SHC Magazine Summer 2023

A Message from Dr. Skrade magazine

Dear SHC community,

It is with a grateful heart that we present this year-end issue of SHC Magazine.

Every school year is a journey illuminated by our faith, which grounds our SHC community. This past year, the 170th of our mission, we relied on the gift of God’s grace and our Founders’ example to adapt and even thrive while providing the finest Lasallian Vincentian Catholic education to the Bay Area’s students.

Please consider this issue of SHC Magazine an invitation to pause, reflect and pray, to mark the achievements and the many blessings bestowed upon our Sacred Heart Cathedral community. Within these pages, we honor the Class of 2023 and wish them well as they embark on the next chapter of their lives, supported by all they have gained during their tenure at SHC. We also pay tribute to those SHC faculty and staff members completing their service, who together dedicated decades to students and the school. Finally, we learn about the newest members of our community, the Class of 2027.

We celebrate our Class of 2023 for their service, leadership and accomplishments. From leading Kairos retreats and prayer services, rallies and assemblies, innovative competitions and community-building music videos, they exemplify SHC’s diverse strengths. Our students demonstrated the Fightin’ Irish spirit both on the stage through music and dance, as well as on the fields of competition.

We commend our senior class, who received acceptances to more than 250 of the best colleges and universities around the globe. Go Irish!

Sincerely,

Melinda Lawlor Skrade, PhD President

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING

Marcus Tolero ’98

Director of Communications

Mark Pardini ’88

Creative Director

Giselle Palacios-Delmundo ’94

Communications & Marketing Graphic Designer

Lucie Duffort

Communications & Marketing Associate

Thai Chu

Photography Manager

CONTRIBUTORS

Kevin Buckley ’13; Madison Cashin ’24; Thai Chu; Club Soda Productions; Lucie Duffort; Mona Fowler; Sam Giovanelli ’18; Chelsea Kwan ’24; Andrew Ng ’14; Brian Ong; Orange Photography; Giselle Palacios-Delmundo ’94; Mark Pardini ’88; Prestige Photography; Sergio Sazo ’18; Dabney Standley; Marcus Tolero ’98; Lauren Wild ’99; Ken Wu

FRONT & BACK COVERS:

Thai Chu

SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL MAGAZINE is a publication of the SHC Office of Communications & Marketing and is published for alumni, faculty, staff, parents, students, investors, parents of alumni and friends.

SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL PREPARATORY 1055 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94109 415.775.6626 • ocm@shcp.edu

Do you receive more than one copy of the magazine? Do you need another copy? Please contact the SHC Office of Advancement at advancement@shcp.edu or 415.775.6626 ext. 564.

class of 2023

LOUIS A. MEYER ’55 GENERAL SCHOLASTIC EXCELLENCE AWARD

Atessa Anoshiravani

Katie Baldwin

Katharine Biggar

Alyssa Boucher

Ryan Cannon

Levi Cervantez

Ries Chu

Abbey Connolley

Clare Corvera

Riley Dickman

Brandt Dobson

Daniel Girchuk

Ella Hartogensis Lloyd

William Holland

Natalie Macke

Sofia Nastari-Case

Laura O'Sullivan

Hayden Sterling

Kai Tengco

Alex Wong

Alivia Zhao

This award, the most distinguished academic award that Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory bestows upon a graduating senior, is presented to students who maintain the highest cumulative grade point average throughout their high school careers. The award’s namesake selflessly served the school for five decades as a student, teacher and assistant principal for academics.

distinguished awards

LABOURÉ AWARD

Nicole Mabborang

This award is presented annually to the female graduate who has manifested caritas, exemplary Christian love, by giving generously of herself to others.

CARITAS AWARD

Alexander Wong

This award is presented annually to the male graduate who has manifested caritas, exemplary Christian love, by giving generously of himself to others.

BROTHER CONRAD AWARD FOR SCHOOL SPIRIT

John Murphy

This award—named in honor of a faculty member who devoted more than 50 years of service to this school— is presented annually to a graduating senior who has exemplified Brother Conrad’s spirit, devotion and commitment.

LEADERSHIP AWARD

Aine Connolly

This award is presented to recognize a student who makes lasting contributions to student life and inspires the school community through leadership, integrity and commitment.

MATTHEW ENGLANDER AWARD

Ethan Taylor

For exemplary perseverance in the vocation of a student and given in memory of a member of the Class of 1964 to a student who has succeeded in the face of a physical challenge.

ROBERT WEST ’39 LOYALTY AND SERVICE AWARD

Roisin Gaffney

Established by the West family, this award honors Robert D. West ’39 longtime Alumni Association volunteer. By vote of the graduating class, it is presented annually to the graduate who best exemplifies the spirit of loyalty and service to SHC.

class of 2023: college acceptances

257 colleges and universities across 44 states, and 7 countries.

American University • American University • Appalachian State University

Arizona State University

• Azusa Pacific University

• Bates College

Baylor University • Bennington College • Berklee College of Music

Berry College • Birmingham Southern College • Boise State University

Boston College

• Boston University

• Brandeis University • Brown University

Bryn Mawr College • California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt • California College of the Arts

California Lutheran University • California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

California State University, Bakersfield • California State University, Channel Islands

California State University, Chico

• California State University, Dominguez Hills

California State University, East Bay • California State University, Fresno

California State University, Fullerton

• California State University, Long Beach

California State University, Los Angeles • California State University, Monterey Bay

California State University, Northridge • California State University, Sacramento

California State University, San Bernardino

Case Western Reserve University

Central Washington University

Chapman University

Colorado Mesa University

• California State University, Stanislaus

• Central Connecticut State University

• Chaminade University of Honolulu

• Clark University

• Colorado College

• Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Colorado State University, Pueblo • Columbia University • Concordia University

Creighton University • Dartmouth College

Dominican University of California

Durham University

• Elon University

• DePaul University

• Drexel University

• Emerson College

Fashion Institute of Technology

Fordham University

• Duke University

• Fairfield University

• Florida Institute of Technology

• Gonzaga University

Hawaii Pacific University

• Harvey Mudd College

• Hendrix College

Holy Names University • Hope College

Indiana University, Bloomington

• Hofstra University

• Illinois State University

• La Sierra University

• Lafayette College

Lehigh University

• Leiden University College The Hague

Lewis & Clark College • Louisiana State University

Loyola Marymount University • Loyola University Chicago

Loyola University New Orleans • Macalester College • Manhattan College

Manhattan School of Music • Marist College • Marquette University

Marymount Manhattan College • McDaniel College • McGill University

Menlo College • Mercy College • Miami University, Oxford

Michigan State University • Milwaukee School of Engineering

Missouri Valley College • Montana State University

Moore College of Art and Design • Mount Saint Mary's University

New Mexico State University • New York Institute of Technology

New York University

• Newberry College • Northeastern University

Northern Arizona University • Northern Michigan University

Northwestern University

• Oakland University • Oberlin College

Occidental College • Ohio Northern University • Ohio State University

Ontario College of Art and Design University • Oregon State University

Otterbein University • Pace University, New York City • Pacific University

Pennsylvania College of Technology • Pennsylvania State University

Pepperdine University

• Point Loma Nazarene University

Portland State University

• Pratt Institute

Reed College • Regis University

• Point Park University

• Purdue University

• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rider University • Ringling College of Art and Design

Rochester Institute of Technology

Saint Anselm College

• Rutgers University, New Brunswick

• Saint Louis University

Saint Mary's College of California

San Diego State University

San Jose State University

• Saint Michael's College

• San Francisco State University

• Santa Clara University

Savannah College of Art & Design

Scripps College

• Sarah Lawrence College

• School of the Art Institute of Chicago

• Seattle University

Sonoma State University

• Seton Hall University

• Southeast Missouri State University

Southern Methodist University

St Olaf College

Stanford University

Syracuse University

• Southwestern University

• St. John Fisher University

• St. John's University

• Stevens Institute of Technology

• Temple University

• Suffolk University

• The Evergreen State College

The George Washington University

• The New School

The University of Alabama • The University of British Columbia

The University of Montana • The University of Tampa • The University of Tennessee

The University of Texas at Austin

Trinity College

• Trinity College, Dublin

• Toronto Metropolitan University

• Tufts University • Tulane University

United States Air Force Academy • University College, Dublin University College, Utrecht • University of Arizona

University of California, Berkeley • University of California, Davis

University of California, Irvine • University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, Merced • University of California, Riverside

University of California, San Diego • University of California, Santa Barbara

University of California, Santa Cruz • University of Central Florida

University of Cincinnati • University of Colorado, Boulder

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs • University of Colorado, Denver

University of Connecticut • University of Dayton • University of Denver

University of Florida • University of Glasgow • University of Hawaii at Manoa

University of Houston • University of Idaho

University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign • University of Illinois, Chicago

University of Iowa • University of Kansas • University of La Verne

University of Lynchburg • University of Maine • University of Maryland, College Park

University of Massachusetts, Amherst • University of Massachusetts, Boston

University of Miami • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities • University of Mississippi

University of Missouri, Columbia • University of Nevada, Las Vegas

University of Nevada, Reno • University of New Orleans

University of Northern Colorado • University of Notre Dame

University of Oregon

University of Portland

University of Rhode Island

University of Pennsylvania

of Puget Sound

University of Rochester

University of San Francisco

University of Pittsburgh

University of Redlands

University of San Diego

University of South Florida

University of Southern California

University of the Pacific

University of Vermont

University of St. Thomas

University of Toronto

University of Utah

University of Virginia • University of Washington, Seattle

University of Waterloo

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Villanova University • Virginia Tech • Washington State University

Washington University in St Louis

Wesleyan University • West Virginia University

Western University • Western Washington University • Wheaton College

Whitman College • Whittier College • Willamette University • William & Mary

Woodbury University • Worcester Polytechnic Institute • Wright State University Yale University • York College of Pennsylvania

class of 2023 ON CAMPUS

KIANA PAREDES

Kiana Paredes received acceptance from six colleges and universities. She chose to stay local and will attend St. Mary’s College of California next fall. Kiana shares, “I chose St. Mary’s because of the Lasallian Vincentian culture that would be continued, as well as the small class environment.” At SHC, Kiana was a member of the CCS Championship Varsity Girls Volleyball team and participated in Block Club and Lasallian Vincentian Youth. Looking back at her four years at SHC, she learned, “In order to find yourself, start learning by serving others and observing the needs of those around you. It will teach you more about your values and what you can improve on to better the communities around you.” Kiana received a full academic scholarship to St. Mary's and will major in pre-law.

AKEYLA TANKSLEY

Akeyla Tanksley is looking forward to starting the next chapter of her academic career next fall at the University of Arizona, where she will major in political science and pre-law. During her time at SHC, Akeyla played on the Varsity Softball team, served on the Student Council and was the president of the SHC BSU. The 2023 salutatorian said that much of her high school experience occurred in front of a computer screen because of COVID and adds, “It taught me to appreciate the small things because it can be taken away at any moment…take each day as its own.” Akeyla hopes to make a positive impact in the near future as an immigration attorney.

MATEO ALVES

Mateo Alves will attend the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He chose RIT because it is a topfive school in the nation for game design and development. He said, “RIT presents me with numerous opportunities to gain work experience while in college and pursue careers related to my major.” During his time at SHC, Mateo was a Machine Learning Club leader, Coding Club member, Inquiry and Innovation (i2) Scholar and lifetime member of the California Scholarship Federation. The lasting lesson he will take away from SHC is, “Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.” He hopes to enjoy time with friends and family this summer before heading off to college.

LEVI CERVANTEZ

Levi Cervantez will call Yale University his home next fall. He will start as an interdisciplinary major in ethics, politics and economics. At SHC, Levi was the president of the Student Launch Initiative, an Inquiry and Innovation Scholar, an Irish for a Day Ambassador, a columnist for the Emerald, and a member of the Varsity Football team. Levi shares, “I hope to become a well-rounded person. I believe there is more to learn outside the classroom with the amazing people I will be spending the next four years with.” He also said, “The biggest takeaway from my time at SHC was that the relationships you make are 100 times more important than the subjects you will learn.”

graduate profiles

AARON DUFFIN

Aaron Duffin is excited to travel across the world to Ireland, where he will attend the University of Dublin and major in economics and finance. He shares, “I will get to experience a part of the world that I would not have otherwise. I also got into a top program at the school that will allow me to challenge myself and prepare myself for success in the future.” Aaron, an Inquiry and Innovation Scholar, participated in numerous SHC clubs, including California Scholarship Federation, Coding and App Development and Lasallian Vincentian Youth. He was also a member of the baseball team. He shares, “At SHC, I learned the importance of staying on top of your work while also managing your time well.”

BRANDT DOBSON

In the fall, Brandt Dobson will head to sunny Southern California to attend UCLA and said, “I felt more ready to go farther away and explore more independence.” Brandt, an Inquiry and Innovation Scholar, participated in numerous SHC co-curricular activities, including Choir, Theatre, Volleyball and California Scholarship Federation. He was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Best and Brightest first team for excelling on the court and in the classroom and was a 1st Team All-WCAL setter. After four years at SHC, Brand said, “I’ve learned to take advantage of all the resources and opportunities that are available to me. I intend to use college as a new resource to explore other passions, and I know that while the path is not short, it is worth it in order to find what I really love doing.” Brandt looks forward to traveling to a new place where he will create new opportunities and meet new people.

ROISIN GAFFNEY

Roisin Gaffney received acceptances from 14 different universities and colleges but ultimately selected Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. “Lehigh University reminds me a lot of SHC, in terms of the outstanding academics and community. After having an incredible four years here at SHC, I knew that Lehigh University would also be a great fit for me!” Roisin served as Student Body Officer Spirit Commissioner, Big Green Student Section Organization President, Lasallian Vincentian Youth Club President and played on the Varsity Girls Lacrosse and Varsity Girls Soccer teams. She was a SHCLive host and a contributor to the Oracle and Emerald publications. Roisin shares, “During my time at SHC, I learned that you never have to face challenges on your own. There will always be people around you who want to help you succeed and achieve your dreams, you just have to be willing to ask for help when you need it.” Roisin received a full academic scholarship and will major in business this coming fall.

GAVIN BERMUDEZ

Gavin Bermudez is excited to continue his academic career in the arts and will travel across the country to attend New York University Steinhardt this fall. He plans to major in songwriting and contemporary music production. “I chose NYU because it is the perfect fit for me and my creative and academic goals—the specialized courses and renowned faculty of the Steinhardt Songwriting Program, industry-standard recording facilities and resources, top-tier academics, and a diverse community in the heart of Manhattan,” he said. Gavin served as choir president, performed in theatre productions and music concerts, and was a member of the Drama Club, California Scholarship Federation, and Guitar Club. He was also a TEDx Youth Speaker and a De Paul Scholar. Gavin shares, “This encouraging SHC community taught me to never set my own limits. If you are even a little interested in something, GO FOR IT, because you may discover a passion you never knew you had, a unique gift to share with the world.”

JONAH LEE

Jonah Lee will take his swimming talents to the next level when he attends UC Santa Barbara in the fall. Jonah, who will major in applied math, said he wanted to find a college that provided a positive school culture. He shares, “Because I've lived in San Francisco my entire life, I am really excited to live in and explore new locations with different cultures and customs.” Jonah, who took second place in the 100m breaststroke at the CIF State Finals this spring, says, “I was able to experience an overwhelmingly positive and supportive community, which has helped me through various situations throughout my high school experience. It has taught me the importance of community and being a good community member.”

irish factoids ON CAMPUS

This March, 23 SHC students participated in an exchange with Sacrée Cœur high school in Rheims, France. This particular trip, organized by French Instructor Baptiste Genestin, enables students to live with a French family for a week, visit another Lasallian school and tour sites in the home city of Jean Baptiste de la Salle!

In April, SHC hosted TedXSHC, where students from around the Bay Area came together and showcased their thought-provoking ideas while fostering learning, inspiration and education.

The Varsity Boys Volleyball team received the 2023 CCS Scholastic Team Award for Highest GPA in CCS. Congratulations to these student-athletes for accomplishing this impressive achievement.

Student journalists and moderators from SHC's school newspaper, the Emerald, attended the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in San Francisco this April. With 4,000 delegates, the convention attracts young journalists, advisers and journalism teachers from all over the country for panels, discussions and workshops.

Intersection Project Slated to Begin

The geographical center of the school, Gough and Ellis Streets, is finally receiving its much-needed makeover to improve visibility and safety for the SHC community. After years of planning that involved multiple agencies, including the San Francisco Department of Public Works, San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, construction to create corner bulb-outs to accommodate more pedestrian traffic and wider crosswalks began this March.

“Student safety is the main reason we took on this project. The end result will be larger curbs and sidewalk areas for students to safely stand on when waiting for a green light,” shares Director of Campus Operations Eric Keith. “While the project will not remove any lanes of traffic, studies have shown that to drivers it gives an “appearance” of the street being narrower. So, cars tend to slow down at intersections with bulb-outs.” The construction, which is about a third of the way complete, also includes replacing the aging water main responsible for the first-floor flood of the La Salle Campus (see below), enlarging the width of the sidewalks leading to the corner and relocating drain basins.

Flooding Provides New Opportunities

On March 27, the rupture of a water main on Ellis Street caused a major flood on the first floor of the La Salle Campus, causing a disruption to the day-today operations of the school and affecting faculty, staff and students in the process. True to the perseverance and resolve of SHC, the community adapted immediately to the situation, with SHC Campus Facilities and IT teams leading the way. All first-floor classes relocated to the library, and school counselors and college advisors moved to the third floor. The IT Department moved its offices to the sixth floor. The Brothers opened the doors of the Brothers Residence, which also experienced flooding on the lower level, and made space for the Finance Department. In the days that followed, several crews were on site to assess the impact of the flood and remove damaged flooring, walls and equipment. The repairs to drywall, whiteboards, electrical and data lines began in the middle of May and are scheduled for completion by the beginning of the fall semester. “The disruption to daily life was abrupt and jarring whether it was experienced through the flooding or subsequently with the relocation of classes, offices and program spaces,” President Dr. Melinda Lawlor Skrade said in a statement to faculty and staff. There is opportunity amidst the chaos, however. Along with restorations to the damaged areas, four new classrooms are being added on the first floor of the La Salle building, with construction being completed before the beginning of fall classes.

BOARD OF REGENTS

William D. Rauch, JD Board Chair

Elizabeth Brown Parents Association President

Kase Abusharkh ’00

Sr. Adella Armentrout, DC

Stella Bialous, DrPH

Kevin Buckley ’13

Courtney Chin ’03

Br. Victor Kenneth Curley, FSC

Richard Cutler, PhD

Carol Wicklund Enright

Stefan Gartrell ’02

Miguel Guzman ’91

Sandra Gulli

Francois Hechinger

Daniel J. Holland ’79

Janet Holland ’77

Jim Jones

Monica Kelly ’06

Thomas P. Mazzucco ’78

Sister Frances Meyer, DC

Joey Nevin ’01

Margaret O’Driscoll

Jeffrey Porter ’72

James Ryan, Jr.

Stacie Solt, MD ’99

Ed Wang ’90

Harold Wong ’77

EX-OFFICIO

Melinda Lawlor Skrade, PhD President

Gary Cannon, EdD Principal

John Gumina ’91 VP for Advancement, Communications & Enrollment

Shani Mahany Director of Finance

John M. Vigo ’81 Director of Stewardship and Future Giving

ON CAMPUS

Year-End Faculty Awards

LASALLIAN EDUCATOR AWARD: DR. ALICIA TAPIA

At the close of each academic year, the Lasallian Educator Award is presented to an exemplary educator whose work is a sign of faith to all who model the Lasallian charism by touching the hearts and inspiring the minds of students entrusted to his or her care.

Director of Library Services, Dr. Alicia Tapia, who worked at SHC from 2011-2013 as a library assistant, returned in 2017 and continued to demonstrate her devotion to the SHC community. Every day she helps students navigate through the wealth of information and resources available in the library and provides a nurturing environment conducive to learning and critical thinking. Over the years, she has also partnered with teachers to support the students’ ways of learning different subjects. As described by a colleague, “Alicia is the consummate lover of the written word. In addition to continually improving the SHC library and making it a welcome place for all, she has simultaneously shepherded students’ love for reading in the Book Society, and has truly made a difference to the larger SF community.” Alicia is also the moderator for the Book Society and welcomes students who enjoy reading to participate in activities like book reviews, book drives and book parties. As a fellow teacher said, “Such a huge team player and wholeheartedly devoted to our community of students and faculty.”

VINCENTIAN SERVICE AWARD: ERIC KEITH

The Vincentian Service Award is given yearly to a faculty member whose work is inspired by the charity of Christ and who models the Vincentian charism by ministering with compassion, mildness, cordiality, respect and devotion.

Director of Operations Eric Keith joined the SHC community in 2018, and since then he has been the go-to person for all SHC campus needs. As a colleague stated, “The selfless service he provides SHC through patience and grace shows as he handles all adversity while planning for future projects and sustaining our campuses’ everyday needs.” Those needs include a variety of tasks including overseeing maintenance of the 250,000 square feet of school property, project managing construction and renovations on the campus, landscaping, setting up events and managing school food service. His most challenging task came in late March when a water main ruptured and flooded parts of the SHC campus. Eric responded quickly to the emergency with a selflessness and commitment to others that are representative of the Lasallian and Vincentian charisms. As a teacher said, “His positivity and flexibility are unwavering. He is a kind and generous man who dedicates his life to ensuring the comfort and safety of all of us.”

Alicia Tapia

Eric Keith

farewells

After 40 years of teaching, counseling and coaching countless students at Sacred Heart and Sacred Heart Cathedral, Jim Conolly retired at the end of the 2023 school year, leaving an indelible mark of leadership and service. Jim arrived at SHC in 1983 and became a cherished educator and mentor to students and staff. He said the most rewarding part of his job was helping students develop into self-advocates. “Many students are used to having someone else take care of any problems or concerns. When they speak up for themselves, either on their own or with my support, I can see their self-confidence grow,” Jim said. He also made an impact as a head coach of the Varsity Football team from 1983 to 1989. He said his most memorable moment on the field came in 1987 when SHC shut out rival St. Ignatius in the Bruce-Mahoney game on SI’s home field, the first outright Irish victory in the series in 17 years.

Brian Morgan arrived at Sacred Heart Cathedral Community in 2001 and impacted the lives of thousands of students throughout the years as a social studies instructor and head baseball coach. His impact on the baseball diamond is well-documented. During his tenure, Morgan coached and mentored hundreds of student-athletes, among them more than 50 who went on to the collegiate level and several to the professional ranks. Morgan was awarded Central Coast Section Honor Coach (2009) and was nominated for the Positive Coaching Alliance's Triple Impact Coach multiple times. Athletic Director Phil Freed ’80 shares, “I want to thank Coach Morgan for being a transformational coach and changing the lives of the students he has coached both on and off the diamond.

Gloria Huerta began serving the SHC community 16 years ago. She touched the lives of students, faculty and staff throughout her tenure as an instructor of Spanish. Gloria, who was also a co-moderator of the Spanish Club, was not only an outstanding educator but a mentor who devoted herself to the success of her students. Thank you, Gloria.

At the close of this academic year, SHC bids farewell to a host of its most beloved faculty and staff members. We acknowledge the following individuals for their many combined years serving Sacred Heart Cathedral and impacting generations of Fightin’ Irish.

Amy Kleckner

Jeff Juelsgaard

Patrick Tangonan

Paul McCurdy

Phi Le Evan Vaughan

Kirstin Weihl

Jim Conolly

Gloria Huerta

Brian Morgan

class of 2027 breakdown

LEGEND

Parochial grammar schools sending students to SHC in 2023

Private and public schools sending students to SHC in 2023

SHC bus route

# OF STUDENTS ATTENDING SHC PER SCHOOL *

TOP ACTIVITIES:

Incoming members of the Class of 2027 were asked to rank their top 3 activities outside the classroom. Below are the results, represented proporionately:

BY THE NUMBERS:

Number of Students Enrolled: 388

Number of Different Partner Schools: 91 Students Living/Attending Elementary School in San Francisco: 95%

Average GPA: 3.71

GPA 3.5 and Above: 80%

CLASS OF 2027 PARENT FEEDBACK:

“SHC’s mission is clear from the leadership and teachers to the students and the families. It is evident that SHC knows what kind of school it is and how to attract families who seek that environment. We started this process open-mindedly, but within a few contacts, it was clear where our family would best fit.”

“SHC’s overall presentation and branding are clear and consistent, more so than any other school we toured and applied to. We are super proud and grateful to be part of SHC.”

“SHC is the best fit for our daughter. Its mission aligns with our faith and core values as a family.”

“My daughter was impressed with the school, teachers and community. Our family loves that it is such an authentic San Francisco school with a supportive community, strong academia and impactful extracurriculars.”

“We appreciate that the school is in the middle of the city and is a part of the community in which it resides.”

“SHC makes prospective students and families feel valued and that they want them to attend SHC. The school has a diverse community of staff and students. It feels like a school that represents what makes San Francisco a unique and special city.”

12 Minutes and 42 Seconds: A Lip Dub Confidential

By Marcus Tolero ’98

SENIORS LEAD THE WAY IN CAPTURING THEIR MOMENT IN SHC HISTORY

Twelve minutes and 42 seconds. That’s 42 more seconds than a quarter of a high school football game. That’s about the time an average runner can run a distance of two miles. That should be about the time it takes to cross the Bay Bridge from San Francisco to Oakland. (Wishful thinking!)

Twelve minutes and 42 seconds is also the exact time needed to film one continuous shot from the La Salle Campus to the De Paul Campus, with hundreds of students, faculty and staff lip-syncing to some of todays most popular tunes along the way. On April 20, the SHC community came together to record Lip Dub 2023, a celebration and showcase of the school and all its community has to offer.

Although the video took 12 minutes and 42 seconds to record, the amount of planning and effort to corral an entire school to participate was a monumental achievement, representing the very best in leadership, teamwork and shared vision.

“What is a Lip Dub?” asked Dean of Students Nicole Nastari. That was the response senior Roisin Gaffney ’23 received from Nastari back in June of 2022.

When Gaffney was in middle school she remembered watching the two previous SHC Lip Dubs (2013, 2015). She was so impressed by the videos, she knew that SHC was the school for her after watching them. She said, “It showcased how fun and welcoming the community is here at SHC, and I knew, instantly, that I wanted to be a part of it. I was hoping since freshman year that we would have a Lip Dub at one point during my high school journey. As I got closer to beginning my senior year last summer, I knew that I had to make this happen.”

When Gaffney approached Nastari last June and asked her if the students could record a Lip Dub, Nastari had never heard of it. She sent links to Nastari.

“I watched the Lip Dub and said, ’Whoa. That’s a big task. We’ll think about it,’” Nastari said. “In typical Roisin style, she pushed it in a fearless and relentless fashion. These are definitely the qualities of a good leader. She kept asking and asking. I said, ‘Okay, maybe we can make this work.’”

The first planning meeting for Lip Dub 2023 occurred in August during the first week of school. Gaffney had formed an eight-student senior leadership team to lead the project. It consisted of her, Izzy Abbott, Aine Connolly, Liele Savage-Huerta , Sofia Juricic, Ellie Mullen, Jay Murphy and Akeyla Tanksley. Nastari acted as an advisor to help the team of seniors stay on track with their goals.

They would meet every other week in the beginning months, the frequency of the meetings increasing as they approached the filming date. During these student-led meetings, the team worked on a myriad of tasks, including reviewing and studying the previous Lip Dubs, discussing song selection, mapping out the shot selection and timing, planning the route of the recording and scouting for performers.

“The most challenging part of it was the timing of the music. We had to time the route with the music. It’s almost like a relay tag, with the baton switching,” Nastari said.

There were a lot of challenges along the way for the group, with the most difficult being getting the entire school involved, from faculty and staff to students and student groups.

“How do we get the student body to buy in so that they stay after school?” Nastari asked. “And how do we get the faculty to make sure their clubs are making signs and bringing whatever items they can?”

The leadership team and Nastari utilized every communication portal at their disposal. Nastari sent a constant flow of communications to staff through email, the school’s message boards and word of mouth. Gaffney, who is a host on SHCLive, promoted Lip Dub to students during the broadcast. As word spread and excitement for the recording of Lip Dub kept building, the preparation intensified. The selected performers had to learn their

lyrics and practice lip-synching while walking backward since they would face the camera during the recording. The Director of Photography and Editor, Ethan Kwan ’23 , planned out the shots and flight path of the drone. Sound Editor, Ethan Wu ’23 , prepared the mix of the 15 selected songs.

About six weeks before the filming, Gaffney received exciting news: she had received a fouryear scholarship to attend Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, and the college wanted to fly her out for a visit. The only problem: her visit was on the same day as the Lip Dub filming. Regardless of her absence, Roisin continued to lead the project up until the day of filming.

“I was like, Roisin, you have to go. And she said, ‘It’s okay if I’m not there.’ The humility that she exhibited—that she was going to continue to work that hard, knowing she wasn’t going to be in it. In the end, it wasn’t about her. It was about everyone else. It’s really at the root of what beautiful leadership is,” Nastari shared.

Despite the challenges, the team, the staff and the students were ready for filming.

The SHC Community, from the sixth-floor library through the hallways of the La Salle Campus, through the gymnasium, along all of Ellis Street and throughout the De Paul Campus, lined the route dressed in SHC gear and showing their Fightin’ Irish Pride. A palpable roar of excitement could be heard as the film crew and performers made their way along the route with music blaring in the background.

It was SHC Spirit at its highest form, best exemplified by the one person who appeared in the entire 12-minute-and-42-second shot—Campus Security Guard John

Hammond.

As a kid, he said, “I was always too shy to put myself out there, whereas now, as an adult, it’s just fun.”

Hammond, tasked to guide the film crew throughout the route, danced alongside the performers the entire way. The Griddy. The Milky Rock. He performed every dance move in his repertoire. He was tired at the end of filming and said, “I was exhausted. I was covered in sweat from head to toe.”

Plenty of work still needed to be completed after filming. Wu and Kwan spent hours on post-production tasks, including film and sound editing. Kwan, who used his own camera equipment for this production and coordinated all the shots, said Wu deserves all the credit for the music. He added, “I have to give it up to my colleague, Ethan Wu, for doing the heavy lifting on the music. He helped sync the music with the video, which is far harder than one would think, but he is such a capable music producer. I had full confidence that he could get it done.”

After nearly a month of post-production, the Lip Dub 2023 video was released on May 18 across all of SHC’s social media channels.

“They all really focused on a common goal and wanted this for their class, and not just for themselves and as performers. It’s really for the whole school. It’s a gift. A memory. A time capsule of their class,” Nastari said. “All of us who choose to be at SHC choose to be here because of the spirit of the school. I can’t put a finger on it. It’s our Lasallian Vincentian charism. It’s the tradition. It’s also the joy we value as educators here. We allow our kids to have joy.”

It took 12 Minutes and 42 seconds to film Lip Dub 2023, but the impact left by this group of seniors who led this project and exemplified the SHC Spirit will live on beyond that final joyful frame.

CALIFORNIA PACIFIC MEDICAL CENTER ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO ST. MARY’S CATHEDRAL

Cathedral Parking Lot

SISTER CAROLINE COLLINS, DC, THEATER DE PAUL CAMPUS FOR THE ARTS

SISTER TERESA PIRO, DC, STUDENT LIFE CENTER (SLC)

BUILDING

FIELD

GEARY BLVD.

OLIVE STREET

WILLOW ALLEY

Nicole Nastari Roisin Gaffney ’23

The Path of the Dub

Ethan Kwan ’23

Ethan Wu ’23 John Hammond

LIGHT-BULB Tiv Cumberbatch: Moment the

Tiv Cumberbatch fell in love in the fifth grade.

A sixth-grade music group came to his school to recruit students for the next school year. They played the Scooby-Doo theme song.

"That sparked my interest. I was like, oh, I want to do that. So I joined the band,” Tiv said. “The rest is history.”

That moment would be the beginning of Tiv’s lifelong love affair with music and is the inspiration for him to spread that love and appreciation of music to his students.

Born in 1994 on an Air Force base in Okinawa, Japan, Tiv lived there with his father, mother and brother until 1998. His dad, a service member, was then reassigned to a base in Arkansas, and he and his family packed up their belongings and moved to the suburb of North Little Rock.

When he joined that grade school band he connected with the French horn, arguably one of the most difficult musical instruments to learn due to the amount of breath control required to play it well. He explained that students today go through rigorous tests that can match them up with the most suitable instrument. Tiv never received this test growing up and said, “It was by chance that I was placed on the right instrument. Honestly, it was fate. I just happened to have a good ear. I joined the band on a whim and I loved it.” While he grew up playing the French horn, Tiv also learned how to play all brass instruments proficiently, including high brass trumpet, low brass trombone, euphonium and tuba.

After attending Parkview Magnet High School in Little Rock, he attended Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas and received a bachelor’s degree in music education. He then received a master’s degree in music performance from the State University of New York.

He began teaching band during his undergraduate years in South East Arkansas. He mainly taught beginning brass and beginning percussion to junior high and some high school students. After some time passed, he discovered that he wanted to teach older students.

“I learned my interests are more upper-level repertoire and working with older kids. That's why after graduate school, I was like, I need a high school or college job,” Tiv said. When he began searching for work after graduate school, he looked to the West Coast because he wanted warmer weather. He had enough of the cold New York winters.

“Nothing was tethering me to go back home. I could go anywhere. So I was like, let's go to California. I looked at jobs in SoCal. I had something lined up. It ended up falling through. (SHC) popped up and I applied,” Tiv said.

He had never heard of SHC and its music program. But when he showed up in the Fall Semester of 2019 fresh out of graduate school as the director of instrumental music, he was ready to make an impact— and the community noticed immediately, including Christine Buell, assistant principal for student life.

“Tiv is a dynamic presence in the classroom, moving swiftly through exercises and repertoire to keep the students engaged and always improving. Like a good coach of any discipline, he sets high standards, helps his students believe they can achieve those high standards, gives them the tools to get there and then celebrates when they achieve the goal,” Buell said. “There’s something fizzy about his teaching style. There is a snap, crackle and pop.”

Even during the initial year of COVID when students had to shelter in place, Tiv

By Marcus Tolero ’98

managed to teach music over Zoom despite the difficulties it presented, like audio cutting out and his students experiencing the isolation of not playing alongside classmates. He said, “The distance year for us was really tough. In the fall of 2020, we come back after the summer and we're all like, okay, we're still not back in school, so we're devoted to making this the best experience we can online.”

One of his proudest moments came during the spring of 2021 when students began to return to campus through hybrid-learning. Tiv and the department figured out a way to put on a spring concert on a stage where students could safely play six feet apart. He said they recorded one of the program’s best concerts.

“Seeing them finally sit next to people that they've been seeing on screen and playing with them and hearing the sound together—that's what makes music band orchestra ensembles special, playing with other people. Playing by yourself is boring, but playing with other people is fun. Seeing kids light up, I was like, okay, we're back,” Tiv said. “Seeing that on stage was the best. Seeing them actually come together.”

Tiv has also been the driving force behind the SHC Marching Band’s impressive

Tiv Cumberbatch

performances since taking it over in 2019. The band performs in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Chinese New Year Parade, home basketball games, home football games and school-sponsored events. Tiv said the performances are for SHC and gives students an opportunity to showcase their musical talents while being of service to the community.

“The marching band has just thrived under him, getting bigger and more polished,” Christine said. “It has been incredible to have a group of kids to call upon to perform at events like rallies, games and other events. The alumni love seeing them and always comment on how proud they are that SHC has such an impressive band.”

The SHC community witnesses the end product of his work, but most don't see the work behind the scenes. Every day, Tiv arrives at the De Paul Campus around 7:30 am. When the clock strikes 8 am he is in class for an hour and a half. He then follows that up with a few hours of administrative duties required of a director. Answering emails. Talking to parents. Getting instruments repaired. Ordering apparel for the next performance. Scheduling transportation to events. Planning repertoire for concerts. Once these tasks are completed, he’s off to rehearsals, which last until 5 pm.

Like all of the SHC faculty and staff, he does it all for the students.

The energy and love of music that radiates from him inspires his students every day they step into his classroom—and his classes are increasing in size because of it. According to Buell, Tiv has increased the number of students in the instrumental program since 2019. He also increased the number of events and performances, on-campus and off-campus, and said that having his students share their love of music with others is them being of service to the community.

Madison Li ’23 , who plays flute, piccolo and alto saxophone, said Tiv and the music program have allowed her to express herself through music. She shared, “Mr. C has shown me the beauty of music and has really made me love music so much more than I did before. I most definitely will continue music in college, and that is all because I had Mr. C as my teacher. He has taught me to strive for more, whether in music or my studies as well.”

The most rewarding part of Tiv’s job is not the concerts. It is not the accolades. It is not the applause from the crowd after a show. It occurs at a very specific moment during class or rehearsals. He calls it the light-bulb moment. It is when a student who has struggled with a particular piece or instrument makes a breakthrough.

“Seeing the look on the kids’ faces when they actually get it. The light-bulb moment, but also seeing their love for music the way I love music at that age, there's nothing like it,” he said.

When Tiv witnesses the excitement and wonder on the faces of his students, it allows him to relive the exact moment he fell in love with music way back in grade school.

“I see a lot of myself reflected in the (students), the good and the bad, but mostly the good,” he said. “It's so special. We're speaking a language that a lot of people don't understand. The way we connect through music, dance, visual art and things like that and drama, that's so important to a lot of kids in their development.”

Tiv and the band pre-Warriors game

School spirit!

Before the 2022 St. Patrick's Day Parade with State Title football team

SHC Band leading the charge

Tiv is a favorite amongst both faculty and students

SPRING SPORTS RECAP

BASEBALL

The Fightin’ Irish Varsity Baseball team rode two extended win streaks to a 14-16 record (6-8 WCAL) and a CCS berth this season. The first streak of victories, five in a row over non-league opponents, rallied the Irish and stabilized what was a challenging start to the season. Even more impressive was the late-season surge that saw wins over Saint Francis, Riordan, and Serra (twice). This clutch performance earned the Irish the #5 seed in the CCS D2 playoffs. Tate Medicoff ’24, Barclay Ovalle ’24, Jack Ruegg ’24, Gianni Conte ’24 and Aaron Louis ’24 drove the team offensively, with Medicoff leading the team in most offensive categories, including batting average, home runs, slugging percentage and RBIs. Ovalle tied Medicoff with the team lead in hits with 33, and also led the team in stolen bases with 18. On the pitching side, Franco Moran ’23 led the Irish in innings pitched and strikeouts. Moran’s 65 strikeouts ranked 2nd in the WCAL this season. Medicoff and Ovalle earned 1st team AllWCAL selections, while Ruegg, Louis and Moran received 2nd Team All-WCAL honors. Conte and Dylan Adelman ’24 earned All-WCAL honorable mentions. With many standouts returning next year, SHC baseball is in good hands moving forward.

By Sergio Sazo ’18 &

Sam Giovannelli ’18

Jack Ruegg ’24 picking it at third

Tobey Do ’24

Gabriel Melara ’23 brings the heat

Beckett Montgomery ’23 drills one

boys GOLF

The Varsity Boys Golf team finished their season with an overall 4-12-1 (1-12-1 in the WCAL), highlighted by a 212-213 win versus Archbishop Mitty. They also won their non-league matches against Marin Catholic and University. At Silverado, North Course, SHC finished 11th in a highly competitive 20-team field. The Irish finished 6th place in the WCAL Championship at Los Altos Golf and Country Club, led by Enrico Diaz ’23 with a 74 and Keelin Walsh ’23 with a 79. Diaz and Walsh finished their season qualifying for the CCS Championships–an impressive way to cap off their final year with the team. Along with his qualification for the CCS Championships, Diaz earned 1st Team All-WCAL honors. Head Coach KC Murphy’s leadership has been a driving force in the development of the program and the notable improvements in individual play and overall team success.

boys LACROSSE

The Varsity Boys Lacrosse team finished their season with an overall record of 9-8. They had impressive wins, including a 14-4 victory over Archbishop Riordan and a 12-7 win over Stuart Hall. Goalie Gabe Kutner ’23 was a major factor in the team's success by anchoring the team’s defense with his improved defensive play. He was named 2nd Team All-WCAL, capping off an incredible season. With the guidance and leadership of first-year Head Coach Luke Swanson, the Irish finished their season with a .500 winning percentage, heralding a program with an incredibly bright and exciting future.

Justin Cala ’23 on the greens

Enrico Diaz ’23

Battling for every inch

girls LACROSSE

The Girls Varsity Lacrosse team finished their season with a 5-10 overall record (5-6 in the WBAL). Their most impressive wins this year include a 12-0 shutout victory against Presentation High School, fueled by Clare Corvera’s ’23 four-goal performance, and a buzzer beater by Kat Biggar ’23 in 8-7 win over Mercy Burlingame. Under the leadership of Head Coach Skylar Simpson ’17, the future looks bright for the Girls Lacrosse team as it will potentially have a dozen student-athletes returning next year to compete for the Irish.

Four athletes were rewarded with All-WBAL honors, including 1st team honors for Reese Wellbeloved ’23, 2nd Team honors for Isabella Patnode ’25, and honorable mentions for Clare Corvera ’23 and Jasi Mann ’24

SOFTBALL

It was a highly successful and exciting season for the Fightin’ Irish Varsity Softball team as they rode an amazing preseason to an 11-13 final record (0-10 in the WCAL), earning them the #5 seed in Division V of the CCS playoffs for the second time in 30

seasons. The sizzling start to the season included eight straight victories, highlighted by double-digit victories over Lowell, University and Galileo.

Danielle Cote ’23 and Adriana Giomi ’25 led the pitching staff. Cote paced the team with five wins and 67 strikeouts, while Giomi tallied three wins and totaled 61 strikeouts. Cote and Giomi also enjoyed success at the plate, Cote leading the team in extra-base hits and finishing the year with a batting average near .500, and Giomi leading the team in stolen bases. Arden Walsh ’25, Kaitlin Ruegg ’24, Grace McCusker ’24, Sydney Endo ’25 and Sophia Turnbull ’23 rounded out the Irish offensively with their productive sea-

sons at the plate. Four athletes were rewarded for their efforts this season with All-WCAL honors, including 1st Team honors for Cote, 2nd team honors for Giomi and Walsh and Turnbull recognized with Honorable Mention. Despite losing senior leadership after the season, the Irish will be formidable again next year with a plethora of returning talent.

IRISH REPRESENT AT SFAIC PREP AWARDS

Sacred Heart Cathedral Athletics picked up its annual haul of awards at this year’s S.F. Italian American Club Prep Sports Awards Banquet, given out to the top high school athletes and coaches in the city.

Unsurprisingly, Oregon-commit Jerry Mixon ’23 was given the Top Male Overall Athlete award and Fresno State signee RL Miller ’23 the Vince Tringalli Football award for their dominant exploits on both the gridiron and hardwood, combining to lead SHC to the Open Division CCS playoffs in football and a basketball title in the same division. Junior Reza Po ’24 garnered the Kevin Restani Girls Basketball award for helping turn the Irish fortunes around, leading them to a 21-6 record after going 9-16 the year before. She was also voted the San Francisco Chronicle's city Player of the Year and a 1st Team All-WCAL performer. WCAL Goalkeeper of the Year as both a junior and senior, Ariana Beddoes ’23 was an easy choice for the Steve Negoesco Girls Soccer award. A member of the Wales national team, Beddoes has also been a 1st Team All-WCAL selection for two consecutive years. Finally, SHC Girls Basketball Coach Demetrius Jackson garnered the Steve Mariucci Coaching award (girls sport) for leading the program’s rapid turnaround in only his second year. Great job, Irish!

Mixon

Po Beddoes Jackson

Miller

Roisin Gaffney ’23 goes low in the goal

Bella Patnode ’25

boys TENNIS

The Varsity Boys Tennis program started their year off with a scrimmage win against George Washington High School 4-3, but failed to build momentum, ending their season 0-18. Despite the difficult season, there were many individual matches and performances that show promise and future success for the program. Close matches against Serra and Stuart Hall indicate that this program is on a path towards sustained future success. Nico Esser ’24 performed incredibly well in these matches with final scores of 6-1 and 6-3 versus Stuart Hall, and Sam Bessette ’24 and Jordan Fernandez ’24 shone in a doubles match against Serra, finishing with a stellar 6-3, 6-4 score. Head Coach Andy Liang has been a constant source of inspiration for the team, and continued to preach the virtues of hard work and perseverance throughout the season.

boys VOLLEYBALL

On a broiling spring evening east of Fresno, The Fightin’ Irish Varsity Boys Volleyball team concluded one of the most exceptional seasons in program history this year, losing in the NorCal Semifinals to Sanger High School 3-2. The team finished 30-13 (7-5 in league play) and earned both a third-place finish in an immensely competitive WCAL and historic trips to the CCS Open Division and NorCal Division II playoffs. The Irish set the tone for

their season-long success early on, with the team building on their strong performance at the Sanger Slam by sweeping Archbishop Mitty in three sets and dominating the San Francisco Invitational. The team would continue their ascent well into the season, sweeping rival Saint Ignatius and beating Bellarmine in three sets twice. The team’s road victory over Bellarmine was the first in program history.

The Irish carried their strong play into the playoffs, where they would defeat Homestead in five intense sets and qualify for the program’s first ever NorCal Championship berth. The first-ever trip to the NorCal Division II championships included a 3-0 victory over Clovis West in the first round, and the heart-breaking loss to Sanger in five sets that would end this team’s historic run. Four members of the team were rewarded for their exemplary play this season with All-WCAL honors, including 1st team for setter Brandt Dobson ’23, 2nd team for Callum McArthur ’24 and Logan Milestone ’23 and Honorable Mention for Ethan Arguello ’24. Congratulations to Head Coach Nga Tran and the 2023 Fightin’ Irish Boys Volleyball team on their incredible season, and looking forward to the continued success of the program!

Danielle Cote ’23 slinging it

Sophia Turnbull ’23

Evan Shen ’23

Concentrating on the forehand

Kowie-Kapono Apana ’24 & Ethan Arguello ’24

Brandt Dobson ’23

Logan Milestone ’23 pounds the slide

SWIMMING

The Fightin’ Irish Swimming program continued to grow and prosper under Head Coach Jonathan Riley through the 2023 season. This campaign featured a return of the SF Invitational Swim Meet, hosted by SHC, for the first time since the pandemic. Both the girls and boys teams bested rival Archbishop Riordan for league wins. The program was represented at the WCAL finals by Jonah Lee ’23, Atessa Anoshiravani ’23, Alisa Demina ’25 and Fiona Dunn ’26

Anoshiravani placed 4th in the consolation final for the 100m butterfly, while Demina earned 5th place in the 500m Freestyle. Lee turned in an exceptional 1st place finish in the 100m breaststroke to win the WCAL Championship for the second straight year and lead the Irish swimming program to its first CIF State swimming berth in team history. Lee would carry this success into the postseason by improving on his time in the 100m breaststroke at both rounds of the CCS to win a 3rd consecutive CCS

championship title. He capped off his All-American high school career with an even better time at the CIF State Finals that placed him 2nd in the state and 9th in the nation in the 100m breaststroke this season with a time of 53.90. Incredible season, Jonah, and congrats to all the Irish swimmers!

boys & girls

TRACK & FIELD

The Fightin’ Irish Track and Field team continued to succeed throughout the 2023 season. Longtime Head Coach Andy Chan’s squad made program history when Isaiah Keishk ’23 broke the school record in the boys 100 meter, previously set by SHC Hall of Famer and instructor of English and History Christon Rance ’96. In addition to Keishk, the strong performance of Irish runners at the WCAL finals and throughout the season led to nine team members qualifying for the CCS meet. Six of these would advance to the CCS finals, including Keishk in the Boys 100 and 200 meter, Miles Cook ’25 in the Boys 1600 meter, and the girls 4x400 relay team of Tessa Wehrle ’26, Katherine Borek ’24, Chloe Thorpe ’24 and Vivien Colwick ’25. The relay team placed third at the finals, earning them a new school record and a trip to the CIF State Championships, the squad’s first qualification in 10 years. Congratulations to Coach Andy and the Track and Field teams on their exceptional season.

State medalist Jonah Lee ’23

Anna Terrell ’24

State Qualifying 4X400 relay team

Jasaun Mabrey ’ 25

CCS Qualifier Miles Cook ’25 grinding

SHC record holder Isaiah Keishk ’23 getting it done

college -bound ATHLETES

Throughout their time at SHC, the student-athletes of the Class of 2023 have seen one CIF state title, one Northern California title, seven CCS titles and three WCAL titles, and set several school and league records during their four years in green, white and blue. Many will go on to compete in new colors in college, but they’ll always be Fightin’ Irish.

ARIANA BEDDOES

Sonoma State (Soccer)

LEILANI BLECHA

University of California, Merced (Basketball)

DANIELLE COTE

Hawaii Pacific (Softball)

KATE LAU

University of California, Santa Cruz (Volleyball)

JONAH LEE

University of California, Santa Barbara (Swimming)

RL MILLER

Fresno State (Football)

JERRY MIXON

University of Oregon (Football)

FRANCO MORAN

University of San Francisco (Baseball)

AMAIA TAPIA

Central Connecticut State University (Volleyball)

KAI TENGCO

Brown (Wrestling)

ALEXANDRA VARGAS-BUELL

Lewis and Clark (Lacrosse)

JORDAN WU

Lewis and Clark (Cross Country/Track)

AD Margi Beima addresses the Spring signees

Kai Tengco all smiles

Miller and Mixon Jr. sign with D1 programs

Volleyball celebrating Tapia and Lau

STICK WITH IT

How the Brothers’ Message Powered Jim Gentile’s Bat and Determination to Succeed

By Marcus Tolero ’98

and would be words he leaned on for inspiration when he struggled in his career and faced obstacles in life after baseball.

Jim Gentile was born on June 3, 1934. He grew up in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset District on 33rd Avenue between Moraga and Noriega Streets. He attended Holy Name School, followed by Francis Scott Key Elementary School and Presidio Middle School. He went to Lincoln High School for his freshman year. Throughout school, Gentile played baseball where he could and when he could. Weekday Ball. Saturday Ball. Sunday Ball. He lived for baseball.

Legendary Sacred Heart Baseball coach Dick Murray noticed Gentile during a Sunday night open-league game in San Francisco. The opposing pitcher was Ed Cereghino, a 6-foot-2-inch right-handed pitcher who would eventually sign with the New York Yankees. According to Gentile, Cereghino was dealing. He struck out 10 batters and allowed only three hits. Two of the three hits came off of the bat of Gentile. Murray was impressed.

“I was walking off the field with my grandfather, and Dick Murray walked up to me and asked me where I went to school. I said Lincoln High School. Then he said, ‘Well, why don’t you come to Sacred Heart,’” Gentile shared.

Gentile transferred to Sacred Heart in 1950 during his sophomore year but wasn't able to play with the team until his junior year in 1951. Jim joined a stacked Sacred Heart Baseball team fresh off a AAA Championship in 1950. Adding Gentile just continued Sacred Heart’s success, as the program captured two more titles in 1951 and 1952. Jim was named to the Examiner’s All AAA Second Team as a right fielder in 1951. He was named to the Examiner’s All AAA Team as a pitcher in 1952. He went 12-1 and struck out 120 batters over 74 innings that year.

Before he was drafted by the then Brooklyn Dodgers in 1952, before he spent seven years in the minor leagues waiting for a chance to stay in the Major Leagues for good, before being named to six MLB All-Star teams in the 1960s, Jim Gentile ’52 was a student-athlete at Sacred Heart High School, and needed some guidance. Jim, who attended SH from 1950 to 1952 when it was an all-boys school, had big dreams to play in the major leagues and knew it was within his reach. Like his 6-foot3-inch and 200 pounds frame, Gentile had outsized talent on the baseball field, and he stood out from his peers because of his skill.

Although success on the diamond came naturally to him, he wasn’t the best of students in the classroom. Why? Because baseball was the priority and nothing else–and his grades suffered. That was until De La Salle Christian Brothers Uldrik Luke and Francis Verngren gave him the most important piece of guidance to reach his dream–raise the grades and continue to go after his aspirations, or live with regret.

“You just got to stick with it. If you got something that you want to do, you stay with it,” Jim shared. Little did he know at the time, but this simple message by Brothers Luke and Francis would be the foundation for his success

Although he shone on the diamond, Brothers Luke and Francis continued to mentor the soon-to-be pro throughout his time at Sacred Heart, reminding him to keep his grades up. They listened to Gentile if he wanted to discuss a problem at school or in his personal life. Most importantly, they encouraged him to continue to put in the work to reach for his dreams.

Part of the dream came true when the Brooklyn Dodgers signed Gentile to a $37,000 bonus fresh out of high school in June of 1952 as a first baseman and pitcher. He reported to the Dodgers California State League Team, Class C, in August of 1952 due to an injury to a pitcher. In his first game with the Santa Barbara Dodgers, he pitched seven no-hit innings against the San Jose Red Sox.

Although Gentile found success early as a pitcher, the Dodgers brass thought he would do best at first base. He had a tremendous first full year in the minor leagues (Single-A) in 1953. He batted .270 with 34 home runs, 102 RBIs and 115 runs scored. The following year he split time between Single-A and Double-A, and had another standout year in the minors, hitting .297 with 34 home runs and 126 RBIs. From 1955 to 1956, Gentile spent two seasons in Double-AA and continued to blister the baseball and accumulated impressive counting stats: 68 home runs, 224 RBIs and a batting average north of .290. During the 1957 season, Gentile, now 23 years old, moved up to the Dodgers Triple-A team and continued to hit, batting .275 with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs in 139 games. He finally received his call-up to the Major Leagues on September 10, 1957, and pinch-hit for the legendary Sandy Koufax in Chicago at Wrigley Field. He played in four games that month and had seven plate appearances. His most memorable at-bat of the season was when he hit his first homer off of Philadelphia Phillies great and Hall of Famer Robin Roberts.

Most would think after all his success in the minor leagues and his September call-up in 1957, he would have a place for good on the big-league team the following season. He didn’t. The Brooklyn Dodgers had a Hall-of-Fame infield. Pee Wee Reese was a mainstay at shortstop. Roy Campanella was behind the plate at catcher. And blocking his way was the legendary Gil Hodges, entrenched at first base.

Over the next two years (1958-1959), Gentile appeared in 290 games at the Triple-A level, with a brief callup during the 1958 season. Gentile remembered a time back in 1956 when he was out to dinner with Campanella, Don Newcombe and Bob Aspromonte and voiced his frustration. “I was talking to Campy and said, ‘Geez, Campy. This is my fourth year, and I’m not going anywhere,’” Gentile said. “Then he says, ‘There’s nothing you can do about it. They have everything over you. You either quit or wait until they trade you.’”

It was in these moments when Gentile thought about the message from Brothers Luke and Francis–“If you got something that you want to do, you stay with it. You can’t give up. No matter what. If you got your mind set up like I had for baseball, you don’t quit,” Gentile said. “That’s the only thing that kept me going in pro ball, waiting for a shot in the big leagues. I had to wait seven years.”

Steve Franceschi, who served as the head baseball coach for the Fightin Irish’ from 1978 to 1992 and recently retired from SHC after 46 years of coaching, teaching and mentoring, said the Brothers' impact on Jim and all of the student-athletes at SH was everlasting and said, “If it wasn’t for the Brothers, we’re not where we are, including me. I have more respect for the Brothers because they never gave up on you. They worked with you. They were like an older brother to their students, mentoring you about life and how to handle yourself–what’s important, and always with God in the background. They were a part of the family for the athletes. They were interested in what you were doing.”

“That’s their foundation. You want to have integrity and compassion. You want to hang in there at all times and get better. These are at the foundation of the Brothers and what they are about. When things go bad, you fight your way through it to be a better person on the other side. There was always a brighter side,” Steve said.

The brighter side eventually came for Gentile. At the end of the 1959 season, a year in which he played entirely at the Triple-A level, the Dodgers, now in Los Angeles, traded Gentile to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for $50,000 and two players. The trade to the Orioles would begin a run of success for the big lefty from San Francisco. Jim, now 26 years old, would finish the 1960 season second in Rookie of the Year voting and made two all-star teams that year (all-star games occurred twice a season from 1959 to 1962). He would finish the year with a .292 average, 21 homers and 98 RBIs.

Following his breakout rookie year, Gentile definitively announced to the baseball world that he belonged by putting together, arguably, one of the greatest offensive seasons of the 1960s. He batted .302 with 46 homers and led the league in RBIs with 141 while posting an eye-popping .423 onbase percentage and .646 slugging percentage. He was again named to two all-star teams. He would set two major-league records–consecutive grand slam home runs in one game and most grand slams in a season (five), a record that would stand for 26 years. He also set 11 Orioles records that year. Jim finished third in MVP voting behind Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle, who were both chasing the legendary Babe Ruth’s single-season home run mark of 60. Maris would break it with 61.

Gentile would play five more seasons at the major-league level following his 1961 campaign. He would be named to two more all-star teams and played for the Kansas City Ath-

letics, Houston Astros and Cleveland Indians. He followed up his last year (1966) in the majors with two more seasons at the Triple-A level and one year in Japan. He finished his major-league career with a .260 batting average, 179 home runs and 549 RBIs. He officially retired from baseball after the 1969 season at the age of 35. But what happens when all the games are over after decades of playing ball? It wasn’t an easy transition for Gentile. He said, “After baseball, that was tough because I knew nothing but baseball. All of a sudden, as I used to say, ‘What am I going to do now?’” Through a friend, Gentile got a job at Lutz Tire in San Diego, but he initially struggled with learning the tire business because he had centered his life around baseball. You just got to stick with it. The message that Brothers Francis and Luke told him all those years ago guided him during this difficult time. “When I got into the tire business, so many times, I wanted to just quit trying to learn, but then I said to myself, ‘You can’t quit. You didn’t quit baseball, so you can’t quit on this,’” Jim shared. He began to learn everything he needed to

know about tires. Radial sizes. The glass belt between the nylon. Car jacks. Tire changes. He mastered everything. He eventually established a successful career in the tire industry, moving from San Diego to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Tempe, Arizona, and finally to Edmond, Oklahoma, his wife Paula’s hometown. He retired from the tire business at the age of 57.

Gentile stayed involved in baseball after his retirement, managing a baseball school in Chandler, Oklahoma, and also managing for five years in independent ball. He participated in 30 Baltimore Orioles fantasy camps and signed autographs on the baseball-card-show circuit. Gentile, now 89 years old, still resides in Oklahoma with his wife. Although he is thousands of miles across the country, his legacy still looms large at SHC.

“Jim Gentile may be the greatest baseball player, besides Joe Cronin, to ever come out of the school,” Franceschi said. “He set the tone for what baseball looks like at Sacred Heart Cathedral. He was probably the first guy that really made something of himself. He is somebody we can all look up to.”

Not bad for a kid from the Sunset District. He just needed a little bit of guidance to get there.

Gentile (2nd from left back), with fellow '61 All Stars Killebrew, Kaline, Colavito, Maris, and Mantle

student artwork

As in previous years, SHC Visual Arts students are consistently producing high-level work. We present here the summative works of both the AP Photography and AP Art classes this year, led by instructors Thai Chu and Brian McHugh, respectively. Great job, Irish Artists!

Rhettson Powell ’24

Sierra Jew ’24

Natalie Macke ’23

Joaquin Navarro ’24

Jane Hawk ’23

Jonas Morelli ’24

Nina Kwon ’23

Kay McHugh ’23

Luca Nastari-Case ’24

Natalie Macke ’23

Chamy Choi ’24

Chamy Choi ’24

Aoife Keenan ’23

Nina Kwon ’23

August Montesano ’23

Sam Baumgardner ’23

Alex Tse ’24

Dylan Nebril ’24

Luca Nastari-Case ’24

Eoin Murphy ’24

Chelsea Kwan ’24

Chelsea Kwan ’24

Ryan Hernandez ’24

1948

Ken Vincent hopes to see his classmates at the Gold Club on May 6!

1965

After the LNU Complex fire destroyed his home in August 2020, Frank Hanratty has rebuilt and is home again. He and his family are very blessed and grateful to God!

1970

On April 22, Tom Zipse got his first hole-in-one on the 3rd hole, 162 yards. Exactly one week later, on the same course, Tom got his second hole-in-one on the 7th hole with a 5-iron, winning him an Indian Motorcycle in the Member/ Guest Tournament. Way to go, Tom!

1971

Michael Johnston wanted to recognize a great day for Irish sports! Mike Murphy ’69 and Matt Gallegos ’78 were recently honored for their wonderful high school athletic careers at the San Francisco Prep Hall Of Fame. Congratulations to both Mike and Matt! GO IRISH!

1973

Smiles and laughter filled the room as SHC welcomed our Cathedral and Sacred Heart Classes of 1973 to their long-awaited 50-year Gold Diploma Celebration. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our committee members: Grace Rodriguez Nelson, Wanda Contardini Ramos and Tom Robertson, the event had a great turnout! Thank you to all our alumni who attended from near and far. What a wonderful day it was to reminisce!

1980

We're excited to recognize Donna Loo’s retirement from Wells Fargo Bank after 33 years. Congratulations to Donna, an alumna and longtime supporter of SHC!

1983

Dominic Solis and his wife Grace enjoy a beverage at Great America in Santa Clara, California.

1989

Members of the Class of 1989 enjoying a night out on the town and reminiscing about the good ole times.

2000

SHC's very own Kase Abusharkh received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Hearts of Gold Organization – for his significant contributions toward helping vulnerable families transition out of the shelter system and become fully independent.

2011

Best pals Alex Cerri, Amanda Sanchez Mendoza, Emma Koehler, Hope Bidegainberry and Laura Diaz celebrate a beautiful union of love, Emma's wedding, in Sonoma, California.

2015

In June, Jessica Hyman had the great honor of joining established nonprofit and health equity leader, National Health IT Collaborative for the Underserved, Inc, in celebrating their 15year anniversary at a White House health equity roundtable. Hosted by the White House Office of Public Engagement, the roundtable focused on health IT innovation and broadband for all. Jessica represented Hims & Hers and the coalition she helps run, and engaged in an intimate and timely conversation with key White House officials around broadband as a social determinant of health, telehealth adoption and the importance of engaging community health workers, and community-based organizations to improve health IT infrastructure. It was a huge career milestone for Jessica and a truly unique and rewarding experience.

2018

In May, Kathy Valladares will graduate from Holy Names University having earned her master's degree in forensic psychology with a Certification in Trauma Informed Intervention.

2019

Sanja Bunjevic graduated from the University of Utah and now works as a pediatric nurse in Omaha, Nebraska. Sanja stopped by the school this past May to say hello to some faculty and staff.

Celebratory Giving Program

Listed on the following pages are the names of SHC community members’ family, friends and loved ones who are listed in SHC’s Book of Remembrance. Melinda Lawlor Skrade, PhD, the Christian Brothers and the Daughters of Charity offer prayers and Masses for the special intentions requested in honor of members of our school community each month. Please remember them in your prayers.

This list reflects contributions made from March 1, 2023 through May 15, 2023.

IN HONOR

Jonah Goorin ’24

Roni Melmed

Melinda Lawlor Skrade

Maryanne & John Murray

Tim Burke ’70

John Moriarty

Dorothy Armstrong

Scott Armstrong ’02

WELL WISHES

SHC Faculty and Staff

Shawn Singleton ’88

IN MEMORY

Bob Abeling ’55

Carol Flynn Abeling ’55

Roberto Angcay

Cheryl Paller ’97

Tim Baptista ’99

Cora Johnson

Dolores Bauer

Brother Joseph Fabiano, FSC

Dominic Berterretche ’74

Lucille Elu Andueza ’66 & Francisco Andueza

Marie Jeanne Bonson

Mary & Jean Curutchet & Sons

Sully Cassou ’51

John Moriarty

Elena Cava

Denise & John Branch

Michael Chu ’59

Art Chu ’70 & Carole Chu

Paul Nepomuceno, Jr. ’74

Philip Doherty ’61

Sue Ann Walsh

Dorothy Donnelly

Brother Joseph Fabiano, FSC

Steve Driscoll ’49

John Moriarty

Analise Dunphy

Terry McLaughlin ’61 & Sandy McLaughlin

Sean Dunphy

Terry McLaughlin ’61 & Sandy McLaughlin

Tom Dunphy

Terry McLaughlin ’61 & Sandy McLaughlin

Robert Enright ’46

The Olympic Club

Alma Fenech

Denise & John Branch

Ron Gaggero ’53

John Moriarty

William Gallagher

Joe Kennedy, Sr. ’65 & Clo Kennedy

David Gamba ’84

Nel Gamba

James Garvey ’88

Mark Pardini ’88 & Petra Andersson-Pardini

Sister Joan Gibson, DC

Brother Chris Brady, FSC ’70

Jo Ann Momono

Mark Pardini ’88 & Petra Andersson-Pardini

Paul Grazioli ’69

Dennis O’Rourke ’69 & Helen O’Rourke

Mike Hardeman

Brother Chris Brady, FSC ’70

Joey Harp ’86

Laurel & Roger Bross

Bill Henneberry ’48

John Moriarty

Jean Pierre Izoco

Mary & Jean Curutchet & Sons

Clara Joost

Brother Joseph Fabiano, FSC

Brother Chris Brady, FSC ’70

Aileen Moriarty Kelly ’47

John Moriarty

Bernie Kelly ’51

John Moriarty

Michel Knorr

Tom Horan ’66 & Barbara Horan

Sister Jo-Anne

Laviolette, DC ’57

Rosie Lawlor Horan ’65 & Jim Horan

Sharon Doi Swan ’80 & Michael Swan

Joan Lawrie

James Mullane ’70

Charles Love

Mark Pardini ’88 & Petra Andersson-Pardini

Melinda & Phil Skrade

Cecilia Marta

Geninne & Rich Ruegg

Jack Miller

Rosie Lawlor Horan ’65 & Jim Horan

Daniel Moriarty

John Moriarty

Mike Mullane ’61

James Mullane ’70

Owen Murphy ’51

John Moriarty

Jack Nerney

Kevin Nerney ’00

Brendan O’Sullivan ’91

Serena & Peter O’Sullivan

Julian Pardini ’49

Mark Pardini ’88 & Petra Andersson-Pardini

Joyce Pasero

Brother Chris Brady, FSC ’70

Nora Rasit

Dennis Harrington ’67 & Tina Harrington

“How long has Jesus been knocking at the door of your heart, waiting to enter?”

ST. JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE

Ronald Retana ’51

John Moriarty

Andrew Roth

Dom Panina ’80 & Colleen Panina

Tom Rowan ’55

Brother Chris Brady, FSC ’70

Joanne Ryan

Matthew Ryan ’04 & Jennie DiStefano

Leo Sabini ’48

Warren Johnston ’48 & Betty Johnston

Russell Sabini ’75

Mike Johnston ’71 & Cris Johnston

Gilbert Schoenstein ’47

John Moriarty

Lydia Tarantino

Jo Ann Momono

Fred Tilton ’55

Frank Dellari ’54 & Arlene Dellari

Hugh Twomey ’53

John Zeiter, Sr. ’53 & Marie Zeiter

Connie Weber

Denise & John Branch

Steve Wilson

Mark Pardini ’88 & Petra Andersson-Pardini

Jeannette Chu Young ’60

Art Chu ’70 & Carole Chu

We remember in our prayers the alumni who have recently passed away.

Michael Chu ’59

Carmelo Conjulusa ’59

Raoul Fanfelle ’56

David Gamba ’84

Paul Grazioli ’69

Sister Jo-Anne Laviolette, DC ’57

Joe Machi ’54

Philip Marvier ’54

Veronica Batinga Mellett ’89

George Miner ’56

Marguerite Garry Nan ’51

George Riley ’47

Kathy Wehr Rodgers ’63

Leo Sabini ’48

Cole Staben ’03

Fred Tilton ’55

Robin Bisio Tripaldi ’93

Hugh Twomey ’53

Jeannette Chu Young ’60

Mary Louise Trujillo Zamora ’67

*The alumni acknowledged here are only those for whom we received notification.

“Do not have any anxiety about the future. Leave everything in God’s hands for he will take care of you.”

ST. JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE