Winter/Spring 2018 Lancer Magazine

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FOR THE COMMUNITY OF LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL

WINTER/SPRING 2018

M AG A Z I N E

ISABELLA MARIE MAREZ ’18 CROWNED 2018 ROSE QUEEN

LANCER MAGAZINE IS GOING THROUGH SOME CHANGES IN OUR DESIGN! La Salle High School is proud to announce that we’re doing some updating all around - so don’t be surprised if the look you’re used to is a little different! For more information, you can email us at webmaster@lasallehs.org.

Lancer Magazine is published three times a year by the Office of Institutional Advancement at La Salle High School of Pasadena, Inc. for alumni, parents, and friends.

OFFICERS & ADMINISTRATION: BOARD OF TRUSTEES:

Mr. Robert Nuccio ’71, Chair, P’00, ’02, ’04 Ms. Tamara Flowers, Vice Chair Mr. Brad Berger P’03, ’04, ’07 Sister Marilyn Binder, CSJ Mr. Nabil Anthony Bisharat ’02 Mr. Dennis Patrick Burke ’60, P’85 Mr. Robert (Bob) Carrejo Mr. Michael Harper P’93, ’95 Mr. Andrew Hubert P’13 Dr. Stephanie Paggi Mr. Ray Pearl, Jr., ’99 Mrs. Victoria Richards P’08 Br. Kevin Slate, FSC

BOARD OF REGENTS:

Dennis Jebbia, Esq. (Chair) Camilo Becerra, Esq. P’18

Mr. Doug Campbell Mr. Raymond Ealy, P’13 Peter Godfrey, Esq., P’07, ’08 Mr. Peter S. Griffith, P’00, ’03 Scott Hancock, Esq., P’11, ’11 , ’11 Mr. Bret Hardy, P’16, ’19 Mr. Bill Kinney, P’19 Mr. David Lam, P’08, ’09 Mr. Joe Lumarda, P’14 Mr. Edward Malicdem ’88, P’16, ’19 John Moe II, Esq. ’68 Mrs. Leigh Olivar, P ’12, ’21 Mr. Tom Radle, P’17 Mrs. Lisa Rico, P’17, ’18 Mr. Brent Schoenbaum, P’16, ’19 Mrs. Julie Williams, P’04 Mr. Matt Wright, P’16 Mrs. Janet Xu P’20 Mrs. Irina Xue, P’17, ’21 Mrs. Jennifer Zhao P’20 Dr. Richard Gray, Ph.D. Mr. Jon Keates

ALUMNI BOARD:

Mrs. Robin (Quintanilla) Aksu ’03 Mr. Joe Alvarez ’83, P ’20 Ms. Tina Bonacci ’94 Ms. Chanel Buccola ’07 Mr. Gabriel Castillo ’96 Mr. Paul Lees ’75 Mr. Chris Kealey ’85 Mr. Tony Messineo ’80 Mr. Rafael Mirasol ’80, P’17, ’18 Ms. Kristine Nonato ’06

Mr. Armando Ramirez ’93, P’14, ’20 Mr. Chris Rettig ’84, P’19 Mrs. Amanda (Gonzalez) Richardson ’01 Mr. Manny Soriano ’12 Mr. Mike Sullivan ’70, P’08, ’13 Mr. Jesse Toribio ’93, P’15 Mr. Phil Valasco ’07 Mr. Tyler Varing ’09

ADMINISTRATION:

Dr. Richard Gray, President Mrs. Courtney Kassakhian, Principal Mr. Patrick Bonacci, AFSC, Vice President for Mission Ms. Tina Bonacci ’94, Assistant Principal for Curriculum & Instruction Mr. Jon Keates, Director of Institutional Advancement Mr. Robert Packard, Chief Financial Officer Ms. Jane Osick, Dean of Students

EDITOR:

Mrs. Vanessa Strouse-Kenney ’97

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS: Mr. Domenic Olmeda Ms. Jade Rogers ‘01 Dr. Doug Rynerson

Ms. Kristen Schultz ’98 Mrs. Vanessa Strouse-Kenney ’97 Dr. Jude Lucas Ms. Keira Wight ’12 Ms. Sarah Woods

PHOTO CREDITS:

Mr. John Blackstock ’67 Ms. Keira Wight ’12 Mr. William Vasta and University of Redlands Tournament of Roses

PUBLICATION AND PRODUCTION: KGB Inquiries and/or correspondence should be directed to:

John C. Blackstock ’67 Director of Communications La Salle High School 3880 East Sierra Madre Boulevard Pasadena, California 91107 626.696.4316 jblackstock@lasallehs.org All pages are displayed on the La Salle website: www.lasallehs.org When you see this icon, go to lasallehs.org and click the Flickr icon to see more event photos.

WINTER/SPRING 2018

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23 5 FEAT URE S 5

BECOMING QUEEN

Isabella Marez ’18 talks about her life as the 100th Rose Queen.

DEPA RTM ENTS 2

LA SALLE MATTERS

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PRINCIPAL IDEAS

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE GINA CLAYTON ’01

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ALUMNI PROFILE EMARI MCCLELLAN ’16 AND MONET HURST-MENDOZA ’05 AMAZING LANCERS CAMILLE KENNEDY ’20 CLASS NOTES

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FULL STEAM AHEAD

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The Blakeslee Learning Commons and Phase 2 of the STEAM Program

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GRANDPARENTS DAY

Celebrating La Salle’s Grandparents

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TASTE OF LA SALLE

Culinary Exploration through Taste of La Salle

STAY CONNECTED

WWW.LASALLEHS.ORG 1

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MATTERS

There is a fascinating building in Singapore called the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. It is billed as the most expensive stand-alone casino resort property in the world. Built to address Singapore’s anticipated growth in tourism, the hotel faces the city-state’s central business district to the north and the Singapore Strait to the south. What makes the resort remarkable is a 340 metre-long “Skypark,” shaped in the form of an enormous boat (to echo the city-state’s role as a major Southeast Asia shipping hub) which sits atop of and links together the three hotel towers. The Skypark contains gardens, jogging paths and an infinity pool which support the activities of nearly 4,000 visitors (think: a small town suspended more than 600 feet in the air).

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel was my last view of Singapore as we departed the city-state for Los Angeles. “We” refers to a team of five La Salle colleagues who joined me on a week-long trip to Hong Kong and Singapore. These two cities have a sizeable Lasallian “footprint” with sixteen schools

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between them. We were particularly interested in visiting three schools: La Salle College in Hong Kong and Saint Joseph’s Institution and Saint Joseph’s International School in Singapore. These three schools are highly-regarded for their superb college-preparatory programs and it was my idea that they and we might benefit from establishing some form of networking relationship which could include students and teachers from each institution.

Our hosts were truly gracious, generous with the time they shared with us and clearly proud of the work they do on behalf of the students entrusted to their care. Their sense of hospitality mirrored what I know visitors experience when they come to La Salle here in Pasadena.

There was definitely a “Lasallian feel” to the schools we visited – surrounding their students with historical images of De La Salle and other Christian Brother saints. In fact, I suspect they do a more consistent job in this regard than we do here in Pasadena! What makes this effort truly impressive is the fact that all three schools

FROM THE PRESIDENT serve a significant number of non-Christian (Buddhist and Muslim) students. And, given the fact that two of the three schools are 100 and 166 years old, one should assume that the Christian Brothers have always served a significant non-Christian student population. I was struck by this commitment to sustaining a Lasallian identity in a part of the world where Catholics are clearly in a minority. Saint Joseph’s Institution, for example, proudly displays their Lasallian Core Values (Faith-ServiceCommunity) throughout the campus, making this visitor feel like he could be at any school sponsored by the Christian Brothers here in California! La Salle College, Hong Kong, decisively proclaims this Lasallian principle: (The College) seeks to empower all students to realize their potential through academic study, sport, and the arts. Reminds me of the “three-legged” stool (academics, arts, athletics) I like to use as a metaphor to describe the La Salle Difference here in Pasadena!

The opportunity to visit successful Lasallian schools in a part of the world that is non-Western and, largely, non-Christian was transformative for me. I came away from the experience more convinced than ever that Lasallian – and Catholic – values can be meaningful to students of all – and no – faiths. Even more powerful is the recognition that what we do here in Pasadena is echoed in Lasallian schools a half a world away. While I have been aware of the fact that Lasallian schools operate in over 70 countries, it hasn’t really occurred to me to appreciate how deeply connected we are, united in passing on a nearly 400 year old educational tradition

bequeathed by a genius of an educational innovator – Saint John Baptist de La Salle.

This fascinating experience of institutions, sponsored by the Christian Brothers and operating in very different cultural contexts, reminds me of how fortunate I am to be able to support a common Lasallian educational experience here in Pasadena. This issue of Lancer Magazine is replete with stories of amazing students and alumni who have fully embraced Lasallian values and are committed to exercising a role in making the world a better place. I am inspired by the stories of Isabella, Gina, Emari, Monet and Camille. In having become good students and good people, they have positioned themselves to carry on the Lasallian educational tradition in the worlds they will occupy as young adults.

As I departed Singapore and thought about the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, I realized that my final memory of my first trip to Asia was a structure containing three separate elements united by a boat-shaped “bridge.”

What an appropriate visual metaphor for my experience of our shared Lasallian world that bridges oceans and continents for the simple purpose of delivering a high quality “Human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor.”

DR. RICHARD GRAY PRESIDENT

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PRINCIPAL IDEAS

THE ROAD TO PERFECTION We have had a very exciting 2017-2018 school year, so far, at La Salle High School and in this latest issue of Lancer Magazine you will be able to learn about this memorable year.

As Principal, one of my favorite things is being able to meet alumni and hear their stories about the time they spent here at La Salle and what they have done since graduation. Over and over again, I hear about how well La Salle prepared them for college and beyond. In this issue you will get to hear directly from some of our esteemed alumni who have achieved great success following their graduation from La Salle High School. What strikes me in each of their stories, is that the success comes not only from what they learned in the classroom, but as importantly, from what they learned through participation in extracurricular activities from theatre to athletics.

Emari McClellan ’16, our youngest highlighted alumnus, shares how his participation in extracurriculars at La Salle has enabled him to succeed as a member of the University of Redlands football team. Monet Hurst-Mendoza ’05 has found great success working in professional theatre after writing her first play, in drama class, while a student at La Salle. Gina Clayton ’01 is certainly living out the Lasallian Five Core Principles through her work as the Executive Director of Essie Justice Group. Their stories are only three of many, but I am sure you will find them compelling.

Before they were alumni, they were students and our current students are also doing fantastic things.

In this issue you will be able to read about senior Isabella Marez ’18, the 100th Rose Queen. I was privileged to be in the audience at the Pasadena Playhouse the evening Isabella was crowned.

Having known her as a student and then being in the audience and hearing her thoughtful, articulate responses to all of the questions given to her in front of a live audience, it was no surprise to me when her name was called, but that didn’t make it any less exciting! Queen Isabella certainly had a busy few months representing the Tournament of Roses and she balanced the many demands of her title while also staying on top of her studies and continuing her commitments as a member of our

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Student Life team. She has made all of us at La Salle very proud.

At La Salle, we are always looking at how we can support and challenge students. A great example of this is our new STEAM Lab. You have read about our efforts to build a STEAM program at La Salle over the last few years and we can now proudly say that we have a space unlike any other high school in the San Gabriel Valley. Our new space has allowed us to offer new classes to our students, such as Innovation and Design Lab, and given a new home to our Robotics program, which has been successful for many years, despite having to use a hallway as their main work space in the past.

As we look to the 2018-2019 school year, we are excited to continue the growth of our Technology and Engineering department by offering AP Computer Science Principles and Introduction to Programming Languages courses for the first time.

I could go on and on about things happening at La Salle. There really is so much to be proud of. I hope that through reading this issue of Lancer Magazine you will share in that pride. Thank you for being part of our La Salle community.

COURTNEY KASSAKHIAN PRINCIPAL

B QUEEN

BY: KEIRA WIGHT ’12

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PRIDE

To say Isabella Marez ’18 has had a busy year would be an understatement. In her time at La Salle High School, Isabella, affectionally known as Bella, has racked up an impressive list of accolades. In addition to playing Lancer golf, softball, and travel softball, Marez also participates in Student Life, Key Club and Support our Troops Club. She is a local youth ministry leader and a Junior Ambassador for Children’s Hospital L.A. As if these accomplishments were not impressive enough, this past year, Isabella Marez added one more distinct honor to the list- Rose Queen.

also important to consider how her time at La Salle has shaped her experience as queen. “For a lot of us, La Salle is a second home and students are really involved in the community. La Salle has helped me make a difference by teaching me how to share what I have learned here and enlighten others about the work we do.”

Marez attributes her ability to navigate the spotlight and her time commitments to the experiences she’s received at La Salle, with time management and communication

On October 18, 2017, Tournament of Roses President Lance Tibbet announced the appointment of La Salle’s own Isabella Marez as the 2018 Rose Queen. “Queen Isabella’s life changed the moment I announced her name. She has now become a part of the tradition and legacy of the 99 Rose Queens before her,” says Tibbet. “Not only will Queen Isabella and the Royal Court be wonderful ambassadors, these young women will be making a positive impact by contributing kindness to others within our community.”

Isabella Marez isn’t someone who grew up wanting to be on the Rose Court. “I never had this dream of being a princess. I never had this dream of being queen,” adds Marez. However, this year’s Tournament of Roses theme of Making a Difference hit close to home for the young woman, an Altadena native and the second-youngest of five children. “People have made differences in my life that have shaped who I am, and I want to do that for other people. So, for me, I didn’t really have a worry over who would become queen. We all want to make a difference, and that’s what’s important to us.”

New Year’s Day 2018 was the culmination of more than 100 media and community functions the Rose Court attended since the Court was named. Isabella’s morning started shortly after midnight on January 1, 2018, when she was picked up just before 2 a.m. and taken into hair and makeup. After interviews, press appearances, and pre-parade protocol, the entire Royal Court boarded the float. At 7:30 a.m., high atop the float, Isabella was ready to make the 5.5 mile trip down the parade route. “That was a really magical sight, being on the parade route,” recalls Marez. “I’ve grown up going to Old Town Pasadena shopping, going to ice cream – I grew up coming here with my dad a lot; it’s just our place. But now, it’s going to be my memory of the fact that I was in a parade here. I got to see Pasadena differently. It felt like I was in a new place, a new city.”

While it is undeniable that Marez’ experience as the 100th Rose Queen has shaped her final year at La Salle, it is 6

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skills being at the top of her list. “Being on Student Council, Student Life, and Service Commissioner has given me a lot of public speaking experience.” Knowing that balancing schoolwork, hobbies, and outside duties isn’t easy, Marez has worked to become the kind of student who can manage a lot on her plate. With help from the faculty, staff, and counselors, Marez’ fall semester academics and college applications were finalized without difficulty. “I wouldn’t be able to get it all done without their support,” says Marez. “I’m never alone. I never feel like I’m drowning.”

With the added pressures of being on the Rose Court,

Marez’ schedule was often full each day, with limited time to tend to her other responsibilities. Drawing from lessons she’s learned on the softball field, Marez has learned to “take it one day at a time and do one thing at a time. You can’t hit and field the ball at the same time!”

Marez’ Lasallian education has also made a big impact on her character. While she credits her ability to have kindness and joy with others to lessons from her parents, she attributes her ability to communicate and have compassion for others to her time at La Salle. “My experiences on campus have taught me that people are different. Not everyone is Catholic or of the same culture.

But there is a line of respect we have for each other, “ adds Marez. “I think I can take with me that, as I go to a new school, new place, new job, I can have that general compassion for the new people I meet.”

Moreover, Marez’ experiences have helped her develop a sense of awareness toward La Salle’s global community.

During her junior year, a school- wide competition called Riley’s Race for Change, culminated in a video chat session with a Lasallian sister school, Mount La Salle, in

Naka, Nigeria. “The type of questions they asked really put into perspective what we have and what they don’t.

We have so much here and as a Lasallian community.

“They instilled the passion in me for social justice, to give back and make a difference.” Developing a knowledge and growing awareness of the Five Lasallian Core Principles, such as “Concern for the Poor and Social Justice,” is part of La Salle’s mission. As such, Marez believes that “our core values are a major part of our education. La Salle has helped me make a difference by teaching me how to share what I have learned here and enlighten others about the work we do.”

Now that her Rose Queen duties are winding down, the rest of Isabella’s senior year is much simpler. She sleeps on a regular schedule, is able to attend class regularly, and participates fully in her collection of co-curricular activities and extracurricular events. Being back on the field as a softball player has allowed Marez to relax through exercise and socialization. “I’m having more appreciation for that: being on the field and just really enjoying myself more and in the little things. Relaxation, meditating, being with my family; I’m just soaking it all in more,” says Marez.

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La Salle has helped me make a difference by teaching me how to share what I have l ea r n e d h ere a n d enlighten others about the work we do.

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“It is my last semester of high school and that is weird to think about.” But she’s not finished getting the full La Salle experience. She has a bucket list before she graduates, which includes finishing her classes with high grades and trying the cafeteria food she hasn’t eaten before.

Most importantly, Marez hopes to keep the relationships she has here at home strong and close to her heart.

“All of us are going to different places - my best friends are staying here, I am going out of state. Keeping the friendships that are genuine and close, so that I will never lose them is my top priority.”

This fall, Marez will be attending Seattle University, intent on fulfilling her dreams and making a difference. She plans on studying pre-med or pre-law.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: TOURNAMENT OF ROSES AND KEIRA WIGHT ’12

Fast Fire Q&A Favorite Color Green.

Favorite book

The Color Purple. No, no, Gatsby.

The Great Gatsby.

Favorite Class Religion & Anatomy Favorite Holiday Christmas

Favorite Movie

Back to the Future series. It’s a classic.

Favorite Ice Cream *sigh* Dang it. I was hoping you wouldn’t ask me that. In this moment, I would have to say mint chip. In this moment, but it might change tomorrow.

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Favorite Dinner Food

Thai food.

Hobbies I paint, I like going hiking and being outside, and going to the movies Beach or Mountains Mountains. I love the smell of the wood and the trees after it rains. Definitely the mountains.

One place in the world you’d like to visit

Today, I’d probably want to visit Greece.

Beyonce or Oprah

Oprah.

Cats or Dogs

Dogs. Dogs all the way. I can’t do cats.

The Future of

EDUCATION BY: DR. DOUG RYNERSON Sam Christopher ’18 enters his second period class and prepares for class to begin. He does not pull a notebook and pencil from his backpack, rather he heads to the 3D printer, removes his recently printed part, and washes the water-soluble fill from the item. He joins his team at a work table and checks the part, which is designed to hold a small laser, for fit and stability. They agree that this class will be spent reworking the design to incorporate a thicker shell and adjust the fit of the electronics.

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CAMPUS

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“

I enjoy this class because I actually get to apply the concepts hands-on rather than through set examples or written problems.

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Welcome to La Salle High School's new Innovation & Design Lab, or i.d.Lab for short. The new lab was built to house the STEAM Education program that began last spring and will have two offerings in Fall 2018. The focus on this style of education is to engage the students in developing an engineering mindset through problem-solving, interactive design, and rapid-prototyping. Students engage with the material by creating solutions to real-life challenges. To support this effort, the lab is outfitted with digital tools such as 3D printers, a Laser cutter, a CNC router, as well as, more traditional wood and metal working tools.

As Sam observes: “I enjoy this class because I actually get to apply the concepts hands-on rather than through set examples or written problems. When you have a breakthrough on something that you are making it is extremely satisfying!”.

Our final step in implementing the STEAM program will center on the repurposing of the Blakeslee Library which will become the state-of-the-art Blakeslee Learning Commons. It will serve as an extension of the 21st century classroom. The Blakeslee Learning Commons will facilitate collaboration between students and faculty, and will provide access to technological and curriculum support.

It will help equip our students with the skills that will enable them to prosper in their academic and professional careers. We have begun work on this $300,000 initiative, and have raised over two-thirds of the cost in gifts and pledges. We ask your support for this important project that will set La Salle apart as an academic innovator in Southern California.

If you would like more information regarding the i.d.Lab or the STEAM education program, contact Dr. Doug Rynerson at drynerson@lasallehs.org.

For Information on the Blakeslee Learning Commons Initiative: www.lasallehs.org/LearningCommons Opposite page shows renderings of the Blakeslee Learning Commons.

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Be very clear about what your passion is and that your skills are being 100 percent channeled in the direction of your passion. Dive in and dive in deep.

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MAKING A

DIFFERENCE

EMPOWERING WOMEN TO CHANGE THE WORLD BY: JADE ROGERS ’01 WITH VANESSA STROUSE-KENNEY ’97 Gina Clayton ’01 was in her first year at Harvard Law when someone she loves was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

“It changed the direction of my future. From that moment on, I dedicated myself to understanding and ending the harm of mass incarceration in communities and families in the U.S. It’s not just what I do in my professional life – social change work has become a way of life for me. I think the way in which these kinds of experiences shape us, it doesn’t just look like a change in career paths, it’s much more formative. Every now and then, something just shakes you to your core, uncovering your purpose and inspiring you to go do something about it.”

and advocacy training. We unify and activate our on-theground groups toward systemic change work, launching and running campaigns that aim to expand our social safety net for women and families, and reduce our reliance on prison, jails, and punitive infrastructure. Leveraging women as experts, healers, and advocates, we empower communities to bring about an end to mass incarceration once and for all” said Gina, Essie Justice Group Founder and Executive Director.

Incarceration in the United States has increased by 500% in the last 40 years. 7 million children have a parent in prison. 70 million people have a criminal record. The effects of this trend are especially challenging to women who are forced to become the sole provider for their family. “ Women are really picking up the pieces,” says Clayton.

She began researching organizations and searching for academic literature that addressed criminal justice with a focus on women with incarcerated loved ones, and found none. “You have more than 2.2 million people behind bars today, and around 90 percent are men. If you have all these men in prison, what’s happening to the women? Roughly one in four women has a family member in prison. If you’re a Black woman, the rate is almost one in two.

The prevalence is astronomical,” said Gina. “The impact I saw was in housing. Women I represented were losing their homes because of a loved one’s arrest or conviction. But there was also the expense of prison visits and the long distance women have to travel, not to mention the cost of raising children alone. It is why research has shown there is a 64% decrease in household assets when a loved one is incarcerated. Women, and women of color in particular, are feeling that acutely.”

Within Essie Justice Group, Gina has developed an award-winning Healing to Advocacy Model that brings women who are enduring a loved one’s incarceration alone, into a loving and powerful membership body. Women take the lead by taking on campaigns, providing peer-to- peer support, and partnering with a national community of activists and advocates to build a more compassionate and just society. “The women who come into Essie want to see change happen, and they want to be part of leading that change.” New members can join the group in various ways.

One way is a process that allows incarcerated men and women to nominate a woman in their lives to take part in the program.

Clayton recognized there was a void and committed to do something about it. In 2014, she created Essie Justice Group, a non-profit organization that creates a supportive and empowering community for women with family members and loved ones in jail. “For women with incarcerated loved ones, we seed loving groups across the country that focus on trauma prevention, healing,

Since the start of Essie Justice Group, ten groups of women have completed the program’s nine week curriculum, which focuses on healing from trauma and building each woman’s voice as an advocate. “To be an Essie Sister, you graduate from one of our nine-week groups then take a pledge to break the isolation and invisibility of other women. When isolation is broken, mental health 13

improves, the access to resources increases, and civic participation grows. The program has three pillars of advocating for yourself, family and your community.”

Gina’s interest in issues of equality and justice began when she was a student at La Salle High School. “I remember Mr. Ring, my U.S. History teacher at La Salle, assigning the alternative chronicle, A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn while class members concurrently read their standard textbook. The experience opened my eyes. It was probably then that I first began to realize that there were different versions of history.”

As senior class president and cross country star, Gina Clayton continued to excel at La Salle. She became more aware of how these experiences were shaping her future.

“La Salle is a place that allowed me to believe that it’s possible to make a difference and to change the world so people can thrive. So there is less pain and suffering and less harm. These are really values and beliefs that need to be introduced and taught and developed early on. They don’t just come through college. That’s exactly what La Salle provided. I’m a big believer in what I saw happen at La Salle in terms of taking a real interest in not just my education and academic development, but my development as a person- my character. The collective effort was more than just making sure people passed their classes and got into the very best college. But that they left the place with a vision and a desire to really be leaders.” And lead she did. After graduating from La Salle, Clayton went on to attend the University of Southern California (USC), where she majored in American Studies and Ethnicity. She served as the chapter President of the NAACP at USC and was a research assistant for USC Gould School of Law’s Professor Jody Armour.

Clayton graduated from USC and attended Harvard where she earned her Law Degree. While at Harvard, 14

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she served as Co-Editor-In-Chief of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. She was also Co-Chair of the Social Justice Committee within the Black Law Students Association.

Gina Clayton is not slowing down.

In the four years since its launch in Oakland, California, Essie Justice Group program has grown to Vallejo, San Jose, and Los Angeles, with 11 more groups underway. “We are building an organization of women leaders. Essie Justice Group is a place where women can find their value. Today we are on the precipice of launching nine more cohorts and expanding to Kentucky, North Carolina, and Florida. We’ll also be publishing the first national study on women with incarcerated loved ones this year. Eventually, you’ll see our network across all 50 states to leverage our collective strength and power. On the advocacy side, we will bring about an end to mass incarceration, with our partners, especially with what I see happening in law and policy. That day is definitely nearing. It should happen in our lifetime. The question is, what will that system be replaced with?”

Gina’s advice to those looking for inspiration? “The goal is to be very clear about what your passion is and that your skills are being 100% channeled in the direction of your passion. Dive in and dive in deep.”

If you would like to learn more about Essie Justice Group, please visit: EssieJusticeGroup.org.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS • • • • • • • • •

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Equal Justice Works Fellow Soros Justice Fellow Echoing Green Global Fellow Harvard Public Service Venture Fellow Ashoka Fellow JMK Innovation Prize Awardee Named one of the Top 14 Women Who Rocked 2014 by Colorlines One of the Woke 100 Women by Essence Magazine 2016 recipient of JustLeadershipUSAs Redefining Justice Award Featured in Ava DuVernays Academy Award nominated and acclaimed Netflix documentary 13th Awarded the 2017 Grinnell College Innovator for Social Justice

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SPORTS

Girls Volleyball

Del Rey League Champions. Advanced to the Southern California Regional Championship for the first time in school history.

LUCKY NUMBER 13

Girls Tennis

Advanced to the CIF quarter-finals for the first time with no seniors on the roster. Their future is bright.

BY: VANESSA STROUSE-KENNEY ’97

Having your jersey retired is one of the greatest honors in sports.

On January 6, 2018, La Salle High School held a ceremony to retire the jersey of Major League Baseball player Jerry Janeski '64. Coach Eddie McKiernan and Director of Baseball Operations, Harry Agajanian, presented Janeski with a framed La Salle jersey with his number 13 on it.

Janeski began his illustrious baseball career at La Salle, where he pitched for the team. He was so good, in fact, he lettered on the Varsity Team his freshman year. "I will always remember that Coach Duffy Lewis was very encouraging. His support gave me additional confidence and I ended up making the Varsity Team and lettering that year," said Janeski.

By his senior year, Jerry had been named First Team All League for the Santa Fe League. Upon graduating La Salle in 1964, Janeski signed with the Boston Red Sox. During the off-season, Jerry attended Cal State LA for 4 years. In 1970, Jerry was traded to the Chicago White Sox, where he won 10 games in his first year in the Major Leagues! The highlight of his career came in a 3 hit shutout against the Oakland Athletics in 1970.

Jerry is enjoying his post-MLB life in Orange County with his wife Suzie. The couple have been married for 47 years and have two children, Jason and Jeanine, and one grandchild, Jax. Janeski has recently teamed up with his son in real estate, serving the South Orange County area.

Girls Cross Country

Senior Samantha Knapp advanced to the CIF prelims for the Lancers.

Girls Soccer

Advanced to the playoffs.

Boys Soccer

Won the Camino Real League Championship for the third consecutive year.

Boys Basketball

Advanced to the playoffs.

Girls Basketball

Captured the Santa Fe League Championship and had another 20 win season.

LANCERS WITH NCAA COMMITMENTS: • • • • • •

Victoria Ashkinos -

Stanford University (Beach Volleyball) Sophie Anderson San Francisco State University (Volleyball) Claire Forrest Seton Hall University (Volleyball) Darius Henderson University of Massachusetts (Basketball) Zane Lindeman Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (Baseball) Julia Macabuhay University of California San Diego (Basketball)

• • • • • • •

Samantha Nieto UC Irvine (Soccer) Ethan Patrick Loyola Marymount University (Baseball) Sophia Sanchez Seattle University (Volleyball) James Torrez George Washington University (Swimming) Daniel Cina Willamette University (Football) Andres Garcia Dordt College (Football) Patricia Fotto Lewis University (Lacrosse)

• • • •

Kole Hamane University of Redlands (Football) Ethan Henry Linfield College (Basketball) Tamia Cephus - Lawrence University (Volleyball) Tommy Nigro - University of Redlands (Football)

For more Lancer Sports visit:

www.lasallelancers.org 15

ALUMNI

PROFILE

BY: DOMENIC OLMEDA

Despite the challenges he and his mother faced, McClellan held his schooling paramount. “I just wanted to make sure that my mother was okay and that I could continue my education,” he says. “She said [going to school] was the best thing that I could do.” True to his word, McClellan took full advantage of what La Salle had to offer. “I played basketball for two years, was involved in theatre for four years, did dance for two years and was on the academic decathlon team for two years,” he says. What’s more, McClellan made Captain of La Salle’s football team his junior year, placing him in a position of leadership among his peers.

At the University of Redlands, McClellan chose business administration as his major. He plans to open an insurance company that provides coverage 16

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to low-income families. He credits part of his inspiration to La Salle’s community service program: “We went to Skid Row, food banks, and other schools,” he says. “Helping those in need and seeing people I grew up with at these places made me think that I’m not doing enough.”

McClellan knows how critical it is to have a proper foundation to succeed.

He says his business classes at La Salle have played a pivotal role in helping him navigate his collegelevel seminars and foster his postgrad ambitions. “There were many courses I took that really helped, like my Civics course with Mr. Goldstein and my Economics course with Mr. Haderlein,” he says.

In addition to studying business administration at Redlands, McClellan works as an intern for Dudes Understanding Diversity and Ending Stereotypes (DUDES), a program featured in the Los Angeles Times that provides support for students and opens up dialogues concerning men’s issues, masculinity in the media and gender roles.

McClellan has given talks for DUDES and describes how his time with World Religions teacher Mr. Pendergast fostered his interest in the topic: “Mr. Pendergast and I spent

an entire semester discussing male masculinity, authors in the field, and how they have talked about this conversation historically,” he says. “He [is] a big influence when it comes to my knowledge, so the spark definitely came from La Salle.”

Of course, when McClellan isn’t hitting the books or giving talks for DUDES, he’s rushing yards as a linebacker for Redland’s football team. When it comes to being a student-athlete, he attributes much of his time spent as Captain at La Salle for helping him balance school and football as well as being a positive role model for his peers: “Being a captain in high school was a role where I had to be outspoken and lead by example,” he says, “And, being in that position has helped me as a Bulldog because I’m adapting these skills to encourage my teammates.

Part of what made McClellan’s experience at La Salle possible was The San Miguel Scholarship Fund, which provided him with a full ride through all four of his years at La Salle. “The scholarship removed all financial burdens from my mother and me and allowed me to go to the school of my dreams,” he says.

“Without that, La Salle wouldn’t have been an option.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF REDLANDS/MR. WILLIAM VASTA

Dedication is a virtue few know better than Emari McClellan ’16. McClellan came to La Salle High School beset with financial burden and the declining health of his single-parent mother, who was, and still is, battling thyroid cancer. However, these obstacles did little to stop McClellan from getting the full La Salle experience and paved the way to where he is now, studying business administration and playing linebacker at the University of Redlands in Redlands, California.

BRIGHT LIGHTS

BIG

CITY BY: DR. JUDE LUCAS-RYNERSON

I first met Monet Hurst-Mendoza ‘05 in the spring of 2002 during the audition process for La Salle’s spring musical.

I was impressed with many of the talented students but Monet, a freshman, stood out above the rest. She wound up being featured in every theatre production over her four years at La Salle, with her interest in playwriting and directing developing her senior year.

As we look at the Lasallian mission manifested through the San Miguel Scholarship Program that formed the foundation of this remarkable and talented young woman, we can certainly say that Monet’s gifts continue to serve the community most in need.

A San Miguel Scholar at La Salle, Monet went on to attend Marymount Manhattan College in New York, graduating magna cum laude in May 2009 with a dual concentration major in writing for the stage and directing.

She has focused on giving voice to women of color and the marginalized in her writing and is the recipient of residencies at both WP Theatre and The Public Theatre in New York. Her works have been produced by the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, The Classical Theatre of Harlem, The Looking Glass Theatre and others. She has also been honored with the New Dramatists Van Lier Followship following in the footsteps of Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, and many other great luminaries of the American Theatre.

Monet has achieved recognition in a highly competitive artistic field. Thanks to her work we are experiencing the surfacing of women as playwrights, hearing voices that bring light and understanding to our larger community.

WHAT IS THE SAN MIGUEL SCHOLARSHIP To honor San Miguel Febres Cordero, the first American Lasallian Saint, La Salle High School offers up to nine full tuition scholarships to entering students of academic promise whose family income puts them beyond the ability to pay tuition.

Students must be nominated by their elementary principal, parish priest, or other adult who has previously contacted the Director of Admissions.

The scholarship is for four years, providing the student maintains an acceptable level of academic achievement, contributes in appropriate ways to the School community, and is able to demonstrate financial need.

To give to this scholarship visit: www.lasallehs.org/donate 17

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ARTS

This Spring, La Salle High School's Department of Arts and Media students teamed up to create an evening of fairytale magic as they performed James Lapine's and Stephen Sondheim’s classic, Into the Woods.

The musical completed a two week run with a total of eight performances. Under the direction of the esteemed Dr. Jude Lucas, Department of Arts and Media Chair, the 55 students came together as actors, singers, musicians, designers and technicians. La Salle Theatre produces three major productions each year – a fall play, a winter play and a spring musical.

For more information about the Department of Arts and Media please visit: www.lasallehs.org For more photos of the event: 18

LANCER MAGAZINE

AMAZING

LANCERS

JAPAN’S

NEWEST STAR EXCHANGE STUDENT BY: SARAH WOODS

The travel bug started early with Camille Kennedy '20. Early on, she decided she wanted to study abroad in Japan. For many kids, the idea of traveling to another country to study, doesn't cross their minds until they reach college. But for Camille, she knew this is what she was meant to do.

This process takes determination and foresight; two things Camille knows a lot about. Since deciding she wanted to spend a year in Japan, as a foreign exchange student, Camille has worked tirelessly to achieve her goal.

During the sixth grade, she began researching different programs that could make her dream a reality. As she continued laying the foundation, she identified La Salle High School as the place that would help her meet her goals.

Camille has worked hard to meet the requirements of the Japanese Greenheart Travel Exchange Program.

One of the main requirements is for the student to be proficient in Japanese. With La Salle's approval, Camille enrolled in a program that allowed her to take Japanese language classes at Pasadena City College instead of her standard French and Spanish courses at the high school. La Salle structured her program so she would be able to keep her place in the graduating class of 2020, as well as, keep the academic scholarship she had previously earned.

In addition to her language courses, Camille credits La Salle's strong drama program to helping prepare her for her time in Japan. Her involvement in the theater program required her to make numerous public speeches. That experience paved the way for her to excel in public speaking at the Fujimura Girls' Junior and Senior High School where she is the only American exchange student. The theater also taught her how to be more outgoing and gave her the courage to get involved in after school clubs like the Chorus Club. Camille says the small school community that La Salle fosters made it so much easier for her to feel comfortable in the similar sized Fujimura Girls’ Senior High School in Japan.

Since arriving in Tokyo in August, Camille has observed many things about Japanese academic culture that she believes the American schooling system could learn a thing or two from. One of the major differences between academia in Japan versus the United States is that in Japan, there are more intensive in-school activities and less after school homework. While the normal American high school schedule is about 8 AM to 2 PM, Japanese high schools start at 8AM and end at 4 PM. When school ends, students attend after school clubs. “Class times are much shorter, but we accomplish much more work. Everyone in Japan is crazy busy and doesn’t have time to mess around with homework. When you’re swamped with homework and projects in America, you don’t have time to see friends or do extra things,” Camille explained.

student in Japan, and encourages all students who have considered this adventure to go for it.

“This is the best decision I could have made, and my golden rule that I have been following since I arrived in Japan is: Just try it. I think that is a wonderful thing to follow, because I have done, and seen, and eaten a lot of things I may not have done by myself. I have just tried it, and it has been great. So, for anyone who wants to do what I did, I say go for it if you have the means to because it is such a great growing experience. You meet such wonderful people and do such different things you would not have been able to do if you had just stayed where you are. I’ve become so much more confident, and proficient, in my language ability, which has been a huge plus as well. It is a wonderful way to grow as a person and interact with different people, so try everything!”

Camille will be returning to La Salle in the fall and looks forward to completing her final two years of high school.

Camille has grown tremendously during her time as a foreign exchange 19

LANCER

ACADEMICS

2018 ALCORN/THOMAS SCHOLARSHIPS On January 25th, 2018, La Salle High School held its Academic Awards ceremony and awarded the annual Robert Alcorn and Bob Thomas Scholarships.

Dr. Richard Gray presented Robin Cadd ’19 (Daughter of Chris Cadd, Religious Studies Faculty Member) with the Robert Alcorn Scholarship in Humanities. “Robin’s academic accomplishments are not limited to the fields of English, Social Studies and World Languages. In fact, she has earned an “A” in every single subject, including three AP classes, each of the last five semesters with a GPA of 4.3 or better. In addition to her duties as a three year member of Class Council, Robin is part of the leadership team for Support Our Troops Club, a member of the Red Cross Club and has assisted with Science Outreach. She is a Student Ambassador and plays on the Varsity Tennis team. Robin has been elected to NHS, SNHS, and Rho Kappa Society.

Outside of La Salle, music is her passion; playing the ukulele, piano, and guitar. Currently, she is also taking voice lessons,” said Dr. Gray.

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Joshua Ng ’19 was awarded the Bob Thomas Scholarship in Math and Science. “Joshua Ng has earned an A in every subject, including six AP classes, for each of the last five semesters with a better than 4.4 GPA. Josh is a faithful participant in Academic Decathlon and was part of the team that qualified for the World Scholar’s Cup – in Cape Town, South Africa and at Yale University. He is frequently to be seen on the La Salle

Stage, is a member of the Improv Club, Science Outreach, LEAP and has participated in Dance Composition and Choreography. Last Summer, Josh was selected to participate in the HOBY LA Leadership Seminar at Cal Poly Pomona. In addition to being a Student Ambassador, he is a member of the Student Life Communications team,” said Dr. Gray. Josh was recently elected as Student Body President.

Bob Alcorn and Bob Thomas were highly regarded members of the La Salle faculty during the decade of the sixties. They had an enormous impact on the intellectual development of their students in the early years of the School.

Social Studies, English, and Language Arts were asked to nominate candidates from each of their disciplines to be considered for this award. The scholarship is $1,000.00 to be applied to the student’s senior year tuition.

To honor the remarkable achievements of Bob Alcorn, the Class of 1962 established a permanent scholarship to be awarded to a La Salle junior. They established as the criteria academic excellence in the fields in which Mr. Alcorn exercised such a profound influence: languages and language arts. The faculties of

To honor the contributions of her late husband, Bob Thomas, Jayne Thomas established a math and science scholarship. The faculties of Math and Science were asked to nominate candidates from each of their disciplines to be considered for this award. The scholarship is $1,000.00 to be applied to the student’s senior year tuition.

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LANCER

NEWS

ACADEMIC DECATHLON

SCORES

BIG BY: JOHN ERB

In late February of 2018, the La Salle Academic Decathlon teams vied in their only competition of the year, a twoSaturday event held at Bishop Alemany High School. Forty teams representing a wide variety of private schools in Southern California competed in ten separate disciplines all based on this year’s theme: Africa.

Teams of nine were divided by overall GPA: honors (3.754.00), scholastic (3.00-3.74), and varsity (up to 2.99). La Salle’s students garnered a total of 80 medals this year! La Salle was the only team to medal in overall team scores in Divisions I, II, and III. Due to incredible scores last year, all La Salle teams were moved up a division this year. The first team competed in Division I against Bishop Alemany and Mater Dei. The individual Lancers on Team #1 won over two medals each on average. Overall Team #1 won a bronze medal, Team

#2 won a bronze medal, and Team #3 won a silver medal.

La Salle was the only school that fielded four teams thanks to 39 students who have enrolled in our two Academic Decathlon classes. Most schools only field one or two teams. So far this year, 27 of the 28 students have won one medal and 25 of them have won at least two medals.

The following four students led their teams with high scores: junior Gwyn Schoenbaum ’19 for Team #1, senior Greg Jasper ’18 for Team #2, junior Kees Hood ’19 for Team #3, and freshman Matthew Day ’21 for Team #4. The Academic Decathlon will be competing in an International competition this June!

For more information about La Salle's Academic Decathlon program, please visit www.lasallehs.org.

VETERANS DAY

On Thursday, November 9, 2017, La Salle hosted a Veterans Day Assembly to honor the 282 known alumni veterans and veterans in the greater community. The assembly included a Marine Color Guard, performances by the La Salle Orchestra and Choir, video tributes and an address from the guest speaker Major Aixa Dones, United States Marine Corp.

Those in attendance included, top row (left to right): Ann & David Meier (Parents of Major Ben Meier, United States Air Force, Class of 2000); Specialist Juan Ossa, California State Military Reserve, Class of 1982; Captain Scott White, Air Defense Instructor, United States Marine Corp, Class of 2007; Members of the Marine Color Guard; Third Class Naval Petty Officer Bill Hall, Class of 1962. Seated (left to right) Major Aixa Dones, United States Marine Corp,; 1st Lieutenant Richard Wilson, United States Army, Great Uncle of Hallie Milton ’18 and Kaiya Wilson ’20; Specialist 5 Craig Coleman, United States Army, Great Uncle of Senior Hallie Milton ’18 and Kaiya Wilson ’20; Army Sergeant First Class Dale Adams, Great Uncle of Hallie Milton ’18 and Kaiya Wilson ’20; Specialist 5th Class Tim Manning, United States Army, Class of 1968; Corporal Fred German, United States Army, 11th Calvary, Grandfather of Julia Robidoux ’21; Captain Brad Wright, United States Air Force, Class of 1973.

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LANCER

EVENTS

GRANDPARENTS DAY On March 21, 2018, La Salle High School hosted its 13th Annual Grandparents Day. The event welcomed more than 400 grandparents and their grandchildren and highlighted the talented students of La Salle's many organizations.

During brunch, performances and presentations were given by the Department of Arts and Media, Speech and Debate, Robotics, STEAM, and Academic Decathlon. The sampling gave grandparents insight into the many programs their grandchildren have access to at La Salle. Grandparents were able to hear Dr. Richard Gray speak about the importance of the STEAM program and La Salle's initiative to build the Blakeslee Learning Commons.

“

There is nothing more wonderful than the love and guidance a grandparent can give his or her grandchild.

-EDWARD FAYS

For more information about the Blakeslee Learning Commons Initiative: www.lasallehs.org/Learning Commons

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For more photos of the event:

�

TASTE OF

LA SALLE BY: KRISTEN SCHULTZ ’98

The La Salle High School Alumni Association hosted the return of the much anticipated biennial Taste of La Salle on March 24th on campus to benefit the Alumni Scholarship Fund. Over 400 guests made up of alumni, current parents, alumni parents, friends and community members tempted their taste buds with delicious food and drink from the 38 participating restaurants and beverage vendors.

selected by the Alumni Association Executive Board and serve as Student Ambassadors of the Alumni Association.

To date, the Alumni Association has awarded over $27,000 in Scholarships since 2013. The current recipient of the Alumni Association Lasallian Heritage Scholarship for an incoming freshman is Caiden Kealey ’22 and the current recipients of the Alumni Association College Scholarship are Garien Agapito ’18 and Sarah Day ’18.

The event raised $34,000 for the Alumni Scholarship Fund.

Currently the Alumni Association annually awards one $4,000 scholarship to an incoming freshman and up to two $1,500 scholarships to members of the graduating class to use toward their college education. The recipients are

The Opportunity Drawing at the event drew a ton of interest with 13 delicious prizes up for grabs. LiChen Wong won the Moscow Mule Basket donated by Houdini Inc., Lisa McWaters won the Cozy Night In basket donated

by Plush Puffs Gourmet Marshmallows and Phil’s Coffee,

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Nathan Housman ’03 won the Viva l’Italia basket donated

by Houdini Inc and Claro’s Italian Market, Michele Hardy P’16,’19 won Tortilla Chips for a Year donated by Morris Victor and La Vencedora Products, Bob Nuccio ’71, P’00, ’02, ’04 won the Movie Night basket donated by Laemmle Theatre, Studio Movie Grill and Houdini Inc., Cheryl Allen P’20 won the Vino & Van Gogh package donated by Paint & Sip Studio LA, Tirta Halim P’21 won the Tools for a Top Chef basket donated by Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Cookstor, Heidi Hood P’19 won the Flight Night Package donated by The Bottle Shop Sierra Madre, Everson Royce & Bodega Wine Bar, Linda Basile P’21 won the Work It Off Fitness basket valued at over $700 donated by Yoga Madre, Wundabar Pilates, Core Power Yoga, Fitness Factor, Saldana Fitness & Nutrishop, Heather Young P’14, ’17, ’21 won the Staycation donated by Embassy Suites and Richard Victor, Christopher Stellar ’05 won the Travel & Wine Lover Package donated by Temecula Creek Inn and DAOU Vineyards & Winery, Brian Kneier ’67 won the “Stock Your Bar” package featuring 19 bottles of premium wine, spirits, and beer, and Andy Wray won the highly coveted “Eat Out For a Year” basket which included over $3,000 worth of gift cards to local eateries (including Alex DiPeppe’s, Allium Restaurant & Bakery, Art + Science

Café, Avanti Italian Bistro & Bar, Buffalo Wild Wings, Café Santorini, Café X2O, Casa Bianca, Casa Del Rey, Charlie’s Trio, Dal Rae Restaurant, Domenico’s Jr., El Portal, Fosselman’s Ice Crea, Co., Hon Sushi, Islands, Lavender & Honey, Lucky Baldwin’s, Maria’s Italian Kitchen, Merengue, Mijares Mexican Restaurant, Mother Namaste Spiceland, Nano Café, New Moon San Marino, Nick’s Restaurant, Oak & Coal, Otium, Panda Inn, Panera Bread, Pasadena Sandwich Company, Peppers, Pie ‘N Burger, Poppy Cake Baking Co., Porta Via Italian Foods, Pressed Juicery, Restaurant Green Street, Stonefire Grill, T. Boyle’s Tavern, Tabu Shabu, The Arbour, The Cheesecake Factory, The Luggage Room Pizzeria, Yang Chow & Yogurtland Arcadia).

Thank you to all who supported this event especially the Event Underwriters Ash Rizk Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage and Info Com Business Products (Margaret Pett-Herrera ’98)!

The next Taste of La Salle will be held in 2020...and is sure to be even tastier!

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MANY THANKS TO OUR PARTICIPATING VENDORS Adictivo Tequila Altadena Town & Country Club Asian Mix Boba Fix Bloomfield Creamery Brother Timothy Wine Casa Del Rey Mexican Restaurant- Sierra Madre Chef Carmen's 3C's COA de Jima Tequila Colette Craft Beer Cellar Eagle Rock Domenico's E. & J. Gallo Wine El Cholo Café

El Portal Embassy Suites by Hilton Arcadia Faubourg Fosselman's Ice Cream Co. Frank Family Vineyards Hop Secret Brewing Company Jones Coffee Roaster Lagunitas Brewing Company Mt. Lowe Brewing Co. Nothing Bundt Cakes Pasadena Sandwich Company Patticakes: Bakery & Coffee House

#1: Members of the Alumni Association Executive Board with current Alumni Scholarship Recipients, back row, left to right: Manny Soriano ’12, Kristen Schultz ’98, Director of Alumni Relations, Chris Rettig ’84, P’19, Rafael Mirasol ’80, P’17,’18, Mike Sullivan ’70, P’08, ’13, Colby Stenzel ’20, Garien Agapto ’18, Tina Bonacci ’94. Front row, left to right: Sarah Day ’18, Lauren Calvario ’21. #2: 400+ guests enjoyed unlimited tastes and sips from the 38 participating vendors #3: Michael McNamara ‘96, Sarah (Hansen) McNamara ’02, Chris Rettig ’84, P’19, Kathleen (Polenzani) Talbot ’97, Susan Ehring ’97 #4: The tequila tastes provided by Adictivo Tequila and Dulce Amargura were quite popular. #5: Members of the Class of 1975 served as a Café Sponsor for the Event. Standing, left to right: Phil Coombes ’75, Bill Morris ’75, John Zwart ’75, P ’09, Rick Snyder ’75, Dick Crawford ’75, Pat Riley ’75, Paul Lees ’75, Sergio Escalante ’75, Miguel Salas ’75, P ’06, P ’07. Sitting, left to right: David DiLettera ’75, Jim LeBerthon ’75, Paul Hartfield ’75. #6: Guy Ferrante ’83, Lupe O’Connor P’16, ’17, Dominic Ferrante ’81, Bobby Moore, Paula Moore (Faculty) #7: Back row, left to right: Mark Ruelas ’80, Kris Mohandie ’80, P’21, Paul Ruelas, Karen Ruelas, Eric Nobriga ’80, Joanna Nobriga. Front row, left to right: Guest, Rafael Mirasol ’80, P’17, ’18 #8: Taste of La Salle Vendor Casa del Rey Mexican Restaurant in Sierra Madre with Ed & Donna Rey P’09, ’13, Cassidy Rey ’13 #9: Alumni Vendor Domenico’s Italian Restaurant included second from left Maria (Romero) Bitonti ’97 and her crew of helpers including third from left, Dominic Bitonti ’22

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PizzaRev Pressed Juicery Quintessential Wines Roy's Restaurant San Antonio Winery Sierra Fusion Stone Brewing Stonefire Grill Twohey's Restaurant Twohey's Tavern Via One Hope We Olive & Wine Bar Wilson Creek Winery

#10: Guests enjoying some delectable French pastry

tastes from Faubourg #11: Hop Secret Brewing Company owner Gary Gates and

Jordan Dorenfeld ’05 #12: Chris Bigley ’05, Chanel Rivest, Rachel Stellar,

Chris Stellar ’05 #13: Jeff Rodriguez ’00, Hannah Rodriguez, Chris & Ron

Rodriguez P’97, ’00. Rochelle (Rodriguez) Ferrari ’97,

David Ferrari #14: Spencer Schoenbaum ’16, Sam Hardy ’16

(Past Alumni College Scholarship Recipient), Maddy

Malicdem ’16 (Past Alumni College Scholarship Recipient) #15: Michael Harper P’93, ’95, Marlene Griffith, Jill and Bob

Nuccio ’71, P’00, ’02, ’04, Frank Griffith ’62 #16: Back row, left to right, Claire Bonacci P’94, ’97, Mauricio

Pavon P’17, ’20, Juan Carlos Velosa P’18, Lynne Guzman,

Joan Bock, Pat Bonacci, P’94, ’97, Vice-President for

Mission, Gene Bock, Jason Delacruz DelRio, Phil Delacruz

DelRio ’94, Steven Andres ’94, Tina Bonacci ’94, Assistant

Principal for Curriculum. Front row, left to right: Patricia Gil

P’18, Jennifer Pavon P’17, ’20, Erika Cruz ’97, Julie (Bonacci)

Kolb ’97 #17: Kristyn and Brian Kneier ’67 were the winners of the Stock

Your Bar Package in the Opportunity Drawing. #18: Alex Fulton, Shelley (Griffith) Fulton ’03, Todd Davis,

Lindsay (Wright) Davis ’03, Kaytee (Canzoneri) Griffith

’02, Dean Griffith ’00, Nicole (Paradis) Garthwait ’03,

Nathan Garthwait.

For more photos of the event:

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ALUMNI

CLASS

NOTES

1963

Larry Byrd continues to teach as a chemistry professor at Glendale City College.

1964 Duke

Banks

was elected president of the Arlington County Civic Federation last June. This is an umbrella organization with a 102 year history, representing over 80 civic associations and local interest groups in Arlington County, Virginia.

1965

Rick Huntley is the vice president of human resources for the University of Dallas. He was selected to present a session at the 2017 annual College and University Professional Association on “How to create alignment of a University mission and core values through Human Resources.”

1967

Larry Brown is an independent financial advisor. He also coleads a high school group within his church. He and his wife have been married for 31 years and reside in Tarzana.

Jim Reedy spent fifteen years in London opening Mexican restaurants and bars before moving back to Los Angeles. He has since retired and resides in Redondo Beach.

Thomas Anthony is a retired FAA investigator and currently works as an aviation safety instructor at 28

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USC. He and his wife Patty have been married for 40 years, raised three children and reside in Palos Verdes.

John Blackstock and his wife Christine celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in 2016.

They have four grown children, three grandchildren and live in Glendora. John is in his 16th year at La Salle as the Director of Communications.

Ed Collins has worked with the US Forest Service for the past 46 years. He is currently responsible for managing all aspects of the Lakeside Ranger District in Arizona, approximately 265,000 acres in size. He and his wife Sandy have been married for 46 years and have three grown children and six grandchildren.

They reside in the White Mountains of Arizona.

Brian Kneier owns and operates Paradise Ranch Pet Resort in Sun Valley. Brian has one adult daughter and he and his wife Kristyn have been married for eight years.

Joe McKenna is a customer service rep for an office supply warehouse company in Santa Ana. He has two grown children and lives in Orange.

Paul Pfau was a prosecutor with the LA Country District Attorney’s Office for over 38 years.

He currently has a horse and cattle ranch in Montana and has led four expeditions to Mt. Everest along with pursuing mountaineering on all of the continents. Paul has a son Will (10) and lives in Arcadia.

Paul

Seymour

healthcare accounting and finance in 2003 to become the CFO of the Regional Headquarters of the Boys & Girls Club of Coachella Valley. He fully retired in 2014 and lives in Indio with his wife of 30 years, Julie.

began his career as a clinical psychologist specializing in treating children and adolescents and then transitioned to organizational psychology doing executive coaching, team building and designing leadership assessments and surveys. He was living in Colorado but recently followed his two young grandkids to Ashland, Oregon.

Mike Hartfield is a CPA for small

Alan Sielen is a retired career

businesses and very involved in his parish in Chatsworth.

senior executive for the US Environmental Protection Agency where he served in a variety of positions during his 33 years there.

He is currently the Senior Fellow for International Environmental Policy for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla. He and his wife Virginia have been married for 45 years, have two daughters, two grandchildren and live in Oakton, Virginia.

Mark Harris semi-retired from

David Holman has been working in the music business all his life. He was a recording engineer for years and now produces recording artists and has started his own record label. He and his wife Laura have been married for 33 years, have two sons and live in Los Angeles.

Ken Simonian has been an attorney

Timothy Steinmeier has owned his

since 1975 handling civil cases primarily in LA and Orange counties.

He and his wife have been married for 35 years, have two sons and live in Westminster.

own graphic design firm, Steinmeier Design, Inc, since 1996 specializing in the toy industry, creating packaging and instructional manuals. He is also a docent at the International Printing Museum in Carson where he can be found on Saturdays leading tours and managing the metal type lab. He has two grown daughters and two grandchildren. Tim and his wife Gayle have been married since 2000 and have performed as vintage dancers since 1998. For the past ten years they have produced the Jane Austen evening, a Regency Era High Tea and Ball held in Pasadena in late January.

Anthony Thompson and his wife Kitty have been married for 47 years, have one grown son, two granddaughters and live in Fresno.

Anthony is retired from the food sales and manufacturing industry.

Glenn Willumson retired from the University of Florida in 2016 where he taught art history and directed a graduate program in museum studies. He and his wife Peggy have been married for 47 years, have two children, five grandchildren and reside in Gainesville, Florida.

Eloy

Ituarte

is the medical director at the Washoe County Detention Center for Naphcare, an independent partner to correctional facilities nationwide for innovative healthcare management and technology solutions. Eloy has been a member of the Washoe County Air Squadron Search & Rescue since 2005. He and his wife Margi have three children, one grandson and live in Reno.

Frank Zwart retired in 2010 after working at UC Santa Cruz as an architect since 1988. Since retiring he has been researching and memorializing the architectural history of UC Santa Cruz. Through his wife Julia he has a stepson and two grandchildren.

1968

Randy Paquette and his wife Patti have two grown daughters and five grandsons. He is still an active singer, competitive water skier and barefoot skier.

Randy and Patti reside in Porterville.

of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University, He has authored 48 books and is a frequent analyst for CNN.

1982

Michael Anderson was inducted as a member of the University of California, Los Angeles Order of the Golden Bruin (OGB) on October 25, 2017. This honorary Order was created at UCLA in 1936 and is comprised of alumni, students, administration and advocates for exemplary service to the University.

As a two-time graduate of UCLA, Mike was recognized for his many years of innovative alumni leadership, scholarship creation and support, philanthropy and governance engagement.

The UCLA OGB includes Chancellors, Deans, Researchers, Student Body Presidents and Championship Coaches.

1987

The Class of 1987 had a reunion on the golf course at Goose Creek Golf Club. From left to right, Tom Murphy, Mick Fryhoff, Steve Gilbreth, Marty Garcia, Kevin Coffin, Everett Evleth, Bhavesh Patel, Adam Konrad, Pat Piwowarczyk, Hazim Rabadi and Bob Pearson. Not pictured: Kevin Shinnick and Leo Fernandez.

Jeff Weigand has been a hospital

James Harold teaches philosophy

administrator for 43 years. He and his wife Debra have been married for 38 years, have three children Ryan ’02, Brett ’05 and Alexa ’08, one grandson and live in Pasadena.

at Franciscan College in Steubenville, Ohio. He and his wife Teresa have four children and 21 grandchildren.

Michael Genovese is the President

1990

Joe White was invited to join the team representing the USA at the Castle Mey Highland and Cultural Games in John O’Groats 29

Scotland. He and 3 other members of the team will not only be the first Para/Adaptive athletes to compete in a sanctioned even in Scotland, but they will be the first Americans to ever compete at Castle Mey which is usually limited to Scottish professional athletes. Castle Mey is the residence of HRH Prince Charles, who will be the host of the event.

The games are a fundraiser for the Royal British Legion Scotland. Joe has been working on the board of the non-profit Scottish American Athletic Association for four years.

They organize, sanction and educate about Scottish heavy athletics and Highland Games around the Western US.

1996

Mary Jo Boyd Prince recently graduated from Azusa Pacific University with a MA in Clinical Psychology. Mary Jo is working as an associate marriage and family therapist in Pasadena. Her private practice work focuses on maternal mental health as well as grief and loss. She lives in Sierra Madre with her husband and two daughters.

1997

Lacey (Staff) Tichenor

works for Ichor Medical Systems, a biotechnology research and development company, as their business manager. She and her family reside in San Diego.

Nick Wiegand is a firefighter and engineer for the City of Arcadia.

He and his wife Katherine have a son, Wade, and reside in Rancho Cucamonga.

Therese Chu is a pediatric dentist and has had her own dental practice in the DC metro area for the past 30

LANCER MAGAZINE

eight years. She and her husband Henry Dean have been married for ten years and have three children, Ryleigh (6), Hayden (5) and Aaron (3). Therese and her family live in Ashburn, Virginia.

Matt Herman is the co-owner and managing partner of 8VA Music Consultancy, a NYC-based classical music public relations and marketing firm.

He worked in a variety of marketing and publicity roles including Nestle USA and Nike before founding 8VA Music Consultancy in 2012. Clients include top soloists, orchestras and performing arts organizations around the globe. Matt and his wife Patricia Price reside in New York City.

every year. Along with his clinical and academic pursuits, Dr. Sum has been published in a number of peer-reviewed journals, and has been an invited speaker at local, state, and national conferences. He and his wife Elise reside in Arcadia with their two children, Erin (8) and Brandon (5).

Kimberly Perkins worked in product development for internal sales applications at Yahoo! for 7 years, winning the Yahoo! Super Star award for her achievements.

Jonathan Sum is the director of USC Physical Therapy Associates on the health sciences campus. He specializes in treating patients with orthopedic disorders, sports related injuries, post-surgical rehabilitation, p a i n management, and musical performance related injuries. Dr. Sum is double board certified by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties, both as an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, and a Sports Clinical Specialist.

Dr. Sum teaches in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program and is a clinical mentor in the Orthopedic Physical Therapy residency program and the Sports Physical Therapy residency program at USC. Dr. Sum also assists the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim professional baseball club with pre-season physicals during Cactus League Spring Training

She left Yahoo for her first startup experience at Class One Exchange, a San Jose based global advertising technology company where she served as the Chief Product Officer until her resignation to become CEO of memosnag, Inc. Memosnag is a social bookmarking application that enables users to create and share collections of media content from a variety of online and offline sources. The application eases the online research process across desktop and mobile. The browser extension resolves for a specific problem that no competitor has focused on: simplify saving online content.

Kim is responsible for executing the business strategy, product vision inclusive of user growth, retention and monetization.

Her next milestone is to achieve 2500 monthly active users, attain investment and proceed executing

on their product roadmap which includes several functional features and multiple language support to deepen non English speaking markets.

1999

Jose Rodriguez earned his Master’s in Information Systems from Azusa Pacific University in June 2017.

2001

Major Jacob Brady, his wife Holly and their two children, Michael (4) and Asher (2), have recently moved to Harker Heights, Texas, where Jacob is assigned to the Army Acquisitions Command at Fort Hood.

2002

Nabil Bisharat has been named partner with Orsus Gate LLP and will manage their new Los Angeles Office. Nabil is a graduate of UC San Diego and UC Davis School of Law. Following law school, Nabil has spent his career as a litigator at one of the largest and most respected law firms in the world.

He is also an instructor with the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Small Claims Clinic & Workshop, has a thriving pro bono practice representing indigent clients in adoption hearings, guardianship matters, u-visa petitions, and asylum claims, and has recently joined the Board of Trustees at La Salle. Nabil and his wife Fanny have two sons and live in Altadena.

2005 Jordan

Dorenfeld

has been elected to the Tulane Alumni Board of Los Angeles where he will serve as President Elect.

Last May, Jake graduated from Indiana University with his MBA, and subsequently attended Command and General Staff Officers Course at Ft. Gordon, Georgia. Prior to Grad.

School, Jake served as a Company Commander in the 1st Armored Division at Ft. Bliss, TX. In 2008, Lt. Brady was deployed to Iraq as Platoon Leader and Troop Executive Officer. He was promoted to Captain in Iraq and awarded the Bronze Star.

His command received the Valorous Unit Award for performance in Bagdad. Subsequently, Capt. Brady held command of Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar Province Afghanistan.

2006

Ben Brekke is finishing his last two years of medical school in Puerto Rico. School was temporarily suspended because of Hurricane Maria but has since resumed. He will be applying to residency next year.

Kimberly Nonato works as a buyer in footwear and accessories for John Varvatos in New York.

2007

Megan (Chisholm) Remo works in entertainment for Nickelodeon. She earned her BA in Communication and Fine Arts from Loyola Marymount University. She and her husband reside in Montrose.

Peter Larr earned a Master’s of Professional Studies in Real Estate Development from Georgetown University in May 2016 and is working in real estate development as a construction project manager

Christina Russo ’00 and Lisa Russo ’03 hosted a celebration in honor of their parents’ 40th wedding anniversary on August 19, 2017 in the La Salle Dining Hall. Seventy guests attended Bill and Julie Russo’s celebration, many of whom were La Salle alumni and parents including: top Row, left to right: Julie Russo, Bill Russo, Robby Quintanilla ’10, Robin Quintanilla, Ana Quintanilla, John Ring, Kathy Ring, Joe Ablay, Nilda Ablay, Sandy Reaume, Paul Reaume, Patti Beaston, Rick Beaston. Bottom Row, left to right: Lisa Russo ’03, Christina Russo ’00, Robin (Quintanilla) Aksu ’03, Christopher Ring ’01, Joni Ablay ’03, Brittney Medrano ’03, Jenny Reaume ’03, Amber (Beaston) Rider ’03.

31

at Core Development Group, Inc. in Santa Monica.

nurse practitioner degree Samuel Merritt University.

Whitney Strouse works in special

Mark Friedlander has a Master’s

events for the LA Opera. She earned two degrees from Humboldt State, one in international studies and another in german.

in Urban Planning from UCLA and works as a Planner II for the County of Santa Barbara, Planning and Development.

Kyle Cheng earned an MA in

Sevan Movsesian graduated from

the special events catering manager for the Salem Convention Center.

She and her husband Andrew reside in Salem, OR.

Political Science from Loyola University Chicago and is working in the automotive industry as a market research manager for the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).

Southwestern Law School and is an attorney with Carrillo Law Firm, LLP.

Lindsey Wopschall has released

Kristy

(Gausman)

from

Christina Tostado is an eligibility and instructional designer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services.

McCarthy Sean Perry is a senior data engineer

graduated from Kenyon College in 2011 with high honors in English and is working as the director of strategic partnerships for AfterSchool All-Stars, an education nonprofit. She and her husband Ian reside in Los Angeles.

event planning freelance associate producer for Now & Zen Productions.

Lisa Caruso received her Master’s

Sevan Ghazarian received her MBA

of Education in Counseling from the University of Pennsylvania and is working as a college counselor for Collegewise.

from the University of La Verne in 2014 and works as the manager of talent relations and events for the FX Networks.

Patrick Grochmal graduated from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 2014.

Vincent Vu graduated from UC

for Peaksware, Colorado.

LLC

in

Boulder,

Kimberly Evans is working as an

Hastings Law School in 2015 and is an attorney with Churchwell White and lives in Sacramento.

Troy Whitehead works as a branch manager for Consolidated Electrical Distributors, an electrical wholesale company.

Christa

Arthur

Jared McCray is working in financial

received her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Arizona in 2016 and works at UCLA Ronald Regan Medical Center.

planning for Fidelity Investments and lives in San Francisco.

Michelle La Fontaine is currently

Shelby McCray earned her MS in Pharmacology from Michigan State University and will soon earn her 32

LANCER MAGAZINE

a grad student at Yo San University studying traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture.

She and her fiancé Diego Johansen have

been engaged since September 2015 and reside in Los Angeles.

2008

Sarah (Utterback) Verheyden is

a book “I’m Not My Job: Discover Worth Beyond Work.” The book helps people answer the question “Who am I” using a method inspired by her Jesuit/catholic education. Lindsey is currently working for Slalom Consulting as an organizational effectiveness consultant in Portland, OR.

Felicitas Serrano graduated from Arizona State University in December 2016 with her Bachelor of Art in Psychology.

Christopher Richards is a first year medical students at William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

He earned his BS in Computer Science from Cal Poly Pomona in 2015.

Michael Gomez earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology from UC Berkeley in 2017 and is working as a postdoctoral scholar at the Innovative Genomics Institute in Berkeley.

Ashley

Howie graduated on February 3rd with her MBA from the University of La Verne with a concentration in Marketing. Ashley was also recently awarded Top Agent of her real estate brokerage

as an implementation consultant for information technology.

Zhenni Zhu is studying architecture at The Cooper Union in New York City.

Brittany Ossa has a BS from UC theatre education, and professional development for future theatre artists. for most transactions completed in 2017 out of 250 other agents. This is the second year in a row she has won this award.

2009 Jose

Alfonso

Simbol

is an associate game designer for KINEYE in San Francisco.

Madeline Hall is the executive producer for Afternoon Northwest, a

2011 Alexander

Katie

Serrano

graduated in June 2016 from USC earning bachelor degrees in both biological studies and medical studies.

2012 Nicolas

Sonnenburg

associate for Premiere Stages, the professional theatre in residence at Kean University where she is actively involved in new play development,

graduated from Manhattan College in 2016 with a BA in Communications. She is currently serving a second year as part of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest in St. Xavier, Montana.

Alexandra Evans works in talent relations and special events for CBS. She earned her BA in Sociology from the University of Colorado in 2016.

Connor Duffey graduated with a

Jordan Marks graduated from NYU

degree in Theatre from Chapman University in 2016.

Connor Jenkins graduated from

Courtney Little is the producing

Hyche

graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in Political Science and is working as a staff reporter for the Los Angeles Daily Journal.

with a degree in architecture and is working as a graphic designer for Matte Projects in New York.

talk show on News-Talk 860 KPAM in Portland, OR. She received her MA in Critical Theory and Creative Research from Pacific Northwest College of Art in August 2016.

Davis in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior and is currently working as a senior technician at Valvoline in Rancho Cucamonga.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2016 with a BS in Industrial Technology. He is working as a solutions engineer for Oracle in Santa Monica.

Colleen McWilliams earned her BA in Political Science from Marist and is working at the University of Tennessee Resources Research Center in Knox County.

Justin Wong graduated from Azusa Pacific University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in 2016 and works for Fast Enterprises

Linda Riedmann received her BA in Film Studies from King’s College in London and her MFA in Producing from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film & Television. She now works in the film industry for Participant Media as an executive assistant in sales and distribution.

Kyle

Brumm

graduated from Cornell Unviersity with a BS in Applied Economics & Management in 2016 and is now in his second year of law school at the University of Virginia.

Vinny

Delgatto

earned his degree in hotel and restaurant management from Northern Arizona

33

University in 2016 and is working as a sales manager for the Hyatt Hotel Company.

Andrew Crabtree graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2016 and is working as a sales rep for Osteomed Medical Devices.

Phil (Krizek) Camperi graduated from Saint Mary’s College in 2016 with a BS in Business Administration with concentrations in entrepreneurship and digital media. He is now working as a corporate account representative for Bay Alarm Company in the greater San Diego area.

Aleen

for international migration and public policy. She hopes to return to LA after her program to continue working in the field of immigration and soon after, apply to law school.

Sagar

Vaidyanathan

is a manufacturing engineer for Boeing in Huntington Beach where he works with composites, thermal protection and building rocket engines. He graduated from UCLA in 2016 with a BS in Materials Engineering and is currently working on his master’s at UCLA.

Gian Ryan graduated from UC Santa Barbara and is now attending law school at UC Hastings.

Mankerian

graduated from USC in 2016 with a degree in history and an emphasis in urban contemporary studies and immediately pursued an internship

Austin Fitzgerald graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance.

LANCER MAGAZINE

George

Pearman graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in computer science in 2015 and is working as a software engineer at LinkedIn.

Manny Soriano is working as an

the University of Arkansas in 2016 with a degree in supply chain management. She works for Tyson Foods as the associate manager controlled vacuum packed goods in Springdale, Arkansas.

electromagnetic engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Randall

Ikeda

graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in Communication and is working as the operations manager at Premier Business Center Commercial Real Estate in Santa Monica.

34

Jennifer Torres received her Bachelor degree from Northern Arizona University with a double major in advertising and public relations. She is working as an account manager at Catalyst Media Design in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Madison Worley graduated from

Kelly

with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and started as a paralegal at an immigration law firm. She worked as an immigration caseworker at the IRC, where she served refugees and immigrants in the Los Angeles community, assisting in resettlement and offering immigration services. Aleen just recently began a graduate program at the London School of Economics and Political Science where she is continuing to explore her passion

Political Science with emphases in American Politics and Society and International Affairs from UC Irvine in 2016.

Clement Lau graduated with a BS in Computer Science from Illinois Institute of Technology in 2016 and is working as a software engineer for ZipRecruiter.

Dominguez

graduated with his bachelor’s from Loyola Marymount University and is now working on his master’s at USC.

Chris Tse received his Bachelor of Fine Art in Drama from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 2016 and is working professionally as a sound engineer, actor and choreographer in New York.

Jordan Adams graduated with

with a BS in Electrical Engineering and is now working as an industrial engineer for Schneider Electric.

a degree in Physics from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and also received his physics teaching credential. He is an 8th grade science teacher at Woodland Park Middle School in San Marcos.

Nicole Carlos earned a BA in

Nathan Bautista graduated from

Keith Ton graduated from UC Irvine

UCLA with a BA in English Literature and is currently working as a medical scribe at the St. Francis Medical Center Emergency Trauma Center to strengthen his medical school application.

Jeff

Driscoll graduated from USC with a degree in international relations and global business and is working as a hedge fund operations associate.

Monica

Hannah Volckmann

earned a BFA in Photography from California College of the Arts in 2017.

Mason Guzman graduated from Cal State Northridge with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance in 2017.

He became heavily involved in both private catering and playwriting in college and is focused on building his portfolio to use his music degree to help write plays, musicals

Josh Valmonte graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a BS in Travel Industry Management on December 16, 2017. Josh was the recipient of the University of Hawaii Foundation Scholarship, AHLE1 Certificate in Contemporary Club Management, and CHLA Certificate in Hotel Industry Analytics.

Duong

received dual degrees from UCLA, a BS in Statistics and a BA in Economics and is working at Warner Brothers as a senior financial contract reporting analyst.

Alec

Shuster

graduated from Indiana University with a degree in marketing and management in 2016 and is working as a district manager for Anheuser-Busch.

Mike Novell graduated with a degree in business from Oregon State University and is working as a technical recruiter in Oregon.

Ian Quinn ’13 and Patrick Sullivan ’13, recent graduates of Wake Forest

University and Villanova University respectively, both began their careers in September with First Derivatives plc. They have completed their initial training at the company headquarters in Northern Ireland. Patrick is temporarily based in Northern Ireland for additional product training, and Ian has continued on to work in the New York office. They both look forward to exciting careers and adventures to come.

and operas and is going to start submitting his work to playwright festivals.

Casey Pontrelli graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2016 with a degree in Journalism and is working as a digital marketing copy strategist for Coalition Technologies.

Vincent Feng graduated from LMU with a BS in Health and Human Sciences in 2016.

Ellie Hoffman earned a BS in Studio Steffen Ghantous ia a high school PE teacher and middle school basketball coach at the Pasadena Waldorf School.

Jasmine Giang graduated with a degree in computer science from UC Berkeley in 2016 and is working as a software engineer at IXL Learning, an education technology company.

Art from Marist College in 2016 and is currently teaching art.

2013

Stephanie Ferri graduated from Fordham University with a BA in Communications in 2017 and is working as a sales representative for Nestle in Baltimore, Maryland.

2017 Abby

Siracusa

is attending Methodist University in North Carolina on a tennis scholarship.

In her college singles player debut she advanced to the Championship Round at the MU Invitational.

She lost in a tiebreaker battle to a senior cocaptain from her own team.

35

ALUMNI

CLOSE-UP

Jamie Kwong ’14 A senior at USC, has been awarded a prestigious 2018 Marshall Scholarship. Kwong joins a prestigious cohort of 43 other recipients of this year’s scholarship, a competitive honor that enables top American undergraduate students to pursue fully funded graduate studies at British universities. Winners are chosen based on academic achievement, demonstrated leadership potential and ability to serve as ambassadors for U.K.U.S. relations.

With the mantra of “you’re only in college once,” Kwong has chosen to be an active student leader on the USC campus in addition to her high academic achievement.

For the past two years, she has served as the campus resource liaison for all students as the Peer Leadership Team Leader for the USC Office of Campus Activities.

As a sophomore, Kwong was selected for the inaugural cohort of the USC Warren Bennis Scholars Program, which she called an incredible experience. Kwong was also among 40 undergraduates designated nationally as participants in the Leonard D. Schaeffer Fellows Program, a government service experience designed to expose students to government work and its impact.

As a junior, she was a finalist for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, and she was recently selected for the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress Presidential Fellows Program.

She secured an internship for herself with the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign

Affairs, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. She also interned with the Department of State for the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation in the Office of Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism.

Now she’s excited to graduate and start her doctoral program in England.

The Marshall Scholarships were established by the British government in 1953 to thank the United States for assistance received under the Marshall Plan after World War II. A maximum of 40 scholarships are awarded each year to U.S. students to provide two fully funded years of graduate study, with a possible third-year extension, at any accredited university in the United Kingdom.

Emma Martinez ’14 A senior at the University of Portland, was recently recognized by the Association for Community Organization and Social Administration (ACOSA) with the prestigious 2017 Outstanding Student Award, given to students majoring in social work who are making a difference in their community. Emma’s contributions have occurred in multiple arenas, but they have focused centrally on issues of immigrant rights, racial justice, and equity concerns in the wider Portland area and in the campus community. She is currently completing her senior year practicum (480 hours) with the organization Enlace, a multiracial alliance that strives for racial and economic justice. She also 36

LANCER MAGAZINE

serves as the liaison to the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC), a volunteer-led organization which is creating an urgent responders’ network in support of undocumented immigrants and their families, where she has taken on multiple responsibilities. Emma also serves as a member of the Leadership Team at CAUSA Oregon, Oregon’s immigrant rights organization and had previously worked as a volunteer intern as a part of their New American Voters Project, where she assisted newly naturalized citizens to register to vote and learn to engage in the political process. Her interest in racial justice and equity was also expressed through her participation in a community-based research and advocacy project which involved interviewing low-

income immigrant women and women of color about their experiences of needing paid time off to care for themselves or a family member. She assisted in conducting interviews, presenting to community organizations, and analyzing data, all of which was translated into legislative testimony in support of a bill introducing Paid Family/Medical Leave in a State House Committee. In 2016-2017, Emma was the student coleader for the University of Portland Border Immersion, a week-long Spring break trip where students learn about border and immigration issues by working with Borderlinks and other Tucson/Nogales area organizations.

Young Alumni Service Award Recipient Nico Garcia-Corona ’12 was presented with the Young Alumni Service Award in front of the student body on February 2nd for his embodiment of the Lasallian Mission of "Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve". Nico graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 2016 with a degree in Liberal Studies and is currently working as a special education English teacher at Jordan High School in Watts through Teach for America. Teach for America is a national non-profit organization that works to position exceptional educators in communities and schools that have been and are underserved in society. The TFA programming places corps members directly in the field and allows them to earn their teaching credential by the end of their first year, and partners with LMU for teachers to have their masters after their second year of committed service.

Nico Garcia-Corona ’12, pictured second from left, with, from left to right, Esmeralda Garcia P’12, ’16, Pat Bonacci, AFSC, Vice President for Mission, Jesse Corona ’81, P’12, ’16

37

LANCER

ALUMNI

F A M I LY

Erté de Garces ’01 married Alexandra

Monzón in an intimate backyard ceremony officiated by James Luna ’01 on Saturday, October 7, 2017. La Salle grads in attendance included: Miles Arnay ’01, Alison Beck ’01, Rikki De Wit ’01, Michael Dwyer ’01, Jennifer Luna ’05, Jessica Luna ’09, Danyelle Proano ’01, Nick Stavroulakis ’01, and Gian Trinidad ’01. The party continued south of the border at the Dwyer family home in Playa Misíon, Mexico.

Robin Quintanilla ’03 married

Peter Singer ’03 and Briana Bailey

were married October 28, 2017 at the Carondelet house in Los Angeles. Peter is a senior analyst at Higgins, Marcus & Lovett Inc. in Los Angeles. Brianna works in sales for Hyatt Hotels. They reside in Monrovia.

Ahmet Aksu on July 14, 2017 at St Philip the Apostle Church in Pasadena. Fellow Lancers that attended the wedding are, from left to right Robby Quintanilla '10 (best man), Pedro Quintanilla '96 (groomsman), Brittney Medrano '03 (bridesmaid), Lisa Russo '03 (Maid of Honor), Teresa (Ring), Elmslie-Britt '03 (bridesmaid), Mark Dannhausen '10 (groomsman), Samantha Krost '10 and Jenny Reaume '03 (not pictured). The reception followed at La Cañada Country Club where family and friends danced the night away.

Luke Hilland ’09 married Janie

Vail on November 18, 2017 in Redlands. Luke’s brother Casey Hilland ’07 served as best man.

Luke and Janie are currently living in Riverside.

Claudia Vazquez ’13 and her college sweetheart Heath Hampton II got engaged on August 8, 2017. The two met at Fordham University and have been dating since their freshman year. Last May, they both graduated with their BA’s (his in English and hers in International Studies). Claudia is working in non-profit development, currently splitting her time between The New York Botanical Garden and Democracy Now!, a daily independent news show, and plans to pursue a master’s degree in international development. The couples lives in Manhattan and are planning their wedding out of state.

38

LANCER MAGAZINE

Michael Alexander ’10 and Erin Lopez-Valdez '11 were married beneath the redwoods in

Saratoga, California on August 5, 2017.

Mike Prieto ’98 and his wife Sheetal welcomed their son, Cayo Jaan Prieto, on December 7, 2017 weighing 6lbs., 11oz. and 19in. long.

Mike and his family reside in Brea.

Jill (Trousdale) Barr ’01 and her husband Brian welcome their baby boy, Kirkwood Peter Barr, on August 4, 2017 at 2:28 a.m. weighing 8lbs., 5oz. and measuring 20.5in.

Nick Forillo ’03 and Danielle (Gallagher) Forillo ’03 are proud to

announce the birth of their son, Michael Charles, who was born on January 7, 2017.

Michael celebrated his first birthday with his brother Andrew who turned four in January. Both boys enjoyed celebrating their birthday with family and friends.

Amber (Beaston) Rider '03

and her husband Michael are proud to announce the birth of their first daughter, Kinsley Marie, who was born on May 23, 2017 at Arcadia Methodist Hospital. Kinsley was 7lbs., 5oz., 20.5in. long, and has been the biggest blessing and greatest addition to their lives.

Rachelle (Robinson) Garmon ’96 and her husband

Brandon welcomed their son, Jaden Michael Garmon, on April 24, 2017 at 5:33am weighing 8lbs., 1oz. Rachelle and her family reside in Los Angeles.

Kristy (Gigliobianco) Chico ’03 and

her husband welcomed their third child, Dylan Michael, on November 30, 2016. Dylan celebrated his first birthday and enjoys playing and chasing after his older sisters Sophia (6) and Emma (3).

Erika Privett ’06 welcomed a baby boy,

Apollo Cory Rodriguez Privett, on October 5, 2017 at 6:34 pm. He weighed 6lbs., 2oz. and was 19.25in. long. He is growing and learning so much every day and mom and dad are just trying to keep up with him!

39

20 CLASS OF 1998

DECADE OF THE

’70s REUNION CLASSES OF 1970-1979

SATURDAY

YEAR

REUNION HAPPY HOUR

AUGUST 18, 2018

SEPTEMBER 22, 2018 The Reunion Committee could use a few more guys so contact the Alumni Office at 626.696.4362 or alumni@lasallehs.org or visit lancernetwork.com/Seventies This is a good time to update your email address with the Alumni Office since a lot of updates will be sent via email.

Check out the details online at www.lancernetwork.com/98Twenty

LANCER

STAY CONNECTED

ALUMNI

LSHSAlumni

@lshsalumni

@LSLancersAlumni

WHAT’S NEW IN YOUR LIFE?

Send us your exciting news and we’ll include it in the next issue of Lancer magazine.

Send to ALUMNI@LASALLEHS.ORG

40

LANCER MAGAZINE

THE

LANCER CHALLENGE

A giving competition that challenges each class to increase the number of donors who contribute to La Salle over the fiscal year (July 1, 2017- June 30, 2018).

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Every gift matters. The competition is based on the number of alums from each class who give, not the dollar amount.

• Recognition in Lancer Magazine • Bragging rights (and they are priceless!)

*All tax-deductible gifts made to La Salle will impact your class participation score.

• Give online at www.lancernetwork.com/AnnualFund.

• Mail your gift in the envelope provided.

Checks made payable to “La Salle High School”.

• Call 626.696.4362 to make your gift over the phone.

IS THERE A PRIZE?

The Class with the highest number of donors at fiscal year-end (June 30th) will receive: • Placement on the “Lancer for Life” Championship Banner in the Gym

HOW DO YOU MAKE A GIFT?

See where your class currently ranks online at lancernetwork.com/Challenge

THERE’S STILL PLENTY OF TIME.

ANY CLASS CAN WIN!

41

THE WAYS OUR CHILDREN LEARN ARE CHANGING AND SO MUST OUR FACILITIES We’ve completed work on our Innovation and Design Laboratory, which hosts our STEAM and Robotics Programs.

BUT WE’RE NOT STOPPING THERE! Our NEXT PROJECT is the creation of the BLAKESLEE LEARNING COMMONS, a space dedicated to facilitating collaboration between students and faculty as an extension of the 21st Century Classroom. Fully equipped with technological and curriculum support, students will develop skills to help them PROSPER academically and professionally.

BE A PART OF INNOVATION! Donate to the Blakeslee Learning Commons and help highlight La Salle High School as an Institution of Academic Innovation in Southern California.

WWW.LASALLEHS.ORG/LEARNINGCOMMONS