MAR 2021
DAMIEN HIGH SCHOOL
SPARTANS NEWS DEAR FRIENDS OF DAMIEN HIGH SCHOOL, I am grateful to have joined the Spartan Family as the new Development Director. While I am not a Damien alum, I am extremely passionate about Damien’s mission and the difference the school is making in the lives of young men and in the community - And I’m excited about what the future holds for the school. Damien is a very special place with a long history of tradition and achievements. I’ve had great conversations in my first few weeks and I can’t wait to continue to listen and learn so that together we can take Damien to new heights.
CHECK OUT OUR LATEST VIDEO! OUR GOAL WAS TO ARTICULATE THE SPIRIT OF RESILIENCE, INNOVATION, HOPE, AND SPARTAN DETERMINATION. WE’LL RETURN AGAIN VIDEO.
I also can’t tell you how excited everyone is as our students are returning to campus. It’s a joy to see and surely a moment everyone has been waiting for. Now more than ever do we need to cope with our existing and added challenges that COVID has presented. However, the opportunity, community, and vision for the school still outweighs any obstacles and it is a great time to be part of this journey. You may already know that we helped 51 additional students this year who were in need – increasing the school’s unfunded tuition assistance budget by 33%. This wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of a few foundations and community members who play a vital part of driving our progress. An alumni shared with me that the most impactful thing he remembered during his time in the 60s is that nobody was turned down. For all families seeking a Damien High School education it is our goal to make this a reality and continue to develop more young leaders. I know that leaders are built and not born. As a new initiative, we are starting an annual Damien Week of Giving (May 3-10) to raise essential funds for Damien. Join us, as we equip our school to continue being able to make a difference in the lives of young men and in the world. I hope to have the opportunity to get to know you soon– our alumni, donors, volunteers, community partners, and Damien friends. I am also excited and look forward to sharing our stories, progress, and impact with you throughout the year. Sincerely,
FREDERIK “FREDDY” WILKENS DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
FACILITY REFRESH! A NUMBER OF FACILITY REFRESH PROJECTS ON CAMPUS HAVE IMPROVED FACULTY AND STAFF SPACES. (MORE STORY INSIDE) CHECK OUT VIDEO HERE
I hope this message finds you and your family well and healthy! It is with great pride and enthusiasm that I’m writing this message as a Damien alumnus and with the opportunity to serve as principal. I feel blessed by the opportunity to engage once again in the community and brotherhood that has characterized Damien for decades. These are certainly unprecedented times and we have come to face a set of unknowns amid what would be our normal start-of-year activities. Despite the circumstances, however, I am proud of the commitment and professionalism displayed by our administration, faculty, and staff. Their dedication has been evident throughout the summer and clearly manifest in my short time on-campus. Rest assured that the Damien team has been fully engaged in the work and planning for both our distance learning and return-to-campus plans. In fact, starting the school year in a distance learning environment has been a success. Meanwhile, we are continuing to plan our return-to-campus in a manner that will uphold the safety of our students, teachers, and staff. In doing so, we are well poised to uphold the Damien tradition of excellence despite the unique circumstances of this school year. Thank you for your on-going support and engagement with our school community. If it’s been a while, I invite you to reach out. We look forward to connecting once again and sharing how Damien has continued to grow and thrive.
WE’LL RETURN AGAIN! MIKE CASTILLO ‘00, ED.D. PRINCIPAL
SERVICE | SCHOLARSHIP | FAITH
FELLOW SPARTANS:
FELLOW SPARTANS: I hope this message finds you and your family well and healthy! It is with great pride and enthusiasm that I’m writing this message as a Damien alumnus and with the opportunity to serve as principal. I feel blessed by the opportunity to engage once again in the community and brotherhood that has characterized Damien for decades. These are certainly unprecedented times and we have come to face a set of unknowns amid what would be our normal start-of-year activities. Despite the circumstances, however, I am proud of the commitment and professionalism displayed by our administration, faculty, and staff. Their dedication has been evident throughout the summer and clearly manifest in my short time on-campus. Rest assured that the Damien team has been fully engaged in the work and planning for both our distance learning and return-to-campus plans. In fact, starting the school year in a distance learning environment has been a success. Meanwhile, we are continuing to plan our return-to-campus in a manner that will uphold the safety of our students, teachers, and staff. In doing so, we are well poised to uphold the Damien tradition of excellence despite the unique circumstances of this school year. Thank you for your on-going support and engagement with our school community. If it’s been a while, I invite you to reach out. We look forward to connecting once again and sharing how Damien has continued to grow and thrive. WE’LL RETURN AGAIN! MIKE CASTILLO ‘00, ED.D. PRINCIPAL
GET INVOLVED STAND, SPARTANS!
In celebration of the feast day of St. Damien, May 10, Spartans across the country will come together for our first annual Damien Week of Giving, an online fundraising event. Students, alumni, parents, neighbors, and friends will join together in support of need-based scholarships and tuition assistance so we can impact more Spartan lives that change the world. Let’s show our students that social distance can’t stop their dreams.
SHOP WITH AMAZON SMILE
We invite you to join our efforts, click and start your own fundraising page and challenge former classmates, friends, family, and community members to make a difference on your team. Check out our campaign site for more information: dhsgiving.squarespace.com
Using your same amazon or prime account, Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase to your favorite nonprofit.
WANT INFORMATION ON VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES OR FIND OUT ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF PLANNED GIVING?
+ Sign in to smile.amazon.com, go to Your Account and select Change your Charity.
+ On the app go to settings, click on Amazon Smile select Damien High School.
Contact develoment@damien-hs.edu or call 909.596.1946 ext. 270
DID YOU KNOW?
BY GIVING, YOU PROVIDE CRITICAL FUNDING TO SUPPLEMENT DHS’S TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID PROGRAM, MAKING A DAMIEN HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION A REALITY FOR ALL FAMILIES.
In August of 2019 a few Spartan alumni heard of a story regarding a Spartan family-in-need. That general story was about this certain family becoming homeless and having to live in a temporary homeless shelter. The young Spartan students now had to wake up every morning at 4:30am and take two busses in order to get to school every morning, but because of their story regarding a Spartan family-in-need. That difficult situation, they would often come to school without eating breakfast or lunch.
partan
ng homeless and having to live in a temporary w had to wake up every 4:30am and take Long storymorning short, aatfew Spartans got together to donate food money for these specific young g, but because of their difficult they would Spartans. A few situation, days later, a few more Spartan alumni donated towards the same cause. unch. Through this grassroots movements the group grew from 2 to 15, then came donations from
Pacer for alumni, Monica’s Guild members, and our Moms in Prayer. Before you knew it, the onate food money these St. specific young Spartans. A d towards the same cause. Through this grassroots original $20 donation grew to where these young Spartans were provided breakfast and me donations from every Pacer alumni, Monica’s lunch day forSt.the wholeGuild 2019-20 school year. ew it, the original $20 donation grew to where these fast2019-20 forward to where h every day Now, for thewe whole school year. this same group of Spartans (and Spartan community) have donated enough to give aid to 32 families where we feed hungry Spartans, provide school
Spartans (and Spartan community) have donated books, chromebooks, uniforms, and even sports equipment to our Spartans-in-need. ungry Spartans, provide school books, chromebooks, ans-in-need.In Dec of 2020, one of our young Spartans lost his father due to the COVID19 pandemic.
Our managed to cover the second semester tuition payments for this father due to theSpartans-in-need COVID19 pandemic.fund Our Spartanster tuition payments for this young Spartan so that he young Spartan so that he can graduate a Spartan in May of 2021. As of March 2021, the group is now 112 members strong. This letter is a simple thank you
strong. Thisto letter is a112 simple thank you to those 112 those individuals whose small donations have changed the lives of many individual he lives of many individual Spartan students. Do not Spartan students. Do not let anyone tell you that the power of community does not matter. oes not matter. Those small individual donations, Those small individual donations, quickly add up to represent significance in the lives of s of many of our young Spartans.
many of our young Spartans.
Thank you Spartan Community. Thank you!
Kelvin J. Woods
KELVIN J. WOOD’88 | TUITION ASSISTANCE Kelvin J. Woods ‘88 Damien High School Tuition Assistance
ADOPT A SPARTAN SENIOR
Thank you to the 100+ alums who stepped up to Adopt A Spartan Senior this year. We appreciate our Spartan Brotherhood so much. The response we received was amazing and touched so many lives!
SPARTANS PRIDE
SO PROUD TO BE A SPARTAN
ALUMNI NEWS
IN MEMORIAM We are sharing in your sadness as you remember our Spartan brothers. They will always be remembered and will forever remain in our hearts. DERRICK DELGADO ‘05
DANIEL HATT ‘73
WALTER BARNES ‘63
JOHN C. DAVIS II ‘77
TOM VANDERSTOCK ‘63
MICHEAL GOGGINS ‘80
THOMAS J. SALAS ‘67
CHRIS SKELTON ‘85
RAUL ARROYO ‘69
JOHN CUCCIA ‘86
DENNIS KRUEGER ‘69
JOHN CANTU ‘90
GERARD BACZKOWSKI ‘70
JOHN DIAZ ‘91
RICHARD JUAREZ ‘70
SERGIO VILLAPONDO ‘02
MICO HOLGUIN (1973) Baxter International- Pharma Partner Executive Retired from the U.S. Army in 2006 after 26 years of service and recently retired from Baxter on September 1, 2020. Spent 27 years in the pharmaceutical industry and feel very fortunate that my parents were able to afford to send me to Damien since this experience served as my foundation for military service as well as my business career. It was special to have several cousins from the Gomez, Sanchez and Martinez families attend Damien as well. JOSE RAMIREZ (2003) ATCS- FAA | Moved back to the area. I live in Upland. WAYNE RANNEY (1972) Self Employed- Author/Educator I work as a geologist, river and trail guide in the Grand Canyon, and as an Expert Lecturer with Smithsonian Journeys around the world (South America, Antarctica, the Arctic, Australia/New Zealand, and Africa). In 2018, I received the “Geosciences in the Media Award” from the American Association of Petroleum Geologist. I am the author of numerous award-winning books, including “Carving Grand Canyon,” Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau,” and “Sedona Through Time.” My next book is “A Geologic River Guide to the Colorado River in Grand Canyon.” I live with my wife Helen in beautiful Flagstaff, Arizona. BRIAN RANNEY (1973) Self Employed- Landscape and Pools CHRIS HANSEN-NELSON (1972) Retired I retired after 35 years in Legal/Compliance area of Walk Street. During those years, I finished my undergraduate degree at NYU and my Masters in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence. Also, my wife and I founded and ran an Equity Theatre, The Catskills Actors Theatre, for ten years. Now, I spend my time writing. I’m just completing work on my second collection of poetry. I’m looking forward already to our 50th tri-school high school reunion in 2022. JESUS SALGADO (2017) UPS-Driver
MARC WILMORE
CLASS OF 1981
The Damien community mourns the passing of alumnus Marc Wilmore, class of 1981. Marc was loved by his family and will be remembered for bringing laughter and entertainment through his work as a television writer, producer, actor, and comedian. Marc Wilmore was a 10-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee and his body of work included writing and performing for shows including In Living Color, The PJs, The Simpsons, and F Is for Family. Marc’s brothers, Larry Wilmore, ‘79, and David Wilmore, also attended Damien. On behalf of our Spartan community, we extend our deepest condolences to the Wilmore family.
THE SPARTAN DUFFER DERBY SIERRA LAKES GOLF CLUB, FONTANA, CA “Thank you to all who made an effort to be at the Sierra Lakes Golf Club in Fontana on March 20th. The original intention of this event was to bring together Damien Golf Team alums for a day of good times and good golf. We have a lot to celebrate as a program, beginning with Coach Emeritus Jim O’Brien. He stated with hackers in the mid 1970s but by the early 80s was developing players and teams that would come to dominate the league and start winning CIF titles. Jim is the indubitable “Father” of Damien Golf. Fortunately, that tradition has continued to the present day and that is a testament to each one of our golfers coming through our program.” -John Mahon, Damien Golf Coach
JIM O’BRIEN (LEFT) JOHN MAHON (RIGHT).
SCHOLARSHIP Junior Marco Valadez sets out to complete his Eagle Project on the Damien campus. Marco says, “Because of the powerful impact that Damien has had on my life, my Eagle Project will be done at Damien High School.”
“It was the moment I decided. Yeah. This is what I want to do with my life.”
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MARCO VALADEZ
Marco’s project will build a wall in the Athletics Center to provide more space for the Robotics Team. Click here to learn more about the project. http://edl.io/n1396683
Mr. Hernández, a member of Damien’s World Language faculty, has been involved in building a women’s soccer program in Palo Alto, Mexico. Last fall, Mr. Hernández organized a sweatshirt and soccer equipment drive for the Damien community to help provide team uniforms for the young players. Mr. Hernández shared a recent update to let us know that the Palo Alto Project women’s soccer team has won their last two games and made the playoffs! He also shares, “On behalf of the amazing women’s soccer team of Palo Alto, Jalisco, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of you for supporting the Palo Alto Project.” Muchas gracias. Mr. Luis-Antonio Hernández.
“Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.” Honoring Martin Luther King Day through service is a way to begin each year with a commitment to making your community a better place. Pictured are Damien High School seniors who volunteered to clean up El Roble Middle School! The farm plot will be up and running soon with the help of these wonderful young men.
While at Damien, Anthony Razo, ‘17, was part of our Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) where he attended the launch of Space-X CRS 7. When recounting this experience, Anthony says, “It was the moment I decided, ‘Yeah. This is what I want to do with my life’”. Today, Anthony is a senior at the University of Redlands studying physics and was recently highlighted by SEDS-USA, an international student organization whose purpose is to promote space exploration and development through educational and engineering projects. Anthony founded the SEDS chapter at the University of Redlands in 2017 and has been working to provide technical projects and space education to his chapter! In addition to pursing his physics degree, Anthony was elected in the fall of 2020 to the SEDS Board of Directors. Anthony is responsible for this year’s Black History Month engagement and is working closely with the board and staff on the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Outreach program!
FAITH SPARTAN PRAYER
FATHER + SON MASS
FR. P. ZACCONE, SSCC
The following prayer was chosen by the Fathers of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary in honor of Saint Damien. This prayer lends itself to the charism of Saint Damien and our high school that was founded in honor of his remarkable service on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. We hope to prepare our young men and Spartan community to live lives filled with Service, Scholarship, and Faith. Pray this prayer any time through the invocation of Saint Damien, a true reminder of how we are called to live as Christians in our world. We are asking that the Spirit be with our whole Spartan community during this season of Lent. We pray that Saint Damien will continue to inspire us all to reach out to those who are most in need especially during this time of uncertainty. Let us always support one another in prayer. May the blessing of this season fill us all with strength, courage & love! In the example of Saint Damien, may we serve one another.
Saint Damien pray for us
Saint Damien, You ministered to those in despair and isolation. We call upon you to open our hearts and minds, to care for the poor, the sick, the weary, and those most forgotten. Bestow upon us the inner strength of Faith, and unconditional compassion to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. As a Spartan community, We come before you as humble servants of God, Bless us with the Spirit of your love and instill in us the touch of healing and grace that you yourself possessed. AMEN!
SENIOR MASS AND FLAG CEREMONY
We were able to safely host our traditional senior mass and senior flag ceremony on February 24th at the Quad.”
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ATHLETICS UPDATE RECENT FACILITY UPDATES While life on campus certainly has been anything but ordinary this year, the Athletic Department has continued to have many shinning moments throughout the last several months. Our student-athletes have continued to practice on campus in preparation for their seasons, we have been blessed with much needed facility upgrades, we recognized several outstanding student-athletes for their athletic accomplishments, and most recently we got to host our first on-campus athletic competition in nearly a year. Dick Larson Stadium is home to several athletic teams and was in desperate need of a new artificial surface. The previous playing surface served the school well and was at the end of its lifespan. Through the hard work and extreme generosity of many Damien families, alums, and friends, and led by the Damien Football Quarterback Club, Damien was able to see this project come to fruition. Over the Christmas holiday, Dick Larson Stadium was renovated with a state of the art all weather, artificial, playing surface. The results are stunning, and we are looking forward to many years of success, playing on our new field and we look forward to a time when we can all gather together to root on our Spartans.
THIS WOULDN’T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE GENEROSITY OF OUR SUPPORTERS
WRESTLING BUILDING MAKEOVER
Another much needed athletic facility was also completed over the Christmas holiday as construction on the wrestling building was completed. We are grateful to a few Damien alums, for their generosity in helping to fund this endeavor. For many years, the program was forced to practice in a small, cramped space in the gymnasium. Now, they will have a place to call home that will serve the needs of the program for years to come and allow wrestling to thrive.
FACULTY LOUNGE MAKEOVER
A number of facility refresh projects on campus have improved faculty and staff spaces, including the teacher’s lounge, Dean’s office, English and math resource rooms. These projects were made possible through parent donations and parent labor. Christy Amrhein, Director of Activities, planned and organized the fundraising and parent volunteers. WATCH: FACULTY LOUNGE MAKEOVER VIDEO
ATHLETICS Every year, one of the proudest moments of the Athletic Department is honoring our student-athletes that have committed to the college of their choice to continue their athletic careers. These ceremonies looked a little different this year as recognition was done virtually, but we are proud to recognize them for all their hard work and commitment to their team.
MALIK THOMAS USC
IVAN AGUIRRE US NAVAL ACADEMY DYLAN ALANIS UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE SEBASTIAN ARGUELLES UC SANTA BARBARA DANIEL BARRERA UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC ALEC BECK CSU SAN MARCOS MATTHEW CLARK UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA ROBERT MANSOUR UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO KADEN MOELLER CSU LONG BEACH
FOOTBALL + LACROSSE FOOTBALL ETHAN NGUYEN US NAVAL ACADEMY FOOTBALL ALEX HERNANDEZ ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE LACROSSE NATHAN GLICK CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY
CROSS COUNTRY MEET It was nearly a year since Damien was able to host any athletic competitions on campus. We were excited to host a Cross Country meet on campus in late February. It was the first time in the history of the program that the team ran a meet on campus and the team did not disappoint. The Spartans brought home a convincing victory over Bishop Amat 18-41. Spartan runners took the top three spots in the race.
BASKETBALL
BASEBALL
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THIS QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER IS GOING DIGITAL.
26TH ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
Looking ahead, the Damien Athletic department will be hosting it’s 26th annual Golf Tournament. We would love to have you join us at Glendora Country Club on Monday, June 21, 2021 for a day of fun, comradery, and fundraising for all the athletic programs on campus. This event plays a vital role in helping maintain the level of excellence we have become a custom to from all our programs. Please visit our website to sign up to play, make a donation, or sponsor the event. golftournament.damien-hs.edu
Update your email here at https://www.damien-hs.edu/apps/ pages/alumniupdatecontactform, or by contacting us directly. You can also find the newsletters on our website. If you would like to continue receiving a hard copy, please give us a call. DEVELOPMENT OFFICE development@damien-hs.edu 909.596.1946 x 282 or 277 damien-hs.edu /DamienHighSchoolSpartans @DamienSpartans @damien_spartans