI LYONS was admitted to the State Bar of California to practice law in December of 2020. She is now a licensed attorney in California and New York.

’12 GRACE HASE received seven awards from the California News Publishers Association for her work as a reporter for the Metro Silicon Valley newspaper. Her story, “How Homelessness Became a Civil Rights Issue in the South Bay,” placed first in the enterprise news category. Grace also received honors in categories including business news, coverage of youth and education, breaking news, investigative reporting, and land use reporting.

TAJI HUTCHINS just graduated from Cornell Law School.

KATELYN (PARKER) JAIME

and Dr. Chris Jaime married in Long Beach on May 22nd.

NICOLE PAULIDES and her family lost her brother, BEN PAULIDES ’09, in early February. The grief they experienced has been nearly unbearable, but with the love and support of their friends and family, the Paulides have come to fully understand that when God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window. After Mitty, Ben went on to play Division I hockey at Miami University in Ohio. An exceptional athlete, Ben also grew into an exceptional man who was learning to love and be loved. Ben was accepted into the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts and was close to obtaining his master’s degree in film directing and production. Nicole hopes Ben’s family, friends, and acquaintances will check in on their loved ones (and not-so-loved ones) often. Ben cherished his time at Mitty, and a part of him will always live in the halls of this blessed campus.

A LOOK BACK IN TIME (above) Graduates of 2011 taking a picture after crossing the stage. Class of 2011 your 10-year reunion is this year on Saturday, October 2nd! For more information visit https://www.mitty.com/alumni

JOIN US

ALL ALUMNI ARE INVITED BACK TO CAMPUS FOR A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE MONARCH FEST 2021

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2ND Archbishop Mitty High School Campus Beer and Wine Tasting Garden • Family Fun Zone Live Performances by AMHS Groups • Food Trucks Register at mittyalumni.com

’13 CHITRA MARTI has been playing weekly “Among Us” games with

ELENA GEORGIEVA , SUMEDH GUHA, STEPHEN KWOK, JEEMIN KWON, KELVIN LEONG, SARAH

TSOU, and KATRINA VOKT, from the Class of 2013 during the pandemic. If you want to join, connect with Chitra via social media.

’14 JOSHUA ALBIN graduated with a master’s of education in higher and postsecondary education from Arizona State University in December of 2020. MARQUEL LOVE is currently a footage researcher at “The Tonight Show,” starring Jimmy Fallon. Her team is responsible for all video content that is played during the show. This includes all videos and clips for guests on the show. Marquel’s team is also in constant communication with legal and standards to ensure all the videos aired won’t get the show in trouble, fined, or sued. The group is a small team of five. Half of Marquel’s team works on video for segments inside the show, while she and another coworker team up with the writers and producers to create clips for the monologue every day. Specifically, Marquel pitches videos and clips that can be used to set up a punchline, or be a punchline, and edits them however the writers, producers, and Jimmy want them. ’17 JERRY LEE just got a full-time job as a software engineer at Capital One. KAYLA VOKT graduated from Carnegie Mellon University this year with degrees in electrical and computer engineering and biomedical engineering. Next year, Kayla will begin a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering with a focus on neuroengineering at Rice University.

Upcoming Alumni Games

Field Hockey

Saturday, October 2nd

Men’s and Women’s Basketball

Tuesday, November 23rd

Men’s Soccer

Saturday, November 27th

Women’s Soccer

Monday, December 27th

Baseball

Saturday, February 26th

For more information visit mitty.com/alumni

IN REMEMBRANCE (THROUGH JULY 15th)

The Archbishop Mitty family requests that you join us in prayer for the following members of our community and their families.

David Breyo

Grandfather of Desmond Casto ’21 and Ava Casto ’22

Edna Cummings

Grandmother of Bridget Maloney ’22

Julieta De Guzman

Grandmother of Riley De Guzman ’22 and Darren De Guzman ’24

Ron DeMonner

AMHS Hall of Fame, Former AMHS Staff

Debbie Herrell

Sister of Cathie Whalen, AMHS Staff; aunt of Christine Whalen ’05, Thomas Reynolds ’08, Sean Whalen ’08, and Madelyn Whalen ’18

David Hunter

Class of 2007, Sister of Jodi (Hunter ’93) Kokoletsos

Leonard Kulig

Grandfather of Natalia Janus ’20 and Ashley Janus ’22

Jim Martin

Grandfather of Jared Martin ’21

Dino Masudise

Great-uncle of Georgo Felix-Tsaboukos ’23

Ryan Mills

Father of Colin Mills ’22

Lisa Murphy Class of 1984

Dat Nguyen

Cousin of Kayla-Trinh Nguyen ’21

Fulabhai Patel

Grandfather of Param Patel ’21

Victoria Plancarte Carillo

Aunt of Maria Plancarte ’22

Lewis Pon

Uncle of Ariana Yeh ’22

Jaya Vaidyanath

Grandmother of Ishir Vaidyanath ’21

Emeline VanValkenburg

Mother of Jill Messer, AMHS staff, Grandmother of Davis Messer ’13, Anna Messer ’16, and Isaac Messer ’18

Dorothes Vasil

Grandmother of Gabriella Peterson ’21 and Gianna Peterson ’21

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