VOL . 37 / NO. 2 / SUMMER 2021
The Year that Shaped Us
SAVE THE DATE!
7TH ANNUAL TUITION ASSISTANCE BENEFIT GALA
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2021
5:30 P.M. • CLAREMONT COUNTRY CLUB GENEROUSLY HOSTED BY THE KELLY FAMILY Join us as we raise funds to support SJND students and honor our long time supporters Tim and Gia Degrano, both ‘83, the 2021 recipients of the Christi Matri Award for outstanding service to SJND. We anticipate being able to gather in person again at this beautiful venue in the Oakland hills. The Dream Flight benefit was established in 2015 to raise funds for tuition assistance so that qualified applicants who dream of a transformative Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School education are given the opportunity to attend. If you are interested in becoming a 2021 Dream Flight sponsor, please contact Lucy Lopez, (510) 995-9456.
UPDATE MAGAZINE Editor: Jewelia Dakin, Marketing and Communications Director • Writers: Marissa Wu, Jewelia Dakin • Photography: Marissa Wu, Jay Yamada, Richard Fuoco, Jewelia Dakin • Design: Marci Stewart Designs • Production: St. Croix Press • Contributors: Vicki Bargagliotti, Cathy McFann
Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School 1011 Chestnut Street Alameda, CA 94501 sjnd.org • (510) 523-1526 Get Social with SJND For the latest news and live updates, follow us on social media! @sjndhs
@sjnd_pilots
@SJNDPILOTS
VOL . 37 / NO. 2 / SUMMER 2021
SJNDPilots
2 0 2 1 -22 BOAR D OF TR UST E ES
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Richard Soublet, '65, Chair Organizational Effectiveness Consultant, Kaiser Permanente IT
Robert Butler, Jr., '71 KCBS Radio and Executive Director, Butler Media
Alicia Dlugosh Trost, '95, Vice Chair Communications Dept. Manager, BART
Stephanie Doud Teacher, Retired
Donna Marie Ferro, '65 Author and Retired Educator
Babs Freitas, '70 Retired Principal, Bay Farm School
Julie Guevara, ex officio Principal, SJND
André Hill, '72 Senior Counsel, Bassi Edlin Huie & Blum LLP
Patrick Larsen, '02 Associate Attorney at Watson & Machado LLP
Bob Lassalle-Klein Professor, Holy Names University
Father Mario Rizzo, ex officio Parochial Administrator, Saint Joseph Basilica Parish
Scott Smith Senior Vice President & Manager, Citi National Bank
Kristyn Temple-Robinson, '92, Secretary Senior Product Manager, Gap Inc.
Mission Statement Saint Joseph Notre Dame, a Catholic parish high school, provides a dynamic and rigorous college preparatory education. Our faith-filled, diverse, and welcoming community embraces the teachings of Jesus Christ. We develop confident, open-minded, and effective leaders who are ready to live joyful lives of faith, scholarship, and service.
Features I Am Not a Virus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Speaking out Against Hate
Art and Advocacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Life at Sea .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Poetry at Play .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 A Love for the Game
The Class of 2021 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Music to the Ears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Living Authentically. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Where Pilots are Flying .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Alumni Updates
A Gift for Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Teacher Retires after 41 Years
Summer 2021 | Update 1
Principal's Message Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends of SJND, 2020-2021 was a year of reckoning, but it was also a year that offered us a chance to reflect and set our priorities, empowering us to shape the future we want to see. I am proud of and so grateful for everyone and their perseverance and flexibility. Students, their families, and faculty showed their dedication and commitment during an unprecedented time. Teachers went above and beyond the call to serve. Teachers, faculty, and administrators showed tireless effort in their ongoing attention, compassion, and care for our students as everyone transitioned to online learning. Not once did they stop adapting, evolving, and creating the best possible learning environment for every student. Despite the early and ongoing challenges of a virtual classroom, they still managed — with great success — to nurture our students’ intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and mental needs, while still caring for themselves and checking in on their peers. Above all, I commend our students for making the most of a difficult year. Though the pandemic put many things on hold, they didn’t press pause on their dreams. They produced publications, hosted club (virtual) meetings, performed scientific research, got civically involved, and put on a school musical, to name a few activities. We continue to take a sober look at how we approach equity, what it means to us, and who may feel included or excluded in the way we teach and operate. Over the past year, we've built entirely different approaches to educating and learning, letting go of methodologies that no longer serve us in today's world, while drawing from the strength of our traditions. Throughout all of this, we
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"We have not lost sight of our core values. Instead, we have leaned into them and used the adversity we face to remind us of what truly matters." have not lost sight of our core values. Instead, we have leaned into them and used the adversity we face to remind us of what truly matters. Because of the strength of our community, SJND’s future is filled with hope. As the 2020-2021 school year comes to a close I want to express my deep gratitude for the community’s care, adaptability, and collaboration. Together, we overcame extraordinary circumstances with grace and understanding. Instead of allowing the situations to crush our spirits, we embraced a growth mindset and strove to evolve and learn, determined to shape the future of the Pilot community for the better. My prayer for our community is that the summer months bring healing, restoration, and joy to all. I look forward to seeing everyone on campus in August! Peace, love, and hope,
Julianne Guevara Principal
THE YEAR THAT SHAPED US Each story in this issue is unique, but they all share a common thread. This year challenged us, surprised us, and redefined us. For our students, it is shaping a generation. For our alumni, it is providing them with clarity and self-realization. For our staff and faculty, it helped modernize our approach to teaching and working while showing us the value of the moments we have together. As Violet Golden, class of ‘39 and our oldest living alumna points out, “every time is unprecedented in some way… You’ve just got to keep the faith and move on.” Among the many lessons this year brought us is that even when everything seems to have come to a standstill, you are still growing. Music Teacher Paula Cekola shared that some of her students felt like they were stagnating in their musical development this year, and she reminded them that in a year like this, “that IS progress.” In this issue, you’ll read about Arlo Rucker, ‘22, and the year-long sailing trip he and his family took. He recounts a moment when they were out at sea and with no wind and the deep, open ocean was flat and serene. Instead of changing directions his family embraced the stillness and went swimming. It is in the stillness that memories are often made.
Photo by Bridget Redmond '22
OING VIRTUAL
From the Classroom to Zoom Overnight Preparing the School for a Pandemic
How do you prepare a school for a pandemic? Andy McKee, the Director of Integration and Technology, would say it’s all about the attitude and mindset. “Our theme for 2019/20 was ‘growth mindset,’” Andy said. “We had in place an idea that struggle is a part of growth. It's okay if it doesn't work the first time. Try it again. All of those things that might make change difficult, like COVID, the mindset was already there. We had a vocabulary and an attitude in place.” Virtually overnight, Andy and the entire school had to overhaul the approach to teaching, taking it out of a classroom setting and converting it to 100% virtual. As days passed and it became more apparent that campus life would not resume anytime soon, leaning into the growth mindset made the transition easier. Read more about the transition to distance learning in our blog by scanning the QR code.
Biomed Presentations Go 100% Virtual Maya Gilliam, SJND ‘23, joked, laughingly, that she enrolled in the biomed program to get out of second-semester physical education. But jests aside, she’s in it for the long haul. The program is available to students who enroll in honors biology their first year, and is a commitment they keep until they graduate. Zoey Adam, an SJND science teacher who teaches AP Environmental Science, Biomedical Innovations, and Medical Interventions, also serves as the mentor for the project. She said that the students undergo a transformation from uncertain 10th graders to confident researchers. “It was really, really challenging for them,” she said. “Especially the part where it's like, ‘wait, I have to come up with something that other people haven't done.’
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But it was definitely really cool to see some out of the box thinking.” Explore the program and learn more about Maya’s project by scanning the code.
Art and Community
with Prisms Editor in Chief Lisa Ramos, class of 2021, has a penchant for poetry. The inspiration arrives in manners not always conventional, but as we know, ideas sometimes strike in the dead of the night. “I often write poetry based off things I'm surrounded by,” Lisa shared. “I have one poem that I [wrote] right after I finished watching this Chinese Netflix drama. I was so moved by it that I wrote a poem about it. Another poem I wrote, sitting late at night, thinking about night lights. And I was like, night lights are kind of dangerous and kind of scary to turn on...It's really an outlet for me to
Girl Up
observe my world and try to make some kind of art from it.” Lisa serves as the editor-in-chief of Prisms, SJND’s award-winning art publication. She oversees a team of editors that work with the club moderators, Andy McKee and Colette Gunn-Graffy, to produce an art anthology created by the high school community. For Lisa, it’s been a rewarding way to discover fellow students’ artistic tendencies. “One of the best things I like about Prisms is when you get student submissions,” she said. “It's mostly gathering a bunch of art, writing, and all of the creative talents of the SJND
community. Oftentimes, people don't really have a chance to randomly show up [and say], ‘Hey, look, I did this artwork,’ or, ‘I did this poem.’ So, you see people you may have never known even do that kind of stuff find the confidence to showcase that.” Read more about Lisa and her work with Prisms by scanning the code.
Students Bring United Nations Initiative to SJND In the midst of the upheaval and dashed expectations for a “normal” junior year, Ashley Roben and Angelina Cinco, both '22, founded Girl Up. This United Nations initiative raises awareness about and works toward equal educational opportunities for girls. Ashley learned about the initiative from her mother, and ended up attending the virtual summit last year, where she heard Michelle Obama, Yara Shahidi, Megan Markle, and others speak. She later shared about the experience with Angelina, inspiring Angelina to dive deeper into the topic. “I ended up doing an essay about unequal access to education in third world countries versus America, where I talked a lot about American privilege and how the American public school education system is something that a lot of Americans take for granted because it's there,” Angelina said. Running the Girl Up club has also taught them valuable leadership skills and given the girls a newfound empathy for teachers running their classrooms on Zoom the past year. “I have a newfound respect for all of our teachers who have to teach virtually, because it is hard sitting there in dead silence when you ask a question, and no one says anything,” Ashley reflected. “The awkward silence really hurts.” Learn more about how Ashley and Angelina successfully started a club during the pandemic by scanning the code. Summer 2021 | Update 5
I AM NOT
A VIRUS. Speaking out Against Hate Anne Luna, SJND ‘03, loves music. She has a Goldendoodle named Woody. Anne dabbles in acting, plays the piano (she’s fond of pop, but grew up on Chopin and Beethoven), is a Bay Area native, and is close with her mom. At SJND, she was an All-American athlete and played on the men’s golf team (a women’s team appeared her senior year). One thing she is not? A virus, as she boldly declares in a recent PSA on Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate crimes. In a year marked by racially-motivated violence, raising awareness about the issues and discrimination faced by the AAPI community has become paramount. According to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, hate crimes targeting Asians rose by 150% from 2019 to 2020. 6 Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School
“It's mostly been surprising, or, I guess, shocking, to experience these things so overtly now,” she said. While she has not been a target of physical violence, Anne has had her share of abusive verbal exchanges. “I grew up in the Bay Area feeling like this is this huge melting pot. For the
most part, I went to a very diverse grade school and I always felt [SJND] was very diverse.” Some everyday activities she once did freely she now does with extra caution: not walking her dog alone (though a few years prior, she never would have worried), looking over her
The long history of discrimination faced by the Asian-American community has been swept under the rug for too long.
shoulder, and being hyper-aware of her surroundings. “I have been seeing incidents more verbal than anything, negative verbal exchanges,” she said. “I've experienced that myself.” So, when her friend, a director with whom she had worked on a project a few years prior, reached out asking if she would take part in the PSA, Anne said yes. “I wanted to be part of the PSA to help spread awareness. You know, even if we just reach a couple more people, it's worth it.”
The long history of discrimination faced by the Asian-American community has been swept under the rug for too long. From the Chinese Exclusion Act of the late 19th century to President Franklin Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066, resulting in the mass incarceration of Japanese-Americans, the incidences of prejudice to outright xenophobia faced by the AAPI community in the US is often overlooked. Indeed, even the mainstream media has required pressure before covering stories on the topic.
as much as possible and just move on and say, ‘Okay, well, let me try not to be offended by this.’ But, if we don't say something, then people don't know it's not okay. [It’s also about] raising awareness [that] this is something that actually happens all the time, so you should speak up.”
In the Chinese community, there is a saying, “to chi ku” (eat bitterness), rolling over on the mistreatment and moving on. However, Anne maintains that if the community doesn’t speak up, the world won’t understand the gravity of the situation.
“I think one of the things I learned at SJND, and it's instilled in us from the very beginning, is that we're all unique individuals, but in the end we're all the same,” Anne said. “No matter what your background is, we all deserve the same fair treatment, and we all deserve respect. And I take that with me in all the things that I do to this day.”
One thing that Anne continues to carry with her from her time at SJND is the principle of each person’s inherent value. It seems that the world would benefit from following suit.
The PSA was featured in the local news, where Anne made an appearance. Despite her nerves, she knew it was an important opportunity to raise awareness about violence against the AAPI community. “I think it was a really great opportunity and platform to reach more people,” she said. “I think we were flattered that it got some viewership, and that people thought it was worthwhile to continue to spread the word. So any way that we can help people feel less alone or provide more support with this type of topic, I think is great.” Besides gathering artists together for a common cause, acting has provided Anne with a tight-knit community to lean on. “There's a great community of Asian-American actors in the Bay Area and we all keep in touch,” Anne said. “Especially during this rough time, not only the attacks but also during shelter in place and quarantine. We've all been a bit of a support system for each other, which is really great.”
“It's something that I think, in the past, when things like this have happened, you kind of just brush it off,” she said. “You try to minimize it
Summer 2021 | Update 7
Art and Advocacy
Ayako Kiener, ‘21
Coretta Scott King. Angela Davis. Maya Angelou. Stacey Abrams. Bell Hooks. These are some of the women that Ayako Kiener, class of 2021, illustrated in honor of Black History Month. “I initially did something the previous year for AAPI month in May,” she said. “I wanted to do it for Black History Month this time, and that's kind of where I got the inspiration from. I posted [the portraits] on my social media account and got more people to recommend who I should do next. I got a lot of engagement off that. [The admins of Nina Simone’s social media account] reached out and asked if they could repost the digital portrait I made of her. It was pretty awesome.” Ayako, who will be studying international business at Sofia University in Japan this fall, is a selftaught artist. She had hoped to enroll in an art class her first year at SJND, but it was full, so she opted for band (and enjoyed it, too).
www.ayakagiiart.com
“I love art,” she said. “I've been doing it just for fun ever since I was young. In eighth grade, I started getting serious with watercolors and stuff, so I started doing stationery. My classmates would ask me for Mother's Day cards or birthday cards for their parents.” At the urging of her friends, Ayako started her own business, Ayakagii Art, specializing in digital portraits. She’s also used her art for good, working for the organization Japanese Americans for Justice. “I got really into it and started creating a lot of art for them to just post on their page and get their mission out,” she said. “I did this and they reposted it and it just blew up. So many people started [messaging] me asking, ‘Where can I buy this work?’ I set up shop and it just went from there.”
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In addition to collaborating with Japanese Americans for Justice , Ayako started lending her talents to another grassroots organization, in addition to starting her own club at SJND during her junior year. She gathered her peers to raise awareness about the history of Japanese Americans, and to call out today’s injustice of immigrant detention centers, drawing a parallel to the internment camps of the ‘40s.
Beyond raising awareness about social justice causes, Ayako’s club challenged her personally to step outside her comfort zone. “We folded origami cranes at my house,” Ayako said of one of the pre-pandemic club gatherings. “[The crane symbolizes] flying free from incarceration. It was just crazy bringing all my classmates together, and they were passionate about it, too.” Beyond raising awareness about social justice causes, Ayako’s club challenged her personally to step outside her comfort zone. “I'm generally a pretty shy person; I'm not out there,” she said. “My friends knew this. So, when I did the club and I was the president of it...they were just really supportive, and I appreciated that. They made it a lot easier for me with their support. They started talking to their friends, and then it just got bigger and bigger. We had about 70 people sign up.” Because of the pandemic, the club folded for the school year, but Ayako hopes that one of the younger students will pick it back up when students come on campus again. It’s proof that big things can come from small and unexpected beginnings.
including panelists who can connect with these students. It really opened up the eyes of a lot of people. I'm glad that happened, because it opened the door for more conversation.”
Raise
Your Voice T
ear gas. Rubber bullets. COVID-19. When protests erupted last year following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others, Natalie Johnson and Samara Scott (both class of ‘22), wanted to go. Their parents, however, worried for their safety. That didn’t stop the co-presidents of SJND’s Black Student Union from doing what they could to be involved. “Some of our members, I want to say almost 30 percent of us or more, participated in protests,” Natalie said. “I know [all the BSU members] did something to help. Personally, my parents weren't comfortable with me going out because of COVID and stuff like that. But, I made sure that I was still helping and being a part of a solution.” Samara also wanted to attend the protests, but her parents feared for her, “At the time that I got brave enough to go protest, that's when the National Guard was called, and they were shooting people with rubber bullets and arresting people, pepper spraying people.” Though they couldn’t march at the events, Natalie and Samara have found other ways to use their voices for justice and good as the leaders of the Black Student Union (BSU). “The situation with George Floyd and other people that that has happened to is tragic, and we all feel for the situation,” Natalie said. “If you're looking at it from retrospect, I wish 10 14 Saint Saint Joseph Joseph Notre Notre Dame Dame High School
none of it happened. But, it did open the door for bigger conversations.” “Personally for me, it was a little weird, because obviously I knew that things were happening,” Natalie shared. “I wanted to be a part of a solution. I wanted to console anyone that needed to be consoled, but I was in sort of a limbo. Obviously, all people of color can be targeted and all this stuff, but
During this unconventional school year, Samara’s and Natalie’s biggest priority was keeping the BSU members connected. Despite shelterin-place and a decline in involvement, the club and SJND rallied for a successful fundraiser. “We decided to help the East Oakland Youth Development Center,” Samara said. “A lot of the students in BSU, including myself, have been involved with EOYDC, some more than others, and we wanted to do something that was close to home and that would directly impact our community for the better.” Thanks to the partnership of Lola’s Chicken Shack in Alameda, the turnout was a success.
"Obviously, all people of color can be targeted and all this stuff, but I think a big thing that I think about a lot...is not feeling like you fit in, in one specific ethnicity, you know?" I think a big thing that I think about a lot...is not feeling like you fit in, in one specific ethnicity, you know? After a lot of reflections with my family...there's no reason to diminish how you feel. Everyone's feelings are valid.” Besides co-leading the BSU, Natalie is also a member of the student diversity board, which hosts town halls to give students space to discuss important, difficult, emotional issues. “I've seen people cry in the town halls, and just being able to talk to someone, I think, is a really powerful thing,” Natalie said. “A lot of students feel like they're going through something that they don't have anyone to talk to [about]. I think our DEI board did a great job of
“It was really nice to see how well the SJND community came to support us and to support EOYDC, especially through COVID,” Samara said. Samara and Natalie will remain copresidents of BSU for the following school year, and Samara has big dreams and plans. One is to organize a trip to the African American Museum in Washington, D.C. She hopes that doing so will help foster understanding of African American culture. “It's kind of hard; we've created our own culture and things have been taken from us,” she said. “It's a struggle for every student. But I think that BSU offers an opportunity for us to talk about it.”
Life at Sea with Arlo Rucker, ‘22 Swap your home for a sailboat, history class for treks through ancient Polyenesian ruins, and that English paper for a blog on a yearlong adventure, and you’ll get a sense of how Arlo Rucker, SJND ‘22, spent half of eighth and ninth grade. “The whole trip, I was constantly pushing my boundaries, doing things I've never done before,” Arlo said. “I definitely noticed that when I got back it seemed like any problems or conflict that I'd had [were petty and insignificant] compared to what I’d just done.” When Arlo’s family embarked, they left with a rough idea of anchor destinations, leaving the rest of the itinerary open for spontaneity. They would go, literally, where the wind took them. “We planned our general route,” Arlo said. “We wanted to go to Mexico, the South Pacific, and then Hawaii, but we didn't really know that much more than that. It depends on the weather; it's a sailboat.” After spending three months in Mexico, the family spent 25 days in the Pacific before arriving in French Polynesia, where they island hopped for seven months. French Polynesia, as well as Alaska, left the biggest impression on Arlo. It was also where he formed lasting friendships. “There was this one island in the South Pacific, Tahanea, and nobody lived on it,” he recounted, “It was very cool. There used to be a
mountain there, and the mountain subsided over millions of years. All that's left is like a ring of a coral reef... It was very strange, like nothing I've ever seen before.” Other escapades included swimming in the open ocean. “We were 1,500 miles out in the Pacific,” Arlo recalled. “There [was] this band of no wind, so we sailed into it and the boat [was] just sitting out there at sea. The waves [were]...perfectly still and glassy. You [could] see your reflection in them.” Docking for periods of time allowed Arlow to meet locals and explore completely different ways of life. “In the more remote places, it would still be the people who were living the subsistence lifestyle,” he said. “They didn't need any jobs because they had fish and coconuts. And that's all you need. It was very, very eye opening. I never imagined that lifestyle was possible.”
percent of little things. At some point, you just kind of [need to] get up and go, because you could have easily prepared for 12 years and still kept going. So at some point, you just have to kind of make a move and go.” It goes to show that sometimes, the most rewarding experiences come without strict plans, and that if we allow, the unexpected and uncontrollable can become a great adventure. If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that maybe we may not be able to control the winds, but we can redirect our sails.
Back in the Bay Area, Arlo and his family have spent the past two summers sailing in Alaska, where their boat, the Debonair, docks during the winter. To break the dreary routine of shelter-inplace they plan to return to Alaska this summer. Arlo reflected on the fact that, as with all daring and unconventional adventures, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. “You can get 99 percent done with preparation of the big things,” he said. “And then there's another 99
Summer 2021 | Update 11
STAYING ACTIVE DURING COVID Like a Girl
Taking up Weightlifting during the Pandemic In the chaos of the pandemic and the shift to online learning, weightlifting has provided discipline and focus for Emma Rothlisberger, ’23. “Last year, I was a different person,” Emma said. “The quarantine has definitely changed me and given me more time to reflect on myself. It's made me way stronger, physically and mentally. I think it's taught me a lot about myself, and how I can literally do anything. It's made me realize that literally anything is possible for me.” Emma just recently picked up Olympic style weightlifting and can already lift half her body weight. Find out what it's like being a girl in a maledominated sport by scanning the code to read more.
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Poetry at Play
A Grade Nine Student’s Love for the Game spotlight. Basketball, to him, is more about community and adaptability as opposed to attention and signature moves. “It's more about just being fluent, being able to hit that shot, making muscle memory by shooting over and over again, to where it's a no brainer,” he said.
If poetry, according to Jane Austen, is the food of love, then it explains why Tzahari Trevino, SJND ‘24, likens basketball to Shakespeare. Tzahari is not only serious about his studies, but deeply motivated by a love of the sport. “I just love the game because it's so complex and so amazing,” he said. “Seeing different people, different things, different moves, different techniques, it’s like poetry.” Tzahari’s passion for basketball extends beyond words. During shelter-in-place, he kept up a training schedule of 15 to 20 hours a week, and his efforts were duly rewarded at tryouts. Though only in his first year of high school, he plays for SJND’s varsity basketball team as a point guard, shooting guard, and power forward. While sports may be seen by some as a path to individual glory, Tzahari is adamant that he doesn’t seek the
“I just love the game because it's so complex and so amazing,” he said. “Seeing different people, different things, different moves, different techniques, it’s like poetry.” Tzahari has been playing since third grade and has a basketball family. Though as a child it was more about the fun, as he progressed and time went on, Tzahari began to value the communal aspect of working as a team. “The more I played it, it was more about stuff like trying to uplift [my teammates],” he said. “Uplifting my fellow teammates makes them feel better and makes me feel better. I see teammates coming together and they have such a great bond. I want to build that and become brothers.”
part of my life. I want to be able to help them and put them on the same path that I'm on.” Basketball, Tzahari said, has gotten him through a lot. The pandemic did a number on the first year of his high school experience, but he maintains a positive attitude. “I started missing my classmates and I was bummed out that we didn't get to see each other,” he recalled. “But, I try to keep myself motivated to keep on making myself better every day.” Through the unexpected challenges presented by the pandemic, Tzahari said this time has shown him the importance of gratitude and presence, stopping to savour the good before it slips away. And basketball is still at the crux, providing many valuable lessons for this aspiring pro. “It’s taught me [to] respect others, how to keep myself humble, how to never stop working. That can translate to different things as in school, life...there's always going to be downfalls, but you just have to get back up.”
It’s not just his teammates he wants to connect with. Growing up, Tzahari attended basketball camps at SJND, and now hopes to be involved in mentoring younger players, giving them the same guidance he experienced. “I want to be part of their lives,” he said. “That was a big
Summer 2021 | Update 13
Twelfth
Night
During the end of April, the theater department held four live streamed performances of the West Coast premiere of the Twelfth Night, a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s play.
“The cast learned all the choreography and music online and rehearsed by themselves in bedrooms and garages. We had no idea what to expect when we put them all together. Our choreographer, Mary Kalita; musical director, Kevin Roland; vocal coach, Betty Schneider; and I were in total awe of them.” - Lauren Rosi, musical theater teacher
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Summer 2021 | Update 15
Alazar Hailu, ‘21, on his
Transformative Years at SJND If Alazar Hailu, class of 2021, had to sum up his four years at SJND, the words would probably be growth and self-discovery. The Achieve Scholarship recipient and Ethiopian immigrant was drawn to the school for its reputed biomedical program and plans for a pre-med advisory track at Mcallister College in Minnesota, where he’ll be attending in the fall.
Alazar is a member of the track team, which has been another source of good memories, but also disappointment. Because of the pandemic, the season was upended. However, he said he would still take the valuable lessons with him. “I learned a lot of values and had really good experiences from it,” he said. Though he couldn’t keep his normal schedule of activities, Alazar made the most of it, attending online classes and using his newfound free time to deepen and explore his faith. He serves as a deacon at an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian church in Oakland. “[I was able] to grow spiritually [and have] time for self-reflection, self-
“I really enjoyed biology, but mostly the theology and philosophy classes,” he said. “I liked a lot of the deep conversations. My favorite class would probably be [from] last year, our philosophy class [on the] morality of good and evil. We had a lot of interesting discussions on existence and a lot of previous philosophers.” Alazar recalls his first year at SJND and the orientation for incoming students. He was, as he says, a completely different person. “I was really scared and I clung on to the friends I knew,” he remembered. “I wasn't really outspoken and [didn’t] reach out to many people. Now I see I've grown more confident and better at public speaking. I'm going to remember the growth I had being out of my comfort zone.” 16 Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School
growth,” he said. “I was able to work on myself since I had a lot of extra time on my hands. I've been taking a lot of time to just read more spiritual stuff, reading my Bible more, working on my relationship with God.” Before he heads off to Minnesota for his first year of college, Alazar will be making a stop at UC Berkeley, where he will work as a data science intern. As for how he’ll remember SJND, Alazar spoke of the spirit of cooperation over competition. “[There were] some great teachers as well,” he said. “Really good supportive friends...and I think that's what made it easier on me.”
“Over this period of time through the pandemic, I've learned to be more independent and do things on my own. When you're all alone in your house but can't be connected to anyone, you have to learn to fill in the roles that your friends would have filled for you. And you have to learn how to do things on your own more and sometimes the only way to get out of the house is to go for a walk by yourself but no one else in your family will go on a walk with you. So you have to learn how to take initiative.”
FAVORITE CLASS: “I'm on the biomed program track. And that definitely has been like the highlight of my classes at SJND. Biomedical innovations right now is a fun class because it's based on a lot of my own thinking and problem solving. And there's not much content to learn but kind of how to get better or be more efficient at problem solving.”
ON HER TIME AT SJND: “Despite being very small, it has a lot more heart than you would see at a large school. You can see that [it’s a] close-knit community. We're taught to interact with each other. It goes to show that we're not just there for an education; we're there to build character and our own morals.”
2021 Valedictorian
Rachel Bartley
UCLA majoring in neuroscience
prom, spirit week, or “When you think of high school, you probably think of lish teacher letting us stay graduation. But it's those little moments, like our Eng when we forgot our homework, after school to practice our Shakespeare plays, or how run to the other side of campus our teacher would say, okay, you have three minutes to ents that and get it from your locker and back.’ Those small mom you probably don't remember, but it would be a shame to forget those.”
COVID HOBBY: “I have been able to do a lot more art. I was able to delve more into photography and editing with Photoshop. When the pandemic started last year, [painting] was what I was doing the most of. It's just something I never really had the time to sit down and do.”
ON GOING TO SJND: “I think I will remember it as that building block for the rest of my life. While you're going through school, they're very formative years. All the experiences, all the friends you make, all the things you learn are very impactful for the rest of your life.”
2021 Salutatorian
Sara Wheeler
Santa Clara University majoring in web design and engineering Summer 2021 | Update 19
18 Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School
Graduation
Class of 2021
“That chapter of your life as a student at SJND has come to a close. But high school is more than just the campus. It is more than just the classrooms or the sports fields. Although this is the end of your time in those spaces, now is the time for you to take what you have received into new ones and begin.” - Father Mario Rizzo, Parochial Administrator
Summer 2021 | Update 19
Music to the Ears: Issac Li, '22, on the Cello, Culture, and Community
yangqin, moon guitar, percussion, sheng, and dizi. Because they lack the baritone needed for musical foundation, the cello rounds out the group and provides the base. Issac, in addition to playing in the Youth Orchestra, also assists his teacher in instructing younger students who form the beginner’s orchestra. Issac Li, SJND ‘22, is the school’s sole cellist. Music interested him from an early age, with the piano first piquing his interest. He gave it up for the cello after his music teacher expressed a need for a cellist in the orchestra. Now, in addition to the cello, he also plays the flute, and sees music as a way to stretch his creativity. “I feel like music is like a place where I can explore my creative side and be immersed [in it],” Issac said. “I think there's a lot of emotions hidden inside music, and I think it's a great place to explore it.” Issac is a member of the Laney Chinese Orchestra located in Oakland Chinatown. The orchestra, whose goal is to share Chinese traditional arts, features instruments such as erhu, 20 Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School
“[Teaching has] been a really rewarding part, because, in one way, I feel like I'm giving back to my community by helping the next generation of cellists join the Youth Orchestra,” he said. “I think one of
them has already joined the Youth Orchestra, which has been pretty cool.” Beyond serving his community it’s also been gratifying for Issac to see personal growth in the younger players. “It's really rewarding to see them grow,” he said. “I think [that’s] the best part; you can see them get better, improve on what they're doing. Like previously, maybe they couldn't even play a note correctly, and now they can play an entire piece. It's really great.” Being a member of the Chinese orchestra has also allowed Issac to stay connected with his home and cultural heritage. When he was 10, Issac and his parents immigrated to California from Hong Kong. While he was not involved in music there, playing for the Laney orchestra has introduced him to other traditional Chinese music forms and instruments. The move shaped him in other ways, as he made the big transition to a new language, culture, customs, and environment. Key takeaways were the value of perseverance and hard work. “From that I've really learned how important it is to stay motivated and just keep going,” Issac said. “Even when things are pretty difficult.”
Silver Linings During a Covid Senior Year “The pandemic really taught us to enjoy the little things and to always count our blessings because not everyone is in the situation we are.” Learn how Israel Fuentes, class of 2021 stayed positive during covid by scanning the QR code:
A Personable Life
with Lena Jennings ‘14 When COVID-19 shut down the world, Lena Jennings, SJND ‘14, found everything she loved stripped away. A people analyst at Google and selfproclaimed busybody, Lena prided herself in maintaining a full schedule filled with volunteering, continued education, time with friends, and traveling. “Once the pandemic hit and everything was essentially stripped away, all the external noise was stripped away,” she said. “I was left with just myself, and I had to reevaluate how I defined my worth. I so closely attached my worth to my work. I kind of had this small identity crisis because I knew who I was but [asked myself], ‘am I making an impact? Am I doing things of meaning? Do I have relationships that are sustainable?’” “I took a few months or a few weeks to be still and understand the impact of what it is I did,” she added, “and re-evaluate how I associated my work to not what I did, but who I was.” These questions are, perhaps, an extension of Lena’s quest for a more personable life, documented in her on-going project, www.thepersonablelife. com. “I was inspired to start it because I wanted to start the conversation around how hard it is to authentically show up and be seen as yourself,” she said. “How hard it is to kind of brave the wilderness and stand out on an idea, and share your feelings and emotions with someone when someone asks you how you're doing and really be honest.” With the pandemic throwing most people’s lives into the air, dashing ideas and expectations of what “normal” should look like, Lena advocated for more meaningful connections as opposed to a comparison game. “Not everyone will be successful, but everyone will fail,” she said. “If we can connect on the things that actually matter, and the things that we learn from and grow from, that will take us a whole lot farther than just saying how great I am.” Lena put this into practice when Google mandated their employees to work from home. While currently based in the Bay Area, she took the opportunity to spend two months remote working from Tulum, Mexico. Pre-pandemic, Lena had travelled extensively, though she had never gone for more than three weeks, preferring to hop between cities and countries. In going to live in Tulum, she found an opportunity for a different kind of travel, community, and connection. “Everyone is incredibly present and fully there,” she recounts. “No idea, no adventure felt weird or awkward or uncomfortable. No judgement, no preconceived notions.” As the world continues to push forward into many unknowns, Lena reminds us to live authentically. “My thing has always been “know your why.” Understand your why, and that why guides you into making the decisions. Never lose sight of that. Don't be afraid to kind of stand in the wilderness, if that is an unpopular opinion or perspective.”
"Am I making an impact? Am I doing things of meaning? Do I have relationships that are sustainable?”
Brandi Weiman Vargas, '07
Aubrey Williams, '13
Where Our
Ramel George, Jr., ‘09 and Rhona Marie Reyes, ‘08
Christen Morrison, '09
Murphy Holmes Jr., '03
Liz Medrano, '11 and Omar de la Cruz, '11
Pilots Are Flying Steve Vucinich, '70
Paul Fortini, '89 and Stefanie De Guzman Fortini, '89
Kamron Tangney, '09 and Jade Street Tangney, '09
Mark Curry, '79
Allison Loring Hutton, ‘01
Kyle Williams, '09 and Mechelle Miller, '08
Patricia O’Hara, ‘67
Ruben Sevillano, ‘07
Marielle Heller, '97
Mike Marin, '93
Nikki Silva ‘68
Patrick Corder '97 and Emily Triplett Corder, '00 Cryus Shaphar, ‘92
Tori Coleman, ‘10
Dr. Teddy Eusebio, ‘09
Austine Delos Santos, ’14
Christopher Livingston, ‘11
Rene Jacques, '98
Josefina Rodriguez, '06
2010s Congratulations to Liz Medrano, ‘11 and Omar de la Cruz, ‘11 on their recent wedding. Congratulations to Cooper Teare, ‘17 and his teammate for setting an NCAA record. Wedding bells rang for Christopher Livingston, ‘11 and his beautiful bride, Karyn Kennedy. Aubrey Williams, ‘13 and Austine Delos Santos, ’14 have been involved with SJND’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee helping to moderate and host our first student Town Hall Meeting. Congratulations to Tori Coleman, ‘10 as she was a panelist in the Golden State Warriors Women Empowerment Month for Women in Sports which was hosted by the Black Alliance Network HBCU Sports Leadership Summit.
2000s Murphy Holmes, Jr., ‘03, or YMTK was spotlighted and interviewed by KQED for his eclectic, spiritual, fun-loving R&B and hip-hop music. Congratulations to Allison Loring
Hutton, ‘01 and her husband, Brian Hutton on the birth of their daughter, Isla Pearl Hutton, born 2/4/21. Congratulations to Dr. Teddy Eusebio, ‘09 and his wife, Stephanie, on their recent wedding. Welcome to the SJND Alumni Sweetheart Club! Congratulations to Kyle Williams, ‘09 and his beautiful wife, Mechelle Miller, ‘08 on their wedding day. Former Kairos leaders and now newlyweds! Congratulations to SJND Alumni Ramel George, Jr., ‘09 and Rhona Marie Reyes, ‘08 on their wedding. Congratulations to Christen Morrison, ’09 who recently got engaged to Bobby England. Congratulations to Josefina Rodriguez, ’06 and her husband, Justin Thomas. Congratulations to Ruben Sevillano, ‘07 and his beautiful brideto-be, Ira Rodriguez Sanchez, on their recent engagement. Congratulations to Brandi Weiman Vargas, ‘07 and her husband, Max, on the birth of their adorable son, Indigo Milo in November.
Violet Golden, '39
Cooper Teare, '17
Reunion Updates
Amanda Gerson Caniglia, '96
1980s
If you graduated in a year ending in 0, 1, 5, or 6, your on-campus reunions are postponed.
Happy 24th Anniversary to Paul Fortini, ‘89 and his beautiful wife, Stefanie De Guzman Fortini, ‘89.
Golden Reunions
1970s
Class of 1970
Congratulations to Steve Vucinich, ‘70 on his retirement as the Oakland A’s Equipment Manager. Vucinich has been with the A’s for 54 seasons.
You’re invited to a group celebration of your 70th birthdays in August 2022.
Class of 1971 You’re invited to celebrate your golden reunion on Saturday, September 11, 2021 with an on-campus luncheon and tour followed by an off-campus celebration. Congratulations to SJND sweetheart couple, Kamron Tangney, ‘09 and Jade Street Tangney, ‘09 on the birth of their handsome son, Royce Hunter in January.
1990s Congratulations to Rene Jacques, ‘98 on writing “The Athlete’s Advantage in Business” which recently shot to the top of Amazon’s bestsellers list. Congratulations to Patrick Corder, ‘98 as he received the Local Hero Award from the Alameda Chamber of Commerce for his firefighting. Patrick is married to SJND alumna, Emily Triplett Corder, ‘00.
Congratulations to Marielle Heller, '97 for her return to acting in "The Queen's Gambit." Amanda Gerson Caniglia, ‘96 owner of Bella Vista Social Club and Caffe’ in La Jolla, CA was listed as one of San Diego’s Best Waterfront restaurants. Congratulations to Mike Marin, ‘93 on his documentary, “Cinema Red” which received 1st Place Documentary Short at the Indie Suspense Horror Sci-Fi Film Festival. Congratulations to Cryus Shaphar, ‘92 appointed by President Biden as COVID-19 Data Director, COVID-19 Response Team at the White House.
Mark Curry, class of ‘79, from the TV show "Hangin With Mr. Cooper" was recently on Entertainment Tonight talking about his iconic role.
1960s Patricia O’Hara, ‘67 introduced Supreme Court Nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee. Congratulations to Nikki Silva, ‘68 and Davia Nelson, producers of “The Kitchen Sisters” on NPR, for their 40th show.
1930s Happy 100th Birthday to Violet Golden, '39, our oldest living alumna. Summer 2021 | Update 23
A Gift for Teaching Didi Kubicek Retires after 41 Years in the Classroom
When Didi Kubicek first started teaching at SJND, she thought she would stay for three, maybe five years. Fast forward 28 years later and Didi has touched almost every aspect of school life and impacted hundreds of students’ lives. A true gift to our community, Didi has taught a wide variety of mathematics classes, acted as math department chair, headed up the musical theater program and chorus classes for several years, ran a plethora of clubs and sat on numerous committees. She even stepped up to teach French twice. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Statistics, she wasn’t sure what to do with her love for mathematics, so she decided to go to the one place that always clears her mind: the mountains. An avid skier, Didi took a year off to work at a ski lodge and be, as she puts it, “a ski bum.” The physical activity and time for reflection gave her the perspective she needed. Despite people telling her that a career in teaching would be a bad idea, she followed her gut and got her teaching credential. Once she entered the classroom, she was home. “This just fits really well,” Didi remembers of her first time teaching high school. “It felt really good. And it feels really good to look back now. To know that the choice was clear back then. And that I now look at all these years that I've been in the classroom, and I'm going, ‘Yeah, these have been
24 Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School
really great years.’ It's been a great career, just a really great career.” Didi started teaching 41 years ago at her alma mater, Bishop O’Dowd, and worked there for over a decade. She then spent a semester as a substitute at Moreau High School before moving to SJND. The orderliness and logic of mathematics enthralls her. ”I think it's the subject that most teaches students how to think,” says Didi. “In any subject matter, teaching [students] to think and to go beyond just the surface is great. That's where we really get the satisfaction, from knowing that we've done that.”
‘Yeah, these have been really great years.’ It's been a great career, just a really great career.” Earlier on in her career, Didi said she faced a bit of discrimination being a woman in what was perceived as a male-dominated subject. “You'd have these parents looking at you like, ’hmm, there's a female, a young female. I wonder if she's smart enough to really do a good job with this class,’” she recalls. This discrimination may have acted as a catalyst for Didi to hone her craft even more. When asked what advice she
"And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it." Ecclesiastes 12:7
In Memoriam Raymond Burnham, ’51 Edward Foley II, ’63 Maggie Gibson, ’82 Sister of Frances Gibson, ’77
Patricia Gomez, ’87 Cousin of Ruben Sevillano, ’07
Steven Gouig, ’65 Son of August Gouig, ’43 (dec) and brother of Kathleen Gouig Blount, ’67
Sharon Graziano, ’71 would give to teachers just starting out in their careers, she said, “know your subject matter. Really know your material. And if you don't know it, say, ‘I'm going to look into this, I will get back to you.’ And then you have to get back to the kids. They'll know if you're trying to bluff your way through. Whatever you're trying to teach, you need to be authentic and know your stuff.” One opportunity that she sees as an unexpected gift in her teaching career was being able to run the musical theater program for a number of years. Though Didi does not have any formal training in theater, she grew up playing the piano and the guitar. She also loves singing. In fact, she sang in the Oakland Symphony Chorus for close to 20 years. When an opening to teach choir became available, Didi took it on and built the program. It was through teaching the choir
classes that she became involved with musical theater.
Ronald Harvey, ’67
“There's something about music that just touches your soul,” remarks Didi. She used her same gift for taking students who don’t think they can do math, and showing them they actually can, and applied it to music. “I got some kids involved who might not have been involved. And you could see them blossom [from] when they auditioned and then did the show for the next two, three or four years. It's just wonderful.”
David Earl Jacobs, ’44
Moving forward to her next chapter in life, Didi is keeping the same open mindset with which she approached her career. She plans on spending more time with her husband of 43-years, Paul, as well as with the rest of her family, taking music lessons, volunteering, tutoring, travelling, hiking, skiing, and seeing what unexpected gifts life has in store.
Marilyn Villa Pierson, ’49
Brother of Gregory Harvey, ’63
Stephen Kalthoff, ’58 Andy Lam, ’02 Brother of Tony Lam, ’06
Virginia d’Artenay Lumsden, ’39 Mother of Guy, ’64 (dec), Peter, ’66, and Thomas, ’70 Lumsden and Sister of Rosemary, ’38 (dec) and Frances, ’44 (dec) d’Artenay
Robert McNair ’38 Father of Robert McNair III, ’66 (dec)
Denise Timney Ranish, ’67 Sister of Shirley Timney Bierman ’69, Daniel Timney, Jr., ’70, Sandra Timney Thomas, ’72, and Susan Timney, ’81
John L. Regan, ’45 Brother of Edward Regan, ’43
John Repetto, ’69 Archie Shelton, ’58 Sister Carolyn Whited, ’51 Summer 2021 | Update 25
Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School 1011 Chestnut Street Alameda, CA 94501 www.sjnd.org • 510-523-1526
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID SAINT JOSEPH NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL
Parents of Alumni:
If this issue is addressed to your child who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify SJND at (510) 995-9452 with the new address. Thanks!
Nominations Now Open for the Class of 2022! Honor the great athletes, coaches, and former or current Pilot athletic supporters by nominating them into the Hall of Fame today!
www.sjnd.org/halloffame
Nomination Deadline: October 15, 2021
Hall of Fame celebrations to be held on:
• Class of 2020 Inductees: Friday, April 29, 2022 • Class of 2022 Inductees: Saturday, April 30, 2022
Congratulations
CLASS OF 2020 THE 1965 MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM CHRIS ARIA, '08 Tennis
DAN CURRY
Former Athletic Director and Supporter
PHOEBE GRUNT, '13 Volleyball
ALEX HARRIS, '04 Basketball
JOE NELSON, '93 Baseball
JENNIFER RADECKE-NOBLE, '02 Swimming
KEN RODRIGUES Supporter