Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

WINTER 2017

LIVING LASALLIAN CAP MONA ’61 IMANI BAUCOM ’09

DANNY WRIGHT ’11 FR. TIM CORCORAN ’63

3 Life at St. John’s 9 Commencement 2016 13 Sports at St. John’s 23 Athletic Hall of Fame 26 Alumni Action 31 Living Lasallian: Alumni in Service 39 Photo Gallery 50 Class Notes 51 Condolences On the cover: Cap Mona ‘61, photographed by Penny Taylor Right: Photo by Jenn Lodico ‘12

Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

From the President

Scarlet & Grey W I N T E R 2017

St. John’s College High School President Jeffrey Mancabelli Principal Christopher Themistos Vice President for Institutional Advancement Michael Esten Director of Development Mark Gibbs ’96 Associate Director of Development Tom Veith Director of Communications Kathy Howe Assistant Director of Communications Kathryn Zahner Director of Annual Giving Heather Long Director of Special Events Beth O’Connell Director of Advancement Services Lori Martin Database Administrator Jennifer Ackerman ’09 Editor Kathy Howe Contributors Kathryn Zahner Patrick Haley Photography Lawrence French Patrick Haley Kathy Howe Art Director Frank Sheehan St. John’s College High School 2607 Military Road, NW Chevy Chase, DC 20015 www.stjohnschs.org Alumni and Development Office 202.364.0229 | F: 202.363.5091 khowe@stjohnschs.org

Cap Mona Family Student Center

Dear St. John’s Community, St. John’s was blessed with great success in 2016, from our graduating class earning more than $32 million in scholarships, the launching of the Theatre Hall of Fame and the completion of the Donatelli Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, to our eight athletic championships and construction of the new Cap Mona Family Student Center. Our greatest success, however, lies in the daily academic and mission-oriented accomplishments of our students and alumni. Their dedication and teamwork enliven St. John’s and the greater community each day as they continue to fulfill the Lasallian mission. They provide the momentum that propels this community into an exciting new year.

In this issue of the Scarlet & Grey, you will read about just a few of our many alumni living the Lasallian mission. It is so important to highlight these individuals and their work, because from the beginning, the Brothers fostered values centered on concern for social justice and the poor. To this day, the foundation of a Lasallian education includes service to the community, especially the economically poor and marginalized, knowledge of economic, emotional, intellectual and spiritual poverty, the ability to make decisions based on Catholic, Lasallian values and the courage and obligation to right injustice.

Through the moral underpinnings of their education, St. John’s graduates lead by example.

This winter, the Scarlet & Grey recognizes Vincent “Cap” Mona ’61, Danny Wright ’11, Imani Baucom ’09 and Fr. Tim Corcoran ’63 for their Lasallian leadership. By using their gifts to make a difference in their communities, they continue the legacy created by De La Salle and the Christian Brothers – “Enter to learn, leave to serve.”

Lastly, I receive numerous emails from our alumni and parents about the outstanding quality and presentation of the Scarlet & Grey magazine. I want to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for our director of communications, Kathy Howe, and her assistant director, Kathryn Zahner. Through Ms. Howe’s direction and creative vision, she is able to craft a publication that informs and entertains the reader, while paying tribute to the many students and alumni who fill the pages with their stories and successes. We can all look forward to more engaging editions of the Scarlet & Grey that allow us to celebrate the many facets of the St. John’s community.

Sincerely,

Mr. Jeffrey W. Mancabelli President

Life at St. John’s

St. John’s New Trustees This fall, St. John’s Board of Trustees welcomed a new member, Bro. John Kane, FSC, and a new board counsel, Matthew Wolf.

Bro. John Kane, FSC, is the president of Calvert Hall College High School in Baltimore, MD. Prior to this appointment, he spent 15 years at La Salle University serving in various administrative roles, including director of academic support for student athletes, director of athletic operations and assistant athletic director. He has 19 years of teaching and administrative experience at Catholic secondary schools and serves on the board of trustees at the Christian Brothers

Thank You, George Murphy Last May, after 34 years of faithful service, George W. Murphy, Jr., retired from his role as legal counsel to St. John’s Board of Trustees.

However, Murphy’s service to St. John’s dates back to 1973, when his eldest son enrolled as an eighth-grade student. He recalls being immediately recruited by the Men of St. John’s to help with school activities, including serving as a parking attendant for basketball games. In recognition of his active leadership in the club, he was elected president for the 1979-1980

Academy in Lincroft, NJ. Kane earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in religious education from La Salle University and a doctorate in educational leadership from Saint Joseph’s University.

Matthew Wolf is a partner at Arnold & Porter, LLP. He is chair of the firm’s intellectual property practice group, where he has served as lead trial counsel in significant cases brought by and against global technology companies. While much of Wolf ’s practice has focused on federal trial courts throughout the United States, he also has extensive arbitration, appellate and counseling/diligence experience. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Yale University and his juris doctor

school year and hosted its events, such as the Father-Son Banquet.

Even after sons George ’78, Daniel ’79, Michael ’80 and Patrick ’82 graduated from St. John’s, Murphy never left. His enthusiasm for the school and the Christian Brothers prompted him to assume the role of legal counsel to the Board of Trustees in 1982. Due to his outstanding leadership and service to St. John’s, Murphy was awarded the President’s Medal in 1987, the most prestigious honor granted by St. John’s. “When we speak of selfless lay leadership in the Church, George Murphy stands out as a person to emulate. His loyalty, honesty and professionalism showed through in everything he did for St. John’s,” said Bro. Michael Andrejko, FSC, who worked with Murphy for 16 years in his roles as a St. John’s principal, teacher and trustee.

Murphy was a partner in the law firm of Muldoon, Murphy & Faucette for many years and special counsel at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP, for the last five years. Although he officially retired in 2016, he said he will always be available to St. John’s. Throughout the years, Murphy attended more than 100 board meetings, sat with the Board

Matthew Wolf

Bro. John Kane

degree from the University of Virginia.

Wolf is also the parent of two St. John’s students, Nicholas ’19 and Michael ’20.

of Trustees at St. John’s graduation each year and provided hundreds of hours of legal expertise to St. John’s trustees and administration. From day one, Murphy said he always felt the strength of the St. John’s community. “Over the years I have been most impressed with the commitment of all the people at St. John’s, the teachers, the administrators and staff and the members of the Board, leading to St. John’s outstanding growth and success in carrying out its mission. It is a marvelous school and a pillar of strength for our students.”

Murphy’s Lasallian leadership has meant a great deal to the SJC community.

“In Meditations for the Time of Retreat, De La Salle told the Brothers to ‘Fulfill your ministry with all the affection of your heart.’ (MTR 9.1 [Med 201.1]) George was not employed by St. John’s as legal counsel; he willingly gave of his time and looked upon his work as his ministry. He did this with great affection and tremendous heart for 34 years.

We can never repay him for all that he gave us, but on behalf of the St. John’s community, I want to thank him for his dedication and commitment,” said SJC President Jeffrey Mancabelli.

St. John’s College High School 3

ST. JOHN’S THEATRE APRIL 7–9, 2016

Life at St. John’s

Entrepreneurship, the Lasallian Way In 2015, St. John’s launched the Entrepreneurial Center for Leadership and Innovation (ECIL). With Lasallian mission at the heart of all the school’s programs and activities, the goal of the center is to graduate individuals who will make a difference in the world by combining their innovative spirit with the values of compassion, personal responsibility and service to others. The ECIL provides students with exciting opportunities to make an impact on the greater community by expanding their use of creative, solution-based thinking.

Whereas the ECIL curriculum for freshmen and sophomores focuses on leadership training, building communication skills and developing an innovative mindset through seminars and handson workshops, starting junior year, the students will apply those skills to their Christian service requirement – 40 hours of direct service performing the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy with one organization. Engaging in this process introduces the students to social entrepreneurship.

“By applying these two methods of inquiry to Christian service, our students have a unique opportunity.

Undertaking this intellectual and spiritual exercise affords our students the ability to live out the Gospel values they’ve come to know. In addition, it connects them

with individuals’ historical and societal challenges, while encouraging them to take risks in coming up with plans for actionable change, because there is absolutely no negative consequence,” said Principal Christopher Themistos.

To encourage our students to think more deeply about their service experiences and become agents of change, they will use two new complementary frameworks.

The Religion Department has introduced the Pastoral Circle, a model that challenges students to engage in deeper analysis of service experiences for pastoral action. Through the ECIL curriculum, students will integrate the Design Thinking mindset, a six-step process for fostering innovative, solution-focused thinking. Together, these frameworks will assist our students in identifying the

The Pastoral Circle Experience Action

Theological Reflection

Social Analysis

challenges and needs of the poor and marginalized and developing ideas for how those issues might be addressed.

Junior year experiences range from participating in immersion trips to serving local organizations. Some students may spend time at the De La Salle Blackfeet School on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, where they identify and analyze the problems faced by Native Americans and generate ways to empower those students. Others may serve at a nursing home and, in the process, analyze the societal and cultural norms that affect the treatment of the elderly and formulate ways to change the paradigm.

Whether students serve on an immersion trip or at a homeless shelter, soup kitchen or low-income school, they have the opportunity to think more profoundly about the problems faced by others and develop solutions that have a lasting impact.

“Incorporating the Pastoral Circle model with a Design Thinking mindset equips our students to think creatively about solutions and have a mission-related impact to real-world situations. Providing our students the opportunity to be social entrepreneurs emulates our founder, an educational innovator with the courage and vision to transform so many lives,” said President Jeffrey Mancabelli.

The Design Thinking Process Discover

Empathize

Ideate

Model

Apply

Transform

St. John’s College High School 5

Life at St. John’s

Cadets Abroad: Serving the Global Community Each year, St. John’s students complete thousands of hours of Christian service to gain a mature understanding of their personal responsibility to those most in need. However, some students choose to expand their service beyond their local communities and travel abroad to serve the poor, particularly young children in developing countries.

For some St. John’s students, service abroad is a family enterprise. Last June, Jacob Ray ’18 traveled to Vietnam to work with Vietnam Relief Services, a U.S.based non-profit charity founded and directed by his parents, Jason and Natalie, in 2010. The mission of VRS, which operates in the country’s most disadvantaged regions, is to provide every child the opportunity to live fully and learn wholeheartedly. While Ray has always helped with VRS stateside, he said he decided to travel to Vietnam during the last two summers in order to serve the people directly.

In 2016, he was in the northern region near Hanoi, where his volunteer group built a playground and repurposed space for a library. He explained that the relief projects are community-driven.

“We go into a community that might not have exposure to things like clean water, or books or a library, and we ask them what things they would prefer to have – most of the time it’s a school.”

Ray said the greatest challenge to these communities is the perpetual system of poverty, because the families have little or no resources and do not have the education, social connections or other opportunities to think about life from a different perspective. “So we help by doing things such as building playgrounds to increase the creative thinking skills of the children to help them think differently and become successful.” Ray said it was very rewarding to see the community’s positive reaction and to witness the children enjoying their new playground.

Last July, Rory Lawson ’18 participated in a two-week Swaziland commu6 Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

1

nity engagement trip with a small group of high school students from the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Through a parent of one of the students and in association with the Waterford Kamhlaba – UWCSA, an international boarding school, and The SHAMBA Trust, a non-profit organization, the students had the opportunity to participate in local community projects during their trip.

The main project took place at the Mpolonjeni community, where the group spent a week helping replace an old fence and planting a garden to help feed local children. The group also took day trips to assist other community organizations, such as the Motshane Hope House preschool and orphanage, where they repainted rooms.

Lawson was particularly affected by the group’s visit to the Mpaka refugee camp. He learned that many of the refugees, who come from eastern African countries, become trapped at the camps because they cannot return to their home countries or find work in Swaziland. As a result of the camp’s poverty, the children learn to rely on donations from visitors as a way of life. Even though the camp conditions were desolate, the students received a warm welcome. Lawson, humbled by this experience, said, “I believe we receive more from our interactions with other people than they do.”

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1: Jacob Ray ’18 distributed supplies to students at a school near Hanoi. 2: Ray spent the last two summers traveling abroad with Vietnam Relief Services (VRS). 3: Shalvit Grimes ’18 spent quality time with children at Larousse Orphanage in Haiti. 4: Rory Lawson ’18 worked and played with members of the Mpolonjeni community in Swaziland.

5: Lawson exchanged high-fives with students during a work break at Motshane Hope House.

Life at St. John’s

St. John’s students perform thousands of hours of Christian service each summer. Whereas most students complete their service locally or participate in St. John’s service immersion trips, others seek opportunities beyond our borders.

The following students ventured abroad to serve communities in developing countries during the summer of 2016.

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4

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Timothy Costello ’19 – Colombia Michael Culkin ’17 – Haiti Shalvit Grimes ’18 – Haiti Lauren Harris ’17 – Jamaica Jazmine Herbert ’17 – Panama Joseph Inglima ’18 – Nicaragua Alfredo Izurieta ’18 – Ecuador Camille Jefferson ’18 – Haiti Rory Lawson ’18 – Swaziland Jacob Ray ’18 – Vietnam Emerson Reed ’18 – Bhutan Yvonne Rivas ’17 – Nicaragua Hanna Timm ’18 – Albania

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Although the trip’s primary goal was service, Lawson said it was also important for the travelers to learn about the country and its particular issues. In Johannesburg, South Africa, the group participated in a roundtable discussion while visiting the Kliptown Youth Program founded and directed by Thulani Madondo, one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2012. The discussion allowed for an exchange of cultural and political ideas with local youths – each side learning from the other. The group also visited the Apartheid Museum and the home of Nelson Mandela.

Last June, Shalvit Grimes ’18 and members of her Girl Scout troupe traveled to an impoverished suburb of

Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, for a week-long Christian service experience. In order to earn the Gold Award, the highest award in the Girl Scouts organization, Grimes had to identify a community issue, local or global, form a team to take action and provide a sustainable solution.

The girls in her troupe, accompanied by three parents, decided to share their knowledge and skills with children in Haiti. The girls worked with children at Larousse Orphanage and Leonardo DaVinci High School, sharing their talents and helping them learn English.

Each team member taught the children a specific skill; Grimes chose to share her love for soccer. In order for

the children to continue practicing what they learned, she brought them athletic equipment, including soccer balls and jerseys. She said most of the children had never played the sport and were grateful for the instruction and fun interaction.

Since Grimes and a few of her teammates spoke basic French, they were able to teach the eager-to-learn children some English. “The people were so nice and welcoming, and they were so excited to learn English and to see us every day,” she said. Before her visit to Haiti, Grimes thought she would like to be a lawyer or doctor; as a result of this service trip, she said she now wants to travel and help others.

St. John’s College High School 7

ST. JOHN’S THEATRE DECEMBER 1–3, 2016

n June 3, the members of the Class of 2016 received their diplomas and joined the ranks of St. John’s more than 12,000 alumni. These young men and women are prepared to change the world through leadership, achievement and dedication to serving others.

Each spring, St. John’s President Jeffrey Mancabelli sits down with small groups of seniors to discover what the graduates want their family, friends and teachers to know about their class. This year, the Class of 2016 wanted to make sure the audience knew that: • Their class is like Mr. Wixon – simply awesome.

• There is only one “Joe the flag guy,” and he was one of them.

• The members of the performing arts took a cruise to the Bahamas and deserved it.

• They “borrowed” Gonzaga’s flag, and their timing was perfect.

10 Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

• They were proud to lead the Cadet Corps and witness the historic 100th anniversary of the school’s JROTC program.

• They raised the bar on school spirit and are very proud to be Cadets.

“I would like to add that the overall leadership of the Class of 2016 had great impact on the entire SJC community.

In particular, they have led through their accomplishments in the performing arts, the first Robotics Team championship, the success of the softball team and their overall academic achievement. This class has an average GPA of 3.5 and earned more than $32 million in college scholarships. They are proud of bringing home WCAC championships in field hockey, boys’ basketball and baseball, as well as DC titles in girls’ basketball and wrestling,” added Mancabelli. “We, the faculty and staff of St. John’s, remember when you arrived in August of 2012. We were excited for what you would accomplish, and you exceeded our expectations. As a class and as individuals, you should feel proud of your accomplishments and rejoice in your successes. Class of 2016, you will be missed. Good luck and may God bless each of you!”

Class of 2016 Commencement Awards Excellence in Art

Excellence in Latin

Luca Bertozzi

Caroline Sturges

Excellence in Computer Science

Excellence in Mathematics

Lasallian Christian Service Award

Katie Wright James Cahill

Liam Kirkpatrick

Excellence in English

Excellence in Religion

Excellence in French

Excellence in Science

Elizabeth Allen Jesse Correa

Annalise Tracey

Kelli Brookshire

Excellence in Performing Arts –

Excellence in Social Studies

Michael Placanica

Excellence in Spanish

Instrumental

Excellence in Performing Arts – Choral

Priscilla Felten

Excellence in JROTC Studies

Genevieve Pennanen

Stephen Vieno Alexis Amos

Scholar-Athlete Award

Katherine Rurka and Jeffrey Dowtin, Jr.

Theatre Award

John LaHood

Citizenship Award

Joseph Nadonley Cardinal’s Award

John-Paul Harper Principal’s Award

Elon Epps

Salutatorian

Kayla Edwards Valedictorian

Jesse Correa

St. John’s College High School 11

College matriculations The 271 graduates of the Class of 2016 are attending 144 colleges and universities.

Last year’s seniors earned more than $32 million in scholarships.

American University Arizona State University

Ave Maria University Bellarmine University Belmont University Boston College

Boston University

Bryn Mawr College Bucknell University

California University of Pennsylvania Catholic University

Case Western Reserve University Champlain College

Clemson University Coastal Carolina University

College of Charleston

College of the Holy Cross College of Wooster

Connecticut College

Coppin State University Cornell University

Culinary Institute of America Davidson College Duke University East Carolina University

Eckerd College

Fairfield University Ferrum College

DUKE UNIVERSIT Y, KE VIN CEBALLOS, FLICKR

Florida A&M University

Florida Southern College Florida State University Fordham University George Washington University

Georgetown University Georgia Institute of Technology

Hampton University Hobart and William Smith Colleges Hofstra University Ithaca College

James Madison University

Mount St. Mary’s University

National University of Ireland, Galway North Carolina A&T State University North Carolina State University

Northwestern University Ohio University

Johns Hopkins University

Oklahoma State University

La Salle University

Pennsylvania State University

Johnson and Wales University, Charlotte Le Moyne College

Lehigh University Louisiana State University

Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Maryland Loyola University New Orleans Lycoming College

Lynchburg College Lynn University

Macalester College Marist College

Marymount University McDaniel College

McGill University

Miami University, Oxford

Old Dominion University

Potomac State College of West Virginia University Prince George’s Community College Providence College

Queen’s University Roger Williams University

Sacred Heart University Saint Vincent College Salisbury University San Diego State University

Temple University

Texas A&M University Towson University Tufts University

Tulane University

United States Coast Guard Academy

United States Naval Academy

University of Alabama University of Alabama at Birmingham University of Arizona

University of California, Los Angeles University of Central Florida

University of Colorado at Boulder University of Dallas

University of Dayton

University of Delaware

University of the District of Columbia University of Hartford

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Iowa

Savannah College of Art and Design

University of Kentucky

Skidmore College

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Sewanee: The University of the South Spelman College

Michigan State University

St. John’s University Queens Campus

Montgomery College

State University of New York at Albany

Montclair State University

St. Mary’s College of Maryland

Morehead State University

Susquehanna University

12 Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

Syracuse University

University of Mary Washington

University of Maryland, College Park University of Michigan

University of Mississippi University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Greensboro

University of North Carolina at Wilmington University of Notre Dame

University of Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh University of Rhode Island University of South Carolina

University of Tampa

University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of Vermont

University of Virginia

University of Wisconsin, Madison Utica College

Villanova University

Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Military Institute Virginia State University Virginia Tech

Wake Forest University Washington and Jefferson College

Washington and Lee University

Washington University in St. Louis

Wayne State University

West Virginia University Western Michigan University

Winston-Salem State University

Wittenberg University Xavier University

Sports at St. John’s

spring 2016 season In Review Baseball won its third consecutive WCAC championship behind the stellar play of Gatorade DC Player of the Year Cam Remalia ’16. After finishing as the runner-up in their spring break tournament at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, the Cadets finished on a tear, defeating McNamara and Paul VI in the WCAC playoffs before defeating Good Counsel in the championship.

The crew team traveled to Philadelphia, PA, and Lorton, VA, for regattas this fall, in addition to racing on the Potomac River. The team had boats finish in the top 10 at the Head of the Occoquan (Lorton) and in the top 25 percent and top 50 percent at the Head of the Schuylkill (Philadelphia). The Philadelphia race is the second-largest race in

the country and draws hundreds of high school teams each year.

Boys’ lacrosse finished the spring as the regular season No. 2 seed in the WCAC with a 12-7 record. The Cadets finished the season with big wins over Paul VI, St. Mary’s Ryken and Good Counsel.

Girls’ lacrosse defeated Bullis and Potomac School as part of their national schedule, which also saw the Cadets play and defeat top teams from Pennsylvania, California and New Jersey. The team finished with an 11-10 record.

The golf program had a successful season under first-year head coach Alex Planzos ’09. St. John’s earned conference wins over Bishop Ireton, Bishop O’Connell, Bishop McNamara and Holy Cross.

Rugby focused on rebuilding its ranks in 2016. The team focused their attention on a new defensive structure that enabled them to compete against multiple top 25 teams, both locally and at the North

Carolina Ruggerfest, and culminating in a last-second win over rival DeMatha.

Boys’ tennis had a successful 2016 season, coming in third place in the WCAC tournament with an overall record of 7-2.

With all but one player from the starting lineup returning, the Cadets are poised to have another solid season in 2017.

Track and field had an incredible spring season, during which many athletes set personal records. The girls won the 4x200m finals in the WCAC championship and finished in first, second and third place in the 400m finals. Arik Smith ’17 won the WCAC discus finals. Eric Harrison ’17 was selected to represent the country at the Caribbean Scholastic Invitational in Havana, Cuba.

St. John’s softball had a great season led by first team all-conference player Allie DeGrouchy ’16. The Cadets earned important regular season wins over St. Mary’s Ryken, Paul VI, Good Counsel and Bishop O’Connell.

St. John’s College High School 13

Sports at St. John’s

spring 2016 athletic honors ALL-MET Coach of the Year • Mark Gibbs ’96 (Baseball) First Team • Cam Remalia ’16 (Baseball) • Fionn Hembruff ’16 (Crew) Honorable Mention • Allie DeGrouchy ’16 (Softball) • Kasey Ebb ’18 (Track) • Eric Harrison ’17 (Track) • Colin Hinton ’17 (Boys’ Lacrosse) • Niko Jenkins ’16 (Baseball) • Alahna Sabbakhan ’19 (Track)

ALL-WCAC Coach of the Year • Mark Gibbs ’96 (Baseball) • Bobby Horsey (Boys’ Lacrosse) First Team • Allie DeGrouchy ’16 (Softball) • Colin Hinton ’17 (Boys’ Lacrosse) • Niko Jenkins ’16 (Baseball) • Eric Lane ’17 (Boys’ Lacrosse) • Cam Remalia ’16 (Baseball) • Jake Steinberg ’18 (Baseball) Second Team • Molly Brock ’18 (Girls’ Lacrosse) • Peter Costigan ’17 (Baseball) • Grace Poley ’16 (Softball) • Annabella Ronca ’18 (Softball) • Ben Williams ’18 (Boys’ Lacrosse) Third Team • Jack Burns ’18 (Boys’ Lacrosse) • Dane Hall ’19 (Boys’ Lacrosse) • Laura Naccarato ’16 (Girls’ Lacrosse) • Grace Segreti ’18 (Girls’ Lacrosse) • Julius Terrell ’18 (Boys’ Lacrosse) Honorable Mention • Paige Cooper ’16 (Softball) • Maddy Flood ’16 (Girls’ Lacrosse) • Heaven Glass ’18 (Softball) • Gabe Levine ’17 (Baseball) • John Kiracofe ’17 (Boys’ Lacrosse) • Myles Mensah ’16 (Baseball) • Gillian Peters ’16 (Softball) • Josh Simon ’16 (Baseball) • Alex Taylor ’16 (Baseball) • Raye Thomas ’19 (Softball)

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Sports at St. John’s

Cadets Three-peat As WCAC Champions After winning their second consecutive WCAC championship in 2015, all eyes were on St. John’s to see if the team would continue to dominate one of the area’s toughest conferences. The Cadets had to replace a strong group of graduated seniors, including 2015 Gatorade DC Player of the Year A.J. Lee ’15.

While the Cadets were no slouches early in the season, they did experience their growing pains, losing their first game of the season and coming back from spring break with a 6-4 record.

Instead of dwelling on their early struggles – by their own standards – the Cadets used these experiences to forge a strong team mindset and put in the work that has been a pillar of the program

during the tenure of Head Coach Mark Gibbs ’96.

The Cadets finished second in the IMG National Classic during spring break and won the WCAC regular season for the fifth year in a row before heading to the league playoffs.

After defeating McNamara in the first round and Paul VI in game three of the semifinal series, they met Good Counsel in the championship. In game one, Good Counsel broke the 0-0 stalemate with a seventh-inning home run to give them a 1-0 lead with a half an inning to play.

Experienced and unfazed by the moment, the Cadets drove in two runs in the second half of the final inning to take a 1-0 series lead. In game two, the Cadets took a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning before extending it to 3-1 heading into the sixth.

Good Counsel drove in one more run, but

that was it as the Cadets won the WCAC championship with a 3-2 victory over the Falcons.

St. John’s finished the spring with a 23-8 overall record and was ranked No. 3 in The Washington Post and No. 6 in Prep Baseball Report’s Virginia/DC rankings. Cam Remalia ’16 was selected as the Gatorade DC Player of the Year, and the team had three All-Met players, two first team and one honorable mention. Gibbs was named as The Washington Post’s All-Met Coach of the Year, USA TODAY’s Washington, DC, Coach of the Year and WCAC Co-Coach of the Year.

“I’m really proud of how this team came together during the course of the season.

With all the highs and lows, they never lost focus on what they were doing every day to become a better team,” Gibbs said.

St. John’s College High School 15

Sports at St. John’s

fall 2016 season In Review Girls’ soccer was a fixture in The Washington Post’s Top 10 this year, with the young squad finishing the season ranked No. 4 under new Head Coach Jess Baynton. The Cadets reached the WCAC championship, but ultimately lost to Paul VI. The team would not let disappointment dictate their season, and they responded by winning the DCSAA championship.

Girls’ tennis finished the season with a 7-2 record and finished third in the WCAC. Dominique Jackson ’18 completed her third season without a loss in singles play, while Amber Brown ’20 emerged as one of the WCAC’s top players.

Boys’ soccer took a big leap forward in their progress toward becoming an area power under the leadership of new Head Coach Sal Caccavale. The Cadets 16 Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

began their season with a big win against Georgetown Prep before earning important conference wins against McNamara and St. Mary’s Ryken.

St. John’s field hockey has proven to be a force to reckon with, winning their second consecutive WCAC championship against Good Counsel. Relying on a combination of young talent and senior leadership, Head Coach Corey Kelly’s squad set a school record for most goals in a season with 94 total, averaging five per game.

Girls’ cross country finished third in the WCAC championship meet, narrowly missing the runner-up spot by a single point. Cady Hyde ’20 led the way for the girls with her first place finish, becoming SJC’s first-ever WCAC girls’ cross country champion. On the boys’ side, a close battle for third was lost in a tiebreaker, while captain Riley Place ’18 led the way. Over the course of the season, 16 different team members won medals for

their outstanding finishes, and both varsity teams took home runner-up plaques at the Landon Invitational.

Football played arguably the toughest schedule in the entire nation. Playing five games against national top 25 opponents, the Cadets proved themselves to be contenders and finished with an 8-4 record and wins over Good Counsel and Gonzaga in the WCAC semifinals. St. John’s lost to DeMatha in the WCAC championship, 34-29. The Cadets finished the season ranked No. 6 by The Washington Post.

Volleyball opened up the season by winning 11 of their first 12 matches, including defending their tournament title at the Endless Summer Tournament in Virginia Beach. St. John’s finished the regular season by winning three of its final four matches. The Cadets went on to capture their fourth straight DCSAA crown by beating Model Secondary School for the Deaf.

Sports at St. John’s

fall 2016 athletic honors INDIVIDUAL

• Kasim Hill ’17 – Gatorade DC Football Player of the Year

ALL-MET First Team • Calvin Ashley ’17 (Football) • Maliah Morris ’19 (Girls’ Soccer) • Tyree Johnson ’17 (Football) • Ryan Vessels ’17 (Football) Second Team • Rafael Checa ’18 (Football) • Makenna Morris ’20 (Girls’ Soccer) • Gena Witt ’17 (Field Hockey)

Honorable Mention • Rebecca Frye ’18 (Volleyball) • Kwincy Hall ’18 (Football) • Kasim Hill ’17 (Football) • Cady Hyde ’20 (Cross Country)

ALL-WCAC Coach of the Year • Corey Kelly (Field Hockey) First Team • Calvin Ashley ’17 (Football) • Rafael Checa ’18 (Football) • Kwincy Hall ’18 (Football) • Stephanie Heffron ’18 (Field Hockey) • Allie Heyl ’17 (Field Hockey) • Cady Hyde ’20 (Cross Country) • Beau Johnson ’17 (Boys’ Soccer) • Tyree Johnson ’17 (Football)

• Maya Lewis ’18 (Field Hockey) • Makenna Morris ’20 (Girls’ Soccer) • Maliah Morris ’19 (Girls’ Soccer) • Clara Morrison ’19 (Field Hockey) • Olivia Reese ’20 (Girls’ Soccer) • Ryan Vessels ’17 (Football) • Gena Witt ’17 (Field Hockey) Second Team • Joachim Bangda ’19 (Football) • Molly Brock ’18 (Field Hockey) • Rebecca Frye ’18 (Volleyball) • Camber Hayes ’20 (Girls’ Soccer) • Stanley Hubbard ’17 (Football) • Alex Koritsas ’17 (Boys’ Soccer) • Shane Lee ’19 (Football) • Paige Merz ’18 (Girls’ Soccer) • Ellen Palmiere ’19 (Field Hockey) • Keilan Robinson ’19 (Football) • Arik Smith ’17 (Football) • Kofi Wardlow ’17 (Football) Third Team • Cameron Goode ’18 (Football) • Kasim Hill ’17 (Football) • Josh Jefferson ’18 (Football) • Darryl McDaniel ’17 (Football) • Cam Spence ’17 (Football) • Nia Taylor ’17 (Volleyball) Honorable Mention • Lauren Antonucci ’19 (Volleyball) • Beth Cornelius ’18 (Field Hockey) • Maurice Bellan ’18 (Football) • Charles Briscoe ’18 (Football) • Emily Goodwin ’17 (Volleyball) • Rian Haigler ’19 (Football) • Demani Hansford ’17 (Football) • Nicole Lawson ’18 (Girls’ Soccer) • Ed Lee ’17 (Football) • Hanna Moore ’17 (Field Hockey) • Maggie Murray ’17 (Field Hockey) • Gabby Nastasi ’19 (Girls’ Soccer) • Abby Sligh ’17 (Volleyball) • Ashley Ventura ’17 (Girls’ Soccer)

St. John’s College High School 17

Sports at St. John’s

Fall College Signings This fall, 14 St. John’s seniors committed to continue their careers at the collegiate level. These students from the baseball, girls’ basketball, boys’ lacrosse and track and field programs were recognized with official signing events. Congratulations!

• Eric Harrison (Track and Field)– Ohio State University • Jake Heskett (Baseball) – Goldey-Beacom College

18 Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

• Colin Hinton (Lacrosse) – University of Maryland • Bruce Hudson (Baseball) – Radford University • John Kiracofe (Lacrosse) – High Point University • Eric Lane (Lacrosse) – Virginia Military Institute • Gabe Levine (Baseball) – Lafayette College • Kyle Johnson (Baseball) – College of the Holy Cross

• Asia McCray (Basketball) – Sacred Heart University • Eric O’Brien (Baseball) – Christopher Newport University • Jake Pecilunas (Baseball) – Towson University • Yash Rane (Baseball) – Lehigh University • Jack Roberts (Baseball) – Elon University • Aisha Sheppard (Basketball) – Virginia Tech

Sports at St. John’s

Cady Hyde ’20: WCAC Individual Cross Country Champion St. John’s has steadily been developing into a strong cross country team under the guidance of Head Coach Mike Sheehy. More students have been buying into the offseason training, and the runners have been competing in team relay events, such as the Ragnar Relay.

Sheehy, however, has not had a runner quite as special as freshman Cady Hyde in his time leading the program.

Hyde started the season with an impressive first race as a freshman, finishing third in the Howard County Invitational. Building on her momentum, Hyde pulled away and won the individual title at the Landon Invitational in September, enabling the team to finish third in the standings.

In the culmination of what was an overwhelmingly successful season, Hyde shone brightest in the WCAC championship event at Lake Fairfax Park, winning St. John’s first girls’ cross country championship in program history. “I

really liked the course,” Hyde said. “Rock Creek Park is really hilly, so I’m used to that.”

Hyde finished a full 30 seconds ahead of the secondplace finisher. “It feels really good,” said Hyde.

“I had a big lead, which is nice, too. I was pushing and everything, but I was comfortable.”

“A lot of people have commented to me, ‘I hear you have a pretty fast freshman on the team’ or something similar,” said Sheehy.

“I usually nod, and say, yes, but if they ask me for details, I tell them what really matters: why she’s fast. What can be forgotten is all the work that got her

here. Last summer, she attended more team runs than virtually any other runner. During our performance training sessions throughout the summer and fall, if you were looking for focus and form, no other runner could match her. I still remember the first words she said to me after winning her first invitational at Landon: ‘Coach, how do I work on my top end sprinting speed?’ Indeed, she’s always looking to get better, always receptive to coaching suggestions and, when your fastest runner is also your hardest working, that makes you the most valuable.”

St. John’s College High School 19

Sports at St. John’s

Field Hockey Repeats As WCAC Champions St. John’s field hockey entered the fall season in unprecedented territory, as they were the defending WCAC champions for the first time in program history.

“Our mindset was not to sit easy,” said Head Coach Corey Kelly. “We decided we want to build a dynasty, not just be happy with one title. It is harder to defend a championship, because you have a target on your back. So all winter, summer and season, the goal was to work harder than ever before. Believe in our goals. No short cuts.”

The players focused on that goal and worked throughout the off season toward building upon their success. Along with their hard work, the field hockey program also rolled out possibly the most talented lineup in program history. Every starter was selected as All-WCAC. Starting with a stellar defense, the Cadets posted more shutouts than any other team in the area and had the talent up front to put the 20 Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

ball in the back of the net. St. John’s set a school record for most goals in a season at 94.

In what had become a team mantra, Coach Kelly had one thing to say to her players the night before the championship game: “This is our time now.” Those words came to fruition on Oct. 27, as the Cadets faced off against WCAC rival Good Counsel in a rematch of both the 2014 and 2015 championship games.

Only two minutes into the contest, the Cadets scored first with a goal from Clara Morrison ’19. The Cadets maintained a 1-0 lead for most of the game, but all in attendance could feel that the Cadets were on the verge of striking again. After an unbelievable save by goalie Maya Lewis ’18, the Cadets were able to cash in on a goal from Beth Cornelius ’18 to push the score to a final of 2-0 Cadets to win their second consecutive WCAC championship.

Kelly, who was selected as the 2016 WCAC Coach of the Year, said she knew that St. John’s had a special group this season.

“One of the great things about this team is that they rose up and built an elite program together to become this force of nature. They became the best players in the league and the best team in the league; they did not arrive at St. John’s that way.

The product you see before your eyes is built out of a desire, a passion and a fire to become great. I tell the kids all the time that anything can be achieved, so long as you are willing to put in the hard work, keep a positive attitude and decide that you are destined for greatness. This group of kids bought in and showed the world that dreams can come true. It is the type of story that movies are made of, and now, it is part of their life story.

And in the process of doing all of this, they built character, which is something that will serve them for rest of their lives.”

TH E 2 017

PR E S I DE N T ’S M E D A L CE L E BR AT ION In support of the Archbishop Hannan Scholarship and St. John’s 2 017 HONOR E E S M R . M IC H A E L P. H A R P E R ’ 71 DR . M A RY O’ DON N E L L ’ 02 M R . BR E N DA N O. QU I N N ’ 89 M R . C H R ISTOPH E R L . ST E V E N S ’ 70

NOVEMBER 3, 2017 Marriott Marquis 901 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20001 More information about this event, as well as online registration, will be available on St. John’s website later this year.

Sports at St. John’s

CORY ROYSTER

Volleyball Earns Fourth DC State Title St. John’s entered the fall 2016 season as the defending DCSAA champions, a title the Cadets have held since the tournament’s inception four years ago. After an up and down regular season, the Cadets ultimately

fell in the WCAC quarterfinals. Though disappointed by the loss in WCAC tournament play, St. John’s was motivated to finish the season on a high note and remain the sole owners of the DC state trophy.

During the course of the DCSAA tournament, the Cadets did not drop one set, cruising to the final round. In the finals, the Cadets defeated the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in straight sets, remaining undefeated over four consecutive years of DCSAA play.

Emily Goodwin ’17 was selected tournament MVP, receiving help from Rebecca Frye ’18, Lauren Antonucci ’19, Anika Eigen-Zucchi ’19, Nicole Taylor ’20, Nia Taylor ’17 and Abby Sligh ’17. This year’s 10 graduating seniors will leave knowing that St. John’s is the only school to have ever claimed the DC state volleyball title.

“To know that we are the only school right now to win this championship since it started is remarkable,” said Head Coach Bill Pribac. “No doubt we had a rough October as the team fought through some injuries, but the girls kept coming to practice working hard and picking one another up. This championship felt like it was truly a team effort this season.”

Girls’ Soccer: DC Champions The 2016 girls’ varsity soccer team featured a mixture of young talent and veteran leadership, which proved to be a recipe for success for the Cadets under first-year Head Coach Jess Baynton.

The Cadets experienced a great deal of success early in the season, which landed them in the top five All-Met rankings; the team did not leave the top 10 for the remainder of the fall. St. John’s reached the WCAC championship, where they went toe-to-toe with Paul VI and outshot them by more than 10 shots. In the end, Paul VI escaped with a one-goal victory, but these athletes wouldn’t let that be the end of their story.

St. John’s came into the DCSAA tournament with a relentless attitude, defeating Washington Latin 6-0

22 Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

and National Cathedral School 3-2 in overtime.

The Cadets then defeated rival Wilson High School 6-0 in the championship match to take home the title.

“Every single player on the team played a part in our program’s success,” Baynton said. “It MARCUS SUMMERS was tough to lose in the WCAC final; however, we were able to finish the season on a high note by winning the DCSAA title. We have come a

long way in such a short time, and the future is looking very bright for SJC girls’ soccer.”

Class of 2016 On Nov. 4, St. John’s welcomed 10 individuals and two teams to the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. The Class of 2016 included men and women who excelled on the SJC basketball, football, golf and lacrosse teams. Both of this year’s football teams finished their seasons as league and city champions. St. John’s also broke new ground by inducting the first swimmer and first Cadet Corps coach to the Hall of Fame.

Congratulations to all of this year’s inductees! In this feature, you will read highlights from each athlete’s career or team’s season. To read their biographies, and to see the full list of Athletic Hall of Fame members, please visit www.stjohnschs.org/halloffame.

Top: From left: Mike Lessel ’77, Alvin Perkins ’75, Mark Hartley ’73, Stephen Zubrod ’72, J.D. Ricca ’02, Chris Dill ’64, Darryl Gilliam ’93, Ron Panneton ’63, Anthony Coleman ’08 (brother of Marissa Coleman ’05) and Kate Bouterie ’96 (accepting on behalf of Col. Richard Pfeiffer).

Bottom, left: Five members of the 1951 football team were on hand for the induction. From left: Frank Leone ’52, Philip Mudd ’54, Ted Leneski ’52, Lou Donatelli ’52 and Nick Poulos ’52. Bottom, right: The 1957 football team was well represented at the Hall of Fame event. From left: Paul Ciatti ’59, Vic Irwin ’59, James “Curly” Combs ’59, Moe DuFour ’59, Joe Mona ’58, Richard Casey ’59, Ed Quinn ’59, Tom Williams ’59 and Bob McCleary ’58.

ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2016 ’05

’64

M A R IS S A

’93

C H R IS

DARRYL

COLEMAN

DILL

GILLIAM

BASKETBALL

FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL

• Two-Time Washington Post First Team All-Met (2004, 2005)

• Washington Daily News and Washington Post First Team All-Catholic

• Washington Post All-Met Player of the Year 2005

• Washington Post First Team All-Met, All-League and All-Star Prep Team

• Three-Time Parade All-American • Basketball Scholarship to the University of Maryland • 2009 WNBA #2 Overall Pick and All-Rookie Team

• Washington Star First Team All-Prep and Second Team All-Met

• Two-Time First Team All-WMAC • Two-Time Washington Post First Team All-Met • USA TODAY and Street & Smith All-American • Pigskin Club of Washington, DC, All-City Team • Football Scholarship to the University of Maryland

• Scholastic Coaches Magazine Honorable Mention All-American • Football Scholarship to the University of Maryland

’73

’77

MARK

’63

M IK E

RON

HARTLEY

LESSEL

BASKETBALL

GOLF

FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, TRACK, SWIMMING

• Two-Time Washington Post First Team All-Met (1972, 1973)

• Undefeated in Freshman and Junior Seasons, Team MVP (1974, 1975)

• Football: Two-Year Varsity Starter

• Two-Time First Team All-Catholic

• Finished in the Top Five in Seven DC-Area Events (1974)

• Earned All-Tournament at the 1972 Norfolk and 1973 Johnstown, PA, Tournaments • Played Basketball at Princeton University

• One of Washington Star’s Junior Golf’s “Magnificent Seven” at Age 15 • First Alternate in USGA Junior Championship (1975) • Won National Tournament of Junior Club Champions, Mid-Atlantic Junior (1976)

PANNETON

• Basketball: Three-Year Varsity Letter Winner • Track: Placed First in Discus, Shot Put and High Jump at the 1963 Catholic League Championships • Track: Placed Second in Discus at the DC Metro Track Championships in 1963 • Basketball Scholarship to College of William & Mary

ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2016 ’75

’02

A LV IN

C O L . R IC H A R D (RET.)

J.D.

PERKINS

PFEIFFER

RICCA

FOOTBALL

RIFLE TEAM COACH

FOOTBALL, LACROSSE

• Coached from 1980-1999

• Football: First Team All-WCAC, Washington Post First Team All Met (2001)

• First 1,000-Yard Rusher in School History; Rushed for 1,368 Yards on 124 Carries, 13 Touchdowns • Washington Star and Washington Post Second Team All-Met (1974) • Touchdown Club’s Timmie Award Winner for the Local Prep Player of the Year (1974) • Member of 1974 WMAC Championship Team

• Led Teams to 10 Top Four Finishes in the Metro Conference • Won the Potomac Rifle League (1993) • Had Two Second-Place Finishes (1990, 1991) • Coached 16 First or Second Team All-Met Honorees

• Football Scholarship to The Citadel

• Football: George Michael’s Golden 11 Quarterback and Pigskin Club of Washington, DC, All-Met (2001) • Football: Led Washington, DC, Area in Passing Yards and Touchdowns (2001) • Lacrosse: First Team All-WCAC, Washington Post Second Team All-Met (2002) • Played Football at Hampden-Sydney College

’72

STEPHEN

ZUBROD SWIMMING

• Set School Records and Won Races in Every Meet During Regular Season Dual Meets (1968-1972) • Held the DCAAU Records for the 1,500 (Long Course Mile), 1,650 (Short Course Mile) and 100-Yard Freestyle • National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association Prep School All-American in 200- and 400-Yard Freestyle • Top 10 Ranking in Prep School All-American in 200-Yard Freestyle; 15th Place in the 400 • Swam for Princeton University

1951 FOOTBALL TEAM

1957 FOOTBALL TEAM

• Finished 9-0

• Finished 6-1-2

• Catholic League and City Champions • Team Members Inducted into St. John’s Athletic Hall of Fame: Bobby Reese ’52, Frank Fannon ’52, Ralph Frye ’53, Ralph Hawkins ’53, Al Burch ’54 and Bobby Resevlyan

• Catholic League and City Champions • Team Members Inducted into St. John’s Athletic Hall of Fame: Paul Ciatti ’59, Curley Combs ’59, Joe Mona ’58, John Piazza ’58, Bruce Bach ’59 and Frank Dubofsky ’60

Alumni Action

CASSIDY

St. John’s New Theatre Hall of Fame On April 8, 2016, St. John’s inducted the first five members into the school’s new Theatre Hall of Fame, which recognizes alumni and faculty who have demonstrated outstanding talent in the theatrical arts, both at St. John’s and beyond. The 2016 inductees are Lawrence Redmond ’76, Charles McNamara ’85, Lindsey Wilkes LoPresti ’98, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins ’02 and Gene Morrill, St. John’s director and producer from 1965 through 1975.

At the ceremony, each inductee took the stage to share the story of how St. John’s Theatre (formerly The Mask and Wig) impacted their lives. St. John’s President Jeff Mancabelli then announced that the blackbox theater in the school’s new Cap Mona Family Student Center, which opens this winter, will be named in honor of Morrill, thanks to the generosity of his friends and former students.

26 Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

After the induction ceremony and reception, attendees were treated to St. John’s Theatre’s spring musical, Nunsense.

The inductees were recognized before the show, and Mancabelli joined them on stage to share one more surprise – the director’s office in the new blackbox theater will be named in honor of Tim Emerson ’84, who has served as the director of St. John’s Theatre since 1990.

LAWRENCE REDMOND ’76 After attending the 1972 St. John’s performance of Anything Goes, Lawrence Redmond aspired to be part of The Mask and Wig once he became a Cadet. That fall, he auditioned for West Side Story with fellow freshman James Patrick Raftery. By his junior year, he had performed in shows such as Celebration and How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying under Gene Morrill. After

COMMON

S

The 2016 inductees.

From left: Lawrence Redmond ’76, Charles McNamara ’85, Gene Morrill, Lindsey Wilkes LoPresti ’98 and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins ’02.

Morrill’s departure and the suspension of The Mask and Wig, there were many questions as to what would happen to the theatre productions at St. John’s. By his senior year, Redmond had helped revive the Drama Department, along with Raftery, and starred in productions such as Kiss Me, Kate and Charley’s Aunt.

After graduation, Redmond began a professional career in theatre. From directing to design, he has had many opportunities to perfect his craft. He participated in the local Wildwood Summer Theatre’s 1978 production of West Side Story. His love of theatre

Alumni Action

Left: Lawrence Redmond ’76 (left) in the spring 1976 production of Charley’s Aunt. Right: Charlie McNamara ’85 (center) in the spring 1985 production of Man of La Mancha.

later brought him back to St. John’s as a set designer, and he also had the opportunity to serve as the drama coach at Georgetown Visitation Convent.

After living in New York City, Redmond returned to DC, serving at various institutions such as The Catholic University of America and Prince George’s Community College. He has been a member of SAG-AFTRA since 1986 and the Actors Equity Association since 1988. He is a recipient of multiple Artist Fellowship Grants from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the 1998 Mary Goldwater Award.

Theatre and a place in the company of the Maryland Traveling Repertory Theatre. In 1997, McNamara returned to the stage at St. John’s to appear as Ebenezer Scrooge in the school’s production of A Christmas Carol, directed by his childhood friend and fellow SJC theatre alumnus Tim Emerson ’84.

You can still find McNamara on stage in his role as bassist for 40 Thieves, one of the area’s most popular Irish bands.

An award-winning songwriter, his lyrics have been featured in American Songwriter magazine. He lives in Bethesda with his wife and two daughters.

CHARLES MCNAMARA ’85 Charlie McNamara’s performing career began on the SJC stage in the 1981 fall semester production of Once in a Lifetime. He had one line…and he delivered it from offstage.

After appearing in shows at St. John’s throughout his high school career, McNamara continued acting in productions with Wildwood Summer Theatre and at the University of Maryland, College Park, from which he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theatre.

Professional training at the Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory led to performances locally at Round House

LINDSEY WILKES LOPRESTI ’98 Lindsey Wilkes LoPresti became the first female regimental commander of St. John’s Cadet Corps. During her time in St. John’s Theatre, under the direction of Tim Emerson ’84, she performed in seven plays and musicals and assisted with sound for one production. Emerson introduced her to Wildwood Summer Theatre, the Washington area’s only all-youth musical theatre company, where she acted in three productions, was a board member and tried her hand at music directing.

Upon graduating from St. John’s, LoPresti attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, where she earned a

master’s degree in occupational therapy.

At Duquesne, LoPresti performed in two productions with Spotlight Musical Theatre Company and sang in the chapel choir. Recently, she has performed in two Spotlight Alumni Cabarets.

LoPresti is an occupational therapist in the Pittsburgh public school system and cantors at her parish, St. Raphael Church. She and her husband, Edmund, enjoy the riches of Pittsburgh cultural life with their three daughters, Sophia, Clara and Amelia.

BRANDEN JACOBS-JENKINS ’02 Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is a successful playwright, whose credits include Gloria (Vineyard Theatre), Appropriate (Obie Award; Outer Critics Circle Nomination; Signature Theatre), Neighbors (The Public Theater), An Octoroon (Obie Award; Soho Rep, Theatre for a New Audience) and War (Yale Rep).

Jacobs-Jenkins is currently a Residency Five playwright at the Signature Theatre. His work has been seen at Actor’s Theater of Louisville, Victory Gardens Theater, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, The Matrix Theater in Los Angeles, Mixed Blood Theater in Minneapolis, Company One in Boston and the High Tide Festival in the United Kingdom.

St. John’s College High School 27

Alumni Action

Top: Lindsey Wilkes LoPresti ’98 (second from right) in the spring 1998 production of Nunsense.

Bottom left: Gene Morrill (left) directs students in the 1972 production of West Side Story. Bottom right: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins ‘02 (left) starred in the 2001 production of Waiting For Godot.

He is under commission from LCT3/ Lincoln Center Theater and MTC. He has received many honors for his work, including a Paula Vogel Award, a fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the inaugural Tennessee Williams Award and the 2015 Steinberg Playwright Award. In the fall, Jacobs-Jenkins was announced as a 2016 MacArthur Foundation Fellow. He has taught at New York University and Queens University of Charlotte and holds a master’s degree in performance studies from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University. He is a graduate of the Lila Acheson Wallace Playwrights Program at The Juilliard School.

GENE MORRILL, ST. JOHN’S DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER (1965-1975) Gene Morrill’s theatre roots began in Minnesota, where he performed throughout his academic career. In 1962, his love 28 Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

of drama and theatre led him to Washington, DC, when he received a fellowship to The Catholic University of America; he graduated in 1965 with a master’s degree in fine arts from the CUA Drama Department. At the time, St. John’s often had a graduate assistant from Catholic University direct its school productions.

In January of 1965, Morrill found himself assisting with the SJC production of West Side Story. As they say, the rest is history and the start of an acclaimed career.

In the fall of 1965, Bro. Michael Garry founded and moderated The Mask and Wig, now known as St. John’s Theatre.

Morrill soon became its moderator and was responsible for directing its two musicals each year. By the end of his tenure, Gene had presented more than 20 musicals for the school and served as the director of drama, drama instructor, football coach and assistant to the principal.

After St. John’s, Morrill moved to

Gallaudet University, where he developed drama courses for high schools for the deaf throughout the country. He also produced and co-directed the school’s first musical, Oliver, which incorporated the voices of St. John’s students while the cast used sign language. Morrill left the university to join the George Meany Labor Studies Center (later the National Labor College). He remained there for 27 years, serving as the Washington, DC, area liaison representative.

In 1986, Morrill was appointed executive director of The Olney Theatre for the Performing Arts. His career also led him to other prestigious roles, including 30 years as a judge for the Helen Hayes Awards. Over the years, Gene returned to CUA as a guest director, most notably for the university’s centennial celebration. In 1998, he was elected international president of the CUA Alumni Association and currently serves on the board of governors.

Have You Thought About Your Legacy?

Planned Giving at St. John’s The De La Salle Legacy Society secures St. John’s future through planned gifts and provides another option for charitable giving. The most common type of planned gift is a bequest, but there are other opportunities that can provide income to you or your loved ones, as well as capital gains and estate tax relief.

Popular Ways To Give Wills and Living Trusts Beneficiary Designations Gifts That Provide Income Charitable Annuities Charitable Remainder Trusts More Ways To Give Charitable Lead Trusts Endowed Gifts Memorials and Tribute Gifts Real Estate Donor-Advised Funds If you are interested in learning more about planned giving or have already included St. John’s in your estate, please contact Tom Veith, associate director of development, at tveith@stjohnschs.org or 202-364-0229, ext. 1078. You can also visit our website at www.stjohnschs.org/plannedgiving.

“I have had a very successful career in both the military and business world. The fundamental skills and values that shaped me into the person that I am today can be significantly attributed to the foundation I acquired at St. John’s. With that said, I thought it was very important for me to give back and support St. John’s in any way I could. For me, the biggest impact that I could endow in the most charitable and affordable way was to make St. John’s a beneficiary of an existing whole life insurance policy I had that was no longer necessary. The best part of this legacy gift is that I could structure it any way I wanted or make it with no strings attached and let St. John’s use as they see fit.” —Alvin Perkins ’75 De La Salle Legacy Society Members Dr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Anessi ’52 Mr. John Aydinian ’71 Mr. Henry G. Beuchler ’25 Mr. and Mrs. George H. Cain ’38 Mr. Timothy Lawrence Cox, Jr. ’56 Mr. Paul J. De Marco ’43 Mr. and Mrs. Louis T. Donatelli ’52 Mr. Gerald J. Donegan ’73 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Giacalone ’55 Mr. and Mrs. Dik N. Glass ’71 Mr. Timothy W. ’71 and Mrs. Mary E. Hannan Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Hellmuth ’44 Mrs. Helen Hellmuth Mr. Joseph M. and Dr. Mary Ellen Hrutka Mr. Paul E. Kennedy ’63 Mr. Francis Malloy ’20 Ms. Grace J. Mattaro Mr. and Mrs. Robert V. Miller ’69 Rev. Raymond C. O’Brien, Esq. ’62 Mr. John T. Peak ’63 Col. Alvin A. Perkins ’75 Dr. and Mrs. Albert C. Pierce ’62 LCDR Stewart E. Reuter Mr. and Mrs. William G. Scaggs ’54 Mr. and Mrs. George A. Valanos Ms. Marian L. Weinaug If you are a member of the De La Salle Legacy Society and your name is not listed above, please contact Tom Veith.

Alumni Action Distinguished Speaker Series Welcomes DC Attorney General Karl Racine ’81 On Feb. 9, Washington, DC, Attorney General Karl Racine ’81 returned to campus to speak to students and alumni about ethical leadership.

In 2014, Racine became the first elected attorney general of the District of Columbia. In this position, he leverages his 25 years of legal and leadership experience to advise the mayor and District agencies, defend the city in court and use the law to advance the public interest.

His legal career has included working in the DC Public Defender Service, serving as associate White House counsel during the first Clinton administration and practicing white-collar and commercial litigation with leading law firms. Racine was the first African-American managing partner of a top-100 US law firm, Venable LLP, where he led a team of more than 600 attorneys, and he has also served on the District’s Judicial Nomination Commission. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. In the morning, Racine spoke to the freshman class about ethical leadership as part of the Entrepreneurial Center for Innovation and Leadership curriculum. He began by sharing his own story – how he and his family immigrated to the United States from Haiti when he was very young, the sacrifices his parents made for Racine and his sister and the role the Catholic church played in their lives. He then spoke of his decision to attend St. John’s and the extraordinary experience he had at the school, sharing anecdotes about two of his favorite faculty members, Howard Dent and Joe Gallagher.

He told the students that it was during law school that he discovered he could use the power of the law to help those in need.

As attorney general, Racine has fought for juvenile justice reform, seeking to ensure that young people without resources or support do not fall into criminal activity.

He has also prioritized the preservation 30 Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

of safe and habitable affordable housing and brought lawsuits against corporate wrongdoers.

Racine discussed with students that ethical leadership involves empathy, compassion, inclusivity, communication, commitment, setting high standards, being open-minded and working hard to give people the opportunity to get beyond their personal circumstances.

Through personal examples, he related that leadership is doing the right thing, regardless of whether it is the popular thing, being honest about your own strengths and challenges and overcoming those challenges through discipline and hard work.

Racine then spoke to St. John’s alumni as the featured guest for the annual Distinguished Speaker Series. Hosted by the St. John’s Alumni Council, this event provides St. John’s graduates with a chance to network and hear from successful individuals in fields such as business and politics. Previous speakers include Chris Stevens ’70, one of the founders of Keurig; Raul Fernandez ’84, chairman of ObjectVideo and vice chairman of Monumental Sports and Entertainment; and Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington, DC. At the luncheon event, Racine again spoke of his experience at St. John’s and his time as attorney general, specifically

Top: Washington, DC, Attorney General Karl Racine ’81 spoke to St. John’s freshmen as part of the Entrepreneurial Center for Innovation and Leadership curriculum. Bottom: Racine also spoke to alumni at this year’s Distinguished Speaker Series, including Corinne Paul ‘13.

focusing on the ways he incorporates the school’s core Lasallian values into his work. He also fielded questions from attendees on a wide variety of subjects, including sex trafficking, congressional involvement in Washington, DC, the authority to prosecute criminals in the District, the “Ban the Box” campaign, the new nominee for the Supreme Court and whether or not the NCAA should pay college athletes.

E

nter to learn. Leave to serve.” These words are displayed in the classrooms and hallways of St. John’s and in Lasallian schools throughout the world. They truly capture the spirit of the Christian Brothers and all Lasallian educators, men and women who have dedicated their lives to serving the needs of their students and, in turn, teaching those students the importance of serving the needs of others At St. John’s, each student completes at least 90 hours of community service before graduation. However, many students choose to go far above and beyond these requirements, completing many hours of extracurricular volunteer work and participating in school-sponsored service immersion trips. Christian service is an important part of St. John’s mission to prepare young men and women for lives of leadership, achievement and service to the community.

These Lasallian values stay with our graduates for a lifetime, and many alumni have chosen to dedicate their time, talent and careers to serving their community. Here we share the stories of four alumni who truly show what it means to live out the Lasallian mission: Vincent “Cap” Mona ’61, Danny Wright ’11, Imani Baucom ’09 and Fr. Tim Corcoran ’63.

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Hometown Hero

VINCENT “CAP” MONA ’61

or Vincent “Cap” Mona ’61, serving the community has been a way of life for as long as he can remember. He comes from a large, loving family and grew up living across the street from his grandparents. They always had a lot of people in and out of their house, often family, but just as often members of the local community. Mona remembers thinking that everyone he saw at his grandparents’ house must be related to him, because his grandparents were always giving their visitors food, support and a few dollars. “I just figured that these other folks must be family, too! That was the start, and when you see it, you live it.”

Mona followed a somewhat unconventional path out of St. John’s – he secretly married his high school sweetheart, Sue, during Easter break of his senior year, an action he said almost caused him to miss graduation. But Mona knew that college wasn’t for him at the time – he wanted to start his business and his family as soon as possible. However, in the mid-1990s he took off an entire year to attend the University of Maryland, College Park, in order to show his grandchildren the importance of education and to fulfill his father’s dream for all of his children to attend college.

He went on to apprentice with the Electrical Workers Union, which then happened to be headquartered at the school. “I like to say it took me eight years to get out of St. John’s!” After completing his training, he began taking on jobs for family members and building his business. Mona said he didn’t have big dreams of owning houses or cars – he just wanted to put food on the table and give his children a good education. While he labored to get his business off the ground, the need to serve his community was

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always in the back of his mind. He volunteered as a Little League coach, joined the Lions Club and donated any extra money the family had to worthy causes. “It’s very easy to be charitable when you don’t have lofty goals to do big things.”

As he began to achieve professional success, he also found more opportunities to serve. He hired his mother, Loretta, to head Mona Electric Group’s philanthropic activities. She found local charities to support financially, and requests for more donations started to roll in. By 1988, Mona found that just giving money wasn’t enough – he wanted to get involved.

He found the perfect opportunity in Christmas in April, an organization that rehabilitates homes for low-income homeowners, particularly the elderly and disabled, providing them with a place to live in warmth, safety and independence. Having worked in the construction industry 25 years, Mona had a wide network of contacts in business, government agencies, labor unions and social organizations. He served as an organizer, coach and cheerleader, bringing them all together for a worthy cause. “From all angles, Christmas in April looked like the thing to do. I got the groups together, and it was an easy sell.”

Mona originally worked with Christmas in April in Washington, DC, before starting up other branches – first in Prince George’s County, then in other Maryland counties and finally, all the way down in Naples, FL. The national organization has since rebranded the program as Rebuilding Together, but Mona’s branches continue to use the name Christmas in April.

He also found other ways to support the community beyond the construction industry. When his son, Andy, died in 1992, Mona was working with Bishop William Curlin to help raise money for Bishop McNamara High School, where Andy was a student. They forged a friendship, and Curlin persuaded Mona to donate his 15-acre family compound to the Religious Sisters Cap Mona ’61, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Pope Francis and Christina Mona on Sept. 23, 2015, at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, DC.

of Mercy for their local mission instead of selling it. Mona later nessperson of the Year in 2016, and many other times in between, established scholarships at McNamara to honor Curlin, Andy and the communities that he serves have always recognized his value.

Sue, who passed away in 2003.

In 2009, St. John’s presented Mona with the President’s Medal, Mona knew that if he made a gift to McNamara, then he the school’s highest honor, in recognition of his service to St. would need to make a significant gift to St. John’s as well. He’d John’s and the greater community. been giving regularly since graduation and said he always knew While the awards are nice, Mona believes that giving things he needed to do his part for the school. His first big opportunity away – whether land, money, time or effort – is far more satisfycame in 2007, when he was asked to donate to the school’s new ing than accumulating them. He finds his everyday life to be full baseball facility, now known as the Mona Clubhouse. of opportunities to serve others, and he intends to make the most Then in 2014, St. John’s President Jeff Mancabelli asked of each one. “If we have an opportunity, then we try to help out Mona to step in and support the school again as part of the to whatever degree we can. It’s fun, and you really get more out of Campaign for Arts, Mission and Ministry. Mona answered it than they do. It pays dividends. Every day, every minute, I just the call, and in 2017, St. John’s opened the Cap Mona Family know that those gifts are doing good for people in need.”

Student Center, which is home to the new Lasallian Center for Mission and Ministry and the new blackbox theater complex.

“I always kept my hat in the ring with St. John’s because it did so much for me, and it really made me the man I am today. I’m very fortunate, things were going well for me and my family, and the student center just seemed like an ideal thing to name.

I was happy to have the opportunity.” uring a time when most college seniors are thinking Inside the Mona Center, visitors will see a plaque that lists the about where to go for their final spring break, or what names of every one of his family members who has attended St. they want to do after college, Danny Wright ’11 was John’s – all the way back to 1919. When Raygan Mona graduates thinking about how he could make a difference in his in 2019, the family will celebrate a century of Monas at St. John’s. community.

“It’s amazing and humbling to know we’ve had family members Wright has always had a passion for service, which he said there for those 100 years.” was inspired by his parents. “I grew up watching them give a Mona has consistently supported Catholic education both lot of themselves and a lot of their time to different initiatives in the DC metro area and in Florida, where he now spends and different people. That naturally grew within me a passion to seven months of the year. Over the years, give back.” As a teenager, he fulfilled his St. he has awarded more than 300 partial John’s service requirement by volunteering at scholarships to students attending Cathothe Columbia Heights Community Center “I always kept my hat lic schools. It’s a cause that is close to and the Latin American Youth Center’s Art Mona’s heart. “I feel lucky to have attended + Media House. His aunt ran a non-profit in the ring with St. Catholic school and for all of the lessons I organization that served the Washington, John’s because it did learned there.”

DC, homeless population, and Wright also And he has continued to expand his worked with her regularly. so much for me, and philanthropic activities in new directions. In However, when he started at Georgetown it really made me the 2016, he donated a building that previously University, he was consumed with playing man I am today.” housed a Joe Thiesmann’s restaurant in DC football, carrying a full course load and takto Catholic Charities. The organization curing on internships. “Service kind of got put Cap Mona ’61 rently uses the location to give out more than on the back burner a little bit, but the passion 200 meals every Tuesday, an activity Mona was still there.” All of that changed in his Electric employees and Mona family memsenior year, thanks to his two roommates, bers join in regularly. They are renovating the building, and it will Darius Baxter and Troye Bullock. All three were student-athletes soon offer medical, dental and legal services on the first floor, as who met on Georgetown’s football team, but Baxter and Bullock well as classes on nutrition and maintaining a healthy lifestyle on remained deeply involved with service throughout college. When the second floor.

Wright moved in with them, it provided the catalyst for him to Mona has been honored numerous times over the years for get involved again. his service work. From the Prince George’s County Volunteer of Through their volunteer work, they met Frank Luntz, a the Year in 1989, to Inc. Magazine’s Socially Responsible Entrepolitical consultant and communications strategist. Luntz asked preneur of the Year – Washington Metro Area in 1993, to the the roommates to help put together a focus group of students like Washington Redskins NFC Community Quarterback Award in them – successful students who came from difficult backgrounds.

2006, to the Catholic Business Network of DC’s Catholic BusiIn November 2015, Luntz took the focus group to Capitol Hill

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Community Crusader DANNY WRIGHT ’11

St. John’s College High School 33

facilitate intimate discussions about these issues and their own experiences. Each group was moderated by a student-athlete, which allowed attendees to speak freely peer-to-peer without worrying about their coaches or administrators being in the conversation.

The event was a great success; according to GOODPartners’ post-event metrics, 54% of Georgetown student-athletes said this event made them recognize and understand the factors that shape their identity from a different perspective, and 85% believed that it was effective for the entire student population to embrace their own identities, as well as those of their fellow students.

With their first successful event behind them, the partners and recent college graduates were ready to tackle the next project.

Baxter had interned in the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, and he’d noticed a spike in DC gun violence each summer. The partners wanted to create a program to help combat this social unrest, particularly among young men. The idea was obvious: they’d draw on their own experiences and hold a summer football camp. However, they also wanted to educate their campers about the world beyond football, so they organized academic tutoring, coordinated social entrepreneurship projects and brought in more than 20 different speakers. “We did any and everything we could think of to expose these at-risk kids to to meet with members of Congress and share their life experiopportunities outside their community. To really get it in their ences. These conversations inspired Wright, Baxter and Bullock minds that they could be something more than what people gento take action. “From these conversations, we realized that in erally tell them they can be.” order to really help communities in need, it would have to be the GOODCamp was a true grassroots effort. The partners went communities that did it. We can’t put this in the hands of politidoor to door in Anacostia speaking to parents and families about cians and other organizations. Actual community members need their camp and registering students to attend. Wright said they to uplift and empower themselves. We knew that we wanted to chose not to use traditional marketing tactics because they wanted start an organization that could do that.” The roommates spent to enroll only local residents in the program many long nights thinking about how to – they didn’t want kids coming from all over achieve this goal – how to develop projects DC, Maryland and Virginia, because the that would serve the community and also “We did any and camp was intended to benefit a specific comfunction as a profitable business. In the end, everything we could munity. In the end, they enrolled 125 boys they formed two companies: GOODPartand girls between the ages of 10 and 17 in the ners, an LLC, and GOODProjects, a 501C3 think of to expose free five-week camp, and GOODPartners non-profit organization. these at-risk kids to raised sponsorships to cover every aspect, inThey landed their first contract in the cluding the facility, athletic equipment, food, spring of 2016: organizing the Georgetown opportunities outside field trips, guest speakers and coaches.

Athletic Department’s UCanBeU Event. their community.”

The success of the 2016 camp helped Wright said that Georgetown was having a GOODPartners win their first government problem with “people from different backDanny Wright ’11 project – the Credible Messenger Initiative grounds understanding each other.” UCanthrough the DC Department of Youth RehaBeU was created to combat those issues by bilitation Services (DYRS). This project tarfocusing on cultural competence, but Wright gets young men and women ages 14-18 who have been committed said their first event in the fall of 2015 was not as much of a success to the DYRS and connects them with mentors from their local as the university had hoped. The school reached out to GOODcommunity. These credible messengers are neighborhood leaders, Partners to help them improve for the spring. experienced youth advocates or just individuals with relevant life As student-athletes, Wright said he and his partners were able experiences who help guide these young men and women in the to think outside the box and create an event that would resonate right direction by providing positive examples, serving as role with their peers. They set the tone for the day with high-energy models and motivating these teenagers to transform their lives. music to greet attendees, who then heard from a variety of speakThe common theme in the work done by GOODPartners ers on identity, gender bias, class and race. After each speaker, and GOODProjects is strengthening the community – whether GOODPartners broke the student-athletes into small groups to 34 Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

F Danny Wright ’11 (right) with his business partners Troye Bullock (left) and Darius Baxter.

they are bringing together boys and girls in Anacostia, studentathletes at Georgetown or at-risk teens and adult mentors across the city, they advocate for local communities to work together and make a change for the better. As they continue their work, Wright said that GOODPartners expects to host community outreach events for corporations, government agencies and nonprofits – any group that wants to connect with a specific community or demographic.

Because of their youth, Wright, Baxter and Bullock are able to forge a unique connection with young people, which is why so many of their current projects focus on at-risk youth. “Once you get into your teenage years, if you’re not really doing right, you get written off. Because of our youth, teenagers still look up to us. And some of the lessons and information we give to them they take much better than if an adult said something to them. They can see themselves in us just as easily as we can see ourselves in them.” Wright said that they hope to show these young men and women that they don’t have to go to Wall Street or get into consulting to have successful careers – they can work in community service, make a social impact and still enjoy success. “You can give back and still create a good lifestyle through service.”

Wright said they have a number of projects in the pipeline, but at the same time they are still building a foundation for their companies – after all, they just graduated from college and incorporated their business in 2016! They’re learning along the way, and Wright said he applies many of the Lasallian values he learned at St. John’s to his business: discipline, organization, persistence, time management, overcoming adversity and maintaining a strong work ethic. “I’d say those were skills I learned at St. John’s. Playing a sport at St. John’s wasn’t easy! But it was one of the best learning experiences I’ve had in my life.”

Teaching for Tomorrow IMANI BAUCOM ’09

rom an early age, Imani Baucom ’09 felt a clear call to work with children. And though she didn’t accept that calling right away, her life’s journey to date has led her to a fulfilling career in elementary education – a far cry from her original plan to become a global ambassador.

Baucom came to St. John’s after attending St. Ann’s Academy for elementary and middle school. It was there that she had her first experience with community service, working with organizations like Food and Friends and Martha’s Table to fulfill her student service requirements. She continued her work with Martha’s Table as a St. John’s student and took on the responsibilities of a Peer Minister as a senior. “I really enjoyed helping the new freshmen, and that helped me build relationships with the students in that year.”

Throughout her four years on Military Road, whenever St. John’s had an early dismissal or days off, Baucom would spend her free time volunteering at St. Ann’s. She started off working with her younger brother’s first grade teacher, serving as a classroom intern, and steadily took on more responsibility at the school. “I just loved watching her teach the kids, and I loved her interactions with the children. I just enjoyed being there to help. And I would always go back and volunteer my services with classes, music productions, anything to support the school.”

Despite her positive experiences at St. Ann’s, Baucom was determined to follow her dream of becoming an ambassador.

She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and majored in Spanish. But she also continued her community service, working with the Campus Y on its Linking Immigrants

St. John’s College High School 35

Baucom wanted to continue working in the classroom, and she had the opportunity to teach in the Dominican Republic after graduation, combining her fluency in Spanish with her love of education. She said her experience there was eyeopening. She was at a school that had many resources, but the teachers and students just weren’t connecting. “The relationship between the teachers and the students wasn’t as strong as I had experienced with my teachers in the past, so it was a personal mission to develop strong relationships with my students.”

Baucom taught in the Dominican Republic from 2013 to 2014, and she said her experience there inspired her to make a change and cemented her decision to pursue a career as a teacher. “It wasn’t just a travel abroad experience; it made me realize this was something I really wanted to do with my life.”

She returned to Washington, DC, in 2014 and began working as the lead teacher for an after-school program at a DC public charter school. It was similar to her work with CYP, but as an all-day program it was much more extensive. However, Baucom said she knew then that after-school programs weren’t the right fit. “I wanted to do more than just work with the after-school program. I wanted to be in the classroom, leading the classroom.”

She is now finishing her second year as a DC Teaching Fellow, and she has a full-time job teaching second grade at DC Bilingual Public Charter School. She joined DC Teaching Fellows to receive teacher training from expert educators and earn her certification, and the program also offers seminars for more advanced teaching techniques. She plans to spend many Imani Baucom ‘09 is a DC Teaching Fellow and teaches second grade at DC Bilingual Public Charter School. years in the classroom, and then to one day transition into education policy, where she will be able to use her experiences to help to New Communities (LINC) program, improve the education system. which helps ease the transition of recent imBaucom said the Christian service migrants to the United States through stu“Having that classprograms at both St. John’s and St. Ann’s dent action and awareness. Baucom worked room experience, definitely helped lead her to her life’s work. with the young children while their parents “I think that it set a foundation of service. and families studied English, playing games working with those There were certain parts of just being a part and helping them with homework. children and seeing of St. John’s that led me into service, like In her sophomore year at UNC, a friend Kairos, that let me see the power in menintroduced her to Communiversity Youth them achieve and torship and building relationships through Programs (CYP), which is sponsored by meet their goals, it just education.” She said she also thinks back the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black really inspired me.” to the teachers she had at St. John’s who Culture and History. CYP works with made a difference in her life. “They set an students in kindergarten through fifth Imani Baucom ’09 example for the type of teacher that I would grade, providing after-school tutoring and want to be.” arts enrichment programs. Baucom said While the work is hard, Baucom knows she loved working with the program from she is fulfilling the call she received all the first day, and she spent a lot of time at those years ago. “Teaching is in no way an easy job, and I CYP throughout her last three years at college. She started by wouldn’t want anyone to downplay it as ‘oh, you’re just a tutoring one student after school, but quickly found herself teacher,’ because there is so much more that goes into teachbecoming one of the classroom leads as the program expanded. ing. You are in charge of the lives of the next generation, and “That really sparked my interest in teaching. Having that classthat’s a big responsibility to take on. It’s not just something you room experience, working with those children and seeing them stumble upon. You choose to teach.” achieve and meet their goals, it just really inspired me.”

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to please his father and serve his country, so he decided to attend the U.S. Naval Academy – despite his father trying to change his mind. He saw what his son did not; the academy wasn’t the right choice for him. After one year, Corcoran agreed and transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It was a much better fit for him, and he flourished there.

However, he still had a strong desire to serve his country, particularly as the nation was embroiled in the Vietnam War. “The fact that I clearly concluded that I wasn’t cut out for a military career of active duty, like my dad, said nothing whatsoever about the need for me to serve my hitch in the military.” He joined the Navy ROTC in his last two years at UNC, and he was commissioned at graduation. Corcoran went on to serve two years as an electronics material officer on a destroyer that traveled throughout the West Pacific, and in his third year, he volunteered for a combat tour and became a naval intelligence liaison officer, serving in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. He described his job as “phenomenal” and said he continues to keep in touch with the other Naval officers who held this specialized position during the war.

In May 1970, Corcoran returned home to a country embroiled in riots and at war with itself. He began law school at the University of Virginia that fall, the culmination of his lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer – even though he wasn’t sure exactly what a lawyer did. As a child, Corcoran’s family often discussed current events, government and politics at the dinner table, and he developed a love for debate. He knew that the law was the best career r. Tim Corcoran ’63 has always been called to serve – path to explore and combine these interests. “My first day of law first in the U.S. Navy and the Vietnam War, later as a school, when I walked into my first class, that’s when I knew I federal judge and, finally, as a Catholic priest. was in the right place. I thought, ‘Wow, this Corcoran’s parents were his first is exactly what I want and what I need.’” examples of service, and both made He graduated in 1973 and began his first job strong impressions on their son. His father as a law clerk to a U.S. district judge in Tampa, was a career officer in the Marine Corps FL. Corcoran said it was a wonderful experiand was often gone for long tours in service “Service and helping ence, but it also showed him that he would love to his country. His mother would have to others in whatever to serve as a judge if the opportunity ever pretake on the roles of both parents while his sented itself. From 1975 until 1989, he served father was away, making command deciway you could, sacas an attorney for Carlton, Fields, Ward, Emsions for the family. She would take a job rificing yourself for manuel, Smith & Cutler, P.A. Corcoran was a to occupy herself and make extra money for general business trial lawyer, but he would often the family, which Corcoran said she used to the benefit of others, help the firm’s bankruptcy lawyers litigate fact send him to college. In addition to parenting was just the world in disputes in bankruptcy court. He developed a and working, his mother also volunteered which I grew up.” niche specialization in that kind of litigation, with a variety of organizations, including which in turn led him to pursue and win a posithe Church, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Fr. Tim Corcoran ’63 tion as a judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Society and the Cub Scouts. Their examples Middle District of Florida, in 1989. were an inspiration for their son.

Corcoran started off as a judge in Or“All of my life’s blessing began when the lando, but was later able to make the switch Lord gave them to me as my parents. Service back to his beloved Tampa in 1993. He remained on the bench and helping others in whatever way you could, sacrificing yourself until his retirement in 2003, and he said the position offered him for the benefit of others, was just the world in which I grew up.” a wide and varied array of cases, from small disputes to huge cases Their example was reinforced by the Catholic Church, a involving land development and millions of dollars. The work was community in which the Corcoran family was very involved. He enormously enriching, but it also involved personal sacrifice – he attended parochial school for most of his education, including had to give up his involvement in politics. “Being a judge was the his four years at St. John’s. After graduation, Corcoran wanted

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Called to Serve

FR. TIM CORCORAN ’63

St. John’s College High School 37

Fr. Tim Corcoran ’63 preached the homily at the graduation Mass for St. John’s Class of 2013 at the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

capstone of my legal career, but going on the bench was both a financial sacrifice and a personal sacrifice. It was a very exciting court, and serving there for 14 years was so much fun.”

After retiring from the bench in 2003, Corcoran opened a solo law practice. He initially thought he’d spend most of his time consulting with lawyers on bankruptcy issues, but found himself becoming more and more involved in mediation, sitting down with the parties involved in a case and helping them reach an amicable resolution. It became the larger part of his practice, and his services were in demand throughout the state of Florida. He shut down his practice when he went to the seminary in 2008, but he continued to mediate disputes until he was ordained a deacon in his third year.

Since grade school, Corcoran had felt a calling to the priesthood – in fact, his mother always though he’d become a priest.

“I wasn’t listening as closely as I should have been to the Lord.”

Always a devout Catholic, he remained connected to the Church throughout his time in the Navy and as a lawyer and judge. He said that he came out of St. John’s with a superb education in the Catholic faith, but in the mid-1990s he wanted to reconnect with the intellectual study of his faith in a post-Vatican II world. He was very involved with his Tampa parish, serving as a lector, Eucharistic minister and parish council member, and he learned of a lay pastoral ministry institute, a four-year training program for lay ecclesiastical ministers. During his studies, he again felt the calling. “The intellectual interest moved down to my heart. The more it moved to my heart, the more I wanted to do things with it, and it moved down to my hands.”

This time he could not ignore the call. Corcoran entered a permanent deaconate program, but he was encouraged to pursue 38 Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

the priesthood instead – first by the admissions board, and then by the bishop himself. The bishop pointed him to Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, MA, a seminary that specializes in educating older students. Though he considered all of the arguments – he was too old, he had a business to run, switching careers at this point was “crazy” – he knew in his heart that it was the right path for him.

In May 2012, Corcoran was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of St. Petersburg. He started out as the parochial vicar at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Dunedin, FL, and then transferred to St. Mary Catholic Church in Tampa in July 2013. He has served as St. Mary’s parochial administrator since May 2016. He truly enjoys his ministry and has found ways to use his law experience to help his community, including serving as a judge in the tribunal. But, as Corcoran said, “The bishop doesn’t need lawyers, he has enough of those; he needs pastors.”

Corcoran said that each of his career paths – the military, the law, the court and now the clergy – have been callings that have given him the satisfaction of serving his community. “There’s an enormous satisfaction in helping others. Service has its own reward, the reward of knowing that you have made it better for someone who couldn’t make it better themselves.” He feels lucky to have enjoyed such a wonderful life, and he plans to spend the rest of it heeding the call and working to make things better for others. “Looking back, seeing how blessed my life has been, how many wonderful opportunities I have had to share God’s love with others, to serve and to bring something good and better to those around me – I just couldn’t be luckier, I just couldn’t be happier, I just couldn’t be more blessed.”

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Class of 1961 – Sept. 24, 2016

Class of 1966 – June 2-3, 2016 St. John’s College High School 39

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Class of 1971 – Oct. 14, 2016

Class of 1976 – Sept. 24, 2016 40 Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

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Class of 1981 – Sept. 24, 2016

Class of 1986 – Sept. 10, 2016 St. John’s College High School 41

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Class of 1991 – Oct. 14, 2016

Class of 1996 – Oct. 15, 2016 42 Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

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Class of 2001 – Oct. 15, 2016

Class of 2006 – Oct. 15, 2016 St. John’s College High School 43

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New York Alumni Reception – April 13, 2016

Boston Area Alumni Reception – Oct. 26, 2016 44 Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

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Naples Alumni Reception – Jan. 11, 2017

Dallas Alumni Reception – Jan. 24, 2017 St. John’s College High School 45

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San Diego Alumni Reception – Feb. 13, 2017

Los Angeles Alumni Reception – Feb. 15, 2017 46 Scarlet & Grey Winter 2017

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1. Fuzzy Myers and Coley O’Brien ’65 2. Tim Harper ’85, Charles Lavallee ’85 and Eric Ellis ’85 3. Jonathan Scribner, Brian Griffin, David Bell and Skip McMahon 4. Mark Munson ’89, Jeff Mancabelli, Tom Benjamin ’89, Brendan Quinn ’89 and Rob Spallone ’89 5. Phil Feliciano ’68, Mike Noonan ’68, Jay Fielding ’68, Jeff Mancabelli, Greg Fisher and Mark Crosby ’68 6. Don Chacos ’65, Dave Murphy ’65, Jeff Mancabelli, Mike Brant ’65 and Coley O’Brien ’65 7. John Magnolia ’66, Jeff Mancabelli, Joe Magnolia ’64, Steve Davis ’66 and Glen Hollrah 8. John Carroccio ’03, Chris Carroccio ’04, Chris Love ’03, Matt Borger ’04 and Jeff Mancabelli 9. Bill Whitty ’95, Pat Whitty ’98, Jeff Mancabelli, Kevin Stecklein ’92 and Jim Whitty ’93 10. Riaz Latifullah ’74, Jim Stockmal P’18 and Bob Carlston 11. Rob Spallone ’89 12. Tim Harper ’85

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May 13, 2016

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Class Notes

Do you have news to share with the St. John’s community?

Bill Scaggs ’54 Celebrates 80th Birthday

We want to hear from you! Submit your class notes and pictures to

classnotes@stjohnschs.org.

1987 In June, Devin Hughes published his sixth book, “The S.T.A.R. System: A workbook designed to help your child conquer the Isolation Monster.” He published his seventh book, “Agents of Change - Native Americans Coloring Book (Volume 3),” in September.

2002 This fall, playwright Branden JacobsJenkins was announced as a 2016

MacArthur Foundation Fellow. MacArthur Foundation grants are awarded to individuals in a wide range of professions, and fellows receive a substantial grant to help develop future work.

Jacobs-Jenkins is not the only Cadet to receive this honor; conservationist Patrick

Noonan ’60

is a member of the MacArthur Foundation Fellows Class of 1985.

Monica (Manco) Quinn and her husband, John Quinn III, announce the birth of their son, John Joseph IV (Jake) in June. He joins sister Lia at their home in Lafayette Hill, PA.

2008 Gerald Moore, Jr., married his wife, Jen-

nifer, earlier this year. “We’re expecting our first baby at the end of March. This is great news for us and our family and we’re grateful to share it with the SJC family.”

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TOP: On July 13, friends and

family gathered to celebrate the 80th birthday of Bill Scaggs, Sr. ’54. The party was hosted by his four children, Joe, Bill ’75, Steve ’78 and Lorrie, at Columbia Country Club, and approximately 130 guests attended from across the country. Many St. John’s alumni and staff were at the celebration, including St. John’s President Jeff Mancabelli, Bro. Ed Adams, Bro. Tom Gerrow, Dave Rogers ’54, Ed McNamara ’54, Mike Hughes, Jr. ’74, Ed Quinn ’59, Sonny Franke ’55, Phil Mudd ’54 and Lorraine Harding, representing her deceased husband and dear Scaggs family friend Frank Harding ’53. Bill’s entire family of 16 attended the affair. He is doing great and is still very active at St. John’s, along with sons Steve and Bill, Jr. Bill has resided in Boca Raton, FL, along with his entire family for the last 25 years. BOTTOM: (From left) The Scaggs family: Joe, Steve ’78, Betty, Bill ’54, Lorrie and Bill, Jr. ’75.

Condolences Our deceased alumni, faculty and friends are enrolled as perpetual members of the St. La Salle Auxiliary.

The Christian Brothers and the entire St. John’s community offer their prayers and condolences to the families and friends of those who have passed. (Includes notices received through January 31, 2017.)

Alumni • • • • • • • • • •

1934 1935 1941 1942 1944 1944 1947 1948 1948 1950

Felix Young Andrew Carrico William Seebold Rene Couleman Joseph Donnelly Paul Holmes David Hessler Robert Blatzheim George Jarboe Richard Nagle

• • • • • • • • • •

1950 1951 1952 1952 1952 1953 1953 1954 1955 1956

James Townsend James Jordan John Brewer Francis Fannon Richard Kelly Lawrence Spellman Stanley Wilson Francis Smith Louis Fisher Richard Landis

• • • • • • • • • •

1957 1957 1957 1958 1958 1959 1959 1960 1960 1963

John Ayoub Alfred Bahr Robert Shea Terrence Hannam William Noonan Stephen Lynn Donald Tully Richard Gregorio Thomas Wright John Santoro

• • • • • • •

1964 1965 1965 1967 1969 1970 1970

Alex Dumlao George Kalas Thomas Timberlake Daniel D’Ippolito Stephen Elmendorf James Galloway Michael MacCarthy

Family and Friends of St. John’s • Brach, Margaret, mother of Philip Brach ’85 and Matthew Brach ’89 • Brown, Derek, father of Maya Brown ’15 and Derek Brown ’18 • Carasa, Antonio, father of Antonio Carasa ’68 and Alfredo Carasa ’69 • Carroll, John, father-in-law of Anthony Launi ’77 • Cooper, Daniel, brother of Ken Cooper, SJC faculty • Crowley, Kay Conrad, mother of John Crowley ’87 • Dews, Patricia, mother-inlaw of Garrett Mona ’66 • Donnelly, Joseph ’44, father of Joseph Donnelly, Jr. ’67, John Donnelly ’69 and James Donnelly ’72; father-in-law of George Borger ’65 • Dowling, Betty, mother of Gregory Dowling ’83 • Ellian, Haig, father of Levon Ellian ’88 • Elmendorf, Stephen ’69, brother of John Elmendorf ’80 (deceased)

• Fannon, Francis III ’52, son of Francis Fannon 1914 (deceased); brother of Thomas Fannon ’48 (deceased); uncle of Jack Fannon • Fennell, Mary Delores, mother of Patrick Fennell ’79 • Gaines, Mary Esher Lash, wife of Thomas Gaines ’51 • Gilday, Elizabeth Cassidy, mother-in-law of Michael Greaney ’75; grandmother of Garrett Witts ’10 • Greaney, Mary, wife of John Greaney ’44; mother of Patrick Greaney ’70, Michael Greaney ’75, John Greaney ’77 and Kevin Greaney ’82; grandmother of John Greaney ’09, Seamus Greaney ’11, Brigid Greaney ’13, Camille Greaney ’15 and Moira Greaney ’17; aunt of Michael Shreve ’77 • Gregorio, Richard Sr. ’60, brother of Roger Gregorio ’62

• Hagan, Patricia, mother of John Hagan ’72 and Stephen Hagan ’79; grandmother of Melanie Hagan ’07 • Hall, Michael, father of Scott Hall ’04 • Hammann, Henry, father of Ken Hammann, SJC faculty • Hartley, James, father of Patrick Hartley ’72, Mark Hartley ’73, Kevin Hartley ’74 and Charles Hartley ’81 • Houck, Barbara, mother of Chad Houck ’69 • Kalas, George Jr. ’65, son-in-law of Warren Taltavull ’38 • Kitson, Bro. Charles FSC, auxiliary visitor from DENA • Krotzer, Edward, grandfather-in-law to Aubrey Whittier, SJC staff • Lewis, Reese, father of Thomas Lewis ’19 • Lopez-Lorenzo, Paulina, mother of Armando Cabrera, SJC staff

• Malone, Helen, wife of James Malone ’43 (deceased) • Mancabelli, Antoinette, mother of Jeffrey Mancabelli, SJC president; grandmother of Nicholas Mancabelli ’17 and Alexa Mancabelli ’19 • Manning, John, father-inlaw of Gregory Hymel ’84; grandfather of Victoria Hymel ’12, Grace Hymel ’14 and Sean Hymel ’17 • MacCarthy, Michael ’70, brother of Patrick MacCarthy ’67 • McKenzie, James, father of Patrick McKenzie ’83 • McLaughlin, Francis, father of Francis McLaughlin, Jr. ’76 and Michael McLaughlin ’81 • McNamara, Thomas, father of Thomas McNamara ’78 (deceased), John McNamara ’79 and Charles McNamara ’85

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Condolences Family and Friends of St. John’s • McNerney, Thomas, father of Thomas McNerney, Jr. ’75 and Patrick McNerney ’77; brother of Arthur McNerney ’43; grandfather of Timothy McNerney ’09 and Mary Kate McNerney ’11; uncle of Michael McNerney ’66; cousin of Harry McNerney ’48 • Meek, Mary, mother of Michael Lee ’63 • Miles, Agnes, wife of Michael Miles ’58 (deceased) • Mohre, David, father of Lily Mohre ’12 • Mudd, Rev. David Alan, former SJC staff • Neitzey, Rose, mother of Mitchell Neitzey, former SJC Trustee; grandmother of Jonathan Neitzey ’11, Ryan Neitzey ’14 and Carolyn Neitzey ’15 • Octavious, Tracy, father of Whitney Octavious ’18 • O’Keefe, Gerard, father of Kevin O’Keefe ’74 and Matthew O’Keefe ’84 • Perna, Fred, uncle of Frank Perna ’78; great uncle of Frank Perna III ’07, Caitlin Perna ’08 and Olivia Perna ’19

• Petersen, Leonard, father of Susan Tremor, SJC staff; grandfather of Lauren Tremor ’08 and Daniel Tremor ’16 • Pileta, Jenelle, mother of Diyante Pileta ’16 • Reidy, Edward, father of Brian Reidy ’75 and Brett Reidy ’79 • Rhodes, William Jr., brother-in-law of Howard Morin ’58; uncle of Susie Hinton, SJC staff, Thomas Morin ’83, Michael Morin ’86, Matthew Morin ’88, John Morin ’90 and Vincent Morin ’93; great uncle of Danny Morin ’11, Christine Morin ’14, Raley Hinton ’14, Colin Hinton ’17, Henry Morin ’18, Grace Morin ’18, Vincent Morin ’19 and Peyton Hinton ’20 • Richards, Joe III, uncle of Dr. Jo Galliher, SJC faculty • Roussil, Theodore, father of Lawrence Roussil ’74 • Rose, Dorothy, mother of John Rose, Jr. ’71 • Santoro, John ’63, cousin of James De George ’64

• Seebold, William ’41, father of William Seebold, Jr. ’64 • Sheerin, Sarah, mother of Daniel Sheerin ’77 and grandmother of Catherine Sheerin ’07 • Sherman, Jennie, mother of Robert Sherman ’63 • Smith, Al, son of Joseph Smith ’41 (deceased) and brother of Andrew Smith ’66 • Smith, Mary, sister of Joseph Cardaci ’49 and Paul Cardaci ’54 • Steck, Bro. W. James FSC • Stefanou, Helen “Eleni,” mother of Peter Stefanou ’71 and Spiro Stefanou ’73 • Stohlman, Joan Darby, mother of Edwin Stohlman III ’68 • Teare, Ann Haley, mother of John Teare ’93 and Keegin Teare ’95; mother-in-law of Teresa Teare ’96 • Thomas, Bertrand, father of Rachel Thomas ’16 • Townsend, James ’50, father of Mark Townsend ’78 and Martin Townsend ’79 • Veazey, Jean Margaret, mother of Michael Veazey ’81

Andrew Carrico ’35 Andrew Carrico passed away on Oct. 13, 2016. Andy served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was awarded the Army Parachutist Badge, Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster, Presidential Citation Unit Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal, World War II Victory Medal, American Defense Medal, World War II Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with Beachhead Battle Stars and his most prized award, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.

Andy loved a good joke, a good game of cards and dressing up in costume on his birthday, which just happened to be Halloween.

He was a master bartender, the life of the party, and a more loyal fan of the Maryland Terrapins would be hard to find.

Andy Carrico ’35 during staging maneuvers in Ft. Polk, LA.

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• Veith, Justine O’Boyle, mother of Thomas Veith, SJC staff; grandmother of Taylor Veith ’16 and T.J. Veith ’18; aunt of Seamus O’Boyle ’75, Patrick O’Boyle ’76, Sean O’Boyle ’78 and Timothy O’Boyle ’81 • Walker, John and Patricia, parents of Michael Walker, SJC staff • Warrington, Earl, fatherin-law of James Donatelli, Jr. ’80; grandfather of Elizabeth Donatelli ’11 and James Donatelli III ’13 • Womack, Doris Annie, mother of SFC Scheddrick Womack, SJC faculty • Woods, Ernest Wendell, father of Erica Howell ’11 and family friend of Diane (Howell) Pressley, SJC staff • Wright, Thomas ’60, brother of William Wright ’62; uncle of Michael Greene ’81 and Andrew Greene ’84 • Young, Felix ’34, grandfather of David Young ’17

CLASS OF 1967 50TH REUNION JUNE 1-2, 2017 / CLASSES OF 1972, 1977 AND 1987 SEPTEMBER 22 CLASSES OF 1952 AND 1962 SEPTEMBER 23 / CLASSES OF 1982, 1992 AND 2012 OCTOBER 20 CLASSES OF 1957, 1997, 2002 AND 2007 OCTOBER 21 VISIT WWW.STJOHNSCHS.ORG/REUNIONS FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION REGISTRATION!

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