View from the Top Magazine Spring 2014 by Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy

F L I N T R I D G E S A C R E D H E A RT A C A D E M Y

Spring 2014

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Celebrating

what generous hearts can

academic success nurturing the whole student athletics the arts global learning scholarship service spirituality The Flintridge Fund, our annual giving program, is a way you can give back to FSHA. From scholarships to athletics, from technology to the arts, from books to retreats, annual giving provides for a vibrant holistic educational atmosphere for every young woman. Choose to apply your gift to your area of interest.

PLEASE MAKE YOUR GIFT TODAY Give online at www.fsha.org/onlinegiving Make a pledge now and fulfill it by June 30, 2014 Questions? Contact Althea Little, Director of the Flintridge Fund: 626.685.8391 or alittle@fsha.org

MEMBERS S. Gloria Marie Jones, O.P. Congregational Prioress S. Diane Bridenbecker, O.P. Vicaress General S. Reina Perea, O.P., Councilor S. Carolyn Marie Monahan, O.P. Councilor S. Alicia Lucy, O.P., Councilor

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

table of contents 2 3 Snapshot: Bev Beesemyer ’37 Visits 4 Glimpses: Short takes on and around the Hill 6 FSHA.org Gets a Makeover 13 Golf Tournament 2013 14 Faculty Profile: Nora Murphy 16 Saying Goodbye: Betsy Sauer & Mario Pariante 18 Tolog Family Tree: Salvo Family 20 Letter from the President

Introducing Pete Collins

Putting a Stop to Human Trafficking One alumna finds her passion fighting a modern form of slavery

Navigating a New World Digital citizenship teaches our Tologs how to use the Internet safely and smartly

our mission: Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, a Catholic, Dominican, collegepreparatory school, educates young women for a life of faith, integrity and truth.

30 31 32 34 36 38 40 46 47 47 48

L etter from Alumnae Association President 2 014 Distinguished Alumna Award A lumnae News Y oung Alumnae Reunion A lumnae Business Networking Event

Pete Collins Peter Conti, M.D., Ph.D. Michael Davitt Robert Edwards Bob Harper, Chair Ann Holmquist, Ed.D. John Hrovat S. Gloria Marie Jones, O.P. Leslie Kawai ’80 John Laco Paul Locker Darla Vessadini Longo ’75 Robert Malchione Steven Mann Barbara Marshall S. Carolyn McCormack, O.P. Juli Goodwin Roginson ’87 Keith Sharp S. Johnellen Turner, O.P. Allan Villegas

A lumnae Reunion Cocktail Party C lass Notes D onor Profile: Margo & Dan Bruich M aster Plan Update M ission Moment I n Memoriam

Inside Back Cover: How do you give back to your community? Student leaders share their thoughts.

On the Cover: Phoebe Pittman ‘15 shapes a vase on the wheel during a ceramics class. Design and Production Bacio Design & Marketing, Inc.

Seeking truth. Serving others. FLINTRID GE SACRED HEART ACADEMY

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a letter from THE PRESIDENT

How two hands touch and the bonds will never be broken. How people come, from delight or the Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous scars of damage, to the comfort of a poem. to be understood. Mysteries, Yes Mary Oliver

How grass can be nourishing in the mouths of lambs. How rivers and stones are forever in allegiance with gravity while we ourselves dream of rising.

Let me keep my distance always, from those who think they have the answers. Let me keep company always with those who say “Look!” and laugh in astonishment, and bow their heads.

ear Friends,

As this school year’s final pages unfold, I find myself in awe at the swift passage of time and all that this year has held. Everywhere, growth is taking place! To see the many and varied expressions of prayer, the bold and dynamic challenge of study the delight and joy of community, coming together in a beautiful expression of generosity and love that is the Holy Preaching and our deepest expression of compassionate and loving ministry in Jesus’ name is breathtaking; more, it is to be celebrated! It is our Dominican charism, alive among us. The fruitful, exciting results of four years of intense study, hard work and many activities are being realized by our seniors as they receive their college acceptance letters. It is such an amazing mystery — the transformation that takes place from freshman to senior year! Our talented, determined seniors are ready to spread their wings and take off for their next educational experiences, well-grounded and prepared by the many and varied experiences they have had on the Hill. They are anxiously waiting Graduation and the challenge to pursue new goals. Standing right behind them, in anticipation, are our juniors, sophomores and freshmen who will soon “move up.” Right behind them stands our newly accepted Class of 2018, 103 strong — and the cycle goes on. These transformations are mysterious and they are astonishing — where did the time go and who are these beautiful young women before us? Look, they are amazing! Our Strategic Plan is on the edge of completion. As we finish this current plan, we celebrate exciting growth in creating a strong curriculum for the 21st century, a boarding program of distinction, a strong and effective marketing and admissions program and secure financial sustainability. Next year, we will renew our

Strategic Plan and identify different areas of growth. At Flintridge Sacred Heart, we are convinced that improvement is a neverending process. Our Board of Directors, under the guidance of the Governance Committee, is carefully studying the role of the directors in order to develop and strengthen an even more effective governance structure for Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy. At a recent visit by the Members (the leadership team of the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose), the growth and development of the Board was noted. FSHA is blessed to have a strong and effective governance structure that is leading us into a dynamic future. Thank you to each and every director on the board. Finally, thank you for all each of you is doing to support the Master Plan and A Vision for Veritas -- the Moment is Now! I continue to be amazed at the goodness of our FSHA neighbors and community, and I appreciate all the positive energy you are sending our way. We are very blessed and grateful. In Mary Oliver’s words, “Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous to be understood.” As always, we thank you for the wonderful privilege of educating your daughters in a life of “faith, integrity and truth.” With deep gratitude,

Sister Carolyn McCormack, O.P. President

INTRODUCING

Pete Collins

ew to FSHA’s Board of Directors for the 2013-14 school year is Pete Collins, dad to two current Tologs (Sara ’16, Monica ’17) and a longtime supporter of – and graduate from – Catholic schools. A native of Arcadia, Collins is a 1982 alumnus of Loyola High School, where he played football and baseball and served in student government. “My experience at Loyola laid the foundation for my life: Hard work, service, respect and integrity describe what I learned in school, from my classmates and from the community,” he says. Now, as the dad of four daughters (with his wife, Moya), Collins has turned to similar institutions for their education. “My four sisters attended an all-girls high school, and I saw how they gained self-confidence during their high-school years,” he says. “Our two students have found different paths at FSHA, which is great because they have different gifts. They are gaining confidence in their relationships with peers and the faculty, they are learning that success comes from hard work and they are building friendships.”

offer financial aid to qualified candidates. While he admits that his own high-school experience was skewed toward athletics, he’s seeing a broader range of offerings at FSHA through his daughters’ eyes and wants to make that available to more young women. “The more I’m exposed to other programs, including art, theatre and Academic Decathlon, the more I learn that those programs help to build great people too,” he says. Collins’ daughters are also taking advantage of a new program on the Hill – they both ride the bus to FSHA every day from their family’s home in San Marino as part of the Tolog Transportation Program, and they love it.

“

In his new role on the Board, Collins wants to use the expertise gained during his time as CFO at True Religion Apparel and as a VP for Nordstrom and Albertson’s to help bolster FSHA’s ability to

Our two students have found different paths at FSHA, which is great because they have different gifts. They are gaining confidence in their relationships with peers and the faculty, they are learning that success comes from hard work and they are building friendships.

”

FLINTRID GE SACRED HEART ACADEMY

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snapshot

“

AN N U AL R E P O RT 2 0 1 2 - 2 0 1 3

I was just a little girl with an opportunity … Be yourself, do what you want to do and don’t ever hesitate going gung-ho for what you desire. - Beverly “Bev” Beesemyer ’37, former WASP To learn more about Beesemyer’s visit, turn to pg. 33.

”

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glimpses

“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” the musical based on Charles Schultz’s classic comic strip, was performed by FSHA’s actors, dancers and singers for last fall’s theatrical production. While the show featured long-beloved characters like Charlie Brown (played by Dylan Neil ’16), Snoopy (Carly Spina ’15) and Lucy Van Pelt (Roxi Giuliano ’14), Director Mark Bommarito incorporated several FSHA-themed twists to the tale. To fit in with the childhood feel, the stage was outfitted with a sandbox, a swing set and a stage wire for Charlie’s kite. The show ran November 13-16, 2013, in the Auditorium.

Capping off a long season that involved hours of study before school and a Thanksgiving trip to New York City, members of FSHA’s Academic Decathlon team emerged from their February 1 competition with a record number of medals.

The 18 decathletes were split into two teams for the day-long contest at Bishop Alemany High School, where they took tests, wrote essays and delivered speeches on this year’s topic of World War I. Out of 17 teams in Division II, FSHA’s Team One came in third place, and out of 16 teams in Division III, FSHA’s Team Two ended up in second place. In addition, FSHA collected 35 individual medals and 27 team medals, establishing a school record of 62 medals overall. “This year’s tournament was the largest Academic Decathlon tournament in the history of Southern California,” team moderator Mario Pariante told his team. “As a result, the competition for team placement and individual medals was more fierce than ever! You have upheld the tradition of excellence that our FSHA teams have established over the past seven years.”

Two senior FSHA athletes signed their letters of intent on Wednesday, February 5 (otherwise known as National Signing Day): Katherine “Katie” Altmayer ‘14 is a swimmer going to Dartmouth College; and Casey Basso ‘14 is a soccer player heading to Houston Baptist University.

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On the morning of Monday, November 18, 2013, FSHA students arrived at school to find anonymous notes of encouragement taped to each locker. It was an offshoot of a project that freshman religion students had undertaken as part of their unit on “Who is God?” While trying to find how God reveals Himself to us in everyday life, students did a number of activities, including taking photos of images that represent Beauty and posting them to Instagram with the tag #godinbeauty. (The instagram photo above is from Kamela Stewart ’17: “This photo was taken at our first freshman retreat and I found this photo beautiful because I was really able to connect with my fellow freshman Tologs.”) To round out the unit, students completed an assessment in which they were supposed to create something beautiful “with the idea that true beauty connects the viewer to God,” according to religion teacher Kelly Tramontin. One group of students created beauty by paying it forward to their fellow students with those notes. Block C created care packages for the homeless in Old Town Pasadena, while Block F served the same population by making fleece blankets and distributing them. Students in Block F also spread the love among their classmates by making friendship bracelets for the entire freshman class.

5. 08

On February 8, the FSHA Booster Club paid tribute to those who have made the school such an athletic powerhouse with its Alumnae Hall of Fame awards ceremony, dinner and Mass. Inducted this year were volleyball and basketball player Danielle Dal Ponte

glimpses

Loomis ‘98 as well as former soccer coaches Kathy Desmond and Frank Pace (also dad of Erin ’02). Loomis was a star volleyball and basketball player at FSHA, and she was named Volleyball Player of the Year in 1998 after helping the Tologs win two back-toback CIF championships. Desmond coached soccer at FSHA from 1994 to 2012, and Pace coached from 1998 to 2013. Together, they headed the FSHA squad that won the school’s first-ever CIF Division I soccer championship in 2011.

The volleyball team made a long playoff run in the CIF Division I playoffs last fall — the Tologs were one game away from playing for the championship before falling to cross-town rival La Salle in a raucous game on the Hill. That match required ticketing for both home and away fans, with the Gym packed long before game time and an Internet live-stream for others to follow the excitement. Three of FSHA’s star players — Ally Clapp ‘14 (second from left), Madelyn Peterson ‘14 and Clare Lund ‘14 (far right) — are cousins and the daughters of Anna Lund Clapp ‘87, Natalie Lund Peterson ‘81 and Mary Lambert Lund ‘82, respectively, all of whom played volleyball at FSHA as well and led the Tologs to many successful seasons. A fourth Lund cousin, Kayla Lund ‘17 (far left), is a star freshman and the daughter of Eddie and Alicia Lund, the latter of whom played volleyball at Notre Dame. At the end of the season, the Glendale News-Press named Sophia Coffey ’15 the All-Area Girls’ Volleyball Player of the Year; added Katie Conley ‘14, Emily Develle ‘15 and Kayla to its first team; Ally to its second team; and Coach Ernest Banaag was named Coach of the Year.

While some things change, others stay the same: This year’s Mother-Daughter Luncheon took place earlier than usual — on Friday, March 21 — but it still gave seniors in the Class of 2014 a chance to thank their mothers for all of the wisdom and opportunities they’ve received in their lives before Graduation events begin in May. While sitting down to lunch, the assembled ladies watched a video featuring childhood photos of the impending graduates, prompting awws from many in the audience. After lunch, those awws turned to laughs as senior moms surprised their daughters with a “flash mob” dance, much like the senior dads performed at the FatherDaughter Dance last fall.

In a shining example of cross-curricular cooperation, one Tolog’s science-based short story made it to the final round of an international competition. “Heisenberg,” a piece of flash (a.k.a. super-short) fiction by Jordan Yates ‘14, was part of an assignment that honors physics students worked on last semester. Each piece was to highlight quantum mechanics principles that the students were covering in physics, and FSHA’s English teachers (as well as Librarian Nora Murphy and Academic Services Coordinator Margot Paine) assisted these Tologs in their assignments. The stories were then entered into Quantum Shorts 2013, a competition sponsored by the National University of Singapore, and Jordan’s was among five such stories — out of more than 500 entries — that made it to the shortlist in the Student International category. “Heisenberg,” which addresses the uncertainty principle, can be read at shorts.quantumlah.org/ entry/heisenberg.

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The Father-Daughter Dance is an FSHA tradition, held every year in the fall. This school year, the annual dance took place on October 23, 2013, at the Hilton in Glendale. The dance was open to all students at FSHA, and around 225 father/daughter pairs attended the event. The evening included dinner, dessert, a dance-off and a dad-centric flash mob. Pete Donaldson, father of Drew Donaldson ’14, planned the flash mob, which involved a large group of dads dancing to “Ho Hey,” the hit song by the indie rock band The Lumineers. (Sample lyric: “I belong with you, you belong with me, you’re my sweetheart.”) “None of the girls knew it was coming, and [they] even kept it a secret from Sr. Celeste,” says Bren Wells, mother of Ashley Wells ’15 and one of the parent organizers. “The girls screamed, and then every smartphone in the room started filming!”

10.

More than 500 people attended FSHA’s Open House on January 12. The event included guided campus tours, an activity/athletics fair and a performing arts presentation. The school also unveiled a new exhibit that showcased items from the former Flintridge Hotel as well as other mementos from the early days of FSHA. Showcased hotel objects included silver tea sets, embroidered linen napkins, old room keys, registers, original advertisements and even a formal luncheon setting for two with the hotel’s original fine china and dining chairs. Visitors were then treated to a glimpse of FSHA’s past: Old yearbooks, school newspapers, photographs and even the original “wake up” bell (an actual bell used to wake boarding students) were displayed. But the highlight of the exhibit had to be the sampling of graduation gowns and uniforms. Gowns from 1954, 1979 and 2000 and a school uniform from the 1940s were all on display, along with accompanying vintage photographs of students in action wearing these outfits.

glimpses

11.

Eight FSHA students participated in the 2014 L.A. Archdiocesan Youth Day liturgy in Anaheim on March 13. Youth Day is part of the four-day long Religious Education Congress. Every year, 15,000 teens from Catholic high schools and parishes from across the Archdiocese and beyond gather together for a day of prayer, rallies, workshops and Mass. FSHA students Brianna Gandarilla ’17, Angelina Grego ’17, Reed Pickering ’17, Katie Arial ’16, Alyssa Carter ’16, Madeline Lewis ’16, Brikk Bralley ’14 and Megan Seymour’14 had the opportunity to serve as Ministers of Liturgical Movement (liturgical dancers) for both liturgies during the day. Under the direction of Kristina Ortega, senior religion teacher, the students began preparing for Youth Day in January.

12.

This February, FSHA welcomed world-renowned dancer and choreographer Sean Cheesman to the school. Cheesman, who is currently a fixture on the hit TV show “So You Think You Can Dance” and has worked with such pop icons as Michael Jackson, Prince and Britney Spears, originally planned to choreograph an Afro-Jazz gospel number for FSHA’s annual Dance Concert in April. This collaboration was the result of a longtime friendship between FSHA’s dance teacher, Cindy Montoya, and Cheesman; they met more than 20 years ago as background dancers for Paula Abdul. Cheesman taught a group of 20 dancers (all members of Junior and Senior Saltatrix) a piece of an Afro-Jazz routine. After rehearsing it with them for an hour, groups of four were called out to the floor to perform the routine they just learned. Of those girls, Cheesman picked his top 10 dancers and gave them individual critiques.

Many other guests crowded into FSHA’s exercise room to watch the auditions. Leslie Kawai ’80, a former FSHA parent, a member of FSHA’s Board of Directors and a dancer, was one onlooker. “Sean Cheesman is giving our girls an incredible life experience,” she said. “Being able to learn from a successful working choreographer provides an insight into the life of a professional artist and gives a preview of what to expect out in the dance world.” While Cheesman was unable to return to FSHA to further prepare for the Dance Concert due to a family medical emergency, he plans to visit again soon.

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13.

On February 12, FSHA opened its doors for Grandparents’ Day, an annual tradition that many Tologs count as a personal favorite. More than 240 grandparents joined their granddaughters on the Hill, and they enjoyed an art exhibit, a light breakfast, visits to their granddaughters’ classrooms and a performing arts performance. After the show, the grandparents and their granddaughters walked down to the Student Activities Center, where they enjoyed a catered lunch together. “I really loved the lunch because I sat with my grandmother and great aunt and uncle, and we talked about their childhoods. It was nice to relax with them,” said Natalie Majich ’15.

14.

This year, a group of students approached Assistant Principal of Student Affairs Rosemary Johnston with an idea for a new club—FSHA’s very own Black Student Union, which was quickly approved. Organized by Vanessa Dennis ’14 and Sydnie Johnson ’14, the group’s mission seeks to “promote and teach our fellow students about our unique heritage,” and in February, the BSU held their first assembly in recognition of Black History Month. The three presenters were Dr. Phyllis Cremer, associate vice president for Student Development at Woodbury University in Burbank and mother of Samantha Cremer ’17 and Bella Cremer ‘12; Jacque Robinson, vice mayor of Pasadena; and Carmen Mackey, community services liaison for the Los Angeles Fire Department and mother of Denver Mackey ’17 . They spoke about the challenges and discrimination they face as African-American women.

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glimpses

The annual celebration of Tolog enthusiasm that is Spirit Week came to its apex with the Spirit Assembly on Wednesday, January 22. The classes competed in a number of games, including a cheer performance, a relay race and something that involved shaving cream and cheese puffs! Teachers also got in on the fun — the faculty fielded a team for the relay and topped off all four class songs with a ditty of their own.

FSHA.org gets a makeover

ave you seen the new FSHA.org? Full of energy, the new website — which premiered mid-March — features large photos, bright splashes of color and spiffed-up navigation. While the new look seemed to materialize overnight, it was actually a work in progress that took longer than a year. At the helm of this ambitious project was Allison Rost, FSHA’s Digital Communications Manager, who worked with Whipple Hill, a company that provides software for private schools. “The new website is modern, dynamic and really reflective of the liveliness and feeling we have up here on the Hill,” Rost said.

Though FSHA had wanted to redesign the website for many years — it hadn’t been redesigned since 2008 — it was too expensive to do so. However, Whipple Hill started offering template-based designs last year, an option that was significantly less expensive than a custom redesign. Once the project was greenlit, Rost gathered groups of faculty, staff, board members and parents to work on the nuts and bolts of the site. Together, the group chose the template, fonts, colors and navigation options, which Rost then took back to Whipple Hill. “They came back to us with the new site in December, and up until the launch, we went through and identified bugs, polished the details and built out the remaining pages,” Rost said.

While there is much to be excited about with the new website, one of Rost’s favorite changes has to do with a feature called responsive web design. “If you visit FSHA.org on a tablet or cell phone, it automatically resizes itself to fit your screen without cutting anything off,” she explained. “A lot of our traffic — as with the rest of the industry — now comes from mobile devices, so it’s beneficial to us to give better options to those users.” The internal site (the password-protected area), previously known as Podium, also got a makeover. Now called TologNet, this area features new tools for faculty, staff and students, such as digital bulletin boards for classes and clubs. Not surprisingly, the new FSHA.org has been met with enthusiasm from the FSHA community, not just for the updated look but also for the improved functionality. “One parent said she’d gone to check out the redesign and had so quickly found a link to something she’d needed to do (register for the Mother-Daughter Luncheon) that she forgot to email me back with her thoughts on the site!” recounted Rost. “While I love that the site has this beautiful new look, the fact that it’s proving so useful is exactly what I wanted.”

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2013

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Sr. Donna Marie Nicholas, O.P., gets ready to putt during the popular “Bet on the Sisters” competition.

golf

number of alumnae were in attendance at the 39th Annual Harry G. Johansing Scholarship Golf Tournament & Dinner at Oakmont Country Club in Glendale on Columbus Day 2013, but perhaps none was prouder to be there than Leesa Puleo Bland ‘83. She’s the mother of Julia Byrne ‘14, current ASB Treasurer and the evening’s featured speaker. Julia spoke to the assembled guests about her FSHA experience and how the school’s dedicated teachers have enabled her to reach great heights at FSHA, including a perfect score on the math section of her SATs. Her speech received a standing ovation. Despite competing with a Dodger playoff game, the annual event kept golfers busy on the course on a beautiful, sunny day. This yearly event is a long-established tradition at FSHA, building community and raising funds for the Harry G. Johansing Endowed Scholarship Fund, which is the largest endowed scholarship fund at the school. Participants from all corners of the FSHA community — current parents, past parents and alumnae alike — enjoyed a day of golf at Oakmont, where they were greeted on the course by Srs. Carolyn McCormack, O.P. and Celeste Marie Botello, O.P. Diners arrived around 5 p.m. to join in for hosted cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction on the patio before heading inside for a gourmet dinner. One highlight was a putting contest called “Bet on the Sisters,” with Sr. Jennifer Ogorek emerging victorious. Inside the dining room was where Julia delivered her winning speech, as well as the final drawings for both the cash and jewelry raffles.

Golf Committee Chair: Craig Shewfelt (Haley ’14) Bob Altman (Katie ‘15) Tom Altmayer (Katherine ‘14) Richard Ashworth (Adrienne ’14) Tim Bosveld (Megan ’14) Steve Buntich (Grace ‘17) Joe Chavez (PJ Murietta ‘04, Dani ’14) Alison & Mike Davitt (Abby ’12) Mike Delaney (Dana ‘14, Kelly ’17) Jim Hamm (Megan ’10, Sarah ’17) Claudia & Chuck Hartwig (Erin ’09, Katie ’14) Jeff Housman (Leah ’09, Kira ’13) David Katz (Emily ’12, Camille ’16)

Conrado Lopez (Anna ‘15) Tony Maniscalchi (Taylor ’11) Rick McGregor (Victoria ’13, Anastasia ’14) Steve Pappas (Danae ‘13) Brenda & Len Pieroni (Allison ‘16) Paul Porter (Anna ’13) John Saydah (Jessica ’09) Keith Sharp (Katie ’11, Emily ’13) Maki Shewfelt (Haley ‘14) Steve Sinclair (Sarah ‘15) Ellen & Brendan Turner (Megan ‘09) Alex Venneri (Cristina ‘16) James Van de Voorde (Grace ‘17) Jim Vitale (Lisa ’11) Student speaker Julia Byrne ’14 and her mother Leesa Puleo Bland ‘83 relax during the cocktail hour.

Rita Illig Leibelt ‘76 and Sam Melehani try to decide which Sister to back for the “Bet on the Sisters” putt-off.

Golf Committee Chair Craig Shewfelt and Sr. Carolyn McCormack, O.P. hold up playing cards during the Jewelry Raffle.

Winner of the “Putt for Cash” Ricardo Beiner (guest of Rick McGregor) donates his earnings back to the school.

Golf Committee Chair Craig Shewfelt and his wife Maki pose for a picture with his parents, Don and Joan Shewfelt.

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S SP PR R II N NG G 2 20 01 14 4

What does it mean to be a college-preparatory high school like Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy? According to Nora Murphy, FSHA’s Librarian, it means that students are ready to handle the academic rigor that greets them as college freshmen. And as Murphy knows, one major scholarly stumbling block for many students is the dreaded research project. To help the academic transition from high school to college, Murphy developed a year-long assignment called the Junior Research Project (or the JRP). Meant to teach students the research skills they’ll be expected to know after they leave FSHA, the JRP just completed its inaugural year. We sat down with Murphy to learn about this unique assignment, the skills that students need to know before they get to college and some of her favorite projects.

Risk & Research

NORA MURPHY: FACULTY PROFILE

Q. A.

What is the Junior Research Project (JRP)?

It’s essentially a college-preparatory research project. Students are able to draw from their U.S. history, American literature and religion classes, which share several common themes— enslavement, exile/isolation, marginalization, identity/voice, nationhood and the American Dream. The students draw from those themes and pick topics they are interested in pursuing. Eventually, they end up writing a 10-page paper using a minimum of 10 sources. The goal of the JRP is to give students experience with writing the types of papers they will be asked to write as soon as they enter their freshman year [of college]. We’ve received information from a lot of college-level instructors and librarians that students do not receive instruction on certain necessary skills required for these types of papers. We also slow down the research paper process so that something that kids will be required to do in college in six weeks, we take six months to do. It allows us to really address very deeply how you go about developing and writing a proper research paper.

Q. A.

What are some of the challenges students face while working on the JRP?

It’s hard for the students, particularly after selecting a general topic, to narrow it down to a workable, debatable thesis after a long period of research. It’s a little uncomfortable for them as we’re flipping the process a little bit. We require that they wait a long time before claiming a thesis. They want to do that right up front so they can find resources that match their thesis statement. Our students are also in need of permission to take intellectual risks. It’s very scary for them to do that. They really want you to tell them the answer all the time. The JRP gives them permission to take those risks; it actually requires them to do so.

Q. A.

What are some of your favorite projects?

There are some really great projects. One student’s first idea was that she didn’t understand why young women didn’t want to identify as feminists. She identifies as a feminist and a lot of people don’t, so she wanted to look into that. At the same time, she became interested in ethnic heritage and ethnic diversity feminism. So now, she’s writing a paper about the ways that the feminist movement has not appropriately addressed the racial and class issues of many American women. Her theory is that the feminist movement is really

in jeopardy and losing people, especially young people, who aren’t identifying as feminists. It’s so complicated and amazing. Another student is researching the post-World War I era and the way that the crisis and the trauma following that war led to an artistic explosion. She’s looking at the way writers and artists, out of a sense of hopelessness and desperation, began to define and create their art differently. And she’s come to that conclusion on her own.

Q. A.

Why do you think it’s important that high-school girls learn the proper methods and the ways to do research?

There’s an expectation at the freshman college course level that they’ll be able to do a number of things independently. It’s our responsibility to prepare our students for that. We need to keep in mind exactly what a college will expect and know that professors do not deliver instructions on these skills. There’s not a lesson in place on how to use the database and the library. It’s just an expectation. There’s enough happening in their freshman year of college that’s stressful, and learning how to do all of this here prepares them for a situation in college where these girls can be the ones on their dorm floor who say to their friends, “Oh, I know how to do that. Don’t worry. I’ll show you.”

Q. A.

What are some of the skills the students learn while doing the JRP?

Through the research process, they learn how to properly identify information online and use it; how to do smart searches and how to evaluate the credibility of a source; and they’ll think about the information that they’re using and how they are using it. They also need to know how to document a source; when to know to abandon or discard it; when to know that an anticipated thesis statement is no longer valid — all of those things need to become more automatic for our students.

Q. A.

It’s obvious that you love working with the students on their research skills. What else do you love about FSHA?

I love that being here requires me to take intellectual risks all the time. I feel that I am challenged in the work I do in a different way than I was previously. Prior to coming here, I was in public education, and I was very focused on living within a system. I had to cope with a lot of obstacles that were in the way of the real work that I was never able to get to. Here, I can get to the real work. FLINTRID GE SACRED HEART ACADEMY

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something special M A R I O PA R I A N T E 2000 - 2014

fter 14 years of teaching religion and social studies at FSHA, Mario Pariante is hanging up his hat and retiring at the end of this school year. Though he’s quick to caution: “Retirement, for me, does not mean sitting on a beach with a drink reading a book!” he says. Instead, Pariante is heading to his beloved Hawaii to pursue his varied interests, many of which he’s already started to enjoy more often thanks to his part-time schedule in the 2013-14 school year. They include refurbishing and playing his Guild 12-string guitar and learning Mandarin. “I have enjoyed practicing my Mandarin with my Chinese students, especially Dora Huang ’14!” he says. When he’s no longer tied to a school calendar, his life will also include a great deal of travel, especially to his native New York. He leaves behind a storied Academic Decathlon program, which he took over in 2006 and expanded into two teams. Pariante also broadened the travel portion of the team curriculum, taking students to locations such as Paris for the competition’s French Revolution theme and London for “The Age of Empire.” Several times, he’s been able to show students around his hometown of New York. “I love it: When I’m sharing my city, I’m sharing me,” he says. In April, Stanford University flew him up to Palo Alto for the J. Wallace Sterling Award ceremony, where Nicole DeMont ’09 was being honored as one of the top 25 graduates from Stanford’s College of Humanities

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and Sciences. Each recipient chose one high-school “mentor” teacher to be honored as well, and she chose Pariante. “It was really lovely and humbling,” he says. While Pariante will miss singing at FSHA Masses (and teasing Katy Sadler over the PA system), his passion for teaching lives on – he says that he’s likely to return to teaching part time at some point because he loves it too much. Wherever he ends up, though, it won’t be quite the same. “I have a grandmother who is Grace, an aunt who is Grace, a sister who is Grace and five cousins who are Graces. I have been surrounded by ‘grace’ since I was born! My 14 years at FSHA have been another grace in my life,” he says. “Although a mere ‘thank you’ to the Dominican sisters, my colleagues and my wonderful students is completely inadequate, I can do little but to place my gratitude in words. Thank you, FSHA! Or more appropriately, mahalo!”

BETSY SAUER 1973 - 2014

hen Betsy Sauer arrived at FSHA in the fall of 1973 to teach physical education, the school was nothing like the athletic dynamo it is today. With only designated “play days,” three sports teams and no indoor athletic facilities, Tologs found themselves scrambling for places to practice and hold games. Needless to say, a lot has changed since those days, and after 40 years as a teacher, coach, athletic director and FSHA parent (Jennifer Sauer Shepard ’93, Kristen Sauer Sullivan ’96, Megan Sauer ’04, Lauren Sauer ‘07), Sauer is saying goodbye. “It’s just been a great experience and that’s why I stayed,” Sauer says, “but it’s time to move on.” As a girl, Sauer loved being active. “I was a tomboy. I was always just taking off for the day. I’d come home all mosquito-bitten and dirty,” she says. “I played hardball with the guys. We played tackle football — no helmets.” Cheerleading and basketball soon followed, and eventually Sauer graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a degree in physical education. In those early years, Sauer worked hard to give athletics at FSHA the legitimacy it deserved. When Sauer wasn’t teaching P.E., she was coaching. “I went from coaching volleyball to basketball to softball to swimming. It was nuts,” she says. For Sauer, one of her biggest victories was getting permission to use the Auditorium for P.E. and sport practices. “You can’t keep playing on asphalt. You really need to play in a gym. With the size of the Auditorium, we didn’t have a lot of room, but we could at least play in there,” she says. In time, the Student Activities Center (SAC) was built, giving the athletics department a brand-new home and plenty of space for sports teams to hold games and meets. Yet it’s not the changing campus that amazes Sauer the most when speaking of her 40 years on the Hill; it’s today’s female athletes and the opportunities they have. “To see it go from the dark ages, before Title IX, to where we now have girls getting full scholarships to Division I schools is most amazing,” explains Sauer. It’s clear that gender equality is one issue that Sauer feels strongly about. “I always heard, ‘You can’t do that, you’re a girl.’ That never sat right with me.” Sauer begins to tear up. “It was like, ‘No, you can’t tell me that.’ I don’t like to be told things – it’s being stubborn enough to say, ‘I’ll show you.’“ These days, the Gym walls are covered in All-American banners, the local papers routinely award Tolog athletes with league honors and FSHA students regularly go on to play sports at the college level. A lot of these accomplishments can be attributed to Sauer and her dedication to FSHA. “I go to other schools and it’s like, no, they don’t have what we have. It’s the people that work here, the girls, everything. I’m really going to miss it,” she says.

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SPRING 2014

Alexa Salvo ’15 (daughter of Vincent and Melissa Salvo)

Nicolina “Nicki” Francesca Salvo ’08 (daughter of John and Teresa Salvo)

Marina Salvo Clark ’77

Rachel Salvo ’06 and Rebecca Salvo ’06 (daughters of John and Teresa Salvo)

legacy A GRANDMOTHER’S

TOLOG FAMILY TREE Anita Veselich Salvo ’48 & Enrico Salvo

Marina Salvo ’77 knew where she would attend high school ever since she was a small child. “There was no question that Cesca and I would go to FSHA,” says Marina. As daughters of alumna Anita Veselich Salvo ’48, Marina and her sister Francesca ’82 grew up hearing their mother’s stories about FSHA. And her mother had many memories, especially since Anita boarded at FSHA from first grade until her graduation in 1948. “My mom talked about the practical jokes in the boarding hall, like the short sheets prank, the closeness of all the girls and their connection with the Sisters,” Marina remembers. “After seeing the joy and happiness and the excellence that FSHA brought out in my mother, there was no other option when it came to deciding where to attend school.” For Marina, life as a Tolog was full of fun and laughter. “I remember Sr. Virginia chasing the streakers from La Cañada High School down the Hill. She got in her old baby blue Plymouth and drove after them, yelling the whole way,” she says with a laugh. “There was a camaraderie between everyone because we were an all-girls school. It was a togetherness between the teachers, the girls and the Sisters.” One year after Marina graduated, Francesca made her way up the Hill.

Vincent Salvo (Melissa)

John Salvo (Teresa)

Francesca Salvo ’82

On the right, from top to bottom: Anita Veselich Salvo ’48 as a student at FSHA; Anita Veslich Salvo, Francesca Salvo ’82 and Enrico Salvo at a FSHA event; Alexa Salvo ’15 and Marina Salvo ’77 at Alexa’s Junior Ring ceremony; Rachel and Rebecca Salvo ’06 celebrate little sis Nicki Salvo ’08 on her graduation from FSHA.

A member of ASB, “Cesca” was known for her kindness, loyalty and commitment to all she did. She passed away from cancer in 1989. Even with this loss, the Tolog family tradition continues to this day. Besides Marina and Cesca, Anita and Enrico had two sons, John and Vincent. As luck would have it, the brothers have been blessed with four daughters between the two of them — Nicolina “Nicki” Francesca Salvo ’08, Rachel Salvo ’06 and Rebecca Salvo ’06, daughters of John and Teresa Salvo; and current student Alexa Salvo ’15, daughter of Vincent and Melissa Salvo. Though Anita passed away in 2002, her children and grandchildren still remember her love, especially at FSHA events. “Watching my daughters graduate was so gratifying as they had worked so hard all four years,” says John. “I think my mother would have been so proud to see them in their white dresses throwing the rose petals as she had done so many years before. The girls always wanted to follow in her footsteps.” And newest Tolog Alexa Salvo ’15 feels her grandmother’s presence when on campus: “Even though my grandmother is no longer with us, I feel her watching over me with every step I take at FSHA.”

AN N U AL R E P O RT 2 0 1 2 - 2 0 1 3

he generous alumnae, friends and parents who have chosen to remember Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy in their estate plans are a special group. The Mother Dolorosa Society honors philanthropic and dedicated individuals who are creating a legacy here at FSHA through planned gifts that will have a lasting and positive impact on hundreds of young women for years to come. A bequest is one of the easiest gifts to make. With the help of an advisor, you can include language in your will or trust specifying a gift to be made to family, friends or Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy as part of your estate plan. The following types of commitments qualify you for membership in the Mother Dolorosa Society: • A bequest provision in your will or revocable trust • A life-income gift that names FSHA as a reminder beneficiary, such as a charitable remainder trust • A charitable lead trust that provides income to FSHA for a donor’s lifetime or a term of years • A gift or assignment of qualified retirement plan assets, such as an IRA, 401(k) or 403(b) • A gift of life insurance THANK YOU TO OUR MEMBERS Olga J. Barnes Donna G. Bender Alice Kinsman Yvonne Lefkowitz (Deceased) Alexandra R. McKay Carrie Oransky Rauch Family Credit Trust Mary E. Schuck (Deceased) William Martin Todd Trust Nicolina Montoya Barbara Marshall Patricia J. Traviss

Cornelia Grandin (Deceased) Mary G. Beaudry Lois J. Longo Joann F. McGarty William G. Spathelf Cynthia L. Casillas Marsha L. Swan Julie Anne Swayze Emily J. Ramazzotti Celia A. Leaver Angela V. Sayre Allan T. Herbert

Planned gifts provide the resources that create extraordinary opportunities for young women and preserve FSHA’s future. For more information, please visit www.fsha.org/plannedgiving or contact GREG CORNELL Major Gifts Officer at 626-685-8376 or gcornell@fsha.org. FLINTRID GE SACRED HEART ACADEMY

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Putting a Stop to Human Trafficking ALUMNA BRIANNA HODGE ’07 FINDS HER PASSION IN HELPING WOMEN AND CHILDREN ESCAPE FROM THIS MODERN FORM OF SLAVERY. Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, was once considered the “Pearl of Asia,” with its beautiful French colonial architecture and tranquil gardens. However, after decades of war and genocide, the city now faces crippling poverty, rampant prostitution and an ever-growing abundance of slums. It was this type of environment where alumna Brianna Hodge found herself when she visited Cambodia for a mission trip the summer after her graduation from FSHA in 2007. Though she didn’t know it at the time, the trip would change Hodge’s life, ultimately revealing her true calling: ending human trafficking.

WHAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING?

The Trip That Changed Everything

“W

hen I first arrived in Cambodia on that mission trip, I was very naive. I had an egocentric attitude,” Hodge explains. “Cambodia was hot and seemed dirty.” Organized by World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization, the trip was similar to other mission trips in which Hodge had participated, but none of them were of this magnitude. “I had worked with the homeless in San Francisco through Youth With A Mission (YWAM), but my time in Cambodia was unlike any other. I was exposed to a level of suffering I had never seen before.” As the mission trip progressed, Hodge began to notice something significant about the Cambodian people. “Everyone was smiling. I was taken aback by their smiles,” she says. “I thought, ‘These kids have nothing.’ They were playing in the dirt with sticks — but they had huge smiles on their faces. These kids were full of joy. It was a very humbling experience. These people have nothing, but at the same time they have everything,” she says. While most of the trip was focused on community development, such as educating village women on the proper ways to breastfeed, Hodge also got to see a sadder (and seedier) side of Cambodia. The leaders of the trip pointed out the numerous brothels, and the teens even spent time inside a “girlie bar,” a common sight in Cambodia. Much like an American bar, a “girlie bar” has pool tables, music, dancing and food service, and it’s open to both men and women. Unlike an American bar, certain young

Often referred to as a modern form of slavery, human trafficking is defined by the United Nations as “the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them.” Prostitution, sexual exploitation, forced labor or service, servitude and removal of organs are all examples of exploitation suffered by those trafficked. According to the United Nations, at least 20.9 million adults and children are trafficked into commercial sex servitude, forced labor and bonded labor. Not surprisingly, women and girls make up the majority of those trafficked for sexual exploitation at 98 percent. Every country in the world is affected by human trafficking, including the United States. Though many developed countries have laws against human trafficking and awareness of the issue is growing, the number of convictions is still extremely low. The Catholic Church has also taken a stand against human trafficking, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops created an Anti-Trafficking Program (ATP) in response to this issue. The goal of the program is to educate others on human trafficking, advocate for an end to modern day slavery and provide training and assistance on this issue. All over Southern California, church leaders and parishioners have taken up the call, organizing special prayer services for victims, bringing speakers into the community and holding marches to raise awareness. To learn more about the Catholic Church’s Anti-Trafficking Program, visit: www.usccb.org/about/anti-trafficking-program/.

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and as I did, I became more and more passionate about the topic,” she says. “The seed that was planted in Cambodia came together with all the knowledge I gained through my readings and study.” Soon, Hodge found herself involved with a statewide college organization called Oregonians Against Trafficking Humans, or OATH for short. OATH lacked a Portland representative, so Hodge contacted them and started the club at her campus. “We planned conferences and week-long awareness campaigns and arranged for speakers to come to campus,” Hodge says. One campaign involved bright orange T-shirts with the word “SLAVE” emblazoned on the front. More than 100 students donned these shirts and carried around informational cards for those who asked about the shirts. Hodge even arranged for Ron Wyden, a U.S. Senator from Oregon to attend a conference at the university. At the same time, Hodge was making her own connections and often found herself speaking on panels at other human trafficking events.

girls stand around until a man decides he would like to spend the evening with one of them. He then approaches the “madam” of the bar, an older woman who manages the girls, and pays for the services he requests. “The bar was playing lively music, but the mood was so somber and depressing,” Hodge says. “The girls were just there moving very slowly, back and forth on the dance floor, while the men sat staring at them.” Hodge and her companions couldn’t help but notice how young the girls were: around 17 years old, the same age as the majority of the mission trip group. It was only after Hodge and her friends began a conversation with the girls and even got them to have fun on the dance floor that she began to see how truly innocent they once were. “For that 15 or 20 minutes, they were smiling, laughing and acting their age,” she explains. “On that bus ride back, it was pretty quiet. Everybody was just letting the experience soak in.” Though Hodge didn’t end up seeing the girls after their interaction in the “girlie bar,” witnessing the sexual exploitation of those young women would impact her deeply.

Taking the Fight to Portland In the fall of 2007, Hodge enrolled at the University of Portland, where she found herself interested in the field of social work. “I kept choosing to do my projects and papers on human trafficking,

As college graduation began to inch closer, Hodge started to make plans. While she always thought she would spend a year living in Spain, her professors encouraged her to apply for the Fulbright Scholar Program. An extremely competitive and prestigious program, the Fulbright awards merit-based grants to individuals in their postcollegiate years. A recipient uses the grant to travel to a host country and conduct graduate study or research in a particular area. In order to apply, an applicant needs to submit a proposal with a specific host country in mind. Hodge remembered her trip to Cambodia, and through her work with OATH, she had learned of an organization called Transitions Global that ran rehabilitation shelters in that country for victims of sex trafficking. She got in contact with the shelter and realized she could help by researching ways that victims of sex trafficking could transition back into society once they left the trade. With this project in mind, Hodge applied for a Fulbright scholarship.

A Return to Cambodia “I was completely shocked when I found out I had received the Fulbright. The probability of me receiving one was so small that I was taken aback when I found out,” Hodge explains. “I was excited for the opportunity, but a little scared. I was about to move to a developing country for the next 10 months.” To prepare, Hodge spent the next couple of months reading books specifically on human trafficking in Cambodia, including one firsthand account from a Cambodian woman who was trafficked and now works as an advocate. Hodge also tried to spend as much time as possible with her family before she left. And so in September 2011, Hodge found herself back on the streets of Cambodia. At the shelter, Hodge was put in charge of two social workers. In the first few months, she trained them and taught them more about sex trafficking. “Though I didn’t have that much background in social work — just a year-long practicum completed — my level of education and experience with social work was way more than those in Cambodia,” Hodge says. After training finished, the group spent their time traveling around the country, interviewing families whose daughters were victims of sexual exploitation. “I would say only about 15 percent of victims are sold by their families. The majority leave

willingly, but find themselves trapped in the trade,” Hodge explains. In these interviews, Hodge wanted to learn why the girls left in the first place, where prevention focus needed to be and how victims could then transition back into society once they had left the sex trade. “This may seem so obvious, but the main factor that compels a girl into sex trafficking is lack of education,” Hodge says. “These are very poor families where kids start working at three or four years old. By the time they are teenagers, they feel they are old enough to go into the city. That’s where they get sucked into these schemes. That’s where the deception happens.” Hodge also worked with the girls, some as young as 14, in the rehabilitation shelter. “I connected the girls with sponsors from around the world, who would write them letters. The girls were also able to work on their English by writing and talking with these sponsors,” Hodge says. “I got to take them on day trips and just hang out with them.” Once the girls reached the age of 18, they moved into another program that provided a group home and allowed the girls more independence. After 10 months, Hodge’s Fulbright research and action plan were completed. Though she was offered a position at the organization to implement her action plan and run the program, Hodge knew it was time to move on. “It is very difficult to live in Cambodia. You walk outside and constantly see pain, suffering, prostitution, men with young girls…” Hodge explains. “You can’t live with that all the time, for your own sanity.” She eventually decided to fulfill her original post-collegiate goal of moving to Spain. “I had learned about human trafficking in the U.S. while in Oregon and human trafficking in Southeast Asia while in Cambodia. I was interested in learning about human trafficking in Europe,” says Hodge. “Each area has its own unique issues.” In Spain, Hodge spends her days completing her master’s degree in human rights and interns with Spain’s Office of Human Rights in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. She also works with an organization that helps mothers who are being sexually exploited and provides them and their children with shelter once they leave the trade. The organization also works with female immigrants about to be deported and tries to rescue those who have been victims of human trafficking. “This is my first experience working with an adult population and working with women currently in the middle of a trafficking situation. In the past, I have only worked with girls who have already left,” says Hodge. “It’s very interesting to experience it firsthand, to see all the psychological control traffickers have over their victims. It’s a different stage of the process, but easily as important.”

Activism As Worship According to Hodge, her faith is the driving factor behind her activism. “I see my work as a form of worship. When I am serving other people, I experience God in a completely different way,” she explains. “It gives me complete peace and pure joy when I do this work.” Hodge’s faith has always been strong. As a student at FSHA, she served on the LIFE Team (now called the Campus Ministry Leadership Team), and focused on service projects and volunteer work. “FSHA was such a positive experience for me and was truly a time of development, spiritual and emotional growth and, well, good laughs,” Hodge says. “FSHA’s general atmosphere, created by the core values and beliefs of everyone there, inspired and ignited a passion within me to serve, love and care for others.”

She hopes that current students at FSHA will see themselves as agents of change. “It is crucial for the students at FSHA to get involved in social justice issues, to be globally aware, and to begin thinking about the impact they can and want to make in this world,” Hodge says. “There are so many people who are struggling and suffering greatly, both locally and internationally, and I believe it is our responsibility and calling to serve God’s children everywhere.” Hodge points to one particular passage in the Bible as a reminder: “As He tells us in Galatians 5:13-14, ‘You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Indeed, many of FSHA’s students are already engaged in global activism, whether it’s raising money for a well in Africa or volunteering overseas during the summer months. And this year’s annual Amnesty International Assembly specifically focused on human trafficking. Representatives from The A21 Campaign, whose mission is “abolishing injustice in the 21st century,” spoke to students about this issue. Besides educating FSHA students about human trafficking, they also discussed ways that the students could get involved. As for Hodge, she believes she has found her true calling and working toward ending human trafficking is what fulfills her today: “I believe that God has a calling for everyone and when you are in the middle of that calling, realizing the passions He has placed in your heart, there is no better feeling than that.”

TO LEARN MORE To find out more about human trafficking and what you can do to help end it, Hodge recommends these resources: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking Polaris Project: For a World Without Slavery www.polarisproject.org Equality Now: Ending Violence and Discrimination Against Women and Girls Around the World www.equalitynow.org/node/1010 U.S. Department of State www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt

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Navigating a New World Technology has always been second nature to today’s high school students. Digital citizenship teaches them how to behave online.

he majority of the students in FSHA’s incoming Class of 2018 were born in the year 2000. To them, Google has always been a verb, phones and cameras are interchangeable, and Facebook was invented when they were in nursery school. And when they arrive on the Hill for orientation in August, they will receive a brand-new MacBook as part of FSHA’s 1:1 Laptop Program and have that machine at their fingertips whenever they need it – just as technology has always been in their world. For many who were born in the 20th century, the transition to a digital world has been much more measured – especially because, for many, it happened well after adolescence. For this current generation, growing up online has led to a need for an entirely new kind of education, one that’s termed in many corners as “digital citizenship.” And for FSHA, that topic is on its way to being woven into the curriculum across all subjects, putting the school on the forefront among similar institutions.

Why Digital Citizenship? “The Internet isn’t written in pencil, Mark, it’s written in ink” is a line from the 2010 film “The Social Network,” a fact-based retelling of the creation of a site that has arguably advanced the need for digital citizenship more than any other: Facebook. By now, stories about teenagers who’ve been driven to suicide due to online bullying are widespread, but issues that are far less extreme still frequently pop up on sites such as Facebook – especially those, like Ask.fm, that allow anonymous commenting. “Every digital contribution creates a ‘digital tattoo,’ a permanent mark on the Internet. Comments, posts and pictures are archived and easily shared,” said Jeannie Finley, FSHA’s Academic Technology & Library Manager and a fierce proponent of digital-citizenship education. “Students should expect to undergo a thorough online search when applying for jobs, college, scholarships and other important positions. They need to learn now that there really isn’t privacy on the Internet and that the things they put online now have the potential to stay with them for a lifetime.” Being smart on social media is just one element of digital citizenship – it also involves the thoughtful and appropriate use of technology, both as an educational tool and for everyday use. FSHA students use their laptops both at home and in class, and the technology known as ARD (Apple Remote Desktop) gives teachers and members of the Tech Department the ability to drop in on what Tologs are up to on their computers while they’re in class. Not surprisingly, a few students are not always doing what they’re supposed to do.

Academic Technology & Library Manager Jeannie Finley helps guide students to make responsible decisions online.

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good care of their machines, with consequences ranging from verbal warnings to academic probation, and 500GB external hard drives come packaged with the laptops to make backing up data an easy habit to establish. Orientation now includes a day devoted just to reviewing safety tips like creating strong passwords in addition to learning how to use the various software programs that come with the machine.

A look at FSHA’s tweet deck

“I see poor digital citizenship with certain students who have not yet developed the skills to focus in class while having access to their computer and/or the Internet,” Finley said. “Some students need to learn to manage digital distractions – those who are easily distracted have to get to know themselves and take responsibility for their own learning.” FSHA’s on-campus network does have a filter in place that prevents student computers from accessing such highly distracting sites as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, and additional locations are added to the restricted list as needed. “Eventually, we would like to have a more open network with students making good decisions, but I feel they need to get to a point where they have some better tools to help them self-manage their distractions first,” Finley said. Digital citizenship also addresses needs prompted by the use of technology in the classroom itself. The problems of the early 2000s, when programs that enabled the sharing of copyrighted music cropped up, still wind their way through student work today. It’s easier than ever to use someone else’s intellectual property in school projects, or to search for information on sites with dubious source material, such as Wikipedia. And beyond that, there are problems that face everyone who lives at least a portion of their lives online. “Students need to learn when to take tech breaks, how to recognize unhealthy online behavior, how to demonstrate digital etiquette and how to keep their information secure,” Finley said.

Where FSHA Stands Finley took her expertise on the field of digital citizenship to a meeting of the Dominican Association of Secondary Schools in Chicago last October, speaking about the topic to attendees from the organization’s 31 other schools. Among institutions with similar backgrounds, FSHA is a leader in this field even with a digital citizenship program that’s still in its infancy. “In most families, kids and teens are considered ‘tech experts,’ but they actually still have a lot to learn,” Finley said. “Parents and teachers can help them navigate the rights and wrongs of the digital world, but we need to meet them where they are. This is difficult for many adults because their relationship to technology is very different.” For Tologs, many principles of digital citizenship are packaged right in with the 1:1 Laptop Program. Students are held responsible for the

While a school-wide digital-citizenship curriculum is still in the works – freshman religion teacher Kelly Tramontin has integrated the topic into the ethics unit in her class, and Finley is forming a four-year plan to incorporate it into both academic and co-curricular activities – many teachers are already promoting its ideals on a more granular level. “Students learn about digital citizenship when teachers teach them how to write a blog or use a new web tool, write thoughtful and intelligent comments that aid online discussion, and follow copyright law and give proper attribution to all written and multimedia sources,” Finley said. Another lesson recently hit students where they were least expecting it: Twitter. While the site famous for its 140-character “tweets” is blocked on the campus Wi-Fi network, it’s still accessible using a smartphone on a cell-phone network. Following a Finley-run seminar for faculty members interested in using Twitter for professional development, several teachers created their own accounts and found publicly available tweets that their students had published, in class, under their own names. Several of those Tologs, after seeing replies from their teachers, abruptly made their accounts private — something FSHA has long promoted as a hallmark of responsible digital citizenship. “Personal accounts don’t need to be private if they are showing a student representing herself well online, but many online behaviors should not be shared with the world,” Finley said. “If a student is seeking privacy from her parents or other adults in her life or looking for a space to just interact with teens on public accounts, there is nothing private about what she is doing.”

Community Reaction On the evening of April 8, members of the Parents’ Guild gathered in FSHA’s Gymnasium to hear about these efforts from Finley herself. Most of those parents present raised their hands when asked if they knew of Facebook, but far fewer were familiar with photo-sharing apps like Instagram and Snapchat. Instagram publishes photos to the online public at large, and Snapchat allows individuals to send pictures directly to their followers – even promising that photos will be erased 10 seconds after they’re viewed by a recipient. That turned out not to be the case earlier this year when the site was hacked and it came out that Snapchat does save those photos to its servers. Snapchat is known in the industry as a way for users to send “sext” messages. After the talk, parents were alarmed at the reach technology has in their daughters’ lives yet relieved that the discussion is taking place. Some commented on how much they have seen social mores about laptops and smartphones evolve over the past decade. “We’ve all become like Pavlov’s dog every time that phone rings. I was at work today, and my phone was in the other room and it started to ring, and the guy I was with said, ‘Go! Go get your phone!’ It was like he

was saying, ‘Fetch!’” said Jenifer Aldridge, mom of Caroline Wolfe ’15. “It’s helpful when you can educate us on how to parent our kids in terms of technology, because otherwise, I would be totally lost. This is something all parents need to hear.”

Other parents echoed that call, saying that it can be tough to police their children when technology is so entwined in both their academic and personal lives. One mom mentioned that she forced her daughter to stop doing homework on her laptop in bed and instead sit at the dining room table, where monitoring was possible. This new realm in education does seem to be one in which schools and parents need to collaborate. “This is very much the conversation that’s happening at schools across the nation – if any of you have younger kids, talk to them about it sooner rather than later,” Finley said at the meeting. FSHA is far from the only school that’s participating in the conversation. In La Cañada Flintridge, second graders at Paradise Canyon Elementary School recently underwent a lesson on digital citizenship about how to tell the difference between places that are safe to go online and those that aren’t. The New York Times recently published a story about Public School 46 in Bayside, Queens, where a technology teacher directly addresses how to use Twitter and hashtags to students in all elementary grades, much to the dismay of some parents who say it should wait until the students are older. Of course, for high-school students, it could be argued that it’s almost too late. With 13 as the youngest age most social-media sites allow users to be before signing up, learning how to be a digital citizen is something that needs to happen before a teenager thoughtlessly says something online that jeopardizes friendships, school records or college admissions. But perhaps the tables have turned: While kids, teens and young adults who have grown up with technology in their lives are known as digital natives, its use still requires the maturity of a digital immigrant. There’s something to be said for being a late adopter.

The Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship

Educator Mike Ribbie has compiled a list of nine principles that embody digital citizenship, which he fully outlines on his site, digitalcitizenship.net. 1. D igital Access: full electronic participation in society. Awareness of and supporting the principle of equal digital access and rights for all as society continues to grow more dependent on technology. 2. Digital Commerce: electronic buying and selling of goods. Understanding that while most online shopping transactions are perfectly safe, it’s still important to be vigilant about what’s secure and lawful.

3. Digital Communication: electronic exchange of information. Using the variety of technology-based communication methods that are now available thoughtfully and appropriately. 4. Digital Literacy: process of teaching and learning about technology and the use of technology. Focusing on the principles of digital citizenship as new technologies find their way into classrooms and workplaces. 5. Digital Etiquette: electronic standards of conduct or procedure. Behaving in a thoughtful and responsible way when using new forms of technology. 6. Digital Law: electronic responsibility for actions and deeds. Respecting ideals such as intellectual property rights and personal privacy even in a digital environment. 7. Digital Rights & Responsibilities: those freedoms extended to everyone in a digital world. Knowing the rights that come with being a digital citizen and taking part in defining what those rights mean. 8. Digital Health & Wellness: physical and psychological well-being in a digital technology world. Taking care of oneself when using digital devices, both in the physical and mental sense. 9. Digital Security: electronic precautions to guarantee safety. Being proactive in protecting oneself from digital threats and anyone who seeks to do harm.

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a letter from

THE PRESIDENT OF THE FSHA ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION

ear Fellow Alumnae,

It has been my sincere pleasure to serve as President of our Alumnae Association for the past two years, and I want to begin by thanking each of you for your support and engagement during my term. I have had the great honor of meeting so many of you and been inspired by your stories, motivated by your achievements, empowered by your sisterhood and moved by your faith. Our extended Tolog community is thriving and rich with talented and vibrant women, and I am so proud to be a part of it! Our Alumnae Association Board set lofty goals two years ago: to create new and exciting events, increase alumnae participation in those events and boost our contact with current FSHA students. I am happy to report that we not only met those goals, but we surpassed them. With the support of the school, we hosted a lively Alumnae Business Networking Event in downtown L.A. where more than 60 Tologs came together to foster new opportunities and support one another in professional endeavors. We increased reunion attendance in a big way; we sold out the Alumnae Reunion Cocktail Party for the first time! Thank you to our wonderful class reps in spreading the word and encouraging your classmates to join you back on the Hill. We enlarged our social media presence in order to reach more alumnae than ever before by implementing #TologTBT on Facebook and Instagram and by increasing our LinkedIn membership by more than 340 percent. We also began a new feature, Alumnae Q&A, in the e-newsletter, which has become a fast hit. We’ve refocused our attention on the transition from FSHA student to alumna by reviving the Student Alumnae Relations Committee. We have also put greater effort into creating a meaningful and helpful experience for the students attending both Career Day and the College Assembly. While I am extremely proud of all that has been accomplished over the past two years, I am equally excited about our future! I pass the baton to Kristen Schwarz ’02, our President-Elect, and have no doubt that her leadership and passion will result in the continued success of the FSHA Alumnae Association. Before I conclude my final letter, I want to say to each of you: COME BACK. Attend an Alumnae Association board meeting, one of the many events mentioned above or just come up to the school for a visit. Return to the Hill, reconnect and engage with us. All the best,

ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION BOARD President: Sarah Sima McCann ’96

President-Elect: Kristen Schwarz ’02

Secretary: Domenica Piumetti ’95

Student Community Council: *Camille Barbaro Spina ’87 Whitney Karm DeJardin ’87 Natalee Harrison Ray ’02 Jennifer Ricchiazzi Richard ’92 Erin Nolan Olmsted ’87 Marisa Spinella ’09 Carol Kellogg Toogood ’80 Jennifer Westhoff ’06 Alumnae Community Council: *Christine Longo Navarro ’82 Melanie Hitchcock Frey ’86 Paula Capriccio Orlandini ’71 Barbara Russ Bone ’71 Domenica Piumetti ’95 Lauren Partma ’02 Amy Heller Onderdonk ’00 Katie Blasiar Cowan ’00 Alessia Cicconi ’08 Communications Council: *Melissa Majich Keeslar ’02 Molly Weber Girardi ’00 Nicole Yonai ’02 Kelly LaRussa Kepner ’01 Caitlin Bogert Upton ‘00 Development Council: *Kristen Schwarz ’02 Deirdre Foley Cascelli ’84 Paula Capriccio Orlandini ’71 Reunion Chair: *Trish Burghardt Sarbaum ’87 Erin McGann Maloney ’89 Nicole DeVanon ’05 Tracy Brewer Traver ’97 Parliamentarian: Annette Ricchiazzi Blain ’90

Sarah Sima McCann ‘96 President of the FSHA Alumnae Association sarah.mccann@elevateservices.com

*Council Chair

Marina Marrelli ’78

2014 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA

The 83-year history of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy is filled with many memorable alumnae who inspire us with their professional achievements, personal accomplishments and community service. We are honored to recognize one such woman this year as our Distinguished Alumna.

hen it comes to FSHA, alumna Marina Marrelli ’78 has many fond memories of her alma mater. Among them are her kindhearted, talented class; the nurturing environment the Dominican Sisters created; the lessons—not all academic—learned from Sr. Ramona, Sr. Katherine Jean, Sr. Phyllis Marie (Diane) and Katy Sadler. Advanced Placement US History and English IV were the “hardest classes I ever had, including graduate school,” she says. “FSHA inspired my curiosity – and my commitment to be a lifelong learner. That, in turn, made me very aware of the plight of education and how education is, arguably, the single largest transformative experience in a person’s life.” After graduating from FSHA, Marrelli attended the University of California at San Diego, majoring in philosophy and literature. Later, she studied at the University of Edinburgh, earning her master’s degree in literature.

In 1994, Marrelli and her husband Robert Anslow founded Globeflex, a company involved in U.S. and international equity investment with operations here and in India. And it’s not just running an international company that keeps her busy—now living in San Diego, Marelli and Anslow are the parents of two elementary school-aged children, Charlie and Mia. Amid parenting and business, Marina believes in giving back, carefully choosing involvement in organizations that make long-term differences in people’s lives. One of these organizations is Womens Trust, which provides micro-loans to women in Ghana. These women establish businesses, improving their lives and those of others. “All the research demonstrates that women are the best investment, as they consistently use funds to invest in their entrepreneurial businesses, which in turn betters their children’s and families’ lives, and their communities,” she says.

“

FSHA inspired my curiosity – and my commitment to be a lifelong learner. That, in turn, made me very aware of the plight of education and how education is, arguably, the single largest transformative experience in a person’s life.

”

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alumnae news Tologs on TV!

Central California Reunion Thanks to Pennie Slade Eiben ‘63 for hosting this alumnae get-together at her home in Visalia (up in Tulare County, south of Fresno) on March 21. Everyone had a lovely time! From left to right: Mary Lapadula Parreira ’55, Suzanne Comer Bianco ’81, Joan Joerg Tillery ’69, Annette Giefer Nehls ’57, Eiben and Director of Alumnae & Parent Relations Elizabeth Toms.

Two alumnae from the Class of 2004 are making a splash on the small screen. Caitlin McHugh ’04 landed a recurring role on The CW series “The Vampire Diaries” as Sloan earlier this year. The multi-episode arc has already gained her a steady following from the show’s cult fanbase, as well as her first appearance in Us Weekly!

Jan Ellison ‘83 Speaks About Her Life as an Author With a new novel coming out in the 2014 (A Small Indiscretion), author Jan Ellison ‘83 appeared as part of FSHA’s Distinguished Speaker Series on the evening of Saturday, October 26, 2013. Now a resident of Portola Valley (40 miles south of San Francisco), Ellison was greeted in the Lounge by a number of Tologs, including several of her peers from the Class of 1983! (Pictured left to right are Michele Friese Stephens, Kathy von Massenhausen Ursini, Ellison, Erin Flanagan Brown, Maureen Sadler Martin and Marilyn Foley Bednar.) Gaby Fresquez ’04 was a guest star on the FOX comedy “New Girl” (starring Zooey Deschanel) in that show’s season-ending episode, which aired on May 6. Fresquez has also guest-hosted a daily news show, “Take Party Live,” which airs on the cable channel Pivot TV.

Ellison spoke at length about her creative process and her inspiration, and she mentioned how Mrs. Katy Sadler and Sr. Katherine Jean inspired her in history and English classes, respectively. Her appearance even caught the attention of the journalism students, who wrote an extensive article on her appearance for the December 2013 issue of Veritas Shield.

Alumna and WWII Pilot Bev Beesemyer ’37 Speaks to Students On Wednesday, March 12, 2014, Beverly “Bev” Beesemyer spoke to students at FSHA during our annual Suegene Kim Assembly. At 95 years old, Beesemyer is one of FSHA’s oldest living alumnae, having graduated in 1937. While that honor alone is enough to warrant celebration, Beesemyer’s experiences as part of the WASP (Women Air Service Pilots) organization during WWII was the focus of the discussion. (Created in 1943, the WASP program was created so women pilots could free male pilots for military service.) Beesemyer recalled her training in Sweetwater, Texas, close encounters while flying gunnery targets, and the camaraderie of the female pilots. Twice her plane caught on fire while in the air, resulting in emergency landings. Of those harrowing adventures, Beesemyer said, “Even with fire engines racing down the fields as I touched down, I thought it was all kind of fun!” Though they lived in barracks and received similar military training, the WASPs were considered civilians and they often struggled to finance basic necessities, like uniforms. “At first, all they gave us were old men’s uniforms—and they came in large, larger and big. We had to find rubber bands to hold our pants up.”

As civilians, the women also had to handle tragedies on their own. When a WASP was killed while serving, all the women pooled their money together to be able to send the body back to her family. While the WASPs only served until the end of 1944, they were denied official recognition for decades. It wasn’t until 1977 that the WASP organization was granted full military status. In 2010, the WASPs received the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the highest civilian awards in the United States, in the Congress Rotunda. Beesemyer was on hand to receive the award. “I cried. I really did,” she said, “Thousands of people were there. It was very sentimental.” Beesemyer kept her pilot’s license until the ‘80s and confesses to “rubbernecking” anytime a big plane flies by. “It’s impossible to tell you what it’s like flying in the clouds,” she said. But her overall message to current Tologs was about taking risks. “I was just a little girl with an opportunity,” Beesemyer told the audience. “Be yourself, and do what you want to do, and don’t ever hesitate going gung-ho for what you desire.” FLINTRID GE SACRED HEART ACADEMY

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(Top row, L to R): Sr. Celeste Marie Botello, O.P., Nicole Boutros ‘09, Elizabeth Morgan ‘08, Athletic Director Stephanie Contreras, Lauren Cortez ‘08; (Bottom Row, L to R): Alessia Cicconi ‘08 and Marissa Dykes ‘07

Young Alumnae Reunion T

he holidays are a time to celebrate enduring friendships — especially among Tologs. On Boxing Day, December 26, graduates from the past nine years gathered at Sorriso-Bar Celona in Old Town Pasadena to catch up, reminisce and have a good time. More than 65 Tologs attended the event, with the Class of 2013 winning the unofficial class competition with the most alumnae in attendance. Also present were former Assistant Principal (and current Alumnae Liaison) Katy Sadler and Principal Sr. Celeste Marie Botello, O.P., as well as several members of FSHA’s Alumnae Association Board. Board member Trish Sarbaum ’87, who serves as Alumnae Reunion Chair, organized the event. Guests grabbed complimentary appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages on the upper level of the restaurant, then headed downstairs to the comfy couches in the “Pit” where the Alumnae Association projected photos from the graduating years on one wall. There were even a few surprise Tologs who happened to see the sign for the reunion outside the restaurant and stopped in to join the fun.

(L to R): Brittany Ek ‘10, Candace Toogood ‘10 and Natalie Innocenzi ‘10

Rianne Herrera ‘09 and a friend

Elizabeth “Holly” Hunt ’09 and a friend

Sara Espinoza ’09 talks with Olivia Gonzalez ’10 and Maddie Gonzalez ’07

Katy Sadler and Sr. Celeste Marie Botello, O.P. with the Class of 2013

(Clockwise from top): Jessica Martin ’12, Amy Rodriguez ’12 and Mary Clare Molina ’12

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Keynote Speaker Wina So Tran Tang ’97 adresses the crowd.

FSHA’S INAUGURAL

Business Networking Event A

mong the many lessons FSHA graduates take with them when they leave the Hill is the importance of helping other women — especially their fellow Tologs — succeed. This was no more evident than at the Alumnae Association’s newest gathering: FSHA’s Business Networking Event. Held on February 26 at Perch in downtown L.A., the event’s goal was to connect professional women in various fields, as well as provide mentors to those just starting their careers. Seven alumnae mentors were present: Wina So Tang ’97, CEO of Solstice Medicine Company; Amy M. Karlin ’83, Deputy Federal Public Defender; Darla Vessadini Longo ’75, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of CBRE (Commercial Real Estate), Barbara Emmons Perrier ’85, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of CBRE; Mary McDonald Winners ’82, Gerontologist/CEO of About Senior Solutions; Juli Goodwin Roginson ’87, Executive Vice President, Publicity at Warner Bros. Pictures; and Claudine Cazian Britz ’96, Executive Producer of “On Air with Ryan Seacrest.” Guests enjoyed complimentary appetizers and drinks as they exchanged business cards. A short program featured the remarks of Tang ’97, who spoke about her role as CEO of Solstice Medicine Co., a company that delivers high quality FDA-approved traditional Chinese medicine and herbal remedies to the U.S. It’s no surprise that this inaugural Business Networking Event was a huge success! More than 60 alumnae from the past four decades attended the event, and plans are already in the works for next year.

Rita Illig Leibelt ’76, Kimberly Ray Espe ’84 and Annie Rose Ramos ’04

Mentor Amy Karlin Romeo ’83 and Annette Ricchiazzi Blain ’90

Elle Navarro ’07, Brianna Johnston ’07, Helen Huston Zieman ’77, Sarah Sima McCann ’96 and Gloria Diaz Ventura ’96

Christine Longo Navarro ’82, Mary McDonald Winners ’82 and Katherine Lynn Schnieders Robone ’82

Christina Martin ’09, Katie Martin ’96 and Christina Manville ’03

Six of the seven mentors: (L to R) Wina So Tran Tang ’97, Mary McDonald Winners ’82, Darla Vessadini Longo ’75, Barbara Emmons Perrier ’85, Juli Goodwin Roginson ’87, Claudine Cazian Britz ’96

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Christy Mozilo Larsen ’84, Sr. Carolyn McCormack, O.P., Deirdre Foley Cascelli ’84 and Andrell Ryder Panconi ’83

WINTER 2014

alumnae reunion cocktail party A

t first, the plans had the bulk of the festivities taking place on the Patio in the Administration Building. But when the forecast came in and indicated buckets of rain would be falling on the Hill on the night of Saturday, March 1, plans quickly changed! The tent was dismantled and tables were set up in the foyer for the annual Alumnae Reunion Cocktail Party, which — this year — celebrated the classes of 1969-2004. Alums from those years, along with several significant others, braved the weather to nosh on delicious appetizers and chat

with classmates in the warm, dry Lounge. Joining the festivities were Katy Sadler and Sr. Katherine Jean Cowan ‘59, who now provide assistance to the school’s Alumnae Office. Hors d’oeuvres were passed by current Tolog daughters, including Crystal Toogood ‘16 (Carol Kellogg Toogood ‘80), Julia Martin ‘16 (Maureen Sadler Martin ‘83), Carly Spina ‘15 (Camille Barbaro Spina ‘87), Margaux Blain ‘17 (Annette Ricchiazzi ‘90), Julia Byrne ‘14 (Leesa Puleo Bland ‘83) and Allison Sarbaum ‘15 (Trish Burghardt Sarbaum ‘87).

Becky Muhs Kent ’99, Sr. Celeste Marie Botello, O.P., and Terry Kent

Some members of the Class of 1994

The Class of 2004

Current Tologs welcome alumnae

Melissa Majich Keeslar ’02, Nicole DeVannon ’05 and Kristen Schwarz ’02

Alumnae enjoy a slideshow of photos from the time when they were students on the Hill

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class notes Margaret Meldeen Carroll ’42, Fresno: Yes, I am still alive. Doesn’t look as though God will be calling me any time soon. However, He has permitted that all my body parts become quite rebellious to one another to remind me daily of the wonderful life He gave me for so many years past. I am 89 in April.

My sister Kathleen and I always had fond and happy memories of our four years at Flintridge. She was the smart one. I recognized very early in life that I was not ever going to be a good student or even maybe never really good at anything. But God gave me a sense of contentment with who I was and am. I have no regrets, only gratitude. My husband and I had eight lovely (and very smart) children. My husband and three of the kids are with God now. My youngest daughter Mo, her husband and I bought a home together here in Fresno five or so years ago. We have no problems getting along together. Mo works for the County of Fresno and is a natural-born caregiver to boot! How lucky her husband and

I have been for her gift. Our family has never had a lot but always enough. God bless all on the Hill.

Grace “Gloria” Tellier McCaffrey ’42, Escondido: Jim and I had an especially nice Christmas and visit with our family. It was fun decorating our house for the holidays. Our kids enjoyed seeing the manger scene, which we have kept for so many years. You’ll know how long ago it was when you see the 29-cent price tag on the bottom of each figure! Jim and I are lucky to have our two daughters living close by as neither of us are able to do much anymore. Jim hit 91 in September, and my 90th birthday was in March. All of our six children were with us on this special occasion. Rosemary Layden Ashley ’44, Long Beach, recently gifted FSHA, along with her husband Donald, with two religious paintings and two Della Robbias. (1)

Mary Ann Juenemann Flanagan ’48, Aberdeen, Miss.: I am most grateful and pleased to tell you that God has been generous to me in my 83rd year with my Catholic faith, very good health of mind and body, and new friends. My spring schedule: 1. Volunteer at Head Start 2. Class at the University of Mississippi 3. Selling and bookkeeping at Bird’s Nest (antique store) I moved from Pasadena to Aberdeen in 2005; however, I take Amtrak each summer to California. Three times, I visited Sr. Ann Ronin in Oakland and was invited to stay in the guest room. She was the Mother Teresa of Fruitvale. We roomed together in Sr. Rosemary’s cottage. She never missed the baseball games by a little radio under the blanket after lights out. The girls of the Class of 1948 are always first on my list of Christmas cards. They were not college- and career-minded, but they were successful wives and mothers. Patricia Bahan Winder ’55, Mesa, Ariz.: After Dale passed away, I decided to stay in Arizona close to my daughters Mary and Judy. I also have three boys

— John, Steven and Danny — along with 17 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. I have traveled through different countries, and now I have decided to continue my volunteer work making blankets for Arizona kids. Quilts, to be exact. Hello to my classmates — I miss you! Veronica Rodas Ramirez ’60, Guatemala City, Guatemala, mourns the death of her husband, Jorge Ramirez, who passed away in Guatemala on October 28, 2013. Christine Josse Paterson ’69, Thousand Oaks: I am grateful to be able to say that it’s been 45 years since FSHA! I have a small private studio at home where I paint what I want, and I can paint en plein air too. I also work as a per diem Licensed Vocational Nurse for Buena Vista Hospice Care. I have been married to Jim Paterson for 18 years. He works as a senior software engineer at IBM. We have five adult children between us and six wonderful grandchlldren. We like to take our travel trailer places to get away and relax. Christine Stafford ’70, La Crescenta: I have owned The Flowering Tree (religious book and gifts) in Montrose for the last 23 years. As of this writing, it appears I will not be able to sell it as originally planned and will be going out of business the end of April. I have health issues (multiple sclerosis being one) and have been strongly advised to move on to something less stressful (hopefully part time), and I have made the decision to follow this advice. Joan Gosly ‘72, Madrid, Spain, is a fiber artist whose work was part of an eponymous exhibit, “Urdimbre de los dias de Joana Gosley” (the warp in the days of/or life of Joan Gosly), at En Cruce in Madrid from November 22 to December 8, 2013. Before moving to Madrid, she apprenticed with a Catalan avant-garde artist in Barcelona. Lynn Tharp Lowe ’76, Canyon Country: I came to FSHA a very angry, troubled teenager, as my family dynamics were totally out of the norm. I felt unwanted, and “the Hill” was just some place to warehouse me, guilt-free, until my family situation stabilized and/or I turned 18 and was no longer a responsibility.

Sr. Charlotte Shea was one of the very few up on the Hill who knew what I had been through. She was an absolute godsend! To this day, I stay in touch with Sr. Charlotte and visit her up at the Mother House whenever I am up in the Bay Area. In the couple of years that I was enveloped by the love and prayers of the Sisters at FSHA, I learned that freedom could be attained through education. My knowledge would always be mine – and no one would ever be able to take it from me. I have been on my own and supporting myself since I left the Hill, but I nearly always stayed in school. Junior college was cheap, so I have three (yes, three!) Associate Degrees: an Associate in Arts (AA), Associate in Science (AS) and an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). I then went on to get my Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing (BSN). My first master’s degree is in education and my second master’s degree is as a Family Nurse Practitioner. I currently work at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Los Angeles, and I love working with our veterans. Thank you to all the “Penguins” on the Hill for helping me realize that I was a worthwhile person, who could help others through my experiences, and instilling in me the value of education! I will always treasure my time on the Hill. Megan Sadler Conway ’81, Bridgeport, Conn.: At the end of February, I was fortunate enough to be able to take my 13-year-old daughter Olivia on a medical mission to Haiti with me. Each day, our team set up a new “mobile” clinic in towns outside of Port-au-Prince (one in Léogâne, Jacmel, Bercy and Cormier) and we were able to see approximately 750 patients during our stay. It was truly an amazing experience to be in Haiti. Although the poverty, devastation and lack of municipal services have persisted after the earthquake, the people of Haiti remain incredibly gracious and happy. Olivia and I can’t wait to go back. (2)

and is grateful to Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy for instilling in her the Catholic, Dominican values of faith, integrity and truth that she passes onto her children. Cathleen Rodden ’84, McClellan: I was told that I could do anything I wanted to do by both my mom (a math major from UCLA) and dad (a world-famous aeronautical engineer and Ph.D.). My parents informed me that I was going to college and it was not optional. When I did go, I was absolutely oblivious that there were no women in math and science. Mom started to get her master’s in engineering when kids started to come along and she chose to be a stay-at-home mom, so based on my upbringing, I did not think that a woman going into engineering/ science was abnormal – it was the norm in our household! It was only senior year in college that I realized I was one of four women in a school of 200 male mechanical engineers. Personally, I liked the odds of 50 men to one woman! When I graduated and entered the work world – sure, male engineers and especially the insecure technicians were hard on me, but even then I did not focus on that. I had no reason not to believe that I too could be top of my engineering field (after all, my dad did it). I never give up, even when knocked down. I think Flintridge gets a bit of credit in teaching me that. Louise Foo, Ph.D. ’87, Daly City, is a specialist in clinical psychology. She oversees Jackson Street Residential Treatment and outpatient services at seven Conard Supportive Housing sites. She also is responsible for the Conard House psychology practicum training program. Dr. Foo received her B.A. in psychology from UC Berkeley and M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Southern California. Her clinical interests include multicultural psychology, community mental health, and chronic mental illnesses. Foo, who was a boarding student at FSHA, is grateful for the Dominican Sisters and FSHA faculty for their compassion and teaching her to think outside-the-box.

Katherine Lynn Schneiders Robone ’82, Danville, works with two businesses: My Two Designers, which specializes in interior design; and Rodan + Fields, where she consults on skincare products. She has her hands full with three children FLINTRID GE SACRED HEART ACADEMY

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Kristin Hansen Lagattuta ’89, Davis: After graduating from Flintridge Sacred Heart, I went to Stanford University (19891993). Although I originally entered as pre-med, I switched freshman year to psychology after taking a few courses that really piqued my interest. I ended up focusing on developmental psychology. My intense commitment to my studies paid off, and I was awarded several honors at graduation (outstanding undergraduate research, highest achievement in social sciences, Phi Beta Kappa commencement speaker), as well as two prestigious research fellowships from the National Science Foundation and the University of Michigan for graduate school. These fellowships paid for all of my tuition, health insurance and a living stipend for six years, and I only had to work as a teaching assistant one of those years. This allowed me to focus on creating an independent line of research, making me more competitive for the next step. I completed my Ph.D. in 1999 and stayed on doing a postdoc until 2001. I selected Michigan because it was the top program for my area of research — my dad also grew up in Michigan and went there as an undergraduate. Frank Lagattuta (St. Francis ’88) — who I had been dating since 1988 — accompanied me to Michigan to complete a master’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering. We married in 1994, in Pasadena at the Athenaeum, and we had our first child, Kaitlyn, in 1996 (during grad school). John was born in 1999, and Sarah in 2003. So, when I finished my Ph.D., I had a 2-year-old and another one on the way! Frank and I celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary this August. In 2001, I accepted an assistant professor tenure-track position in Developmental Psychology at UC Davis. In 2008, I was awarded tenure and just recently was promoted to full professor rank (actually quite a feat; fewer than 20 percent of full professors nationwide at research universities are female). I teach three to four courses per year and mentor several graduate students in the Ph.D. program. I really enjoy helping to inspire and shape the future goals and decisions of so many young adults, most of them women.

Our oldest is off to Stanford University this fall. I’m excited she is going to be so close, but we will miss her greatly. She actually went through the admissions process this past summer, prior to her senior year, because she was recruited for softball. Her other options were Harvard and Princeton. I’m so excited about the opportunities academically, athletically and socially that await her! Our son plays football and baseball, and he is hoping to follow in her footsteps in a few years — he’s looking to play sports in a D-1 school that is very academically strong. Our youngest enjoys sports, but prefers ballet, modern dance and singing. All three are intellectually curious and work hard at everything they do. They also make parenting extremely interesting and a lot of fun! I use a lot of videos of them growing up to illustrate several of the concepts I teach in my classes. I’m very appreciative of the excellent foundation I received at FSHA that allowed me to excel in undergraduate years and beyond. I did attend the 20th reunion five years ago and was amazed with the changes at FSHA—especially the addition of the field! I would have loved that “back in my day.” I grew up playing

soccer and softball, but had to quit varsity softball after freshman year because it was too difficult to get transportation so far away (soccer wasn’t even an option then at FSHA). It was fun to catch up with people I hadn’t seen for so many years! (3) Julie Fabian Haniger ’90, San Jose, was recently promoted to the title of Vice President of Legal at Google, making her one of only 150 employees to rise to that level in the company. She has worked at Google for the past 10 years. Her proud husband Matt says that she is “an incredible person, mother (of four children) and, more importantly, a fantastic female role model.” Theresa de Vera ’93, Los Angeles, was named Ms. Wheelchair California 2014 on February 1 and will compete for the title of Ms. Wheelchair America in August. Naoko Yoshimura ’97, Tokyo, Japan: After I graduated from FSHA, I went to Orange Coast College to finish my GE degree. At that time, I was going back and forth from L.A. to Tokyo because of my father’s illness. While I was doing that, I applied to UC Irvine for a transfer, and I got in as

5 a women’s studies major. After I graduated from UCI, I went back to Tokyo and worked as a system engineer for a year. Then, I changed jobs and now run an organic cosmetics company with my family in Japan. Because I wanted to know how Japanese universities taught women’s studies, I finished my MA at Josai International University. At that time, I met a famous anthropologist (Hiroko Hara, who focuses on gender studies). I am working as her assistant, in addition to the cosmetics company. For myself, I am working in two NGOs (non-governmental organizations) for women in Japan with professors and activists, whose activities are mainly lobbying the Japanese government and occasionally the United Nations. Now, I am trying to establish a new NGO that will help more young Japanese women to be a part of UN commissions or conferences. I met my husband eight years ago in Japan. He was a friend of one of my best friends. He used to work for a company

that creates stage settings for events such as the Grammy Awards, etc. in Japan. Recently, he became a freelance worker for that company. We had a month-long honeymoon, which is when we took our wedding pictures at FSHA. Now, we are living in Tokyo and enjoying our daily lives there. (4) Stacey McElderry Armato ’98, Hermosa Beach, reached a tentative settlement with the Transportation Security Authority over a 2010 incident at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in which she was detained after requesting an alternative screening for breast milk she intended to carry aboard her flight back to Los Angeles. According to NBC4, the TSA offered a $75,000 settlement, which she will donate to a nonprofit organization that supports breastfeeding causes after attorney’s fees. The TSA has pledged to retrain its agents and clarify its rules regarding breast milk. Allison Lieskovsky Hasbrouck ’00, Glendale: On November 9, 2013, I married my husband Christopher Hasbrouck at St. Bede’s. It was an incredible day, full of

family from the local area and far away, and many friends. I had several FSHA girls from the Class of 2000 there to celebrate as well! Chris is a graduate of Loyola High School who went to CMC and then USC Law, which I find hilarious because we basically ran in similar circles and people we know are good friends of each of our families, but we never actually met until five years ago. It’s a small world. But through our mutual love of all that is nerdy, we met, fell in love and got hitched! And let’s just say this whole past year, my FSHA students were more obsessed with my wedding than I was. It got to the point where I could use information of my wedding as bribery to get them to complete work in class. Chris and I then honeymooned in Paris, where I promptly gained back all the weight that I lost for the wedding, but we both had a great time and are now settling into married life. 5, 6 (L to R): Mary Cashen ‘00, Jennifer Luyapan ‘00, Marisa Reyes ‘00, Allison Lieskovsky Hasbrouck ‘00, Amanda Lem ‘00, Christy Cummings Aneja ‘00 and Diane Lee-Hyung ‘00 Noreen Hamilton Gilliland ’04, Lawton, Okla.: I was promoted to the rank of U.S.

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Army Captain on March 1 in a promotion ceremony where my husband, Captain David Gilliland, USMC, pinned me and brought our son to share in this happy memory. We have had a great time at Fort Sill, where I served as a Platoon Leader for a Transportation Company in the 75th Fires Brigade and deployed to Iraq for the retrograde in 2011. I was promoted to Executive Officer in the same company as they assumed a Global Response Force mission under United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM) before becoming a Staff Officer for the brigade support battalion in 2013. My husband served as an instructor for lieutenants in the Officer Course at Fort Sill and was able to make valuable improvements to their current program of instruction. We are currently preparing to move to Fort Lee, Va., for my Captain’s Course and will get orders for our next duty station this summer. We have had a very blessed 2014 and look forward to much more to come! I look back on my time at Flintridge Sacred Heart with fond memories and was sorry to miss our 10-year reunion. I can’t believe it’s already been 10 years! I’ve stayed in contact with so many of my friends from high school that it feels like it was only yesterday when we graduated as hopeful seniors preparing for college and the challenges that lay ahead. Long may FSHA prosper and prepare future generations of strong women for success in everything that they do and contribute to our world. (7) Annie Rose Ramos ’04, Alhambra: At present, I am a digital correspondent and producer at Fusion Network – the joint venture of ABC News and Univision. I work on the weekly news and satire show called “Open Source” in addition to developing long-term investigative pieces for our digital audience, such as a piece about the migrant community in the Coachella Valley just down the road from where the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival was recently held. Based in our Los Angeles bureau, I have been fortunate to cover stories from the West Coast, including marijuana legislation and the migrant farming community. Ashley Torres ’04, Los Angeles, was profiled on the website Career Contessa

about her career switch from accountant to blogger and social-media manager. Torres runs her own shoe blog, Pursuit of Shoes (pursuitofshoes.com), and works for REVOLVE Clothing. Read the interview at careercontessa.com/ashley-torres.

be friends with this lovely group of girls? And when we’re all together, we just have so much fun and we’re loud and we have so many inside jokes that others don’t understand. It really reminds me of those FSHA days.

Sarah Yang ’07, New York, N.Y.: After last year’s brunch and this year’s tea, I so look forward to our NYC reunions. It’s so nice to know that there is a FSHA community on the East Coast. Although, I guess I already knew that, because I still see Lauren Hernandez ’05, Natalie Howard ’07, Amanda Huang ’07, Alia Haddad ’06, Andrea Borgen ’06 and Meagan Brown ’07 regularly. In fact, Lauren, Andrea and I had Thanksgiving dinner at Amanda’s apartment in Brooklyn this past year. Lauren and Andrea can cook a mean turkey!

I still love New York, but as each year goes by I find myself missing California and my family more and more. I can’t believe I’ve been living here for almost seven years – time has really flown by! It’s hard because if I want to stay in magazines/publishing, New York is certainly the place to be! For now, I’m just taking things day by day and enjoying being an adult in the “real world.”

It’s so special that we’re able to have these wonderful events where we can reconnect with old classmates and even meet some alums from other generations. It really shows that FSHA is not just a school, but it’s also a community and family that will stay with you for life. It’s funny when people seem surprised that I still keep in touch with all my high school friends, and I don’t find it surprising at all. To me, it’s a foregone conclusion. Why wouldn’t I still

Sarah Zwart Carlin ’08, Seattle, Wash., married her husband Davis in a ceremony on the Hill on June 22, 2013. (8) Nicole DeMont ’09, Glendale, graduates this spring from Stanford with a B.A. in Political Science and an M.A. in Communications. As one of the top 25 members of the College of Humanities and Sciences’ Class of 2014, she received the J. Wallace Sterling Award. At a ceremony on April 26, she was honored along with a former teacher of her choice, and she

chose Mr. Mario Pariante. This fall, she’ll be working with the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C. (12) Jenna Gulick ’13, Los Angeles: It has really hit me the past few weeks how much I grew at FSHA. UCLA is an amazing place with lots of opportunities, but it is also a very big place. A lot of people are shocked when I tell them that I went to an all-girls high school with around 400 students total. However, I jump at the chance to tell them how much I gained from my classmates and teachers in a small environment. They then say that it is unusual I picked a large college coming from a small high school. While I never focused on size when making my choice, my time at a small school actually prepared me for a large school rather than hindered me. Knowing every face in the hallway gave me the confidence to make smiling a habit. Now, I think people find it unusual when I smile at them, but it makes me feel like I am making a large school even just a little bit smaller. I am still trying to figure out how I can best grow and contribute to my college, but I do know that on the academic side,

FSHA taught me to learn for the sake of learning. A lot of people project negativity and crack under stress because they are learning for the sake of good grades, which will get them honorable careers and wealth. I may be studying something consistently ranked lowest on “postcollege earnings” lists, but I am happy and enjoying my education. I also know that those lists don’t define anything. Thanks to my time in high school, I know that my future is defined by how I view it and how I work for it. The reflectiveness and spirit taught to us at FSHA are what have helped me stay secure and enthusiastic about learning. I am so glad my sister gets to enjoy those same gifts on the Hill.

Sophie Wellen ’13, Fife, Scotland, produced a short film, “Hereafter,” that won Best Film and Best Cinematography at the St. Andrews Film Blitz. The filmmakers only had 60 hours to produce a three-minute film. She wrote the screenplay and did most of the cinematography, competing against 22 other filmmakers. Sophie also recently served as host to current Tolog Claire Roddy ’14, who was visiting the University of Edinburgh. (10-11)

We want to know what you’ve been up to! Email your Class Notes to communications@fsha.org.

Alissa Lopez ’13, Princeton, N.J., is participating in Princeton University’s Bridge Year Program by teaching English and the arts to students at Nirman, a nonprofit NGO in Varansi, India. Her proud dad, Antonio Lopez, says, “Alissa has always been determined, ambitious and focused, yet it is the values instilled in her during her time at FSHA that prompted her to challenge herself and spend nine months in India serving the needs of others.” (9)

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Margo & Dan Bruich DONOR PROFILE

When Margo and Dan Bruich moved into their home on Hollyburne Court in 1986, they could see Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy from their street. While they didn’t know much about the school, they were certainly intrigued. Luckily, they happened to live right next door to Richard and Constance Martin, whose daughters Tracy Molnar ’84 and Katie ’96 did attend FSHA. It wasn’t long before Dan Bruich found himself on the golf course with Richard for FSHA’s annual Harry G. Johansing Golf Tournament & Dinner. “I was very impressed with the ladies in their dress uniforms. They had poise and were seemingly very sophisticated,” Dan explains. He went home and told Margo about the students that night. And in fall 1996, their oldest daughter, Lauren Giacopelli ’00, entered FSHA, quickly followed by younger sister Lisa ’02 two years later. As parents, the Bruichs were very involved on campus, especially when it came to athletics. Margo served as Booster Club President, and they both attended many sporting events, particularly soccer games and cross-country meets, where Lisa and Lauren were active participants. During this time, the Student Activities Center (SAC), which would include a gymnasium and house the athletics department, was under construction. So when the Bruichs were approached about making a contribution to the campaign to build the SAC, they willingly donated. “Having the SAC completed is a big memory for us,” Dan says. “Volleyball had previously been played in the Auditorium and the balls would hit the lights and the ceiling. The whole building felt so claustrophobic,” Margo explains. “Moving into the SAC was a breath of fresh air in so many ways.” Even after their daughters graduated, the Bruichs remained involved with FSHA, attending Galas, President’s Dinners and athletic events. When Sr. Carolyn McCormack approached them (“twisted our arm,” Dan says with a laugh) this past year about assisting the school with its second capital campaign, A Vision for Veritas…the Moment is Now!, they quickly jumped onboard. They currently head the Campaign Action Team (CAT), a group of dedicated volunteers whose goal is to educate the FSHA community on future plans for the school and fundraise for the capital projects. .“To be attractive and competitive to other students, you must continue to update and modernize,” Dan explains.

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“The school’s future is dependent on the Master Plan. This is a unique school with its Dominican tradition and the Sisters living on campus; it offers something other schools don’t offer,” Margo adds. When asked about what they would say to the FSHA community about supporting the current capital campaign, Dan says that it’s all about perspective: “Don’t think about today or your child or even yourself. Future generations will come to FSHA, so think about the granddaughters who will come back and get to use the new modern campus.” Their leadership on CAT cannot be understated. “I can’t thank Dan and Margo enough for their leadership,” said Patricia Ostiller, Chief Development Officer. “Even though their daughters graduated over a decade ago, Dan and Margo hold FSHA close in their hearts and they appreciate the need to improve the campus now in 2014 for future generations. They inspire me with their selflessness – they give so much of their time to lead our team and meet with donors, and they also have made FSHA a priority in their own philanthropic giving.” Yet Margo and Dan are the ones who insist they are the ones reaping the rewards. “One of my daughters was talking about what she learned from FSHA the other day. It’s primarily a sense of worth, independence and confidence,” Margo says. “My daughters feel that they can take on the world. They are prepared and have high selfesteem. They feel equal.” “More than equal,” Dan quips. They both laugh.

“

We are delighted with who our daughters have become, and FSHA played a big role in that. We support the school so that same opportunity will exist for future generations.

”

Master Plan UPDATE Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy’s fourphase Master Plan is currently under review by the City of La Cañada. We expect the draft Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) to be issued soon. The issuance of the draft EIR will be a milestone for the school, as it begins the 45-day public review and comment period. At the end of the comment period, the planning commission hearing will take place, followed by a city council hearing for approval of our Master Plan. In the meantime, we are continuing to fundraise for these exciting projects. Importantly, four percent of our capital dollars are designated for a building maintenance endowment fund for our updated facilities. We are grateful for the tireless efforts of the Sisters, our Board of Directors, our Campaign Action Team and Senior Administration in reaching out to the extended FSHA community with invitations to invest in these capital projects.

Most of all, we are thankful for all of our campaign donors to date who believe wholeheartedly in the mission of our school and the vision of the Dominican Sisters for its future. These generous donors are leading this work forward. We are grateful for their appreciation of the necessity of these campus improvements to ensure that FSHA remains strong and competitive for the remainder of this 21st century and beyond.

If you attended the amazing Art Show this past April, which showcased the artistic skills of our young women, you might have had an opportunity to notice a small piece of art tucked away against the wall on the right side of the Student Activities Center Foyer wall. Clearly printed on it were the words: “Do ordinary things with extraordinary love.” I’ve been living with that quote all month as I witness the amazing energy and life that is our Mission on the Hill.

Mission Moment by Sr. Carolyn McCormack, O.P.

May God, Creator, bless us May God, Redeemer, heal us and may God the Holy Spirit, fill us with light. Dominican Blessing

Our Dominican Mission is thriving at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy. At the heart of our Mission is Veritas, the cornerstone of all Dominican life. You can see our Dominican shield and our motto, Veritas, clearly identified across our campus. More, Veritas is alive in the hearts and spirits of our young women, who are growing to understand Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine of Siena, our Dominican founder and Doctor of the Church (respectively), and how we might embrace and bring their special charism of preaching the word of God to life in the Church and in the world today. Through the lens of this charism, we ask ourselves: Can all in our FSHA community ‘do ordinary things with extraordinary love’? Can we preach the deeply beautiful message of Jesus without this effort? Can we bring our Dominican charism to life with extraordinary love? Can we take the ordinary common events of everyday life and infuse them with the extraordinary, compelling vision of our Holy Father Dominic and his message of truth — the Holy Preaching. Our goal is to embrace the pillars of prayer, study, service and community, allowing them to shape and form us for the preaching mission that is our Dominican charism. We invite you, our FSHA community, to join us in this amazing adventure as we seek to be preachers of the truth and strong women of faith, integrity and truth. FLINTRID GE SACRED HEART ACADEMY

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in memoriam It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of two young alumnae: Gloria Maria Borges ’00 and Erika Marie Escueta ’06. Both women fought a tireless battle against cancer, and both will be remembered for the light that they brought to the world.

G LO R I A M A R I A B O RG E S 1981 – 2014

n January 5, 2014, Gloria Borges ‘00 passed away from complications related to colon cancer. An inspiration to many, Borges chronicled her fight against cancer on her blog WunderGlo.com, and founded the WunderGlo Foundation, which provided a community for fellow “cancer warriors” and raises funds for colon cancer research.

ERIKA MARIE C. ESCUETA 1988 – 2014

n February 25, 2014, Erika Escueta ‘06 passed away from complications related to breast cancer. Escueta met her disease head on, as evidenced by the message on her memorial card: “Anything she put her mind to, she succeeded. That same mentality was her key ingredient in fighting her disease. Time and time again, she inspired us all. She never lacked courage.“ As a Tolog, Escueta was involved in LIFE (now called the Campus Ministry Leadership Team), student council and tennis. Upon graduating, Escueta went on to Villanova University where she spent her first two years of college. She then transferred to NYU’s Stern School of Business, where she graduated in 2012. It was at NYU where Escueta first noticed a lump in her breast during a self-exam. A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of breast cancer, and Escueta underwent a mastectomy, followed by rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. However, the cancer continued to spread and eventually became terminal. Escueta is survived by her parents and her brothers, Chris and Michael, as well as countless friends. “Her undying spirit will continue to dance on,” said classmate and close friend Andrea Borgen.

As a student on the Hill, Borges excelled. Not only was she salutatorian of her graduating class, but Borges also received the highest scores on each AP exam she took. Athletically, Borges played volleyball, basketball and softball for all four years. A natural born leader, Borges led her class on Kairos retreats and served as Senior Class Vice President. After FSHA, Borges went onto Duke University, and from there, Stanford Law School. Upon passing the California Bar Exam, Borges was quickly recruited by the prestigious law firm O’Melveny & Myers in downtown Los Angeles. Not surprisingly, Borges continued to receive many awards for her legal work. Her personal life was also full of joy; in 2007, Borges married fellow Duke graduate Will Palmeri, whom she had met during her freshman year of college. Borges returned to the Hill in 2011 to give the commencement address at Graduation. She spoke about her cancer diagnosis, blog and foundation, as well as her goal to one day eradicate the disease. Her message of courage and positivity received a standing ovation. Borges’ positive spirit and love of life remained with her throughout her health struggles. In her last blog entry, Borges wrote, “Every day is not a challenge. Every day is a chance — to get better, stronger; to learn, to live, to love; to embrace the world and be embraced; and to prepare for another day should we be lucky enough to receive it.”

How Do You Give Back to Your Community? “I give back to my community by sharing the love of reading with junior high students at Santa Teresita through the Book Club I started last year.” – Becca Ayala ’14

“After I was treated at Children’s Hospital [for cancer], I wanted to give back by participating in their Holidays from the Heart Program. This program supports families from Children’s Hospital during the holidays by giving them gifts for Christmas. I shopped for two large families, and went shopping to buy everything on their wish list and then delivered them to the hospital.” – Heather Sonner ’14

Gloria Borges ’00 Isabelle Chatigny ’64 Erika Escueta ’06 Joan Shirey Hansen ’45 Anthony Modory Elisa Zobelein Shambaugh ’53 Sylvia Tell Gallo Varnum ’53 Thomas Viola

“The poverty we saw in Gansu, China, prompted us to create a website to raise money for those who live there. This website has been active for two years. This past year, we helped three families pay for new roofs and were able to provide them with basic living necessities, like food and clothes.” – Maureen Cen ’14 and Tina Lui ’15

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Pasadena, CA Permit No. 132

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Seeking truth. Serving others. 440 St. Katherine Drive La Cañada Flintridge, California 91011 www.fsha.org

Parents of Alumnae: If your daughter no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumnae Office of her new mailing address. Phone: 626.685.8400 Email: alumnae@fsha.org

How Do You Give Back to Your Community?

“Throughout the school year, I volunteer with a group of people at Union Station Homeless Services in Pasadena by cooking and serving dinner. I have also served Christmas and Easter dinner with my family for the past seven years at the Garfield Care Center, as well as organized drives to provide the residents with shoes, blankets, sweats and sweatshirts.” – Kelly O’Connor ’14, recipient of the Christian Service Award

“For my Gold Award Project, I worked with the Regency Park Oak Knoll retirement home. There, I worked with residents who suffered from dementia. I raised funds to purchase games and activities that were stimulating for their minds so the residents could have some sort of physical exercise and a lot of mental exercise. These residents need some form of mind exercise to keep their cognitive functions.”

“It is often difficult for adults with mental disabilities to find jobs and integrate themselves into the community. I worked with Pasadena Adult Living Skills Center and created a binder with clear information on job descriptions, qualifications and applications with clear steps to follow for specific jobs and businesses. I called and visited these businesses to gather information that would be useful.”

- Laura Thompson ’14

- Claire Furlong ’16