The Magazine of St. Paul VI Catholic High School • Spring/Summer 2021
SCHOOL NEWS
“It was really nice to be able to connect with God in a quiet, peaceful setting.”
“Theatre has always been important in times of strain and difficulty and could not be needed more than it is right now.”
“They were always ready to go big, but prepared to scale back if necessary.”
P5
P9
P16
SCHOOL NEWS
“You have to be fully invested in what you’re doing and fully present.”
“It’s been exhausting at times, but so worth it knowing that we’re helping protect our community from COVID-19.”
P20
P24
“Self-Portraits are part of the curriculum in my Intro and Studio I Art classes. I thought of skipping them this year since we couldn’t see half of our faces, but I thought to myself: What is art if not a part of our history? It writes history, keeps our memories, and portrays our feelings of the present times onto our personal art pieces. So instead of canceling, I decided that every student in Art should write their own history and make a self-portrait with their masks on.” — CINDY ALI, ART TEACHER ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
iii
SCHOOL NEWS
IN THIS ISSUE Panther Tracks Magazine St. Paul VI Catholic High School 42341 Braddock Road Chantilly, VA 20152 703-352-0925 • paulvi.net
Creativity Unmasked Spotlight on the Arts
6
A D M I N I S T R AT I O N Head of School Mrs. Virginia Colwell P ’97, ’99, ’05 Principal Dr. Tom Opfer ’96 Mrs. Elba Campagna P ’16, ’18, ’19, ’21 Assistant Principal, Dean of Academics Mrs. Eileen Hanley P ’00 Assistant Principal, Admissions and Student Life Mr. Patrick McGroarty P ’09, ’10 Assistant Principal, Dean of Students Mrs. Michelle Pochick Chief Financial Officer Fr. Stephen Schultz Chaplain
Student Profiles Seniors Make Their Mark
20
Dr. Peg Weimer P ’01, ’04, ’05 Dean of Instruction OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT Ms. Kate Grimm Andreottola ’94, ’25 Director of Advancement Mrs. Mary Ashooh Hamrick ’86, P ’19, ’20, ’22 Associate Director, Constituent Relations Mrs. Kiersten Caputy Annual Fund Manager Ms. Virginia Wiles '12 Advancement Services Assistant O F F I C E O F C O M M U N I C AT I O N S Mrs. Amanda Darvill Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing Mrs. Eileen Kiley Curren ’98 Creative and Editorial Content Manager PVI SCHOOL BOARD 2020-2021 President: Mr. Matt Brockwell P ’16 Vice President: Mrs. Mary Lawrence P ’10, ’16
Fighting COVID-19 PVI Superheroes
24
Building on Extraordinary Campaign Update
36
Secretary: Mr. Matt Reynolds P ’10, ’11 Mrs. Cheryl Blair-Kijewski P ’07, ’09, ’15 Mr. Don Ditko P ’05, ’07 Mr. George Eastment P ’05 Mr. Mark Graham ’90, P ’22, ’24 Rev. Donald Heet, OSFS Mrs. Jennifer Bell Keating ’92, P ’22 Mrs. Marianne Moore P ’19, ’20, ’25
Giving Back Family Spotlights
38
Mrs. Ann Zigo Orem ’00 Mrs. Kate Shanley P ’21 Mrs. Angela Wilson P ’21, ’23
EVERY ISSUE
Mrs. Nancy Woodley P ’98, ’01
School News.............................................................2 Alumni Updates......................................................48
Cover: The Class of 2021 celebrated their graduation on the stadium field on Sunday, June 6. Photo by Dan Glass iv PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
In Memoriam ..........................................................58
FROM THE
HEAD OF SCHOOL We made it through this very challenging year and I am so proud of our faculty, staff and all our students for their dedication to adapting to the ever-changing environment we experienced. We collaborated, we persisted, and by the grace of God, we ended up with a very successful year. I was pleased that we were able to keep our school open throughout the year, offer in person learning, and allow our seniors to finish their last year at PVI in the building 100%. Most of all, we feel blessed that we had no severe cases or outbreaks of COVID-19 with healthy students and faculty throughout the year because we followed the safety protocols that were necessary. It certainly was not the year we imagined in our new home in Loudoun County, but we made the best of it that we possibly could. We persevered, worked together, prayed, and we made it happen regardless of many challenges. In this issue of Panther Tracks, you will see a lot of reflections on this past year and how we overcame challenges left and right. You can review a recap of the school year and learn more about how our athletics department and faculty adapted and thrived throughout the pandemic school year. We also have some wonderful stories from our amazing alumni and their involvement in the fight against COVID-19. Additionally, our students may have been behind masks, but their creativity was on full display this year and we are proud to feature work from our talented student artists, writers, performers and photographers throughout the issue. While this has been an extraordinary year, we are still “Building on Extraordinary” with our comprehensive campaign. Review the progress that is shared in this issue about our campaign, along with featured projects and donors. We are in the final stretch of the campaign and invite you to participate in any way possible. We are extremely grateful for all the support from our community that keeps our school thriving and helps us continue to realize our mission day after day. As we work on planning and preparing for the 2021-2022 school year, we look forward to returning to more normalcy and having all our students back in the building. Enjoy all the wonderful stories we have to share in this issue and thank you for being such an important part of our vibrant PVI Community! Continue to trust in the Lord.
Virginia Colwell, Head of School ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
1
SCHOOL NEWS
#InThisTogether Despite the challenges of dealing with COVID during the first year in our new campus, students, faculty and staff made the best of a unique school year. Bishop Burbidge visited campus on April 27.
Panther Perks brightened everyone’s morning with delivery of coffee and tea to offices by students in the Options program.
Paul VI earned the College Board AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science A. Mrs. Allison Granstedt, AP Computer Science teacher, is pictured with the award
2
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
Seniors returned to 100% in-person on March 1 and wore their class color red. Juniors returned 100% on April 19.
Registration for the Class of 2025 welcomed 300 new Panthers.
A Lasting Legacy School Board Members Retire St. Paul VI Catholic High School would like to thank the following School Board members who are retiring at the conclusion of the 2020-2021 school year. Thank you for your vision, dedication, generosity, kindness, and commitment to the mission of Paul VI. Our school is a better place because of you.
The SGA organized not one, but two, Spirit Weeks!
Matt Brockwell
Mary Lawrence
Artists Chrissy Curtis and Betsy Weich completed a mural of the Sermon on the Mount in the grotto under the chapel.
Matt Reynolds
Nancy Woodley
Panthers enjoyed a number of snow days this winter, with no virtual learning (Snow days are considered “gifts from God,” according to Mrs. Colwell!)
PVI received a record number of applications for admission.
“No matter where you may be make sure the world will be renewed upon contact with you.” — St. Paul VI ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
3
SCHOOL NEWS
Life Chain for March for Life
Campus Ministry: Living and Sharing Our Faith hile this year came with many barriers to typical service projects and retreats, the Campus Ministry team was able to provide an enriching experience for students through faith and a lot of creativity.
Students pack hygiene kits for those in need in Northern Virginia.
Service Projects Since they were not able to visit nursing homes, students baked and wrote letters to seniors. Students did outreach to refugees and others in need through local Catholic Charities organizations by preparing packages of items. Despite many challenges to completing service requirements, students gave more than the minimum hours required.
March for Life Our March for Life was held on January 29 and was a powerful day of solidarity. Our students were instrumental in planning a Night of Prayer with a live streamed program from the Cathedral. On Friday, a day of witness with small group sharing and talks, along with a sidewalk rosary, allowed students to give witness that “Life is VERY Good.” 4
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
Students donated and assembled Easter egg kits for Our Lady Queen of Peace food pantry.
Students Reflect on the Bethany Retreat: “I really liked being able to take some quiet time to journal, read scripture, or simply pray. It was really nice to be able to connect with God in a quiet, peaceful setting.” ~ Class of ’22
“The talks helped me approach the faith in a different way. The Bethany retreat also helped me realize that I needed to spend more time with God and make more of an effort to be with Him. Adoration was helpful as well because I was able to read the Bible and go to Confession for the first time in a long time.” ~ Class of ’23
“The Bethany retreat helped me to grow in my faith by the talks given by the mentors and guests. They talked about things that I have thought about, things that I was unsure of, and things that I have not even thought of before.” ~ Class of ’21
RETREATS Freshman Live Jesus Day These school day retreats allowed students to discuss how they can live their lives in the light of Christ’s love. Speakers from local charities gave presentations about resources to give back to the community. One breakout session discussed the lives of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal, patrons of our school. Deacon Tom Grodek shared personal testimony about his daughter Moey and the value and dignity of all life. Some fun and games with pool noodles rounded out the day.
Sophomore Live Jesus Day This retreat was led by NET Ministries and began with Mass. Sophomores were broken into groups so that the gospel message and the beauty, truth and goodness of God could be discussed in small groups. Games and skits broke up the day and students had opportunity for silent reflection and prayer.
Junior Retreats Junior retreats allowed students to delve deeper into the ideas and virtues put forth in Theology class. Small group
discussions and talks from people of faith allowed students to consider Students listen what grows each to a talk by China of us into a strong Briceño during the healthy Child of God. Considering Bethany Retreat. who we are in the context of the relationships we have with others and with Jesus brings about an understanding of the whole person.
Bethany Retreat This is not a retreat to the beach in Delaware, but refers instead to the town where Jesus went to be with his beloved friends. Twenty-five PVI students gathered on campus for three days and were joined virtually by students from Bishop Ireton, Saint John Paul the Great, and Bishop O'Connell. Students listened to speakers from the Diocese, worshiped in Adoration, celebrated Mass, and had time for group sharing and peaceful solitude to journal and listen to Jesus. Key topics of the retreat included relationships, confession, forgiveness, living, and sharing. ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
5
SCHOOL NEWS
C R E AT I V I T Y PVI Music Program Normal levels of repertoire were not always possible this past school year, but our music faculty and students kept the music alive. While keeping the music playing came with unique challenges, the show went on and there were a lot of lessons learned along the way.
“It proves that when you’re passionate about what you do and have faith, you can make it happen no matter what.” – SARA PRINCE, CONCERT CHOIR, CHAMBER CHOIR, PIANO, FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT CHAIR
The mix of virtual and in-person learning that came with the hybrid model we had for the majority of the school year created a few unique challenges for the music program. They worked through delays in sound for students joining virtually, singing and playing with masks, and not having a full ensemble of students to play together on any given day.
The music room used to be a technology free zone, but the faculty fully embraced technology this past year and discovered many great tools and online resources to help students that they plan to keep using moving forward. Flipgrid was used for students to record themselves performing a piece to submit 6
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
to their teacher. In order to reduce contamination from the use of paper music, they made use of Smart Music for electronic sheet music. Sight Reading Factory was used to record themselves playing a piece of music and understand where they may have been off and need additional practice.
“Regardless of all the challenges we faced, I feel fortunate and blessed that we were able to keep the music program going.” – JAN SIEGFRIED, CONCERT BAND, SYMPHONIC BAND, STRING ENSEMBLE
When the students came together for performances in 2021, it was an adjustment with social distancing and wearing masks. The distancing made it challenging to hear others in the ensemble as they sang or played a piece. Virtual performances were planned for Christmas, since a live audience was not permitted due to COVID restrictions at the time. Obtaining the proper licensing was a challenge and the department knew that a recording or livestream would not be the same high quality as a live performance. However, the students had a great attitude and were just happy to be able to perform. This past year presented a significant amount of change and it was amazing to see the ability for the students to adapt and for the faculty and students to build confidence and adjust to the many changes we navigated throughout the year.
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
7
SCHOOL NEWS
C R E AT I V I T Y
Nick Burgos ’21 played the part of Jesus.
Karina Morey ’21 8
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
Marlene Brasco ’23
SCHOOL NEWS
The Show Must Go On PVI Players Present Godspell
Article by Caitlin Hollen ’21
Although prolonged COVID lockdowns left dust gathering on Broadway stages, high school theatre students continued to work around restrictions throughout the pandemic. Students at PVI were able to perform the musical Godspell live on stage for a limited audience.
Faith Hargadon ’22
Producing an in-person show had its challenges, but luckily the fall play Deck the Stage gave students and PVI theatre’s director Mrs. Kathy d’Alelio valuable experiences in this new era where streaming shows online had become the norm. “I had never considered virtual shows, ever. However, I wanted the theatre students to have as normal a year as possible,” d’Alelio shares. d’Alelio’s motivation to keep the stage lights shining was matched by the student actors and technicians in PVI’s vibrant theatre program. “Everyone was really good at respecting the COVID protocols to keep us safe. We have tackled each new obstacle as it has come, and this problem-solving thinking will help us after graduation too,” explains senior Sabrina Smith, stage manager.
Jackson Herrera ’23, Jak Ketron ’21, Marlene Brasco ’23, Adam Hill ’21
“The fact that we are overcoming the challenges posed by COVID is a testament to the dedication and desire of our students to keep doing the best work they can in the classroom and on the stage,” d’Alelio agrees. After months of masked rehearsals, students performed Godspell live for limited audiences April 1618 in Teatro Montini. The show was recorded and a link to view the show was available at a later date. Senior Karina Morey, who played one of Jesus’ Apostles, says that the show had a “contagious energy to it,” stemming from the ensemble-based musical numbers and energetic choreography. “Given how unpredictable this year has been, I am so grateful that we were able to have in-person rehearsals and a limited live audience.” The themes of the play were perfect for this unique and challenging school year.
Adam Hill ’21
“Coming soon after Easter, Godspell’s theme of Jesus’s followers coming together, telling the parables, and witnessing the last days of His life felt so perfect for the times today. Godspell is fun, carefree, silly and joyful” reflects d’Alelio.
“T heatre has always been important in times of strain and difficulty and could not be needed more than it is right now.”
— KATHY D’ALELIO, THEATER DIRECTOR
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
9
SCHOOL NEWS
C R E AT I V I T Y
Capturing Moments of Beauty Photography Club Spotlight “Photography is a hobby of mine and my family and peers advised me to start a club. I wanted to find other people who shared the same interests as me,” shares sophomore Patrick Matthews.
“The Photography Club has come and gone over the years. Patrick is in my class and I came across a beautiful photo he had taken. We started discussing photography and I found out how talented he was so we inquired about starting up Photography Club again,” shares Mrs. Cindy Harkes, club moderator.
“Photography for me personally was an escape and something I truly have found a passion for. Some of the things I love to photograph are the architecture of buildings, especially the monuments in Washington D.C. I’m also inspired by the new PVI building’s architecture and wanted to capture it through my eyes,” reflects junior Taylor Virusky, another club member.
Finn McMahon ’23 10
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
Photography Club members submitted photos that symbolized the theme of “Hope” to them
Patrick Matthews ’23
Taylor Virusky ’22 ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
11
ART SPOTLIGHT
C R E AT I V I T Y
Untitled by So Eun Kim ’22
A Child’s Dream by Melissa Vinh ’23
C R E AT I V I T Y O N D I S P L AY PVI students may have been behind masks this year, but their creativity was on full display. The Art Department presented a Virtual Art Show titled “Untangling Minds in the times of COVID” on the PVI YouTube Channel in late May. A few of the pieces are displayed here, and we invite readers to visit our YouTube page to view more artwork and descriptions from many of our talented student artists.
Bliss by Lauren Mangilit ’22
12
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
Untitled by Kiran Walls ’22
Baby Seeing Light by Estella Dermody ’23 A World of Wonders by Sarah Burkat ’23
Up Close by Devyn Wallace ’24 It Echoes Still by Julia Thomas ’22 ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
13
SCHOOL NEWS
C R E AT I V I T Y
SHORT STORY Marlene Brasco ’23 Wrote a modernist short story inspired by Franz Kafka and James Joyce.
I Saved the Boy
by Marlene Brasco ’23 (Excerpt)
Modernist Inspiration Students in Honors English 10 (taught by Dr. Mary Sullivan-Haller and Mrs. Meghan Glasbrenner) worked on a project that went beyond the written word of a typical English assignment. Students were asked to create a submission that was a performance, visual artwork, short story or poetry. They had a great deal of creative liberty as long as their work was inspired by the Modernist era. Several submissions were displayed in the Learning Commons and we have featured a few submissions from each category.
POETRY Mia Valli ’23 Submitted a poem titled “m, i, y, u” that is eye catching in both structure and grammar. Her work was inspired by e.e. cummings and his poem “next to of course god america i”
m, i, y, u world going down down down lurking in the shadows darkness creeping in whispers in my ear bd chks hr vs m up up up bd chks hr vs m up up up to view the rest of the poem, visit www.paulvi.net/modernism
14
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
Egan Opus had once saved a boy from drowning. It had been several years ago. Despite the clamor of the event, it had been the clearest his head had ever been. Egan’s eyes were pried open one morning by an unidentifiable dread. This restless feeling began as a haze in his mind and worked its way down towards a sinking in his stomach. The sun’s harsh rising rays stung him as they seeped through the window blinds. Bewildered, Egan changed the direction of his stare towards the woman sleeping next to him. Charity. They had been married for eleven years, yet she seemed more remote by the day. Objectively beautiful, Charity’s porcelain face was only interrupted by a wrinkle eleven years in the making that perpetuated a consternation not even sleep could relieve. She was pleasant. As he watched the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest, Egan’s breaths grew shallower as he felt increasingly trapped. The heat of his blankets was scalding, so he kicked them off and crumpled them towards the foot of the bed. Hurrying out of bed, he looked absentmindedly towards Charity. Though she had not woken up, her breathing became uneven, and the valley of a wrinkle in her forehead deepened. He departed. Find the full story at www.paulvi.net/modernism
Lia Pugsley ’23 Wrote several poems inspired by William Carlos Williams and e.e. cummings.
VISUAL Claire Branic ’23 Submitted both a drawing and an accompanying poem titled “Blonde and Blue” inspired by Picasso.
Blonde and Blue
by: Claire Branic ’23
She once was there but now is gone, The memory of her has been banished to oblivion. The image of her standing tall and proud, Has now vanished as quickly as a cloud. There’s fear that nothing will ever be the same, As everyone around me is forgetting her name. Her name was on the tips of everyone’s tongue But now her death has early begun. Maybe life is worth more than blonde hair and blue eyes.
Lizzie Dickson ’23 Submitted a modernist painting, The Circles of Life, inspired by Wassily Kandinsky.
In this painting I used the modernist element of pushing the boundaries of what is considered “art.” Art doesn’t always have to be a perfect portrait of a group of people or land. Art is anything you want it to be. I wanted my painting to be the one that catches the little girl’s eye while she is walking down the street and asks her mom to stop just because she sees my painting in the window. Wassily’s sort of freeness to his painting makes me feel like I can do anything.
Duality of Night In this Modernist assignment, I composed a piece using the piano. In terms of style, I was influenced by Arnold Schoenberg who wrote many atonal pieces, one being Op. 19 “Leicht,” which helped inspire my own composition. It stuck out to me as I envisioned the notes as a vivid artistic expression. When I wrote my song, I had the idea in mind that it could be “seen;” I didn’t want the piece to be confined to just hearing. My hands followed what I felt was right, creating disharmony while showing emotion.
PERFORMANCE Jamie Nguyen ’23 Composed a piano piece titled “Duality of the Night” that was influenced by Arnold Schoenberg.
To hear the piece, visit www.paulvi.net/modernism
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
15
SPORTS NEWS
Panthers Compete During Pandemic
Billy Emerson, Director of Athletics
his past year has been anything but normal for PVI Athletics. While we had students back in the building in the fall, we started the school year with a suspension on sports within the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC). Though we could not compete within our conference, we still wanted to give our students an opportunity to play, so in Fall 2020, we organized a series of intra-squad competitions called the “Black and Gold Games.” The Black and Gold games gave our students the opportunity to practice, scrimmage, and get ready to play against other teams in our conference.
of the year, this gave us time to establish routines, get organized, and settle into our new facility. We had limitations on the number of fans who could attend games. Initially, we could have only one parent per athlete inside and two per athlete for outdoor sports. However, this allowed us time to observe the flow of traffic and use of our new facilities with a smaller crowd. By the end of the school year, we were pleased to be able to welcome more fans and were better prepared to handle it.
Once we were back in play in January 2021, our typical sports seasons shifted: fall sports started in February and ran through April; winter sports practiced in December and competed in January; and spring sports ran from the end of April to the end of the school year.
We kept our students active throughout the year, and none of this would have been possible without our supportive administration and coaching staff who have been amazing at adapting to changes and being available to help make it happen this year. They were always ready to go big, but prepared to scale back if necessary.
While this year brought a lot of changes and challenges, we continued to look for the silver linings. Though we could not compete within the conference at the start
Looking ahead to the 2021-2022 school year, we’re ready for more normalcy and getting our athletes back on campus for a full year of sports.
Girls Basketball Plays in GEICO High School Nationals It was an exciting year for our Lady Panthers who were invited to participate in the GEICO High School Nationals tournament in Florida and won the semifinal game. The Lady Panthers played in the championship game against Westlake High School (GA) and despite a hard fought loss, Panther fans from all over the
16
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
country tuned in to ESPN2 to cheer them on and the Lady Panthers definitely made PVI proud. While the team started the season unranked, they finished #2 in the country and were ranked in the top five in all national media rankings. Congrats, Lady Panthers!
The Girls Swim Team placed first in the 11th annual Northern Virginia Catholic Invitational Championship held in January.
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
17
SCHOOL NEWS
Students Earn Recognition in National Merit Competition Patrick Boyd, Matthew Tan, and James Yoon were named Finalists in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. Catherine Bare, Nicolas Herrera, Lindsey Laubacher, Beatrice Tynan, and Emma Vannell were named Commended Students.
Patrick Boyd
We Are So Proud Of All Your Accomplishments!
2 PERFECT ACT SCORES
Matthew Tan
3 FI NALI S T S
NATIONAL MERIT
James Yoon
Catherine Bare
NATIONAL MERIT COMMENDED SCHOLARS
AP SCHOLARS
NATIONAL AP SCHOLAR
Nicolas Herrera
Lindsey Laubacher
ATHLETES PLAYING AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL
14,530
OVER HOURS OF SERVICE IN YOUR 4 YEARS AT PVI Beatrice Tynan 18
Emma Vannel
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
ADVANCING TO THE NEXT LEVEL Congratulations to the Class of 2021 College Bound Athletes
Front row, pictured left to right: Will Barnes (Boston University Lacrosse), Noelia Melendez (Marymount Soccer), Ethan Hodges (University of Detroit Mercy Lacrosse). Second row: Garrett Appleton (Lynchburg Baseball), Burke McFarlane (Tampa University Lacrosse), Patrick Neubauer (Stevenson University Lacrosse), Grace Curtin (Monmouth University Lacrosse). Third row: Dani Brown (Mt. St. Mary’s Softball), Daniel Quintana (James Madison Baseball), Madelyn Duren (Roanoke College Basketball). Fourth row: Bennett Love (Colorado College Lacrosse), Ryan Cammas (Wheeling University Football), Remigio Ferrara (Marymount Baseball), Dylan Previ (Piedmont College Lacrosse).
Fifth row: Andrew Gillman (Hartwick Basketball), Rixon Webb (Richard Bland Baseball), Lindsey Laubacher (Catholic University Softball). Sixth row: Olivia Gaillard (St. Francis University, New York; Soccer), Edwin Ramirez (Catholic University Soccer), Rachel Jacobs (Muhlenburg College Volleyball), Bryce Morris (Manhattan College Lacrosse). Back row: Catherine Bare (William & Mary Gymnastics). Virtual/Not Present for Photo: Lee Volker (Duke Basketball), Tyler Coleman (Towson Basketball), Trevor Keels (Duke Basketball), Jack Jensen (West Point Basketball), Michael Trinh (Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Soccer).
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
19
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
A Champion for All Bryan Bohn ’21
ryan is a fantastic leader. He possesses the character traits you always hope for in students and players. He represented our ‘All In’ program incredibly,” shares Mike Grandizio, Varsity Football Coach.
After graduation, Bryan will be attending St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. He will focus on Autism Behavioral studies and plans to double major in Special Education and Business. He looks forward to continuing to serve and make an impact.
Embodying the “all-in” mindset not only in athletics, but also in academics, extracurriculars, and service, Bryan Bohn ’21 has taken full advantage of the PVI experience, making our school community a better place in the process. Bryan was a varsity football player, a peer mentor, president of the Student Ambassadors, and involved in several clubs, including serving as an executive board member of Panther Pals, a group that fosters friendship, understanding, and acceptance among students in the Options program within the school.
In addition to honing his career interests, Bryan values the people he has met at PVI. He has appreciated being given the independence and trust to figure things out on his own.
Bryan’s call to help others started before he came to PVI. As a youth league baseball player, Bryan volunteered at Challenger League baseball games for children with special needs. When he came to PVI, Bryan felt it was a natural fit to get involved as a peer mentor in the Options program. In addition to his leadership role with Panther Pals, he took the Peer Mentoring elective this past year. When asked about Peer Mentoring, Bryan shares, “I love it. It's not easy, but it's accessible to us here at PVI and I’m so thankful for that. Peer Mentoring is a gratifying and fulfilling experience because I get to see the people who I work with grow in the classroom and social environments.”
20
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
“The people at PVI have definitely impacted me and shaped who I am. PVI has teachers and coaches who are willing to put confidence in students to get the job done. It really makes us feel like the projects are our own and you can take more pride in what you do. I like doing things that way, because you have to learn while you're going. You have to be fully invested in what you're doing and fully present.” Many faculty and staff are proud of what Bryan has accomplished and the impact he has made at PVI. “Bryan jumps in to volunteer without being asked. He is a true servant leader in every aspect of the term. Bryan is the epitome of everything we want our graduates to be. He embodies all the characteristics of Salesian Spirituality,” shares Eileen Hanley, Director of Admissions and Student Life. One person thrilled about Bryan pursuing Special Education is Trish Adams, Director of the PVI Options program. Trish shares, “Bryan is always ready to respond to the call to serve by displaying the highest degree of respect, responsibility and joy towards the students from Options. Bryan is a champion for all.”
“Bryan is always ready to respond to the call to serve by displaying the highest degree of respect, responsibility and joy towards the students from Options. Bryan is a champion for all.” ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH PROGRAM SCHOOL 21 — TRISH ADAMS, DIRECTOR OF THE PVI OPTIONS
SCHOOL NEWS
“A desire to serve my Hispanic community while helping to curtail cross-cultural disparities... is rooted in an upbringing as a daughter of Colombian immigrants.” — CAMILA GUTIERREZ ’21 22
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
STUDENT SPOTIGHT
Passion for Science
Camila Gutierrez ’21
love for science, animals and cross-cultural understanding motivates senior Camila Gutierrez ’21. Camila grew up mesmerized by animals and the complexity and beauty of science. Combining these two interests, she aspires to become a veterinarian actively involved in research. Camila has worked at a veterinary clinic for four years and done canine agility training with her own dog for over eight years. Inspired by this love of animals, Camila founded Paws Fur a Good Cause, an animal service club at PVI that organizes projects for animal shelters and brings in animal experts, such as therapy dog handlers, to speak to students. An academic highlight for Camila at PVI has been participating in Directed Independent Study through the science department. Her research was on the use of an antibiotic called thiostrepton as a possible treatment to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells
“Directed Independent Study has provided me the unique opportunity to independently pursue my specific scientific interests in a supportive environment. With Mrs. Liberti’s and Dr. Potter’s mentorship, I have been able to strengthen the fundamental qualities of responsibility, communication, and initiative that every scientist should have, while also solidifying my affinity for research,” Camila reflects. Camila’s after school job at a veterinary clinic led to additional independent research on the link between popular grain-free diets and canine dilated cardiomyopathy, a type of heart disease in dogs. Camila entered her research into the Girls International ThreeMinute Science Competition and her video won first place out of 200 entries from 16 countries.
Camila has also served as a medical Spanish translator for Somos Amigos Medical Missions in the Dominican Republic. “A desire to serve my Hispanic community while helping to curtail cross-cultural disparities similarly fuels me and is rooted in an upbringing as a daughter of Colombian immigrants.” She hopes to continue this work in the future, stating, “These experiences have helped me see not only how fortunate I am to have access to health care, but to see people coming together for a common cause to help with cross-cultural disparities.” Camila will attend the University of Virginia next year where she plans to study biology and neuroscience on a pre-veterinary track. She has been named an Echols, College Science, and University Achievement Award Scholar. Camila plans to take her love of service and animals with her to college and beyond. “I plan on volunteering at the wildlife centers and animal clinics since I worked at one throughout high school. Additionally, I would like to continue visiting nursing homes with student volunteer groups since I was able to do this at PVI through the Pink and White Club.” “Working with animals and people, alongside multiple research projects, have opened my mind and rooted my happiest memories.”
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
23
A L U M N I T O D AY 24
Jonathan and Aysha met at PVI through classes and started dating their junior year.
Jonathan Puhl ’01 has had a lead role in vaccination distribution as the Ambulatory Clinical Pharmacy Manager for Inova.
Vaccine Dream Team Jonathan Puhl ’01
As PVI faculty and staff started receiving their COVID-19 vaccines in February, many booked appointments at Inova’s vaccination clinic in Fairfax, and returned raving about the efficiency and organization of the experience. The success of Inova’s vaccinations efforts are thanks in no small part to the work of Jonathan Puhl ’01. Jonathan is a clinical pharmacist, currently serving as the Ambulatory Clinical Pharmacy Manager for Inova. “Since December 15, we’ve been vaccinating nonstop. We roll out about 32,000 a week. In high school, I did an experiment with NoDoz on mealworms to study their activity
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
rates. So whether I realized it at the time or not I was studying the current effects of my caffeine intake.” Jonathan has certainly relied on caffeine during the past year. “The first three or four months we worked every day. We worked Christmas and New Year’s. Now we’re working six days a week, and Sundays are usually my day to catch up on payroll and email. It’s been exhausting at times, but so worth it knowing that we’re helping protect our community from COVID-19.” Jonathan jokes that at PVI he was “the nerdiest of nerds.” “I was definitely a science brain. I took AP Biology and Chemistry, and that was where my underlying
passion was.” Jonathan was also on varsity football, varsity lacrosse, was on the freshman wrestling team and a highlight for him was being a member of the 1999 WCAC Championship football team. “Friday night lights was a big thing; the stadium was packed every week. Any time I had outside of school I dedicated to football for the majority of the year. A lot of that regimen, dedication, and time management definitely helped shape my work ethic. After PVI, Jonathan attended Duquesne University, graduating in 2007 from Duquesne’s Mylan School of Pharmacy with his Doctorate in Pharmacy. “My focus was ambulatory care, which is chronic disease state management in a primary care setting for conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.” After completing his residency at Kaiser Permanente, Jonathan worked at Georgetown Hospital as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist and Manager of Anticoagulation/ Ambulatory Services. After ten years at Georgetown, Jonathan moved into his current management role at Inova, and continues to teach Pharmacology at both Georgetown School of Medicine and School of Nursing. “Immunizations are part of what we do in pharmacy, but something on this scale was totally different. The goal was to basically immunize all of Northern Virginia. We had to build a lot up because this is a different beast. I hired dozens of pharmacy techs and pharmacists, basically an army of people to get this done.” “The distribution has been a tiered approach between the Virginia Department of Health and county health departments and our INOVA leadership has given us our ‘true north’ and vision for what we need to do.” Throughout the response, Jonathan has expanded his typical range of responsibilities. “I never thought I'd have to handle a minus eighty degree freezer or be an expert on power grids and generator backups. It’s amazing just the operations needed to figure it all out.” In addition to strong leadership and coordination, Jonathan cites the importance of volunteers. “We could not have done this without our volunteers, from the Medical Reserve Corps, to community organizations and private volunteer groups to our own Inova team members
The Puhl family
who stepped outside of their normal roles to work at the clinic. We’re supporting a lot of it internally, but we definitely need the help of our volunteers to get it done.” The ability to manage so many moving parts is something Jonathan experienced at PVI. “The craziness of high school kept me grounded and organized. I was actively involved in academics, sports, extracurriculars and I worked through high school. All that allowed me to juggle a lot of different things and helped build up skillsets that are applicable now in my life.” Jonathan speaks with pride for what he and the team at Inova have been able to accomplish. “Inova is in the top five providers of vaccines in Virginia and one of the health systems leading the nation. We’ve definitely tried to take what we've learned along the way and help other people. Our CEO, Dr. Stephen Jones, has been closely involved with other major health systems and the White House as we’ve rolled out the vaccines. We even had a white paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine for the way we approached vaccine distribution. It’s definitely a kudos to the whole team here.” Despite long hours at the office, Jonathan values time with his family when he can. He is married to Aysha Caram Puhl, also ’01. “We started dating junior year and are now married with two children, ages four and eight. It’s definitely been a weird year, but things are starting to open back up and soccer has started again. As a family, we’re looking forward to getting back to regular life.”
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
25
COVID HEROES
PVI SUPERHEROES We continue to hear about our alumni, alumni parents, faculty, staff and students who are superheroes in the fight against COVID. In this issue, we are excited to share a few more superheroes with you, nominated by the community.
Jennifer Derasmo P’20, ’23 Mother to Kelly ’20 and Will ’23
Cathy Olech ’90 Cathy is an emergency room nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In her profession, she has cared for many COVID patients. Some she has been able to assist in their recovery, but many she has cared for in their final hours of life. In staying with them, she has been determined that “no one should die alone.”
26
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
Jennifer works as an INOVA urgent care nurse and has been on the front lines of the pandemic taking care of patients from all walks of life. Pre-vaccine, she worked several all-day shifts testing patients outside at the Tysons site. Post-vaccine, she has worked all day shifts administering the vaccine. Patients and colleagues have singled her out as an excellent care-giver and she has been specially requested by INOVA to work with special populations such as transplant patients, including giving up a vacation day to administer vaccines.
Dr. Jesus Henson P’18, ’22
Father to Antonella ’18, Raphaella ’18, Isabella ’22, Gabriella ’22 Dr. Henson spent the last year and a half on the frontlines of the pandemic as an internal medicine hospitalist with Kaiser Permanente. He spent multiple consecutive weeks aiding COVID patients without a break at three Virginia hospitals associated with Kaiser. His perseverance and dedication to those patients not only saved lives, but also made the environment safer for everyone.
Mrs. Julie Eyerman P’10, ’12, ’13, ’16, PVI School Nurse
Mother to Meghan ’10, Molly ’12, Brendan ’13, Dylan ’16
In addition to her work as one of PVI’s nurses, Julie donates her free time giving shots at vaccination clinics. She helped a recent widow (whose husband died from COVID) on staff by providing transportation when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and has offered counseling and support.
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
27
C SC OH VO I DO LH ENREOWESS
Dr. Claudine Meyer P’19, ’22
Fr. Nicholas Barnes ’03,
Parochial Vicar at St. Theresa Fr. Barnes jumped in at St. Theresa School wherever he saw a need. He started with taking temperatures in the carpool line every morning. He worked with the school software developer to come up with a unique “Saint of the Day” that children have to say at drop off to confirm a health check has been completed. He knows each child, greets them by name, and has jumped in for lunch duty to give teachers a rest.
Mother to Derrick ’19 and Emery ’22 Dr. Meyer is an Internal Medicine doctor for Novant and spent countless hours and sleepless nights to ensure the safety and health of her patients. She was willing to be quarantined in her own home to make sure that no one else in the family would get COVID. She took extra shifts and promoted social distancing, as well the intake of more water and vitamins to emphasize the importance of a healthy lifestyle that will increase one's chances to be safe from coronavirus.
School Board passes resolution recognizing PVI faculty and staff At their last meeting of the year in May, the Paul VI School Board voted to pass a resolution to recognize all PVI faculty and staff for their work during the 2020-2021 school year. “Every single member of the PVI leadership, staff and faculty have gone above and beyond all expectations this past year to keep our school open. Their extraordinary efforts have kept the students, families and faculty safe, while still providing — virtually and in-person — a first class Catholic education that defines PVI. We recognize this was not an easy feat and want everyone to know that all the extra work, learning new technologies, and communicating with students on campus and off campus has not gone unnoticed. Your efforts are appreciated more than we can ever fully convey. The entire School Board thanks you for all that you do for our school, the students and the community,” said Matt Brockwell P’16, President of the School Board.
28
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
SCHOOL NEWS
Getting Social with a Purpose
“I enjoy making people smile, especially during difficult times,” shares Jason Carr ’06. ason was born with cerebral palsy and has always enjoyed getting involved and connecting people. At PVI, Jason was the treasurer of the freshman class, served as manager of the football team, and was president of the chess club. During the pandemic, Jason felt called to create something that would help other people with disabilities. After some brainstorming, Jason’s platform was born. A friend suggested the name Social Dist-Ability as a way of combining “social distance” with “disability.” “Social Dist-Ability is a social media platform for people with disabilities or who have family members who have disabilities. During the pandemic, I saw a need for a place where people with disabilities who may be isolated could bond and learn from each other about how to deal with the new environment. I wanted to create a place where people could laugh, learn, and be inspired,” shares Jason. A community of support is also something that Jason valued about his time at Paul VI. “My favorite PVI memory is how I was able to interact with so many different people and be a part of such a great community. Although I was the only physically disabled student in my class at the time, I was very accepted by my peers, which gave me confidence going forward.” After PVI, Jason attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and received a B.A. in English. During college, he started working at a finance company. He later transitioned to web design and is still in that line of work today.
Jason Carr ’06
Jason recently moved Social Dist-Ability from Facebook to Instagram in order to connect with more people. Jason just reached 2,400 followers and recently introduced a new logo (designed by PVI friend Andrea Lopiano Lamont ’05) and is selling merchandise through Glitz N Glam Designz, run by another PVI friend, Vanessa Romero ’06. He is excited about the future. “I would love to connect with more alumni and students through my platform @socialdistability on Instagram! Come check it out!”
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
29
SCHOOL NEWS
Career Day Goes Virtual
Article by Natalie Askin ’22
or the past several years, our Counseling
different careers. However, with the pandemic, it
Department has organized a Career Day, an
was impossible to gather for an event this large.
event where students meet representatives
Nevertheless, PVI had a Career Day hero: our College
from different professions to learn more about
and Career Counselor, Mrs. Tina Roller. Mrs. Roller came up with a way to organize Career Day virtually, so students could still learn and benefit. She created a Google website and started recruiting. “I reached out to our community, past Career Day participants, alumni, and others, to ask if they would like to participate by making a video to share with students,” Mrs. Roller said. In all, 85 people volunteered and 65 career fields were represented, including videos from 20 alumni, 16 alumni parents, and 6 faculty members. In their videos, volunteers shared their career journeys, gave great advice, and offered help to all of our students. Mrs. Roller also included videos by PVI faculty, as well as college representatives. There were even trivia
To participate in Career Day 2022, please contact Tina Roller at troller@paulvi.net 30
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
School Counseling in a Virtual Setting This was quite the unusual year, and with limitations on gatherings and the hybrid model making things extra challenging, our Counseling department embraced technology. In addition to a virtual Career Day, they hosted the following:
6
VIRTUAL PARENT
COFFEE CHATS
5
VIRTUAL EVENING PROGRAMS 2 VIRTUAL COLLEGE NIGHTS 1 VIRTUAL SENIOR PARENT NIGHT 1 VIRTUAL MILITARY ACADEMY NIGHT 1 SPEAKER ON RESILIENCE
contests with prizes to get students even VIRTUAL COLLEGE VISITS
more engaged. Virtual Career Day consequently got an amazing
460
response. According to junior Alyssa Costigan, “Virtual Career Day was a really helpful resource
VIRTUAL APPOINTMENTS
with a ton of information. I definitely got good use from it.” As of mid-May, the Career Day website has had almost 7,000 views.
“Our school is truly blessed to have a community who is so supportive and generous with their time.” — TINA ROLLER, COLLEGE AND CAREER COUNSELOR
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
31
• The V & J, Vive Jesu, translates to Live Jesus. This is the motto of St. Francis de Sales, the patron saint of St. Paul VI Catholic High School.
• The crescent moon is from the shield of the Diocese of Arlington.
• In 2018, the school seal was updated to reflect the canonization of St. Pope Paul VI and “Est. 1983” replaced “Fairfax, Virginia” to reflect PVI’s relocation to Loudoun County in the summer of 2020.
32
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
• The lion represents the City of Fairfax, the location where the school was founded.
• The papal tiara represents Pope Paul VI in whose honor the school was named.
• “Grow in Grace and Wisdom” is the motto and philosophy of the school, which is a paraphrase of a passage from the Gospel of Luke. It was also Fr. Heet who decided on “Grow in Grace and Wisdom” for the school motto. He shares, “I wanted something scriptural that expressed my hope for the school.”
The Story of the Seal ll around Paul VI, our school seal can be spotted on walls, letterhead, and even on our school uniforms. But what is the meaning behind the individual items that make up the seal? The seal includes many elements that represent the history and present identity of St. Paul VI Catholic High School. During the first year of the school, Fr. Donald J. Heet, OSFS, Paul VI’s founding principal, worked with the school ring company on the design.
“The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.”
— LUKE 2:40
Unveiling of the Fr. Donald J. Heet, OSFS Lobby Fr. Donald J. Heet, OSFS, was honored with a special Mass on January 23, 2020. The wisdom of Father Heet lives on in the countless lives he touched during his time at Paul VI and the school is forever indebted to Father Heet and the Oblates, the original pioneers of PVI. To this day, Father Heet serves as a member of the School Board and the Campaign Cabinet, and his guidance helped chart the course for PVI’s move to a new campus. Fr. Heet’s gentleness, kindness, and strength has always had a way of making all who walk through the door feel welcome. At the end of January’s gathering Ginny Colwell, Head of School, announced that the main lobby of our new campus – a place where our community will gather, celebrate, welcome back old friends, and invite in new ones – will be named the Fr. Donald J. Heet Lobby. ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
33
FAIRFAX LEGACY
PVI Yearbooks get a new shelf life in Fairfax Even though our school has a new zipcode, Paul VI will always play an important part in the history of Fairfax City. Before the move, the Fairfax County Public Library and Fairfax Museum both reached out to PVI to acquire a set of yearbooks. “When PVI moved to Loudoun County, it was important to us that the school’s time in Fairfax be preserved for future generations. One of the many items we collect are school yearbooks. We have over 500 yearbooks from public and private schools from across Fairfax County and are thrilled to add a set of PVI’s to the shelves. It was extra special for me as a proud PVI alumnus myself,” shares Chris Barbuschak ’08, Archivist/Librarian for the City of Fairfax Regional Library’s Virginia Room.
Mary Ashooh Hamrick ’86, Assistant Director Constituent Relations, is pictured making the book drops in May 2021. She is pictured with Chris Barbuschak ’08 at the City of Fairfax Regional Library and with Cami St. Germain, Historic Resources Specialist, and Susan Gray, Director/ Office of Historic Resources, City of Fairfax. 34
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
Vintage Panther athletic gear is displayed prominently in the new Panther Activity Center.
The large stone seal on the outside of the Fairfax PAC was removed by John Moriarty & Co. and transported and placed at the new campus on the hill overlooking the track by ATW & Company (Mr. Adam Wiles P ’00, ’06, ’08, ’10, ’12, ’15).
Fairfax items get new home in Loudoun
The cross from the Fairfax PAC has a new home in Loudoun as you enter the Athletics building.
Banners of PVI’s patron saints St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal were moved from the library in Fairfax to the main hall in the new campus.
The statue of Mary from the baseball field in Fairfax has a new home by the third base dugout at The Scottie. “Mary has been watching over us since the 2012 season, the second time we won both the WCAC and VISAA Championship in the same year,” shares Billy Emerson, Athletic Director and Varsity Baseball Coach.
New Spirit Rock at St. Leo's Honors PVI In conjunction with Saint Leo staff, parents, students, IDI and ATW, a piece of the original PVI building was placed in the back garden of Saint Leo the Great and will be used as the school's Spirit Rock.
The concession stand sign from Fairfax is installed above the interior concession stand window in the new PAC.
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
35
Campaign Update
Something Extraordinary at PVI ne night this May, I enjoyed a rare moment to take it all in, to just pause for a moment and appreciate the ultimate gift that every Head of School dreams of right now. Noise. Yes, noise, and the sound of life on our campus. The baseball park, softball field, and main stadium lit up the night sky as our PVI Panthers competed, breaking in their new fields. There were cheers for great plays made, saves, and of course goals and runs scored for the Panthers. Before we switched zip codes (and pre-COVID), we were launching Building on Extraordinary, a $5,000,000 comprehensive campaign for St. Paul VI Catholic High School. Like a family moving from a starter home to a forever home, we wanted to carry on the legacy of Paul VI and create a place for faith formation and learning. Through the sale of the Fairfax campus, previous Diocesan fundraising efforts, and the campaign, we are looking to put PVI on a long-term path to stay true to that commitment. Donors in the early phase of the campaign gave us their vote of confidence in our future and made gifts to help us build our new home. Now, with over $4,000,000 towards our goal, we are reaching out to our larger community of parents, alumni, and friends to help us “generate some noise” as we look to reach, and exceed, our goal. I ask you to consider joining those who made early gifts to minimize the cost of the new campus for PVI and to inspire others to do the same. I look forward to sharing updates, exciting news, and more about our progress. Until then, I invite you to read more about the campaign at www.buildingonextraordinary.net. I raised three active boys so trust me, I cherish silence. But as I realized that May night, it was the noise that brought a smile to my face, like a family home filled with familiar voices. Our new home was full of life, the way we envisioned it when the property was just blueprints and dirt. As always, stay safe and trust in the Lord.
Virginia Colwell, Head of School
36
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
FOR THE FULL STORY AND GIVING IN ACTION BUILDINGONEXTRAORDINARY.NET
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
37
CAMPAIGN NEWS
Scott Eastment Memorial Baseball Park In loving memory of Scott Thomas Eastment ’05 (September 4, 1986 – June 27, 2020) s the new baseball park welcomes fans back to the stands, and spectators watch the lights fill the spring evening sky, the space is filled with the memory of former Paul VI athlete, Scott Eastment ’05. Scott Thomas Eastment, a 2005 graduate of Paul VI, excelled in the classroom and on the baseball field. During his time at PVI as a student-athlete, he maintained a 3.6 GPA or better, a 4.0 his senior year, and graduated with a 3.8. As a part of the nationally-ranked PVI Baseball program, he pitched and played shortstop and third base, showing his versatility on the field and at the plate. He continued his baseball career at Frostburg State University. Scott is in the top ten of 27 different statistical categories in the PVI Baseball record book, including: • 112 career games played (2nd) • 55 career walks (1st) • 102 career hits (4th) • 68 RBIs (top 10) • 34 career games pitched (2nd) • 7 career complete games pitched (3rd) • 122 career strikeouts pitched (5th) His senior year Scott batted .470 (4th highest in season history) with a .571 on-base percentage (2nd highest in single season history). Scott helped lead the Panthers to the 2004 State Championships, their first national ranking in 2005, and tossed a no-hitter his senior year. He is one of only two players in PVI Baseball history to record
38
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
100 career hits and to pitch 100 career strikeouts. Sadly, Scott passed away in June 2020. His parents, George and Tina, long-time supporters of the Diocese of Arlington and Paul VI, among other organizations, generously made a gift to support the construction of the baseball park. The baseball park is home not only to the baseball team. A fully turf field, the outfield is lined for the field hockey team to practice and host games, expanding its use into the fall season. “It is our hope that the Eastments know they always have a place to call home with the PVI community, to reflect on the memories of Scott playing baseball, and to see the impact of their generous hearts as our PVI student-athletes and their families enjoy the new facility. We are forever grateful for their gift and vote of confidence in PVI,” shares Ginny Colwell, Head of School. “Scottie was a talented competitor, a winner, and a great teammate. Every time we take this field, we’ll remember his energy. He’s forever part of our family,” reflects Billy Emerson, Head Baseball Coach.
“Scott’s experience at PVI was outstanding, not only from an athletic viewpoint, but from a faith experience and academic perspective as well. We participated in the Building on Extraordinary campaign as a way to pay back the school, the staff, and the diocese for the excellent all-round education that he received there. The naming of the baseball park after him is a way to honor his memory for Tina and me, and for current and future students to see that they can participate in athletics, do well in their academics, and grow in their Catholic faith at the same time.” — George Eastment ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
39
CAMPAIGN NEWS
BUILDING ON EXTRAORDINARY CAMPAIGN
Luke McGuire Stadium
Tenacity in the Face of Adversity
As a part of the Building on Extraordinary Campaign, a group approached Paul VI about raising $1,000,000 to name the main stadium field after Luke McGuire. Luke would have graduated in 2016, and he played an integral role on the nationally-ranked 2013 Boys Lacrosse team. Boys Lacrosse coach Bob Waters described Luke as the vocal leader of that special team — someone who stepped into huddles, and reminded players they were “playing for each other, their team, and their school.” 40
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
The main stadium field will host competitions for football, lacrosse, and soccer. It will be home to Homecomings and pep rallies, host Special Olympics events, and welcome our neighbors to enjoy nights of football under the lights, and sunny days cheering on our soccer and lacrosse teams. To make a gift to honor the life and legacy of Luke McGuire, visit www.buildingonextraordinary.net/luke.
In Loving Memory of Luke Sheridan McGuire Written with love and admiration by Dan McGuire
In November 2010, my son Luke was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a malignant bone tumor, and a rare form of cancer affecting children and adolescents. Ewing’s Sarcoma is a parent’s greatest fear. Each day we prayed for guidance and strength while exploring every possible medical treatment to get Luke well. On September 11, 2013, Luke’s suffering and his tireless battle to beat Ewing’s Sarcoma came to an end. Luke stayed strong with a positive outlook on life. Luke was 15 years old. Luke’s friends described him as kind, generous, loyal, quick-witted, hilarious, righteous, and mature beyond his years. He loved the competitiveness that sports offer. He loved being part of a team: motivating and leading his teammates and friends. Luke’s level of maturity, amazing tenacity, and enthusiasm motivated people of all ages. These qualities made people want to be around him. He could make anyone smile and laughter was everywhere he went. He always kept a strong relationship with God through all of his surgeries and chemo treatments. His faith got stronger, as did his relationship with Jesus Christ: someone else who also thought of everyone else first. Luke’s favorite teams were the Washington Redskins and his high school, the Paul VI Panthers. He developed a great personal relationship with coaches and team members on the Redskins. Luke was invited to make the call on the coin toss and be one of the team captains for a pre-season game between the Redskins and the Pittsburgh Steelers. After the coin toss, walking off the field between Trent Williams and RG III, Luke said, “Robert, the way I see it I am way ahead of you.” RG3 responded, “Why is that?” Luke stated, “It has taken me a month to become a captain for the Redskins and you have been working on it for over a year now.” Trent, RG3, and Luke laughed like old friends. It was great to see Luke laughing and teasing the players. He was truly comfortable with anyone. The etymology of sport can be traced to the French word “disport,” which means “the diversion from work or serious matters.” Sports give us an outlet to express ourselves and find sanctuary from our trials and tribulations. This sort of sanctuary is exactly what the Paul VI lacrosse team offered Luke. Behind the scenes, Luke was having a serious battle. The chemotherapy sessions
“It all began with a 14-year-old boy whose fighting spirit would not accept quitting or failure and would push our program to a new level of success that lives on in his memory.” — Coach Bob Waters
were hard on Luke and would have crippled most. However, game after game, Luke took his spot on the sideline for the Panthers, giving passionate locker room speeches, reminding everybody to keep their head up, and to never stop fighting. Losing the ability to play the sports that he had loved his whole life was devastating for Luke. Nevertheless, Coach Bob Waters and the PVI Boys Lacrosse team made sure that while Luke could not play the game, he would still affect the outcome with his voice, his energy, and his charisma. Luke’s tenacity in the face of adversity was an inspiration to not only the PVI Boys Lacrosse team but to the entire PVI community. I am grateful that sports gave Luke his voice. And I am grateful that Luke used it to inspire all of us.
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
41
DONOR PROFILE
PVI Family Profile
The Hammond Family racy and Maurice Hammond Jr. chose to send
United States. Maurice Jr. has served over 30 years of
two of their children to Paul VI because they
service defending our nation as a Combat Infantryman
knew the school would challenge and stretch
and Airborne Ranger, retired Army Colonel, and as a
the spiritual and educational growth of their
Department of Defense Acquisitions Officer and Program
sons, Maurice Hammond, III ’20 (Mo) and Benjamin ’24.
Manager.
“We attended a PVI Orientation Night and a young lady
While Maurice and Tracy are seasoned professionals, they
presenting on behalf of PVI stood up and stated, ‘99% of
do not look at their professional positions as jobs, but as
PVI alumni who attend college, graduate college.’ We
a service to the Lord. As Maurice Jr. states, “God first and
were sold,” shares Maurice Jr.
family always.”
Tracy is a special education and ESOL teacher who works
We are blessed to have the Hammonds as part of the
for the Manassas City Public School System. She has
PVI family and grateful for the financial support they
served as an educator for more than 20 years across the
provide to Paul VI on a monthly basis through the PVI-12 Sustainers Club. When asked why they choose to support Paul VI, they share: “PVI is our family! We believe in God and the PVI purpose. The PVI school mission statement is aligned with the values we strive to instill in our young men. We believe the reinforcement they receive at school and at home will help us achieve the vision we have for their futures.” In addition to faith and academics, the school spirit is something that sets PVI apart for the Hammonds. “PVI school spirit is the best and the sportsmanship of the players, coaches, fans and the overall atmosphere at sporting events makes us proud PVI parents. The football fans, basketball fans and the awesome VI Man are the best. We love that ‘We want some Mo’ chant!” When Tracy and Maurice Jr. reflected on their favorite aspects of PVI, they also spoke of the energy of the faculty and their excitement to teach, as well as the strong character of the student body. “The students are so kind, respectful and polite and this is unmatched by any other high school we have ever visited.”
Tracy, Mo, and Maurice Jr. pose at PVI Graduation 2020.
42
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
The Hammonds celebrate at Football Senior Night in Fall 2019.
Ben Hammond ’24 poses with Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach Glenn Farello.
Mo Hammond ’20 drives toward the basket during a Varsity Basketball game.
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
43
DONOR PROFILE
The Woodley grandchildren
“Getting It Back Ten-Fold” Reaping the Rewards of Generosity and Community Nancy and Tom Woodley Article by Marlene Brasco ’23
tudents and parents alike at St. Paul VI Catholic
that the community spirit could thrive amid 21st-century
High School recognize the excellence of a PVI
technology. Impressed by the school’s laptop initiative,
education, and one person in particular has been
Nancy knew it was important for technology not to
propelled by the community-centered spirit of
supersede good old-fashioned brain-power. “I went to
our school to give back. Nancy Woodley, along with her
a math class to see the integration of technology in
husband, Tom, has been inspired by the enduring sense
the classroom,” Nancy related, “and still saw the same
of community at PVI, seen while two of her three children
student-teacher connection.” Indeed, Paul VI owes
(Dan ’98 and Kevin ’01) attended the school as baseball
an overwhelming thank you to the Woodleys, whose
players. An avid volunteer at her parish Holy Trinity in
contributions to the laptop program enabled our school
Georgetown, Nancy has extended her generosity to PVI
to carry on during last year’s early distance learning and
at both the old and new campuses to contribute to a new
this year’s hybrid model.
generation of community-centered education.
Nancy and Tom support not only the sense of community
Serving on the PVI School Board for five years, Nancy
found at PVI but the dedication to faith found at its core.
and Tom have donated to the school since 1996, focusing
They have promoted the school’s advancement in modern
on the baseball program, the more recent bus program,
learning, and also contributed to the timeless gift of faith.
and the laptop program. Recognizing the familial
The Woodleys, donating to our new campus’s beautiful
atmosphere at PVI, Nancy and Tom wanted to ensure
chapel, were elated to hear that Bishop Burbidge
44
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
dedicated it to Mary, Mother of the Church. “Mothers have a big role in
“Take advantage of everything the school has to offer. There is a niche for everyone, and when you give a little to the school, you get back so much more.”
their children’s lives,” explained Nancy,
— NANCY WOODLEY
“as does Mary in our lives as she serves as our guiding light.” By building the faith at PVI, the Woodleys have encouraged not just the family spirit of the school but also our religious pursuits as the family of God. While giving generously to the school, Nancy knows that one can only truly appreciate PVI’s loving, inclusive atmosphere by immersing oneself in all the school has to offer. Demonstrated by the indelible friendships her sons made at PVI, the school is designed around efforts such as the Advisory program that encourage connection and camaraderie. Still, one takes full advantage of the sense of community through extracurricular activities. “Take advantage of everything the school has to offer,” encouraged Nancy. “There is a niche for everyone, and when you give a little to the school, you get back so much more.” We owe it to the Woodleys and their selfless efforts to dive into the pool of communitycentered activities which Nancy and Tom have so ardently supported. The radius of community does not end with the students; rather, parents can also be absorbed in the familial spirit of the school if they, like their students, open themselves up to new experiences and friendships. Nancy recalls hosting a potluck dinner for the parents of one of her son’s new friends and how it established not only
Tom and Nancy Woodley
acquaintances which made for an easier transition to high school but to lasting relationships as well. “Dive into the sense of community by meeting your child’s
In her free-time, Nancy enjoys reading, watching
new friends,” advised Nancy. “This is a new adventure
baseball, and spending time with her children and seven
and the beginning of lifelong friendships for you and your
grandchildren. However, we will always know her for the
child. When you get involved, you get back what you put
incredible contributions that she and Tom have made to
in ten-fold.”
enhance the education at PVI and its spirit of faith, family, and community.
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
45
DAY OF GIVING
Day of Giving 2021 Mahalo PVI for your record-breaking support! PVI’s third annual Day of Giving on April 21, 2021 was an exciting day where alumni, faculty, staff, parents, and friends came together to support Paul VI and our school’s mission by making gifts in a 24 hour period.
Kaden Hadeed, David Aponte and Sophia Whitfield help assemble care packages for young alumni.
Our Day of Giving has always been important, but even more so this year. A special thanks goes to our current parents and faculty/staff donors who had a strong showing and contributed 40 percent of the total amount raised. The Class of 1988 had the highest alumni participation and the Class of 1986 donated the highest alumni total. We are especially grateful for the 30 members of the Class of 2021 who contributed. Thank you to everyone who invested in PVI’s future and helped provide our students A special THANK with even more opportunities to grow YOU to our 3 Point/Free Throw in grace and wisdom.
Challenge Sponsors:
In celebration of the resilience of PVI Champion Sponsors our students and the success of • Carroll & Nuttall their athletic programs, we added • Computerware something new this year: a 3 Point/ • Chantilly Shell Free Throw Challenge, streamed • Four Inc. live on Facebook and Instagram. Bella Perkins, a senior on the girls Moneyball Sponsors basketball team; Bryce Downey, a • Burke & Herbert Bank junior on the boys basketball team; Vienna and Meghan Nuttall, a senior on the • Flynn & O’Hara Special Olympics basketball team, • Paul Hunter of The Hunter each had 70 seconds to make as Group, Re/Max Gateway many shots as possible to raise money • Red Coats for PVI. There were three “Moneyball” basketballs in the mix as well. Because Edwin Ramirez makes thank you of the generosity of our sponsors and the sharp-shooting calls to Day of Giving donors. of Meghan, Bryce, and Bella, over $15,000 was secured in support of our Day of Giving.
To make this year even more fun, individuals who gave $25 or more received a custom PVI Hawaiian shirt. Want to show off your Aloha PVI spirit? Take a photo in your shirt and send it to communications@paulvi.net! 46
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
Class of 2021 Supports The Fund for Paul VI Spotlight on the Senior Giving Campaign Leadership Committee The role of the Senior Giving Campaign Committee is to lead a class-wide effort to make a financial commitment to The Fund for Paul VI. The committee works to increase donor engagement, encourage support, create a bridge to young alumni giving, and educate our newest alumni about the role that private support plays in their education. This year, the Senior Giving Campaign Committee encouraged their classmates to make gifts in support of our Senior Giving Day of Giving, Campaign assisted with Leadership assembling and Committee mailing alumni 2020-2021 care packages, • David Aponte and made • Cece Bess thank you calls • Audrey Collier to donors. Thank • Kaden Hadeed • Adam Hill you, everyone! • Caitlin Hollen • Jak Ketron • Edwin Ramirez • Joanna Schmank • Sabrina Smith
24
HOURS
584
DONORS
$163,580
35
CURRENT STUDENTS GAVE
RAISED
117
ALUMNI
$3,946
DONORS FROM 31 CLASSES
27
122
GIFTS FROM 27 STATES AND 169 ZIP CODES
FIRST TIME DONORS GAVE
$24,241
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
47
What's New?
Tell us your latest accomplishments and milestones by submitting your news to Class Notes. Email alumni@paulvi.net to be included in our next issue. We can’t wait to hear from you!
1988
1989
Elizabeth Carson Cowell ’88 teaches first graders at Severn School in Severna Park, Maryland and Shellie Moses Shipley ’88 teaches students who are deaf and hard of hearing at the Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind.
Joan Bessman Taylor ’89 teaches future teacher librarians and preservice teachers while raising three boys (13, 11 and 8) with a lot of help from her spouse. She enjoys running and hiking the extensive trail system along the Cedar River. Iowa has been her home for the past 13 years (after time in Illinois, Mississippi, and Alabama) and she loves it.
Elizabeth shares, “Shellie and I were very close friends at PVI through classes, cheerleading, and drama. We’ve continued to remain in touch over the past 33 years.” Despite the miles, Elizabeth and Shellie harnessed the power of Zoom and had a joint class for their students in April. During language arts, Elizabeth’s first graders read “Koko and Penny,” a story about a gorilla who learned sign language. Seeing an opportunity to make a memorable connection, Elizabeth reached out to Shellie for a Zoom with three of her high school students. During the visit, the first graders asked questions, the Elizabeth Carson Cowell ’88 Shellie Moses Shipley ’88 high schoolers demonstrated how to make certain signs and concluded by signing a children’s book. According to Severn School’s website, “as our first graders listened and laughed along with the story, the barriers of language and distance seem to disappear — a reminder that we often have much more in common with others than what you might see at first glance.” We love that these alumnae are keeping connected and making a difference so many years and miles removed from PVI!
48
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
1998 Meaghan Marshall Martin ’98 and her husband Jim welcomed daughter Mary Katherine on March 16, 2020. Meg is an elementary school teacher in Prince William County and during the pandemic has adjusted to teleworking, virtual learning, and homeschooling her four other children. Meg’s husband Jim is a paramedic firefighter with Fairfax County. The family just celebrated Mary’s first birthday. Meg shares, “Mary is such a blessing to our family. Pure joy!”
2005
Andrew Smith ’98 and his wife Annie Grier welcomed twin girls Daphne Faye and Fiona Linda on January 13, 2021. The family lives in Brooklyn, New York where Andrew is a real estate agent and Annie is an actor.
2000 Joe Baber ’00 and his wife Mandy welcomed son Elton on September 20, 2020. Elton joins brothers Clark (2) and Walter (4).
Andrea Lopiano Lamont ’05 recently published her first children’s book, The Magic Friendship Rock. “My son’s big imagination and heart were the muse and inspiration for my book.” The Magic Friendship Rock compliments Andrea’s visual communication with storytelling. In her book, one little boy finds inspiration in his own backyard during an uncertain time, sparking his imagination and creativity. The story is meant to inspire children to overcome life’s challenges through their imagination and creativity, while nurturing friendships. Andrea holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Virginia Tech and is a graphic designer and the owner of The Love of Poppies, LLC. When she isn’t designing for clients or writing, Andrea is a stay-at-home mom raising her two boys and dog with her husband in Northern Virginia.
Faculty and Staff Share Their Joy
Siobhan Maloney and Apolonio Latar, PVI Theology teacher, were married at St. James Catholic Church in Falls Church on April 13.
Zadie Jane Farello was born on March 15, 2021 to PVI Boys Basketball Coach Glenn Farello and former PVI English teacher Christina Strain Farello. Also pictured is Zadie’s best friend Chazy
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
49
SCHOOL NEWS
2006 Nicole Campana Frazier ’06 and Justin Frazier ’09 welcomed their second son Gabriel Alfred Frazier on July 8, 2020.
Dana Robinson O’Neill ’06 recently opened her own interior design firm — Northern Pearl Design — in Ottawa, Ontario. Dana shares, “It’s been a tough start working through COVID, but I’m having so much fun! Because of COVID, I’ve had to adapt to offering my services online, which was something I never imagined.” You can currently find Northern Pearl Design on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ northernpearldesign.studio.
2008 Chris Bacon ’08 and Katie Taylor Bacon ’08 welcomed Martin William Bacon into their family on February 6, 2021. Martin joins brothers Teddy and Peter. All three boys enjoy playing with their aunts, Audrey Taylor Hubbard ’06 and Jackie Bacon ’12, and uncles, Scott Bacon ’09 and Jeffrey Bacon ’13.
50
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
Jeff Rifkin ’07 and wife Brittany Lemelin Rifkin ’08 welcomed their first child, Noah, on October 4, 2020. “We’re thrilled to be parents! Lots of sleepless nights but he’s a joy and already has tons of personality,” shares Jeff.
Kathryn Naylor Howard ’08 and Drew Howard ’08 welcomed their son, Luke Francis Howard, on November 6, 2020. He weighed 7 lbs 4 oz and is the first child for Kathryn and Drew.
Charlotte Schaner Torba ’08 and husband Jacob welcomed their first child, Anthony Harrison Torba, on Thursday, January 7, 2021 at 12:30 p.m. He weighed 7 lbs 2.3 oz and was 19.5 inches long. The family is currently stationed in Monterey, California.
2010 Tyler Costello ’10 and wife Cortlyn welcomed daughter Carter Clare Costello on February 9, 2021.
SCHOOL NEWS
Erika Rittenhouse Miller ’10 and husband Seth Thomas Miller welcomed son Harrison Glenn Miller on January 15, 2021. Both Erika and Seth work for Nationwide Insurance Headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. Grandmother Pam Rittenhouse shares that Erika and Seth are “happy parents and we are blessed that Harrison is healthy and thriving!”
2011 Meagan Astorino ’11 and Alex Gregg were married on September 1, 2018 at Saint Mary of Sorrows Historical Church in Fairfax Station. They had their first child, a daughter named Kinsleigh Rose Gregg, on December 12, 2019. “When the pandemic started, we saw a lot of positives: I had an extended maternity leave, spent more time together, saw all of our daughter’s milestones, and I was even able to launch my Etsy shop, Meagan Rose Design, for my painting. Being locked up at home allowed me to have more time to get back into painting — I graduated from George Mason in 2015 with a BFA and painting concentration. My home and pet watercolor paintings have been a huge success, and I’ve loved every minute of it,” shares Meagan.
2016 Kate Brockwell ’16 visited the Endangered Ark Foundation, in Hugo, Oklahoma with her family this May. The foundation is “dedicated to ensuring the future of Asian elephants in North America, providing a retirement ranch for circus elephant, and educating the public about this endangered species.” Kate is pictured with Becky (above) and Delrita (below).
2017 Roman Puglise ’17 was named University of Maryland’s Student Athlete of the Year and a Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient. As a midfielder on the Maryland Lacrosse team, Roman was named Second Team All-Big Ten and an Inside Lacrosse Midseason All-American in 2021.
2018 Thomas Kyte ’18 published a paper entitled “One Belt and One Road Right Through Ethiopia?” in the 25th edition of the Gold Star Journal, the academic journal of The Citadel, and won the award for “Best Undergraduate Submission.” He also presented his paper at the 5th Gold Star Journal Academic Conference to various distinguished guests and members of The Citadel community. Thomas is currently preparing for a semester abroad program in Wales focusing on the current strain the U.K. is under between the various member nations and also NATO’s shifting approach to international conflict. Thomas will graduate in Spring 2022 with a major in political science and minor in philosophy before pursuing graduate studies in law.
2019 Laura Moore ’19 was awarded the American Concrete Institute’s $5,000 Richard D. Stehly Memorial Scholarship. Laura is a sophomore at Villanova majoring in Civil Engineering. Laura is also involved in Villanova’s Engineering Service Learning program, Day of Service Committee, Engineering Student Council, and Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity. ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
51
A L U M N I T O D AY 52
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
Simon Lee ’18
Simon Lee ’18 is currently a junior at Carnegie Mellon University, pursuing an electrical and computer engineering degree. “I was first introduced to computer science at PVI. I had to fulfill my requirement for graduation and I ended up taking AP Computer Science. I thought it was pretty cool and something I could be successful at.” Simon has always had an affinity for STEM and was PVI’s Valedictorian in 2018. “I like logic and reasoning. I want to piece all the parts together to get to a conclusion. In math, there’s always a process that leads to one solution and that type of logical thinking translated well into the software engineering/ computer science field too.” Simon’s love of logic also had an important role in his faith journey. “When I first entered PVI, I was agnostic at best. I didn’t necessarily have any religion. The turning point was my senior year when I took Apologetics with Mr. Latar. I headed into that class with a little bit of a full-of-myself attitude. I thought if Mr. Latar really wants to debate me all year, I’ll stand my ground. I’ll debate as much as possible and try to prove my point.” “Throughout the year, debating with Mr. Latar every day made me realize that there were a lot of logical flaws in how I sought to make sense of the world. There wasn’t one instance when it all clicked together; it was more gradual where through these intense debates, I realized: okay, I’m wrong. I logically came to a conclusion that God exists and that solipsism isn’t the truth.” “On top of the logic I learned, there’s also the component of that humbling experience, of being challenged. The fact that you’re not on top of the world was a little bit tough for my ego, but being able to learn and grow from that was a great humbling
experience for my personal growth. To this day, it’s one of the few classes I keep dear to my heart.” After a few months at college, Simon made another big decision. “I was meeting new people with different backgrounds, religions, and ideologies. At the same time, I was involved with the college Newman Catholic Club. After a few months, I reflected that my personal ideologies align a lot with the Catholic Church and that being baptized and confirmed was something I really wanted to pursue. I reached out to one of the FOCUS missionaries at Carnegie Mellon and he walked me through signing up for RCIA at the local parish.” During his freshman year of college, Simon attended RCIA classes every week and was baptized and confirmed Easter 2019. Who did Simon choose as his confirmation saint? Paul VI.
Simon is pictured with Bishop Zubik and sponsor John Frederick on his Baptism day.
"The fact that you’re not on top of the world was a little bit tough for my ego, but being able to learn and grow from that was a great humbling experience for my personal growth." — SIMO N LEE, '18
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
53
ALUMNI WEDDINGS
Ted McCarthy ’02 married Jessica Brown in a lovely but pandemic-downsized ceremony in Southport, North Carolina on October 10, 2020. His sister Liz McCarthy ’04 and his mother Pam McCarthy, former PVI advisor and Spanish teacher, were happy to be in attendance. Ted and Jessica currently live in Woodbridge and hope to have a larger official celebration with family and friends in 2021.
Liza Brown ’14 and Anthony Fisher ’14 were married on October 10, 2020 at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia. Liza and Anthony were high school sweethearts. Their wedding party included nine Paul VI alumni: Ava Brown ’12, Danielle Pereira Brown ’07, Chelsea Fisher Talhame ’10, Jack Brown ’21, Josh Brown ’09, Craig Brown ’07, Ben Fisher ’18, Patrick McDonald ’14 and Peter Mueller ’14.
54
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
Meghan Eyerman ’10 and Andrew Leonard were married in a COVID themed ceremony in Herndon, Virginia, on May 16, 2020. PVI staff and alumni celebrating with Meghan and Andrew included mother of the bride, Mrs. Julie Eyerman, PVI’s nurse; Meghan’s sister and maid of honor, Molly Eyerman ’12; Meghan’s brothers and groomsmen Brendan Eyerman ’13, Dylan Eyerman ’16, and bridesmaid Kelsey Moran ’10. Celebrating via Zoom were bridesmaids Kelly Yanchulis ’10, Michael Kruczkowski ’10 and Allison Heinz ’10. The newlyweds live in Dunn Loring, Virginia with their puppy Lady.
Meghan Eyerman ’10 and bridesmaid Kelsey Moran ’10
Ed Zigo Jr. ’03 married Hillary Lak on October 31, 2020 in Sky Top, Pennsylvania. Pictured left to right: Tommy Zigo ’09 (Best Man), Ian Lambeets ’01, Megan Murphy Lantz ’01, Ann Zigo Orem ’01, John Valder ’01, Carrie McCormack Courtillet ’01, Ed Zigo, Jr. ’03, Patrick Schweiker ’03, Hillary Zigo, Molly Zigo ’06, Dave Clarke ’01, Emily Stube St. Jacques ’01, Joe Clark ’00, Adam Cahuantzi ’99. ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
55
ALUMNI WEDDINGS
Aidan Hall ’13 and Laura Rowley ’13 were married at St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic Church in Middleburg, Virginia on October 10, 2020. Pictured left to right, back row: Adam Gillman ’13, Irene Veltri Hall ’87, Sarah Rowley ’08, William Pell ’13, Laura Rowley Hall '13, Aidan Hall '13, Kristen Washington ’13, Melissa Thiringer ’13, Andrea Miranda ’13, Kayla Sharpe ’13. Front Row: Roy Davies ’13, Benjamin Sansaver ’14, Alice Sansaver ’14.
Aidan and sister Elise Hall ’17
Benjamin Sansaver ’14 and Alice Rowley ’14 were married on June 27, 2020 at St. Timothy's Catholic Church in Fairfax, Virginia. 56
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
“When I received my PVI care package, my heart was filled with so much joy that it made my day!” - Caitlin Fernandez ’19
Mark Moore ’20 and Laura Moore ’19
Emily Duffy ’19
You’ve Got Mail
Nick Rouck ’19
Christina Zaso ’18
Charlie O’Connor ’20
James Duren ’17
Caitlin Fernandez ’19
Alexandra Pike ’20
(from PVI)!
Since our alumni couldn’t visit us this year, we sent PVI to them! With help from the Senior Giving Committee and PVI’s Parent Ambassadors, we sent care packages to over 100 young alumni. In March, whether away at school, living and working from home, or in the military, alumni from the classes of 2017 - 2020 began to receive their boxes.
“My son was touched that two of his former teachers/coaches took the time to send him a handwritten note!” - Kim Perry P ’18, ’19, ’22 Thank you to the more than 37 parents, 50 staff, faculty, coaches and current students who contributed food, gifts, gift cards, inspiration and manpower. Over 150 personal notes were written and numerous hearts were touched when our recent graduates received their unexpected care package. Your continued support will allow us to build on the program in the coming years! #AlwaysAPanther
ST. PAUL VI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
57
IN MEMORIAM The Paul VI community extends its prayers and condolences to the relatives of faculty, staff, alumni, students, parents and friends of the school who have passed away recently.
Joseph F. Fernandez | father of Andrew Fernandez ’00; grandfather of Joe ’22 and Caitlin ’19 (Fernandez); grandfather of Emily ’20 and Ryan ’18 (Sweeney) Joe Kijewski | husband of Cheryl, former PVI Board member; father of Danielle ’07, Lindsay ’09 and Jordan ’15 Jeffrey Vogel | father of Shantel ’14, Kayla ’16, Grace ’18 Joan Patricia Alger | mother of Dick Alger, former PVI Wresting coach; mother of Sean Alger and Kathleen Magee; grandmother of Lauren ’15 and Tyler ’12 (Alger), Meghan Magee DuFrain ’01, Alexandra ’06 and Patrick ’08 (Magee) Joe Read | brother of Kim Read Curran P’23 Clyde Eisner | grandfather of Corrine ’22 Dolores Joan Romaine and Gerald Joseph Romaine | parents of Meg Ashley, PVI Girls Soccer coach Carla Trost Walker ’91 Joan Helen Monastero | mother of Joan Wang, Assistant to the Head of School June McFadden | former PVI Math teacher 1986-2000; mother of Maureen ’92 and Jeanne ’93 Robert Corley “Rob” Rausch ’87 Nancy King | grandmother of Kevin ’22 and Steven ’17 (Adamson) Mary Jane “MJ” Osmena Perry | mother of Blake McCrea ’12 Mr. Patrick McEvoy | father of Julie Eyerman, PVI Nurse; grandfather of Meghan ’10, Molly ’12, Brendan ’13, Dylan ’16 Sr. Seton Cunneen | Latin teacher at PVI from 1984-1985 Bob and Linda Weisflog | grandparents of Sydney ’17 and Will ’19 (Baker) John Hintz | grandfather of Michael ’05 and Steven ’06 (Maslowsky) Mr. Russ Starkey | father of Pam Ward, PVI Math department Mr. Alfonso Jaramillo Vengoechea | father of Rosalila Mastriano, PVI World Language department
Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.
58
PANTHER TRACKS Spring/Summer 2021
“Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life; rather, look to them with full hope as they arise.” ~St. Francis de Sales
Advancement Office 42341 Braddock Road Chantilly, VA 20152 T 703.352.0925 www.paulvi.net
NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE
PAID
Dulles, VA Permit No. 6418
C R E AT I V I T Y “Theatre has always been important in times of strain and difficulty and could not be needed more than it is right now.” — Kathy d’Alelio, Director of Theatre Arts
News vs. Creativity “This piece is a symbol of the overwhelming news coverage taking over our lives. The rough physical texture and choppy skin of the newspaper face symbolizes how rough and tiring the news can be. While the colorful background out of the paint pens is smooth and filled with unpredictable shapes and colors, expressing the woman’s inherent creativity bursting from her; however, “I thought of skipping [self-portraits] this year since we couldn’t see
still trapped behind the dull facade of
half of our faces, but I thought to myself: What is art if not a part of
the overwhelming news coverage.”
our history? It writes history, keeps our memories, and portrays our
— Stephanie Zaso ’21
feelings of the present times.” — Cindy Ali, Art teacher