a Legacy
The Mustang Messenger is published two times a year by Bishop McNamara High School’s Advancement Office.We sincerely apologize in advance for any errors or omissions contained herein. Notices of misinformation or error may be sent to the Advancement Office at advancement@bmhs.org.
Unless otherwise noted, photos are either taken by students, families, staff, or courtesy of DHM Photos, EC Marketing and Media, Freed Photography, Inc., Grimm + Parker Architects, or Sam Kittner Photography.
Available online: www.bmhs.org/publications.
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PH: 301-735-8401
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PRESIDENT/CEO Dr. John
PRINCIPAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PRESIDENT’S PEN
Dr. John Barnhardt President/CEODear McNamara Team & Family,
This summer, I have taken time to reflect on what a tremendous school year we had together. At the end of May, we welcomed our newest alumni, the Class of 2023, who earned $28 million in merit-based scholarships and financial aid, along with acceptances that included UCLA, NYU, Boston University, the Culinary Institute of America, Notre Dame, Rutgers, and Columbia. You’ll see more on their accomplishments in this Messenger, and I am sure we will have lots to report as these new alumni begin the next part of their journey.
We also opened and celebrated the La Reine Science & Innovation Center! Seeing the students come in and explore was one of the highlights of my time here at McNamara thus far. They have already begun creating, building, and launching their new ideas. There is so much more in store. Thank you so much to everyone who came to commemorate the Grand Opening Celebration in March.
Summer, though it can be frenetic, is also a time to take a moment, pause, and reflect. It’s a time to stay still as much as possible, and enjoy rest and family. I pray that each and every member of our BMHS faculty and staff is getting those moments this summer, as well as those in our BMHS Family.
This idea isn’t just limited to the summer - it is one that we can and will carry into this upcoming school year, which is getting ever closer. I encourage each of you to stop, take a moment, and reflect on all that you have done, what you are excited about, and how you can continue your story as we all serve as disciples of Christ, and empowered leaders, each in our own way.
I also ask that each of you continue to support and be a storyteller for Bishop McNamara - that can be attending an event, seeing how you can get involved, donating a paver in the Legacy Courtyard, or sharing your love of our school with those in your community and network. We cannot do this work without you.
There is so much to look forward to this year, and I hope we will see each and every one of you on campus soon. To our newest members of the BMHS Family, the Class of 2027, welcome! We cannot wait to introduce you to this community.
Thank you for being Bishop McNamara.
With gratitude,
John Barnhardt President/CEOEmail: john.barnhardt@bmhs.org
Twitter: @Barnhardt
CHAIRMAN’S LETTER
Robert
N.Summers ’86 Chair, BMHS Board of Directors
Greetings to All Members of the Bishop McNamara Family,
The doors have opened! Our new La Reine Science & Innovation Center is an outstanding achievement, and it has been a long time in the making. I was thrilled and grateful to see all of the progress over the past year, and to welcome the new addition to our campus with many wonderful members of our community.
I also want to thank and congratulate each and every member of the Bishop McNamara faculty and staff, not only for all of their hard work throughout the school year, but also for the consistent, exceptional support that they gave our students, and each other. The success of this year and the Class of 2023 is a direct testament to the people who serve here at Bishop McNamara, and I hope you have all taken moments to celebrate and rest.
McNamara is here to work with and serve our community. Earlier this year, we held the inaugural BMHS Family Business & Networking Expo, beginning efforts to uplift and connect businesses within our own. Later in this Messenger, you will see the first edition of our Business Directory, an effort that will continue to evolve as we connect and collect information. We are here to support each other and keep our community strong.
I ask our BMHS and La Reine alumni to come back and see us. There is a whole new building to experience, but there are also the hallmark traditions we know our BMHS Family loves to see - Homecoming, Fine Arts events, cheering on our teams. Our students feel the energy when there are people there to see and support them. Join us, and let’s continue to build the McNamara legacy together.
I hope you had a great summer, and look forward to saying hello to you at one of our many wonderful events this school year.
Thank you as always for your continued support and love of Bishop McNamara.
Respectfully,
Robert N. Summers ’86MUSTANG MOMENTS AC
Feast of St. Joseph Day (March 20th) For the Feast of St. Joseph, the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Father Pawel Sass, Pastor of Nativity Catholic Church in NW DC, celebrated Mass with our school community. Reflecting on the day, Father Sass shared about how St. Joseph is a model for all of us in how to trust God and to let our actions speak more than our words.
Liturgies The Bishop McNamara community came together to celebrate the following liturgies during the second half of the school year:
Feast of St. Andre Bessette & Epiphany (January 6th) For our first Mass of the new calendar year, the Very Rev. Michael Thompson, SSJ of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in SE DC joined our school community to commemorate the feast day of St. Andre Bessette, the first Saint of the Holy Cross Congregation, and the Epiphany of Our Lord. Father Thompson shared with us the importance of going out and finding Jesus in our own lives, just like the three Wise Men and the importance of humility that St. Andre embodied.
Ash Wednesday Prayer Service (February 22nd) Our Ash Wednesday Prayer Service was an opportunity for our school to come together to begin the Lenten season and receive ashes upon our foreheads in the Christian tradition. Students of every grade level served as readers including 9th grader Madison Bridges who reflected on what forgiveness means to her. Ms. Cindy King and the Honors Classical Dance class performed a liturgical dance that moved us to consider the kind of Lenten season we would have.
Easter Season Liturgy (April 19th) For our final Mass together of the school year, Father Brian Stacy, OFM Cap. celebrated the Easter Season in Mount Calvary Church. It was wonderful to gather there together as a whole community for the first time in many years. Dr. Barnhardt, in his opening Call to Worship, focused on bringing hope, one of the pillars of a Holy Cross school, and the hope we gain through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter.
Baccalaureate Mass (May 25th) For the Baccalaureate Mass, BMHS board member Father Robert Boxie, III alongside Father Jeffrey Samaha, Monsignor Ray East, and Deacon Keith Somerville '83 celebrated the class of 2023 final Liturgy together in Mount Calvary Catholic Church. Kaley Jackson '23 and Tony Mammano '23 shared reflections about how we are truly a family here at Bishop McNamara. n
Catholic Schools Week Our festivities throughout the week honored our President/CEO and the Board of Directors, parents, teachers, students, and our community. We are so grateful for each and every member of the BMHS Family - you make our school amazing! n
MUSTANG MOMENTS
The Bishop McNamara Fine Arts Program welcomed the following artists as part of our FADE Colloqium series:
Nova Payton ‘98 is a DC-area-based actress, singer, and performer, who is regularly on stages across the area. Ms. Payton has received many honors, including singing for President Biden and Vice President Harris and performing at the dedication of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. We were thrilled to have her as our FADE guest artist in January!
In February, our FADE guest artist was Ms. Saz Ross, who has spent over 12 years working and thriving in the field of illustration and art as an award-winning artist and educator. Ms. Ross also collaborated on a new Fine Arts mural, which was completed earlier this year! n
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School Partnership Bishop McNamara faculty, staff, Student Council members & Peer Ministers visited Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School to observe classes, share our experiences, faiths, cultures, and experiences and collaborate and learn from one another. We had a great time and are grateful to CESJDS for their hospitality and friendship. n
Black
History Month Assembly
Our school community came together in February for an incredible, fully inperson Black History Month Assembly, which featured several student performances, testimonies, and stories of some of our notable alumni. Thank you to everyone who put this together! You can view the full program on the BMHS YouTube channel. n
Accepted Students Day
We had an amazing Accepted Students Day for the Class of 2027 in March! We were so grateful for our incredible lineup of performers and presenters, and Jason Reynolds '00 for serving as our keynote speaker! n
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(Photo credit: Christopher Mueller) nMUSTANG MOMENTS
Fine Arts Disney Trip Mustangs from the band, orchestra, and choir programs traveled to Orlando, Florida in March for a threeday Disney experience. Students attended workshops where they recorded Disney tracks that were “added” to Disney films to complete the movie. Our students also learned about the recording industry through Disney and about the production of movies and shows. n
n
Quantum Computing Dr. Jessica Rosenberg and Dr. Benjamin Dreyfus from the College of Science at George Mason University Physics & Astronomy department visited our quantum computing class this spring. As part of the professors' research study, our students have been working with them to test different learning activities related to quantum computing, including a quantum board game. n
Honors Award Ceremonies In May, we held Honors Awards Ceremonies for the classes of 2024, 2025 (pictured), and 2026. Each ceremony featured Dean’s List, Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Summa Cum Laude presentations, as well as outstanding achievement awards and St. Andre Awards for each class. We are incredibly proud of all our Mustangs and their accomplishments this year! n
Deaf Fest 2023 10 of our BMHS American Sign Language students visited Dorothy I. Height Elementary School in Baltimore, MD, to celebrate and immerse themselves in deaf culture at Deaf Fest 2023. n Congratulations to Brian Gardner '24 (pictured third from the right) who recently won the second annual ProCode Code Jam competition here at BMHS! Brian's winning project was designed to turn .wav files into graphed images of soundwaves.Mrs. Saiedeh Khalili Celebrating
There are few names in the Bishop McNamara community that evoke as much nostalgia as “Mrs. Khalili". After 30 years at McNamara, Mrs. Khalili has retired. The legend associated with her name alone brings back so many fond memories for so many in our community. f you ask our alumni, they’ll tell you the questions many of them asked when they first experienced their wonderful teacher:
“How does she remember all of this chemistry stuff?”
“Is she a real Iranian princess?”
“How does she dress so flawlessly?”
“How does she always smell so good?”
“How many carats is her wedding ring?”
While the students were paying attention to those things, the thing she cared about most was whether or not her students were putting forth their best effort.
Mrs. Khalili’s Chemistry class was not easy for most. She challenged you with tough assignments, but she only penalized you if you did not try. At our Accepted Students Day earlier this year, Jason Reynolds ‘00, said, “She’s the greatest science teacher. What she’s really teaching you is the value of effort. She’s trying to show you that there is true value, an actual gift, true results, in the act of trying, and if you try, there will be space for you to succeed. This is her method. And you go through the process of pushing yourself to do a thing that feels impossible, and in the mere effort of that, Ms. Khalli has a way of rewarding you.”
The secret to her class was in the process, and the journey to understanding is what counts. Asking questions and seeking help were ways to show that you were putting forth the effort. Everyone knows that you are going to have to
memorize the periodic table in Mrs. Khalili’s class. On the first day, learning the periodic table seems impossible. Even as you are studying for it, it seems impossible. Then by the end of the year you accomplish that seemingly unreachable goal and in that is the life lesson.
former BMHS counselor Ms. Eugenia “Toni” Millner, whom she refers to as her sister. We have had countless alumni visit and ask to see her, which, each and every time, has been a moment of wonderful joy, recognition, and catching up. “I remember you,” she exclaimed when her former students come to visit her.
Though Mrs. Khalili commands attention by the way she presents herself and general confidence, when you get to know her, you also get to know her tremendous humility. We tried to honor Mrs. Khalili several times this year but she politely declined each and every time. She may be mad about this article, but there is no way that we could let her go that easily.
Teachers like Mrs. Khalili are rare and extremely special. Many do not know that Mrs. Khalili started teaching at La Reine High School first. When Bishop McNamara and La Reine combined, she was selected to be a part of the merger, because of her intelligence and value as a teacher. Mrs. Khalili said, “They could have easily let me go because of my religion or where I’m from, but they didn’t.” She knew at that point that she was committed to our school and we, the students, families, faculty, and staff, are all forever grateful and better for it.
Mrs. Khalili, in the spirit of “being family”, built incredible relationships during her time here, including with her beloved colleague,
In reflecting on Mrs. Khalili’s legacy at Bishop McNamara, President/CEO Dr. Barnhardt shared: “Mrs. Khalili has been a pillar at Bishop McNamara for decades. Her belief in experiential education has ensured graduates march curiosity, delivering innovative solutions and hope to the many communities they serve. Thanks to Mrs. Khalili, our school is forever stronger.”
On her last day, as we prepared for the faculty and staff end of the year celebration, she stood in the doorway before it began and exclaimed how much she loved working here. She called it a beautiful friendship saying, “may Allah bless you all” and promised that she would see us later. We all gave her a standing ovation. She did it her way because she did not want to make a big deal about it, but Mrs. Khalili will always be a big deal to us.
BMHS Family, join us all in saying, “Thank you, Mrs. Khalili”.
Celebrating the Grand Opening of the new La Reine Science & Innovation Center
Bishop McNamara commemorated the opening of our new, long-awaited La Reine Science & Innovation Center in March with a wonderful series of events including an evening donor reception, a La Reine Alumnae Preview reception, and the Grand Opening Celebration with an open house on Saturday, March 18th.
The Legacy Courtyard, cybersecurity lab, recording studio, entrepreneurship pavilion, and CITE lab were just a few of the anticipated areas to view during the events. La Reine alumnae and faculty member Denise Kazmier LR '89 was one of the many faculty on hand to help guests tour the labs and areas of the center. To support the event, senior Jordan Wallace '23 developed an app to help locate donated pavers in the courtyard.
It was a tremendous joy to welcome so many wonderful members of the BMHS and La Reine Family to celebrate this historic occasion!
Gratitude Reception
Our Grand Opening Celebration events kicked off with a fantastic reception for our major donors in the new building. The evening’s speakers included Monsignor John Enzler, who offered prayer to begin the evening, words of praise and encouragement to the faculty and staff of BMHS, and a thank you to the donors. Msgr. John ended his remarks with a donation to BMHS to continue the work he has proudly watched over the years.
Prince George’s County Council Member Calvin Hawkins, BMHS Principal Mrs. Dian Carter, Faith Harrison ‘23 (Senior Class President), President/CEO Dr. John Barnhardt, and our Board Chair, Mr. Robert N. Summers ‘86 also served as speakers during the event to help commemorate and celebrate the momentous occasion.
During the evening’s program, Dr. Barnhardt dedicated the Legacy Courtyard to Mr. G.S. “Steve” Proctor Jr., to thank him for his continued efforts and commitment to BMHS students, alumni, our community, and Prince George’s County. Dr. Barnhardt also surprised former President/CEO Dr. Marco Clark ‘85 with the dedication of the fourth quadrant in the Legacy Courtyard that represents the Holy Cross pillar of “bringing hope”. This dedication honors the legacy Dr. Clark has created at BMHS.
The evening also featured a performance by our String Quartet, conducted by Mrs. Dana
La Reine Alumnae Preview Reception
On Friday, March 17th, Bishop McNamara welcomed over 300 La Reine High School alumnae for a special reception to honor their alma mater’s legacy and give them a preview of the new building.
Ms. LaShanta Harris ‘92 served as the emcee, and the program included remarks from Sister David Ann Niski, our Principal Mrs. Dian Carter, and Faith Harris ‘24, and a performance from our Dance Team. Our keynote speaker for the evening was former BMHS President/CEO Dr. Marco Clark ‘85, who shared the story behind the La Reine Science & Innovation Center. Dr. Clark’s inspiration came not only from a need for more STEM opportunities for our students, but was also inspired by his mother, Nancy DeCesaris Maimone LR ‘64, a member of La Reine’s first graduating class.
After Dr. Clark’s remarks, Dr. John Barnhardt, President/ CEO, presented him with a portrait that will hang in our school.
The La Reine alumnae all had the opportunity to spend some time in the new Science & Innovation Center, including the La Reine Historical Vestibule with a replica of the seal and Mother Mary statue, as well as the Legacy Courtyard. Director of Web Services Janice Conlon LR ‘69, Denize Kazimer LR ‘89, and Joanann Walther LR ‘72, collaborated on a special, interactive drafting table which brilliantly displays the history of La Reine, including photographs, archived documents, and a final flyover video produced by Mike Anderson ‘94
To help host the La Reine alumnae, Julie St. Marie LR ‘80 of Julie St. Marie Catering was our caterer of choice for the evening’s festivities. Thank you to all of the La Reine ladies and their families who joined us!
Our Grand Opening Celebration
On the morning of March 18th, Bishop McNamara opened its doors to the community for the Grand Opening Celebration, which included the ribbon cutting in the new Legacy Courtyard.
The program was held in our gym and livestreamed to our community, and our tremendous panel of speakers included Father Robert Boxie, III, who offered our opening prayer, Dr. Barnhardt, Nylah Davis ‘23 and her father, Maryland State Treasurer Dereck Davis, as well as Senator Melony Griffith, BMHS Board Chair Robert Summers ‘86 , and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. At the conclusion of the program, His Eminece Wilton Cardinal Gregory offered the blessing of the building.
After the program, all those in attendance moved out into the Legacy Courtyard for the ribbon cutting, then into the La Reine Science & Innovation Center. It was a wonderful morning to celebrate as a community!
Bishop McNamara would like to extend a special thank you to all of our faculty, staff, student and parent volunteers, Board and Committee members for all of their help and support during these events.
OUR NEW CENTER HAS:
• Five science labs for biology, chemistry, and physics
• A cybersecurity lab
• An entrepreneurship center
• A recording studio
• A health sciences center
• CITE (Creativity, Imagination, Technology, Education) Lab
Our Mustangs now have access to 3D printers, e-gaming equipment, and state of the art science, chemistry, and innovation tools.
52%
OF SENIORS WERE ENROLLED IN AT LEAST 1 AP CLASS
3.0
80% OF SENIORS IN THE CLASS OF 2023 HAVE A GPA OF OR ABOVE
MAKING CONNECTIONS: ALUMNI/STUDENT
TIFFANY YOUNG '00 INTERVIEW BY JORDAN CRAWFORD '23
Jordan Crawford ‘23 is an aspiring journalist, who will be pursuing journalism at LSU this Fall. We matched her with local journalist Tiffany Young ’00, as Jordan was seeking an opportunity to speak to a professional journalist who looked like her. Below are excerpts from their interview together.
Jordan: What college did you attend and what was your major?
Tiffany: I attended Virginia State University, and majored in Mass Communication with a concentration in Print Media.
Jordan: You mentioned that you had some internships. Can you describe them?
Tiffany: Actually, when I was in high school, my Junior year, I did intern at the local Prince George’s County TV Station. It’s called CTV News. At the time I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do print journalism or TV broadcast journalism. During college, I had internships every summer, where I interned for local newspapers in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
Jordan: How did you find out about your internships?
Tiffany: Actually there were many opportunities. I found most of my internships on the kiosk on my college campus in front of our Journalism building. They would post jobs on the bulletin board. I enjoyed finding opportunities. I wasn’t worried about whether or not I was good enough or if my writing was good enough. I wanted to make sure I always had a good GPA, so they couldn’t deny me for my academics. When I wasn’t focused on journalism, I was focused on my academics. That way I could always qualify for anything.
Other than the kiosk, talking to my professors also really helped. I remember one professor saying that outside of our school there was a town with a local newspaper. I had never seen it or even thought about it. He brought the local paper to class for me and I read it. I thought it was sad because all of the stories were negative. I then was inspired to write more positive upbeat stories for them. I wanted people to know all the great things we were doing on campus. I emailed the editor and got an internship where I was able to do just that. Most of my stories were about the great things happening on our campus, but it served its purpose.
Jordan: What advice do you have for an aspiring journalist like myself?
Tiffany: My biggest advice is don’t be afraid. Don’t think that you’re not good enough. If there’s an opportunity that doesn’t go your way, find another one. Also, with social media, people are creating their own content. When I was in high school we didn’t have these opportunities, so find your space and do what’s comfortable for you. Be the best at what you like to do. Also, don’t be afraid to tell people what you want. When I told my professor that I wanted an internship, he didn’t know that, so tell people. Alumni of your high school and/or college can be helpful as well. Use your resources.
Jordan: They say when you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. We share a love for writing. As a young journalist, how can we find a career in writing that pays well?
Tiffany: Make sure to get internships. Companies want people with experience. Why would they spend money on someone who has no experience, when they can spend money on someone who does? Training also costs money, so try your best to graduate from college with some valuable work experience.
Also, make sure you have a variety of skills. Learn how to do different types of writing styles and categories, but also have your expertise. Find that thing that you know really well and treat it like your baby. You are going to have to feed and make sure it grows to help you get you where you want to go. Feed your passion, so that you can grow in your career.
Don’t be afraid to move. I was so eager to come back home, but if I was willing to go into a smaller market, I may have been able to grow my career even more. Moving, especially while you’re young can be beneficial to your career.
Jordan: I wanted to go to a big campus. I know you attended an HBCU (Historically Black College or University), which often has smaller campuses than your larger PWIs (Predominatly White Institution). Do you think that going to a large PWI will give me more exposure to more different kinds of people (not just people that look like you) than going to an HBCU?
Tiffany: The question between choosing a PWI over an HBCU is such a hard question. I don’t think there’s a right answer. I think you should pick a school based on who you are, one that is right for you. I picked a school that didn’t have a journalism program when I started. I had to major in English. Then one day, all the English majors were called into a meeting where they introduced Journalism as a new major and I got so excited!
Because the Journalism major was so new, I don’t think they had the resources, so I had to work extra hard to get what I needed. All of my friends that majored in Mass Communications are no longer in the field. I think that it’s because we didn’t have the proper resources at the time. At larger schools, you may have to compete with many other students. I didn’t have to compete for most of my internships because there weren’t a lot of people fighting for that one position.
I wouldn’t decide based on whether the school is white or black. Is the campus one where I could see myself? Are the people friendly? Is this a good location for me? Is this the place for me? For me, I didn’t want to be that far. I applied to two HBCUs, but my choices were based on other factors. I chose the school that felt like the best fit for me.
Since the interview, Jordan and Tiffany have worked on community service projects together and have discussed more about Jordan’s future in journalism.
ALUMNI/STUDENT INTERVIEWS
REESE BEARDEN '16 INTERVIEW BY AREANA HOLDER '23 & JADDEN BRYANT '23
Q: How did Bishop McNamara prepare you for college and your occupation?
Reese: McNamara is an advanced school, from the different levels of classes to its general structure. McNamara holds you to a higher standard: the emphasis on morals, the enforcement of rules and discipline - they all help prepare you for college and a career.
Q: What is the specific definition of what you do at Microsoft?
Reese: I am a Partner Business Manager. My job is to optimize the process of distributing our software to our partners like Dell and others. This is a global role. I have colleagues that live in Japan and Scotland. I meet with people all over the world to fulfill my job duties.
Q: Did you ever think you would end up at Microsoft? Why or why not?
Reese: Microsoft has been the goal since my sophomore year at North Carolina A&T. I fell in love with the lifestyle of the people I saw at Microsoft living and believed that could be me. Microsoft is one of the top four companies in the world. I applied for an internship and got denied my junior year, but came back senior year and got the full time job. I was determined.
Q: What track should someone be on if they want to pursue a computer engineering career?
Reese: For this career you need to do summer programs for coding at colleges: Microsoft, Google, wherever the opportunities are. Learn as many software languages as possible. Take the time to learn all the softwares if possible. Getting an internship as a freshman will be hard but will propel you ahead of your peers. It’s not impossible. A resource I want you to use is coursera.com (a website that has classes on anything you would want to know about).
Q: Did going to an HBCU provide you the connections to get you where you’re at today?
Reese: Going to an HBCU provided me with more than you could get from other colleges. There are a variety of conferences, and a lot of companies come to HBCUs. You have to put the work in to be able to get these opportunities. You can meet directors and CEOs - I met Magic Johnson! Companies are looking for people of color that will get the work done.
Q:
Why North Carolina A&T (NCAT)?
Reese: I was looking for top engineering schools. Somewhere with a good experience that also had a high graduation rate for African American Engineers. It was an unmatched experience. There are internships, study/ traveling abroad opportunities. There were a lot of opportunities in the four years that I was there. I also got most of my internships from connections at NCAT. They try to force you to get an internship in order to graduate. They force you to be better. It’s an environment for success and the elite. Many African American Engineers come out of NCAT.
Q: What programs or extracurriculars did you do in college?
Reese: I was a Resident Assistant (RA). I became the Sophomore Class President. I got involved in organizations related to my major. I also joined Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. I was a part of a group called Imaginative Leadership for Tomorrow, which hosts professional activities, conferences, and workshops. I received the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Scholarship. I was even able to do a threeweek study abroad with the Engineering program. Whatever opportunities came in front of me, I just tried it out.
Q: What would you tell your freshman self in college right now?
Reese: I wish I had learned how to save money earlier. I wish I took off faster in networking to make more connections than I did. The world runs off of connections. It is about what you know, but mainly WHO you know? Also, don’t live in regrets. Do things in college to build your resume. Take advantage of all scholarship opportunities in college. Apply while you’re in college, not just when you’re trying to get into college. Use all of your resources. Get involved, it comes back full circle.
Thank you to Tiffany Young ‘00, Reese Bearden ‘16, and Justin Boyd ‘15 for all of their insights and advice for our Mustangs, and for speaking to The WAAE students in addition to these interviews!
New alumni Areana Holder ‘23 and Jadden Bryant ‘23 met Reese Bearden ‘16 earlier this school year. Reese brought a special guest and fellow alum Justin Boyd ‘15, to share in the experience. Areana and Jadden took turns asking Reese questions to help them better understand the engineering field and seeking advice to help them navigate their own path to a successful future.Class Of 2028 You're Up Next!
MUSTANG FOR A DAY (Shadowing Program):
September 25th - December 7th
Admissions Information Nights - 6:00pm (Virtual and In-Person options)
• Tuesday, September 19th (VIRTUAL)
• Tuesday, October 3rd (VIRTUAL)
• Wednesday, October 25th (IN PERSON)
• Tuesday, November 14th (IN PERSON)
• Tuesday, December 5th (VIRTUAL)
Financial Aid and Scholarships Workshops - 6:00pm (Virtual and In-Person options)
• Wednesday, October 11th (IN PERSON)
• Wednesday, November 1st (VIRTUAL)
Now that the Class of 2027 are gearing up for their Freshman year, it’s time for 2028 to get started.
The Admissions Team is so excited to welcome our prospective students and families to campus this fall. This past school year, McNamara received over 600 applications and nearly 1,000 inquiries, which made for a competitive admissions season! Whether you’re just now learning about our school or you’ve been hearing about the “magic of McNamara” for years, we are looking forward to helping you discover all that our Mustang family has to offer, while assisting you in selecting the best high school for your student.
Go
St. Joseph Program - Information Nights - 6:30pm (ALL VIRTUAL)
• Thursday, September 9th
• Thursday, October 19th
High School Placement Test
(Bishop McNamara High School, host site)
December 9, 2023
BMHS Open House
Sunday, October 29th - 11:00am - 2:00pm
Financial Aid Application Deadline
December 1, 2023
Admissions Application Deadline
December 8, 2023
Class of 2028 Acceptance Notification
February 15-67, 2024
Accepted Students Day
March 2, 2024 (Tentative)
Enrollment/Re-Enrollment Contracts and Enrollment/Re-Enrollment Fees Due
Early deadline: March 15, 2024
Final deadline, April 5, 2024
Meet Our Fine Arts Department
Bishop McNamara is incredibly proud of our world-class Fine Arts Department, which holds several performances, showcases, and concerts throughout the school year. As we approach the 23-24 season, we’re checking in with each of our teachers to learn more about them. Let’s meet our Fine Arts faculty and staff!
Victor Bah Director of Traditional African Music and Dance Dana Shieh Director of Fine Arts, Director of String Orchestra, and F.A.D.E. AdvisorWhere did you attend college/study?
Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance and Master of Music Education from Florida State University
What do you love about your particular Fine Arts subject?
I love the sound the string instruments make together, and I love to show students how to play their instruments.
Could you share a favorite performance moment from the last few years?
My favorite performance was when the String Quintet played at a reception for Cardinal Gregory.
Where did you attend college/ study?
School of Performing Arts, University Of Ghana
What do you love about your particular Fine Arts subject?
I love teaching students the arts & science of music and movement with particular emphasis on African culture and traditional practices that culminates into end of year dance theatre celebrations
Could you share a favorite performance moment from the last few years?
Favorite moment is our second night of production when the jitters of the opening night are in the past, performers and crew are a bit more conversant with the show but all are still filled with nervous energy to do well - and they do. As a leader, it comes full circle and there is a sense of mission accomplish after all the hard work.
Phillip San Gabriel '04 Adjunct Band DirectorWhere did you attend college/study? Howard University
What do you love about your particular Fine Arts subject?
I love the creativity that music allows for. It's a great way for students to express themselves and learn to think outside the box. I love seeing the joy of students as they learn and grow as young musicians. It's a great feeling knowing that you've helped someone discover their passion for music.
Could you share a favorite performance moment from the last few years?
My favorite performance moment was last year when the Jazz Ensemble performed at our annual Open House at the end of October. This was our first performance in almost two years and it was so great to see and hear live music from our students.
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Meet Our Fine Arts Department
Francine Amos Hardy Director of Bands/Instrumental MusicWhere did you attend college / study?
The Catholic University of America, Music Performance
What do you love about your particular Fine Arts subject? I love working with the students and watching their artistry, musicality, and confidence grow!
Could you share a favorite performance moment from the last few years?
A favorite memory was just from our recent trip to Disney World which was getting to watch my students learn and interact in the Disney Music Workshop, and seeing the pride they had in themselves when the performance all came together at the end of the Performance Workshop.
Cindy King Director of Classical DanceWhere did you attend college/study?
Cecchetti Ballet Council of America/Intermediate Professional Certified member International Tap Association
National Dance Educators of America
Mian Hairston Traditional African Music & Dance Assistant TeacherWhere did you attend college/study? University of the Arts
What do you love about your particular Fine Arts subject?
I love the diversity and energy of the program.
Could you share a favorite performance moment from the last few years?
I would like to say that my favorite performance moment is the ‘22'-’23 Christmas Festival where the Sankofa company performed for the first time other than traditionally only in the spring production.
Janay Middelton Digital Arts Teacher/YearbookWhere did you attend college/study?
I attended Bowie State University and majored in Advertising Design.
What do you love about your particular Fine Arts subject?
Annual Professional Development through National Dance Education Organization
Program/Director Experience: 41 years Director/Educator for Privately owned dance studio
What do you love about your particular Fine Arts subject?
I love.. Seeing my students everyday and celebrating their progress. Teaching, encouraging and mentoring students while sharing the love and overall benefits of the art of Dance training and education. Witnessing how dance training breeds leaders in all areas of life. Providing guidance and advising rising student artists through the creative process for producing student work. Staying connected with former dance students and supporting their Journeys.
Could you share a favorite performance moment from the last few years?
My favorite moments in all performances are the non-performing moments: our preshow prayer circle, lessons taught about the “Behind the scenes” duties and etiquette, student led projects, and dancer friendship bonds. The one overall favorite moment while students perform is feeling their passion about bringing our dance works to life.
I love how digital art is constantly evolving and has new trends. I can make something on my iPad and it will look like a traditional piece of artwork depending on what brushes I'm using. Also there are so many platforms you can use depending on your focus area. Digital Art definitely makes you an avid learner to keep up with those trends so you can keep up with what's relevant in the design world. I also love how digital art is a forgiving medium, unlike traditional art.
Could you share a favorite performance moment from the last few years?
My favorite project is my animation unit. I love seeing the students come up with their own characters and develop a 30-second to 1-minute story.
Where did you attend college/study?
University of Maryland, College Park, BA Communication Arts & Theatre, MA Acting & Directing, Theatre
What do you love about your particular Fine Arts subject?
Participation in Theatre provides experiences that lead to self-awareness, observational skills, empathy, communication, teamwork, leadership, and confidence. These are often grouped as "soft skills," but I firmly believe these are essential skills for success in life - both personal and professional. My objective statement is, "Transforming lives through the art of Theatre."
Could you share a favorite performance moment from the last few years?
During COVID, I was really challenged to think of a way to keep my students engaged in Theatre, beyond the regular academic classes. I reflected a great deal during the summer of 2020, and came up with a plan to do a musical review and an original play. These productions were auditioned & rehearsed virtually, then recorded using social distancing. I am so very proud of the full length (2 hours with intermission) shows that we produced under challenging conditions. In particular, the play we created, "2020", focused on student research on events that happened that year and their personal reflections on those events.
Miss Rhoda Yvonne SuttonDirector of Choirs
Where did you attend college/study?
I studied voice at Oberlin Conservatory of Music, in Oberlin, Ohio. I also attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. and received a Bachelor of Music in Voice degree. I also attended Bowie State University, in Bowie, Maryland where I received a Masters of Education degree.
What do you love about your particular Fine Arts subject?
I love teaching music theory and music history.
Could you share a favorite performance moment from the last few years?
One of my favorite performances is the recent choir concert on May 5, 2023. I was so proud of the students who had worked hard on some challenging music in the last month. I was especially proud of the beginning choir class singing a selection alone at the end of the concert.
Mr. Dominic Traino Technical Theatre Teacher/ Vocal Director Fall MusicalsWhere did you attend college/study?
Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre, ‘97, The Catholic University of America
Master of Arts in Theatre Education, ‘09, The Catholic University of America
What do you love about your particular Fine Arts subject?
I love seeing our theatre students grow as people and as performers. It is rewarding to see them take the skills they learn doing theatre and apply them to their everyday life. The theatre becomes a place where they can find themselves.
Could you share a favorite performance moment from the last few years?
My favorite performance in the last few years is the review show we did in the fall of 2020 called "The Golden Stage." Even though most of the rehearsals happened virtually, our students grew and found an outlet to continue to learn and get better. Anyone seeing the recorded video could see the talent of these wonderful students. They kept growing, even though the world slowed down around them.
Thank you for spending some time with our wonderful Fine Arts educators! We hope you’ll join us for one (or many!) performances during the 2023-2024 school year!
Coaches’ Reports
It’s been an amazing year in the Bishop McNamara Athletics Department! Here are some recaps from our coaches on highlights from their seasons. We hope to see everyone cheering on our Mustangs as the 23-24 school year gets underway!
FALL 2022
GIRLS SOCCERHEAD COACH DAVE MONGEY
Our girls’ soccer team had an amazing season and made it to the WCAC quarterfinals! They also traveled to London over Spring Break and attended a Premiere League game during the trip.
FOOTBALL - HEAD COACH GREG CALHOUN
The 2022 Season was a new year under new Head Coach Greg Calhoun. The season had some remarkable moments and exciting games. The team’s highlight was the opportunity to showcase their talents with a huge victory of Abraham Lincoln High School of NY at the Battle for the Bridge games in Piscataway, NJ at Rutgers University. The programs foundation was laid by a great group of seniors in the Class of 2023 and individual achievements of 3 WCAC 1st Team Selections Austin Palmer ‘23 WR, 1st Team LB, Zachary Betts ‘24, 1st Team DL, and 4 2nd Team WCAC Selections Gregory “Tre” Pruitt 2nd Team RB, Jayden Queen 2nd Team Utility, Benjamin Chandler ‘25 2nd Team DB, and Kamal Stoddard ‘23 2nd Team LB. We look forward to continuing to build and obtaining our goals this upcoming 2023 Football Season.
VOLLEYBALL - HEAD COACH KAMISHA
KELLAM ‘05 (WCAC 2022 COACH OF THE YEAR)
This season was a historic one for BMHS Volleyball. With a 14-8 overall and 8-5 in the WCAC, finishing 4th in the conference. The team was led by Kiylah Presley ‘24 (1st Team All WCAC) and Brooklynn Patterson ‘24 (2nd Team All WCAC).
GIRLS TENNIS - HEAD COACH
DEBORAH CAMPBELL
The season started off unpredictably, but the team was able to buckle down and focus in on the game! We would like to congratulate Caitlyn Barber ‘23 and Ashley Nkongchu ‘26 for winning their first round matches in the WCAC Championships.
BOYS SOCCER - HEAD COACH MARK BROWN (WCAC COACH OF THE YEAR)
2022 was a season that officially put the Bishop McNamara boys’ soccer program on the map! The boys reached the finals once again and had the 4 WCAC First Team players in Lukas Hailu-Costa ‘23, Darren Greenwood ‘23, Owen Allegro ‘23, and Elaiwe Ikpi ‘25. The WCAC Coaches selected Darren Greenwood ‘23 as Player of the Year and our staff Mark Brown and Larry Mark were voted WCAC Coaches of the Year.
CROSS COUNTRY - HEAD COACH SONNY HICKS
This season the Mustangs build upon their success from the previous season to get bigger and better. The season had a lot of first time cross country runners that were open to adapting to learning a new sport. The goal of every meet was to improve individually and also as a team while working on their race strategy. We had two champions throughout the season, Antoinette Davis ‘24 at the PG Invitational and Nathaniel Spears ‘24 at the Eagle Invitational. Although we are losing four amazing seniors, the team has a great base moving forward to next season.
CHEERLEADING - HEAD COACH RILEY
HOLBERT '15
This cheer season was full of advanced skill with our 10 amazing Class of 2023 athletes. This was a year of rebuilding, refocus, and rededication. Our score sheet increased at every competition and the athletes that competed at the finale did an amazing job!
WINTER 22-23
ARCHERY - HEAD COACH BRENDA STEPHENS
The Archery team competed for the second time ever as a team and not just individuals at the State Tournament. Being a team that started just prior to COVID hitting and taking us out for two years, this year was a pleasure to have so many students participate. We never placed for States until this year when we came in 6th in the High School Division. Our highest ranked female is DeOnna Copland ‘25 with an average score of 271. Our highest ranked male is Oliver Szczepanski ‘25 with an average score of 256. We look forward to the challenges of next year and building an even stronger team.
BOYS’ BASKETBALL - HEAD COACH
MARTY KEITHLINE
(18 YEARS OF COACHING AT BMHS!)
The boys’ basketball team followed up a Championship game appearance in 2022 by setting a new school record with 27 wins. The 27-9 season was highlighted by the selection of Jeremiah Quigley ‘23 as a 1st Team All-WCAC performer, along with Martin Somerville ‘24 earning 2nd Team All-WCAC, and Honorable Mention selections Jaren Curtis ‘25 and PrinceAlexander Moody ‘26. The season included wins over nationally recognized schools such as DeMatha (twice), Gonzaga (twice), Bishop O'Connell, Bishop Walsh, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Westtown, Bullis, Archbishop Ryan in an epic 5 OT game at the Governor’s Challenge, Archbishop Carroll (PA), and the George School (PA). The season concluded with the schools first-ever championship game appearance at the prestigious Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament.
GIRLS BASKETBALL - HEAD COACH
FRANK OLIVER
(10 YEARS OF COACHING AT BMHS!)
The girls’ basketball team went undefeated in WCAC league play for the second year in a row claiming the 2023 WCAC regular season title. The team also achieved 20+ wins for the fifth consecutive season. The program also had several individual awards highlighted by Madisen McDaniel ‘24 and Qadence Samuels ‘23 (UCONN) being named First Team All-WCAC, Vanessa Harris ‘25 was named 2nd Team All-WCAC followed by Honorable Mentions Drew Jordon ‘23 (Wagner University) and LaNae’ Corbett ‘24. The WCAC Coaches selected Madisen McDaniel ‘24 as Player of the Year and Head Coach Frank Oliver, Jr. was voted WCAC Coach of the Year.
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AP
INDOOR TRACK & FIELDHEAD COACH MALCOLM DREWERY
WINTER 22-23
The 2022 Mustang Indoor Track and Field team brought in a lot of new faces which helped to raise the bar for our program. This indoor season, the Mustangs broke 11 school records: Girls & Boys 600m, Girls 800m, Boys 1000m, Boys Mile, Boys 3200m, Boys 4x200m, Girls 4x800m, Mixed 4x400m and Girls & Boys Sprint Medley Relay.
For the second year in a row, the Mustangs were invited to compete in the 115th Millrose Games, the biggest indoor track and field meeting in the world, in the following events: the Girls Private School 4x400 and the Boys Invitational 4x200 Both teams placed second in their respective events.
The Mustang indoor team also participated in the first ever indoor WCAC Invitational. The Mustangs had several top performers, but the day was highlighted by Nathaniel (Nate) Spears ’24. Nate was named the Male Runner of the Meet in winning the Boys 800m, Mile and on the second place 4x400m relay.
The Mustangs competed in the 2023 New Balance Nationals Indoor championships. Two Mustangs received All-American honors, Justice McDaniel ’26, placing 4th in the Freshman 400m and the Boys Sprint Medley relay which also placed 4th in the event Isaiah Pryor ’24, Charles Payne ’23, Nicholas Steed ’24, and Nathaniel Spears ‘24.
Lastly, Nicholas Steed ‘24 was placed on the Washington Post Indoor All-Met Honorable Mention team for the ‘22-’23 indoor season.
WRESTLING - HEAD COACH ADAM FORSCHNER
SWIMMING & DIVING - HEAD COACH ABBIE GREER
The swim team had a historic season! Jacob Evans ‘25 broke the team record in the Men’s 100 Butterfly at Metros. Team records were also broken in the Men’s 200 Freestyle Relay (Christian Jackson ‘24, Asher Corbin Lewis ‘26, Anthony Lansey ‘24, Jacob Evans ‘25), the Women’s 200 Medley Relay (Jada Allbritton ‘25, Mia Johnson ‘25, Charlotte Smith ‘25, Kyla Amelechkin ‘23), and the Women’s 400 Freestyle Relay (Ezy Poole ‘25, Charlotte Smith ‘25, Jada Allbritton ‘25, Mia Johnson ‘25). The Swim Team participated in the National Catholic Swimming and Diving Championships, the Washington Metropolitan Prep School Swimming and Diving League Championships, The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Championships, and the Washington Metropolitan High School (Metro’s) Championships.
The team showed a lot of improvements this season, and we took second place in the Duals at the Depot wrestling tournament. We had at least one finalist in every individual tournament. Rhonin Swenson '25 and Zachery Betts '24 were ranked in the state at the respective weight classes. Rhonin
Maryland Independent state tournament.
SPRING 2023
SOFTBALL
Freshman pitcher Koryn Otey ‘26 had 2 double digit strikeout games (14 against AACA and 17 against The Maret School.) The pitching ace amassed 89 strikeouts on the season. Freshman catcher Christina Brown ‘26 led the team in batting (.333) and hit her first homerun as a Mustang against St. Mary’s Ryken in March. Softball continued to show improvement with wins over North Point and Bishop Ireton.
BASEBALL
Congratulations to the following players who received WCAC All-Conference honors this season:
Tony Mammano ‘23
(Honorable Mention - Pitcher)
Rocco Gilbert '24
(Honorable Mention - Catcher)
Ashton Strobridge '26
(Honorable Mention - Outfielder)
GOLF - HEAD COACH PUAPUA PONAFALA
The golf team members continue to work enthusiatically on their game! Congratulations to Victoria Gibbs ‘26 and Ashley Thomas ‘25 who qualified for the WCAC Championships that were held at Northwest Golf Course in Silver Spring, MD.
OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD - HEAD COACH MALCOLM DREWERY
The outdoor track and field season for the Mustangs picked up right where the indoor season left off. At the time of this report, 9 school records have been broken: Girls 300mh, Girls 400m, Girls & Boys 800m, Boys Mile, Boys 3200m, Girls 4x400m and Girls & Boys 4x800m.
The McNamara Mustangs qualified three relays to participate in the 2023 Penn Relays: the Girls and Boys 4x100m, the 4x400m, and 4x800m relays.
The girls 4x100m relay (Jalyn Haynes-Moore ’24, Justice McDaniel ’26, Nadia Wynn ’23 and Alicia Smith ’26) qualified for the National Final (the top 9 High School National teams at the Penn Relays).
For the first time in the history of the Bishop McNamara girls track and field program, the Girls 4x400m relay qualified for the High School Championship of America. The quartet of Jalyn HayesMoore ’24, Justice McDaniel ‘26, Layla Hasan ’25, Amber Wimbish ’24, broke an 11-year-old school record by running a time of 3:50.72 in the qualifying rounds.
The Mustangs competed in the 2023 WCAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Good Counsel High School. They finished the season at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor 2023 at University of Pennsylvania on June 15-18th.
GIRLS LACROSSE - HEAD COACH ADAM GREER
The girls’ lacrosse team continued to develop and grow on and off the field. The season was highlighted by dominant wins over non-conference rivals Jackson-Reed High School (DC) and Bowie High School (PG County).
Goalie Grace Gidoni ‘25 recorded her first career shutout, a rare feat in lacrosse, and was the second goalie all-time at BMHS to record 20+ saves in a game. Midfielder Kynnedy Wallace ‘24 led the team with 43 goals, the most scored by a Mustang since 2013, placing her 4th all time in single season goals. The Mustangs will return with a strong group of rising seniors and are looking forward to the 2024 season!
BOYS TENNIS - HEAD COACH DEBORAH CAMPBELL
What a season! This season was a season of new players and a new way of looking at tennis for the boys. We focused on building their skill sets while working on strategizing to win more games. During the season, the players also concentrated on being aggressive to win games and improved in their matches. We would like to congratulate Kyle Stokes ‘23, Tristan Corley ‘25, Ayden Rice ‘26, and Isaiah Cooper ‘26 for being a higher seed in the WCAC Championships.
Hello from the Bishop McNamara Counseling Team
This year, we also hosted four cohorts of SAT prep classes for the juniors. We even took the parents on a field trip on our new coach bus to discuss their role in the college admissions process.
This year, the Counseling department is proud to have a team that brings over 50 collective years of experience in academic, socio-emotional, and college/career counseling!
During the school year, our 9th and 10th grade counselors and their students have a primary focus on academic preparation, the PSAT, and enrichment opportunities. 11th and 12 grade continues with a strong academic focus, SAT prep, building college lists and recommendation letters. The counseling team recently created a diagram that outlines college prep expectations for each year.
We started the 20222023 school year off by visiting classrooms for introductions and highlighting the role of a school counselor within the high school setting. The Counseling team was also fortunate to host a counselor intern who is earning his Master’s Degree in School counseling from George Washington University.
Since academics and course selection are a key factors in college admissions, counselors met with students one on one to discuss their course registration and appropriate rigor for the 2023-2024 school year. Counselors also collaborated with teachers to ensure that students were enrolled in the appropriate levels based on several academic factors.
We conducted family information nights for each grade level to share the role of the student, counselor, and parent to ensure academic and personal success for this past school year.
Questions on our counseling program?
Email Shamelle Yemofio, our Director of Counseling, at shamelle.yemofio@bmhs.org.
Throughout the year the counseling department has promoted mental health and wellness by hosting a multi-session friendship counseling group, a stress awareness group and an academic support group. Counselors were also available in the Mona Center to give wellness surveys during each lunch period. Students received a stress ball or fidget toy for completed surveys. Counselors followed up with students who indicated that they had a mental health concern. Additionally, the Counseling Center printed and posted mental wellness tips in all the bathrooms and each month corresponded to a theme.
Our final event of the year was our College and Career Decision Day event. This was the first year that the entire school attended in the same location since May 2019. The Class of 2023 submitted over 1,900 applications to 344 colleges across 41 different states.
This summer, we hosted our very popular college application workshop to help students get a jumpstart in the multi-step college admissions process.
We are so proud of our students, and the team’s work this year! If you haven’t yet, be sure to visit (and continue to visit) the BMHS website to see the “Happy List”, where we detail all of our seniors’ college acceptances. Follow us on Twitter @BMHS_to_College to find out more about what’s happening in the Counseling Office.
Thank you for catching up with us! n
BISHOP M c NAMARA WOULD LIKE TO SEND A SPECIAL THANK YOU to all of our wonderful community businesses and organizations who sponsored our Mustang Cup this year! We were so grateful to raise over $103,000 towards the Bishop McNamara Fund. We could not do this work without your incredible support.
Save the date for next year’s Mustang Cup on June, 14, 2024!
EVENT SPONSOR
MUSTANG SPONSORS
MAROON SPONSOR
BEVERAGE SPONSOR
GERALD MOORE
ALUMNI PARENT
DRIVING RANGE SPONSOR
LUNCH SPONSOR
TEE SPONSORS
www.corenic-cg.com
Ways to Support Bishop McNamara
Support the Bishop McNamara Fund
Gifts to the Bishop McNamara Fund will go towards our tuition assistance initiatives, professional development, expanding our programs, capital improvements, and ensuring our Mustangs continue to have meaningful experiences throughout the school year.
Family Support Fund
Our Family Support Fund allows students whose families are facing financial hardship to continue their education uninterrupted by assisting with expenses such as tuition, books, uniforms, student fees, and meals/ groceries. As the school year gets further underway, the recession that has gripped our markets will have a direct impact on the students who need our school the most. Inflation only makes that a more challenging burden and a world-class education should not be unattainable for our families.
The 1964 Society: Planned Giving
Honoring the founding year of Bishop McNamara, The 1964 Society allows generous benefactors to give with the greatest impact and in the easiest way – by including Bishop McNamara High School in your will or estate plans through planned giving. These types of gifts, including wills, trusts, retirement plans, real estate, and insurance policies, are a wonderful way to ensure that the school’s mission will be carried on well into the future.
We are one #bmhsfamily and we’re grateful for your support!
BMHS Family Business Directory - 1st Edition
Over the 22-23 school year, Bishop McNamara began collecting information on businesses owned by our alumni, current parents, alumni parents, and Board members to put together the 1st edition of our BMHS Family Business Directory. This comes on the heels of our inaugural BMHS Family - Business & Networking Expo, held this past January, which featured 50 businesses from within our community. Our hope is that this serves as a resource for members of the BMHS Family to help and support one another, and that this directory continues to grow.
We will continue to develop the Business Directory over this next school year, and more detailed descriptions of the businesses will be available
Commercial and/or Residential Services
F&F Landscaping
Placido S. Freni ‘82
Residential and commercial landscaping services
fflandscaping@gmail.com
703 622 6965 https://fandflandscapingllc.com/about-us/
Furniture Freaks
Xavier Hare ‘17
Junk hauling & moving freaksfurniture@gmail.com
240 676 2307
Gardening & Gifts LLC (DBA Jackie’s Gardening Gems)
Jacqueline Foster BMHS Family Houseplants, plant gifts, and in-home plant care services gardeningandgifts@gmail.com
240 4466 170
Gardeningandgiftsllc.com. or Jackiesgardeninggems.square.site
Henry Adams, LLC
Jeanne Schmager Tebera LR ‘82 Consulting engineering firm jtebera@henryadams.com
410 296 6500
www.HenryAdams.com
LiveWell Outdoors
William H. Banford ‘97 Landscaping services hello@livewelloutdoors.com
301 720 1000 https://livewelloutdoors.com/
on the BMHS website. Alumni are indicated by their graduation year, and parents and community members are listed within this directory as “BMHS Family”.
If you would like to be featured in the business directory, please scan the QR code to take the survey. Please contact Mr. Darrell Holloman II ‘00, Annual Fund and Online Giving Manager, with any questions.
We also look forward to our 2nd Annual BMHS Family Business and Networking Expo, which will be held on Saturday, March 23rd, 2024. We will share more information as the school year gets underway!
Sunrise Cleaning
Maria Bright BMHS Family
Residential, commercial, and special events cleaning services contact@sunrisecleaningonline.com
703 937 7253 www.sunrisecleaningllc.com
TCG Property Care
Krystal Talley ‘07
Landscaping services
301 789 7140 Www.tcgpropertycare.com
Vibes Visuals Vibrations
Janel McCray ‘10
Art and home decor business
Vibesvisualsvibrations@gmail.com
202 492 8630 Vibesvisualsvibrations.com
Supreme Clientele Housing Solutions
Jelani Jackson ‘19
Temporary furnished and serviced housing provider jjackson.real20@gmail.com
301 275 8778 supclientele.co
Construction
Corenic Construction Group
Tia and Brunson Cooper BMHS Family General contractor and construction services info@corenic-cg.com
202 735 5608; 301 957 5282; 443 836 5370 https://corenic-cg.com/
Luna Concrete
Angel Luna BMHS Family Construction services
301 352 5862
https://lunaconcrete.com/
Consulting
BlitzAssociates LLC
Natalie Williams BMHS Family Marketing communications firm inquire@blitzassoc.com
202 904 9466 www.blitzassoc.com
Cloudforce
Yayoi Vanzego ‘09 IT/Cloud consulting firm
yvanzego@gocloudforce.com
202 803 6500
www.gocloudforce.com
Dusseau Solutions, LLC
Daniel Dusseau ‘83 Safety and security consulting services dan@dusseau-solutions.com
571 296 6990
https://dusseau-solutions.com/
G.S. Proctor & Associates
G. “Steve” Proctor BMHS Family Lobbying & consulting firm gsp@gsproctor.com
301 952 8885
https://www.gsproctor.com/
Government contractor
Derrick Bailey BMHS Family Government contractor info@ezratinc.com
240 495 6351
Ezratinc.com
JLAN Solutions
Ronnette Meyers BMHS Family Full-service IT management and consulting firm
JLAN@jlansolutions.com
202 491 7036
https://jlansolutions.com/
BMHS Family Business Directory
Pantera Management Group
Rob Summers ‘86
Workforce development, business consulting and contracting and employement compliance services
Info@panteramgt.com
202 844 2808 http://panteramgt.com/
Proven Managment
John Middlebrooks BMHS Family Logistics services solutions@provenmgmt.com
202 558 6787 https://www.provenmgmt.com/
Resurgance Consulting
Ashley Sharp ‘11 Public sector, integrated communications, and community engagement consulting services ashley@resurgencebrand.com https://resurgenceconsulting.com/
Two Fifth Consulting INC.
Jermand Hagan BMHS Family Technology management consulting firm jhagan@2fifth.com
301 358 2898 www.2fifth.com
uniik Creatives LLC
Dominiqua Eldridge ‘11 Brand, logo, social media visual and website development services hello@artbyuniik.com uniikCreatives.com
Financial Services
AccountAbility Tax Services
Kevin Smoot ‘00 Accounting firm ksmoot@accountability-inc.com
301 242 3258 www.accountability-inc.com
Edward Jones Investments
Kendall Pace ‘13 Finanical advisor kendall.pace@edwardjones.com
301 249 4771 www.edwardjones.com/kendall-pace
Equitable Advisors
Michael Mosslih ‘95
Investment and financial services
Michael.mosslih@equitable.com
516 358 3984
Fernandes, DeGennaro & Associates
Luigi DeGennaro ‘77
Accounting services https://www.fdassoc.com/index.html
Holloman Enterprises
Darrell Holloman Sr. BMHS Family Accounting services dh1@hollomanenterprisesllc.com
Intelligent Tax solution
LaChanda Wooten LR ‘87 Accounting firm
lachanda@intelligenttaxsolution.com 240 455 4635 www.intelligenttaxsolution.com
Medical Association of Billers
Nancy Young ‘86 Association of professional medical billers nancy@mabillers.com 888 507 0021 www.mabillers.com
O’Connor, Desmarais, and Bolyard, PLLC
Carl Desmarais ‘74 Financial guidance, accounting, tax planning, and preparation services office@odb-cpa.com
703 777 3000
https://www.odb-cpa.com/
Royalty Business Group
Sharon Harrell LR ‘86 Financial and retirement coaching services
royaltybusinessgroup.202@gmail.com
202 210 6828 www.RoyaltyBusinessGroup.com
The Agency at National Harbor
Brandi Bridgett ‘04 Financial advising firm
Brandi@theagencynationalharbor.com
240 222 1854 Www.theagencynationalharbor.com
Zenith Wealth Partners
Adrienne Davis ‘09 Investment management and financial planning firm adrienne@networthzenith.com
301 633 3365
https://zenithwealth.partners/
Bazilio Cobb Associates
Ralph Bazilio BMHS Family Accounting, audit, and tax preparation services
202 737 3300
https://baziliocobb.com/
Food and Beverage
Artistic Confections
Anissa Mose ‘17
Chocolate-covered treats and sweets artisticconfections1@gmail.com
301 957 8414
www.TheArtisticConfections.com
IHop
Tyoka Jackson ‘89
Restaurant
202 939 0500
Julie St. Marie Catering
Julie St. Marie LR ‘80
Catering business
Julie@JulieStMarie.com
240 882 2369
https://www.JulieStMarie.com
The MonAlicia Bakes
Alicia Reedy ‘12
Bakery themonaliciabakes@gmail.com
301 215 2900 themonaliciabakes.com
Violet Vending
KeVaugn Townsend ‘12
Snack & drink vending machine provider violetvending@gmail.com
301 768 7670 violetvendingdmv.com
Health and Wellness
Beltway ABA Inc.
Tamara Ouckama Hawkins BMHS Family Applied Behavior Analysis services for children and young adults Beltwayaba@gmail.com
240 242 3949 www.beltwayaba.com
Camp Springs Pediatric Dentistry
Nicholas Gordon ‘04 Pediatric dental services
301 909 5855
https://campspringskids.com/
Cherise Mattheson, LMSW
Cherise Mattheson BMHS Family
Licensed mental health professional, wellness expert, author cemwellness@gmail.com
202 743 1154 www.sandsunselfcare.com
Dr Antonino Barbaro Family & Cosmetic Dentistry
Dr. Antonio Barbaro, DDS ‘83 Dentistry receptionist@drbarbaro.com 443 300 0400 drbarbaro.com
Dr. Millicent Edgar, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC Dr. Millicent Edgar LR ‘83
202 681 3533
https://provider.kareo.com/millicent-edgar-1
DXT Therapeutic Serices
Michelle Hare BMHS Family Mental Health Agency
mhare@dxtservices.com
2406762895
www.dxtservices.com
Harmon Orthodontics
Dr. David E. Harmon ‘84 Orthodontic services
harmonortho@gmail.com
301 333 3900 www.harmonortho.com
Healthy Kinder International, LLC
Dr. Astril Webb BMHS Family
Cultural competency training and mental health coaching services Healthykinder@gmail.com
2403936116
www.Healthykinder.international
Impressions Therapy
Monica Titus BMHS Family Pediatric therapy services
301 238 4723 ; 301 238.5290 ; 301 238.4788 https://impressionstherapy.com/
Mend Behavioral Health and Wellness
Tamika Williams BMHS Family
Mental health services mendllc7@gmail.com
2406064039
Pasquale Santini, MD
Dr. Pasquale Santini ‘86 Internal medicine
301 656 9170 ext.102 https://pasqualesantinimd.com/
Resilient Child Therapy Institute, LLC
Kristian Owens ‘05
Mental health practice for children, teens, and families
info@resilientchildtherapy.com
3018614632
www.ResilientChildTherapy.com
SOUL COLE
Brandon Coleman ‘10
Luxury wellness consulting and coaching brand
getwell@soulcolethebrand.com
https://www.soulcolethebrand.com/
Throne LLC, DBA The Throne Growth Solutions
Sherry Bryant BMHS Family
Personalized hair loss service thethronegrowthsolutions@gmail.com
3012566977
www.thethronegrowthsolutions.com
Legal
Ferrante & Dill
Nick Ferrante ‘84 Attorney services info@fdhlegal.com
410 204 1397
https://fdhlegal.com/?team=nicholas-ferrante
The Law Office of Shipley & Horne, P.A. Aurthur Horne Jr. ‘79 Legal services info@shpa.com
301 925 1800 https://shpa.com/contactus/
Tracy Miller Law, LLC
Tracy Miller ‘93
Family law services
410 941 4760 tracymillerlaw.com
Life Services
Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory
Bob Kalas ‘77 Funeral and memorial services 410 956 4488 https://kalasfuneralhomes.com/
Media & Entertainment
Brown Box Television
Natalie Williams BMHS Family
Free culturally diverse programming natalie@brownboxtv.com
202 904 9466 www.brownboxtv.com
Crow Entertainment
Brian McDaniel BMHS Family DJ services info@crowentertainment.com 443 968 8975 www.crowentertainment.com
DHM PHOTOS
Mike Anderson ‘94 Professional photography and video services dhmceo@dhmmultimed.com
240 406 9158 www.dhmphotos.com
Simply Ari Media | The Green-Eyed Dreamer
Ariel Gaskill ‘09
Faith-based Social Media Marketing and Brand Development Company simplyarimedia@gmail.com | itsthegreeneyeddreamer@gmail.com 347 674 1267 simplyarimedia.net | thegreeneyedreamer.com
Carter IV Entertainment
Kevin Carter BMHS Family
360 Spinners & Photo Booth carteriv.llc@gmail.com
240 997 0948
DJ Hollo
Darrell Holloman II ‘00 DJ services thedjhollo@gmail.com
240 603 5183
Dot Connector LLC
Yolanda Arrington ‘96
Content generation and management services yolanda@yolandaarrington.com 405 703 9644 yolandaarrington.com
SimiShoots
Simi Sanni ‘21 Photography services simishootss@gmail.com 240 760 8793
https://simishootss.myportfolio. com/?fbclid=PAAabXbDceMxlLu1Vlqh53-mtxz Y4WVoWu2IgWueONVRMY02zBA9HIGzUzbmA
Taylor Brown 31, LLC
Taylor Brown ‘11 Media services brown31tvm@gmail.com www.taylorbrown31.com
Non-profit
GOOD Projects
Darius Baxter ‘11 Nonprofit organization serving the Greenleaf community of Southwest DC www.goodprojects.org
PALS- Parenting, Advice, Leadership Services
Nsia Frenche ‘09
Community-based family support non-profit Palsdonations@gmail.com
301 244 9189 www.PALSnonprofit.org
From Pain to Power Corporation
Brielle Bucksell ‘13
A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that educates the community on domestic violence, means of support and preventative measures including self-defense. frompaintopowercorp@gmail.com
240 640 6942 https://frompaintopowercorporation.org/
The We Are All Educators, Org. (The WAAE)
Darrell Holloman II ‘00
Career mentorship and workforce development nonprofit wearealleducators@gmail.com
240 603 5183 www.wearealleducators.org
Real Estate
David Swann - Realtor - EXIT Landmark Realty
David Swann ‘95 Realtor Swannsoldit@gmail.com
240 626 1103 www.swannsoldit.com
Fairfax Realty Elite - Realtor
Andrea Jenkins BMHS Family Realtor andreajenkinstherealtor@gmail.com@ gmail.com
301 343 0949
AndreaJenkinsTheRealtor.com
Maryland Realtor
Jayme Smith ‘06 Realtor
Buyandsellwithjayme@gmail.com
240 554 5401 Jaymesmith.net
McArthur Realty Group
Ebony McArthur BMHS Family Real estate services emcarthurrealestate@gmail.com
410 963 8249 www.McArthurRealtyGroup.com
Mortgage Professional Karimah Simon ‘13 Loan officer Karimah.simon@benchmark.us
240 595 3577 Ainorhomeownership.com
RE/MAX Experience
Pasquale Carannante ‘00
Real estate broker pcarannante82@gmail.com
410 255 0000 mrpasadenamd.com
21st Century Expo Group, Inc/ The Campus
Iman McFarland ‘05
Event production company iman@21stceg.com
240 204 2501 Www.21stCEG.com & www. thecampusdmv.com
Real Estate
Chazi Diggs ‘13
Real estate resources for homebuyers and sellers Chazi@csre.info
202 813 1998 ChaziDiggs.com
Retail
An Unlikely Story Bookstore & Cafe
Jeff Kinney ‘89
A café, bookstore and an event space in Plainville, MA. orders@anunlikelystory.com 508 699 0244 https://www.anunlikelystory.com/
Athey Rosaries
Nicki Athey LR ‘92 Custom rosaries athey.rosaries@gmail.com 703 371 8514 https://www.atheyrosaries.com
Essential Tees
Yolanda Arrington ‘96 Shirts & accessories hello@essentialteesshop.com 405 703 9644 essentialteesshop.com
FlightSchool EST. 2019
Jamaal Crowder ‘00
Clothing brand Flightschoolest2019@gmail.com
240 304 6018 www.flightschoolest2019.com
Gift Baskets by Teresa
Teresa Peel BMHS Family
Home-based Self-Care/Wellness Gift Baskets tpeel2@verizon.net
301 325 0787
Paparazzi Jewelry Kee-Kee’s Gems
Marquitta Johnson BMHS Family Jewelry and accessories keekeesgems77@gmail.com
240 606 2867 www.keekeesgems.com
Serena Scents
Raquel James ‘21 Skincare business serenascents2019@gmail.com
240 646 4989
serenascents.myshopfiy.com
A ‘Marie Bath and Body
Renita Fergerson BMHS Family Skincare business
Info@amariebathandbody.com
202 468 9174 www.amariebathandbody.com
Camille Crowns
Camille Riley ‘11
Hair stylist & educator
Crownedbycamille@gmail.com
202 378 8231
Dream Sky Balloons
Davina Young ‘11
Balloon artist
dreamyskyballoons@gmail.com
240 507 6267
https://dreamyskyballoons.com/
Itsy Bitsy Flower Farm
Rachel Ayres ‘09
Flower farm with subscriptions, gifts, and arrangement services
Rachel.ayres@itsybitsyflowerfarm.com
410 474 8111
ItsyBitsyFlowerFarm.com
Paws And All
Tiffany Chavis-Easter ‘01
Dog grooming services
Info@pawsandallgrooming.com
301 550 0312
Pawsandallgrooming.com
Ware Shark
Robert Jackson Jr. ‘15 & Markel Gale ‘15
Private label e-commerce company
Wareshark1@gmail.com
202 810 3141
Wareshark.com
Transportation
Capital Area Transportation and Executive Services (CATES)
Anthony Haythe BMHS Family Transportation services
301 437 1031; 301 442 5658
https://captranexec.com/home-2
Lavish Life Luxury Transportation
Herman Gloster ‘96
Event transportation services
lavishlifesprinters@gmail.com
202 595 6063
Nite Owl Transportation
Damon Atwater ‘92
Auto carrier
NiteOwltransport.247@gmail.com
240 285 9835
AN
ALUMNINEWS La Reine & McNamara
The information on these pages reflects news shared with the Advancement Office through June 30th, 2023. If you have updates to share, please email us at advancement@bmhs.org!
Alisha Rena Peek '14 lived her dream this past February as she performed with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at The Kennedy Center, her first time performing there. Congratulations, Alisha! n
Justin McClain ‘00 and his wife Bernadette welcomed their youngest daughter, Catherine Sophia McClain, on August 1, 2021. Last summer, Justin also started a new position of K-12 Educator Resources Coordinator for The Cardinal Newman Society. n
Janine Corley ‘16, a medical student at Case Western University, was recently recognized by The University of Southern California Innovations in Medical Education Conference for a climate change abstract, “Let’s Talk Climate Change: An Integrated Approach to Medical School Curriculum,” which she worked on with School of Medicine Associate Professor Karen Bolte Mulloy, DO, MSCH. Congratulations, Janine! n
Congratulations to Josephine Kalshoven '15, whose short story, "Connected Player" was published in Nature magazine this past January! You can read her story on the Nature magazine website! n
Our
wonderful La Reine alumnae had a blast at the La Reine Throwback Game in January! Our girls basketball team faced Elizabeth Seton while wearing commemorative La Reine High School uniforms. Velveetta (Somerville) Battle LR ‘74, a 2022 Hall of Fame inductee, served as the honorary captain for the game. nALUMNINEWS ALUMNINEWS
Jason Reynolds '00 served as the keynote speaker at our Accepted Students Day this March! Jason shared incredible stories about his time at Bishop McNamara and the teachers who inspired him. Jason also recently received the 2023 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring his significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens. n
Breana Ross '15 recently published a children's book, "I Am Affirmed from A to Z," with her mother, Denise Ross! The book is designed to help children learn how to affirm themselves and to encourage parents and educators to help kids build self-confidence. Learn more and purchase copies via their website: https://dbross.com/ n
Congratulations to Jeff Kinney ‘89! His Diary of a Wimpy Kid main character, Greg Heffley, can now be seen in the Stamp Student Union at the University of Maryland. The statue was unveiled in April. (Photo by Jess Daninhirsch for The Diamondback) n
Favour Aire '22 made BMHS history this past March as the first-ever boys' basketball player to go on to play in the Final Four! Favour played for the University of Miami Hurricanes who faced UConn in the Final Four. n
Congratulations to BMHS alum Spencer Anderson '18 who was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL Draft this spring! n
Congratulations to La Reine High School alumna and BMHS Board Member Mrs. Robin Whitfield LR '86, recently appointed Associate Vice President for Finance and Bursar in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer at Howard University! n
IN LOVING MEMORY...
The information on these pages reflects news shared with the Advancement Office from November 2, 2022 through July 12, 2023.
Christine Marie Morrison LR ‘68 passed away on June 13, 2021.
Jeanette Lynn Onyango Phillips LR '87 passed away on December 16, 2021.
Wayne J. Strickland ‘74, husband of Mrs. Laura (Lukasewicz) Strickland RN LR '76, passed away on November 21, 2022.
Mr. William B. Griffith ‘67
Mr. Thomas G. Smith '80 passed away on December 1, 2022.
Mr. Keith Raynor, father of Kaylin Raynor ‘25, passed away on December 26, 2022.
Carol F. Hermann, mother of Michael Hermann '75 , William Hermann '76, Susan Berry LR '79, and Karen Buckley LR '90 passed away on December 28, 2022.
Joseph Barbaro, father of Ms. Santina Iannone LR '81, Dr. Antonino Barbaro '83, Ms. Maria Buettner LR '85, and father-in-law to Mrs. Caterina Barbaro LR '82, passed away on January 6, 2023.
Antone "Tony" Perry, father of Kalea Perry '20, passed away on January 17, 2023.
Mrs. JoAnn Morrow, mother of Erin Morrow ‘94, passed away on January 24, 2023.
Mrs. Patricia Ann Trainor, mother to Mrs. Patricia Musselman LR ‘83, Mrs. Lisa M. Kost LR '86, Mr. Paul J. Trainor '91, *Mrs. Laura S. Brown '95, mother-in-law to Mr. Patrick G. Musselman '84, grandmother to Erin Musselman '14 and Kyle Musselman '17, passed away on March 5, 2023.
*Deceased
Eternal rest, grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen
Mary Kirk Gobbett LR '67 passed away on March 15, 2023.
Dr. Marilee Sipski LR '68 passed away on March 16, 2023.
Eileen Estepp Marletta, mother of Jim Estepp ‘84 (BMHS Board Member), passed away on March 21, 2023.
Gloria Ruth Savage, mother of Ms. Darlene Van Valkenburg LR '75, passed away on April 13, 2023.
Lillian Virginia Eunice Hayes Epps, mother of Ms. Maurene McNeil LR '75, passed away on April 13, 2023.
Br. Donald Blauvelt, C.S.C, Brother of Holy Cross, Former Board Member and friend of Bishop McNamara, passed away on June 4, 2023.
Jerro Shaw, father of Bershawn Shaw LR ‘91, passed away on June 8, 2023.
Mary Margaret Reilly, mother of Kevin Reilly ‘81 and James V. Reilly ‘82, passed away on June 12, 2023.
Timothy B. Ellerbe '84 passed away on June 20, 2023.
Margaret M. "Peggy" Buckley, mother of Laura Reidy LR '75, Karen M. Gilger LR '77, James F. Buckley '79, John R. Buckley '80, William E. Buckley '80, Daniel P. Buckley '82, and Thomas M. Buckley '84 passed away on July 7, 2023.
For more information, please contact Sandy Mammano, Director of Donor Relations, at 301.735.8401 ext. 295.
BISHOP McNAMARA HIGH SCHOOL
6800 Marlboro Pike Forestville, MD 20747-3270
301.735.8401
www.bmhs.org
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by @garrettgeeVISION:
Empowered leaders, inspired by the Gospel, transforming the world.
MISSION:
To educate hearts and minds in a dynamic, inclusive Catholic school community rooted in the Holy Cross tradition.
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Bishop McNamara High School is an exempt organization as described in Section 501c3 of the Internal Revenue Code: EIN 52-0805939. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. A copy of the current financial statement of Bishop McNamara High School is available by writing to the Office of Institutional Advancement, Bishop McNamara High School, 6800 Marlboro Pike, Forestville, MD 20747 or by calling 301-735-8401. Documents and information submitted under the Maryland Solicitations Act are also available, for the cost of postage and copies, from the Maryland Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401, (410) 974-5534.
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