PILLARS
MAGAZINE
September 2022 Volume 1 Issue 1
September 2022
PILLARS
BT HAPPENINGS
October 1 - Serve for the Cure Volleyball Tournament
October 7 - Homecoming October 15 - Fall Arts Festival October 30 - Open House November 4 & 5 - Emma! a Pop Musical November 12 & 13 - Titan Tidings Christmas Gift Show Follow us on Social Media
@blessedtrinitycatholic
blessed trinity catholic
@btcatholic
PILLARS
MISSION This magazine is produced by the Blessed Trinity Catholic High School Communications Office. Cathy Lancaster Principal Patrick Dever '07 Communications Coordinator Laura Schwartz Communications Coordinator Students pictured on cover (l-r): Grant Hodges, Sarah Stewart, Luke Payne, Lauren Leszynski, Maximus Matthews, Emma Nicolosi and Christopher Moody
03
Blessed Trinity Catholic High School exists to provide a nurturing educational environment that transforms lives in Christ, integrating spiritual formation, academic excellence, artistic sensibility, and athletic achievement.
TABLE OF CONTENTS The Blessed Trinity Difference Letter from the Principal 04 Spiritual Formation 06
Spotlight on Campus Ministry
Academic Excellence Sophia Caiello 07 Artistic Sensibility 09
Blessed Trinity Alumni Making a Difference
Athletic Achievement 10-11
Gatorade National Player of the Year, Riley Jackson
04
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
As we begin our 23rd year, we look back at all that brought us to where we are today and truly give thanks for the vision that became our mission at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School. This year, our faculty, staff, students and community have been challenged to “Be The Difference.” In keeping with the mission, these challenges reflect the four pillars upon which we strive to uphold in every aspect of our great school. Our Campus Ministry team has grown this year with the addition of two new staff members. We welcome back Anne Birth, a previous team member from 2007-2019, as the Director of Campus Ministry. Joining her is Sara Walters, our Assistant Director of Campus Ministry, who comes to us from Holy Spirit Catholic Church where she served for five years in their Youth Ministry Program. In the following pages, you will read about their dedication to the spiritual formation of our students through the many new programs and service opportunities they are creating at Blessed Trinity. They are also encouraging the formation of stronger connections within our campus community. There are many new faces that have been added to our amazing faculty and staff for the 20222023 school year. Over the summer, we hired a new assistant principal, Mr. Chris Fason, as well as 15 new teachers, coaches, and support staff. Our Titans continue to raise the bar academically, as we currently have 18 students that have been recognized nationally by the College Board for excelling in their classrooms and on College Board assessments. Seventeen students have won the National Hispanic Recognition Award, and one student is the recipient of the National African American Recognition Award. In addition, eight seniors have been recognized as Commended Students in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program. Blessed Trinity junior, Sophia Caiello, is leading the way in STEM by becoming the first Blessed Trinity Robotics student to place at a state level at the Peachtree District State Championship of the FIRST Robotics Competition. Our schedule of Fine Arts events and performances is included on the inside cover. This year, the Fall Arts Festival takes place in October followed by the musical, "Emma!", in November. Our bands and chorus will host the annual Christmas concert in December. We have two brand new faces and two familiar returning faces in our Fine Arts department. Joining BT are Alyssa Harris, our new Choral Director and Jerica Henderson, our Graphic Arts teacher. We welcome back Gia Mongell Binner (BT ‘10) and Joanna Grissom (BT ‘13), two alumni working with dance and theater, respectively. Rising to the challenge of a new athletics classification brings many challenges but also opportunities. Competing against neighboring schools will bring many new faces to our campus and provide an opportunity for those who live nearby a firsthand glimpse of all that we have to offer at Blessed Trinity. Throughout this year, we will have many opportunities to celebrate Blessed Trinity junior, Riley Jackson, our very own National Gatorade Player of the Year (page 10-11). Riley was presented this prestigious award over the summer in our Learning Commons, where her teammates, family, coaches and staff joined me in being a part of the surprise announcement. I look forward to all that this year will bring, and I am honored to be part of the Blessed Trinity mission. May God continue to bless our school, students, faculty and staff, and the entire Blessed Trinity community. In Christ, Cathy Lancaster Principal
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
05
ALEX AGCAOILI
Alexander Agcaoili embodies the four pillars of the Mission Statement. He might be the most involved student at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School. Agcaoili is a member of more than 18 clubs and organizations. "If I were to use a single word to describe my four years at Blessed Trinity, it would be experimental. I would take every chance that I had to try something new when the opportunity arose. There were so many clubs and activities that I would have never considered until coming to high school. The idea of doing an art literature magazine club sounded completely outside of my depth, but when I saw that PANORAMA was led by my English teacher, Mr. Jackson, I decided that I would give it a try. If I had never gone outside of my comfort zone, I would have never gotten to experience all the fun moments shared in the club, nor would I have met the friends made over the years. By going out and trying new things at school, I came to discover new things about myself such as newfound interests as well as talents," said Agcaoili. Alex's experimental nature is alive in the classroom as well. He said, "During my time as a student there are many teachers that I connected with while I was a student. Ms. Vilardi was very fond of me as a student in her Old Testament Covenants class. She would contact my mom via email throughout the first semester, giving her words of great praise towards me as an engaged student who asked complex questions. Another teacher that I will not forget is Mr. Howell. Much like Ms. Vilardi, he would frequently talk with my parents and me. In the hallways, he would always greet me with a smile and ask how I was doing, and later on, I would come to discover that he recommended me to be an ambassador." As an ambassador, Alex is entrusted with sharing the Blessed Trinity Mission with prospective families. "The best single piece of advice I could give an incoming student would be to have confidence. There are many clubs and other organizations offered at this school that will help you continue to discover who you are and what things you are passionate about. There are great teachers who are excited to teach you and will meet your interest in the classroom with equal enthusiasm. The athletics and fine arts programs at this school produce impressive students, and if you give any a try. you will be met with encouragement and great sportsmanship. The campus ministry and guidance office present many fantastic resources to help you strengthen your bond with God, and talk through any troubles or worries you are having both in your personal life as well as with school."
Alex is a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Tri M Music Honor Society, the BT Battery, PANORAMA literary art magazine as an editor, Academic Team, BT FBLA, Environmental Club, Engineering Club, PAX Christi, Interact Club, Titans of Mercy Club, St. Peregrine's Club, BT Mass Musicians, STARS Tutors, HOSA, Orientation Leaders for Vianney, Science Club, Yoga Club, Culinary Club, Cross Country, House Leaders, and Broadcasting Club. He is also involved with the BT Fine Arts program and plans on auditioning for the Winter play and Spring musical, as he enjoyed being a part of last year's Clue! and Freaky Friday productions.
06
PILLARS
SPOTLIGHT ON Blessed Trinity Campus Ministry is dedicated to supporting and promoting the BT mission statement, "transforming lives in Christ."
A new school year brings new faces to the halls of Blessed Trinity, and our Campus Ministry team finds itself welcoming back a familiar face as well as a new face. Anne Birth, the new Director of Campus Ministry, returns to Blessed Trinity after working at the Catholic Church of St. Ann for the past two years. She was a member of our Campus Ministry team from 2007-2019 and is excited to be back and working with our students again. Our new Assistant Director of Campus Ministry, Sara Walters, comes to Blessed Trinity from Holy Spirit Catholic Church where she was a youth minister for the past five years. Together with administrative assistant Kelly Todd, this trio has put together a schedule this fall that offers countless opportunities for students to strengthen their spirituality at Blessed Trinity.
CAMPUS MINISTRY
Blessed Trinity's Campus Ministry Team Kelly Todd, Anne Birth and Sara Walters
In addition to the opportunity to participate in daily rosaries and Adoration in the Chapel every Friday, local priests are onsite twice a month for Friday confessions. The team has introduced a new weekly Jesus & Java gathering on Tuesdays for the 6:45 a.m. Mass at St. Peter Chanel followed by coffee, breakfast and fellowship before school begins at 7:45 a.m. The first student-led Kairos Retreat is scheduled to take place the weekend of October 21-23 at LifeTeen Camp Covecrest and several service projects and opportunities have already been made available to students. Opportunities for parent involvement are also available and include Eucharistic Guardians during weekly adoration, a Mom’s Prayer Group and a Mom’s Bible Study. For more information regarding spiritual formation, service hour requirements and opportunities for parents to get involved, please visit the website at www.btcatholic.org/spiritual-formation.
SOPHIA CAIELO '24
07
In April of 2022, Sophia Caiello became a finalist in the FIRST Robotics Competition with the Dean's List Award making her the first Blessed Trinity Robotics student to place at a state level at the Peachtree District State Championship. Each year, GeorgiaFIRST Robotics participates as a Career Technical Student Organization (CTSO) at the state level for the Georgia Department of Education. With this designation, FIRST Robotics is asked to appoint four students to serve as officers for the upcoming school year, 2022-23. GeorgiaFIRST makes the officer selections from their esteemed Dean's List state winners and district event winners. Shortly after receiving this honor, Sophia was nominated by the State Level Dean's List Judge to serve as an officer for the GeorgiaFIRST Robotics Career and Technical Student Organization. Sophia has accepted the position placing Blessed Trinity High School name between the top schools with a FIRST Robotics program with technical and academically advanced recognized students. She is the only female officer among the four Georgia state officers in the FIRST Robotics division.
LEADING THE WAY Over the summer, Sophia attended a 3-day Summer Leadership Camp at the Georgia FFA-FCCLA Center in Covington, Georgia. Leadership skills that she focused on as vice president of outreach included making good first impressions and business etiquette among other helpful ways to gain sponsorships for Robotics programs and establishing curriculum based STEM programs in Archdiocesan schools. Sophia, now a Blessed Trinity junior, has assumed her role as vice president of outreach with the goal of increasing STEM advocacy among schools in Georgia, particularly those within the Archdiocese of Atlanta. She will spend this year speaking at conferences and helping to build an elections process within Georgia FIRST Robotics. Caiello first became involved in science and technology competitions when she joined the FIRST Lego League at Queen of Angels Catholic School in fifth grade. In eighth grade, she joined the FIRST Tech Challenge program and still participates in that today. Last year, she added the FIRST Robotics Competition and has worked side by side with fellow members of the Blessed Trinity Robotics team. Blessed Trinity teacher and Robotics sponsor, Banesa Guaderrama, praises Sophia for her gentle leadership style. She is impressed with Sophia’s “nonagressive” approach to success, the kindness she exhibits among her teammates, and she credits Sophia’s parents’ involvement and guidance as the reason for her many successes. The FIRSTTech Challenges begin in October and last through February with the FIRSTRobotics competitions following from March through April. Sophia will be very busy as she is involved with both programs as well as her leadership position. In addition to her involvement in the competitions, she is also taking a full academic schedule this year that includes 4 AP classes. Sophia hopes to pursue a career in Biomedical Engineering and is looking forward to exploring college and university programs that have opportunities in this program.
08
PILLARS
ONCE A TITAN ALWAYS A TITAN
COMING HOME
In our 22 year history, we have graduated close to 4,000 Titans. After college, those alumni have entered a variety of professional fields, including aerospace, cybersecurity, medicine and finance. One faction of alumni have returned to their Alma Mater as teachers and support staff. Ellen Rick, class of 2012, has been in the Registrar role for four years. The Georgia Southern and Kansas State graduate said, "Working at Blessed Trinity has been a great learning experience. I do find it difficult to call some teachers by their first names, though, since I was in their class as a student." Jennifer (DeMarco) New & Greg Johnson both started their careers at Blessed Trinity in 2012 and are celebrating a decade as Math teachers this school year. Our newest alumni employees are featured on the next page.
Pictured left to right: Amanda Clements ‘09, Sports Medicine Joanna Grissom ‘13, Fine Arts Intern Liana (Kloss) Clements ‘07, Advancement Olivia (Hughes) O’Sullivan ‘08, English Ellen Rick ‘12, Registrar Jennifer (DeMarco) New ‘07, Mathematics Jameson Contratto ‘07, Mathematics Greg Johnson ‘05, Mathematics Patrick Dever ‘07, Communications Not pictured, Gia (Mongell) Binner ‘10, Fine Arts
FINE ARTS
09 Welcome Back
This year, the Blessed Trinity Fine Arts department, for the first time ever, has two alumni working with our students in the classroom. Joanna Grissom, a 2013 Blessed Trinity graduate, is in her final semester at Thomas University working towards a Masters of Arts in Teaching. She is an intern this fall teaching alongside Amanda Ketcham in all of her theater classes. She has been taking the lead role in many of the lessons as well as working with small groups to provide students with a more focused approach to theater studies.
Gia Mongell Binner, a 2010 Blessed Trinity graduate, works once a week with Director of Dance, Joy Clift’s classes to provide another perspective in the art of dance. According to Clift, “Gia is BT dance. She was here in that first decade of growth, the building years. Her talent and love of the artform of dance and BT in general was always palpable, and now she is here to lead us into the future of Dance at BT. She is an amazing teacher and has so much to teach all of our students whether they are pursuing a career in dance or just trying to get their fine arts credit.” Gia’s presence in the BT dance program is to enhance the students’ learning and exploration of different approaches to dance in order to broaden their scope and understanding of dance.
New Faces Jerica Henderson (left): If a leap of faith brought Jerica Henderson to Atlanta, then a twist of luck brought her to Blessed Trinity. Henderson, a Chicago native, joins the Blessed Trinity faculty as our new Graphic Design, Photography and AP Art teacher. Not only does she specialize in graphic design and multimedia, she has a degree in Theatre Arts with experience in directing, production, performance and set design. Alyssa Harris (right): Georgia native Alyssa Harris, Blessed Trinity’s new Choral Director, comes to us fresh out of graduate school at Ball State University where she earned her Masters in Choral Conducting. She is teaching Music Production and Songwriting, Voice and Music, Concert Choir, Piano & Guitar as well as a Pop Music and Culture class. In addition to leading Blessed Trinity’s a capella group, the Trinitones, Harris is working with the theater department on the fall musical Emma! and with the group of students and faculty members that provide music for our all-school Masses.
11
GATORADE NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2021-2022 In its 37th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade announced Riley Jackson of Blessed Trinity Catholic High School as the 2021-22 Gatorade Georgia Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Jackson is the first Gatorade Georgia Girls Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Blessed Trinity Catholic High School. The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Jackson as Georgia’s best high school girls soccer player. Jackson joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Abby Wambach (1997-98), Heather O’Reilly (2001-02 & 2002-03) and Mallory Pugh (2014-15). The 5-foot-8 midfielder scored 14 goals and passed for 18 assists this past season, leading the Titans (19-2-1) to the Class AAAAA state semifinals. Jackson missed the high school postseason while she was leading the U.S. Soccer Under-17 Women’s National Team to the championship at the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying tournament. Jackson was the Golden Ball winner, awarded to the tournament’s best player. Also the Class AAAAA State Player of the Year, she concluded her sophomore year with 36 goals and 48 assists in her prep soccer career. Jackson maintains a weighted 4.26 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally as a youth soccer instructor and camp coach and she’s also a USSF certified, paid soccer referee. To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com
RILEY JACKSON '2
PILLARS
BE THE DIFFERENCE