Valley Catholic High School Faculty Biobook 2015-2016

VALLEY CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

Faculty & Staff 2015-2016

Administration Bob Weber Valley Catholic School President

Bob Weber joined our campus community in 2010, bringing more than 14 years of administrative experience in communication, problem solving, conflict resolution, and faculty / staff management. Bob’s roots in Catholic education go back to his high school days as a 1987 graduate of Central Catholic High School in Portland. After teaching and coaching for four years at Valley Catholic High School in the ’90s, Bob moved into administration at Blanchet Catholic School in Salem where he served as vice principal for three years before taking over as principal in 2000. During his tenure at Blanchet, enrollment increased from 145 students to more than 400, and the school expanded to include sixth grade. Blanchet has been named the best private school in the mid-Willamette Valley. In fall of 2009, Bob was a nominee for a Crystal Apple to honor excellence in education in the SalemKeizer area. In April of 2012, he was appointed to the Executive Committee of the Department of Boards and Councils of the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA). Bob also serves on the OSAA State Championship Committee and volunteers with Father Taaffe Homes in Salem. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon and a master’s degree in teaching from Pacific University. Bob earned his beginning and continuing administrative credentials from Portland State University.

Ross Thomas Principal

Ross Thomas came to Valley Catholic as principal in 2002 from Spokane, where he had worked for 21 years at St. George’s School as middle and high school head, academic dean, English teacher, department chair, college counselor, and athletic director. He began his high school teaching career at Castilleja School in Palo Alto and has taught English at Notre Dame, Gonzaga, Whitworth, and Cal Santa Cruz. Ross holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English, both from Santa Clara, and studied in doctoral programs in English and comparative literature at Notre Dame and Cal Santa Cruz. At St. George’s he coached baseball, cross-country, and basketball, winning seven State Championships. He appeared in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” for his basketball team’s Washington state record of 114 consecutive league wins. He led four baseball teams to the final eight in State and in 2011 was inducted into the Washington State Cross-Country Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame.

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Valley Catholic High School

Doug Ierardi Academic Vice Principal

Doug Ierardi came to Valley Catholic in 2010 as dean of academics and social studies and religion teacher. He is also now head football coach. Before coming to Valley Catholic, Doug was principal for four years at Regis High School in Stayton, Oregon, where he had served as dean of students, teacher, and very successful football and track coach, leading the football team to undefeated conference championships in 2005 and 2007 and the girls track team to a State Championship in 1998. Doug, a native New Englander, has also taught religion and history and coached football, track, cross-country, and soccer at three high schools in New Hampshire. His bachelor’s degree (history) is from St. Anselm’s (New Hampshire) and his master’s (Catholic school leadership) from Marymount University in Virginia.

Kris Troha Dean of Students

Kris Troha, who came to Valley Catholic in 2015, serves as Dean of Students and teaches AP Physics. Kris has a B. S. degree from Clemson in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s of Education with a Physics specialty from The George Washington University. Kris taught seven years in Maryland and Minnesota before moving to Oregon and teaching AP and general Physics at McMinnville High School while serving on a team to create the Engineering and Aerospace Science Academy.

For the last six years, Kris has taught Physics, AP Physics 1, and AP Physics 2 at Wilsonville High School. Kris has long and various experience with AP conferences, institutes, and workshops and serves as an AP Physics 2 Standards Setting Panelist on the committee that determines worldwide distribution for 1-5 scores on the AP exam. Kris grew up in Virginia, where he was a highschool swimmer and diver, and he continued to dive at Clemson.

Kris, his wife, Jeanna, and two sons live in Wilsonville but for the last six years have been members of Holy Trinity Parish in Beaverton, where Kris sings bass in the choir.

Kelly Alfieri Assistant Athletic Director

Kelly Alfieri has served as Valley Catholic’s assistant athletic director since 2011 and CYO director since 2008. Kelly was a threesport athlete at Hillsboro High School, running cross-country and track and playing basketball. She was All-State in track and still holds school records in the 400m and 300m hurdles. In her senior year Kelly was named Hillsboro High’s Athlete of the Year and Scholar Athlete. She received an athletic scholarship to Oregon State University, focusing on the 400m hurdles. Kelly earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise

physiology and worked for OHSU’s Human Performance Laboratory before becoming a full-time mother. All six of her children have attended Valley Catholic.

Mary Donovan Director of Campus Life

Mary Donovan has been director of campus life since 2003. She is responsible for all the activities and events of campus ministry and student activities. She also teaches Valley Catholic’s leadership class. Mary was for many years a leader in adult retreats, High School Search for Christian Maturity programs, and Young Church Today High School Religious Education. She also served as a teacher in religious education in her local parishes for many years. Mary was recognized as the Oregon High School Student Council Advisor of the Year for 2009-2010. In 2013 she was given an Award of Excellence for Exemplary Display of Sportsmanship, Ethics & Integrity by the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA). The Encounter Mary leads every year for juniors is at the heart of most students’ careers at Valley Catholic.

Pat Joyaux ’54 Secretary/Registrar

Pat Joyaux graduated from Valley Catholic, then known as St. Mary of the Valley High School. After working in the public sector and taking several years to raise her family, Pat began working as secretary of St. Mary of the Valley High School in 1978. A few years later she added registrar duties to her job, a position now too various to be given a title. Pat has seven children, 15 grandchildren, and 10 great- grandchildren. Five of her children and five of her grandchildren are graduates of Valley Catholic High School. Pat likes to garden (she took the OSU Master Gardeners course to hone her skills), read, collect recipes, cook, and spend time with family and friends.

Joel Sobotka Athletic Director

Joel Sobotka came to Valley Catholic in 2012 as athletic director and head boys basketball coach from the University of Portland, where he had been top assistant and recruiting coordinator. Joel has 18 years of college basketball experience, including four years as a Division I head coach at Portland State University. (When hired in 1998 at the age of 28, he was the youngest D-I head coach in the country.) Joel has also coached at Eastern Oregon University, Cal State Northridge, and Arizona State.

While at PSU he served as college and NBA analyst for 1080 the Fan. Joel was a founding board member of the Oregon/

Southwest Washington Chapter of the ALS Association, with which he is still actively involved. He was selected in 1999

by Oregon State Senator Ron Wyden to lead the Backboards and Blackboards program, which educates children on academic and basketball goals and opportunities. He has also been camp director for the Chris Dudley Basketball Camp for Kids with Diabetes and worked with the Special Olympics Youth Games in Beaverton. In 2014 Joel led the Valiant boys to the State Championship and was named Oregon’s Boys Basketball Coach of the Year.

Claudia Kolb Thomas Admissions Director

Claudia Kolb Thomas became the high school admissions director in 2003 after moving from Spokane, where she was St. George’s School athletic director for 10 years and led St. George’s to four All-Sport Championships. Claudia grew up swimming for the Santa Clara Swim Club; at 14 years old she won a silver medal in the 200-meter breaststroke in the Tokyo Olympics, the first U.S. breaststroke medal, and, four years later, in the Mexico City games, gold medals in the 200 and 400-meter individual medleys. She was named World Swimmer of the Year in 1967. A year later, when she retired at 18, she had set 25 world records and won 25 National Championships. She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1975. Claudia coached at Santa Clara Swim Club before joining Stanford University’s staff as an assistant to the men’s and women’s programs. She then became head women’s coach, led the Cardinal to the National Championship, and was named National Coach of the Year. Claudia and her husband Ross have three sons, all of whom teach.

Jan Wilson Director of School Operations

Jan Wilson started at Valley Catholic as assistant to the principal in 2000 and is now director of school operations. She is responsible for various administrative duties including maintenance of the school software system, scheduling substitute teachers, managing the school bookstore, and serving as a parent- information resource.

Jan has many years of office experience: she has been coowner of a travel agency and office manager for the general contractor during construction of the Veterans Hospital in downtown Portland. She has a son and a daughter, an alumna of the Valley Catholic class of 2000. Jan’s hobbies include gardening, quilt-making, and traveling, especially to tropical locations to scuba dive.

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Counseling Joe Bernard

Brenna Brown

College Counselor

Department Chair

Joe Bernard, Valley Catholic’s college counselor since 2000, earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon and a master’s degree in student counseling from the University of Portland. With 25 years of college counseling experience, Joe is Oregon’s first school-based Certified Educational Planner, the highest credential for college counselors. He chairs the Portland National College Fair, serves on the executive boards of the American Institute of Certified Educational Planners, the Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling and the University of Arizona Admissions Advisory board. He is a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling and holds a charter membership in the Higher Educational Consultants Association, for which he served as vice president for six years.

Joe was an admissions officer at the University of Portland for seven years and taught a graduate level college counseling course for Lewis and Clark.

Kelsey Manning Personal Counselor

Kelsey Manning has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a minor in Italian studies, from Gonzaga University and a master’s in school counseling, also from Gonzaga. Before coming to Valley Catholic, Kelsey counseled at a public school in Spokane. At Gonzaga she worked with students as retreat leader; resident assistant; tutor; and graduate assistant in the counseling department, serving as secretary to the Professional Educational Advisory Board and conducting research and designing presentations for professors. During her time at Gonzaga, Kelsey served also as a youth leader at St. Aloysius Parish. She has worked, too, as a volunteer in Mississippi and in a Spokane school for children with learning disabilities. In addition to counseling at Valley Catholic, she teaches a section of psychology.

Kelsey has led summer student trips to Florence and for the last few years has also been Valley Catholic’s teacher at the Oregon Council for the Humanities’ Idea Lab.

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English

Valley Catholic High School

Brenna Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in English, as well as her licensure and certification in secondary education, at the University of Iowa and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Portland State. Brenna grew up on the prairie in Malvern, Iowa, a town of 1,100 with a high school of 101—51 girls and 50 boys. Brenna was elected student body president by a margin of one vote. She joined Valley Catholic’s faculty in 1999 and currently teaches English 12, AP Literature and Composition, serves as chairwoman of the English department, and acts as advisor to Valley Catholic’s chapter of the National Honor Society. When she isn’t grading essays, taking classes, or writing affectionate but frank verse satires of her students, Brenna enjoys reading, cooking, camping, and spending time with her family.

John Innes John Innes, who joined Valley Catholic in 2003, teaches Sophomore English and Junior/Senior Creative Writing. John graduated from St. George’s School in Spokane, where he played soccer, basketball, and baseball. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College in New York, where he played golf and was voice of the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Before joining Valley Catholic, John was a professional fly fisherman in Sun Valley, Idaho, and released a DVD called “A Season on Silver Creek and the Big Wood River.” John served four years as boys JV basketball coach at St. George’s High School. He has been Valley Catholic’s head girls basketball coach since 2004 and has a record of 261-61, one of the state’s very best. John’s teams have won seven league championships, three State 2nd places, a 3rd, a 4th, and a 5th, and in 2013, after four Final Four appearances in six years, won the State Championship, and John was named State Coach of the Year.

Kathy Whittemore Johnson Kathy Whittemore Johnson has taught English at Valley Catholic since 1992.

She currently teaches English 11, AP English Language and Composition, and English Conversation. Before coming to Valley Catholic, Kathy was president of WhittemoreJohnson Public Relations Company, providing services to nonprofit organizations in Portland; editor of Tucson City Magazine; coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters in Tucson; labor relations specialist for the City of Eugene;

and coordinator for the Oregon Juvenile Justice System and Portland YMCA through the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program. Kathy graduated from Catlin Gabel School, earned a bachelor’s degree in humanities and political science from Scripps College in Claremont, California, and a master’s in labor relations from the University of Oregon. Kathy is active in local politics and enjoys running, reading, and, most of all, spending time with family.

Marty Karlin Ginnie Sutfin

schooling has also worked for local farms, painted houses with other Valley Catholic alums, and coached at basketball camps all over the area, including the Valiants’ camps.

Fine Arts Jeff Evans Choir Director

See Bio in Fine Arts

Jeff Evans directs Valley Catholic’s concert choir and choral ensembles. Jeff earned a bachelor’s degree in music education at Portland State, where he sang under Director of Choral Activities Dr. Ethan Sperry. Jeff has had an excellent mentor: Dr. Sperry conducts the school’s worldrenowned chamber choir and is artistic director and conductor of the Oregon Repertory Singers, the state’s most distinguished adult chorus. He also serves as the national repertoire and standards chair for male choruses for the American Choral Directors Association. For two years Jeff served as choral assistant at Cleveland High School, whose choirs have long been among Oregon’s best. Cleveland won the 2012 Oregon 5A State Championship during Jeff’s time there. Jeff also serves as bass section leader and back-up conductor for the 70-voice choir of Westminster Presbyterian Church. Jeff plays trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, Sousaphone, guitar, drums, and piano. At Tucson High School he played in the marching and pep bands and has experience in many kinds of music, including classical, sacred, folk, and jazz. In 2015 Jeff led the Valiants choir to its first-ever State Competition.

See Bio in Fine Arts

Pat Thomas Pat Thomas teaches Honors U.S. History, English 9, and English 10 and coaches baseball and basketball. Pat graduated from St. George’s School in Spokane, where he was co-Athlete of the Year, playing baseball and basketball and running cross-country. A National Merit and Whitman Presidential Scholar, Pat earned his bachelor’s degree in history at Whitman College, where he was also a starting pitcher and two-year baseball captain. He holds, too, a master’s degree in teaching from Pacific University. Before joining Valley Catholic’s faculty, Pat taught English at Archbishop Murphy High School in Everett, Washington, serving also as assistant boys varsity basketball coach. After three years as an assistant, Pat became Valley Catholic’s head baseball coach in 2011. He has led the Valiants to the post-season every year and to Lewis & Clark League Championships in 2013 and 2014. In 2014 he was named State Coach of the Year. This winter will be his tenth as an assistant with the girls basketball program.

Travis Hatton Orchestra Director

Library

Travis Hatton, who has taught at Valley Catholic since 2001, directs the middle and high school orchestras and the high school string ensemble and teaches AP Music Theory. Travis’s education includes a bachelor’s of music in music theory and composition from the University of the Pacific, a master’s degree in music in orchestral conducting from the New England Conservatory of Music, and doctoral studies at Ball State University. Travis is also the music director of the Beaverton Symphony, conductor of the Sunnyside Symphony, and artist in residence at George Fox University as music director of the Chehalem Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared as a guest conductor with many groups nationally and internationally, as well as local ensembles such as the Eugene Opera, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, the Mt. Hood Pops Orchestra, and the Rose City Chamber Orchestra. More information about Mr. Hatton’s achievements can be found at http://travishatton.com.

Andy Haugen ’07 Librarian

Andy Haugen is our librarian. After nine years as a St. Cecilia Cyclone, Andy came to Valley Catholic, graduating in 2007. He then went to Pacific University from which he graduated in 2011 with a major in History and in 2013 with a Master’s in Teaching with endorsements in History and English. Andy’s most interested in American history, especially the antebellum period, the Civil War, and the cold-war years.

He’s a Civil War re-enactor, outdoorsman, and basketball coach. In his senior year at Valley Catholic Andy was 3A State Basketball Player of the Year and led the Valiants to their first State Championship. He was a four-year letterman at Pacific and is now head freshman boys basketball coach at St. Helen’s High School. Andy didn’t need a lot of introductions when the school year began: he’s not only a VC grad but throughout his

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Fine Arts (Continued) Marty Karlin Marty Karlin has taught at Valley Catholic since 1981, primarily English in the high school; her current duties, however, include all the high school’s art courses, as well as AP Junior English classes. Marty graduated from Hockaday School in Dallas; she earned a bachelor’s in English and a master’s in education, both from Stanford, and has studied locally at the Pacific Northwest College of Art. Marty has taught courses from second-grade P.E. to high school driver education in schools from Springfield, Massachusetts, to Raleigh, North Carolina. She sensibly waited until after Mt. St. Helen’s erupted to move to Oregon in 1981 with her husband and their first child. Two of Marty’s sons are grads of Valley Catholic. Her hobbies include family activities, artistic pursuits, reading broadly, and staying connected with family and friends.

Dan Schauffler Band Director

Dan Schauffler—who has directed Valley Catholic’s concert, jazz, and pep bands since 2000—graduated from Catlin Gabel School, earned a bachelor’s of fine arts from Warner Pacific University, and studied music at the City College of New York. Dan was the saxophonist for the Crazy 8s, one of the all-time great college bands—their “Johnny Q. Public” was number one on many college radio stations. When they recorded a live album at the University of Oregon the crowds from Eugene and Corvallis set a Memorial Union Hall attendance record. In 2007 Dan was inducted twice—once as a member of the Crazy 8s and again as a member of NuShooz (whose “I Can’t Wait” was nominated for a Grammy Award)— into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame, along with James DePriest, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Robert Cray, and Doc Seversen. In 2012 Dan was inducted yet again, this time as an individual sax player. Dan leads Valley Catholic’s bands with all the energy and fun that put his bands and himself into the Hall of Fame.

Ginnie Sutfin Director of Drama Production

Ginnie Sutfin, who came to Valley Catholic in 2004, teaches English, drama, and journalism and serves as director of drama production. Ginnie graduated from Presentation High School in San Jose and then came north to Gonzaga University, where she majored in theatre arts and English, studied abroad in London, was a founding member of the Alpha Psi Omega theatre fraternity, served as a directing member of the Student Theatre Guild, won an Irene 5

Valley Catholic High School

Ryan nomination for her role as Olivia in “Twelfth Night,” and graduated magna cum laude. Ginnie then earned from the University of Idaho a master’s degree in performance, with double emphases on directing and voice. In Moscow she was also a company member of Idaho Repertory Theatre, and in Portland she has been a founding member of the theatre company 2Boards Productions and directed their inaugural show, “Measure for Measure.” She has also performed for Lakewood Theatre Company and Portland Theatre Guild.

Ginnie’s interests include cooking, watching NFL football and college basketball, playing tennis and softball, and watching live performance in its many forms.

History & Social Sciences Tommy Manning Department Chair

Tommy Manning came to Valley Catholic in 2006. He teaches American Government and Modern World History and is chairman of the social studies department. He is also head cross-country coach and coaches middle-distance track runners. Tommy earned a B.A. in government and M.A. in International Affairs, both at Georgetown. He spent a summer in Belfast researching his master’s thesis documenting the civil strife of Northern Ireland. At Jesuit High School, Tommy was a star cross-country and track runner, earning 1st-team All-State honors in cross-country and leading Jesuit to its first State Championship in 2000; he was also State Champion in the 1500 meters in 2001. At Georgetown Tommy was an AllAmerican in the 800 meters and distance medley relay. Tommy led the Valiant boys to the 2011, 2013, and 2014 State crosscountry championships and was three times named Oregon’s Boys Cross-Country Coach of the Year (the 2014 team was also National Champion for schools of under 600 students). Tommy also led the 2014 girls track team to the State Championship and was, with Valley Catholic’s Herb Lommen, State co-Coach of the Year.

Dale French Dale French, now Vice Principal of the Middle School, continues to teach Economics and coach track in the High School. Dale joined the High School fulltime in 2002 as athletic director, where he remained until 2005 when he moved into the front office to become dean of students and then vice principal until 2015. At Glencoe High School Dale was a star athlete—Metro League Player of the Year and First- Team All-State in basketball and a top hurdler. Dale graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1992, where he was a four-year letter winner and, in his senior year, Most Valuable Player for the Falcons

Math

basketball team. Dale received his master’s degree in athletic administration from the University of Northern Colorado in 1993. He retired as a Lt. Colonel after serving for 20 years as an Intelligence Officer in the active-duty Air Force and Air Force Reserves.

Kipp Johnson Department Chair

Kipp Johnson has taught mathematics at Valley Catholic since 1986 and is the chairman of the math department. His current assignments are Calculus I, II, and III; Honors Pre-Calculus; and Honors Math in the middle school. Kipp earned his bachelor’s degree from Princeton, a master’s in mathematics from Portland State, and a master’s in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. Before coming to Valley Catholic, Kipp served for 11 years as pastor at two Protestant churches on the Oregon coast. Kipp has been honored by the College Board’s Advanced Placement program as one of Oregon’s most successful calculus teachers: for many years his students have earned AP scores among the nation’s best. Kipp’s two sons are Valley Catholic grads. In 2008 Kohler graduated from Princeton in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and was awarded the Lore Von Jaskowsky Prize for excellence in research and overall contribution to the Engineering School and the John Marshall II Prize in Aerospace Engineering. Kipp has played the piano for 50 years but is still working on Brahms’ Paganini Variations.

Ian Berge Ian Berge, who joined Valley’s staff in 2012, teaches freshman Global Studies and “History of the American West,” an upper-division elective of his making. He also serves as an assistant coach for the cross-country and track teams. Ian graduated from Gonzaga with a double major in history and political science and ran cross-country and track and served as team captain for the Zags. He holds a master’s degree in history from Portland State, concentrating on Northwest history. He is also, by ten minutes, the fastest marathoner on campus: his 2:42:40 in the 2011 Portland Marathon placed him 13th among the race’s 8,463 runners.

Peter Gallagher Peter Gallagher earned a bachelor’s degree with a double major in English and history from the University of Oregon and a master’s degree in teaching from the University of Portland. At Valley Catholic he teaches Junior U.S. History, Freshman Global Studies, and a new elective of his design, “Conflict Zones,” which studies Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, Crimea, Palestine, Cyprus, the Basque region, Rwanda, Venezuela, Indonesia, and other conflict-stricken areas. At the University of Portland, Peter served as a summer tutor preparing at-risk students entering high school and addressing their parents’ concerns; at the University of Oregon he was a reading and writing associate, developing a tutoring program for writers struggling in English courses; he also worked four years at Camp Howard, is an avid backpacker, and leads Valley Catholic’s outdoor program.

Doug Ierardi

John Brunecz came to Valley Catholic in 2006 after 38 years of high school math teaching, 18 in Pennsylvania and 20 in the Portland Public School District (where he was awarded in 2001 the Portland Schools Foundation’s Excellence in Education Teacher of the Year Award). At Valley Catholic John teaches Pre-Calculus, Algebra II, Advanced Algebra II, and Math 8. John also has 20 years of experience as a high school head coach of basketball, track, and soccer, earning four coach-of-the-year honors. John has a bachelor’s degree in math education and a master’s in education in math, both at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. John and his wife Wanda have a large family, whose most recent additions are three great- grandchildren.

See Bio in Administration

Kelsey MacIntyre Pat Thomas

John Brunecz

See Bio in Counseling

See Bio in English

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Math (Continued) Jeremy Grondin Jeremy Grondin earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Miami University, Ohio and master’s in education, specializing in mathematics, from Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program. At Miami he also tutored in pre-calculus and calculus and worked as a supplemental instructor in the math department. Before moving to Valley Catholic, Jeremy taught four years at Mount St. Mary Catholic High School in Oklahoma City, where he was assigned for two years as part of his ACE responsibility and then remained. At Mount St. Mary’s Jeremy taught Algebra I, II, and III, Geometry, and Pre-calculus, served as an assistant track coach and assistant and then head cross-country coach. In the fall of 2012 his girls cross-country team won the State Championship, his boys were second, and he was named State Coach of the Year. As an undergraduate, Jeremy was a member of Miami University’s Mock Trial team that won the National Championship.

Becky Kemper Becky Kemper joined Valley Catholic’s faculty in 1994. She has taught Advanced Seventh-Grade Math through Advanced Algebra II but primarily teaches Geometry and Advanced Geometry.

Becky graduated from Western Oregon University in 1990, where she was a member of the Wolves volleyball team from 1988 to 1990. During her years at WOU her team finished second in the nation, and she was named an NAIA All-American and NAIA Scholar-Athlete. Becky is head coach of Valley Catholic’s perennially successful volleyball team. Becky is also club director and coach for West Valley Juniors Volleyball Club. Becky and her husband Warren have three children, all Valley Catholic grads and multi-sport star athletes. Samantha and Tori were All-State volleyball players and Samantha a top javelin thrower and Tori a tennis player. Their son, Clay, was a standout baseball player and, in football, the school’s all-time leading rusher and scorer.

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Valley Catholic High School

PE/Health Kayla Gaspardis Department Chair

Kayla Gaspardis came to Valley Catholic as a Health and P.E. teacher and head girls soccer coach in the fall of 2011.

She played high school soccer at Jesuit for four years—leading the Crusaders to two State titles and a second place. She then played four years at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, an NAIA powerhouse, where she was team captain. She led Westmont to the Final Four once and Elite Eight twice and was named Westmont’s Golden Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award for excellence in academics, character, and play. Kayla also coached five summers at the University of Portland summer camps and after college graduation became an assistant for the Pilot women. Kayla has a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Westmont College and a master’s in teaching from the University of Portland. She is also certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Kayla’s Valiant girls soccer team was State runnerup in 2012 and State Champion in 2013 and 2014, in each of which years she was named State Coach of the Year.

Aaron Tanabe Aaron Tanabe, who teaches Physical Education and Health, grew up in Hilo, Hawaii, where he was a star high-school football and baseball player. He attended Southern Oregon University on a football scholarship, and, after his sophomore year, transferred to Linfield College, from which he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Activity and Health. He earned a Masters in Teaching from Eastern Oregon with endorsements in Physical Education and Health. He came to Valley Catholic from Jason Lee K-8, where he taught Health and P.E. Even among health teachers, Aaron is an unusually knowledgeable and dedicated proponent of healthy nutrition and exercise. Aaron lettered four years in college football and was Linfield’s starting center for two years, helping lead the Wildcats to the Final Four in 2009. He began his coaching career at Amity High School before joining the Valiants’ staff as offensive and defensive line coach.

Religion

staff in Baltimore. Dan worked for four years at UP’s Office of Residential Life and Moreau Center for Service and Leadership, advising service and justice coordinators in residence halls and students considering post-graduate service. At Valley Catholic Dan also is a member of the boys basketball coaching staff.

Ed Braun Department Chair

Ed Braun has taught at Valley Catholic since 1992 and is chairman of the religion department. Ed earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s in theology and ethics from the University of Iowa. Before coming to Valley Catholic he taught for three years at Bishop Garcia Diego High School in Santa Barbara while studying non-Western religious traditions at the University of California Santa Barbara. At Valley Catholic Ed teaches upper-division Relationships and Theology. Ed’s both a Valley Catholic teacher and parent: his daughter graduated in 2015, and his son is a sophomore.

Ed started Valley Catholic’s golf teams and is an avid golfer himself… and still the class of the campus’s linksmen. In 2015 Ed returned to the coaching helm and led the Valiants to 2nd place in the State Tournament.

Luke Waitrovich Luke Waitrovich began his career at Valley Catholic in the fall of 2011, teaching math and religion. Luke graduated with a bachelor’s degree in math with a minor in religious studies from Gonzaga, where he was also active in community service and campus ministry and was for three years a tutor in the math lab for students in classes from College Algebra to Calculus III. He was the coordinator and founder of Spring Break Spokane, a weeklong service immersion for Gonzaga students into social justice issues and service opportunities in Spokane. He also organized all Gonzaga freshman retreats for a semester, was the Boys and Girls Club Volunteer of the Year for Spokane County in 2009, and wrote articles in Spokane magazines on faith and social justice. At Valley Catholic Luke leads each spring a weeklong service trip to Spokane similar to those he organized at Gonzaga.

Chris Bernards Chris Bernards, who teaches junior and senior religion, came to Valley Catholic in 2014 from Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma, where he had worked for eight years, teaching math and AP Statistics, chairing the math department, directing the freshman retreat and sophomore service trip, and serving as crew chief for the Junior Encounter. He also coached baseball eight years and football five and served on the board’s finance committee. Chris earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of San Diego and master’s in teaching at the University of Portland. Chris is a graduate of Jesuit High School in Portland, where he was a standout wide receiver and defensive back in the fall and outfielder in the spring. In the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Chris worked with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Billings, Montana, advocating for clients with governmental agencies, heading the representative payee program, and counseling men and women dealing with mental illness, physical and developmental disabilities, and drug addiction. Chris’s wife, Malia, an alumna of Valley Catholic, now teaches at Jesuit, while Chris, an alumnus of Jesuit, teaches at Valley Catholic.

Science Amy Lacks Department Chair

Amy Lacks, who came to Valley Catholic in 2009, teaches Biology and Advanced Placement Biology. Amy graduated from Duke University with honors in biology.

After spending two years teaching and conducting marine biology research in California and New Zealand, she received her master’s degree in zoology from the University of Hawaii.

Her master’s research focused on the reproductive ecology of coral. After graduate school, Amy moved to San Francisco, where for eight years she taught biology at Drew School.

While at Drew, Amy developed marine biology and molecular biology courses and taught field courses in Hawaii, Belize, and the Galapagos Islands. At Valley Catholic, Amy advises the Science and Sustainability Club and is co-chair of the Sustainability Committee. Amy enjoys scuba diving, hiking, cooking, dancing, and spending time with her husband and daughter Dahlia.

Dan Hannon Dan Hannon, who came to Valley Catholic in the fall of 2013, teaches all sophomore religion classes. Dan graduated from the University of Portland with a bachelor’s degree in history and earned a master’s in education, also from UP. After receiving his master’s degree Dan joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC), for whom he taught in Newark, New Jersey before joining JVC’s national

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Science (Continued) Erin Cole Erin Cole teaches Biology and Environmental Science. Erin’s bachelor’s degree in biology is from Whitman, where she was a William O. Douglas, Whitman Presidential, and National Merit Scholar; her master’s in teaching is from Lewis and Clark College. Erin taught two years in Japan with the JET Program and then worked two years with SOLV/AmeriCorps as a watershed project coordinator, leading students in service-learning in watershed management, ecological restoration, and water quality. Erin has organized a close partnership between SOLV and Valley Catholic, a partnership most helpful to the school’s students and the campus. Erin has also worked for Znomics, Inc. as a research assistant studying a model system species, Zebrafish, and as an intern at the Oregon Zoo studying two species of endangered butterflies. Erin and chemistry teacher Gina Portillo were awarded Murdock Trust grants that they are now using to study and teach environmental chemistry.

Vanessa Davis Vanessa Davis earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and physical science from San Francisco State and a secondary education teaching practicum from Portland State.

Vanessa began her career at Mercy College Preparatory in San Francisco, teaching chemistry and physical science and serving as assistant in the admissions department.

After her family moved to Portland she worked for five years in research with Boise Cascade before returning to teaching at St. Mary’s Academy as a chemistry teacher. After then staying home with young children for a few years, Vanessa came to Valley Catholic in 2012 as fifth and sixth grade science specialist before moving to the high school in 2014, where she now teaches chemistry and physics. Vanessa enjoys reading and gardening and, when they’re not all skiing, she and her husband enjoy watching their two sons playing baseball and basketball.

Nathan Fisher Nathan Fisher, who joined Valley Catholic in 2015, teaches Physics and assists in school administration. Nathan graduated from Whitman College with a double major in Mathematics and Film / Media Studies and a minor in Physics. For three years at Whitman he served as a teaching assistant in both Physics labs and classrooms. Nathan was a resident assistant of a first-year hall, in which he advised 140 students; he played golf for Whitman and was a member of the college’s bridge team, one of the best in the country.

He wrote weekly movie reviews and articles for the college 9

Valley Catholic High School

paper and edited articles on other subjects. Nathan’s also a jazz and classical cellist, a basketball and volleyball player, a wellexperienced backpacker, and a proficient Spanish speaker.

Gina Portillo Gina Portillo joined Valley Catholic’s faculty in 2013 and teaches Chemistry, Advanced Chemistry and AP Chemistry. Gina earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Portland and a master’s in education, also from UP. Since graduation in 2011, Gina has taught almost all sciences—chemistry, advanced chemistry, general chemistry, physics, biology, advanced biology, and physical science—at five local high schools and tutored in all sciences and Spanish.

She has prepared students for the Ocean Bowl, National Science Bowl, Science Olympiad, and worked in the Training Interdisciplinary Educational Scientists (TIES) program Gina and environmental-science teacher Erin Cole were awarded Murdock Trust grants that they are now using to study and teach environmental chemistry. Gina was licensed to scuba dive before she got her driver’s license and enjoys snowboarding, wakeboarding, and everything about the ocean.

Kris Troha

See Bio in Administration

Technology Jerry Kearns Jerry Kearns came to Valley Catholic in 2012 to teach AP Computer, Intermediate Computer, and Digital Tools. Jerry holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from St. Francis College in Pennsylvania and a master’s in teaching from Western Oregon. After 20 years as a software engineer for IBM and Intel, Jerry moved to education.

For 10 years before coming to Valley Catholic he taught computer science at Central Catholic in Portland, where he also served as technology specialist and head boys tennis coach, a position he still holds.

Linda Lawyer Linda Lawyer has taught graphic design in the high school and art in the middle school at Valley Catholic since 2009. From 1998 to 2009, Linda was an art literacy coordinator and instructor in local schools.

She graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and after graduation worked 10 years as an art director at a Portland advertising agency. For the past 15 years she has also had her own business as a freelance graphic designer, working with local businesses creating logos,

brochures, and advertisements. Linda enjoys spending time with family and friends, gardening, and playing golf. Linda’s son, Matt, is a 2013 alumnus of Valley Catholic.

Ginnie Sutfin

in education from Portland State. He has taught the last two years in Cantabria, Spain, and is a DELE C1 Spanish speaker. Scott is from Coos Bay, where he was valedictorian at Marshfield High School and won many honors for his service to the community. He has mentored at-risk youth, has been a community organizer for the rehabilitation of historic buildings in Coos Bay, was named Mr. Marshfield for his work in raising funds for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Sacred Heart Hospital, has tutored Spanish-speaking students to help them earn GEDs, is a translator for the VOZ Workers’ Rights Education Project, and was a board member for the Centro Latino Organization in Eugene. Scott enjoys backpacking, surfing, fishing, guitar, art, and travel.

See Bio in Fine Arts

World Language Kristi Bray Department Chair (Spanish)

Kristi Bray joined Valley Catholic’s staff in 2012 and currently teaches Spanish II and III and chairs the world language department. From 2007 to 2011 Kristi taught 10 levels of International Baccalaureate high school and middle school Spanish at the International School of Beaverton. Before joining ISB, Kristi taught in the Talented and Gifted program at Whitford Middle School’s Summa Academy and at Raleigh Hills School. Kristi also taught for a semester at Escuela Barrio Nuevo in rural Costa Rica and served as a tutor to Spanish-speaking students for a year in Eugene. At Valley Catholic Kristi has led student trips to Costa Rica and has been an enthusiastic participant in campus ministry and the outdoor program. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Oregon and a master’s degree in education from Portland State.

Elizabeth Burgess ’05 (French) Elizabeth Burgess (VC 2005) returned to her alma mater in 2012 to teach French I through V. In her student days at Valley Catholic, Elizabeth was a standout student and swimmer (and a two-year teacher’s aide at Valley Catholic Early Learning School (then known as Little Flower Development Center).

She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Portland, then spent a year in Metz, France, teaching high school English to French students. Elizabeth has been active in campus ministry and at University of Portland worked with the Portland Assistance League. She has worked also at Tektronix and as a technical writer for Lam Research.

Audrey Abbott (Spanish)

Rieko Mine (Japanese)

Audrey Abbott, who teaches Spanish I and II, is an alumna of St. Mary’s Academy in Portland. She earned a B.A. from the University of Oregon, majoring in Spanish, International Studies, and Latin American Studies. Her master’s, from the Universidad de Olavide in Seville, is in Teaching Spanish. Before going to Spain, Audrey studied Spanish in Mexico and Argentina, where she also worked with underprivileged youth. After receiving her master’s, Audrey taught middle and high school students for two years in Lebrija, Spain and study-abroad college students in Olavide. In Eugene she led the Alternative Winter Service Break, worked four years as a student leader with the Oregon Brain Trust, and twice received the Dean’s Award for Service. Audrey served a year at Concordia University in Portland as a member of AmeriCorps.

Rieko Mine, who teaches all Japanese classes at Valley Catholic, graduated from Rissyo University in Tokyo with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and earned a post-baccalaureate certificate in psychology from Portland State. She taught Japanese for 14 years at the Catlin Gabel School and has taught, too, at Jesuit High School. Before coming to the United States, Rieko taught English in Tokyo for 10 years. She has, also, prepared the national oral Japanese exam.

Scott Goodman (Spanish) Scott Goodman, who teaches Spanish I, IV, and V, earned a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Spanish and philosophy from Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon and a master’s

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