Winter 2021

Who are those guys anyway?

Friday, August 6, 2021 Glendoveer Golf Course • Noon Shotgun Start Four-person scramble with boxed lunch, followed by the awards dinner.*

Cost is $150 per person/$600 for a foursome.

Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor:

Who are these students? Identify the students above, submit your guess, and the winner will be chosen in a random drawing in March.

Contact Alaina Hill, Advancement Coordinator, with your guess: ahill@centralcatholichigh.org or 503.230.1056 ext. 1229.

There are more opportunities for sponsorship! Contact Sara Wright, Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement, at 503.230.1056 ext. 1243 or swright@centralcatholichigh.org for more details on sponsorship opportunities. * Dinner is tentative based on COVID-19 restrictions.

Congratulations to Chris Horak ’90, who identified the 1989-1990 class officers in the last issue of the Central Catholic Magazine: John Van Houten ‘90, Sara Rentz ‘90, Chad Honl ‘90, and Andrew O’Connell ’90.

Save the Date!

Marquee Reunions

R E U N I O N S

All Classes of the 1940s Classes of 1942-1949 70-Year Reunion Classes of 1950 and 1951 60-Year Reunion Classes of 1960 and 1961 50-Year Reunion Classes of 1970 and 1971 40-Year Reunion Classes of 1980 and 1981

August 2021 Central Catholic Campus

Reunions are planned for August 2021. Exact dates and times will be announced based on COVID-19 and social distancing restrictions.

Features: On the Cover

Students decorated paper bags with messages of love and encouragement for Central Catholic’s weekly sack lunch drives for the Blanchet House.

These sack lunch drives are just one of the many ways our community has continued to remain engaged and give back this past year.

Volume 28 • Number 1 • Winter 2021 Central Catholic Magazine is a publication of Central Catholic High School 2401 SE Stark Street • Portland, Oregon 97214 503.230.1056 • centralcatholichigh.org

Reading at Central Catholic Page 6

Leadership Rev. Msgr. Timothy Murphy ’58, President Emeritus Colin McGinty, President Danyelle Ramsey, Principal Ellie Dir, Vice President of Advancement Board of Directors Bill Winter ’58, Chair Molly Paustian ’85, Vice Chair Harry Hanna ’93, Secretary Matt Chapman ’68 Rev. Jeff Eirvin Dave Gorretta ’87 Mike Laber Therese Leineweber Colin McGinty, Ex-Officio Jonathan McGowan ’92 Connie Ozyjowski Sarah Petrone ’94 Jeannie Ray-Timoney, Ex-Officio Ellen Ridgeway Paul Scarlett Jo Willhite, Ex-Officio Publisher/Layout and Design Jolyn Winczewski Director of Scholarships and Publications

Faculty Profile: David Blue Page 14

Classmate Servants Page 16

Contributing Writers Ellie Dir Bob Fahlman ’76 Grace Laskowski ’09 Colleen Newell Editing Team Cindy Hart Elaine Payne Sara Wright Contributing Photographers Christina Kempster ’09 Colleen Newell

Alumni News Page 20

Central Catholic High School is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, The Western Catholic Education Association, and The Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Notice of non-discrimination as it applies to students and employees at Central Catholic High School:

Central Catholic High School admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all of the rights, privileges, programs, and activities accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school administered programs. Likewise, Central Catholic High School does not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of race, color, national or ethnic origin, or gender.

RAMS

OREGON

2021 Presidents’ Auction Page 24 Winter 2021 |1

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT The saying “many hands make light work” might very well have been first said here at Central Catholic. While the running of such a vibrant and diverse school never feels light, I am reminded every day how fortunate the school is to have such a committed and talented group of people focused on serving and supporting our students.

I usually take this opportunity to share my thoughts on how things are going here at Central Catholic. However, I thought it would be a nice change of pace to introduce you to one of those people focused each day on supporting our mission and serving our students.

Grace Laskowski ’09 returned to Central Catholic four years ago—this time as a staff member—and today is our Director of Campus Ministry. Our Campus Ministry department’s work is rooted in Catholic tradition and is integrated in all areas of the school. Grace and the team are critical to the school’s success and the impact a Central Catholic education has on the lives of our students. I know this from talking to our students coming back from retreat, or who are active in our liturgical minister program.

The Campus Ministry team is doing a great job for our community and I am grateful for their tireless efforts.

Sincerely,

Colin McGinty, President

point B, which goes against our inclinations. Yet, it is our nature as humans to seek a pathway we can follow right to the end, where we won’t have confusion, suffering, or discomfort.

In this issue of the magazine, you’ll read stories of our graduates from the Class of 1962 who went on to become priests. What I love about these stories is that we see them in their vocation more expansively. Their paths weren’t always a straight line, and even when they were, some things were still out of their control or understanding; things surprised them, delighted them, and broke their hearts. These profiles give us a window into their deep gladness and fullness as humans.

While our current students are less likely to leave Central Catholic to become priests or sisters these days, many will catch glimpses of a vocation during their time here. I’ve witnessed the way being a Peer Mentor to our RAMS students changes a student’s trajectory, or a service project opens a student’s eyes to the messiness and hopefulness of the world around them. I see it on Search retreats as I watch students begin to recognize their peers in their wholeness, or when I hear students in the hallway sharing excitedly about what they just learned in class.

When I worked in the Admissions Office, I heard 14-year-olds talk about their gut feeling at the end of their shadow day that Central Catholic was the right fit for them. I told them, “Remember this feeling.” That feeling is a clue to their deep gladness. And when our seniors wonder how they will know what the right next step is, I remind them, “Go back to that feeling.”

For many of our current students, the space between them and religious life might feel too big to cross or even relate to, but the bridge point between religious life as a vocation and their own vocation is what they care about, what energizes or excites them.

Those are the things that will sustain them, nestled next to the things that exhaust and overwhelm them as they go through life.

My hope in the Campus Ministry Office is to help our students cultivate a broader sense of vocation in sync with what they’re discovering and what they desire before leaving 24th and Stark. If we can help them tune in to what they are drawn to, their vocations can be flexible and multifaceted. They might better weather the times when they are unsure how to proceed, overwhelmed, tired, or pushed down.

Grace Laskowski ’09

Director of Campus Ministry There’s a misconception that having a “vocation” means you are called to be a priest, sister, or brother. Everyone has a vocation.

The most fundamental vocation is becoming the person God created, which is both the person you already are and the person God calls you to be. We find it through our desires. What moves us? What touches us? What are we drawn to? Frederick Buechner describes this as “where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” It is not just a calling to religious life or even a profession, but our calling as human beings. A broader understanding of vocation allows our students to build resilience.

It also helps them understand vocation is not always point A to 2 | Central Catholic Magazine

Planting even the smallest seed of what a vocation or vocations can contain provides our students with a sense of the abundance before them, the glory of being alive, and the fact that they are so radiantly ready to take on what lies ahead. Their calling is not merely to be professionals but to be students, classmates, neighbors, citizens, friends, family, and lovers of the world around them. Their vocation will not only be the work they do, which might define them at times and, other times, might not; it will be who and what they love. It will be who they serve. It will be their community.

Sincerely Yours,

Grace Laskowski ‘09 Director of Campus Ministry

ADVANCEMENT

Welcome to the Board

Your Gifts Matter

Name: Mike Laber Occupation: CEO Organization: Webtrends Description: Webtrends is a leader in digital analytics products and services focusing on the collection and presentation of user behavior data for websites and mobile device applications. Recently, we have shifted our focus to business intranets with analytics products enabling organizations to measure content usage, engagement, and team collaboration.

Professional background: I began my career in Portland with the global accounting and consulting firm Arthur Andersen, mainly focused on the technology industry. Then, I spent a couple decades in various financial roles with large public technology companies. In 2015, I became the CFO of Webtrends and in 2017 was promoted to CEO. Education: Accounting degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder Residence: Mt. Tabor Central Catholic connection: Three children have graduated from Central Catholic, Ashley ’16, Anna ’17, and George ’20, and one is currently a junior, Luke ’22 What would you like to see as a legacy of your service to Central Catholic? For Central Catholic to build an endowment the size of Jesuit’s Yardstick of success: My network Mentors: My dad, Bud Word that best describes you: Coachable Like best about Board of Directors’ work: Ability to give meaningful input Most important lesson learned serving on the Board of Directors: It’s different than my day to day job and needs to be treated that way Person you are most interested in meeting: Joe Weston [’56] Pet peeves: Excuses Greatest passion (besides Central Catholic): The great outdoors: biking, fishing, skiing, golfing, and hiking First choice for a new career: Real Estate Developer Favorite quote: “God gave us two ears and one mouth and we should use them proportionately.” [Attributed to Greek philosopher, Epictetus] Most influential book: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown Favorite website: Amazon.com Favorite cause: Greenhouse Scholars Favorite movie: Remember the Titans Favorite musician: The Talking Heads Most treasured possession: My credit card Favorite vacation destination: Montana for activities and Mexico for lounging Favorite restaurant: Coquine Favorite way to spend time: Outside

Our RAMS program encompasses students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) and some recent gifts we received support our vision to provide robust educational experiences in an inclusive, supportive community. In the last four years, we’ve seen this program grow in quality and strength, thanks to the consistent generosity of our supporters, specifically members of the McCall family, including Ted McCall and Rosa Comas, and Robert and Dinah McCall.

Mike Laber

RAMS Program

Since its inception, gifts to our RAMS program have allowed us to purchase equipment, including an interactive SMART board and a class set of iPads, so students in our RAMS program can engage with technology one-to-one. The iPads are an important tool for developing executive functioning, an area in which our students with ID/DD are often impacted. The iPads provide a storage place for all the students’ digital work, but also enhance the RAMS faculty’s ability to quickly and accurately modify lessons by utilizing apps that increase independence in the classroom. More recently, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the school to pivot to digital learning, the iPads allowed each of our students to continue their studies without interruption in the safety of their homes.

Gifts from the McCall family have been used to offset the cost of ongoing educational testing for our students with ID/DD. When parents opt out of public school, they often lose access to the necessary speech, physical therapy, educational, and psychoeducational testing that is critical to students with ID and DD, especially as they age. These assessments are important as they help parents, educators, service providers, and future transition agencies plan for post-secondary transitions. These plans affect not only students’ academics, but all that adulthood has in store for our RAMS students, including financial management, housing, employment, transportation, and their overall independence.

High-quality, comprehensive, up-to-date psycho-social assessments for our RAMS students are costly, and often paid out-of-pocket by our families. To date, thanks to the generosity of the McCall family, we have been able to offset the cost of four comprehensive psycho-educational assessments for students in our RAMS program, with three more scheduled for this spring and next fall.

The ability to access these assessments is hugely important to our goal of building a comprehensive, fully inclusive program for students with ID/DD at Central Catholic. It is difficult to put into words the impact of the McCall family’s generosity. It means the world to the students in our RAMS program and their families.

Winter 2021 |3

YEAR ONE: LOOKING BACK and transparency were available for everyone: students, teachers, and parents. I also wanted to make sure that there were opportunities for students to have voice for forum, discussion, and input on things.

We also restructured Student Life and created an overarching administrator role, which allowed for more support for people who were in directors’ roles. That was an important piece because the Student Life Team does so much for the life of our school. Their work directly impacts a lot of our character virtues and the roles we are working towards in terms of developing our students as whole persons.

Danyelle Ramsey

Modeling Resilience The 2019-2020 school year was like no other: dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, transitioning to long-term digital learning, and having to pivot again and again. And this all took place within Danyelle Ramsey’s first year as principal. While the year looked very different, the mission and vision of Central Catholic has been stronger than ever—due, in large part, to Principal Ramsey’s leadership and unwavering commitment to the school and community. We had the chance to sit down and talk with her as she reflected back on her first year as principal.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Thinking back to August 2019, what were some of your goals heading into the new school year?

Before starting the new school year, I was thinking back to the work we did in the spring of 2019 to create our Vision for Success. I really wanted to put focus on Central Catholic as being a place of character; launching our Character Virtues for our students, making our Vision for Success clear, and articulating it in a profound way for our school to move forward. Many of my goals as principal were centered around that–being intentional about developing students of character and virtue, and making sure that our four character words of the year were integrated into all aspects of our school life.

What were some important changes you planned to implement going into your first year?

A couple of things were really well timed. We had just come out of accreditation the previous year, and we were going to focus on a few things, such as communication and the mental health and wellness of our students. Knowing that we had these goals, which were a result of a deep dive into the school, and having these as a focus for the school was helpful to me.

It was very important to me to start working on communication right away. I wanted to make sure that we had good systems of communication, clear organizational charts, communicated roles within the school, and processes for making sure that information 4 | Central Catholic Magazine

How has your previous work in Campus Ministry helped shape your role as principal?

Every step of learning that I did in Campus Ministry was important in bringing me to this point of being principal, especially in terms of the relationships I built, in learning, and in making mistakes. I had almost 10 years in Campus Ministry, and it gave me a unique perspective of recognizing the bigger picture and having to see beyond just one area of the school.

My work in Campus Ministry also gave me insight into an equality and diversity lens. Working in Campus Ministry in a Catholic school and knowing that not all of our students are Catholic, or even religious, required us to be creative and thoughtful about how we develop the spirituality of all our students. This is something that I’ve brought with me into my role as principal: a solid commitment to focusing on diversity and equity, and making sure that everybody has a voice at the table.

Did you have any concerns or fears as you entered into this role?

I have a lot of concerns and fears every day. There’s not a day when I walk into this job and don’t feel the weight of it. But as a woman of faith, I have learned how to turn those concerns over to God. By doing this, I trust that those fears provide me lines on the road of the journey. I don’t have to be concerned about swerving completely off because I ground those fears and turn them over to the Holy Spirit to direct me in that.

How did your perspective of the school and community change as you entered into this role?

Having been here almost 15 years prior to taking on this role [five years as a teacher and 10 years as Director of Campus Ministry], the challenge was to not let my preconceived ideas of what this role is get in the way of being authentic to who I am and how I relate to people. It’s hard to go from being a teacher to moving into a leadership position and recognize the transitions, relationships, and friendships that happen as you grow in a role like this.

But the things that haven’t changed for me is that Central Catholic is an amazing community, full of dedicated staff and passionate teachers who care about students and families, and who love and support this community. Being in this role is what broadened my perspective of just how deeply those roots run, and how vast the love, care, and support of this community is.

How did your expectations of being principal change for you?

I was surprised at things I thought were going to be easy but were hard, and things I thought were going to be hard were easy, because you don’t know what you’re doing until you’re in it. But I

YEAR ONE: LOOKING BACK really don’t think the full responsibility of what it means to be in this role fully hit me until I had to make a decision to pivot our school into a digital learning environment, and how every decision has a major impact on a lot of lives. That was really the eye-opening moment for me.

Leading up to the ultimate shift to digital learning, how did you approach this transition mentally, spiritually, and pragmatically?

One of the things I know about myself is that when there is an emergency or something gets hard, I tend to get very pragmatic.

I take a lot of my emotions and set them aside, and then look at things from an analytical and decisive place. What I really appreciated was the solid support from a high-functioning leadership and administration team that made it easy for all of us to take a step back, look at what we needed to do, and quickly decide, pivot, and respond.

What other factors made the transition into long-term digital learning so successful?

The thing that’s not lost on me is that I’m not the very first principal at Central Catholic. There is a long history of leadership that has been making decisions and growing this school to be relevant to our times.

Previous leadership was committed to improving technology, and always had an equity lens in terms of access for all students.

They did training and work in a student learning system that everybody had access to and knew. We also have a plan for everybody to have access to technology in our school, which we were able to quickly pivot and individualize to meet student needs. All of those factors helped pave a pathway that made it easier for me to respond and decide, because we already had the tools in place.

I benefited from these factors in the moment because of the forethought and leadership of the people that came before me.

There are people who have been guardians, supporters, and champions of growth and relevance at Central Catholic for a long time.

Looking back on all of this, how has your perspective on planning and preparedness changed?

Due to our frequent practice of Digital Learning days, we had this sense that we were really prepared, that our teachers had all of the training they needed, and that we’d be fine if something happened. This pandemic forced us to look deeper into how drills are good, but they definitely still aren’t enough to prepare you for the real crisis.

Looking back, if hindsight were 20/20, there’s always so much more we could have done to be ready. But I like to focus on how our community of teachers, students, administrators, and staff all worked hard to problem-solve every obstacle we encountered.

We not only overcame them, but used them as opportunities to move forward.

How did this experience inform your role as principal going forward?

It will continue to remind me that we have to always be looking five to ten years ahead. We have to constantly be thinking about, not just serving who’s in front of us today, but how we ensure that

we’re relevant and use every moment as an opportunity to think about who comes next.

How has your faith informed your role as principal?

I couldn’t do what I’m doing without my faith. I believe that to be absolutely true. My faith has been essential in finding grounding, peace, and being able to stay focused on our mission as a Catholic school.

When I was in Campus Ministry, Fr. Matt Libra stopped me one time and said, “Danyelle, don’t forget that developing your own prayer life matters.” I have really thought about that. I’ve circled back to it over the last three or four years and thought about how important it is for me to stay grounded and rooted in my faith so that I can thrive—and in a true way—bring the face of Christ to the work I’m doing, even in the moments when it’s not easy.

How has being a woman informed your role as principal?

For me, I recognize what a powerful witness it is to the young women in our community. I hope that I am someone that leads from integrity, and that then allows some of our young women to actualize themselves in a way they hadn’t considered. I hope it allows them to see themselves as women who can set goals for themselves and push forward. So, it takes all of us women working together, with the support of really incredible men, to recognize that there is space for all of us.

What is one of the biggest highlights this past year for you?

The highlight from this past year is the pride I have for what our community has achieved in really difficult circumstances. The ways we’ve been able to continue to connect students and families, and put our mission of Catholic education at the forefront of everything we do has been incredible. These achievements are a great source of pride for me and a true testament to how Ramily lives itself out, beyond being just a catchy word.

If you could go back and give yourself a piece of advice at the beginning of that first year, what would it be?

As much as I said to always be looking five, ten years ahead, I think my advice would be to accept the unknowns and to not over-plan because you’ll just be redoing it in a little while. While recognizing we have to always be looking ahead, we also have to be open to knowing there’s so much outside of our control.

I think it’s been fortunate that I am somebody who doesn’t mind a lot of organized chaos, and I don’t necessarily need every answer all the time. But I’m also somebody who’s a planner and a perfectionist. This has been a learning experience for me of how fluid things can be, that it’s okay to not have all the answers.

Do you have anything else that you’d like to share?

I want to share that as a school community, we’ve felt your love and support. The depth of our community, especially in the midst of this pandemic, has been wings to carry on. Whether it be financial, whether it be an email or somebody stopping by, there’s always somebody reaching out and asking how they can help.

That’s been really powerful to me.

Winter 2021 |5

ACADEMIC CORNER realized she was more geared towards working with older students. Although she did not end up working with younger students, she notes, “I will always have my heart with that first love that I had with my early reading experience.” This love of reading, paired with the realization of the impact it has on a student’s educational experience, drives her passion to help students build those foundational skills and unlock learning.

Reading at Central Catholic Koty Cole, English Teacher Literacy is a vital building block in a student’s education. It sets the foundation for their academics and exposes them to an endless world of knowledge. But when those foundational skills are not solid, it can impede a student’s learning outcomes.

Recognizing how critical literacy is to a student’s academic progress, Central Catholic has infused a focus on reading comprehension into its academics over the past several years.

The reading program was developed with the goal of helping students build foundational literacy skills, think critically, form character, and become lifelong readers. At the core of this reading program is a dedicated group of teachers who are passionate about literacy and helping students strengthen their reading skills. Among that dedicated team, you will find English teacher, Koty Cole. Koty has been instrumental in building up Central Catholic’s reading program and providing crucial support for students who are struggling with reading comprehension.

Koty brought her passion for literacy and reading to Central Catholic in 2014, after teaching high school English at Portland Lutheran School for 15 years. She has always had a passion for reading, ever since she first learned to read herself. “When I was young, I was obsessed with learning to read,” she shares, “and it just blew my mind once I figured out how to decode words.” After reading clicked for Koty at a young age, it opened up a world of knowledge to her. “That knowledge felt like such a gift,” Koty recalls, and it sent her on the path to academics throughout her entire career.

Koty pursued her love of reading and studied Secondary Education-Language Arts at Concordia University. Right after graduating college, she began teaching full time while simultaneously earning her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Portland State University. Koty started off as an elementary education teacher, thinking she wanted to work with early readers and help open up a world of learning for them in the same way it had for her. But after spending time working in both primary and secondary educational settings, Koty soon 6 | Central Catholic Magazine

When Koty first came to Central Catholic, she was intentional in learning more and asking questions about the reading program, and observing students who were struggling in their reading. She worked closely with teachers and administrators to provide extra support for students who were struggling and started to develop programming that would help students build these skills. Over time, she began to take on a role that was specific to helping this group of students in literacy, which was something that Central Catholic had never had before. In addition to teaching English classes, Koty has shaped the reading program and introduced new instruction that helps students in building their foundational reading skills.

Reading is ubiquitous within a school environment, yet the purpose or outcome of reading across departments can vary widely. “In English class,” Koty explains, “a lot of what we’re doing is reading for enjoyment, reading for meaning, or reading for critical thinking.” Much of the reading that happens in other academic areas, however, is reading to learn. With nonfiction content as the primary reading material, Koty shares, “You’re trying to extract information and build background knowledge.”

This type of reading is especially important for high school students because it prepares them for college, where they will be required to do a lot of nonfiction reading. “For high school students, it’s so important that we focus on reading, because there’s so many different skills involved,” Koty says. The reading program aims to strengthen students’ skills and helps build those that are not yet in place.

Reading is an essential component for English classes at Central Catholic, as students delve into several books throughout the year and engage in discussions and reflections. The reading program for English classes focuses on building critical thinking skills and analysis, while also providing an opportunity for students to work on their decoding skills. “This helps skills-based reading and helps students work at automaticity so that they can recognize words right away,” Koty explains. Increasing word recognition enables students to understand and enjoy what they’re reading instead of laboring through it. Practicing this skill benefits students not only in English class while reading a book, but it translates into different aspects of their learning experience.

“If a student is using all of their brain power and energy just to get through directions for an assignment, they may be exhausted by the time they are done with them and not have the energy to actually complete the assignment,” Koty explains. Practicing and building up basic reading skills and word recognition helps students understand what they are reading, extract information, and dive into those meaningful layers of text.

For those students who struggle with reading comprehension, Koty and the English Department work with them to strengthen and build these skills. A few years ago, they began working with a program called “Foundations” in order to help students

ACADEMIC CORNER who have decoding gaps in their reading. As an assessment program, Foundations is designed to help students develop automatic word recognition, which is essential to reading fluency and comprehension. “This program has a really good research base for its efficacy,” Koty explains. “It’s both a computer program that students have access to, and then I work with them individually as well.” With this additional assistance and special focus, the goal is to get students up to grade level reading and open up the world of learning for them.

One primary way Central Catholic engages all students in reading and aims to create life-long readers is through the summer reading program. Each student is required to select and read a book from a predetermined list and write a short book report. The summer reading program was already in place before Koty came to Central Catholic, but a couple years after her arrival, she and the English Department decided to give students choices and develop a thematic book list for summer reading. “We really like to encourage reading through requirement, but also with choice,” Koty says. “Hopefully that brings in a little bit of motivation to do it so that students know they have a little bit of agency within this requirement.” This was an important step toward motivating students to continue improving their reading skills throughout the summer.

In addition to building these skills, the summer reading program aims to foster character formation in conjunction with Central Catholic’s four character words of the year. The summer reading program evolved a couple summers ago in conjunction with the rollout of Central Catholic’s Vision for Success and focus on the four character words. The English Department decided to purposefully make choices for these lists to help exemplify the character traits to be discussed throughout the year. Students now have choice and purpose in their reading selection, which helps motivate them to accomplish and be engaged in their summer reading.

Another goal of the reading program is to provide different insights and voices, and provoke empathy within the students.

English classes especially, which focus more heavily on fiction, provide opportunities to see things from various perspectives.

“It helps students feel, see, and experience things that they wouldn’t normally in everyday life, and hopefully helps them to be more empathetic people, to consider seeing things from

another point of view,” Koty shares. Reading fiction opens up students to a multitude of perspectives and allows them to explore these in a safe and secure environment. Koty explains, “Especially in first-person narratives, I am able to put myself in someone else’s mindset and think about how those experiences would feel to me.”

Opening students up to different perspectives is also important for their character development. The English Department helps to foster those different narratives by being intentional about the various voices represented in the book choices during the school year. “We reevaluate our texts every year and try to make sure that what we’re teaching not only represents the students we have, but also gives windows into other perspectives,” Koty says.

Because Central Catholic has a novel-based program, meaning teachers use novels in their instruction rather than textbooks, it allows them to easily switch out books and make sure that a plethora of voices are being represented.

As reading becomes a vital part of a student’s educational success, Central Catholic is developing its reading program to help students in everything from basic reading and decoding skills to comprehension and character development. Koty has been integral to this program and her passion for reading and helping students unlock a world of learning has helped build up the reading program. She shares, “I am so thankful that the administration at Central Catholic has been supportive of building base skills and is fully on board with taking a look at where our students are and how we can best support them.”

These efforts to provide full support for students will lead to success in their academics, career, life, and hopefully will lead to lifelong readers.

Keep reading. It’s one of the most marvelous adventures that anyone can have.

Lloyd Alexander

Students snapped photos of themselves reading at home as part of Central Catholic’s social media campaign, which encouraged students to continue reading and boosted the community’s spirits during the pandemic.

Winter 2021 |7

WELCOME TO THE RAMILY

Michael Duarte Instructional Assistant

Michael Duarte was raised in Southeast Portland and attended Holy Family Catholic School and La Salle Catholic College Preparatory before attending the University of Oregon.

He graduated in March of 2019 with a B.Ed. in Family and Human Services and a minor in Special Education. Prior to working at Central Catholic, Michael worked multiple jobs throughout high school and college before working full time as a sales associate at Lululemon Athletica. In addition to working at Lululemon, he worked part time at Central Catholic as an Instructional Assistant in the RAMS Program.

In his spare time, Michael loves to golf, travel, build with LEGOs, and watch Chicago sports. He was raised a Cubs fan and was fortunate enough to attend Game One of the 2016 World Series with his dad and younger brother, an experience he will remember forever. We sat down with Michael to get to know him better: What drew you to be a part of Central Catholic?

What drew me to Central Catholic was the community and the RAMS Program. Knowing that there are very few Catholic schools with special education programs that provide students with inclusive education, the RAMS Program’s virtues and values are what drew me to want to be part of Central Catholic.

What were you looking forward to the most about being a part of Central Catholic?

I was looking forward to being challenged and getting to work with a variety of students. Last year, I worked primarily with the RAMS students and the mentors, however, this year I am taking on more responsibilities with more of the student body.

What were you most excited about as you took on this new role?

I was most excited about the opportunities that will come from this school year and the extra-curricular activities the school provides for staff. I am excited to step into a role with more responsibilities, knowing I will learn and grow from them through patience and practice. It also excites me to see the RAMS Program grow and provide students an opportunity to be lifelong learners.

Do you have any connections to Central Catholic?

Prior to working at Central Catholic, Kathleen Gianotti [Christian Service and Campus Ministry Assistant and wife of Jerry Gianotti ’79] was a large part of my early education at Holy Family. She has been in my life for 10-plus years and I thank her for all she has done both now and when I was a young student at Holy Family.

What do you see as Central Catholic’s greatest strength and how do you plan to build on that?

Central Catholic’s biggest strength is the community. People all over the Pacific Northwest know the Central Catholic brand and that comes from building a strong community back to elementary students. I plan to build on this community by participating and getting involved outside of school.

8 | Central Catholic Magazine

What were your goals for this school year?

My goals for this school year were to become more involved with the community, Student Life, and staff. Another goal of mine is to work towards getting a master’s degree in education and using resources around me on campus to find the right program.

This school year, we are focusing on these four character virtues: Kindness, Integrity, Resilience, and Conscientiousness. Which of these virtues resonates with you the most?

The virtue that resonates with me most is kindness. Everyone is different; has different opinions, learning styles, and challenges, but all people deserve to be treated with kindness.

Which of these virtues will you embrace/embody as you step into your new role?

As I step into my new role, the virtue that I will embrace/embody will be resilience. This school year looks far different than any educator would have anticipated, and in order to succeed, I know that being agile and resilient will make for a more enjoyable and impactful school year.

Marlon Womack Information Systems Analyst

Marlon Womack grew up in Conroe, Texas and moved to Fullerton, California in 1988. He attended California State University Fullerton and then moved to Portland in 1996. Marlon initially intended to become a sheriff, but it was while he was on the wait list for the sheriff’s department in Vancouver, Washington that his job search turned up a position at Standard Insurance in their Information Technology (IT) department, thus kicking off his career in IT. Over the past two decades, Marlon has worked in multiple Portlandarea organizations in their IT departments including Portland Art Museum, Xerox, Microsoft, and most recently, Multnomah Athletic Club. Here’s what we learned about Marlon: What drew you to be a part of Central Catholic?

I was looking for a job after taking some time off. The job was posted here at Central Catholic and I had been praying about it. I interviewed with Danyelle Ramsey and Terry Angelo and explained to them that there was a reason I was here for the interview, whether I got the job or not. I went home, prayed about it, and Danyelle called me the next day and I got the job.

What were you looking forward to the most about being a part of Central Catholic?

I was looking forward to using my experience to build a good infrastructure that is automated and seamless. I am also looking forward to the school’s work in Diversity and Inclusion; that is really important to me. I am very interested to see how the student body will respond and hear their feedback on the initiatives of Central Catholic’s Diversity and Inclusion work.

Do you have any connections to Central Catholic?

Not yet!

NEW ROLES What do you see as Central Catholic’s greatest strength and how do you plan to build on that?

That’s a tough question to answer as I don’t know enough about the environment yet. I plan to just be here, experience the community, and gather from my own opinion on what the greatest strength is and build upon that.

What were your goals for this upcoming year?

One of my goals was to get everyone on the same page within the school in terms of IT systems. I want to get all departments together and on board with what systems they use. I would like to get everyone away from individual silos and into a cohesive and comprehensive system.

This school year, we are focusing on these four character virtues: Kindness, Integrity, Resilience, and Conscientiousness. Which of these virtues resonates with you the most?

Integrity resonates with me the most. Integrity is huge, not just for a job’s sake, but with people as well. They need to be able to rely on you and trust you.

Which of these virtues will you embrace/embody as you work your new role?

I will embrace conscientiousness. I will be more aware of my surroundings and where I’m working, and therefore I will be more conscientious of how I carry myself.

Matt Horne ’88 Dean of Student Life

Matt Horne is a native Oregonian and graduated from Central Catholic in 1988. His father was a 1956 graduate of Central Catholic and he was a strong supporter of Catholic education. Matt’s favorite part of being on the Central Catholic staff is the sense of community that permeates everything the school does. From sports to academics and fundraisers to Campus Ministry, he notes, “You cannot escape the influence of past and future generations of Rams.”

Matt graduated from the University of Oregon in 1992 with a degree in Marketing and worked in the private sector for several years. During that time, he was a member of the Central Catholic Alumni Board. This working relationship helped lead Matt back to Central Catholic in 2001 as the Special Events Coordinator in the Development Office.

In 2003, Matt became the Director of Student Activities and held that position until 2019, when he transitioned into the newly created role of Dean of Student Life. What Matt loves most about his job is the energy and enthusiasm of the student body. His goal has always been to provide an environment that encourages students to find something they are passionate about within the community.

Here’s what Matt had to say when we sat down to talk with him: As you reflect on your first year in this role, what were your biggest accomplishments?

In my role as Dean of Student Life, I have the opportunity to use my experience and passion for this community to advance our

vision and mission to make Central Catholic the most desirable high school. I am blessed to have an amazing team of adults, and I get to work every day with engaged and enthusiastic students who care about their peers and desperately want to make the world a better place.

These past several months have been the most challenging of my career, and I’m so proud of how we are working together as a community to provide amazing content and connecting with our families.

What were you looking forward to during your second year?

I know we will continue to have challenges this year as we all adjust to a new normal, but I look forward to working with our community to collaborate on inclusion, equity, and our efforts to create joy in the lives of our families during these challenging times. Our students need modeling and guidance from our community now more than ever, and I am very confident in our ability to meet those needs.

What were you most excited about as you took on this new role?

I love working with our students on lessons, projects, and events!

They are so creative and enthusiastic with the things they care about, and that energy keeps me young and inspires me to go hard on everything I do. I can’t wait to work with all of our kids in person again, and my new position is allowing me to work with additional students that I haven’t had the pleasure to engage with in the past.

What connections do you have to Central Catholic?

I have worked at Central Catholic for almost 20 years. I graduated in the Class of 1988 and my father, Jim, graduated in 1956. My daughter, Gabby, graduated in 2018 and my son, Luke, is a senior at Central Catholic this year. My connections to this community are vast and deeply rooted in our history and mission through the years.

What do you see as Central Catholic’s greatest strength and how do you plan to build on that? What were your goals for this year?

I understand that it is a cliché answer, but I believe our biggest strength is our sense of community. We are very mission-driven and that roadmap has allowed us to develop strong bonds between all of our constituents and achieve truly special experiences for everyone involved. These bonds help us through the hard times and allow us to celebrate like crazy when we have those special moments. My goal this year, and every year, is to continue to develop opportunities for everyone that will advance our mission and allow all of the past, present, and future members of our community to be the best versions of themselves that share their gifts with the world!

This school year, we are focusing on these four character virtues: Kindness, Integrity, Resilience, and Conscientiousness. Which of these virtues resonates with you the most?

I am a big fan of the resilience virtue. I had a lot of people help me get through my school years, and it was not easy for me. I struggled with many things, and suffered through various hardships. I always had many people that loved and cared for me, but I also had to work and fight to be successful. Through the years, these many experiences have taught me the power of being resilient, and it is this virtue that I have attempted to instill in my children and the students that I have worked with. I think it is a virtue that is very important in our world today. We all need to be Winter 2021 |9

NEW ROLES able to bounce back from our setbacks with renewed optimism, and I look forward to a year focused on hope and finding joy in life for all members of our community.

Which of these virtues will you embrace/embody in your new role?

My job is to embrace all of our Character Virtues! I have gained a lot personally by working with a team of people to create and implement our character initiatives. I think they are very much a part of who we have always been, and who we want to be moving forward. It has been rewarding to be able to explore each of these virtues with our students and to be able to revisit them personally on a regular basis. Change is important, and I have embraced the power of reflection more as I have gotten older. I love what I do, and I can’t wait to see where the journey takes me and the amazing people I will get to work with!

Theresa Nguyen Director of Student Activities

Theresa Bao-Tran Nguyen always likes to start her story with her family’s journey to the United States, as it is vital to her origin story. Her dad and his family came from the province of Quang Tri. in Central Vietnam and were sponsored by an American family in Tennessee. They arrived in the United States in 1975 after traveling by foot to the coast and leaving on a boat to a refugee camp. Theresa’s mom is from Nha Trang, which is in the southern part of Vietnam. She arrived later, in the 1980s, by plane to Chicago without her father [Theresa’s grandfather], who had been arrested and sent to a re-education camp for 14 years. Theresa spent her childhood with her grandparents, eating persimmons while causing trouble and leading her cousins into mischief.

Theresa attended Century High School in Hillsboro and graduated from Portland State University with a B.A. in History (2015) and later a M.Ed. (2018). Prior to Central Catholic, she worked for three years at Holy Trinity Catholic School in Beaverton as an extended care assistant and substitute teacher. Theresa first joined the staff at Central Catholic in 2018 as a history teacher. She has been serving as co-moderator of the Asian-Pacific Islander Club for three years and is a member of the Campus Ministry Team. Outside of work, Theresa enjoys reading, binge watching TV, and eating. Her favorite movie is Sleepless in Seattle, and her favorite artists are Journey, Wu-Tang Clan, Norah Jones, Kendrick Lamar, and Linkin Park. We had a chance to sit down and talk with Theresa: What drew you to apply for Director of Student Activities?

As a teacher, I always valued education almost above all things.

Part of my own educational journey was developing leadership skills that not only helped me find my own voice, but also become a part of a movement that pushes for change. I applied for the position for various reasons. It is rare for an opportunity like this to come up in a community that I love so much. I also felt compelled to apply because I have been inspired by so many of my colleagues here to engage on a greater level. The Social Studies department believes that when students leave Central Catholic, they should be ready to be civically engaged global citizens. What better place to continue that work than with the Student Council?

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What were you looking forward to the most in your new role?

I was looking forward to meeting a new group of students. Our community is going to change in so many ways because we are in a time where students all over are making waves. I can’t wait to hear what our student leadership has to say and what they’re itching to get done. Building relationships is always exciting because you learn so much about the people you’re working with, as well as exchanging thoughts and ideas.

What, if any, connections do you have to Central Catholic?

Other than working here, I had five cousins attend and graduate from Central Catholic High School. While I was never a formal student here, it always felt like Central Catholic was present in my life in some way.

What were your goals for this school year?

Some of my goals were becoming as well-versed in my new role as I can in the first year, as well as getting to know the students on the Student Council, collaborating on a robust Student Life program that is engaging and fun, while adjusting to our social distancing practices.

What do you see as Central Catholic’s greatest strength and how do you plan to build on that?

Central Catholic’s greatest strength is the willingness to engage.

There’s a huge desire to “do something” whether it’s having conversations, participating in school activities and sports, or providing thoughts and opinions. In the same vein, our community itself is also one of our greatest strengths; our ability to rally and support one another. People cheer for the little and the big moments, and get excited with you when you’re also excited, which has been an incredible experience to be a part of. My plan is to build on our interconnectedness.

During this school year, we are focusing on our four character virtues: Kindness, Integrity, Resilience, and Conscientiousness.

Which of these virtues resonates with you the most?

Man, these are all great virtues. But the virtue that stood out to me the most is resilience. It reflects the world I walk in. My family came to the United States in the midst of a war that forced them out because of a changing government that persecuted anyone who did not fit into their new vision for Vietnam. They were going to be killed or re-educated. It was because of their resilience that they were able to survive the journey to the United States, and then readjust to their new home. Throughout my whole life, my elders taught me that we have to be resilient to achieve our goals.

We have to work for everything we want in life, and it will be difficult because nothing worthwhile comes easy. It is also how they were able to overcome their hardships.

Which of these virtues will you embrace/embody in your new role?

A virtue that I want to embody is conscientiousness. It is important because it requires us to be observant of our surroundings and who we are when we interact with different people in our life.

Everything we say or do has an impact, and we should not view it as “walking on eggshells” but rather, as acknowledging your respect for the other person and their well-being.

Conscientiousness pushes me to reflect on my own implicit bias and ultimately do better as a human.

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WEEK OF GIVING

D B OX DR

Central Catholic Week of Giving and Food Box Drive The pandemic did not stop the Central Catholic community from demonstrating profound generosity toward our friends and neighbors in need. The 2020 Week of Giving and Food Box Drive served more people and had more volunteers than ever before. There were many ways that our community served, from donating items to volunteering their time.

The Week of Giving started with an extensive sign-up process and establishment of protocols to ensure a safe environment for all families who were donating and volunteering. Within a few days of launching the sign-ups, nearly all slots to donate and volunteer were filled—a clear sign that our school community was eager to help others and get involved. Throughout the week, students and families dropped off donated items each day and volunteers worked to collect and sort donations and pack food boxes. All items went to organizations in the Portland metro area serving populations in need, including St. André Bessette, St. Vincent de Paul, and Catholic Charities. Additionally, we partnered with more than 20 schools, organizations, and parishes to provide food boxes for the people they serve.

FOOD BOX DRIVE NUMBERS • 900 food boxes • 20,000 donated food items • $2,675 raised during the Food Box Drive • $2,000 Wolf Family Charitable Foundation grant • 360 donors • 372 volunteers • 250 gift cards (Donated by Jesuit High School) WEEK OF GIVING NUMBERS Power of Change (previously known as the Penny Drive) • $9,594 raised from 34 fifth-period classrooms plus a $30,000 match from the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation CommuniCare program • 247 total donors participated Blanket, Coat, and Sock Drives • 194 blankets donated • 722 coats donated • 1,893 pairs of socks donated • 552 donors • 184 volunteers

Giving Tree • 120 gifts donated (100% of gift tags were returned) Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers and to everyone who donated to make this Week of Giving and Food Box Drive a huge success! We are grateful for your spirit of generosity and care and for helping those in need in our community.

WEEK OF GIVING AND FOOD BOX DRIVE PARTNERS We would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their partnership with Central Catholic in helping the Portland community during this holiday season and beyond:

Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation The Wolf Family Charitable Foundation Home Forward Society of St. Vincent de Paul St. André Bessette Parish Belmont Blanket Portland Productions Voodoo Doughnut George Fox University Jesuit High School Pioneer Special Schools Portland State University All Saints Parish Christ the King Parish Holy Redeemer Parish Holy Trinity Parish St. Agatha Parish St. Anthony Parish St. Cecilia Parish St. Clare Parish St. Francis of Assisi Parish St. Ignatius Parish St. John the Apostle Parish St. John the Baptist Parish St. Pius X Parish St. Rita Parish St. Rose Parish St. Therese Parish

Thank you to our partners for your work in supporting those in need in our community! 

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ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP PROFILE

Alan B. Lee ’46 Endowed Scholarship “My brother attended Central Catholic when students who didn’t always follow the rules had to do work around the school, including mowing the lawn. My parents used to joke about how, when Alan was a student at Central Catholic, the lawn never looked better,” says Muriel Wah, fondly recalling her eldest brother, Alan B. Lee, a member of the Central Catholic Class of 1946. “Being part of the Central Catholic community played an important role in Alan’s life and he was immensely proud of being a graduate,” she said. “That is why, along with my two sons, Robert and David, we wanted to create the Alan B. Lee ’46 Memorial Scholarship.”

Alan was born in 1927 in Portland, but his path to Central Catholic was not without uncertainty. Muriel recalled that when Alan was born, he became very ill and the doctors were afraid that he would not live. But his grandfather, who was visiting from Spokane at the time, assured the family, saying, “Don’t worry. This one will be fine.

His eyes are too bright not to be fine.” Nevertheless, every day Alan’s mother, Marie Lee, walked eleven blocks from their home in Chinatown to St. Mary’s Cathedral, where she prayed for Alan to be well—and soon, he was. In fact, Alan grew up to be over six feet tall and very strong. When he was in his early teens, Muriel remembers, he rode his Schwinn bicycle (which in those days had enormous balloon tires) all the way from Chinatown to Multnomah Falls and back—with his young cousin riding on the handlebars.

Alan attended Lincoln High School for one year and then, in the fall of 1943, transferred to Central Catholic as a sophomore, the first Chinese student to enroll. The school just began admitting freshmen and sophomores in September 1939, about the same time Hitler’s army invaded Poland to start what would become World War II. The 68 students in Alan’s class came from all over the city from a diverse mix of parishes, neighborhoods, and ethnic enclaves. There were students from the Italian neighborhood and the German, Polish, and Croatian parishes. Many, if not most, of these boys had parents or grandparents who were immigrants and, until they came to Central Catholic, these boys had very few opportunities to interact with one another. With the help of the priests and sisters who taught them, the boys learned what it meant to be part of a “community.” From Central Catholic’s inception, it didn’t matter if you were Italian, Irish, Chinese, or whatever—the boys bonded as Rams. Then, as it does now, Central Catholic endeavored to imbue in its students what really mattered: Kindness, Integrity, Resilience, and Conscientiousness. This tightly knit school community became one of the most meaningful experiences of Alan’s life. He went on to become the first Chinese student to graduate from Central Catholic.

While Muriel doesn’t recall what made Alan decide to transfer to Central Catholic, she knows that he immediately took to being a Ram. “They taught and he learned,” she recalls. His nephew, Robert, adds, “Along with our sister, Linda, David and I were always in awe of Uncle Alan’s energy and adored his happy-go-lucky spirit.

We also saw that he was always looking for a way to learn. When he was in high school he attended Chinese school in the evenings as well as worked after-school delivering newspapers to business owners in Chinatown. He didn’t have much of an opportunity to 12 | Central Catholic Magazine

participate in sports or school activities because he was so busy after school.”

After graduation, Alan attended the University of Portland and in 1950 he joined the military, serving in the Korean War. Over the years, he utilized his exceptional mechanical skills, earning his living by repairing vehicles and various electronics. This included televisions, which were new and complicated in those days.

Throughout his adult life, Alan demonstrated the impact Central Catholic’s emphasis on character had on him. His family noted in particular that Alan was kind and caring. “He always checked in to see how people were doing,” says Robert. “When we spoke to many of his neighbors and friends, the first thing they would mention was how willing and often Alan helped people out.” David adds, “Uncle Alan would always be on the lookout for the best fruit and vegetables when in season, and he was well known to do the rounds and drop by with the best strawberries, apples, and corn to people.” He also was active in the Catholic community, and even helped to build and maintain the playground at the local Catholic elementary school in Verboort. He was a longtime volunteer at the Verboort Sausage Festival.

Alan wouldn’t hesitate to help out his friends or the community at large, mostly because to him, it was simply the right thing to do. His family attributes his sense of right and wrong to what he learned at Central Catholic. “Integrity was so important to him—and this is where his experience at Central Catholic had a profound effect on my brother Alan. I really believe that was why he had such pride in being a graduate of Central Catholic,” Muriel said.

Alan Lee passed away in 2003. His memorial service was attended by family, people from the Chinese community, and many others from his local community. Among the three priests on the altar was Fr. Lawrence Saalfeld, who was one of Alan’s teachers at Central Catholic. At his memorial service, David delivered the eulogy for him, noting in his comments, “I am sure that when my grandmother prayed for her baby Alan at St. Mary’s so many years ago, she was praying for a miracle. And indeed a miracle occurred: her son Alan grew to be big and strong, and well-known in the community for his generosity and kindness.” Alan was honored for his service in the military, and reflecting his pride in being a Ram, was buried in a Central Catholic crew neck sweatshirt.

“Central Catholic changed Alan’s life,“ Muriel says. “He would be so incredibly proud to know there was a scholarship named in his honor. We have been talking about doing this for almost twenty years and we are finally doing it.” Muriel has great hopes for each of the future recipients of the Alan B. Lee ’46 Memorial Scholarship.

“I want them to lead a happy life, to find what brings them joy, and to work hard at it. And never, ever forget their time at Central Catholic.”

A Lee family gathering in the 1980s shows Alan Lee ‘46 at the far left, his nephew Robert at the head of the table, and sister Muriel on the far right.

CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS

Tony Leineweber ‘62 and Msgr. Tim Murphy ‘58 patronize our Alumni Oktoberfest Marketplace. This inaugural event saw hundreds of alumni, faculty, staff, and families support local and alumni-owned businesses.

Jack Stewart ’24 works on making a blanket as part of an ongoing service project benefitting the Mother & Child Education Center.

Students sort and pack non-perishable food items during our Week of Giving. Although protocols changed due to COVID-19, our community stepped up to make this the most impactful Week of Giving yet.

Mallory Robertson ‘24 writes a letter to her future self during the Freshman Retreat in October. This retreat was the first opportunity for all students from the Class of 2024 to gather on campus.

Emma Smith ‘21 receives a surprise visit from Principal Danyelle Ramsey after her nomination as the week’s Person for Others. This wonderful tradition has continued despite distance learning.

Seniors pose for a picture with a bear during their class retreat at the Oregon Zoo in November.

The girls’ soccer team practices under the newly installed lights on Joey Harrington Field. The installation of these lights has been years in the making, but couldn’t have come at a better time, as it gave our sports teams more time to safely practice outside.

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FACULTY PROFILE grew up in Birmingham, Alabama in the 60s, the height of the Civil Rights era, as well as his Catholic education, helped to instill in him a sense of empathy for marginalized groups of any community.

“I always wanted to make an impact on society,” he says. His background and desire to help others led David to apply, and he was selected and hired for the position.

David Blue pictured with Kamelah Adams, community activist and founder of Mimi’s Fresh Tees, who presented in the 2020 Central State of Mind Human Dignity Summit.

Diversity and Inclusion David Blue

Providing a rigorous education rooted in equity, collaboration, and a Catholic worldview is core to Central Catholic’s mission. We are guided by our Catholic identity and faith to live out this mission and engage our students in equity and collaboration. At the center of our guiding principles is the embrace of Catholic Social teachings, which implore us to protect all human dignity and rights.

Throughout Central Catholic’s 80-year history, our community has worked to actively live out our faith and be advocates for others. In recent years, however, Central Catholic has taken a more dynamic role in working to improve and amplify diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within our community, and make explicit that this work is for, and involves, everyone. Vital to this work and momentous growth has been the efforts of David Blue, Central Catholic’s first Diversity and Inclusion Director. He has helped develop our community into one that takes an active role in addressing and working towards diversity, equity, and inclusion.

David’s ties to Central Catholic stem not far from 24th and Stark.

He was raised in SE Portland and attended school across the river, part of the last all-boy class at Jesuit High School. He graduated from Jesuit in 1993, got married, and moved to Northern California to attend William Jessup University, where he enjoyed a successful collegiate basketball career and earned a bachelor degree in Business Management. He remained in Northern California until 2008, when David and his family moved back to Portland and he began working in youth advocacy. Shortly after his return, he accepted a position as the assistant boys basketball coach at Jesuit.

Around that same time, Jesuit High School and the Jesuit Schools Network were starting conversations about diversity and inclusion and increasing their initiatives within the school. After some restructuring internally, Jesuit’s Diversity Director position opened up. David was encouraged to apply for the position, even though he never considered working in this type of role. “I don’t know who ever thinks they’re going to be a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director at a young age,” he says. But his family, who 14 | Central Catholic Magazine

David immediately became immersed in the work, going to diversity conferences and being an active member of the network of diversity directors. He also began collaborating with other area high schools, including Central Catholic, and invited them to join the events and conversations in which they were participating.

Central Catholic did not have this type of programming at that time, and David became a resource to the administration and built relationships with school staff. Throughout this process, David started to learn about the intersectionality of Catholic Social teachings and DEI work. His eventual long-term work in DEI within a Catholic setting was beginning to take shape.

David’s relationship with Central Catholic spurred his interest in a head coaching position that opened up for the Rams boys’ basketball team in 2015. However, basketball was a hobby for David and this was only a part-time position. Central Catholic’s administration looked inwardly to see where David’s talents and expertise could be utilized full-time. The administration and Board of Directors recognized there was always a need for work in diversity and inclusion, and Central Catholic is diverse, especially amongst demographics that are under-represented in Catholic communities.

Acknowledging that need, school leaders took a leap of faith and created the position of Director of Diversity and Inclusion. David took that leap of faith with them and made the difficult decision to leave Jesuit High School. Although it was a tough decision, David was excited about the new opportunity. “I saw myself in Central Catholic’s demographics,” he recalls. “I saw the opportunity to really make an impact within the community and come in on the ground floor and create something that was impactful.”

David joined the community a couple months into the 2015 school year, and right away began building relationships and having meaningful conversations with students, teachers, and families.

Central Catholic had never had someone working specifically in diversity and inclusion, and so it was critical for the school community to understand why DEI work was important. David shares, “The work promotes learning and helps students to prepare for a diverse society, understand the people they interact with, and learn different perspectives.” This preparedness takes place when people are exposed to diverse populations, cultures, ideas, and viewpoints. As Central Catholic’s community is diverse and the students come from a wide range of backgrounds, this work becomes even more vital. “It’s so important for us to be able to make sure that we open our eyes and lens to the experiences of all our students...and for our students to feel valued and appreciated for who they are authentically,” he adds.

In conjunction with continuous relationship-building, David immediately jumped on opportunities to engage in diversity conferences and build student leadership teams. The first year he also focused on putting the infrastructure of DEI work in place, which included professional development. He had conversations with faculty and staff, asking them what their visions and hopes were for DEI work moving forward, as well as identifying

FACULTY PROFILE opportunities for growth for their students. “We have a lot of faculty and staff who are great allies and accomplices in the work,” David says. “We really challenged a lot of narratives and had positive, but difficult conversations.” Although the first couple of years weren’t always easy, he set in motion the work of DEI for the entire school community. It is vital to the mission of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion that it serves all members of the school community. David makes clear that DEI work involves everyone. “It’s not just about helping marginalized communities accommodate to the school.

That’s not what the goal is,” he reiterates. The intention is to educate the entire community and provide opportunities to be engaged and learn, not just about race, but about all difficult conversations of social justice and advocacy.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion has many goals that serve various facets of the school. For the student body, David explains, “Our goals are to empower our students to be open, to listen, learn, provide a safe environment for their peers and one another, and celebrate individuals for who they are.” These goals can largely be achieved through programming, which is the foundation for DEI work. “It’s what sustains everything,” David says. “You can bring students of color from varying backgrounds into the school, but if there are no programs for the students to be advocated for, no resources for them to be successful and have a place and voice at the table, then it’s not sustainable.” Many of the goals have been centered around creating programs for all students to have access to a Catholic education that is inclusive and celebrates each one of them.

One successful program David brought to the school was the Brown Bag Character Conversations. These conversations are led by students and they focus on pertinent issues of social justice.

Everyone is encouraged to attend, and over 100 participants show up to listen and be engaged for each event. These opportunities have also been an integral part of empowering students on campus, especially students in different affinity groups, who have taken a more active role in leading the conversations.

David explains, “These conversations empower students who normally wouldn’t feel like they had a voice within our community.”

Character Conversations also offer a space where students can be their authentic selves and respect one another, even if they disagree on issues. “Conflict and discomfort are our opportunities for growth,” David says, and these difficult topics are important to delve into, as it provides steps to work towards change. “It’s really important to educate about systemic racism and systemic oppression, because you have to understand what the system is in order to dismantle it,” he explains. Having discussions about topics such as cultural competency, bigotry, microaggressions, and cultural appropriation will help students, teachers, and staff to respect one another and be better members of the community and society as a whole.

As a result of David’s vision and initiatives, and with school administration being fully on board, Central Catholic has had some incredibly successful events. One of the first major events was hosting an Equality Alliance Symposium on campus in 2016. This event invited Catholic and private high schools in the Portland area to come together and have conversations about the barriers and struggles that the LBGTQ+ community experiences. This event created safe spaces, advocated for, and celebrated the human dignity of all students. “We received the

Oregon Safe Schools Award for that symposium,” David shares.

“For our administration, that was a great accolade and honor to have been recognized for.”

Another successful program David helped bring to the school was an all-school human dignity summit called Central State of Mind. Central Catholic hosted its first summit in January 2020, which had two keynote speakers and more than 30 breakout sessions that explored issues of justice. “That had been a vision of mine for more than eight years, to have an entire day where all students are engaged in civic, social justice, diversity, and inclusion conversations,” David shares. The response from the school community was overwhelmingly positive. “I think it inspired a lot of conversation, and I look forward to what it does in the coming years,” he adds.

Over the past few years, the work in DEI has permeated school and academic systems, establishing a more equitable environment for Central Catholic’s diverse community. The administration has implemented a model of grading for equity and has worked towards an equitable learning environment. The goal is to meet the needs of all students, while still challenging them academically.

This takes into account student’s various resources, such as access to technology, a quiet space to do homework, or even commute time getting to and from school. Central Catholic also considered a student’s circumstances when forming its tardiness policy. Recognizing that some students may have to take public transportation, while others have their own car, can impact their ability to get to school on time. Understanding these different circumstances helps to create a more equitable environment, and not punish those who do not have access to the same resources.

This DEI lens has also been embedded in the culture and demographics of the school community. At the start of the 20202021 school year, the administration added a new anti-racist policy to the handbook that stated the community will work to be actively anti-racist. This past summer, Central Catholic also hired new faculty and staff members, many of whom are individuals of color. This inclusivity in hiring has been more than five years in the making and a result of the work of inclusivity that permeates all aspects of the school. “Over the past several years, we’ve been able to create a culture where BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and persons of color] professionals actually feel like they can see themselves working, thriving, and celebrated in a Catholic school,” David explains.

David has been instrumental in implementing DEI work within Central Catholic over the past several years. Not only has he spearheaded and pushed many initiatives, he has also instilled a sense of responsibility amongst all members of the community. The work of creating a diverse and equitable system is not possible unless all members of the community work to accomplish it. When that happens, Central Catholic is able to live out its mission and embrace Catholic Social teachings. “We want to help build and mold students who will go out to a global society and live out the gospel. That is rooted in our mission as a Catholic institution,” David explains. “And so our goal is to listen and validate the diversity of opinions, thoughts, and choices. All of those things are embedded in human dignity.” David’s work within the school has helped Central Catholic more clearly live out its mission and shape our students to be integral members of society that supports, lifts up, and advocates for all human dignity.

Winter 2021 |15

VOCATIONS

Four members of the Class of 1962 were ordained together in 1970 including: Rev. Larry Zinsli (third from left), Rev. Don Buxman (fourth from left), Rev. Brad Killingsworth (second from right), and Rev. Pat McNamee (far right).

Classmate Servants The Class of 1962 is typical of most classes that have graduated from Central Catholic with close, sometimes lifelong friendships formed in the halls and classrooms. Almost 60 years after their graduation, the Class of 1962 still gathers socially three to four times a year. Most members of this class have achieved personal and sometimes financial success and most have gone on to make a positive impact on their communities.

Recently, we learned about an important milestone shared by four 1962 graduates; the 50th anniversary of their ordination to the priesthood. During their time at Central Catholic, the school had an all-male student body, a faculty that was almost entirely religious (i.e. priests and sisters), and was often seen as a “de facto pipeline to the seminary.” These four Rams, Brad Killingsworth (BK), Larry Zinsli (LZ), (both of whom have since left the priesthood), Rev. Pat McNamee (RPM), and Msgr. Don Buxman (MDB) were all ordained in their home parishes in June of 1970, at St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, All Saints, and St. Charles, respectively. In honor of this milestone, we decided to catch up with them, to hear about their lives of service during the intervening years, and to see if they had any advice for today’s Central Catholic students.

class, Bob Cassidy’s class, and Fr. Altstock’s Religion class. I also appreciated having Mass available before morning classes.

LZ: One of the best memories of Central Catholic is the Class of 1962. Simply said, the ones that I remember were all nice guys.

Granted, I can only speak for myself, but in my years at Central Catholic, I never encountered one of them in all my interactions who was mean; they were kind. I may have been just fortunate, however, I like to believe it was due to the caliber of my classmates. Some of my best memories are my favorite classes, such as Sociology with Fr. Harrington, Biology with Fr. Neuville, Chemistry with Fr. Dernbach, Latin with Mother Brendan, and working as a stage manager with Fr. Juliano on one of the senior plays. My three boys all graduated from Central Catholic. When given the choice, they chose Central Catholic because the teachers they observed came across as happy to be there. Their experiences validated mine.

CC: What are your best/favorite memories of Central Catholic?

RPM: Some 50 years ago, all the boys of the eighth grade class from All Saints or other parishes went to Central Catholic. I really enjoyed continuing my education with them.

BK: Fr. John Domin, who taught art, was my favorite. I always tell people, “God gave me eyes, but John Domin taught me how to see.” He had this wonderful dry wit. I remember he was the yearbook advisor and he would get on the intercom to sell the yearbook, saying things like, “Don’t forget to buy your orangutan hide yearbook,” (referring to the color of that year’s yearbook cover). I learned calligraphy from Fr. Domin and am using that skill for the program for my son’s upcoming wedding.

MDB: My best memories of Central Catholic were making new friends and reconnecting with friends from the past, one of them being Fr. Pat McNamee, who left Mt. Angel Seminary at the end of his sophomore year and joined me at Central Catholic. I was grateful for the classes and teachers, especially Fr. Domin’s Art

CC: Please share some of the highlights/turning points/ milestones of your life since you graduated from Central Catholic.

RPM: There are many. Entering Mt. Angel Seminary was a highlight of my life and the best choice I ever made. Also, I have served in 14 parishes. I have accepted and modeled ministry

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VOCATIONS for seminarians and deacons for 30 years and have loved sharing the many things I learned. I have been blessed to travel extensively, including to Ireland many times, where I’ve been able to learn about my ancestry. I did a continuing education course where I spent three months in Rome, which landed me in the holiest of places, including the very tomb of St. Peter himself. Recently, I offered to deacons a historical tour of the beginnings of the Catholic Church in Oregon and enjoyed sharing our beginnings in Oregon City and Portland. Family weddings, holidays, and gatherings continue to energize me.

MDB: During my three years at Central Catholic I worked at Piggly Wiggly’s grocery store for 28 hours a week, so I didn’t have time to get involved in after-school or weekend activities. At the end of my senior year, I considered a number of options for my future, the most important one being to head back to Mt. Angel Seminary to reassess becoming a priest. McNamee, unaware of my plans, was thinking of doing the same thing. So when he asked me to write something in his yearbook, I wrote: “I’ll see you back on the Hill (Mt. Angel).” Pat and I have been friends since 1958 and now, after 50 years as priests, we live down the street from each other at the Archdiocese’s St. John Vianney priest retirement center in Beaverton.

Don Buxman

BK: There are many, the first of which happened in elementary school, when I had my first crisis of faith. (I’ve had maybe four of these in my life.) I was in fourth grade, maybe ten years old and I became fixated on the question: Does God really exist? This was resolved for me when I observed Fr. Laidlaw, our pastor at St. Charles. I figured, “Fr. Laidlaw is a smart man. If he believes in God, then so can I.” Later, when I was at Mt. Angel Seminary I had a crisis of meaning. What is the meaning of my life? What is my purpose? At the time, I was teaching catechism to high schoolers in Mt. Angel.

One teenaged girl in particular stands out because she was very smart and very obstinate. Every week she would challenge me to prove to her that God exists, knocking down every argument I would pose in favor of God’s existence. (Her older brother also happened to be a seminarian and I sometimes wished that she would just go ask him.) This really got to me and I wondered, “How can I be a priest if I can’t get through to this young woman that God really exists?” I prayed about it a lot, read and reflected on this question, and eventually the answer came to me. The meaning of my life was to serve others, in whatever form service took.

Brad Killingsworth

CC: What led you to the priesthood?

MDB: After completing my freshman year at Mt. Angel Seminary where I decided to end my studies to become a priest, I arrived at Central Catholic in the fall of 1959 for my final three years of high school. Fr. Dan Reynolds, our assistant pastor at St. Charles Parish in Portland, saw me at daily Mass before school began and also involved me, often with others in our family, in a lot of parish activities. Perhaps that is why he had suggested that I consider the priesthood.

LZ: Growing up in a Catholic family was an early influence, as my parents were actively involved in the Church at the parish level and we participated regularly in parish activities which for my brothers and myself, included serving at Mass. Attending Catholic grade school for eight years and four years at Central Catholic also played a part in leading me to the priesthood. During my time at Central, a good number of faculty were priests and nuns. So, I was able to observe a number of priests and nuns that I admired and was encouraged by several to seriously consider the priesthood, which I did during my high school years.

Pat McNamee

RPM: Growing up, there were several priests and nuns who influenced me by the example of living their happiness in ministry. Those at Central were no exception.

BK: Fr. Dernbach was one inspiration, as was Fr. Joe Neuville. Fr. Neuville taught biology but what I most remember about him was that he was so willing to just sit and talk with us, to just shoot the breeze. He would tell stories and we would talk about life.

CC: What sustained you in your vocation?

LZ: I was assigned to St. Rose Parish in Portland for my deacon year, and after ordination in 1970 I was reassigned to St. Rose as parochial vicar. It was a vibrant parish, with a rich history and tradition, and wonderful people. My eight years at St. Rose were years that I will always cherish. Celebrating the Eucharist and other sacraments, preparing and delivering homilies, and sharing our common faith around First Communions, funerals, weddings, in various ministries,

Larry Zinsli Winter 2021 | 17

VOCATIONS getting to know the families and being invited into their lives, were very sustaining forces in my vocation. In addition to the people of the parish, the pastor, Fr. Ed Zenner, under whom I served as deacon and his assistant, was also a person who blessed my life.

He was a beloved pastor and mentor who greatly influenced my growth as a priest. His sudden death in 1976 was a blow to me and the parish.

cherish those years. Jordan graduated from CCHS (2009) and University of Denver (2015); Jacob graduated from CCHS (2010) and OSU (2016); Sam graduated from CCHS (2012) and OSU (2016). All three double majored in college and are enjoying rewarding careers. Overall, the most rewarding feature in my vocations are the persons I have encountered and those I have loved.

RPM: The people. The people have sustained me in all 14 parishes in which I’ve served.

MDB: It has been a most rewarding vocation getting to know parishioners and ministering to them in so many varied ways.

Some of the most profound moments were hearing Confessions and giving absolution, especially before Anointing the Sick, praying with them, and giving Viaticum (Communion as Food for the Journey to see God face-to-face).

MDB: What sustained my vocation was having close friends (priests and laity) and the daily celebration of Eucharist as well as the other sacraments from Baptism through the Anointing of the Sick and Dying. I loved working with the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) and walking with them in their journey of faith, culminating in Baptism and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil.

RPM: The gift of the priesthood is recognizing the goodness of people and the gifts they have. I try to pull the best out of them.

CC: Two of you left the priesthood. What led you to that decision?

LZ: When I informed my parents that I had decided to enter the seminary and study to be a priest, they were supportive. However, my mother had one reservation about my decision and I still remember her telling me, “I think you will miss having a family.”

Her motherly intuition turned out to be accurate. After 16 years of priestly ministry, it became truly clear to me that even though there was so much I loved about being a priest, I felt the deep need for a more intimate community vis-à-vis family. After several years of wrestling with a decision, I left the priesthood in 1986. One of my favorite philosophers, Dr. Seuss, sums up for me my years as a priest and departing the priesthood in this way, “I’m not crying because it’s over, rather I’m happy it happened.”

CC: Of the four character virtues on which our students are focused this year: Conscientiousness, Integrity, Kindness, and Resilience, which one resonates with you the most?

RPM: Conscientiousness. I think Central Catholic has the unique opportunity to develop vocation in the broadest sense, meaning that the Holy Spirit opens the conscientiousness for making the right decisions in life and believing that our baptism into Christ gives us a fantastic edge on lifting our burdens and those burdens of others.

BK: Simply put, I fell in love.

LZ: The virtue which resonates with me the most is Kindness. I believe it takes on even more importance in the era in which we live. All through the various periods of my life I have been on the receiving end of kindness. It has been a gift extended to me by so many, and it has impacted me on many different levels. I do not believe there is anyone who is not moved by kindness. As a priest, one’s patience can be worn thin in the hectic day to day pastoral life, and to always be kind can be challenging. In my work as a probation and parole officer, even if I was arresting and putting an individual in handcuffs, I believed it was important to show kindness. We live in confrontational and stressful times, which, it appears, kindness is a virtue that sometimes is in short supply. I think we need more of it rather than immediately judging or condemning others because of who they are or what they believe. “Sometimes you have to be kind to others not because they’re nice but because you are.”

CC: What has been the most rewarding part of your vocation, whatever that turned out to be?

LZ: My life has been enriched with what I would consider several vocations. One vocation was the priesthood, another followed upon leaving the priesthood in 1986, when I took a position at the Washington County Community Corrections Center in Hillsboro. During my years, I supervised a team of probation/parole officers and supervised drug and mental health offenders, sex offenders, domestic violence offenders, and a wide variety of general offenders. Though it was stressful and at times challenging, it was never boring. To motivate another person to change their behavior or way of thinking and see positive changes in their life was extremely rewarding. This helped lessen the impact of the tragedies and failures one also experienced in this work vocation. Another rewarding feature of my work vocation was my co-workers, who were always so supportive and kind not only to me, but with their clients. Then in 1988 I took on an even more important vocation when I married my wife, Kathy. This April, we will celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary. I have been blessed and found it most rewarding to have found my best friend who is so compassionate, loving, creative, and successful in what she does, including winning triathlons. We consider one of our greater accomplishments our three sons. When I retired for the first time in 2003, our three boys were 9, 11, and 12 years of age. Being retired, at least part time, provided opportunities to spend time with them through their elementary, junior, and high school years. I will always 18 | Central Catholic Magazine

BK: All of them are important, but without a doubt, Kindness stands out in front for me. Especially now, in these times in which we’re living.

MDB: Conscientiousness. Several years ago I heard a priest talk about working with students who got into trouble. When he called one into his office to talk, if they said “I will try harder,” he would say “try to pick up that wastebasket over there.“ When they picked up the wastebasket, he would say “I didn’t tell you to pick it up; I said to try to pick it up.” Then he added: “Either you do it or you don’t.” I found this to be a wise lesson. It pays great dividends to “give it your all” when doing something rather than being half-

VOCATIONS hearted and doing only what’s necessary. That has been my working goal in ministry and it has served me well.

CC: If you could speak to the current students of Central Catholic, what words of wisdom, or advice would you share with them?

RPM: I like a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. “Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true.”

BK: I’d recommend to the students of Central Catholic: “Follow your dream.” That’s what I did when I decided to become a priest 50 (plus another 12) years ago. I did that again when I signed on to become a missionary priest in Bolivia, South America. I felt drawn to serve the poorest of the poor, or “Christ in his distressed disguise,” as Mother Teresa called them. I also taught high school there for 16 years. I did it again when I fell in love and decided to leave the priesthood to marry Maria Dorys Daza.

When my first son Jerry was nine, he opened up his dream to me.

He wanted to become a Hollywood actor and support himself with his art work while he was becoming rich and famous. Most fathers with an eye toward security would have had apoplexy at the mere idea. My response: “Go for it, Son, follow your dream.”

Ten years later he renewed his American passport all by himself, bought an airplane ticket with money from a part time job, and informed his mother and me that he was going to Miami to pursue the American Dream. Once again, “Go for it my boy, I’m all for you,” although his mother’s heart was in her throat. My younger son said later, after following his brother to the U.S., “Enough of this nonsense. I want you and Mom to come up here to Miami and live with us.” So I quit my job; we sold our home and here we are. Your answers may not always fit in all of the right categories, but if you follow your heart and follow your dream, you can’t go far wrong.

United States. These travel adventures have greatly widened my world view and enhanced my appreciation of other cultures, traditions, and ways of life.

My wife and I both loved to travel prior to our marriage and made the decision that we would continue to travel beginning with our honeymoon to Paris, Amsterdam, and Munich. Travel was not an adventure we planned on putting off to retirement. We continued taking trips even after our boys were born, packing a double stroller and a lot of diapers and Pull-Ups. As the boys got older, we made multiple trips to France, giving them the opportunity to attend school there for periods of time. Their second major in college was French, which they speak fluently. Travel has been a great learning experience for all of us, learning to appreciate so much more the richness of other countries. We feel much more a citizen of the world. I think a respect and appreciation for other lands is even more important today. Travel is one way to develop respect and care for our common humanity. These hymnal words are so true: This is my home, the country where my heart is, Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine.

But other hearts in other lands are beating, With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

MDB: My final comment to students reading this is to ask that you at least consider a vocation to priesthood or religious life. Believe me, IF God is calling you to such a Vocation and you answer His call, you will experience, as we all have, times of incredible satisfaction and a deep sense of joy. Don’t waste your time and energy comparing yourself to others. You are a unique creation of God, with talents/gifts given to you to develop that will serve you and others well as you celebrate and share them during your lifetime. And rejoice in the gifts that others have to share.

LZ: Travel. “I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.”

If the opportunity presents itself to study abroad, do so. It is never too soon to begin your travels. I think a respect and appreciation for other lands is even more important today. I have had the opportunity to travel over the years to a number of interesting destinations including the Middle East, Europe, Scandinavia, Mexico, the Caribbean, Canada by train, and throughout the

Msgr. Don Buxman relaxes at St. John Vianney Retirement Center.

Brad Killingsworth (middle right in blue shirt) and wife Maria (on Brad’s right) with their sons and their sons’ significant others.

Rev. Pat McNamee takes a selfie for the CC Magazine.

Larry Zinsli (left) with wife Kathy and youngest son Sam ‘12.

Winter 2021 |19

ALUMNI NEWS In Memory ALUMNI Mathew Vincent Vranizan ’46 November 2, 2020 Rev. Joseph S. Peixotto, CSC ’50 February 4, 2021

Tony Galati ’75 is in the seminary and gave us this update, “I’m doing well, and looking forward to finishing my studies at Mt. Angel, just prior to my (God willing) ordination to the priesthood later this spring. I’m in my fourth year of theology and looking forward to serving the good people of the Archdiocese of Portland as a priest.”

Edward Alfred Steele ’52 November 8, 2020

Brianna (Pinder) Neumann ‘05 and husband Tim welcomed a daughter, Iris Claire, on October 3, 2020.

Robert William Stark ’53 January 8, 2021 Thomas Augustine Van Veen ’53 November 10, 2020 Ronald Earl Nunemaker ’54 December 28, 2020 James Robert Lucia ’56 July 28, 2020

Molly O’Hara ‘90 wrote in to let us know that she recently became a financial advisor for Edward Jones.

William James Purcell ’56 December 26, 2020

Kathleen (Hoag) Di Franco ‘06 and husband Alex welcomed a daughter, Edith Virginia, on December 5, 2020.

Allan Deroy Quick ’56 November 14, 2020 David Edward Weber ’56 December 20, 2020 Brian Richard Casey ’57 November 24, 2020 Dennis Michael Fisher ’57 January 3, 2021 Dcn. Edward “Gary” Stevens ’57 November 4, 2020 Thomas Michael Vetter ’57 November 10, 2020 Robert Hugh Prazeau ’58 January 17, 2021

Adamm Creel ‘99 wrote to tell us that he is currently enrolled at the University of Portland, pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with Special Education (SPED) Endorsement. Prior to this, Adamm spent from 2000 to 2010 in the U.S. Army while earning two Associates Degrees, and then was a truck driver until 2018.

Carolyn (Borsch) ‘06 and Grant Guidarelli ‘06 welcomed a son, Joseph Donald, on October 10, 2020. He joins big sister Sienna (2).

Daniel Francis Campbell ’59 November 2, 2020 John Michael Santos ’60 November 4, 2020 Patrick Francis Daly ’61 January 31, 2021 Barclay Martin “Skip” Roberts III ’62 November 28, 2020 Michael Patrick Donohue ’64 April 8, 2020 Michael Robert Donahue ’65 February 21, 2021 Frederick James Gloden ’65 December 13, 2020 20 | Central Catholic Magazine

Vince DeFazio ‘00 married Kaylee Killgore on October 17, 2020 in Dallas, Texas. The new family lives in Texas with Vince working for OHSU and Kaylee as a 911 operator. Tony ‘73 and Laurie DeFazio are his proud parents, and now grandparents to Kaiden, Amaya, and Emma.

Annise Nassib ‘06 is currently working at the Grotto (also known as the National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother) in Portland. Throughout her five years as an employee there, she notes that it has truly been an honor to work at such a sacred, faith-filled place, and to meet new people from around the world.

ALUMNI NEWS In Memory Frank Frederick Nemeth ’65 September 25, 2020 David Michael Dillard ’66 August 17, 2020 James Irwin McMahan ’66 January 4, 2021

Courtney (Flynn) Salyer ‘08 and husband Nicholas welcomed a son, William Flynn, on November 14, 2020. He joins sister Sadie (4).

Jocelyn (Harmon) Bellanger ‘10 and husband Levi welcomed a son, Luca James, on November 20, 2020.

Neil Andrew Miskimins ’67 December 28, 2020 Dennis Neil Sykes ’73 December 19, 2020 James Edward Fedoris ’75 February 3, 2021 Jeffrey David Ginter ’93 January 11, 2021 Stephanie Patricia Stanich ’01 January 15, 2021

Lauren DeGrandmont ‘08 and husband Brian Merkel welcomed a daughter, Tanner Ava, on November 3, 2020.

Jacob Zinsli ’10 graduated from Oregon State University in 2016 with a BS in Ecological Engineering and a BA in French.

He is a Water Resources Engineer working on environmental restoration projects throughout the Pacific Northwest for Cardno.

Phoenix Wesley Forman ’22 November 6, 2020

PARENTS OF ALUMNI Ernest J. Blatner October 8, 2020 Kathie Ann Cooper October 18, 2020 Florence Teresa Dolan October 17, 2020

Lauren (Collmer) Parker ‘09 and husband Zachary welcomed a daughter, Everett Louise, on December 23, 2020.

Steven Gary Eggiman January 6, 2021

Mekeala Hemming ‘11 and Spencer Bankofier welcomed a daughter, Brinley Marie, on September 20, 2020. She joins brother Landon (4).

Donald Edward Gorger September 11, 2020 Keith Everett Hopkins August 19, 2020 Eileen Rose Lopez September 15, 2020 Patricia Ann Mathews December 7, 2020

Jordan Zinsli ’09 graduated from the University of Denver in 2015 with a BS in Computer Engineering and a BA in French. He works as a software engineering technical lead at Raytheon in Denver.

Sheila Eileen Mims September 2, 2020

Sam Zinsli ‘12 graduated from Oregon State University in 2016 with a BA in Speech Communications and a BA in French. He has worked for the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Quarter and at Nike. He recently began a fundraiser, Ice Cream for Justice, to benefit the Urban League of Portland.

Joan Alice Forbes Moreland October 1, 2020 Jean Dolores Olson December 14, 2020 Robert Harold Pinder February 16, 2021 Raymond Larry Van Beek December 10, 2020 Winter 2021 |21

ALUMNI NEWS

Welcome

Message from

Will Paustian ‘15 Will Paustian graduated from the University of Oregon’s Robert D. Clark Honors College with degrees in Finance and Entrepreneurship and Economics. While enrolled, Will served as the Student Trustee on the University’s Board of Trustees. After college, Will moved to San Francisco and worked in software sales before returning to Portland. Today, Will works as an Associate Advisor at JGP Wealth Management. Will is excited to be back in Portland and looks forward to interacting with the Central Catholic community.

Snow’s melted. Vaccine’s more available. Spring’s right around the corner. Time to step out and reconnect, don’t you think?!

New Alumni Board Members The Alumni Board

Mary Beth Pinder ‘85 Mary Beth attended Lewis and Clark College, majoring in Biology. After college, she spent time as a nanny and as a summer camp and environmental education director, and finally found her way back to school to obtain her teaching degree. Mary Beth returned to Central Catholic High School in 2001 as a physics and biology teacher where she “has had the privilege to work with outstanding colleagues and teach some of the other board members (or at least get to watch them on the basketball court!).”

Ed Curtin ‘68 Ed Curtin comes to the board after careers as a newspaper reporter and editor, classroom teacher, and union leader. He graduated from Fordham University in the Bronx with a degree in Sociology and was a reporter in New Jersey and in Monmouth, Pendleton, and Bend before settling in Corvallis. He played in the John Shepard Classic most years and moved back to Portland in 2018. Ed’s five brothers also attended Central Catholic: Tom ’71, Peter ’72, Matthew ’73, and Joseph and John (twins) ’75. His sisters, Catherine and Frances (also twins), graduated from St. Mary’s in 1969. The family grew up in North Portland’s Holy Redeemer Parish. While at Central Catholic, Ed ran track and cross-country. Ed now plays softball, bikes, hikes, golfs, connects with former classmates, helps his grandsons during remote schooling, gardens on a two-acre patch in Albina, and quaffs a few with fellow Ancient Order of Hibernians friends (an Irish Catholic fraternal organization).

Alumni Board Mission The Alumni Board, recognizing the common bond that we share, seeks to strengthen connections among all Central Catholic graduates and works to encourage alumni support for the students who are following in our footsteps.

22 | Central Catholic Magazine

And what better place to reach out and join the world again than on our Central Catholic Alumni Board. Join us. Meet up. Get involved.

Opportunities abound for those who’ve lost touch, grads on the periphery, and alums who are used to having their thumb on the heartbeat of the school.

Yes, this has been a tough year, but one of the Central Catholic Virtues is Resilience—responding to setbacks with renewed determination—and your Alumni Board is here to get us all out there again, meeting people who share a common foundation as graduates of the best high school in the city.

Each year there are lots of on-going social events to jump into: • Class Reunions in August • Ram Open Golf in August • Oktoberfest in September • Women’s Wine Tour in October • Tailgaters at Football Games • Food Drive in December You may have new and inventive ideas of your own to add to the mix (think last fall’s Oktoberfest on 24th Avenue), so step forward and offer them!

A renewed mentorship program is also in the works, connecting students with alumni who have special skills, varied careers, and unique life journeys.

So many years since our founding (82). So many graduates (1000s).

Lots of ways to get involved (unlimited). Come on, join us!

- The Alumni Board To get more involved, share your ideas, or to join the Alumni Board, email: alumni@centralcatholichigh.org

ALUMNI NEWS

Ray Niehaus Rev. Tom McCarthy, SJ ’49 Class of 1945 A Servant of God Ray Niehaus ‘45 played varsity football and baseball during his time at Central Catholic, alongside his brother Russ ’44.

As an athlete and intensely loyal Ram, one of Ray’s cherished possessions was his Central Catholic letterman sweater, expertly made by the renowned Dehen Knitting Company. After he graduated from Central Catholic, Ray’s sweater went with him, first to Corvallis, where he briefly attended Oregon State University on a baseball scholarship, then to Florida and a two-year stint in the Coast Guard, where his favorite gig was working as a weatherman in Miami Beach.

After returning to Oregon, he attended and played baseball at Vanport College (the predecessor to what is now Portland State University) until the school was wiped out in the Memorial Day Flood of 1948. All the while, Ray wore his Central Catholic letterman sweater with pride.

Feeling a calling to the priesthood, Ray then entered Moreau Seminary at the University of Notre Dame to study under the Congregation of Holy Cross. At that time, seminarians were not allowed to bring any apparel with logos. That included high school letterman gear, so Ray was forced to leave his treasured Central Catholic sweater behind in Portland. Eventually, his dad wore it out and the sweater was lost.

Ray’s life path continued to unfold. After two years at Moreau Seminary and another three at Mt. Angel Seminary, he returned to Notre Dame for a final semester and concluded that the life of a priest was not for him. So, he returned to Oregon and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees, both in Education, at the University of Portland. His first teaching job was at Crook County High School in Prineville and in 1957, he became a founding member of the faculty that opened James Madison High School in northeast Portland, where he remained until his retirement in 1988. Throughout his career as an educator, Ray taught Latin, English, Philosophy, and a course called “The Bible as Literature,” among other things. He was a college counselor and of course, a baseball coach. Along the way, Ray married Mary Cacicia; they were blessed with 63 years together and had three children, Lori, Matt, and Michael. But he never forgot his time at Central Catholic, nor that treasured letterman sweater.

Recently, Ray’s son Matt collaborated with Dehen Knitting Company, now known as Dehen 1920, to create a custom-made Central Catholic letterman jacket. Ray was genuinely surprised and very, very happy to receive it.

Once a letterman, always a letterman. Once a Ram, always a Ram. Thank you, Matt Niehaus, for sharing this story.

- Bob (Larry) Fahlman ’76

Uncle Tommy was born to Clare (Tracy) and William McCarthy in Jamestown, ND. Their family of six boys and two girls moved to Portland in 1942 when he was a young boy. They settled in Ladd’s Addition and St. Philip Neri became their family parish. He had a call to greatness early in his life and quickly learned the true meaning of life. He consistently spoke throughout his life about his devotion and how everything ties back to the “greater glory of God.” He authentically lived out his faith in Jesus Christ each day of his life, and we were blessed that he was also a servant of God for our family as well.

He performed almost all of the sacraments of the Church for many members of his large Irish Catholic family throughout the United States and Canada. He also enjoyed participating in family events beyond the big holidays and weddings, and for years he hosted family Christmas dinner parties and family dinners on the Willamette River. He possessed a wonderful sense of humor in all aspects of his life and enjoyed the Peanuts brand of comics and humor. When then-Archbishop Levada asked him if he’d like to be pastor of St. Francis Parish in Sherwood, he simply responded, “Sure would.” There he would become a beloved pastor for 19 years. He enjoyed traveling, including leading a group to Ireland, which would include a visit to the McCarthy family farm and homestead in Castletownbere in County Cork.

He loved many things in life, especially the outdoors, hiking, and music. He had a strong bass voice and he, along with three other Jesuits, made a quartet album called The Four Fathers, composed of modern and religious songs. That album is cherished by the family and made him a rock star in our minds. He had many friends and was a master at connecting with individuals on a personal level, and connected with them wherever they were in their life’s journey.

Robert Fahlman ’52 Kevin McCarthy ’68 Tim McCarthy ’74 Robert (Larry) Fahlman ’76 Mark Fahlman ‘77 Brendan McCarthy ’77 Tom McCarthy ’77

Bill McCarthy ’78 Jeff Fahlman ’80 Cathy McCarthy ’87 John McCarthy ’91 Mike McCarthy ’92 Margaret McCarthy ’93 Tom McCarthy ’95

He is survived by his brothers John (Alice) and Donald (Martha), his sister Mary Fahlman, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brothers Kevin (Jane), Bill, Robert (Ellen), and his sister Margaret.

While he lived a long and meaningful life, his passing was still a mule kick.

A certain permanence has changed.

His family would like to recognize and celebrate an outstanding priest, person, friend, brother, brother-in-law, and uncle.

Well done, Uncle Tommy.

Winter 2021 |23

PRESIDENTS’ DINNER AND AUCTION Central Catholic High School

RAMS

RAMS

OREGON

OREGON

2021 Raffle This year we have added even more options to the raffle and increased the amount to $25,000!

Tickets: $100 or 6 for $500 Choose from three prizes:

Central Catholic High school is gearing up for the 26th Annual Presidents’ Auction on April 24, 2021. RAMS OREGON will be a celebration of our school, while also highlighting local experiences and the great things our students, alumni, and families are doing here and in our local area.

To keep our community safe, this year’s 2021 Presidents’ Auction will be a virtual event, with an online auction beginning on Monday, April 12, 2021, and ending with the livestream auction on April 24, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. Although we will miss gathering in person, there will be many ways for you to join in the fun by bidding on auction items, watching the livestream auction, or hosting a watch party!

There are many ways you can help make Central Catholic’s largest fundraising event a success:

1

$10,000 in Visa Gift Cards and $15,000 in Travel Vouchers

Winner has two (2) years to travel.

2

$25,000 Endowed Central Catholic Scholarship Named by the Raffle Winner

Winner can name an endowed scholarship, benefiting students at Central Catholic for generations to come (School chooses recipients based on award criteria mutually agreed upon by school and winner).

3

DONATE ITEMS TO THE AUCTION Help us by donating items for the online auction! Do you have services or goods to donate or know a business that does? We are looking for gift certificates and unique experiences. Do you have a vacation home or hotel connections? We would be grateful for your contributions.

HOST A WATCH PARTY This year we are hoping to encourage watch parties if small gatherings are determined to be safe in April. There will be party packs for purchase and additional assistance to host an incredible gathering—including a chance for your party to be featured on the livestream! Be on the lookout for more information closer to the event!

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS WITH US Promote your business or recognize your family in the auction program that we will mail out to registrants! Ads range from business card to full page in the program. In addition, your logo will be featured on the online auction and in the livestream event.

BECOME AN AUCTION SPONSOR When the auction is underwritten, all proceeds directly benefit students and their families. With the online auction and livestream event reaching more people than ever before, this is a great way to get your name out to our amazing community. There are many levels of sponsorship, and we can create a level that makes sense for you! All sponsorship levels include recognition in the livestream and on the online auction.

$25,000 in Central Catholic Tuition and Fees

Funds will be credited to the selected student’s account and can be used for tuition, fees, and co-curricular fees. Funds cannot be applied to the lunch account. Funds can be rolled over to the next year, but no remaining funds can be distributed upon graduation.

Only 1,500 tickets to be sold Drawing will be held at the Twenty-Sixth Annual Presidents’ Auction April 24, 2021 at approximately 6:30 p.m.

Need not be present to win! Winner is subject to all Federal and State income taxes based on the market value of the prize awarded.

Central Catholic

RAMS

OREGON

1939

For more information on the Presidents’ Auction or to purchase raffle tickets, please visit centralcatholichigh.org. Questions? E-mail auction@centralcatholichigh.org.

24 | Central Catholic Magazine

2021

Central Catholic

Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Portland, OR Permit No. 441

HIGH SCHOOL

2401 Southeast Stark Street • Portland, Oregon 97214

Upcoming Events March

April

May

June 3 Baccalaureate

7:00 p.m.

5, 6 11, 12 13

Spring Musical The Addams Family Virtual Performances 7:30 p.m.

1

Holy Thursday

9

2

Good Friday No School

21 Student Recognition Assembly

9:45 a.m.

4

12

Rose Festival Assembly

4

Easter Sunday

12

Harlow Restaurant Day*

12 Presidents’ Auction

28 End of the Year All-School Liturgy

9:30 a.m.

4 Graduation

7:00 p.m.

10 Last Day of School

14

Spring Musical Matinee The Addams Family Virtual Performance 2:00 p.m.

31 Memorial Day Holiday

No School

20 Father’s Day

22-26 Spring Break 28

Palm Sunday

30

Amalfi’s Italian Restaurant Day*

RAMS

OREGON

Online Bidding Opens 8:00 a.m.

Mother’s Day

Senior Awards Assembly

12 Pepino’s Fresh Mexican Grill Restaurant Day* 24

Presidents’ Auction

RAMS

OREGON

Livestream Event 5:00 p.m.

* Restaurant Days are fundraisers for the school where local restaurants give a percentage of the sales from that day to Central Catholic High School.

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