A trip to Asia

Priory International The Priory Is Now ‘A Worldwide Community,’ Leaders Say

Father Martin Mager (right) and Headmaster Tim Molak enjoyed the hospitality of SangJoon and Wonkyong Park in Seoul, Korea. See alumni photos from Korea, Taipei and Bangkok online.

The last time we broke bread together was in the Priory Dining Hall, when I was their teacher. I look at them now…and I’m very proud of these guys. —Father Martin Mager

Father Martin’s photographic artistry shines in an Asian setting. A selection of photos are posted on the school Web site at www.woodsidepriory.com. Click on Asia trip. The annual trip to Asia is more than just a recruiting trip to the Priory’s leaders. On the surface, they make the trek to meet prospective students at a series of boarding school fairs arranged by TABS, a highly regarded professional association. In reality, Priory leaders also go for multicultural understanding, to re-connect with former students, and to develop a worldwide school community, they say. In fact, the trip is so valuable that the Priory has expanded its presence from a single representative four years ago to three campus leaders this year. Headmaster Tim Molak went for the first time, Father Martin Mager for the second time and Al Zappelli, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, for the third year in a row.

Moving from Seoul to Singapore, Bangkok, Taipei and Hong Kong all in the last two weeks of October, the opportunity for cultural understanding could easily get lost in the travel logistics. But with local hosts from the Priory international community at each site, that never happens, said Al Zappelli, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid.

“The experience of being the one who is culturally different, who needs some help with the local customs and expectations, is always enlightning. Our hosts are always gracious and accommodating. I come back inspired to help our campus community be equally welcoming and supportive,” he commented.

In most of the cities, Mr. Zappelli met with local educators to gain insights into changing practices that

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may affect either the students’ preparation or the application process. Far more enjoyable, however, were meetings with parents of current students, who network together locally in exactly the same way as day students’ parents, he said.

“The entire trip was spectacular. I have a true sense of a worldwide Priory community, and that community is thriving. ” said Mr. Molak.

“Our alumni are pursuing a wide variety of rewarding professional lives. Just a few examples: I talked with a television and movie producer, an architect, a VP of an electronics company, a general manager of an engineering firm, the marketing manager for golf courses, the COO of a camera company, and people from so many more fields.

“Even more rewarding was hearing from them the positive impact the Priory has had on their lives and their world view.”

Father Martin, Director of Alumni Relations and Superior of the Benedictine Community, treasures the opportunity to see the boys he once knew now grown into admirable men with families and productive lives, he said.

“The last time many of us broke bread together would have been in the Priory dining hall, when I was their teacher and we lived in the dorm together. Now, it is as peers—in fact, it would be more accurate to say they become the teachers and I become the student while I am there.

“I’m very proud of these guys. I sit with them and think, ‘Wow—they turned out to be great human beings. It is so easy to see how much the students of today build on the foundation of these good people who preceded them,” he added.

It all comes together at the boarding fairs, where the support of local Priory families is essential to the success of the staff, Mr. Zappelli explained. The result is an increase every year in the number of well qualified applicants who have talked first-hand with both American staff and Asian families about the Priory experience. These carefully screened students are more likely to benefit from the Priory’s programs and will hopefully, in time, continue the active Priory alumni tradition, he added.

Alumni News & Notes

Peter Connell, class of 1979, is still a Beverly Hills, CA resident and loves playing volleyball on the beach every Saturday, he says. James (Jay) Jenson, class of 1980, and his wife, Colleen, have received extension orders for an additional six months of active duty in military service. Jay is stationed stateside and mobilizes and demobilizes US troops. He reports that he has talked to thousands of returning soldiers, who say their experience is of Iraquis who are friendly towards US solders and happy to have them there. Jay also reports that he was knighted by HIH Prince Ermias (titular emperor-in-exile of Ethiopia) and by HRH The Duke of Braganca (titular king of Portugal) for having helped coordinate a state visit to Portugal by the former. Both honors were completely unexpected, he said. Ken Lowney, class of 1983, writes that he recently opened his own architecture firm, Lowney Architecture. He is working on a Pilates studio and a house. Also, he just finished teaching at the California College of Arts, which means that he can now have more time to ride his bicycle in preparation for next season’s racing. Steve Pentelei-Molnar, class of 1983, retired from the San Diego Police Department in 2001 after 15 years of service. Now, he is a nationally certified firefighter/critical care paramedic and is currently a flight paramedic in Lassen County, CA. His wife, Tanya, is obtaining her doctorate in education and teaches kindergarten in Minden, NV. In his free time he rides ATV’s and hopes to race the West Coast Off Road Series next year. Johnson Chan, class of 1985, married Vivian Lee on November 18, 2003, in San Francisco, CA, with some Priory classmates in attendance. Derek Gibbs, class of 1986, is a director of decision support and accounts payable at Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa, California. He bikes with his sons, Colby (6) and Jeffrey (4), and this year will start teaching them to ski. Jean Henri Lhuillier, class of 1988, writes that his wife, Beatriz, gave birth to their second boy, Sebastian Henri Luillier, on June 24, 2003. John Peterson, class of 1993, is currently national sales manager for Powerhouse Pets, an independent agency representing manufacturers of pet products for the trade. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife, Aishling, and children Charlotte and August. They expect another child in January. David Tiao, class of 1995, was married in February 2003. Nicola Hancock, class of 1997, and her fiancé, Luigi, set a wedding date of April 17, 2004 in Malibu, California. They’ve purchased a home in Moorpark, CA Nicole has a new job as a therapist/case worker in a counseling group where she helps people diagnosed with autism, mild mental retardation and Downs Syndrome. Bernadette Austin, class of 1998, is a client benefits coordinator at New Connections, a counseling center in Concord, CA, where her work involves providing services to clients recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. In the fall, she completed yoga training and will add this to the kick-boxing she already teaches. Michael Bower, class of 1998, is submitting applications to Ph.D programs with plans to study invasive plant species affecting freshwater streams. He’s hoping for a National Science Foundation or Environmental Protection Agency grant. He teaches Shito-Ryu karate to students ranging in age from toddlers to senior citizens. Mark Ruiz, class of 1998, is scheduled to graduate from the University of Santa Clara with a marketing major in March 2004. He took Chinese language classes and is investigating the possibility of teaching English in China after graduation. Darren Zulberti, class of 1999, is now a producer at WXII 12 News in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He’s enjoying living in a new part of the country and working for a top-rated NBC affiliate, he says. Emily Kirkland, class of 2001, in now a junior at UC San Diego and was recently elected President of her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. Chrissy Spanoghe, class of 2002, is attending Whittier College and completing a geology major. She completed her senior thesis two years early and during the summers conducted research at Stanford University. She plans to make a presentation at the American Geophysical Union in December 2004, and to see her paper published by AGU. Raymond Austin, class of 2003, is a freshman at UC Santa Cruz. He lives at Oakes College, the most multi-cultural college at the campus, and he has become an active member of the Filipino Student Association. He balances the work of honors seminar classes with surfing, volleyball, and basketball, he says. Chris Nemetz, class of 2003, was involved in a serious traffic accident in Honolulu on November 27. He is attending the University of Hawaii. His father reports that, after surgery and a stay in the hospital, the prognosis is for a complete recovery, including basketball next year.

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Alumni Ted Larson, is Fortune Magazine’s Geek Pick

Fortune Magazine editors had a bright idea for the Oct. 6, ’03 issue: find some geeks and send them into a normal, American home to…well, bring it into the new century, technically speaking. So, who you gonna call? Ted Larson was one of three on Fortune’s geek team, and his photo was on the inside cover as well as in the feature piece. Ted’s claim to geekdom is that, in addition to being a former corporate chief technical officer, he’s a member of a robot club with his own homemade robot. With two geek teammates, he entered the domicile of a technically innocent family of four (who only knew they’d like to email photos to grandma), and he left them really, really well stocked with stuff. The story, which goes on for 2,635 words, starts on Fortunes page 66. You can find it online at www.fortune.com in the issue archives.

12 TRANSITIONS

Judith Browning, Ph.D. Dr. Browning, a member of the Priory English faculty since 2001, died on Dec. 6, 2003 just a few weeks after cancer was diagnosed. She leaves her husband, Geoff, daughter Erin and son August (Augie), a Priory sixth grader. Dr. Browning held BS, MA and Ph.D (in Literature and Theology) degrees. Her professional life included a wide variety of teaching and administrative responsibilities at Golden Gate University in San Francisco, as well as teaching awards and many professional publications and presentations. Dr. Browning was beloved by students and colleagues for her professionalism and enthusiasm. This year, she introduced a senior elective in Shakespeare and re-instituted a field trip to the Ashland Shakespeare festival. She also was freshman class monitor. More information will be in the February Priory Parent newsletter and on the school website.

Former WPS Headmaster –Dr. Joachim W. Froehlich died on Nov. 21, 2003. Dr. Froehlich was Headmaster of Woodside Priory School from 1991 to 1995. During his short tenure at WPS, Dr. Froehlich made great advancements in capital improvements and technology on the campus, supported by the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. William Hewlett. His vision allowed the Priory to increase enrollment and establish a sound financial basis. A native of Naugatuck, Connecticut, Dr. Froehlich held bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D (in economics) degrees. His professional life included presidencies of Loras, St. Anselm’s, and (most recently) Elms colleges. Contributionns in Dr. Froelich’s memory may be made to the WPS scholarship fund.

Parent Leader during the Priory’s early years–Father Egon Javor, a founder of WPS, celebrated mass at the Priory Chapel for his friend of many years, Helen Breslin Hennig, who died on Dec. 2, 2003 after a long battle with cancer. She leaves her husband, Thomas, six children, 12 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Mrs. Hennig had a BS degree from UC Berkeley, and participated with her husband in their family business. While their sons Dewey and Brian were Priory students, the Hennigs were for many years co-presidents of the Parent Association, and Tom was also head of the WPS Foundation. “Tom’s work was, of course, with her support. She loved life, loved parties, and enjoyed the activities of the Knights of Malta,” recalled Father Egon. The family kindly suggested donations to the Father Egon Scholarship Fund.