P IUS N EW S IGNITE YOUR STORY
Reaching Higher O U R MISSION Prayer, Study, Community, Preaching - this is Dominican education at St. Pius X High School. Inspired by Veritas, young men and women embrace academic excellence and integrity, celebrate the community’s diverse gifts and heritage, and embody social justice and service.
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Pius News FALL 2021
Table of Contents 04 New Format for Open House
CHECK OUT WHAT’S
Inside
05 Fish Week 2021 06 Homecoming 2021 08 Leaders in Veritas 06 09 Academic Excellence 10 Liturgies 11 Fall Athletic Recaps 12 Signing Athletes 13 TikTok Contest 14 Casino Night / The Drowsy Chaperone 15 Food Truck Friday / Christmas Tree Lighting 16 Girl Scout Gold Award Succes 18 Catching Up with Ashley Garcia ‘10 20 Alumni Fall Events 24 Class Notes
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2021-2022 School Board
2021-2022 Foundation Board
Joan M. Gallagher
Jim Black
Marisa Cruz Hurd ‘94
Mike O’Connor
G. Sean Jez
L avergne Schwender, O.P.
Roberta Konicki
R ay Vitulli
Paule Anne Lewis
T homas Bradley Edwards, M.D.
Jerry Nevlud ‘74
Jose Enriquez
Mary Jean Olsovsky, O.P.
Ray Gilliam
Melissa J. O’Neil
Marisa Cruz Hurd ‘94
Donna M. Pollard, O.P.
Erik Konicki
Tracey A. Prince
Anna Mateja
Ginger Przybyla
Donna M. Pollard, O.P.
Monica Silver
Kevin Roberts
Deidra Smith
Adriane M. Schultea ’96
Ray Vitulli
Star Stefka-Borg, CPA
Richard Worley ‘95
Patrick Svrcek
Daniel P. Martinez, Ex Officio
Brian D. Walton Robert E. Wolf
26 In Memoriam
Dominican Sisters Board of Trustees Sr. Donna M. Pollard, O.P. Sr. Mary Jean Olsovsky, O.P. Sr. Kitty (Antoinette) Carter, O.P.
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Pius News FALL 2021
NEW FORMAT FOR
Open House In December 2021, our Enrollment Management Department offered a brand-new format for our annual Open House event. After a welcome from Principal, Rachel Ware, and Head of School, Daniel P. Martinez, families were permitted to freely walk the St. Pius X High School campus to take in the beauty of our historic halls and view presentations prepared by SPX co-curriculars, academic departments, and athletic groups. When not interfacing with teachers and students, families were welcome to join one of several “hop-on, hop-off” tours of the grounds led by our incredible team of student ambassadors. We are grateful to the faculty, students, staff, and parent volunteers who made this event such a resounding success. Feedback from attending families was overwhelmingly positive, and we look forward to welcoming the class of 2026!
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Pius News
FALL 2021
WELCOME TO THE PANTHER FAMILY
Fish Week 2021 Fish Week is a decades-old tradition that gives Seniors a chance to welcome Freshmen to the Panther family in fun and creative ways. Once getting “hooked” with their Senior buddy, our Freshman Fish got into the Panther spirit with “We’re Dressing It Up” day, the “We Go Together” Parade, and a fantastic pep rally that celebrated our Sports, Pantherettes, and Cheer Teams. Fish Week finished strong with a great football win and school dance. This year’s group of Seniors and Freshman Fish did not disappoint!
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Pius News FALL 2021
Homecoming King & Queen Tanner Hansen ‘22 and Milina Santiago ‘22
CELEBRATING
Homecoming 2021 Our 2021 Homecoming Pep Rally was ON FIRE with amazing performances and amazing school spirit! The week leading up to Homecoming was a blast. Our Dress Days included: Surfers vs. Skaters, Cowboys vs. Aliens, Athletes vs. Mathletes, Class Color Battle, and Battle of the Cats! We saw great creativity and fun with those costumes. Then, Homecoming Under the Stars dance on Saturday was an incredible evening! To provide students with a traditional Homecoming that still adhered to safe practices, the dance was held outside on Parsley Field at Kubiak Stadium for the first time. Students had a blast dancing the night away under an open-air tent with stellar-themed decor. We enjoyed a build-your-own boba tea station, food trucks, and three elegant photo stations.
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Pius News
FALL 2021
HOMECOMING KING & QUEEN
Alex Konicki & Kyle Winkler
Abby Konicki & Dylan Edwards
2021 Homecoming Queen Nominees
2021 Homecoming King Nominees
Brynn Bailey
Georgia Leppard-Kubala
Burke Battenfield
Tanner Hansen
Farren Donald-Wright
Avery Nick
Dylan Edwards
Pierce Hays
Abby Konicki
Milina Santiago
Michael Fite
Carson Hintz
Alex Konicki
Bella Trevino
Matt Goeddeke
Kyle Winkler
HOMECOMING
DANCE
Under the Stars
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CONGRATULATIONS
Runners Up
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DEVOTED MEMBERS
Leaders in Veritas At St. Pius X High School, we are blessed to have devoted members of our community that we call Leaders in Veritas. These members believe in our four pillars, core values, Dominican heritage, and have made St. Pius X High School a priority in their charitable giving. We had the honor of getting together with this dedicated group at the home of Erik and Roberta Konicki to discuss the past, celebrate the present, and envision the future of our beloved school.
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CELEBRATING
Academic Excellence Every day at St. Pius X High School we embrace academic excellence, encourage students to explore their interests and live our Dominican charism of prayer, study, community and preaching. This fall, we had many students soar to new academic achievements. We are immensely proud of all that they have accomplished, and know this is only the beginning of their bright futures!
Ethan White ‘23 Selected for The College Board National African-American Recognition Program! Ethan earned this recognition because of remarkable academic achievements and outstanding performance on the PSAT.
Melissa Chible ‘22 Selected for The College Board National Hispanic Recognition Program! Melissa earned this recognition because of remarkable academic achievements and outstanding performance on the PSAT.
Alina Solice ‘22 Selected for The College Board National Hispanic Recognition Program and The College Board National Indigenous Recognition Program! Alina earned these recognitions because of remarkable academic achievements and outstanding performance on the PSAT.
Aly Bijani ‘22 Received a full four-year scholarship to attend Washington University in St. Louis through the QuestBridge National College Match. Only 10% of applicants were selected and matched for this prestigious scholarship. This is a monumental achievement that came from countless hours of work and perseverance. Aly intends to study computer science at WashU’s McKelvey School of Engineering. On December 8, faculty, family members, friends, and school leadership gathered to surprise Aly with a congratulatory celebration before school!
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THE BEAUTY OF OUR SCHOOL
Liturgies
Students, faculty, and staff gathered for three liturgical services in the fall, honoring the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, The Solemnity of All Saints, and the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. In Roman Catholic tradition, these days are considered holy days. We are extremely grateful to our visiting priests who came to SPX to celebrate the Holy Mass, especially Fr. Marty Lott, O.P., Fr. Robert Murphy, S.J., and Fr. Wayne Lee. We would like to extend additional gratitude to our Theology department, Dominican Preaching team, altar servers, and choirs for serving with a generous spirit at these services. Students served in various liturgical ministries for Mass, including lectoring, altar serving, and music ministry. On the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, students and faculty/staff led the attending community in a decade of the Rosary in their heart language. The beauty of our school liturgies is a testament to the selfless work of many. St. Pius X, pray for us!
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Pius News
FALL 2021
GO PANTHERS!
Fall Athletic Recaps Volleyball This season, the Panther volleyball team had a successful growth year. With eight seniors leading the way, the team finished the season playing their best game tirelessly— the goal of any season. The junior varsity teams developed immensely throughout the fall. These Panthers had the most success the program has seen in the past four years. The SPX volleyball team looks forward to continuing development during off-season and wishes their departing seniors the best in their future endeavors. They will be missed deeply, but the team is excited to keep growing in spirit and numbers!
Football The 2021 football season was full of highs and lows for the Panther football team. It started off with a huge win over Lutheran North in Week 1, and was followed by a Week 2 trip to Dallas vs. eventual state champions, Dallas Christian, which was a great early season test for the Panthers. Week 3 saw a huge 4th quarter comeback for St. Pius X High School against state semi-finalists, Bishop Lynch, and although the next five weeks were up and down, the team battled hard every day and gave everything that they had for their team, their school, and their families.
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The last two weeks of the regular season saw encouraging progress for the Panthers, as they got hot and reeled off two consecutive victories vs. SA Christian and Monsignor Kelly. The season ended with a postseason loss to regional finalists, Prestonwood, but through all of the adversity and injuries, the Panthers’ fight never wavered in a gritty playoff-bound season.
Cross Country SPX Cross Country sped through a terrific season! Anna Bordas broke the 2 mile cross country school record, locking it in now at 12:43! At the 2021 Bellaire Invitational all four competing female runners medaled in the junior varsity division. Alex Konicki ‘22, Abby Konicki, ‘22 and Jackie Lesmeister ‘23 performed well, and Anna Bordas ‘23 won the race. Anna Bordas ‘23 also medaled at the Cypress Christian meet. The girls’ team gave their all, finishing 6th out of thirteen participating teams. FPR SPEED 4th Annual Hay Bale The top 4 female runners came in the top 10 at the meet medaling: Anna Bordas ‘23, Alex and Abby Konicki ‘22, and Taylor Worley ‘23.
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Pius News FALL 2021
SPX SIGNING DAY
Signing Athletes This fall, St. Pius X High School was proud to watch six of its incredible student-athletes sign to the school of their choice. Congratulations to these athletes and their parents. We recognize you have worked so hard and come so far!
Breelyn Sanborn Basketball, University of the Incarnate Word
Kaid Nygren Lacrosse, Colorado Mesa University
Max Bright Rugby, Belmont Abbey College
Trent Caram Baseball, Wharton Junior College
Kyle Winkler Baseball, Sam Houston State University
Logan Tanner Football, San Diego State vUniversity
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Pius News
FALL 2021
FIRST-EVER
TikTok Contest Congratulations to
Melissa Chible ‘22 for winning first place in our first-ever TikTok contest! Melissa’s fun and heartwarming video truly shows what it’s like to #IgniteYourStory as an SPX Panther by showcasing students, faculty and staff all around our beloved campus.
Helena Rubio-Carreno ‘22 placed 2nd in our TikTok contest with a dazzling synced performance as she played five separate instruments to cover Hozier’s “Take Me to Church.”
Abby Schubert ‘22
placed 3rd place in our TikTok contest as she highlighted Spirit Dress Weeks at SPX.
Honorable Mentions: Rafael Portillo ‘22 Mrs. Holik’s Advisory Arden Dabney ‘22
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Follow us at @StPiusX on TikTok to view all submissions and more!
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Pius News FALL 2021
SPX BOOSTER CLUB’S
Casino Night
SPX Booster Club’s Casino Night had soaring attendance. With beautiful weather under the stars, attendees shared an uplifting evening with a silent auction, food, spirits, and games, all in the spirit of giving our student-athletes the best opportunities possible. We’d like to thank every participant for their support of SPX athletics and building up our Panther community!
NOVEMBER DRAMA PRODUCTION
The Drowsy Chaperone Veritas Theatre’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone was a marvelous success! Our performers had audiences rolling with laughter, tearing up, and feeling every emotion in-between along the way.
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Pius News
FALL 2021
BRAND NEW EVENT
Food Truck Friday Thank you to the new Student Advisory Leadership Committee who brainstormed this event in collaboration with school leadership. Students were treated to an extended lunch period and $5 off of the food truck of their choice. Here’s to more spirited Fridays ahead!
he BRAND NEW EVENT
Christmas Tree Lighting Our community of alumni, friends, families, and SPX students and staff came together to ring in the season at our inaugural Christmas Tree Lighting event. We had a blast singing carols with our Concert Chorale, watching SPX cheer team and Pantherettes perform holiday numbers, and listening to the sweet songs of our handbell choir and band. Heartwarming snowball fights took place in our icy play area, and one talented student carved her very own panther out of snow!
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Pius News FALL 2021
GIRL SCOUT
Gold Award Success Congratulations to Abby and Alex Konicki ‘22 on completing their Girl Scout Gold Award Service Projects! The Gold Award is the most prestigious award a Girl Scout can achieve. The girls were challenged to use what they learned in scouting to help fix a problem in their community. It was the sisters’ choice to spend more than 80 hours combined on providing service to St. Pius X High School. Abby reorganized the used uniform room, and Alex renovated a beautiful space for students to receive minor medical care while on campus. Alex and Abby showed true Veritas spirit, exemplifying our pillars of prayer, study, community, and preaching. As these senior ladies prepare to leave SPX for their next chapter, we are sincerely grateful for their service which will benefit students both now and in years to come.
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Pius News FALL 2021
CATCHING UP WITH
Ashley Garcia ‘10 From SPX concert chorale and softball to caring ICU nurse during covid, Ashley Garcia Williams ‘10 has been giving it her all since day one. See what Ashley has been up to since leaving the halls of SPX.
Tell us how life has changed since you left SPX. Personally, life has changed a lot in the 11 (wow) years since graduation. I have gone to school and gotten two degrees and am working on a third, traveled as much as possible, moved across country, adopted my two crazy pets (Poppy and Boh) and got married in the process. One thing that hasn't changed is being close with my family and my close childhood friends.
What college(s) did you attend? What was your major? I obtained a degree from University of Houston-Downtown in Biology concentrating in Microbiology and then went to the University of Saint Mary in Kansas where I obtained a Bachelor of Science in nursing. I am currently working on my Masters in Acute Care Nurse Practitioner from Chamberlain University.
How did your SPX education prepare you for college? Going to SPX definitely helped me prepare for college by, of course, the tough writing curriculum that is offered as well as math. I didn't think I needed math as much as I actually did but I am thankful for the framework that was given to me at SPX. Writing, I use my writing skills daily, even as a nurse there are always research papers and studies. SPX really helped me learn how to utilize library resources and write in a way that my professors often say, “excellently written.”
What advice would you share with recent SPX graduates? It is a privilege to have gotten such a great faith-based education and it is important to use your talents in the best way possible whether that be in the arts, sciences, or anything in between. Always remember that we come from a great community of people who want to see each other grow and become their best.
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Tell us about your profession as an ICU nurse. Being an ICU nurse has been the most rewarding, yet difficult, career choice for me. We care for those who are in their most vulnerable state, when they cannot help or care for themselves. It is often the ICU nurse who will see the minor change in the patient from one hour to the next and it is a great responsibility to report this to the doctor so that changes can be made in hopes of giving the patient a better outcome. As an added change I have now transitioned to travel nursing which means that I move from hospital to hospital sometimes in different states to help where there is a need in staff or when there are so many patients the current staff cannot handle care safely.
What first interested you in nursing? I always knew that I wanted to be in the healthcare field, even in my times at Pius. Through college it ranged from PA, MD, OT, DO, and I found nursing to be the most rewarding. Nursing allows me to be able to help others in the way that I always have wanted to, as well as offering a variety of career choices there are within the field of nursing. There is never a boring day as a nurse.
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What is the best/most rewarding part of your job?
What is one of your favorite memories of SPX?
The most rewarding part of my job is honestly summed up as a story I tell. As background, I will talk in my patient's rooms, whether they are sedated and intubated on medications or not. I used to get teased for “talking to myself.” But, one day, I had a patient come back and I said hello as I admitted him to the unit, he said my name very loudly “ASHLEYYY”. I smiled and said “Oh, you remember me”. I didn't think he would because he was very sick when I took care of him. He responded, saying he remembered all the nurses who talked to him while he was sick and sleeping, that I talked to him the most and he appreciated that and it helped him when he couldn't communicate with anyone. My job can be very hard, but times like these make the hard times better knowing that I helped to make a difference in someone's healing.
I often find myself talking about our traditions; the traditions we have as a school from Mass and religious celebrations to homecoming and post-prom celebrations.
What advice would you give current SPX students who are interested in the medical field? Study hard, get a mentor, and shadow other careers so you know exactly the field that you see yourself doing your best in. If you are a future nurse you can reach out to me. I have been a mentor to a couple nursing students already.
What is one of the most important lessons you took away from SPX? That even in the hard times, there is always someone you can reach out to, whether that be family, friends, old teachers, the Pius community, or reflect and pray on it.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work? Outside of work my husband and I travel as much as we can, especially while we live on the east coast and it is easy to travel nearby. We have our dog and cat who are quite spoiled. And, we have found a great community of friends here who we often have dinner parties with.
What does it mean to you to be an SPX alumni? It really means the world to me to be an SPX alum. I love the family feel of the school and how we can go back at any time and be greeted with open arms.
You were featured in the Latina South podcast! Tell us more about how it came about.
Which SPX teacher made the most lasting impact on you?
The producer of the show went to school with my parents, she wanted to feature a “Healthcare Hero” and my mom and dad submitted my name and she reached out to me a couple of weeks later. It was really exciting to be featured, and it meant a lot to share to the community about what we as nurses have experienced in the pandemic and hopefully to do some education along the way.
I think I would have to say Mrs. Gagne for all of the writing skills and tips and tricks she gave me in school as well as Mrs. Holik. She fueled my biology degree without even knowing it.
Anything else you would like others to know? Cliche, but don't sweat the small stuff. And, once a Panther, always a Panther.
What were you involved in as a student at SPX? I was in concert chorale and played softball for all four years. I was also in student council and was Spanish Club co-president my senior year. I think I helped in other clubs as well - I stayed very busy in my time there!
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ALUMNI FALL EVENT
Reunions
1981
1985
October 9, 2021 | Cottonwood Reunion Chair: Dennis Seberger ‘81
October 23, 2021 | Hungry Like the Wolf Reunion Chair: Sharon Salvato Toups ‘85
1991 September 11, 2021 | Wakefield Crowbar | Reunion Chair: Amy Hughes Thompson ‘91
2000
2011
September 11, 2021 | Kenneally’s Irish Pub Reunion Chair: Whitney Whitmire Jenkins ‘00
September 11, 2021 | Heights Bier Garten Reunion Chair: Courtney Madden Beasley ‘11
Pius News
FALL 2021
Baseball Wall of Honor June 27, 2021 The first 24 Panther baseball players, selected from the classes of 1959-1979, were inducted into the St. Pius X Baseball Wall of Honor. Congratulations to these Panthers!
INDUCTEES INCLUDE: Bill Przybyla ‘59, Tom Spring ‘59, Bill Grochett ‘60, Mel Myers ‘61, James Borski ‘62, G.J. Cantu ‘62, Edward Borski ‘63, Jim Gorski ‘64, Donald Lorson ‘64, Frank Panzica ‘66, Mike Sicinski ‘66, Darrell Halloran ’67, Tom Korenek ‘67, Gary Mendel ‘69, Mike Maddox ‘71, Terry Phillips ‘72, Donny Sparacino ‘73, Michael Stuchly ‘73, Kenny Humphreys ‘74, Mark Wisnoski ‘74, Bobby Hollas ‘75, Dale McMullen ‘75, Rusty Rightmire ‘78, Steve Seberger ‘79
Young Alumni Happy Hour July 29, 2021 What a great night for some pints with Panthers! Alumni from 20012017 were in attendance and enjoyed all the brews Saint Arnold Brewing Company had to offer. Mercedes Barraza ‘16 won the Panther Swag Bag giveaway and quickly became the envy of the group.
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ALUMNI GAMES
Volleyball
AUGUST 6, 2021
The first alumni volleyball scrimmage was a hit! Current students rallied for the win but fell short to alums as we welcomed back Abigail Woods ‘20, Lora Tresco ‘21, Ava Kirkpatrick ‘21, and Kylie Rogers ‘21.
ALUMNI GAMES
Lacrosse & Soccer JANUARY 8, 2022 Rain or shine, Panthers do not shy away from a good time! Alumni and current students played through the rainy day on Saturday for some great match ups!
BASEBALL ALUMNI
Homerun Derby
DECEMBER 11, 2021
On December 11, Baseball alumni from the classes of 1976-2021 came out for a great day at the ballpark to enjoy a homerun derby. For some, it’s like they never put down the bat! Homerun derby leaders by the decades were: ‘60-70s: Jimmie Kirk ‘76, ‘80-90s: Danny Massiatte ‘96, and ‘00-10s: Dustin DeJohn ‘11. After the homerun derby, Panthers played a softball game. Alumni and families enjoyed ballpark fare, delicious drinks, and most of all, a good time reminiscing on the field. 22
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Pius News
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HOMECOMING 2021
Coming Home Queens OCTOBER 1, 2021
On October 1, our SPX Panthers defeated the St. John XXIII Lions and celebrated with a victory for the 2021 homecoming game. Win or lose, our homecoming queens of yesteryear always win halftime! Joining us to help crown the newest king and queen were Barbara McMahan Cage ‘70, Laura Albert Spear ‘76, Karen Tompkins Michalak ‘81, and Yramsi Barcena ‘21.
ALUMNI FALL EVENT
Alumni Tailgate OCTOBER 22, 2021
On October 22, Panther alumni and families came out in droves for the annual tailgate. This year’s festivities coincided with the rivalry game against the St. Thomas Eagles. Panther alumni and families were treated to brews from Silver Eagle Distributors, filled up on BBQ from Cortlandt and 9th BBQ (Humberto Jaime ‘01) and Piper’s BBQ (Richard Orozco ‘07), tunes from DJ George, games and more. We hope to see you next year for more fun and fellowship!
ALUMNI FALL EVENT
Thanksgiving Alumni Volunteer Day
NOVEMBER 22, 2021
On November 22, alumni and families came together and volunteered at Kids’ Meals to feed the youngest of Houston. They spent the morning making sandwiches, wraps, and trail mix to be packed in 3,500 lunches for preschool aged children in over 43 Houston-area zip codes- and that is just for one delivery day! Kids’ Meals is a first-responder to children ages 5 and under facing debilitating hunger due to extreme poverty. Way to go, Panthers!
CLASS NOTES
CLASS NOTES
2021 World Series
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These Panthers caught a 2021 World Series game at Minute Maid Park. (Top L to R) Sam Vitulli ‘15, Kenneth Danna ‘13, Zach Henry ‘13, Vincent King ‘13 (Bottom L to R) Nick Wischnewsky ‘15, Taylor Huckaby ‘15, Kohl Ullman ‘15, Justin Wischnewsky ‘13
Robbie Van Veghel ‘04 Owner of Good Vibes and Ice Cream, stopped by to share sweet treats and wrap up the SPX faculty and staff retreat last fall
Check him out on Facebook and Instagram: @goodvibesandicecream
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David Pierce ‘81 Head coach of Texas Baseball, named 2021 American Baseball Coaches Association Central Regional Coach of the Year
and husband Michael welcomed daughter, Hailey Michelle Kerr on February 21, 2021. Proud Panther family include grandmother Kathy Nailor Joyner ‘76 and uncle Matthew Joyner ’03.
Stephanie Strange Bascon ‘84 was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott as Judge of the 466th Judicial District Court in Comal County. Stephanie is an attorney in private practice, and an Associate Municipal Court Judge for the City of New Braunfels and a Municipal Court Judge for the City of Bulverde. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas and a member and former president, vice president, and secretary of the Comal County Bar Association. She is a board member of the McKenna Foundation, member of Rotary International, and a mentor for Communities in School and the THRU Project. Additionally, she is the founder and president of The Constitutionalist Foundation, Inc. and president of the University of Dallas National Alumni Board. Bascon received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Philosophy from the University of Dallas and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Houston Law Center.
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CLASS NOTES
Joni Joyner Kerr ‘08
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NEVER FORGOTTEN
In Memoriam Harry Krusleski ‘61 Father of David Krusleski ‘82, Gerald Krusleski ‘83, Kenneth Krusleski ‘85, and Ronald Krusleski ‘86, brother of Peggy Krusleski Davis ‘67
James Reynolds ‘61 Brother of Janice Reynolds ‘68
Joseph Michael Kelly ‘65
Craig Adams ‘76
Rosemary Makus Keys ‘67
Tom Villman ‘77
Brother of Timothy Adams ‘73, Clifford Adams ‘76, Leah Adams ‘77, Phillippa Adams Thompson ‘78, Clement Adams ‘79, Gerald Adams ‘80, Regina Adams ‘82, Maggie Adams ‘83, Lillia Adams ‘84
Wife of Darwin Keys ‘68
Mary Louise Pulido Hancock ’62
Susi Kapcyznski West ‘69
Wife of Edgar Hancock ‘62, mother of Annette Hancock Ultis ‘85, Eddie Hancock ‘87, and Jennifer Hancock Kiel ‘90, mother-in-law of
Former SPX faculty member, wife of SPX faculty member Gary West, mother of Brenna Bollom Montessino ’95 and
Karen Holub Hancock ‘89, sister of Anna Marie Pulido Hidalgo ‘59 and Carmen Pulido Shackett ‘60, sisterin-law of Harold Hidalgo ‘59, Rene Hancock ‘65, Theresa Raia Hancock ‘65, Colleen Hancock Bryse ‘66, Dcn. Pat Hancock ‘73, Sharon Hancock ‘76, and Shawn Hancock ‘77, aunt of Susan Bryse Flanagan ’87, Nina Hancock McFarlane ‘03, Houston Hancock ‘08 and Austin Hancock ‘14
Garrett West ’09
David Fite ‘62 Brother of Martin Fite, Jr. ‘65, Michael Fite ‘66, William Fite ‘68, and Mary Fite Schneider ‘70, cousin of Lawson Fite ‘79 and Tim Fite ‘86
Beverly Witovec Strain ‘63 Sister of Bill Witovec ‘59 and Barbara Witovec Massey ‘60+
Edward Modrzejewski ‘64 Father of Christy Modrzejewski Wisnoski ‘90, sister of Shirley Modrzejewski Keck ‘69
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Michael Sustaita ‘79 Brother of Ernest Sustaita ‘80
Leslie Edwards ’70
Pat Bilski ‘90
Brother of Raymond Edwards ‘66
Cousin of Kellie Bilski-Geraci ‘91, Alison Bilski Fulbright ‘95, Jennifer Bilski Stettler ‘97
Sandra Kay Jadloski Jochen ‘70
Jennifer Wooten ‘91
Sister of Jimmy Jadloski ‘73+, Mark Jadloski ‘78, and A.S. Jadloski ‘80+
Raymond Borski ‘71
Brian Wisnoski ‘98
Brother of Frances Borski Strelau ‘65, Michael Borski ‘66, Diane Borski Harrell ‘68, Geraldine Borski McClosky ‘73, Bernard Borski ‘75, and Mark Borski ‘76, brother-in-law of William Harrell ‘63 and Debbie Gorka Borski ‘75, uncle of David Borski ‘95 and Allison Borski Saucier ‘98
Husband of Jackie Grahmann Wisnoski ‘97, son of Mark Wisnoski ‘74 and Debbie Baranowski Wisnoski ‘75, brother of Megan Wisnoski Denton ‘12, brother-in-law of Jessica Grahmann ‘02, nephew of Ken Wisnoski ‘72, Andy Wisnoski ‘77, Theresa Darbonne Baranowski ‘79, Tiger Baranowski ‘81, Teri Baranowski Orlando ‘82, David Wisnoski ‘82, and Elizabeth Fazio Wisnoski ‘82, cousin of Joshua Brogdon ‘03, Tim Brogdon ‘05, Jennifer Brogdon Capellen ‘07, Kevin Jozwiak ‘07+, Alex Wisnoski ‘07 and Matthew Wisnoski ‘10
Cynthia Sarao ‘72
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IN MEMORIAM
Friends & Community Mary Ann Araiza
Lisa Huchins
Eugene Valero
Mother of Karen Araiza ‘78, Kevin Araiza ‘80, Patrick Araiza ‘81, Kenneth Araiza ‘84 and Dr. Patricia Araiza Hess ‘85
Mother of Kaiden Lout ‘24
Grandfather of Sebastian Valero ’15, Nicholas Valero ’17,
Simon Joseph (SJ) Babin, Jr. Father of Matt Babin ‘97 and Patrick Babin ‘01, husband of former SPX board member Anna Babin
and Olivia Valero ‘23
Horace Langfeld Father of Amy Langfeld Cole ‘90 and Gregory Langfeld ‘93
Carrie Virgadamo Mother of Linda Virgadamo Thrower ‘76 and Marietta
Sherry LaNell Leggett
Virgadamo Walicki ‘77+
Mother of James Leggett ‘95
Dolores Baranowski
John Vollentine John Thomas McMahon
Mother of Debbie Baranowski Wisnoski ‘75 (Mark Wisnoski ‘74), Kenneth “Tiger” Baranowski ‘81 (Theresa Darbonne Baranowski ‘79) and Teri Baranowski Orlando ‘82, grandmother of Brian Wisnoski ‘98+ (Jackie Grahmann Wisnoski ‘97), Joshua Brogdon ‘03, Timothy Brogdon ‘05, Jennifer Brogdon Capellen ‘07, Kevin Jozwiak ‘07+, and Megan Wisnoski Denton ‘12
Former SPX faculty member, husband of former SPX faculty member Barbara McMahon
Angeline Birkelbach
Eleanor K. Nailor
Grandmother of Stephanie Birkelbach ‘23
Mother of Linda Nailor Bryer ‘67, Patrick Nailor ‘69, Sandra Nailor Ruffino ‘73, Kathleen Nailor Joyner ‘76, and Judy Nailor ‘76, grandmother of Matthew Joyner ’03 and Joni Joyner Kerr ‘08
Robert John Braun Father of Rachel Braun Miller ’86 and Michael Braun ’88
Father of Forrest Vollentine ‘63, grandfather of Lisa Vollentine Schrader ‘84, John Vollentine ‘86
Kim “KK” Vollentine Wife of Forrest Vollentine ‘63, step-mother of Lisa Vollentine Schrader ‘84 and John Vollentine ‘86
Mary Ann Wooten Mother of Linda Wooten Robinson ‘68, Andy Wooten ‘70, Terry Wooten ‘72
Bill Zela Brother of SPX staff member Christian Zela
Guadalupe R. Peña Michael Bucciero Father of SPX staff member Jennifer Bucciero Boyles
Ositha Cykala Mother of Marilyn Cykala Van Hoozer ‘65, Gloria Cykala Vocelka ‘69, Gary Cykala ‘73, and Loretta Vocelka MacCurdy ‘77, grandmother of Jennifer Vocelka ‘95 and Victoria Vocelka Duplantis ‘99
David Davenport Father of Danielle Davenport 14 and Brandon Davenport ‘20
Richard Dorsett Grandfather of Shane Cromeens ‘24
Nyree Tatjana Faleski Natasha Faleski ‘25
Mother of Charmaine “Terri” Peña ‘74, Carmen Peña Reyes ‘79, and Cleo “Lynn” Peña Hammond ‘83
Charles Pesek Father of SPX staff member Wayne Pesek and fatherin-law of staff member Amy Pesek
Ruth Popelka Mother of Karen Popelka Honey ‘68, Jane Popelka Kirk ‘71, Shirley Popelka Williams ‘75, Rosemary Popelka Buckner ‘78, mother-in-law of Chris Buckner ‘78, grandmother of Jacob Honey ‘92, Audrey Honey Thomasson ‘95, Mitchell Honey ‘98, greatgrandmother of Isabella Honey ‘25, and sister of Mickie Fletcher Krolczyk ‘62
Edward Joseph Svrcek, Jr. Grandfather of Katie Pharr ‘18, brother of SPX board member Pat Svrcek, uncle of SPX faculty member Colleen McGee and Tom McGee ‘84, Natalie Svrcek ‘99, Emily Svrcek ‘03, great-uncle of Abbey McGee ‘19, Thomas McGee ‘21, and Olivia McGee ‘22
Mario Hernandez Father of SPX faculty member Chris Hernandez
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Parents of Alumni: If you are still receiving your SPX student’s Pius News although he/she no longer lives with you, let us know so we can change our records and send the magazine directly to him/her. Please contact the Advancement office at yeagerj@stpiusx.org or at (713) 579.7511.
Many of our alumni, parents, and friends have included St. Pius X High School in their wills or estate plans but haven’t had the opportunity to tell us. If your plans include a bequest to St. Pius X that will one day leave a legacy for our students, please let us know. We would like to thank you for your generous commitment and welcome you to The Torchbearer Society. Future support from people like you ensures we continue to provide a strong Dominican, Catholic education for generations of students to come. By sharing your intentions, we can keep you informed of our mission to uphold the high standards of education which you have come to know and cherish. A bequest is a simple way to support St. Pius X while retaining control of your assets during your lifetime. We can be named Find us on social media! as the beneficiary of your will, trust, retirement plan, life insurance policy or financial accounts. So whether you are taking those first important steps towards planning your estate or updating your estate plan, contact us today.
YOU CAN LIGHT UP THEIR FUTURE.
They are your legacy. IF YOU WILL IT.
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