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Winter 2016
LANCERS IN CIF CHAMPIONSHIP
WINTER 2016
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c i t e l h t A r e c an
acility F g n i n onditio C d n a trength S w e N ancer’s L e h t e mplet Help Co dents u t S e l l l La Sa l A s t fi e Ben 70,000 3 $ l a o Our G uccess! S e h t f o Be Part
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JOIN THE LANCERS AT WWW.LASALLEHS.ORG/LACII 4
LANCER MAGAZINE
FEATURES
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. 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 91107-1996 626.696.4316 jblackstock@lasallehs.org All pages are displayed on the La Salle website. www.lasallehs.org OFFICERS & ADMINISTRATIONS Board of Trustees: Ms. Tamara Flowers, Chair Mr. Robert Nuccio ’71, P’00, ’02, ’04 Vice Chair Mr. Brad Berger P’03, ’04, ’07 Sister Marilyn Binder, CSJ Mr. James Canny ’65 Mr. Michael Harper P’93, ’95 Mr. David Holquin
Mr. Andrew Hubert P’13 Mr. Robert Kohorst, ’71, P ’03, ’07 Mr. Ray Pearl, Jr. ’99 Ms. Victoria Richards P’08 Brother Kevin Slate, FSC Dr. Vera Vignes
Board of Regents: Dennis A. Jebbia, Esq., Chair Mr. Doug Campbell Colleen Deziel, Esq., P’17 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 Mrs. Linda Lui, P’17 Mr. Joe Lumarda, P’14 Mr. Edward Malicdem ’88, P’16,’19
Mrs. Leigh Olivar, P ’12 Mr. Tom Radle, P’17 Mr. Brent Schoenbaum, P’16, ’19 Mr. David Skibinski Mrs. Karen Sisson, P’16 Mr. Craig Sloane, P’09,’11 Mrs. Lisa Urbina, P’09,’10,’16 Mrs. Chelisa Vagim, P’16 Mrs. Sheri Wedeen, P’17,’17 Mr. Brad Wright ’73, P’07,’12 Mr. Matt Wright, P’15 Mrs. Irina Xue, P’17 Joseph M. Zanetta, Esq., P’12
Alumni Board: Ms. Tina Bonacci ’94 Ms. Chanel Buccola ’07 Ms. Susan Ehring ’97 Mr. Paul Lees ’75 Mr. Tony Messineo ’80 Mr. Rafael Mirasol ’80, P’17,’18
Taste of La Salle
Hundreds enjoy the delicious morsels proffered at the biennial event.
Ms. Robin Quintanilla ’03 Mr. Joe Reid ’00 Mr. Chris Rettig ’84, P’19 Mr. Mike Sullivan ’70, P’08,’13 Mr. Jesse Toribio ’93, P’15 Mr. Tyler Varing ’09 Mr. Phil Velasco ’07
Editor: Mr. John C. Blackstock ’67 Director of Communications Publication and Production: Groovin’ On Productions, Los Angeles Ms. Kristen Schultz ’98
Photo Credits: Cover, inside front cover, John Blackstock ’67. Pages 1, 7, 8, 9, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 25, 27, 28 bottom, 29, 36, 37, 38, 39, John Blackstock ’67. Pages 7, 8, 9, Annette Dyson P’15,’16. Pages 12, 13, courtesy Roy Chang. Page 15 courtesy Steve Goldstein. Pages 22, 24, 26 Bryan Ossa ’10. Pages 28 top, 40, 41, Kristen Schultz ’98. Pages 29, 30, 31 Visual and Performing Arts Department. Pages 32, 33 courtesy Matt O’Rane. Pages 34, 35 Theresa Armstrong. On the Cover: Senior guard Christian Oyie-Little in CIF Championship game versus Viewpoint High School.
© 2016 La Salle High School of Pasadena, Inc.
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Robotics Rule
Lancer battle to victory at the national event.
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The Science of Dance Physics and Dance 2 combine in the spirit of STEAM.
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Lancer Athletics
Basketball and soccer charge into the CIF Playoffs
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Catholic Schools Week
Administration: Dr. Richard Gray, President Brother Christopher Brady, FSC, Principal Mr. Patrick Bonacci, AFSC, Vice President for Mission Mr. Brandon Birr ’03, Dean of Students Mr. Jon Keates, Director of Institutional Advancement Mr. Robert Packard, Chief Financial Officer Mr. Edgar Salmingo, Jr., Associate Principal for Academic Life
Editorial Contributors: Mr. Arthur Richards Ms. Jade Rogers ’01
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Lasallian values shine as Lancers serve their community.
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The Love of Three Oranges A performance full of mischief, mayhem, magic, masks and marionettes.
DEPARTMENTS La Salle Matters ................................................................ 2 Principal Ideas .................................................................. 4 Making A Difference ........................................................ 19 Claire Schield ’00 Alumni Feature ................................................................ 32 Matthew O’Rane ’01 Amazing Lancers ............................................................. 34 Faculty Update ................................................................ 42 Staying Connected ........................................................... 43
WINTER 2016
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
matters
La Salle T
his is my 17th year at La Salle. It’s hard for me to get my arms around the concept that, in the nearly 40 years I’ve worked for the Catholic Church, I’ve never been anywhere longer than I have been at La Salle. And, while I am fond of telling the freshman parents that their children weren’t alive when I arrived at La Salle, still, it takes some getting used to. Longevity counts for a lot in our society… or at least it used to… according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by the time they hit 48, the average number of jobs held by people born between 1957 and 1964 (my cohort), was 12. That suggests folks in my age range have, on average, changed jobs slightly less than every three years. The numbers for Millennials are even more instructive – at age 22 they will have worked for the same employer (on average) for just 1.3 years. The world my father occupied – who received his gold watch on the 25th anniversary of his employment – is pretty much consigned to history. I’m not sure whether to bemoan this state of affairs or to shrug it off and to say “it is what it is.” What I do know is that the students entrusted to our care will be facing a radically different world than the one we (and you know who you are) assumed awaited us when we emerged from the cocoon of our educational journey. I’m also not sure that these statistics should be alarming to anyone. What I do know is that it is incumbent upon us to pay attention to these statistics and to make sure that we equip our students with the life skills to meet these challenges head on. A book I’ve been reading, Heroic Leadership: Best Practices from a 450 Year-Old Company That Changed the World, has something to say on that point. Written by Chris Lowney, a former Jesuit seminarian turned investment banker, who went on to pursue a stellar career with JP Morgan, rising, eventually, to become managing director of its London and Tokyo offices. After retiring from Morgan, Lowney looked back at his Jesuit roots and decided to write a book about how, over the course of 450 years, Jesuits have managed to promote leadership qualities that are now considered “cutting-edge” by corporate consultants. I was intrigued by Lowney’s description of successful behaviors – such as being institutionally “change-ready” and “strategically adaptable” – that Jesuits embraced during their foundational years, beginning in 1534:
Moreover, the Jesuits were launched into an environment that, though four centuries removed, had telling analogies to our own. New world markets were opening as voyages of discovery established permanent European links to the Americas and Asia. Media technology was evolving: Gutenberg’s printing press had transformed books from luxury goods into more widely accessible media. Traditional approaches and belief systems were questioned or discarded as Protestant reformers mounted the first widespread and permanent “competition” to the Roman Catholic Church. Because the Jesuit Company was cast into this increasingly complex and constantly changing world, it’s no great surprise that its organizational architects prized the same mindset and behaviors that modern companies value in today’s similarly tumultuous environments:
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• • • • • •
the ability to innovate, to remain flexible and adapt constantly, to set ambitious goals, to think globally, to move quickly, to take risks.
As Lowney indicates, the world the Jesuits faced in 1534 parallels the world conditions we face today. Indeed, the skills the Jesuits acquired to successfully confront the challenges of that world are the very same skills we need today. So, it may very well be that the students entrusted to our care won’t experience life-time employment in one or two jobs. Perhaps they will be employed in many jobs over the course of their lifetime. What matters is how they approach the world of work – to what extent do they bring a passion for things that matter to them? Will they be able to innovate, adapt, be flexible, move quickly and take risks? Will they recognize that, no matter what they do, it needs to bring meaning to their lives? Will they see their adulthood as an opportunity to fulfill the imperative of their Lasallian education to Learn • Serve • Lead? In this issue of Lancer Magazine, you will encounter several stories of La Salle faculty and alums who are doing exactly that. Two alums, Claire Shields ’00 and Matt O’Rane ’01, were students during my early years at La Salle. I had the privilege of teaching Claire and knew Matt from his extensive involvement with our instrumental music program. So, it was no surprise to me that they have each pursued their passion as young professionals. They were “all in” as students and, it was only a matter of time, before they made a mark on the world they have embraced as young adults. It is a pleasure for me to see Claire and Matt taking risks in order to innovate and to shape their work world for the better. And, while they may encounter a series of new job opportunities in their future, I am grateful that I have been here long enough to see them blossom as young adults, fully committed to the dissemination of Lasallian values in their corner of the world. An educational consultant – and dear friend – was fond of looking at careers this way: “Is it 30 years of new experiences or two years of experience, repeated 15 times?” I’d like to think that I’ve learned new ways of thinking throughout my 17 years here at La Salle. I know that I have been privileged to occupy front row seats at the magnificent tableau that is La Salle’s continued success as a Catholic, college-preparatory and Lasallian school. And I know that students like Claire and Matt have taught me more than they realize about what it means to nurture one’s talents and to offer them in service to others.
Dr. Richard Gray President
WINTER 2016
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FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Principal N
ow it’s time to say good-bye to all our company, M - I - C… And so the Mickey Mouse TV Show theme plays as another episode ends. For reasons that are not totally clear to me, I began humming that tune a few weeks back as I was invited to prepare my final article for this Lancer Magazine. It’s amazing where ones’ mind can travel if left unchecked! In the last issue of Lancer Magazine, I shared with you my decision to step aside from the role of Principal. For 27 years, I have been privileged to serve in a leadership role in three different Lasallian high schools on the West Coast of California – La Salle in Pasadena, De La Salle in Concord and Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Francisco. Each school provided me with unique experiences and an abundance of opportunities to affect the lives of students in their learning, maturing and growth years. As a Brother and as an educator, doing what is best for the young people in my care has always been my focus. One of my many growth points as an administrator though was that the impact of my words and actions would occur through the dedicated faculty and staff with whom I worked. They were the individuals that delivered our Mission to the students. They were the individuals who challenged and worked with the young men and women who comprise the student body. They are a significant difference maker each and every day in the life of our students and I am grateful for my partnership with them. They have made me look very good and I thank them ALL. Oh, by the way, as I move away from being a Principal and school administration, some have congratulated me on my retirement. That is not in the cards quite yet! On July 1, I will be relocating to another school and assigned a different responsibility. My new school position has yet to be determined. As I have shared with some in humor, I want to be so far down the organizational chart that when I screw-up people are going to say, “Who cares!” My journey as a young teaching Brother began at La Salle in 1975. Without a doubt, secondary schools were much simpler institutions back then with far fewer issues and concerns. Additionally, I was of the opinion that I had most issues figured out and I would just show them how. OMG! It didn’t me take long to realize two things: first, how little I really knew and; second: each day would be an adventure. Today, this Lasallian Catholic school is an active and robust community with many moving parts. Let me share with you some of our recent academic initiatives that have been our focus requiring time, discussion and growth. A. B.
We are in our third year of a renewed Curriculum Mapping program. This process has allowed us to examine what the teachers were actually doing in the classroom in presenting our curriculum to our students. This brought transparency to our instruction and allowed individual departments to engage in dialogue about course delivery. This is our first year of full integration in iPad usage on all four grade levels. The “staggered” rollout (2014-15 9, 10 and 11 graders; 2015-16 all class levels) has served us well. This tool is assisting different departments in many ways. It is the primary tool in most classes because it contains all of the digital textbooks we use. We know that digital textbooks are far less expensive that the traditional books which has resulted in a significant cost savings to our families. Our use of iPads is enhancing instruction in many classes.
C. Last June, we adopted a new Learning Management System called Schoology. This online program assists our students and teachers by integrating lessons, assignments, homework and grading. In addition, it works with PowerSchool, our student data base management system.
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D.
In January, we began a well-structured professional development program for our teachers this semester. So far, we have addressed the topics of grading, homework, both formative and summative assessments and our different bell schedule options. Because these topics are so intertwined our discussions have been challenging yet fruitful.
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After 16 years, we will be changing our daily schedule beginning this August. Currently, a student course load is 7 classes with 3 classes meeting each day. Next year, students will continue to carry 7 classes but we will have a schedule that will have 4 classes meet on one day and 3 the next. All classes will be 75 minutes in length. This schedule allows for us to have assemblies, liturgies, rallies and student support time without lessening daily instruction time.
F. Beginning with our incoming Freshman Class (Class of 2020) we are adjusting our graduation requirements and course selections: a. Eliminating the freshman Computer requirement. b. Eliminating Ancient Cultures in freshman year. c. Expansion of Arts to full year for freshman year. d. Expansion of PE/Health to a full-year for freshmen. These changes will help students with consistency in their schedules. Additionally, it will eliminate the requirement to take summer school classes for freshman in the Four-Year Arts Program. All of the above improvements are a visible sign that La Salle is continually adapting to the needs of our students in presenting a meaningful and relevant education. As much as I have tried to avoid the sentimental journey of my school experiences as a Principal, I keep getting drawn back to them: signing letters of acceptance; interviewing prospective faculty members; developing the school calendar; planning school events…and the clean-up; revising handbooks, catalogs, and Offers of Employment; enjoying crab-feeds; standing on the sidelines at an athletic event; attending auctions; meeting with student leaders; organizing parent gatherings; helping design new facilities; soliciting financial gifts; distributing awards; presenting diplomas, and; all the laughter, smiles, and teasing that I’ve dished out. It has been a wonderful and privileged position from which I have been able to serve and lead. The Brothers have repeatedly placed great confidence in my ability and talents and for that I will be eternally grateful. As I bring this essay to a close, I do so with tremendous gratitude for all that La Salle High School has given me – confidence, opportunity, and understanding. My life as a young Brother was nurtured in this very school by some terrific individuals – Br. Martin Fallin, Br. Dominic Berardelli, Br. James Riordan, Br. Donald Mansir, Mrs. Kathryn Konoske, Mrs. Patty Wright, Mrs. Margaret Roman and Br. Charles Marin. As my “second tour” comes to an end, I especially want to acknowledge and thank Dr. Richard Gray, Pat Bonacci AFSC, John Ring, Brandon Birr, Edgar Salmingo and my trusted Assistant Mrs. Elizabeth Serhan. Most importantly, I thank the students who give this school such vibrancy and meaning. Whether in the late 1970’s or in 2016, the students of La Salle are young folks who are in search of an education that has meaning and an education that will prepare them for their future life challenges. La Salle does this and does it well! It’s been a privilege to again be a Lancer. Thank you students and may Jesus live in your hearts forever. Go Lancers!
Brother Christopher Brady, FSC Principal
WINTER 2016
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By Kristen Schultz ’98
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he La Salle High School Alumni Association hosted the return of the much anticipated biennial Taste of La Salle on March 19th on campus to benefit the Alumni Scholarship Fund. Over 350 guests made up of alumni, current parents, alumni parents, friends and community members tempted their taste buds with delicious food and drink from the 35 participating restaurants and beverage vendors (see page 9 for the complete list). The Opportunity Drawing drew a lot of interest with 10 delicious prizes up for grabs. Lonna McCartney won the “Cozy Night In” basket. Brian Hubbard ’03 won “Tortilla Chips for a Year” donated by Morris Victor and La Vencedora Products. Rafael Mirasol ’80, P’17,’18 won the “Vino & Van Gogh” package, donated by Wine & Canvas. Joe Reid ’00 won the “Grocery Goodies” basket donated by Whole Foods Hastings
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Ranch and Panera. Lee Wilson P’15,’17 won the “Flight Night” package, donated by The Bottle Shop Sierra Madre, Vino @ Trio’s, Justin Vineyards and Everson Royce. Denise Paniagua P’02,’06 won the “Staycation” donated by Embassy Suites. Adam Waggoner P’17 won the “Dine Like A Star” certificate donated by The Spot Gourmet. Janet Frangie P’02 won the “Work It Off” fitness basket valued at over $1,700 donated by SOULCycle, Yoga Madre, Wundabar Pilates, Core Power Yoga, Pure Barre, Fitness Factor, Invicta Fitness, Santa Anita Hot Yoga and LA Fitness. Michelle Day P’18 won the “Stock Your Bar” package featuring 19 bottles of premium wine and spirits. Ash Rizk won the highly coveted “Eat Out For a Year” basket which included more than $2,500 worth of gift cards to local eateries (including 38 Degrees Ale House, Arroyo Chop House, Avanti Italian Bistro & Bar, Bodega Wine
Members of the La Salle Alumni Association Executive Board with the 2016 College Scholarship Recipients. Standing, left to right, Tyler Varing ’09, Robin Quintanilla ’03, Paul Lees ’75, Chanel Buccola ’07, Susan Ehring ’97, Jesse Toribio ’93, P’15, Chris Rettig ’84, P’19, Rafael Mirasol, ’80, P’17,’18, Tony Messineo ’80, Tina Bonacci ’94, Mike Sullivan ’70, P’08,’13, Joe Reid ’00. Seated, left to right, Maddy Malicdem ’16 and Sam Hardy ’16.
Guests enjoyed tastes from Margaux Reaume ‘10 (far right) and her ARGAUX Sommelier- Guided Experiences wine tasting table.
Anna and Chris Fosselman P’17 at the Fosselman’s Ice Cream tasting table.
Alumni Vendor Ricky Jurado ’95,P’15 (right) and a member of his team staffing the Merengue Bakery & Café tasting table.
Ash Rizk won the highly coveted Grand Prize “Eat Out for a Year” Basket valued at over $2,500
Michelle & Brian Day P’18 were the lucky winners of the Stock Your Bar Package in the Opportunity Drawing.
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D Bar, Café Santorini, Canyon City BBQ, Casa Bianca, Casa Del Rey, Charlie’s Trio, City Café, Corner Bakery Café, Del Frisco’s Grille, Domenico’s Jr., El Portal, Lucky Baldwin’s, Mama’s Brick Oven Pizza & Pasta, Marston’s Restaurant, Mijares, Mother Moo Creamery, Otium, Paco’s Mexican Restaurant, Panda Express, Pasadena Pizza Company, Patticakes, Pie ‘N Burger, PizzaRev, Poppy Cake Baking Co., Porta Via Italian Foods, Rose Café, T. Boyle’s Tavern, T. Philips, Tabu Shabu, Taco Fiesta, The Luggage Room Pizzeria, The Peppertree Grill, White Horse Lounge,
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Yogurtland Old Pasadena & Zugo’s). The event raised $24,000 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 selected by the Alumni Association Executive Board and serve as Student Ambassadors of the Alumni Association. The current recipient of the Alumni Association Lasallian Heritage Scholarship for an incoming freshman is Colby Stenzel ’20 and the current recipients of the Alumni Association College Scholarship are Samantha Hardy ’16 and Madeleine Malicdem ’16. Thank you to all who supported this event! The next Taste of La Salle will be held in 2018... and is sure to be even tastier!
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A: Altadena Town & Country Club preparing
MANY THANKS
their a la minute nitro ice cream cones
B: Members of the Class of 1975 served as
a Table Sponsor at the event. Clockwise from top left, Gary MacDonald ’75, Norm Merino ’75, John Zwart ’75, David DiLettera ’75, Paul Lees ’75, Jim LeBerthon ’75, Dino Clarizio ’75, Dick Crawford ’75
TO OUR PARTICIPATING VENDORS Alondra Hot Wings
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Altadena Town & Country Club
C: Michael Miller and Catherine Louden P’16
Anheuser-Busch
D: Guy Ferrante ’83, Lupe O’Connor
ARGAUX Sommelier
P’16,’17, Domenic Ferrante ’81, Paula Moore, Robert Moore, Debby Sinnette-Baird P’07,’14
Azunia Tequila B Nutritious LLC
E: Janel (Moncada) Gonzalez ’99,
Sarah (Hansen) McNamara ’02, Leslie Moncada ’03
F: Joni Conlon P’18, Brittany Berryman,
Bootlegger’s Brewery
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Bryson Berryman, Samantha Varing ’11, Russell Varing P’09,’11,’15
and Jeff Serra
Jeff Rodriguez ’00, Richard Gray
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Dustin DeMesa ’96, P’17, Jessica DeMesa P’17
Jones Coffee Roaster
Radley ’10, Melissa Cafagna ’09 Jeff Rodriguez ’00, Rochelle (Rodriguez) Ferrari ’97, Hannah Rodriguez, David Ferrari
MacLeod Ale Brewing Co.
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Partida Tequila Pasadena Sandwich Company
N: Past Alumni Association College
Scholarship Recipient Tyler Artis ’15 and his mother Valerie Escoffery-Artis Ramirez ’93, P’14,’20 (El Portal Restaurant) and Maria (Romero) Bitonti ’97 (Domenico’s Pasadena)
Pick Up Stix Pitfire Artisan Pizza
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San Antonio Winery SMP Catering
Productions), Pat Bonacci, AFSC, P’94,’97
Stone Brewery
Q: Julianne Robi ’14 and past Alumni
Stonefire Grill
Association College Scholarship Recipient Jennifer Robi ’13
R: Laura Palmer ’00, Danielle (Martinez) Peabody ’00, Katherine Perry
Poppy Cake Baking Company Roy’s Pacific Rim
P: Alumni Vendor Steven Marshall ’96 (SMP
New Moon San Marino Paco’s Mexican Restaurant
food vendors in addition to 11 beverage vendors
O: Two of our alumni vendors Armando
Merengue Bakery & Café Nothing Bundt Cakes
M: Guests enjoyed unlimited tastes from 24
Domenico’s Pasadena
Jersey Mike’s Subs
L: Chris & Ron Rodriguez P’97,’00,
Diabolo Beverages
Fosselman’s Ice Cream
K: Maryann Cafagna ’09, Rachael
Hastings Ranch
El Portal Restaurant
J: Louis Martinez ’96, Katherine Martinez,
Bacchus Kitchen & Eatery
Corner Bakery Café
Megan Chisholm ’07, Lisa Wickhem ’07
I: Sean Grimes ’02, James Shifflett ’02,
CHOZA 96 Claud Beltran & Co.,
H: Angela Bruning ’07, Chanel Buccola ’07,
Brother Timothy Wine City Café
G: Gilbert & Cherry Agapito P’18, Christin
- Guided Experiences
White Horse Lounge
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Yogurtland Old Pasadena
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TO KNOW FOOD IS TO LOVE FOOD Lancer Alums Delve Into The Culinar y Arts KEVIN TOWNER ’96 is a Senior Brewmaster at AnheuserBusch. Kevin was getting ready to graduate from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in engineering and Anheuser-Busch was at a job fair looking for engineers. He had just completed a process flow class that detailed the brewing process and he was interested in finding out more about how an engineer fit into a brewery. It was a perfect fit! Kevin has worked at Anheuser-Busch for the past 15 years and loves the fact that he gets to make a product that is world renowned while working with an incredible group of people. TROY ARTIS ’91 wears many hats in the culinary field
as the Director of Dining Services for the William S. Hart School District in Santa Clarita, a Chef Instructor for the LA Community College District and as Executive Chef of Le Trizz Catering.
ADAM PALFFY ’03 is the Chef Partner/Executive Chef at
Roy’s in Pasadena. Sunday family dinners and his love of eating and trying new things are what led him to a career in the culinary industry. He gets the greatest pleasure out of creating a memorable experience for his guests through food and wine. Adam’s goal is to eventually own multiple types of restaurants from fine dining to casual eateries similar to what you see featured on television shows like Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.
MATT DONDANVILLE ’01 is the General Manager of the Paragon Restaurant in San Francisco. He started working in the restaurant business to pay his way through college. He started bussing tables and worked his way up from there. It is an industry he has grown to love and he enjoys creating a unique experience for every guest that walks through his door. As the general manager, every aspect of the restaurant flows through him. He is responsible for the day to day operations, guest relations, staff training, and finances. He thrives off of the fact that he gets to be a part of the restaurant industry in San Francisco, one of the world’s greatest dining cities.
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RICKY JURADO ’95 is the owner (and dishwasher, sandwich prep guy, barista and bookkeeper) of Merengue Bakery & Café in Monrovia. Ricky is a third generation clothing retailer, but at the age of 38, and after 20 years in the clothing business, he was presented with an opportunity to buy a bakery and he jumped at the opportunity and has never looked back. Ricky feels he has the best job in the world selling custom baby shower, birthday, baptism, graduation and wedding cakes along with delicious food. He loves putting a smile on his customers’ faces and sharing in their special moments. Ricky is currently looking for a commercial kitchen space and would like to open a second location. His goal is to own and operate 5-7 stores within the next ten years. KANEL ARCENO ’06 is the owner of Pili Manila Grill which
is expected to open this summer. It will be the first Filipino restaurant located at Los Angeles City Hall. Kanel graduated from UC Riverside with a business degree in management and through her travels she learned the best way to share or experience a culture is through food. While it has taken her longer than she expected to get her restaurant doors open, she is thrilled to be able to offer others a taste of her culture and can’t wait to have people conversing and sharing stories and laughs at her restaurant tables.
ARMANDO RAMIREZ ’93 is part owner and general manager of El Portal, Yahaira’s Café and Vanessa’s Coffee in Pasadena. For the past 20 years, he has been helping his father run all three locations. He worked his way up the ranks from cook to chef and is now partners with his father as owner and manager. Armando’s father has been in the food and beverage industry for nearly 50 years, so Armando grew up in the kitchen and enjoyed helping prepare food or working the front of the restaurant. He was also influenced by the love of cooking he witnessed with his mom and grandmother and that made him want to become a chef himself. Armando says his customers are his greatest gift. He and his family are grateful to have been able to serve so many people and to have their doors open for so many years because of them.
Matt Dondanville ’01
Kanel Arceno ’06
Armando Ramirez ’93
Ricky Jurado ’95
Kevin Towner ’96
Adam Palffy ’03
Troy Artis ’91
WINTER 2016
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From left, Lauren Rogez ’17, Steven Luyapan ’16, Izcalli Rios-Aguirre ’17, Brandon Nguyen ’16 Flijah Reyes ’19, Jason Ding ’17, Phillip Krings ’17 and James Qian ’19.
The
By Roy Chang, Robotics Coach
ROBOLANCERS in State Championship
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Girls Robotics Team Wins Tourney Robolancers in State Championship.
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he 2015-2016 Lancer Robotics season started with building and testing in June, 2015. The team created no less than eight different designs for robots that ultimately competed in six qualifying tournaments culminating in the California State VRC Championship at the Pasadena Convention Center. In the course of qualifying, the team won four Tournament Finalist awards, one Tournament Champion award, one “Excellence” award (Highest award in any tournament), one “Build” award, one programming award and two qualifications to the State Championships. Our team 8888X made it all the way to the quarterfinal round of State Championship. Lancer Robotics was also involved with service to our community. The team provided hands on demonstrations for Open House, the Parent Academic Boosters and at Pasadena Childhood Development Associates, an educational and developmental center for children who are diagnosed with Autism. The Robolancers will ramp up for the 2016-2017 season this summer when the new game is revealed.
Team with trophies.
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a Salle High School’s Girl Robolancers were tournament champions at the Second Annual La Reina High School Robotics Tournament in February. This was the first for our inaugural female squad. The team won First Place out of 32 teams at the “All Girls Tournament.”
Sarah Milad ’19, Lauren Rogez ’17, Ursula Marshall ’17 and Ahtziri Rios Aguirre ’19.
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Don Wettrick, “Pure Genius” author and Innovations guru shares his expertise with Innovations course seniors, from left, Reilly Milton, Emily Wright, Lance Alviso, Stephen Luyapan, Brandon Nguyen, Innovations instrudtor, Mr. Brian Miller ’79, P’03 and Spencer Raines.
INNOVATION ZONE:
PROCEED WITH GREAT IDEAS By Jade Rogers ’01
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arvard Business School professor Theodore Levitt once said, “Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things.” Innovation brings a fresh approach to solving real problems and it allows teachers and students to collaborate in creating interesting opportunities for learning. At the start of the 2015 school year, students of La Salle were given the opportunity to enroll in a brand new class that was offered during the fall semester. The class was called Innovation and it was created by esteemed science teacher Brian Miller ’79, P’03. Innovation, is based on Don Wettrick’s (educator and author of Pure Genius, Building a Culture of Innovation and Taking 20% Time to the Next Level) Innovation class at Noblesville High School in Indiana. It focuses on developing new ways of thinking and puts a premium on collaboration with outside experts to complete projects. But, unlike traditional courses, it is the students that are responsible to find opportunities to demonstrate their learning by looking for ways and chances to innovate. “This winter, Don (Wettrick) came to La Salle and sat down with the students of the Innovation class. He provided suggestions on how students
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could work through difficulties in their Innovation projects and how to use social media as a way to grow their brand and develop relationships beyond the classroom,” says Brian. “During the fall semester, Innovation students created 17 projects as individuals, partners, or small groups. The majority of the projects did not end in complete success; however, learning takes place more in the failures rather than in the success,” continues Brian. In the creation of each project, students were instructed that each Innovation must contain evidence of California State Framework, Common Core Standards or Next Generation Science Standards, a written proposal, reflection paper, and a “TED Style” presentation to their key stakeholder. “To move forward in the projects, students must seek the approval of a mentor that is willing to help. They will be using social media sites to seek mentors, but also to drive traffic to the Innovation blogs. We wanted our class and activities to be as transparent as possible. Harnessing the power of social media is key,” says Brian. One example of an Innovation project was creating a support mechanism to reduce Parkinson’s tremors using La Salle’s 3D printer. The 3D printer is an avenue that goes
beyond the 2 dimensional routes and simply adds a new tool for students from concept to reality. “Senior Bhav Patel wanted to design the Parkinson’s brace using the 3D printer, but discovered that the brace was too complicated for the 3D printer to build. So Bhav transitioned from that project to a new goal of becoming an expert in computer-aided design (CAD) utilizing a 3D printer. Bhav’s focus changed so greatly that he purchased his own 3D printer. Taking what he learned in the Innovation class along with his passion for 3D designing, Bhav continues to design and build,” Brian noted.
MODEL UN
FORMS TO EXPLORE WORLD
From left to right, Japhet Quitzon ’16, Zach Damir ’16, Long Lin ’19, Noah Sisson ’16, Kevin Liu ’17, Robert Sweeney ’16.
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odel United Nations, also known as Model UN or MUN, is an educational simulation and/or academic competition in which students can learn about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations. The La Salle Model UN club, coached by Mr. Steve Goldstein, traveled to Occidental College on Saturday April 9th for a competition hosted by the United Nations Association of Pasadena. In addition to La Salle, Arcadia High School and Blair High School also competed. Each member represented a country and a topic that affects the world today.
To be innovative means to take old ideas and redefine them to fit the parameters of a new age or taking an original idea and bring to fruition. All Innovation projects sought to work with game chaging ideas. Additional project examples include: designing an exercise regimen to reduce ACL injuries in adolescent female athletes, designing parts for La Salle’s robotics team using the 3D printer, and designing and coding a digital online game about teen choices. Because of the positive experience of La Salle students, Innovation will be offered once again in the 2016-2017 academic school year.
For their groups: Noah Sisson was chosen Best Delegate, Kevin Liu was chosen Best Delegate and Japhet Quitzon was chosen Best Diplomat.
WINTER 2016
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The Science of Choreography By Nancy Doede, Dance Instructor and Choreographer
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D
ance 2 is an after-school, 8th period class that is graded and UC approved. Students can participate all four years at La Salle. Dance 2 began as a senior-level class in 2003 with eight students. Since that time, student participation has grown from eight students to 43. Many of our Dance 2 students are also involved in other dance classes, and we are also experiencing many students who have been involved in the dance department since their freshman year. Seniors in Dance 2 have the opportunity to choreograph a senior project. Over the years, they have been assigned themes, music and groups of dancers. Last year, Dance 2 broke new ground by collaborating with the first semester sculpture class. Seniors who elected to collaborate on a project met once a week to discuss the process with their sculpture partner. They developed choreography that was influenced by the sculpture their partner was creating. At the end of the first semester, these seniors had a fully outlined choreography proposal and dancers had been chosen through group negotiation. The finished projects were performed in the spring concerts. The overall assessment of the senior projects proved to be a very valuable exercise for the students with regard to collaboration between disciplines, as well as working as a leader with their peers in creating choreography. Senior choreographers also had the experience of creating lighting design, costume selection and learning production values in the theatre from the point of view of what a professional choreographer would encounter. This year, we approached the Science department for a collaborative effort. We felt ready to tackle a pilot STEAM* effort, truly crossing over curricula between arts and science - a study of the physics of dance joined to an expression of the properties of physics expressed in choreography, music and dance. I worked with the physics students under the guidance of physics instructor Kjersti (Housman) Holyfield ’04. Her students developed their own project in collaboration with the senior choreographers. Collaborations were recorded on iPads, diagrammed on paper, and discussed in meetings in order to understand specific physics properties. Each choreographer was assigned a physics
property. The properties that were assigned include: pendulum motion; circular motion; Newton’s 1st, 2nd and 3rd Laws of Motion; Momentum and Collision; Vectors; Energy; Gravity and Projectile Motion; Magnetism; Velocity and Acceleration. The dances must reflect the specific physics property assigned, using movement vocabulary that demonstrates understanding of the project. The dances will be performed at the spring concerts in May with the physics class projects displayed in the lobby. The value of this process is already proving to be a fascinating experience. Having a thematic line that has been researched and outlined has given students a structure to follow. Having this structure actually allows them more flexibility to explore and create a movement vocabulary to be included in their overall theme. Projects like these demand that choreographers think outside the box and communicate to their dancers from more than one or two points of view (adherence to music and actual story line) into demonstrating the physics property as the principal motivator, supported by the music and story line instead of being dictated by them. The result of this process is that all the students, whether choreographers or dancers, are broadening their bases of thinking, expressing and understanding — not only of physics, but in practice for life beyond the studio. * STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. Introduced at La Salle in 2013, the end results are students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. La Salle is proud to support our innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the 21st century!
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ALCORN, THOMAS
Scholarships Awarded
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he Spring Academic Awards and Scholarship Assembly took place in the La Salle Dining Hall the morning of January 26. Mr. Patrick Bonnaci, AFSC, Vice President for Mission delivered the following remarks: “It is my pleasure to present the Bob Alcorn Scholarship in Humanities (which includes English, Social Studies and World Language) and the Bob Thomas Scholarship in Math and Science. “Bob Alcorn and Bob Thomas were highly regarded members of the La Salle faculty during the decade of the nineteen sixties. They had an enormous impact on the intellectual development of their students in the early years of La Salle. “To honor the remarkable achievements of Bob Alcorn, the Class of 1962 established a permanent scholarship to be awarded to a La Salle Junior at the time of the Spring Academic Awards Ceremony. 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 social studies, English, and world languages were asked to nominate candidates from each of their disciplines to be considered for this award. The $1,000 scholarship is to be applied to the student’s senior year tuition. Howard Ho ’17
Phillip Krings ’17
“It is a great honor for La Salle to acknowledge the tradition of excellence established by Robert Alcorn and acknowledged by the Class of 1962 by presenting Eleni Daughters for recognition as the 2016 Robert Alcorn Scholar. “Eleni’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 each of the last five semesters with a GPA of 4.3 or better. In addition
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Eleni Daughters ’17
to her being a quality academic student, Eleni is a Student Ambassador and participates in the athletic program as a member of the varsity track team holding the school record as a freshman and sophomore in the 400 meter individual. Outside of school, she volunteers with the Special Olympics and participates in her church basketball program. “To honor the contributions of her late husband, Bob Thomas, Jayne Thomas established a math and science scholarship. “The Bob Thomas Award in math and science is being given to two extremely talented juniors: First is Phillip Krings. Phillip has amassed only A’s on his semester report cards during his five semesters of high school work. His GPA is above 4.3. “Outside of the classroom Phillip is an active participant in our Robotics program as a builder and assisting with the programming. He is involved in the Science Outreach program and is a member of the Science National Honor Society. Phillip participates with our well-respected Jazz Band with his instrument of choice being the piano. Away from the School campus, Phillip has worked with the Audubon Society at the Arboretum and Chantry Flats. “The second recipient is Howard Ho. Away from school, Howard serves on the Teen Advisory Board at the Temple City Library. His work includes helping plan events and activities designed specifically for teens that are sponsored by the library. “As an “A” student, Howard is carrying four AP classes which includes AP Calculus and AP Chemistry. Similar to Eleni and Phillip, his GPA is above 4.3 for his five semesters of high school work. He is a member of CSF, National Honor Society, and the Science National Honor Society. Most notable is that he earned the highest possible ACT Composite score of 36. This achievement is significant and rare, on average, less than one-tenth of 1% of all test takers earns the top score. Among ACT-tested US high school graduates in the class of 2015, only 1,598 out of the 1.9 million students who took the test earned an ACT Composite score of 36.”
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Teaching Without a Shield WINTER 2016
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Claire Schield ’00
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magine a school where you have to pass through multiple security gates and doors just to get to your classroom, where the only student materials allowed are small golf pencils, a notebook and a manila folder. The teacher has access to a projector and laptop but not the internet. Students are not allowed to use any other materials, watch a video clip or even walk around the classroom without prior approval. The students range in age from 18 to their late 60’s and may be in class one day and gone the next or join your class any day of the week during the five week semester. This is the world that Claire Schield ’00 works in everyday as a high school history and English teacher for Five Keys- a school for adult men who are currently incarcerated in Los Angeles County jails. On a daily basis, Claire comes into contact with men accused of serious crimes, awaiting trial or who were convicted of a serious crime and are awaiting sentencing or transfer to a state prison. She knows nothing else about them except for the fact that they have signed up to work on earning a high school diploma. Once they step foot in her classroom, they are no longer incarcerated inmates: they are students and she treats them as such. She has specific expectations for their behavior and conduct and is not easy on them about the work that needs to be done. Claire teaches without any law enforcement officers in the room. While her students may not respect custody they do respect her and that is something she works hard at. She has been able to break down some of the barriers between her and her students, using humor and a smile, in an effort to make them realize that she truly does care about them and their education.
Prior to Five Keys, Claire was a teacher and college counselor for a small school in La Canada that specialized in students with learning disabilities, ADHD, social/emotional disabilities, post-psychiatric holds and post-drug treatment programs. While it was not the educational environment she had planned to work in, it was a perfect fit. As someone who struggled through school with her own ADHD it was gratifying for her to be able to help students learn in alternative ways that were still rigorous and interesting. She loved what she
“I try to show them how to restore or even build the person they want to be, the person they would be proud to be, the person God intended them to be.”
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- CLAIRE SCHIELD ’00 was doing but felt she was called to do more for those who had little or no access to quality education. She came across the ad for Five Keys and it resonated with her. “I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I kept turning over the idea in my mind. I mean, who WANTS to actually teach in a jail? However, I felt like I needed to help these people and that God was calling me to help people who have been neglected, ignored, ostracized. Once I was hired, I went through a short training period and was placed in a room with 25 students (inmates) teaching Government. As soon
as I stepped into the classroom, I felt at home. I was ready, willing, and able to create an environment where education became freedom and where normal lessons became deep discussions about change, intelligence, race, incarceration, justice and ultimately, redemption.” Redemption is something that Claire focuses on with her students. “Redemption means taking full responsibility for your actions, being able to identify the harm you have caused to those around you, not just to your victim, but also the harm you have caused to yourself. This is what I help them find. I challenge their ingrained ideologies, their perspective about the world and their place in it. I ask them to reflect on their childhood and how trauma has affected them and how continuing on the path they are on will affect their children. I ask them to reflect on their choices, the decisions they made that brought them to jail and how those choices affect not only them, but the ones who love them, their community, and the world as a whole. Through these discussions, I try to show them how to restore or even build the person they want to be, the person they would be proud to be, the person God intended them to be.” Even with all of the restrictions in place, Claire has a great deal of freedom to create and teach what she wants. She teaches two different classes a day, each 2 1/2 hours long. The classes are set according to the inmate’s tested reading and writing ability. In her higher level class, she focuses on either English or history, depending on what classes the majority of her students need to graduate. In the lower level class she works to increase their fluency, vocabulary and general knowledge. Many of these students read at a second grade level and have numerous learning and processing disabilities. Claire is dedicated to differentiating her teaching so that she can address the needs of each of her students to help them overcome some of the obstacles that may have been holding them back. She has her students read current-event articles, books like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, plays like Macbeth and selections from Edgar Allen Poe. She incorporates videos based on the reading or concept she is teaching to provide a different perspective, a look at different cultures and ways of life. She is constantly engaging her students in deep conversations and structured debates and in doing so feels that she is learning just as much, if not more, from her students than they are from her. “Coming into this position with no experience with gangs or incarcerated individuals, it has been an intense learning experience for me as well. There are racial divides that rule the dorms and a hierarchy that determines who can work with whom, even within the gangs. I had to learn how these micro-societies work, what to say and what NOT to say, and how to maintain the very tenuous balance of respect and humor while understanding that where they came from and
what they have experienced is not the same as where I come from.” This became even clearer to her when she was addressing the topic of perception within the media in one of her classes and was using the Watts Riot, Chicago Riot and LA Riot as her examples. All but one of her students was actively involved in the discussion coming up with mindful insights about the role media plays in influencing the public. The one that refused to participate said he thought the riots looked like fun and that he would have enjoyed participating in them. “I asked him if he thought it was ’fun’ that people lost their lives, their businesses, their futures. I asked him if
Inmates waiting to enter classroom.
he wanted to participate in destroying the peace of thousands of lives. He responded that it didn’t matter to him, he didn’t care about destruction and he would have liked it. It was then that I learned a very difficult and painful lesson; I can’t save everyone. There are going to be students that don’t want to change and who are ok with their views and beliefs. No matter how much I try, I won’t be able to break through that mentality.” That is a fact with which Claire still struggles with on a daily basis, but she knows she can’t save them all. “I do this job because I believe that if I can influence just one student, if I can stop just one student from making another poor decision, if I can encourage just one student to stop and reflect on how their decisions have affected those around them, I believe that I can make a difference for our collective future. Approximately 92% of all those incarcerated will eventually be released back into our society and either they continue in the cycle of gangs, drugs, and violence, or they make the choice to change and become someone else, someone they can be proud of. If I can be a part of that change, or just encourage them to start Continued on page 33
WINTER 2016
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LANCER ATHLETICS
Junior guard, Johnny Knox lofts a sweet shot over the Patriots for two of his 13 points.
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BASKETBALL
LANCER ATHLETICS
Senior Sam Reismann celebrates the semifinal 69-68 victory over North Hollywood, Campbell Hall with junior Sean Espinosa as senior Michael Amerio, left and junior Jordan Gonzalez join in.
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enior guard Christian Oyie-Little was selected to the All-CIF Division 4A squad after leading La Salle to its first CIF-SS championship game since 1962. The Lancers (25-8) fell short of the title, loosing to top-seeded Viewpoint of Calabasas, 68-56, in the championship game on March 4. “These guys are warriors,” head coach Mike Lynch said after the Viewpoint game. “We were the No. 7 seed and we weren’t even supposed to be here, but we had faith. We just fought hard and clawed our way up to be here.” When asked to summarize the season Coach Lynch explained it in one word; faith. “It was so important this season. We talked about it, but the boys really started saying it. They had faith that they could play at a higher level, compete in a tough league and beat great opponents. That’s what made us successful this year-FAITH!”
La Salle Athletic Director Anthony Harris, boys basketball head coach Mike Lynch, senior guard Christian Oyie-Little and Principal Brother Christopher Brady FSC, pose with the CIF-Southern Section Division 4A runner-up plaque after the 7th-seeded Lancers fell to No. 1 seed Calabasas Viewpoint, 68-56.
Hundreds of students and fans cheer on the Lancers during the championship game.
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LANCER ATHLETICS
T
Rebecca Islas ’16
he Lancers traveled to Sage Hill in Newport Beach for a 1st round CIF contest. The Lancers started the game with a 7-0 run. However, the Lightining of Sage Hill kept the game close with their full court, zone defense. Senior Rebecca Islas single handedly kept the Lancers alive with her 34 points. The lead would change hands 17 times with the game coming down to the final 8.4 seconds. Islas made two crucial free throws to give the Lancers a 47-45 lead with 8.4 seconds to go in the contest. The Lightning got the ball in and made one pass to their guard who heaved a three pointer from the top of the key as time expired. The shot banked in and the Lancers fell 47-48. Although the outcome wasn’t what the Lancers hoped for, they shook hands and displayed great sportsmanship.
GIRLS BASKETBALL CHRISTIAN OYIE-LITTLE Player of the Year
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hristian Oyie-Little knew his new teammates expected a lot of him. After all, Oyie-Little was the new kid at La Salle High School. He was the transfer who left powerhouse Price for La Salle with hopes of turning around a ho-hum boys basketball program. But after leading La Salle to 25 wins and a trip to the CIF-Southern Section 4AA championship game, OyieLittle is the 2016 Pasadena StarNews Player of the Year. “I’m just thankful,” Oyie-Little said of the award. “I feel like my team really helped me and the fans really helped us to win and have fun.” With Jacie Gardner lost to a knee injury, all the lofty aspirations the Lancers had were pretty much gone. But gradually, Oyie-Little and teammates like Johnny Knox and AJ Akobian had faith in themselves and started to make up the difference and the wins soon followed. Once in the playoffs, Oyie-Little became an unstoppable scoring point guard. The Lancers put on one of the best postseason showings of any area team. They came up short in the finals, but everything Oyie-Little had set out to prove was taken care of.*
MIKE LYNCH
Coach of the Year
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t happened earlier than anybody expected. But when Mike Lynch is at the helm, that should surprise nobody. Lynch, the veteran 10-time CIF champion coach who made a splash when he was named head coach at La Salle High School, wasted little time turning things around at the Pasadena school. After leading La Salle to its first CIF championship game in decades and far outperforming expectations in his first season, Lynch is the Pasadena Star-News Coach of the Year. “I’m very humbled because this whole year didn’t have success written on it,” Lynch said of the award. And the Lancers did it despite losing projected leading scorer Jaice Gardner, who was injured and lost for the season. La Salle edged Muir in a close game in the first round and then it was off to the races. The Lancers then upset Compton Centennial and Morningside on the road to reach the semifinals where they won a close game over Campbell Hall. Lynch delivered success to La Salle way earlier than anybody expected. And now the future looks even brighter with several key players returning next season.* * Excerpts from the Pasadena Star-News.
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LANCER ATHLETICS
he boys varsity soccer team made the most of the 15-16 soccer regular season as they were League Co-Champs with Mary Star of the Sea. The Lancers powered into the CIF playoffs after winning their final four games with a combined score of 19-2. Wins over Serra, (4-0), Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary, (5-1), Bosco Tech, (6-0) and St. Genevieve (4-2) the Lancers seemed primed for a long CIF run beginning with the CIF first round game against Garden Grove. Ryan Alvarez found himself punching in a goal past defending champs goalkeeper early in the first half. The Lancers were hobbled with a few injuries but showed toughness and grit. The first half ended in a 1-1 tie, but Garden Grove found its groove on their small home field in the second half and the game ended in a disappointing 1-2 loss. Leo Amatillo ’16
Sean Kelley ’16
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arly season victories over Marlborough and Flintridge Sacred Heart and important league wins over Bishop Amat and a sweep of perennial power, Bishop Montgomery propelled the Lancers to the League Championship and a CIF berth. The Lancer traveled to Corona Del Mar High School to take on the Sea Kings in the 1st round of the Division II CIF Playoffs. The Lancers dominated in the first half by controlling the ball on both sides of the circle, however, a few miscues and missed opportunities caused the Lancers to trail 0-1 at the half. The second half was relatively even but the Sea Kings hit stride mid-way through the second half with misplaced resistance from the Lancers. The Sea Kings punched in another goal with 14 minutes remaining. Lancer Sophie Anderson was a force to be reckoned with and senior Kayci Jatico was outstanding. Although the Lancers fought to the end, their season came to a close with a 0-2 loss. With only two seniors (Sarah Patrick and Kayci Jatico) graduating the Lancers will be strong again next year.
BOYS SOCCER Sarah Patrick ’16
GIRLS SOCCER WINTER 2016
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Communities of Faith, Knowledge & Service By John Blackstock ’67
Hope Gardens Family Center
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N
ational Catholic Schools Week is the annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. It starts the last Sunday in January and runs all week, which in 2016 was January 31 - February 6. Schools typically observe National Catholic Schools Week with Masses, open house and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members. Through these events, schools focus on the value Catholic education provides to young people and its contributions to our church, our communities and our nation. La Salle celebrated Catholic Schools Week with service days, Mass and the CSW Assembly. La Salle students, faculty and staff “gave back” to our society at the following service sites: ABILITY FIRST employs mentally challenged adults to do various tasks mostly around packaging. Students assisted the employees with packaging and shipping. HOPE GARDENS FAMILY CENTER is an oasis of hope on 77 acres in the foothills of Sylmar, California. This transitional housing campus offers sanctuary to single women and children who are experiencing homelessness. It is part of Union Rescue Mission, one of the missions on Skid Row. Our work at Hope Gardens included painting, refurbishing, and cleaning the flood control channels of debris. LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK relies heavily on La Salle volunteers to sort and prepare food staples in order to be distributed to the various food pantries throughout Los Angeles County. We have partnered with them for over 12 years now. PROJECT ANGEL FOOD prepares frozen meals for people who are sick and confined to their home. Originally, they made food for people who had AIDS, but their ministry has changed over the years. Students helped deliver the food to those in need. SANTA TERESITA MANOR is associated with Santa Teresita Hospital. Volunteers engaged with elderly patients through a variety of activities, such as playing games, reading, baking and art projects. ST. FRANCIS CENTER. Volunteers play a vital role in supporting every aspect of SFC’s daily operations, from working directly with homeless and extremely lowincome program guests, to helping organize donations of food and clothing, and even providing administrative assistance. UNION RESCUE MISSION THRIFT STORE. Student volunteers sorted, re-stocked and assisted the employees at the thrift store. UNION STATION PASADENA. Volunteers assisted in preparing and serving breakfast and lunch. They also cleaned and restocked the kitchen. “It is the Jubilee Year of Mercy for CSW,” said Ed O’Connor P’16,’17, coordinator of the week’s activities and Director of Student Life. “It was a very satisfying, worthwhile and rewarding week.”
Sister Catherine Marie, a Camelite nun from Santa Teresita, was the keynote speaker at the CSW Assembly on February 5th.
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
Santa Teresita Manor
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TURKEYS, TREES & TINSEL
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a Salle’s Support Our Troops Club led a campuswide service project to fill Thanksgiving Food Boxes for military families stationed at Ft. Irwin in Barstow. Eighty four Boxes of Love were filled and the School also raised $2,400 for grocery gift cards to help with the purchase of their Thanksgiving turkeys and additional dinner trimmings. The Support Our Troops Club works with For Families of Active Military on this annual drive. In addition, members of the Support Our Troops Club spent a day at Ft. Irwin, in Barstow, helping to decorate
the Town Center of the base for Christmas. Club members painted windows, strung lights, tinsel and hung wreaths to spread Christmas cheer to servicemen and women currently stationed at Ft. Irwin. Soldiers from Ft. Irwin came to La Salle on Friday, December 4 to collect the 166 Christmas Trees that were purchased and donated for military personnel through La Salle’s annual Christmas Tree Sale.
TURKEYS, SCARVES & LOVE By John Blackstock ’67
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s. Ellen Slatkin P’02, visual arts teacher, began a service project that introduced knitting to any student at La Salle who wanted to learn how to knit. The end products were warm and cozy scarves for the homeless. Students did their knitting on chopsticks in order to continue an understanding of sustainability in our community. Many faculty and staff decided to knit a scarf as well and assisted in helping the students with their scarves. All the scarves were included in gift bags distributed through Habitat for Humanity in Pasadena. This distribution is connected to work Lauren Chacon ’16 does with the homeless through Habitat for Humanity. Students model some of the scarves created through an Arts service project for the misfortunate and homeless in Pasadena.
Clockwise from top, Annika Suderburg ‘19, Japhet Quitzon ‘16, Hannah Alviso ‘17, Rebecca Whitehead ‘17 and Elizabeth Ayala ‘17
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By John Blackstock ’67
WINTER 2016
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Top row, all rows left to right, Cami Brown, Alyssa Cortez, Sabrina Hilario, Anaise Nugent, Jenna Gilb, Marissa Camerano. Middle row, Ellis Holland, Sage Breen, Sierra Black, Daniela Gersh, Kailynn Simpson, Kelli Samartin, Dylan Stover. Front row, Rebecca Whitehead, Alexander Weitzel.
THE LOVE OF THREE ORANGES:
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s the winter months began, the talented members of the Performing Arts Department performed the hilarious The Love of Three Oranges – a delightful fairy tale that became a Commedia dell Arte scenario by Carlo Gozzi that then became the basis for a libretto for an opera, known by its French language title L’amour des Trois Oranges, a satirical opera by Sergei Prokofiev, that then was adapted into a play by Hillary DePiano that was based on the same commedia dell arte scenario based on the original fairy tale..... Confused? Here’s what happened. Our students took on a dynamic and sometimes convoluted project, The Love of Three Oranges by Hillary DePiano. The fairy tale story involves a
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sickly prince and his father, the king, who tries to help make his son happy and healthy, while other evil-doers seek to bring on the downfall of both. The play was full of mischief, mayhem, magic, masks, puppets and, of course, oranges... three of them! The cast and crew included 50 students from all classes and starred Sebastian Beltran-Moeller ’17, Cami Brown ’18, Emily Kate Coolidge ’16, Chris Dinkle ’17, Lexi Dyer ’16, Sky Garcilasodelavega ’16, Aly Hartman ’17, Reilly Milton ’16, Jose Pablo Payro ’17,Spencer Raines ’16, Elijah Reyes ’19, Oliver Richards ’18, Ben Show ’17, Alexander Weitzel ’17, Emily Wright ’16 and many others!
Left to right, Mihira Stanek, Sabrino Hilario, Sierra Black, Spencer Raines (also on page 29), Cami Brown.
Joshua Ng, Oliver Richards, Brandon Nyugen, Spencer Raines.
Left to right, Sabastian Beltran-Moeller, Sierra Black, Ellis Holland, Anaise Nugent, Ben Show, Lexi Dyer, Alyssa Cortes, Dylan Stover, Sabrina Hilario, Aly Hartman.
Left to right, Alexander Weitzel, Aly Hartman, Elijah Reyes, Kelli Samartin.
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ALUMNI FEATURE
MR. O’RANE’S OPUS By Jade Rogers ’01
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atthew O’Rane’s ’01 passion for music started when he was just eight years old. “I was attending Burbank Elementary School in Altadena when I first had the chance to play a string instrument. It was the viola and I loved it. It became a part of me and my identity, so I decided to study music more seriously during my middle school years and beyond,” he said. During his four years at La Salle, Matthew excelled in the band program, including Jazz Band, where he played the clarinet and the baritone sax. “I studied under the late Joseph Antonisamy. Mr. Antonisamy helped my talent in music bloom. He helped me understand the satisfaction in serving others, and I appreciated that the most when he would place me in positions to lead the band. I was especially eager to take lead roles in Jazz Band and I wanted to participate in all of the musical events at La Salle. Working with Mr. Antonisamy, taking on greater responsibilities as a musician and performing in as many events as I could helped shape my decisions for the future.” After graduating from La Salle in 2001, Matthew studied Viola Performance at the University of Redlands where he earned his Bachelor of Music in Music Education in 2001 and a Master’s in Music Education in 2010. “The University
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of Redlands was similar to La Salle in that it was a small campus and the student to teacher ratio gave me a more personable educational environment the way La Salle did.” While working on his Master’s Degree Matthew started teaching at the University Preparatory School in Victorville, where he has become a major influence in the success and growth in the school’s music program. Currently at University Prep, he teaches and directs beginning, intermediate, and advanced ensembles; directs full orchestra and musical performances; leads the Philharmonic club; and directs the Chamber club that is designed for small chamber orchestras. “Needless to say, I enjoy my work very much. But what I love most about working at University Prep are the students. They always have energy, are very respectful, and always put their very best efforts into what they do. It’s great to teach students who want to be in class and who want to learn. Very much like La Salle,” he recalls. Matthew’s dedication and contributions to University Prep’s music program have not gone unnoticed. He was awarded the Resolution for Outstanding Achievement in Music Education for San Bernardino County, the 2006-2007 Educator of the Year award from the Victor Valley Union High School District, and was nominated for the Region 10
Continued from page 21
Teaching Without a Shield
Educator of the Year by the California League of High Schools that same year. In 2013, Mathew was appointed the Conductor of the Redlands Sinfonia at the University of Redlands. “As a Conductor, I am giving my students artistic direction and I keep them true to the style of the piece. In many cases, I will help by giving suggestions on how they can fix passages for the violin and viola because that was the instrument I started on. Most of the Sinfonia students have little experience. They are barely scratching the surface which makes the journey of leading them so exciting. When the Redlands Sinfonia can come together and create a great musical achievement, there is nothing sweeter than that success!” Matthew, however, didn’t stop at just teaching and conducting. He is also the co-founder of the non-profit organization Crescendo Music Inc. Crescendo Music is an agency that provides mentoring programs for middle and high school students and adults in the greater Riverside area. The program has partnerships with local school districts with the goal to foster a commitment to excellence in comprehensive music. Comprehensive music instruction focuses on: ear training; sight reading/ singing; piano theory; and rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic dictation. Matthew’s ultimate goal is to establish a foundation for young musicians. “I would love to create a conservatory similar to the Old Town Conservatory of Music that I was a member of in 1998. A conservatory that creates synergy and excitement to study in a community centered on excellence in music and cultivating music in the arts.” Matthew believes there is no replacement for a will to work. Talent will only take a person so far. The rest requires hard and smart work and those who are seen as “talented” know that this is the secret to success. His advice to the students at La Salle is to “work hard, work smart, and never stop, whether the direction you take in life is towards music or another career.”
the process of changing, then I believe I have done my job.” Her first semester at Five Keys, she had a student who looked like your stereotypical inmate with large tattoos all over his skull, neck, face and hands including his upper lip and eyebrows. He sat in the back of the class with a scowl on his face and made himself look as unapproachable as possible. Claire wasn’t buying it. She found ways to interact with him to try and peel back the layers and walls he had built up around himself and was able to get his transcripts from his other school which showed that he was only two classes shy of graduation. “By this time, I had been teaching him for 10 weeks and he trusted me a little bit. It was almost imperceptible, but I took what I could get! The next semester, I was teaching Macbeth, difficult for even the most advanced students, but again, I like a challenge. This student needed a lot of confidence building to be able to tackle this class and most days, I had to convince him to keep going and to keep trying, even if it was hard. At the end of the semester, when we finally finished the assignments, I turned to the class and proudly announced that this student was now a high school graduate and he would be attending the incustody graduation ceremony that December.” At the end of class that day the student stayed back a minute and with tears in his eyes thanked Claire for her time, attention and energy. He told her that he never would have been able to do it without her and that she had made a difference in his life. He was the first of Claire’s students to graduate and she was proud to attend his graduation and watch him walk across the stage with a smile on his face. “Education is about learning how to open up and accept new ideas, how to see things from different perspectives, and how to apply it to one’s own life. I may be teaching high school English and history, but I am really teaching my students that learning is a mind, body, and soul transformation, one that can happen at any stage of life and despite sometimes monumental challenges.” Claire credits La Salle with challenging her to keep an open mind and to recognize the potential in everybody. She was encouraged by her teachers to become a seeker of knowledge and believes that La Salle instilled in her the need to do something to help those others may consider unworthy of help. “St. John Baptist said that we, as teachers, ’can perform miracles by touching the hearts of those entrusted to [our] care,’ and I would like to believe that I am continuing his work in a small way by teaching men who might be considered “unworthy,” but yet are perhaps the most worthy of our time and attention.“
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AMAZING LANCERS
ARMSTRONG
DANCES TO CHAMPIONSHIP
I
t has been a love of dance and all things Irish that brought Erin Armstrong ’16 one step closer to her lifelong dream: an Irish Dance Championship and a chance to dance as a cast member of Riverdance, the theatrical show consisting mainly of traditional Irish music and dance known the world over. Since the age of four, Erin has trained and devoted her time to Irish dancing in order to achieve these dreams. Dancing has allowed Erin the chance to compete all over the world. Unfortunately, last year, Erin got the news that she had broken her foot. This was her third straight serious injury in the last three years and it kept her from competing. However, Erin had just had her boot and cast removed when she was selected to attend the Riverdance Summer School in Dublin, Ireland last summer. Healthy again, Erin returned from Dublin with a new determination. She trained and worked very hard to keep up with her school work and get stronger (physically, mentally and spiritually) so she could compete at the US Western Regional Championships, called Oireachtas in the Irish Dance world. Erin fought back and trained relentlessly. We are very happy to report that Erin won her championship! Erin Armstrong is the U.S. Western Region Irish Dance Champion in her age group. Her dance team also won the U.S. National Champion title. “Countless hours of prayer and training paid off,” explained Erin. “And it was a huge help being in the La Salle dance program. Mrs. Nancy Doede and Ms. Ashleigh Doede have been a wonderful source of support and strength. I really appreciate the help my teachers and the School gave me when I was recovering.” The championship qualifies Erin to compete at the World Championships held in Glasgow, Scotland this spring and the North American National Championships in the summer. Erin has once again been accepted to study and train this summer with the Riverdance cast in Dublin.
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A PERFECT 36 L
a Salle congratulates junior Howard Ho on his outstanding performance on the ACT test! He earned the highest possible ACT Composite score of 36. Howard’s achievement on the ACT is significant and rare. On average, less than one-tenth of 1% of all test takers earn the top score. Among ACT-tested US high school graduates in the class of 2015, only 1,598 out of 1.92 million students earned an ACT Composite score of 36.
KEVINCABRINI TIAN Wins
LITERARY AWARD “Countless hours of prayer and training paid off, and it was a huge help being in the La Salle dance program.” - ERIN ARMSTRONG ’16
K
evin Tian ’18 has received the Cabrini Literary Guild’s 2016 Creative Writing Award. This contest was his first public submission of a story and what a way to begin his literary career! At the Guild’s Awards Luncheon on April 14, Kevin was awarded a check for $1,000 and given the honor of having his piece read aloud to the audience by Desiree Zamorano, an award-winning short story writer and Pushcart Prize nominee. Kevin began writing fiction at the age of eight, after he received The Hobbit as a gift from his uncle. After reading this classic, Kevin started writing short fantasy stories, which he read to his family and friends. Kevin said he is very proud to have represented La Salle at this prestigious competition and plans to continue writing fantasy stories.
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AMAZING LANCERS
ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM
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EARNS 88 MEDALS
a Salle High School scored big in the Southern California Private Schools Academic Decathlon. The Lancers placed in three divisions, 3rd place overall in Division 2, 2nd place overall in Division 3 and winning FIRST PLACE OVERALL in Division 4! In 11 events, whose theme this year was India, 30
DIVISION 2 Third Place Overall: Alex Camargo, Cristina DeLaCruz, Tad Wanatabe, Japhet Quitzon, Brandon Perez, Jordan Regalado, Sebastian Schiff, Geroge Siberell. DIVISION 2 Individual Medal Winners: Alex Camargo, 1 medal: Silver (Essay) Japhet Quitzon, 3 medals: Gold (Science), Silver (Interview), Bronze (Speech) Brandon Perez, 1 medal: Bronze (Essay) Jordan Regalado, 3 medals: 2 Silver (Economics, Literature), Bronze (Math) George Siberell, 2 medals: Gold (Essay, Social Science) DIVISION 3 Second Place Overall: Michelle Cervantes, Max Dier, Kriztina Espinosa, Elijah Griffin, Steven Luyapan, Emari McClellan, Erin McFaul, Bhav Patel DIVISION 3 Individual Medal Winners: Max Dier, 1 medal: Silver (Interview) Elijah Griffin, 2 medals: Silver (Literature), Bronze
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La Salle students won 88 medals, more than quadrupling the amount La Salle won last year. Team mentor and coach, Edgar Salmingo (Vice Principal for Academic Life), expressed his thanks to their families and the faculty, whose commitment to developing these students academically has brought them this success.
(Science) Steven Luyapan, 1 medal: Silver (Economics) Emari McClellan, 3 medals: 3 Gold (Economics, Interview, Social Science) Erin McFaul, 1 medal: Bronze (Speech) Bhav Patel, 4 medals: 2 Silver (Art, Math), 2 Bronze (Economics, Music) DIVISION 4 First Place Overall: Mark Camarena, Zachary Damir, Samantha Hardy, Reilly Milton, Brandon Nguyen, JD Ramirez, Spencer Schoenbaum, Noah Sisson, Jacqueline Torrez DIVISION 4 Individual Medal Winners: Christian Billings, 1 medal: Silver (Social Science) Zachary Damir, 9 medals: 2 Gold (Art, Literature), 5 Silver (Essay, Interview, Speech, Music, Science), 2 Bronze (Economics, Social Science) Samantha Hardy, 2 medals: Silver (Interview), Bronze (Speech) Bettina Lee, 3 medals: Gold (Interview), Silver (Literature), Bronze (Essay) Reilly Milton, 3 medals: 3 Bronze (Art, Economics, Interview) Brandon Nguyen,
3 medals: Gold (Art), 2 Silver (Music, Literature) Spencer Schoenbaum, 6 medals: 4 Silver (Economics, Essay, Math, Speech, Social Science), 2 Bronze (Science, Social Science) Noah Sisson,4 medals: 1 Gold (Art), 2 Silver (Math, Social Science), Bronze (Science) Robert Sweeney, 7 medals: 6 Gold (Economics, Essay, Literature, Math, Music, Social Studies), 1 Silver (Art) Kevin Tian, 1 medal: Silver (Social Science) Jackie Torrez, 2 medals: 2 Gold (Interview, Speech) ALTERNATE Garien Agapito TOTAL MEDAL COUNT 29 Gold 34 Silver 25 Bronze Total Medals: 88 TOP INDIVIDUAL MEDAL WINNERS Zachary Damir, 9 Robert Sweeney, 7 Spencer Schoenbaum, 6
CAREER DAY L
a Salle’s College Counseling Department and Alumni Office hosted their annual Career Day events on March 8th and 10th, 2016. Sixteen alums were on campus over the two days sharing their career experiences and insights
with current sophomores. Following their presentations, the alums took a tour of their Alma Mater and enjoyed lunch together. To participate in a future Career Day contact the Alumni Office at 626.696.4362 or alumni@lasallehs.org.
Clockwise Top Left: Tom Badzey ’90 (Clinical Psychologist with his own private practice), Marie Piette ’09 (Software Engineer for JPL), Leigh (Dannhausen) McNeece ’02 (Director of Physical Therapy at The Physical Edge), Dan Laserna ’89 (Wealth Management Advisor), Vanessa (Casillas) Caulfield ’02 (Occupational Therapist with the San Marino Unified School District), Joe Williams ’00 (Associate Producer/Associate Director for FOX Sports), Meg Sterling ’00 (Sales Coordinator for the Los Angeles Ducks of Anaheim).
Stacy (Large) Derenard ’97 (Speech and Language Pathologist and CEO of Expressions Speech Therapy), Jonathan Sum ’97 (Assistant Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy at USC and the Director of the Physical Therapy outpatient facility at the USC Health Sciences Campus), Mia (Mazadiego) Guenther ’98 (Co-Owner & Director of Events & Marketing for Neon Retro Arcade), Allie Carsia ’95 (Executive Director of Digital Distribution for Sony Pictures Entertainment).
James Castro ’94 (Executive Vice President of Strategy & Corporate Development for Access Integrated Healthcare), Ashley (Catano) Rodriguez ’06 (Social Worker for Guardian Rehabilitation Hospital), Kelly (Harper) Tapert ’95 (Physician Assistant with Kaiser Permanente), Jessica Kwa ’08 (Director of Guest Experience at The Mirage Hotel), Mason Sedlik ’11 (Live Opps and Systems Administrator for Blizzard Entertainment).
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OUTSTANDING ATHLETES
Paula Damas, Kyle Cuellar, Ryan Garcia and Katherine Knop
WINTER SIGNING KYLE CUELLAR, a 6’1” senior, signed a National Letter of Intent to play college baseball at UCLA. An infielder and outfielder, Kyle has an average of 46 runs, 34 RBIs, and batted an average of .298. In 2014, during his sophomore year, Kyle drove in 15 runs and tallied four doubles and three triples for the Lancers, who won 16 games and finished third in the very difficult Del Rey League. Kyle was also chosen as a 1st All-Team Del Rey League selection. PAULA DAMAS, starting pitcher of La Salle’s softball team since her freshman year, signed a National Letter of Intent for Biola University. A fierce competitor, Paula is very hard working and a great teammate. During her four years of playing Varsity softball, Paula has managed to maintain a high GPA of 3.5 all while earning three All-League honors, Defensive Player of the Year, Team MVP, and All-Area Team honors. A well-rounded student-athlete, Paula has a batting average of .382 and an ERA of 1.64. Paula plans on studying psychology at Biola.
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RYAN GARCIA, a three year Varsity baseball letter winner, has signed a National Letter of Intent for UCLA. A pitcher and infielder, Ryan has an average of 32 runs, 33 RBIs, and a batting average of .344. Ryan has also ranked No. 39 in the 2016 Perfect Game USA Top High School Prospects in the state of California, 2015 PG/Evoshield National Championship All-Tournament Team, 2014 PG/ MLK Championship All-Tournament Team, and helped lead La Salle’s Varsity baseball team to the CIF-SS Division III playoffs in 2014. KATHERINE KNOP, a three-sport senior student-athlete, signed a National Letter of Intent and earned an athletic scholarship to play college volleyball at UC Berkeley. The 5’10” volleyball player and team captain has played in a total of 231 sets with an average of 51 aces, 41 kills and 1,097 digs. During her three years playing Varsity with the Lady Lancers, Katherine was also awarded the 2014 1st Team AllLeague and 2015 1st Team All-League.
SIGN NATIONAL LETTERS
Brandon Jenkins, Lauren Rewers, Jacqueline Torrez, Joel Brown,. Brianna Steger and Vanessa Dwyer.
SPRING SIGNING JOEL BROWN is a two year varsity starter playing right field and as a relief pitcher on the Lancers’ baseball team. He received the Silver Slugger award as a freshman for hitting just under .500 and earned 2nd team All Del Rey league as a junior. Joel has committed to Chapman University for baseball as their top outfield prospect. His main priority right now is to lead the Lancers to a league championship this season. VANESSA DWYER is a four-year varsity softball player and a three-year starting pitcher and first baseman. Vanessa signed with Vanguard University where she will focus on pitching in college. BRANDON JENKINS has been on the varsity baseball team for four years, accumulating an Earned Run Average of just over 2.0 with over 75 strikeouts, as well as earning Second Team All Del Rey League Honors his sophomore year. He made his decision this past fall to attend Haverford College in Pennsylvania, an academic decision as much as a baseball decision.
LAUREN REWERS is a three-year varsity outside hitter and opposite for the Lancers’ volleyball team. She was named 1st team all-league in her junior year and team captain her senior season. Some of her stats include 47 aces, 143 digs and 211 kills. Lauren will be attending St. Olaf University in Minnesota where she is slated to play outside hitter. BRIANNA STEGER has been the rock of the La Salle girls golf team for four seasons. She is the first ever-female golfer to advance to the CIF finals in school history. She signed with the Matadors of California State University, Northridge (CSUN). JACQUELINE TORREZ has had a sensational four-year career in the Lancer swimming program. She is a four-time 1st team all-leaguer and three-time varsity captain. She led the Lancers to a top 10 CIF finish last year as well as swimming in the finals of both of her CIF individual events. Jackie will be swimming for Division I George Washington University in Washington DC with an emphasis on the individual medley and breaststroke for the Colonials.
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CLASS OF 2010 F I V E
Y E A R
R E U N I O N
Class of 2010 gathered in Old Town Pasadena.
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he Class of 2010 celebrated their 5 Year Reunion on Thanksgiving Eve at Cafe Santorini in Old Town Pasadena. The Class has raised $456 for La Salle’s financial aid program from 26 members of their class. To make your Reunion Class Gift contribution visit www.lancernetwork.com/10Gift.
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Allie Forillo ’10, Caitlin Doyle ’10, Alyana Roxas ’10
Angelo Henry ’10, Matthew Payne ’10, Patrick Clark ’10, James Harmon ’10, Lorenzo Alvarez ’10, Patrick Guthrie ’10
Philip Samples ’10, Maureen Perry ’10, Laura Barrero ’10
Ashleigh Foss ’10, Sophie Van Noppen ’10, Margaux Reaume ’10, Molly McCarthy ’10
LANCER MAGAZINE
CLASS OF 2005 T E N
Y E A R
R E U N I O N
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he Class of 2005 celebrated their 10 Year Reunion on Friday, November 27th at Matt Denny’s Ale House in Arcadia. The Class has raised $940 to date in memory of their former teacher Ms. Johnston and the Scholarship Fund set up in her name at La Salle. The class giving participation rate for the Reunion Class Gift is 18%- the goal is to reach 75%. Make your gift today at www.lancernetwork.com/05Gift.
Gino Buccola ’05, Ed O’Connor (Faculty), Chris Bigley ’05, Jenny Holman ’05
Melissa Tavera ’05, Jenny Holman ’05, Danielle (Encinas) Caster ’05, Stephanie (Bakey) Zandieh ’05, Megan McCreary ’05
Christa Pozzi ’05, Victor Levin, Arielle Sommer ’05, Lindsay Thomas ’05, Alyssa Stefek ’05
Daniel Florin, Amy Cox ’05, Jenny Luna ’05, Nicole Tracy ’05
William Matchin ’05, Justin Zelada ’05, Daniel Siegal ’05
Tyler Mandroian ’05, Joe Hamlin ’05, Jordan Dorenfeld ’05, Kevin Dolan ’05
Ashley Nickell, Ben Clyde ’05, Jacey Dapper ’05, Shandee (Fraser) Ciulla ’05, Justin Lucas ’05
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We Remember.. LEW STUECK
FACULTY UPDATE
On October 7th, 2011, as part of the Decade of the ‘90s Alumni Reunion Weekend, the Alumni Association honored Coach Lew Stueck and the ‘91 Football Team, La Salle’s 1st football team. Pictured left to right, Sean Regan ’92, Ricardo Perez ’93, Coach Stueck, Raoul Bustamante ’93, Christian Fernandez ’93
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ew Stueck passed away on February 28, 2016. Stueck was La Salle’s first varsity football coach and helped establish the Lancer Football Program in 1991. He continued to coach and teach at the School until 2000. A Loyola High School and UCLA football standout, Coach Stueck started coaching at Loyola at 23, installing his famed single wing attack, which culminated in Loyola’s first CIF SS AAAA Championship in 1962 with a 12-0 record.
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Brother Harold, 1963
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Stueck went on to coach at UCLA from 1967 to 1969 and the University of Wisconsin from 1970 to 1976. After working in the insurance industry, he returned to coaching to start La Salle’s football program where he reintroduced the single wing and later the power I formation. Prior to retiring, Lew worked at Verbum Dei High School as a teacher and Athletic Director. Stueck, 80, had been battling cancer and suffered an apparent heart attack.
HAROLD FRANK
arold “Hal” Frank (formerly known as Brother Harold) recently passed away after a long bout with congestive heart failure and other complications. Frank was born in Stockton on October 29, 1936. He entered the Christian Brothers Novitiate in January of 1956. Now Brother Thomas Harold, he was assigned to La Salle in June of 1961. Brother Harold was an engaging teacher and a master of staging musical
operations. A celebrated Glee Club director and religion teacher, he established the renowned Spring Showcase musicals at La Salle. He became vice principal in 1966 and principal in 1968. He left La Salle and withdrew from vows in February of 1970. After decades of service to the health needs of the people in San Diego he died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, January 16, 2016, in La Jolla.
Alumni News, Weddings & Births
Staying
Connected
1960
John Leonhardt is the European president for Cameo Global Inc., an information technology and telecommunications company. John resides in France.
1966
John Crain works as an instructional assistant for students with special needs and has coached track and field for the last 28 years. He and his wife Becky have two grown children, two grandchildren and live in Benicia. James O’Leary is a professor of international politics at The Catholic University of America in Washington DC and is in the process of writing a book on economic reforms in China and India. He has two grown daughters and lives in McLean, Virginia. Mike Plummer is a retired teacher and coach. He and his wife Sharon have been married for 46 years and live in Weed, CA. Michael Curran is CFO of the Continental Development Corporation in El Segundo. He and his wife Vicki have been married for 38 years, have two grown sons and live in Manhattan Beach. John Maffei is still working as a sportswriter for the San Diego Union Tribune. He has two grown children and three grandchildren. Peter Barker spent over 35 years working in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and then served as Chairman of California for JP Morgan Chase from 2009-2014. He has served on numerous corporate boards and is currently chairman of the Board of Trustees at Claremont McKenna College. Peter has three grown children, six grandchildren and lives in Santa Barbara. John Pollara is the president and CEO of Zieman Manufactuing Co. He and his wife Jan have been married for 48 years, have two children, five grandchildren and live in Laguna Niguel. Rich Mispagel retired from the fire department as a Captain in 2003 after 30 years on the job. He still enjoys his bass fishing and fly fishing and is an avid golfer. Rich and his wife Wendy have one daughter, two grandkids and live in Cherry Valley, CA. John Winter spent most of his career in the food and vending business. He is the retired regional vice president for Canteen Vending Services. He has three grown daughters, two grandchildren and has been in a relationship with his college sweetheart for the past 11 years.
Larry Bolton is the chief counsel for the California Health and Human Services Agency and lives in Sacramento. Pat Hegarty was a criminal defense attorney for 21 years before being elected Judge of the Santa Anita Municipal Court in 1994. He retired as a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge in April 2015. During his term of office he served as the Presiding Judge of the Santa Anita Court and Supervising Judge of the Glendale and Burbank Superior Courts. Pat and his wife Patti have two sons, four grandchildren and live in San Clemente.
analysis for the C-17 Globemaster lll Support Program. Christopher currently reside in Rancho Santa Margarita with his wife Joni.
1989
Daniel Laserna is a wealth management advisor for TIAA-CREF in Century City. In 2004 he went to Asia and worked as a portfolio manager for two years and spent another four years in San Antonio, Texas before returning to California for good in 2010. Daniel and his wife Mary Ann have two children- Danielle (9) and Daniel Jr. (2).
1994
Jason Ybarra has been traveling as a guest at comic cons across the country meeting fans of the show he worked on “Power Rangers.” Jason is also touring with Vanilla Ice as his official “Ninja Turtle” for all of his concerts this year.
Class of 1995 20ish YEAR REUNION
Gregory Renn is semi-retired living in Santa Fe, New Mexico but still operates his business, Techni-Webb, Inc. He designs and builds high speed finishing equipment for the commercial printing industry. Greg has two grown children and two grandchildren.
Save the Date! SEPTEMBER 24, 2016
John Keese has been a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for 42 years. He is presently serving as pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Rowland Heights.
A Private Pre-Party for ’95 grads will take place from 4pm-6pm followed by the return of the Decade of the ’90s Reunion at La Salle.
Steven Salem retired from Northrop Grumman in 2012 where he spent over thirty years doing fusion energy research, developing hyperspectral imaging hardware and software and was the lead engineer for software test systems for satellite and U-2 electronics packages. He has five grown children and he and his wife Lorna have a 10 year old daughter Lizzy who is currently attending 7th grade at ten years old. Steve and his family reside in Torrance. Stephen Schmidt retired as senior vice president of The Newhall Land and Farming Company which is the company that developed Valencia, CA. He and his wife Sara reside in Santa Clarita.
(SATURDAY)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT
www.lancernetwork.com/95Twenty
1995
Jayme (Kiyomura) Chan got her first CIF Championship this year coaching the girls basketball team at Flintridge Prep. Jayme started her coaching career at La Salle and has been at it for 20 years. Jayme and her husband Phillip live in Duarte with their three beautiful children, Izzie (9) and twins Andrew & Olivia (6).
Dan Buccola sold his 35 year community bank loan review firm last year. He is an active volunteer with The Miracle of Saint Joseph. Dan and his wife Christina have 7 children, 16 grandchildren and live in Laguna Niguel. Jim Kelly is a retired accountant. He is an active musician and has been with his current band, The Nombres, since 2008. He and his wife Glynn have two grown children and live in Santa Barbara.
1969
Christopher Allaire retired on October 6, 2015. His career spanned 45 years, having served 10 years in US Army Aviation and 35 years with The Boeing Company. His last position held was senior manager of sustainment
Richard Bleuze ’95 and Eddie Prapapanich ’95 met up in Bangkok, Thailand in March. Richard was visiting on vacation and Eddie has lived in Bangkok for the last 21 years.
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and soulful healing in a few provinces. She visited Malolos and Pullilan in the province Bulacan, as well as Boracay. For the dental portion, she and her fellow dentists treated hundreds of patients per day providing oral surgery, restorative, and preventative care. Myoli says it was her first mission trip but certainly not her last as she intends to return in two years. She remembers the Lasallian Motto of “Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve” and says that she has taken on that motto for herself and she has her Lasallian education to thank for that.
Class of 1996 20 YEAR REUNION W E E K E N D
Save the Date! SEPTEMBER 23-24, 2016 (F R I D AY & SAT U R D AY ) CHECK OUT THE DETAILS ONLINE
www.lancernetwork.com/96Twenty
1997
Susan Ehring recently began working at Lionsgate Television in Santa Monica as Vice President, Business Affairs.
2000
Justin Lucas is a senior software engineer for Major League Baseball. He spends his free time coaching little league baseball and youth soccer. Justin and his wife Yureli have two children, Jayden (7) and Savannah (2), and live in San Mateo. Daniel Minguez earned his PhD in Earth and Environmental Science from Lehigh University and is currently working as a research scientist for Chevron in Houston, Texas. Ben Soifer is an instructor pilot with the United States Air Force. He and his wife Kara live in Midland City, Alabama.
HOLIDAY GET TOGETHER
Jeff Rodriguez is a senior sales representative with Assurant Employee Benefits in El Segundo. He and his wife Hannah have a son Lucas (2) and live in Monrovia. Kendrick Watson is an academic programs administrator at the University of Southern California. He and his wife Kelly (O’Connor) ’00 have three sons, Thomas (7), Christopher (5), Jonathan (3), and live in San Marino.
2004
Myoli Landig participated in a dental mission trip organized through her dental school alma mater (Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco), particularly through the Christian Medical Dental Association (CMDA), paired with Christ’s Commission Fellowship (CCF) in the Philippines. In the Philippines, Myoli helped provide dental, medical, dermatological, podiatry, optometric,
She and her husband Daniel have a daughter Kailey (22 months) and reside in Glendora.
2005
Jessica (Gordon) Miller is a laboratory animal technician for Caltech and is currently working on her AALAT certification.
Grads from the 2000’s got together over the holidays with some of their little ones in tow. Back Row: Lindsay (Van Leeuwen) Gordon ’04 (holding son Jackson), Steve Van Leeuwen ’01, Michael Gordon ’00, James Pollerana ’00, Hector Campos ’00, Jason Kenoyer ’00. Middle Row: Joe Amar ’00, Hannah Rodriguez (holding son Lucas), Jackie Kenoyer (holding son Joshua), Jeff Rodriguez ’00. Front Row: Abbie Rumery, Vanessa Gonzalez, Julie Van Leeuwen, Kaytee (Canzoneri) Griffith ’02 and Dean Griffith ’00 (holding their twin boys Dylan and Logan).
Arielle Sommer is a resident physician at McGaw Medical Center in Chicago.
(1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
IS INVITED BACK TO LA SALLE FOR A REUNION NOT TO BE MISSED!
Saturday, September 24, 2016 LA SALLE HI GH SCHOOL The entire Decade of the ’90s is invited back to campus for an unforgettable party.You will get to see friends from your own class as well as friends you had in the classes above and below you. Your favorite faculty members from the Decade of the ’90s will also be in attendance. The reunion party will include entertainment, campus tours, reunion gifts, class pictures and more! For more information or to help out contact the Alumni Office at La Salle (626.696.4362 or alumni@lasallehs.org) or visit www.lancernetwork.com/90s Make sure your updated contact information is on file with the Alumni Office to receive all of the Reunion details. www.lancernetwork.com/Update Check out the Reunion Facebook Group: La Salle High School (Pasadena) 90s Decade Reunion 44
LANCER MAGAZINE
Nicole Ferris is the campus minister at Marin Catholic High School. Stephanie (Bakey) Zandieh and her husband Eric have two amazing children, Avery Lynn (3) and Jack Everett (1). Eric works for PIMCO in Newport Beach and Stephanie is busy raising their two little ones at home in Duarte. Paula Torres works as a director of systems and operations in the behavioral health field. Essentially, she runs a department that helps people struggling with substance abuse (or any other behavioral health issues) find treatment. Lindsay Thomas is an English language arts and social studies teacher at Duarte High School. Amy Cox recently completed a year in Salvador, Brazil working with Cross Cultural Solutions and Princeton University as a coordinator for Princeton’s Bridge Year Program. She led cultural excursions, monitored student volunteer activities, translated and ran small group reflection sessions. Amy works as the controller and HR manager for Art & Logic, Inc., a software company located in Pasadena. Ben Clyde currently manages all the health and wellness community initiatives for the 2015 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. He has been with the organization for four years and also serves as the liaison between the NBA league office and the Golden State Warriors in regards to their community affairs. Ben serves on the board of several no-profit organizations including Playworks and Make-A-Wish. Gary Loitz is a leasing consultant for Westside Rentals. Monet Hurst-Mendoza was recently selected from more than 440 applicants as one of the ten playwrights for the 2017 Emerging Writers Group at The Public Theater in New York. Selected bi-annually, EWG is comprised of a diverse
group of playwrights who receive a two-year fellowship that includes support and resources to develop new work, including a stipend. The writers participate in biweekly writing groups and master classes, and receive developmental mentorship from established writers and the literary department at The Public Theater. Staged readings of new works by the writers will be presented in the Public’s Spotlight Series. Gianna Gioia is a high school special education teacher in Pacoima. Megan McCreary is a teacher at La Canada High School. Anjelica Jardiel is a photographer and artist in Brooklyn, New York. Jason Torrado is a digital marketing specialist for Mopro in Costa Mesa. Christa Pozzi is the Southern California training manager for Southern Wine & Spirits and lives in Long Beach.
2007
Chris Satoh is currently a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps stationed in Quantico, VA where he is continuing his military training and education. He will return to a permanent duty station within the Los Angeles area toward the end of 2016 and plans to become a tank officer by then.
2008
Stephanie Gioia graduated from West Coast University in 2014 with a BS degree in nursing. She is currently working as an RN at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena and began a master’s degree program in nursing in February.
2009
Tim Hoffman is a Sergeant in the United States Army and is currently deployed to Egypt. He was previously stationed in Germany.
CAROLINE ASHKAR ’06, a documentary photographer and videographer, joined with the non-profit Nest and had the amazing opportunity to travel through Africa last year. Nest works with women from impoverished communities worldwide, focusing on the use of craft and creativity to implement social
Elijah Ziomek ’08 and Bob Pearson ’87 found themselves both on the flag football field at St. Anastasia Catholic School. Elijah is a 7th grade teacher and coach at the school and Bob is an assistant coach and parent of two sixth graders as well as a junior at Notre Dame High School.
2010
Jesslyn Stephen was an active volunteer with Professional Child Development Associates and is currently working as a nanny for infants and young children in Santa Cruz. She received her BS in Kinesiology from Cal Poly Pomona in 2015. Timothy Reed graduated from Texas Tech University with a BS in Architecture in 2015. Alanna Johnson is a kindergarten teacher for Hope Academy Charter in Big Bear. She earned her BA in Liberal Studies from Cal State Northridge in 2014 and has her multiple subject teaching credential. Stephen Wickhem earned his BFA from Chapman University and then, thanks to connections from another lancer alum, got a job working onboard a luxury cruise ship in the entertainment department. He had the chance to visit over fifty countries in a year and made friends from all around the world. Taking a cue from the “Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve” motto, Stephen is now working as a life coach in New
change and community betterment. It links female artisans in developing countries with employers of major fashion labels. Nest has programs based in Swaziland, a tiny impoverished and HIV/AIDS pleagued country in southern Africa. There, one of the main trades of women is hand weaving. Nest partners with local women artisans to create sustainable businesses with the goals of poverty alleviation, empowerment, and cultural preservation. Caroline documented Nest’s workshops and, through photography and video, told stories of the women and the beautiful work they are doing. But she also told their stories of survival and resilience through an ongoing epidemic and their work to lift themselves out of poverty to create a more sustainable life for themselves and their families. Caroline’s work for Nest was featured in the February 2016 issue of Glamour magazine. Caroline is currently working for FOCUS North America as the director of the Southern California branch. They work with homeless and the working poor around Los Angeles and Orange County providing a range of services geared towards self-sufficiency. WINTER 2016
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York City. Get a daily dose of inspiration and advice at StephenWickhem.com.
James Harmon has his BS in Business Management from Oregon State University.
Julia Barrero graduated from Stanford with a degree in History in 2014. She is now running the marketing department at a software startup in San Francisco and is playing soccer in a co-ed recreational league.
Lorenzo Alvarez graduated from Cal State Northridge with a BA in Communication Studies in 2015.
Matthew Payne graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in Sports Management. Stephanie Payne graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Psychology. Lauren Schenker graduated from the University of Redlands with a BA in Psychology in 2014 and is currently working on her MPH at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Michael Bottala recently graduated with his Master’s in Accounting from Loyola Marymount University. Patrick Guthrie graduated from the University of Arizona in 2013 with a bachelor’s in accounting. He is working for Nestle USA as part of their Finance Development Rotation program and his first rotation has him located in Bloomington, Illinois. He plans on making his way back to southern California in June for his second rotation.
Rosaline Alvarez earned her BA in Psychology and Education from Denison University and now works as a first grade teacher at Ribet Academy. Marisa Messina graduated with her BS in Kinesiology from Cal State Northridge in 2015. Molly Diedrich received her BA in Child and Adolescent Development in 2014 from San Francisco State. Allie Forillo graduated from LMU in 2014 with a Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing. Lily Zaldivar graduated in 2014 from San Francisco State with her BA in Cinema and an emphasis in animation. She currently works as a production assistant for Laika, Inc., a stopmotion feature film company located in Oregon. This company is known for films such as Coraline, Paranorman and The Boxtrolls. Before Laika, Lily interned at Dreamworks Animation/PDI and worked for Warner Brothers and Atomic Fiction. Angelo Henry is engineering at USC.
Carlos Morales graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2014 from Pennsylvania State.
Molly McCarthy graduated from Regis University in 2014.
Roshanak Agahi graduated from UC Davis in 2014 with a BS in Food Science and TechnologyBrewing Emphasis with a minor in Managerial Economics.
Patrick Buchanan graduated from LMU with a degree in Theatre Arts in 2014.
Diviya Sabanayagam graduated with a BS in Human Biology from UC Santa Cruz in December 2014.
Bubba Derby with former La Salle baseball coach Harry Agajanian.
BOWDIEN “BUBBA” DERBY ’12 had a stellar career at La Salle that continued at San Diego State after he was personally recruited to pitch for the Aztecs by baseball great and head coach Tony Gwinn. LANCER MAGAZINE
Patrick Barmann graduated with a certificate in Culinary Arts from Bakersfield College in May and will be interning at Alma Cocina Latina in Baltimore, Maryland.
2011
Mark Sarkis and some of his fellow USC classmates hosted a college informational session for La Salle seniors in the fall offering assistance with college essays, applications, and general Q&A. This was in conjunction with a project from one of Mark’s business classes at USC where he and his fellow
mechanical
Elizabeth Blackstock graduated cum laude from San Francisco State with a BS in Kinesiology.
Patrick Barakat graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Business Administration-Marketing in May 2014.
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studying
Matthew Stoddard graduated from Cal State Northridge with a degree in Electronic Media Management. He worked in development for Fremantle Media then moved to Post Production Coordinator at Gurney Productions (Duck Dynasty, Shark Week). This past summer Matthew worked on a feature film which will premiere in October 2017 and he is now starting his own company working with corporations and video content.
Diego Martinez ’18, Missy McCreary ’14 and Tomas Dakan ’12 participated in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon, raising over $3,000 for cancer research at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. While getting up at 3:00am on a Sunday morning to conquer the ocean, bike PCH, and run along the coast isn’t easy, the benefits of their efforts were appreciated by patients, families, doctors, and nurses at CHLA.
Bubba started his Aztec career by striking out college great Kris Bryant (now with the Chicago Cubs) with the bases loaded then ended his collegiate career going head-to-head with Dillon Tate (first round draft pick for the Texas Rangers) in the first game of the NCAA Regionals. The Aztecs won three conference championships in a row riding on Bubba’s arm. In June 2015, Bubba was drafted in the 6th round of the MLB draft to play professionally for the Oakland Athletics, however, he was recently traded to the Milwakee Brewers. Former Lancer Baseball Head Coach, Harry Agajanian, said, “Bubba, you have brought attention and class to La Salle and to Lancer Baseball. I can speak for the entire baseball program and the athletic department when I say that it has been a joy and a privilege to watch you perform and mature through your high school years and beyond. To commemorate your accomplishments as a student of the game, your jersey and number 11 will be retired and displayed on our outfield fence knowing that you will forever be regarded as a great Lancer.”
classmates had to create a company- the profits from which would benefit the charity NFTE (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship) to help young entrepreneurs. Mark and his classmates created Charitable Advising and offered these informational sessions at several locations- La Salle being one of them. Mark graduated in December from USC with a degree in Business Finance. He is now working for Oracle in their Santa Monica office.
Yahaira Ramirez graduated from the Paul Mitchell Cosmetology School in November and received her license as a cosmetologist.
Johnny Hyche was recently accepted to the University of Maryland Master of Applied Anthropology program for Fall 2016 after completing his undergraduate degree at University of California Santa Cruz in 2015.
Evan Rambo was named a Scholar-Athlete of the Week at UC Berkeley in February where he plays on the football team for the Bears.
2012
Nico Garcia-Corona is excited to announce that following his graduation from Sarah Lawrence College in May, he will be joining the Teach for America Corps as a special education teacher in the Los Angeles area. Colleen McWilliams is a senior at Marist College and plays softball for the red foxes. The Marist softball team swept Hartford in a non-conference doubleheader on April 13th at Gartland Field. The Red Foxes earned a 10-0 victory in five innings in game one, and a 5-3 triumph in game two. Colleen homered in all three of her at-bats driving in five runs in the contest. She belted two-run homers in the first and third innings, and added a solo shot in the fourth for a five-RBI game.
2013
Ryan Flynn has begun taking classes towards his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, while still taking
undergraduate courses for his bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology. If all goes well, he will graduate in spring 2017 with both degrees.
2014 2015
Engagements Casey Hannum ’08 proposed to Brianne Baird ’07 while the couple was vacationing in Hawaii last November. Casey surprised Brianne during their first sunset on the island when he pulled out his grandmother’s engagement ring, a family heirloom, and asked if they could become a family. They plan to marry in September in Pasadena. The dynamic duo is currently living in Seattle, WA and hope to move back to Pasadena this summer once Brianne completes her graduate program.
Weddings Emily Paniagua ’02 married Ryan Valentino at St. Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles in November. Alumni in the bridal party included
Allison (Green) Mazaro ’02, Erika Soria-Banos ’02, Jackie (Troncoso) Guggia ’02, and Evan Paniagua ’06. Also in attendance were Robert Wadlow ’06, Megan Herek ’04, and Timmy Valdivia ’02. Emily graduated in May 2015 from Mount Saint Mary’s University, downtown LA, with her second Bachelor’s Degree, this one in Nursing and passed her state boards a few months later. Ryan became a Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy in September. Emily and Ryan live in Huntington Beach with Ryan’s two children Nikolas (14) and Kylie (12). Katie Paules ’06 married Andrew Steben on October 17, 2015 at Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church in San Dimas. The wedding party included Laurel Kuhn ’06, Catherine Cahill ’06 and Katie’s brother Gregory Paules ’04. Katie and Andrew fell in love the summer after graduating high school and dated for nine years. They are so excited to start this new chapter in their lives and feel truly blessed for all of the support from their family and friends.
ANGELICA TAYLOR ’14 has been training with the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago since the fall of 2015. After La Salle, Angelica attended UC Santa Barbara as a dance major. The Joffrey Ballet came to Santa Barbara to perform and the director Ashley Wheater, and Gerard Charles gave two ballet master classes to the dance majors at UCSB. Angelica did really well in her class, which was taught by Gerard, and afterwards was told to send in a video so the directors of the trainee and studio company could see and evaluate her. Shortly thereafter, she received news that she had been accepted into the company for 2015-2016! Angelica is currently dancing with the Joffrey in Chicago all day, six days a week and is loving every minute of it!
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Ashley Catano ’06 married Ricky Rodriquez on
January 16, 2016 at USC. Kanel Arceno ’06 was a bridesmaid and Jonthan Catano ’09 was a groomsman. Jennifer Bayha ’06 served as their wedding photographer. Additional La Salle grads in attendance included Edwin Scott ’06, Dexter Bryant ’06, Michael Cates ’06, Matthew Maulit ’06, Daniel Valenzula ’06, Nicole Santillana ’06 and Jessica Santillana ’10. Danny Reaume ’06 and Erika Palffy ’07 were
married on April 11, 2015 in Santa Monica. Bridal party included alums Adam Palffy ’03, Kirsten (Umland) Palffy ’04, Michael Palffy ’08, Katrina Palffy ’13, Julianna Palffy ’15, Jackie (Reaume) Gilfillan ’05, Margaux Reaume ’10, Joey Reaume ’08, Brooke Berger ’07, Alex Plumb ’06, Colton Marikian ’06 and Brett Hunter ’06. Danny is a Broker in downtown Los Angeles and Erika is a PICU RN at UCLA. Allison Madden ’08 married Brendan Herrmann on August 29, 2015 at Holy Family in South Pasadena and the reception followed at La
Canada Flintridge Country Club. The maid of honor was Nicole Madden ’11. Patrick Madden’16, Marisa Sanchez ’08 and Jessica Kwa ’08 were also in attendance. Brendan and Allison met during undergrad at Notre Dame. He graduated UCLA Law School in May and they moved to New York City in September where he is a lawyer at Dechert, LLC and Allison is working as a civil engineer at Russo Development.
Births & Adoptions Johnathan Reid ’95 married Shelby Larkin on July 18, 2015 and they welcomed their daughter Sophie Rachel on September 8, 2015. Johnathan and his family live in Pasadena where he is running his company Seventh Tribe Inc. and directing the World Poker Tour. Jennifer (Horn) Raffard ’00 and her husband Robin welcomed their first child, a daughter, on February 20, 2016 at 6:22pm. Audrey Michelle Joyce Raffard weighed 8 lbs., 6oz. and was 22in. long. The new parents are underslept but completely in love with the addition to their family. Jennifer is a principal customer success advisor at SalesforceIQ and Robin is a portfolio
manager at BlackRock. Audrey, Robin and Jenn live in Belmont, CA. Erin (Fullinwider) Alex ’00
and her husband
Chris welcomed twins, Caleb George and Naomi Lynn, on November 18, 2015. Big brother, Emmet, is 2.5 years old. Kevin Kohorst ’03 and his wife Kate welcomed their daughter Charlotte Ann into the world on October 13, 2015 at 7:44pm at Huntington Hospital. Charlotte was 7lbs., 3oz. and 20in. long. Ken Smutny ’04 and his wife Reagan welcomed their daughter Kaelyn Smith on November 13, 2015 at 5:10pm weighing 8lbs. and measuring 19.8in. Ken and his family reside in Seattle, WA. Jake Hollis ’04
and his wife Alexandra welcomed their daughter Christina into the world on October 3, 2015 at Huntington Hospital.
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Why We Are Proud To Be Lasallian
W
hen Saint John Baptist de La Salle (1651-1719) opened his first school in Reims, France in 1679 he was convinced that without Christian schools the children of France would be lost both to the Church and to society. At that time, most children had little hope for the future. Moved by the plight of the poor who seemed so “far from salvation” either in this world or the next, he was determined to put his own talents and advanced education to work for the poor children of France. To be more effective, he abandoned his family home, renounced his wealth and his position as canon, and formed a new community of lay religious teachers, The Brothers of the Christian Schools. We are proud to follow in the footsteps of Saint La Salle because he was an innovator in the development of teacher training programs and in curricular and pedagogical practices. Teachers ranked with servants in seventeenth century France. De La Salle, however, recognized that teachers stand in a providential and grace-filled relationship to children. He designed curriculum and wrote practical and effective textbooks infused with gospel values. He also was one of the early Catholic proponents of universal education. Although de La Salle’s schools were primarily for the poor, they attracted children from families of differing economic backgrounds. However, he tolerated nothing of the social segregation which was the practice of the day. He prescribed uniform management procedures for classroom instruction for students from all social, economic and academic backgrounds.
At La Salle High School, our Lasallian teachings are rooted in Catholic values to nurture talents so that each student reaches their maximum personal potential, to inspire in students a sense of responsibility for others in a real world environment, to challenge our students to embrace diversity and to motivate our students to respond compassionately to the needs of others, especially the poor. We are proud to be Lasallian as the term comes from the name of John Baptist de La Salle. The Brothers honor him as their founder and the Catholic Church honors him as a saint. Even more, in 1950, Pope Pius XII declared him “Patron of All Christian Teachers.” We are proud to be associated with the Patron Saint of teachers and the largest religious order in the world dedicated exclusively to teaching. Today, 1,700 Christian Brothers, in association with 85,000 lay colleagues, educate nearly 1,000,000 students in schools, colleges and educational centers in 84 countries. To quote Brother John Johnston, FSC, (1933-2007), former Superior General of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, “No institution... can justifiably use the label ‘Lasallian’ unless the students are learning to be brothers and sisters, not only among themselves, but also to and for others, particularly those in need.” Yes, we are proud to be Lasallian.
For more information go to www.lasalle.org
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La Salle High School
3880 East Sierra Madre Boulevard Pasadena, CA 91107-1996 www.lasallehs.org Address Service Requested
Parents of Alumni: If your son or daughter no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumni Office of their new mailing address. You can call 626.696.4362 or email alumni@lasallehs.org.
Transforming Lives Since 1680
SAV E THE DAT E
OUR TOURNAMENT IS COMING HOME La Salle High School is proud to announce
THE 24TH ANNUAL LANCER GOLF CLASSIC & FUNDRAISER MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016 SAN GABRIEL COUNTRY CLUB 11:00AM SHOTGUN START
DINNER & FUNDRAISING BANQUET TO FOLLOW GOLF Hosted by radio personality, actor and voiceover artist Phil Hendrie ’70
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