2019 Fall Reflections

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REFLECTIONS

On the cover: Friars Matthew Moore and Josie Trent are captains of the new BL House System.

Table of Contents 02 Homecoming

10 Roffino

Stadium Reaches Golden Milestone 12 Giving & Growing 16 A House United 20 Planned Giving 22 Class Notes 34 Weddings 36 Births 38 Obituaries 41 Save the Dates Reflections Staff

Christopher L. Rebuck, President Jennifer Nimmo, Director of Communications Deb Jaska, Director of Advancement and Alumni Operations Hannah Jaggers, Graphic Design

Contributors

Sean Chaffin Cliff Gibson, Sports Information Director Ryan Plugge ’13, Communications Associate Lori Rodriguez, Communications and Website Manager

Photography

Wesley Duke, Impressionist Portraits Lisa Means

Dear Friar Family, Faithful. Caring. Dedicated. These three tenets make up Bishop Lynch High School’s core values, and we work to live the school’s mission and vision each and every day.

As I reflected on the 2018-19 school year and welcomed students back this fall, it was a good time to measure how Bishop Lynch truly lives the vision and instills these important qualities in our Friar students.

Bishop Lynch has been in the business of caring for our community since 1963. As you’ll read in this issue, BL is debuting a House System to provide even more pastoral care, mentoring and leadership opportunities for our students. I’m thrilled about this paradigm shift in student alignment and I’m confident it will create even better experiences for our student body.

We don’t have to look any further than our fabulous alumni to see shining examples of our dedicated and faithful Friar family. This issue showcases alumni and benefactors who are generously sharing their gifts of time, talent and treasure for the betterment of BL students and their communities here in Dallas and across the country.

It’s always a great time to be a Friar, and this year was truly one for the record books.

Peace and Blessings, Christopher L. Rebuck President

Welcoming Our Newest Bishop Lynch Alumni Montreal: 1

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WHERE THEY’RE GOING Bishop Lynch continues to have a 100 percent college acceptance rate. We are excited to have our newest Friar alumni on college and university campuses throughout the United States.

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Class of 2019

RECORD-BREAKING CLASS The Class of 2019 set a new school record earning 542 scholarships totaling more than $26 million. The newest BL graduating class also had the most Friars ever sign to play collegiate sports. We had 31 college signees!

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Since 1990, the Bishop Lynch

The criteria for the Alumna/ Alumni Association has recognized Alumnus of the Year Award include excellence in the following those graduates who have best areas: service to Bishop Lynch exemplified the Bishop Lynch tradition and Dominican heritage High School, service to the community and success in his or of service to the community. her chosen field.

Each honoree should show commitment to the school and its mission, and should serve as a model to all of what Christ has called us to become.

Congratulations and thank you to these inspiring alumni who have truly lived out the mission of what a Bishop Lynch education calls its students to do!

2018 ALUMNI LAUREN SHIRCLIFF CATON ’82 As a dedicated servant to her community, Lauren has displayed the attributes of an alumni of the year for decades. She just retired as the principal at a small Catholic school called St. Therese in Deephaven, Minnesota. In the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, there is no superintendent or mandated curriculum, nor is there any financial, marketing or other kind of diocesan assistance. The school is independent, and Lauren took responsibility for everything.

She oversaw the curriculum, quality of instruction and cultural development. She was the spiritual director, disciplinarian and service project coordinator. She worked with the Parent Teacher Organization, led the School Advisory Council, sat on every Parish committee, and was a key member of the Parish’s financial board. She supervised marketing and managed building maintenance, office operations and fiscal planning and management.

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Upon hearing of Lauren’s nomination, the pastor of St. Therese Catholic Church was asked about her and showered her with compliments. He responded with a personal letter to Lauren and left a short remark about her which was, “I couldn’t agree more with your assessment of Lauren. She is A++++.”

Lauren was frequently asked to participate in diocesan and even nationwide committees to help improve elementary education. She served on the Bush Foundation task force to develop contemporary blended learning concepts for elementary age learners.

She is married to Sean Caton ’79. They have two daughters, Molly and Sarah. Sean and Lauren are remodeling a home in the White Rock Lake area where Lauren grew up and are moving back to Dallas.

I OF THE YEAR THOMAS G. YOXALL ’84 It’s difficult to find a man with more passion and love for his life, faith and family than Tom Yoxall. Truth be told, that amount of care is borderline supernatural and his impressive qualities and accomplishments only reiterate that compassion.

Tom graduated from Bishop Lynch in 1984 and went on to graduate with honors from The University of Texas and the SMU Dedman School of Law. After law school, he worked one year as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable John McBryde in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. He then joined Locke Lord LLP where he has been practicing for nearly 25 years.

At Locke Lord he has handled cases throughout the United States.

He focused particularly on representing clients in the financial service industry for class actions, regulatory investigations, whistleblower investigations, and other types of litigation. He has also tackled many cases involving significant constitutional issues, including some pro bono work for various clients. He is an active member of the Dallas

Bar Association and has been recognized for many years as one of The Best Lawyers in America by U.S. News, a Texas Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly, and Best Lawyers by D Magazine.

Not only a successful lawyer, Tom is a dedicated member of the community. He and his wife Tish have been active members of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church since the mid-1990’s. There Tom served for six years and as the Board Chair for one of those years. He continues to serve on the STA Finance Council. He was always involved with his children coaching each of his three in various sports. For the last five years, Tom has been an active member of the Bishop Lynch Board where he served as board chair for two years. During his time at BL, he has chaired or served on each of the school board’s committees, as well as search committees. He has also served on the BL Alumni Board of Advisors.

Most recently, Tom has gotten very involved in the Serra Club of Dallas where the sole purpose is to pray for those with vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Tom and his four older siblings all attended Bishop Lynch and his parents sacrificed heavily for their children to receive an upstanding Bishop Lynch education. He is a proud parent of two BL grads, Ben and Murphy, and his third child, Joe, is a current BL student.

Top group photo: Tom and Lauren (seated in center) are joined by previous Alumni of the Year recipients at the October 2018 event in their honor.

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2018 SPORTS HONO

BY CLIFF GIBSON, SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR

On Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, Bishop Lynch High School inducted three former Friars as the newest members of the Sports Honor Roll. Established in 1988, the Sports Honor Roll commemorates exceptional Friar athletic accomplishments while celebrating lifelong excellence consistent with the Dominican tradition of scholarship and service.

For more information about the Bishop Lynch High School Sports Honor Roll, please contact Paul DiBiase, Director of Development, at 214-324-3670, or by email at paul.dibiase@bishoplynch.org.

KINSEY FARREN CLASS OF 2007 Kinsey was a four-time state champion in cross country and member of two state championship teams in the sport. In 2006, she was named TAPPS 6A Female Athlete of the Year and set the school record in the 3200 meters. As a member of the cross-country team at the University of Missouri, she won gold at the Drake Relays and was an All-Big 12 selection while earning Academic All-Big 12 honors as well.

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OR ROLL INDUCTEES NIKKI NESTER CLASS OF 2008

LUKE SILVER CLASS OF 2007

Nikki was part of five state championships with the Bishop Lynch Lady Friar basketball program, including four as a player from 2005-2008 and one as an assistant coach in 2017.

She received 1st Team All-State honors three times, Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore and District MVP as a senior. Texas Hoops Basketball Magazine and Rise Magazine named her one of the best players in the state and she was a four-time All-Star, three times with TAPPS. She went on to play at Southeastern Oklahoma State University and finished her career among the Top 5 in the school’s history in assists.

She received All-Conference honors while in college. Nikki is a NCAA Certified coach, USA Youth Basketball Gold member and currently the head coach at Ursuline Academy.

Luke left Bishop Lynch as one of the most celebrated wrestlers in school history, winning three state championships while being named Texas’ top wrestler two years in a row and All-American. Silver finished third at Prep Nationals in 2006 and runner-up at the 2005 Beast of the East event. He finished his BL career second in wins (70), team points (439) and pins (43).

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...YO U W IL L CON C U R

2018 Alumni Homecoming Party

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1978 Reunion

1983 Reunion

1988 Reunion

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1998 Reunion

2008 Reunion

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Friday night football under the lights.

Packed bleachers full of cheering fans.

Marching band half-time performances.

Spirited Brigade and cheer routines.

Soccer and lacrosse goals scored.

Homecoming queens crowned.

Track records surpassed.

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Roffino Stadium Reaches Golden Milestone FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATES BL’S BEST

By Jennifer Nimmo Director of Communications

Countless memories have been made during the last 50 years inside Roffino Stadium. Thanks to George McIngvale, Joseph Mehan, George Shemek, Mike Sansone, William Adams, Don Boland, Tony Roffino, and Jack Threadgill, this group of volunteer parents secured the funding and built the stadium in only four months. Roffino Stadium was officially dedicated Oct. 25, 1968, before the Bishop LynchLongview football game.

to Ed Malouf, a Roffino Stadium founding father, and Carolyn Teel, the original BL Brigade director, who were both in attendance at the event.

We gratefully acknowledge Roffino Stadium’s significance to the BL family and look forward to continued athletic success and school pride within that special space.

To celebrate Roffino Stadium’s 50th anniversary, BL President Chris Rebuck hosted a reception and halftime ceremony Nov. 2 to honor the Roffino family, those involved in the stadium’s construction and members of the 1968 football team, cheerleading squad and BL Brigade who participated in that first historic football game. Special recognition was given

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Giving Bridges Scholarship Plants Seeds for Educational Success By Jennifer Nimmo Director of Communications

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& Grow

Whether you’ve ever been the recipient of a free cup of coffee or received any kind of helping hand, you’ve probably heard the phrase “pay it forward.” Leah Hood ’15 was an eighth grader at St. Monica Catholic School when she received positive life-changing news.

As the daughter of a single mother who wanted her children to have private school opportunities in lieu of the neighborhood public school, Leah’s family wasn’t sure how they would pay private school tuition or even make the 35-minute one-way drive to Bishop Lynch High School. Leah and her family had a dream, so she still applied to Bishop Lynch. Then Leah was named a four-year Bridges Scholarship recipient, which fully covered her tuition and books for her four years at BL.

for two years and played softball where she was a member of the state championship team her junior year.

She participated in various clubs and earned 24 college credit hours while on campus.

“Attending Bishop Lynch High School set the scene for my accomplishments,” said Leah.

Leah went on to attend Texas A&M University (where she graduated cum laude) and was a Bridges Scholarship recipient during her time at college.

Thanks to her dual credit hours earned while at BL, Leah graduated a semester early. She’s currently applying for master’s programs in occupational therapy.

At the end of every semester, Leah printed her grades and sent them along with a thank you letter tracking her progress to her Bridges Scholarship benefactors. She invited them to her high school and college graduations even though she didn’t know their identity.

A few months ago, Leah received a very special letter from the Schwitter family revealing their involvement. The Schwitters wrote that they were proud of Leah and loved receiving her updates.

“Being a Bridges Scholarship recipient absolutely changed my high school experience. It gave me the freedom to not be restricted on my choices.

If I couldn’t go to Bishop Lynch, we would have had to move to find a better public school. Thanks to the Bridges Scholarship, my mom was able to help my little brother attend St. Monica and I was able to ride the bus to Bishop Lynch,” said Leah.

wing Leah thrived at Bishop Lynch High School. She was a BL Ambassador

Leah said her career choice is about paying it forward through occupational therapy.

“I’ve chosen a career that will pay back and help people. I’m inspired by the Schwitter family and I want to make my own positive impact,” said Leah.

Vanessa Garnica ’11 is grateful, and that gratitude shines through her voice, her pay-it-forward attitude and her community involvement.

Vanessa was an eighth grader at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School when she fell in love with Bishop Lynch High School and its inviting culture.

“My mom and I attended BL Sunday Open House and I just knew BL was right for me and would prepare me for college. My mom and I stayed until the very end of the event. I think we were the last people there,” said Vanessa laughingly.

That spring, Vanessa was in Spanish class when she was summoned to the principal’s office for news that would forever change her life. As her heart raced, she was surprised as the recipient of a four-year Bridges Scholarship with her parents and a cadre from Bishop Lynch and the Communities Foundation of Texas in attendance.

“I was overjoyed to receive the Bridges Scholarship to make my BL dream come true. God works in amazing ways, and that precise moment got me to where I am now,” Vanessa said.

Vanessa says receiving the Bridges Scholarship was the greatest feeling. At Bishop Lynch, Vanessa took advantage of all the opportunities available and was a cheerleader, BL Ambassador and a member of the National Spanish Honor Society and various clubs.

Besides earning the high school scholarship, she also received another Bridges Scholarship to make her college dreams a reality. She went to school at St. Edward’s University and then transferred to The University of North Texas and majored in health promotion with a minor in Spanish.

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had taught her to express her gratitude, so she joyfully wrote update letters to the scholarship donors each year. Now that she’s met the Schwitter family, she’s developed a deep bond with them.

Shortly after Andy Schwitter sold his company in 2004, the family had a talk around the kitchen table about setting up a scholarship fund for incoming freshman. Everyone readily agreed and then volunteered to take on various components of the program. This closeknit family and their work to make a Bishop Lynch education a reality for students is the driving force behind the Schwitter clan’s Bridges Scholarship.

Since 2006, the Schwitter family has quietly given nearly $3 million in scholarships to students enrolled in Bishop Lynch High School and to BL alumni pursuing college degrees.

“I have lunch with Jackie every summer to catch up on each other’s lives. She’s so humble, kind and down to earth. She’s family at this point,” said Vanessa.

Today Vanessa is putting her health promotions degree to work at Susan G. Komen® Dallas County. In her spare time, she volunteers with Genesis Women’s Shelter, Young Lives and at an orphanage in Mexico – paying it forward through both her career and community involvement.

Jackie and Andy Schwitter have three children – Andre ’96, Michael ’98 and Amanda ’99 – all proud Bishop Lynch High School graduates.

Jackie and Andy Schwitter’s three children thrived at Bishop Lynch High School. They had a great academic experience, played sports and cultivated their faith while at Bishop Lynch.

Because of their formative experiences at BL, the family wanted to give other deserving students the opportunity to get a Bishop Lynch education.

The Schwitter family set up the Bridges Scholarship Fund through the Communities Foundation of Texas.

The scholarship program started with one four-year scholarship awarded to an incoming Bishop Lynch freshman.

Then it grew to include two four-year scholarships. The scholarships are awarded to good students who earn average grades and are involved in extracurricular activities.

During the economic downturn, the Schwitters learned there was a need among rising seniors who couldn’t afford to stay at Bishop Lynch for their senior year. Thus, a one-year Bridges Scholarship was created to provide emergency funds that ensure deserving students can earn a diploma from Bishop Lynch.

Then the family created a second fund to award college scholarship dollars to Bishop Lynch alumni. A BL graduate doesn’t have to have been a previous Bridges Scholarship high school recipient to apply.

In all, 151 students have received a life-

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changing Bridges Scholarship in the past 14 years.

Ever the humble servant, Jackie says the Bridges Scholarship just planted the seed in each recipient and the kids did all the rest.

Brenda Sellers can attest to the Schwitter family’s passion for education, generosity and modesty. As the family’s financial advisor, she has worked with the Schwitters since the scholarship’s inception and seen first-hand the impact of the scholarship on its recipients.

“Practically every single kid who’s been awarded a four-year scholarship during their eighth-grade year has blown it out of the water. The Bridges Scholarship isn’t going to change the world all at once, but it is changing it one student at a time,” said Brenda.

Scholarship Recipient Impact It’s hard to express just how impactful the Bridges Scholarship has been to its many grateful recipients. More than 150 students have had an educational opportunity of a lifetime and they’ve gone on to become pilots, teachers, nurses, lawyers, veterinarians, and other impactful professions – sharing the gifts that were given to them.

“I don’t think I really understood until I was much older and met people who had different experiences than I did, that I realized what an extraordinary gift my parents gave me by sending me to BL. To see my parents sharing this faith and foundation with so many students amazes me,” said daughter Amanda.

“The scholarships have impacted

not only the students but also their families. It’s astonishing to see how the students take advantage of the scholarship and pay it forward through their extracurricular activities and career choices. There is a large ripple effect happening, and it’s affecting more people than we can see,” Amanda said.

When an incoming freshman is awarded a full four-year Bridges Scholarship to Bishop Lynch, a team from BL and the Communities Foundation of Texas shows up at the eighth grader’s school with balloons, flowers and news of the scholarship award. Jackie Schwitter is a regular at the annual “prize patrol” surprise visits. The student’s family is in attendance having been called to the school for a “meeting.” There are joyful exclamations, happy tears, lots of hugs, and changed lives.

The Schwitters are often described as genuine, caring and unassuming. They are reluctant to talk about themselves, but they hope to inspire others to give however they are called by sharing information about their family’s scholarship fund.

While the Schwitter family has chosen to keep a low profile over the years, they’ve followed the lives of many of the Bridges Scholarship recipients. Jackie keeps a basket of correspondence and photos of the recipients in her kitchen and prays over them. She stays in touch with her “Bridges kids” with lunches and update letters.

“The Schwitters are a very special family.

They’ve truly made philanthropy a family affair and positively impacted so many lives. When you take those 151 students who’ve received much-needed financial assistance from the Bridges Scholarship and look at the good they are doing in their communities, it’s a snowball effect of goodwill,” said Chris.

The Next Generation Both of Jackie and Andy’s sons serve on the Bridges Scholarship Committee.

Michael and his wife Kara handle the incoming freshman and high school scholarships, and Andre and his wife Robyn work with the Communities Foundation of Texas to focus on the college scholarship side and they even interview all the college applicants.

The close family dynamics and their hands-on involvement in the process really fuel the Bridges Scholarship.

With grandchildren in the family, the third generation is already learning the importance of philanthropy.

“We’re giving good, solid kids who earn Bs and Cs a leg up with this scholarship. It’s not only life-changing for them, it’s life-changing for me in my involvement,” said Michael.

Andre loves getting to know the college scholarship applicants through their essays and the interview process. He’s seen them gain confidence and grow throughout their collegiate careers.

“During the scholarship interviews, we ask the applicants what professions they want to pursue. Bishop Lynch really sets them up for giving back to the community. That message resonates with them and they want to do their part to help others,” said Andre.

Thanks to the Schwitter family’s altruism, the seeds of educational opportunity have been sowed and will continue to reap benefits for many Bishop Lynch alumni, their families and their communities for years to come.

Michael says awarding the Bridges Scholarships is one of his most fun days of the year.

Melissa Hardage is a senior donor engagement officer with the Communities Foundation of Texas and works regularly with the Schwitters.

“The Schwitters are a joy to work with.

They believe God wants them to use their gifts to further His kingdom,” said Melissa.

Bishop Lynch President Chris Rebuck is deeply grateful for the Schwitter family’s dedication to Bishop Lynch students.

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A House United By Sean Chaffin

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Bishop Lynch Embraces New House System for 2019-20 School Year A House United

and development among numerous departments went into the effort, and those in the process believe the efforts will pay off.

“We want each student to have an adult on campus they can seek out when they need advice,” Wainwright says.

“We want students to know each other deeper than their name or the team they play for – this system is about relationships and making sure that everyone is a part of the community.”

Family First: Team Dynamics There a lot of Cs in the new Bishop Lynch House System. Not grades, but key words like caring, compassion, camaraderie, cooperation, connection, and even competition. Those traits and terms will help set a new trend in the Bishop Lynch learning environment as part of the new system.

houses named after saints in honor of the school’s Dominican heritage: Angelico, Aquinas, de Porres, Frassati, Lima, Montfort, Ricci, and Siena. Each house has 125-150 students with a dean, multiple staff mentors, numerous student leaders, and a cross-section of the student body.

While at BL, students engage with peers on a daily basis in the classroom, sports, clubs, and in their graduation classes. Whether it’s a pep rally, football game or graduation, Friars are part of numerous “families” throughout high school. Those families now have a house beginning in 2019-20.

That includes students of different genders, grade levels, ethnicities, and extracurricular interests. The hope is students can learn from each other and find more ways to lead and succeed.

The Friars’ new House System aligns students even more for increased mentoring, pastoral care opportunities, student leadership, student achievement, and more.

Open House: A Glance at the System As a whole, a House System approach offers a way for larger schools to become smaller for students. Part support system, part leadership training, part enhanced learning environment – the BL plan hopes to foster more connections among students of all grade levels as well as faculty and staff.

The Friar approach calls for eight

“The biggest positive that will come from the House System is student engagement,” says Kristie Wainwright, biology teacher and House System codirector. “There are so many different opportunities in high school that students can get overwhelmed and feel alone. With the implementation of the House System, faculty and staff members will work personally with students to create relationships and foster trust and understanding.”

Within each house, students are divided into smaller groups of 20-25 as part of a mentor group for their entire time at BL. These groups meet 30 minutes a day, three days a week and spend time developing Social Emotional Learning (SEL).

“At its most basic level, SEL is just taking a break from the academic day and developing relationships with people that you might not otherwise spend time with,” says Jerry Waldon, economics teacher and House System co-director. “At its more advanced level, SEL will focus on conflict resolution, peer relationships and pastoral care.”

Competition among houses based on academics, sports, the arts, and more will also be part of the fun. As the system develops and advances, students

The idea isn’t new, but this will be one of the first times a House approach has been used in the Metroplex.

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have multiple “homes” – the high school as a whole, their graduating classes and with their house.

“Parents can expect an increased level of student involvement,” Wainwright says. “Students are the main priority of the House System, ensuring they have the opportunities to maximize their high school experience. While it is still in development, there might be confusion, but with a little trust and understanding, the House System will become a cornerstone in their student’s experience at Bishop Lynch.”

Some students have already expressed an interest in the new system and how it can shake up the traditional routine students have become accustomed to – the same groups, same friends, same social interactions. Senior Katie Hammonds believes the system will have a positive impact.

“The idea of eight houses, but one home will really help bring students together during school activities,” she says.

“Even though I’m extremely passionate about the activities and traditions that encompass this amazing school, I often find some students don’t feel the same.

The House System will really be a way to break everyone out of their comfort zone and truly show their pride as a Bishop Lynch Friar.”

A High Ceiling: Focusing on Achievement Academic achievement is already a key focus at BL, and high standards carry over to the House System. Organizers believe achievement in all aspects of student life will improve – academically, spiritually and in giving back.

Mentoring will develop relationships among peers – upperclassmen to underclassmen, teachers to students and more. For example, freshmen may learn time-management skills from upperclassmen – certainly important

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as students prepare for college. In turn, seniors develop a sense of responsibility with younger students counting on them as role models.

Those relationships strengthen problemsolving skills and self-esteem. School President Chris Rebuck believes an emphasis on leadership and connectedness will have a positive effect on care and concern among faculty and peers as well as academic readiness.

“Students in a mentor group with the same mentor for all four years of their high school formation have the opportunity to develop deeper and authentic relationships,” he says. “That allows for a greater transfer of soft skills, especially in the areas of empathy and compassion, as well as provide for greater academic performance due to peer tutoring and decreased levels of anxiety and stress.”

Principal Dr. Chad Riley sees the House System as a roadmap to success in the classroom. Studies have shown social interaction plays a major role in student success, and the House System makes for a holistic approach. Care, connection and cooperation all foster higher levels of academic success.

“School climate and culture are significant factors that influence academic achievement,” he says. “It’s necessary that school leaders pay close attention to a school’s culture and resulting climate because both impact students’ academic performance.”

At the Table: Student Leadership & Camaraderie School staff and administrators may have been the House architects, but students will serve as builders. They’ll be deeply involved in leadership, mentoring, tutoring, and much more.

Matthew Moore and Josie Trent will serve as House captains in the

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inaugural year, and are excited about the opportunities the system brings. Their duties include involvement in weekly meetings, attending events outside of school, making the plan run smoothly, and making the experience work for students.

“As school captains, Matt and I are the face of our school and new House System,” Trent says. “We’ll represent our school at certain events, but also work behind the scenes to plan and coordinate school-wide functions. We oversee the house captains and work with our House Council to complete other responsibilities given to us.”

Reaching out to students who might go unnoticed is one of the aspects Moore is most excited about.

“With the new system, there isn’t one kid that goes unnoticed,” he says.

“Everyone will actually feel like they’re in a home. There will not be one kid that is left alone. The school will really be one big house, but divided into eight of them.”

Trent adds: “I am so excited to see the first year unfold. The new relationships to be made, leadership skills to be obtained and feeling of community that will stem from the House System has us looking forward to next fall.”

Building Process: Challenges and Opportunities House organizers realize change isn’t always easy. There will be challenges

and issues to work through. Feedback and patience from staff, faculty and students will help tailor the system even more toward the needs of the community. As spring approached, organizers were pleased with student acceptance so far.

“The biggest concern we had in the beginning was gaining buy-in from the students, school community, faculty, and alumni,” Waldon says. “At this point, our fears of buy-in seem unfounded, or we were able to avoid those problems through our inclusive planning.

“Another concern we had was our decision on how much should be rolled out in the first year. So far, the student buy-in and excitement has been more than we could have hoped for. I teach seniors and many of them have told me they wish we had started this when they were still here. It’s going to be great.”

Waldon and Wainwright believe organizers have put together a cohesive plan that will make a difference. But no system is perfect and unforeseen dynamics could pop up.

Adaptability is a part of the plan to meet student needs.

“Although we have a plan right now as to what the House System will look like, it could easily evolve into something different,” Wainwright says. “In the spring of next year, we look forward to having all of the students, faculty and staff invested into making the House System a seamless part of the new fabric of Bishop Lynch.”

For more information on the BL House System, please visit www.bishoplynch.org/ housesystem.

Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer and editor in Crandall, Texas.

Heads of the House Here’s a quick look at the deans in the new BL House System:

Kristie Wainwright (Director) Biology teacher and a member of the faculty council Jerry Waldon (Director) Economics teacher; Eucharistic ministry coordinator Maria Rodriguez (Angelico) Spanish teacher and world language department chair Ryan Plugge (Aquinas) Communications associate Rachele Piazza (Lima) Director of teaching and learning; student leadership teacher Amy Duke (Siena) Mathematics teacher; mathematics department chair Kit Sawyer (Ricci) Film and speech teacher Lori Rodriguez (de Porres) Communications and website manager; Digital design techer and moderator for crew Dr. Bob Iden (Montfort) College advisor/liaison Beth Burau (Frassati) German language teacher; Instructional technology coordinator

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Planned

high and headed off to Dartmouth College after leaving BL. Most of his family stayed in Dallas after he left for Canada, where he’s now a dual citizen. After so many years north of the border, what made him become so heavily involved with supporting BL?

A Lasting Legacy: Former Friars discuss their Planned Giving efforts including Bishop Lynch in their estate plans By Sean Chaffin

No home, missing loved ones, a new city and state. This was the situation many young people faced in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Many had no home – and little hope. With so many in need, the Bishop Lynch community jumped in to help. The school accepted students looking for an education and a place, even temporarily, to call home.

That act of love and acceptance moved Jim Rager to action. After graduating from the school in 1967, he’d been on the move a lot for his career in banking and worked for the Royal Bank of Canada for 27 years, ending as vice chairman before retiring in 2005.

The school’s call to action had a major impact on him. Rager knew he had to get involved and was soon helping these students in need financially. Part of the school’s first freshman class, Rager always wanted to help the school that meant so much to him. Now was his chance.

“From there, it was one thing after another,” he says of his involvement. “The discipline and education that I learned at Bishop Lynch, and because of my exposure to the Dominicans and the teachers there at the time, helped in so many ways and became an example for me.”

Now a regular contributor to the school, Rager joins a select number of others becoming involved in the BL Planned

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Giving campaign, which allows donors to include the school as a beneficiary in their estate. The plan offers donors more than just offering financial support, but instead a more permanent link to a school.

A Founding Friar

For Rager, life at Bishop Lynch revolved around the football field but so much more. A member of the All-State team, to him what made the school special was the diversity of students – the interaction among various groups no matter the interest, grade or level.

“I was very involved with sports, and in sports you tend to hang together with your teammates,” he says. “It wasn’t like that at Bishop Lynch. It was everybody accepting everybody. There were no real divisions. I think that it was the culture of the school that was so important to me, but I didn’t realize it at the time.”

“And this is why I love Bishop Lynch now.

When you go back there you can see that.

You see everyone enthusiastic about the success of the school and the success of each other. They’ve managed to sustain that culture for over 50 years and build on it.”

Since Hurricane Katrina, Rager has remained involved and recently got in on the ground floor of the Planned Giving campaign, offering an even deeper connection to the school.

Giving Back in a Big Way

Running a world-class Catholic educational institution comes with plenty of costs. It takes the support of graduates, parents and donors. BL has been fortunate when it comes to the generous help of others seeking to further its goals and offer a leg up to other students.

The concept of Planned Giving is a major part of that process and involves making a significant charitable gift during the donor’s life or after death as part of an estate plan.

“Oftentimes planned gifts are the biggest donations Bishop Lynch receives,” says Chuck Rothermel, senior director of strategic and planned giving. “It also provides donors an avenue to continue their legacy of support to Bishop Lynch for many years.”

Rothermel offered some advantages to Planned Giving. Because donated funds are earmarked to the school in the future, donors can determine how their money is used through a legal contract with the school. They can also earn income tax and capital gains relief depending on the details of the donation.

Giving

Those dynamics helped form the man he’s become and are reflected in his values.

Rager was born in Pittsburgh, Penn., but his family moved to Dallas in 1961 when he was 12. He attended St. Pius X for junior

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“Even though I’ve been away my whole life pretty much and never really re-engaged with Bishop Lynch until 2005, I always thought that it was something that I wanted to do and it was important to me to do it in the best way I could,” he says. “I was always looking for a way to get back engaged with Bishop Lynch.”

Along with those, donors have the opportunity to create a lasting legacy with BL. More than just giving, donors can make a permanent connection with the

“That was probably what stood out the most from what I gained at the school,” says Vidales, who attended the school on a scholarship. “That included giving back to the community and the school itself.”

As part of his senior service in theology, Vidales volunteered as a physical education assistant at St. Augustine Catholic School.

Organizing a softball game among middle school students was a particularly interesting memory, he says. Despite any frustrations, that stint made an impact on him.

“Given what I learned as far as giving back and being a servant,” he says, “to me it was right in line with what the motto of the school was.”

After high school, Vidales floundered for about five years – attending college a semester and then dropping out, and then repeating that. It just wasn’t working out, and he joined the Coast Guard in 1978. It turned out to be a great decision. Like his role at Bishop Lynch, that branch of the military offered opportunities at service and giving back.

school allowing for family and friends to honor a tradition of philanthropy and service. Donors have numerous options in bequeathing a gift to the school: cash funds; appreciated securities; retirement plan assets; life insurance; real estate; and personal property.

The donor not only leaves a legacy, but gains satisfaction in ensuring Catholic education continues well into the future.

“I would just make an appeal to everyone who is now at this age,” says Rager. “We realistically need to start to think about how we’re going to help places like Bishop Lynch that have been so important in our lives and we loved so much, in a way that doesn’t create risk for us while we’re alive because it comes afterward.”

Campus to Coast Guard

Service and scholarship. It’s a simple motto that stands out for 1974 BL graduate Andrew Vidales. That school motto resonates with him 45 years later and the first thing he remembers when talking about his time at the school.

After retiring in 1998, Vidales earned a kinesiology degree from Texas A&MCorpus Christi. He then returned to Dallas and worked for the Cooper Institute, and later returned to BL to work in security and safety.

After such a meaningful experience at BL, taking part in the Planned Giving campaign seemed a natural fit.

“I decided that upon my departure from this life to the next, I wanted to leave something to the school,” he says. “My wife is also a Bishop Lynch graduate as well, and we decided to give back to the school in terms of providing a substantial amount of money – just like what was afforded to me when I was a kid.”

A Special Society

As charter members of the 1963 Society, Rager and Vidales are part of a select group who have already included BL in their estate plans. The society (named for the school’s first year of operation) was created in September 2018 to honor those who’ve already made a Planned Gift.

After the announcement of the society’s formation, 10 alumni contacted the school about the inclusion of BL in their will.

School President Chris Rebuck will host the first reception in the fall of 2019 to honor the group’s members for their lifelong commitment to the support of BL. For Rager, giving back to keep BL in sound financial standing for years to come was an easy decision and part of an overall plan for giving.

“In my estate plan I have certain things I want to make sure I support even though I’m not around,” he says. “One of them is Dartmouth College, a community foundation in the town where I live, a school where my wife comes from in Beirut, Lebanon, and one of them is Bishop Lynch.

I want to make sure I’m able to support all of them well after I’m gone.”

Those with Bishop Lynch in their will or financial or estate plan, or considering a Planned Gift to Bishop Lynch should contact Chuck Rothermel at chuck. rothermel@bishoplynch.org or visit www. bishoplynch.planmylegacy.org for more information.

Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer and editor in Crandall, Texas.

Looking back, Vidales believes much of his work ethic and sense of purpose came from his time as a Friar, and it’s something he hopes continues for other students.

“If I hadn’t have come to Bishop Lynch,” he says, “I don’t think I’d have experienced the same successes and opportunities I had in life.”

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CLASS Alumni Spotlight

Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale ’69 2019 Lynch Legacy Award Recipient Congratulations to Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale ’69 for being named the 2019 Lynch Legacy Award recipient! Mack was recognized at Bishop Lynch’s Legacy Gala in March. Prior award winners are Bishop Michael G. Duca ’70 and Sister Cecilia Sehr.

as the Houston chair of the Bush-Clinton Tsunami Relief Fund and was a significant contributor to the Bishop Lynch choir’s trip to sing at the Vatican.

Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale ’69 is a successful Houston businessman and philanthropist who has always gone above and beyond to help others. While Mack was a student at Bishop Lynch, he was a four-year letterman in both football and baseball and was an All District and All State recipient in football for the 1968 season. Mack went on to play football at The University of Texas and was a member of the 1969 Longhorn’s national championship team.

Mack’s entrepreneurial spirit and perseverance laid the foundation for his pursuit of the American dream. As a young professional, Mack learned the furniture business by working in a Dallas store.

He took that experience and started Gallery Furniture in Houston.

With Mack’s distinctive sales style and business acumen, Gallery Furniture is now consistently ranked in the Top 100 Furniture Retailers in the country.

Mack’s response to his fellow Houstonians impacted by Hurricane Harvey was perhaps his most shining example of philanthropy.

Mack opened his store to house residents displaced by the flood. He led the way for donating and caring for hurricane victims.

Mack was inducted into the Bishop Lynch Sports Honor Roll in 1994 and he was named as BL’s Alumnus of the Year in 2012.

Mack and his wife Linda have three children, Dr. Liz McIngvale, James McIngvale Jr. and Laura McIngvale Brown.

Besides his sports prowess and leadership on campus, Mack credits his time at Bishop Lynch for developing his philanthropic mindset and giving nature.

Mack constantly gives back to his community in a number of ways.

Gallery Furniture offers a furniture giveaway at Christmas to families in need, and Mack is dedicating a large portion of two stores for the community to use for English language classes, organization meetings, etc. As a thank you to America’s military, Gallery Furniture is refurnishing and revitalizing more than 130 United Service Organizations (USO) centers around the world. He served

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NOTES

thecatholicconnection.org. Bishop Duca was awarded BL’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2008 and then received BL’s Lynch Legacy Award in 2018.

There were several BL Friars on the Amalfi Coast attending a Lenten Pilgrimage this past March. Pictured from left to right are Joan Polakoff Colgin ’67, Kathy Collins Burns ’78, Mary Sansone Schaar ’78, Patti Jones Porretto ’67, Michael Colgin ’66 and Tony Colgin ’67 (husband of Joan).

Mick Gillespy ’68 went on a six day walking Pilgrimage of Northern Italy with The Catholic Channel. They were hosted by Lino Rulli, host of the Catholic Guy show, and Fr. Dave Dwyer, host of Busted Halo.

The tour guide teaches at the Dominican University in Rome and they visited Bologna, Ravenna, Padua, and Venice.

Matt ’73 and Kathy Hemmi ’73 Nevitt enjoyed their beach vacation last summer with their 12 grandkids, ages ranging from two years to 12 years!

Congratulations to Genevieve Landregan’s ’73 “Remembrance,” Acrylic, 30”x30”, exhibited in Barcelona, Spain, April 4, 2019 (pictured). Genevieve received the International Prize Diego Velasquez for her painting. Last year in March she had an exhibition of her art at The International Biennale of Nations in Venice, Italy. During that time, she received the Tiziano Award of Nations for one of her paintings. She recently received the Donatello Award in Bologna, Italy. Her website is www. genevievelandregan.com. Special thanks to Genevieve for donating one of her art pieces to our Alumni Hallway here at Bishop Lynch!

Alan Lucien ’73 retired from the IBM Corporation on Jan. 1, 2019, after 42 years of service. During retirement, Alan and Diane plan to spend even more time in College Station attending Aggie sporting events and in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, visiting their son and daughter-in-law.

Congratulations to Bishop Michael G. Duca ’70 who was appointed by Pope Francis as the new bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Bishop Duca was the bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport since 2008 before being appointed to Baton Rouge. Duca writes a monthly column called “Bishop’s Reflections” for the Catholic Connection magazine where he shares spiritual guidance and reflections.

His past columns can be found at www.

In April 2018, Deacon Alan Stehsel from St. Therese Catholic Church in Canton, Texas, organized a trip to Ireland and the United Kingdom. There were 20 people on the trip. It was so ironic that five people in the group were 1973 BL classmates. Several of them had not seen each other in decades.

The first photo was taken at Guinness Lake near Dublin, Ireland. (from left to right: Matt Jenniges, Patricia Roy Jenniges, Margie Martinez Wallace, and Theresa Roffino.) The second photo was taken in Glasgow, Scotland. (from left to right: Matt Jenniges, Patricia Roy Jenniges, Theresa Roffino, Margie Martinez Wallace, and Ann Harold Lucas.)

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Kelly Rivera ’80 is currently working for Lockheed Martin supporting the F35 JSF Program at the RAAF Williamtown - New South Wales, Australia.

Congratulations to Steve Matthews ’84.

Collin College’s Board of Trustees has appointed Steve to fill Place 2, formerly occupied by Nancy Wurzman. Steve, a Richardson resident, has a long history of public service including roles on the Collin College Foundation Board and on the Committee of 100, the college’s advising and advocacy committee. He is the director of governmental and public affairs for Atmos Energy, where he has been employed since 1990. He is a past chairman of the Allen, Frisco and Plano chambers of commerce and a graduate of Leadership Allen, Leadership Plano, Leadership Richardson, and Leadership North Texas.

Congratulations to Maryrose Zeilan ’84 who was named by the Salem Media Group Contemporary Christian KLTY/DALLAS as its new weekday evening host from 7 p.m.-midnight. She will continue to do her weekend shifts at the station. A four-year veteran at KLTY, Maryrose has served as a weekend host and a swing shift fill-in. She has worked in the DFW area for over two decades with stops at KVIL, KAAM, among others.

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Congratulations to actor John Frazier ’88 who booked a commercial in March for Square Space. John has performed in live theater, commercials, television, and movies. He is known for his roles in feature films “Meagan is Missing” and the film festival favorite “Ocean Front Property.”

His television credits include Nickelodeon sitcom “ICarly,” along with the long running CBS drama “The Mentalist.”

Congratulations to Luis “Tony” Parilli ’93 who was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army in November 2018.

Lt. Col. Parilli is a graduate of the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, and commissioned in the United States Army Adjutant General’s (AG) Corps. He also played on the Army soccer team during his four years at the Academy culminating as the team captain during the 1996 season. In 2002, he received a master of arts in human resources management from Webster University. Some of his awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (2nd award), the Meritorious Service Medal (8th award), the Army Commendation Medal (3rd award), and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.

Our Friar family truly circles the globe!

Patricia Slager moved from Holland to Mallorca, Spain, in 2004. That next year she came across a jacket while helping her aunt and uncle move into an apartment in Mallorca. Patricia tried on the jacket and found a ring in the pocket. She immediately tried to find the ring’s owner, but didn’t have any luck and it ended up in her jewelry box.

While planning a move back to Holland years later, Patricia was sorting her things and came across the ring again. With the proliferation of the Internet, Patricia decided to give the hunt for the ring’s owner another try. She reached out to her friend from America who’s an excellent researcher.

They figured out the ring was from Bishop Lynch High School. On Jan. 7, Patricia messaged the Bishop Lynch Official Alumni Page with the message that she “found one champion ring of your American football players from 1994 by the name Andres #81.” After checking the 1994 yearbook, BL staffulty figured out the ring belonged to Andres Gelabert ’95. Through the Friar family network, BL was able to get in touch with Andres. He still lives in Mallorca and had previously lived in the apartment that Patricia helped her relatives move into 15 years ago. Since they both still live in Mallorca, Andres met up with Patricia to get the ring - and a new friend! Andres is happy to have his 1994 Bishop Lynch state championship ring back, and we now have an honorary Friar in Patricia Slager!

Thank you so much to Patricia, Andres and everyone who helped us connect them with each other to return his ring.

Alumni Spotlight

Andy Zihlman ’72 Not many people can put a number on their career. But for Bishop Lynch High School’s own Andy Zihlman ’72, there are several big numbers synonymous with his storied career as BL’s head women’s basketball coach.

Forty-two is the number of years Zihlman has been at BL. From a student and then a parent, to coach, teacher, dean of students, athletic director, driver’s education instructor, mentor, and friend – Andy Zihlman has left an indelible mark on his Friar family over the last four decades.

Twenty-six is the number of women’s basketball state championship titles won under Coach Zihlman’s leadership, including the most recent 2019 state championship win.

Fifty(+) is the number of Coach Zihlman’s student-athletes who’ve received scholarships to play basketball on the collegiate level.

This has brought positive local, state and national recognition to Bishop Lynch.

One thousand is the number of wins Coach Zihlman reached during the 2018-19 season putting him among the all-time winningest high school basketball coaches in the nation.

has endowed the Andy & Teena Zihlman Family Scholarship Fund to benefit worthy families who might not be able to attend BL without some financial assistance. If you’d like to contribute, go to www.bishoplynch. org under Support BL or text 41444. You can also mail your contribution to Bishop Lynch High School c/o Andy & Teena Zihlman Family Scholarship Fund, 9750 Ferguson Rd. Dallas, TX 75228.

And to top it off, Coach Zihlman was named 2018-19 TAPPS Coach of the Year (the Ed Burleson Leadership Award).

He was also the only high school coach selected as a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Victory Club honoree!

As a result of Coach Zihlman’s career milestone, Bishop Lynch High School

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which was written and prepared by Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company. She also started several new businesses. You can learn more at Frenchairegardner.com, Facebook. com/Frenchaireinslady, frenchyswonders. healthyplacebotanicals.com, and Be And Us LLC - Facebook.com/beandusllc.

Congratulations to Bernardo Barbero ’96 who was promoted to the rank of CW4 or Chief Warrant Officer Four in the United States Army. He and his family are currently living in San Antonio and stationed at Fort Sam Houston. Bernardo has been in the U.S. Army since 2004. After completing Warrant Officer training, he went on to flight school and graduated flight training in December 2005 as a Blackhawk Pilot. He was deployed to Iraq from October 2006 to December 2007 and then re-branched to become an Electronic Warfare Technician in 2009. Bernardo was deployed a second time to Iraq from February 2010 to February 2011. He has been Active Duty since he was sworn in and plans to serve at least 20 years.

Hector Collazo III ’96 is stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. It’s his second time there, but the first time for he and his wife Anthea to be stationed there with their children Philippa and Sebastian.

He is looking forward to sharing this island adventure with his family.

Congratulations to Frenchaire Gardner ’98 on her new podcast called The News You Can Use. She also recently published “What Self Love Got to Do With It” and “How to Combat Propaganda” on ISSUU, a digital publication platform.

In another online publication called House of Otem, Frenchaire submitted her feature article called “Protecting Your Most Valuable Asset and Your Practice,”

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Congratulations to Bishop Lynch Men’s Head Basketball Coach Kyle May ’03 who gained his 100th win in December 2017.

He’s now surpassed more than 150 wins after this past season. Way to go Kyle!

Lincoln Stephens ’99 is the founder of The Marcus Graham Project and was a recent nominee in the People’s Choice Award by Ebony Magazine. He is a former Advertising Account Management Executive (Carol H Williams, Martin Retail, and Tracey Locke) turned activist, muckraker and social entrepreneur.

Lincoln is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia where he received a bachelor’s in journalism with a focus in strategic communications. He recently completed his master’s degree in entertainment business at Full Sail University. In November 2008, he quit his job to pursue his passion for mentorship and co-founded a non-profit organization called the Marcus Graham Project. The organization, which is focused on bringing more diversity to the advertising industry through mentorship, exposure and career development, has been featured in Advertising Age, Black Enterprise Magazine, Savoy Magazine, and on CNN and NBC. Additionally, Lincoln has been acclaimed as one of Advertising Age’s top 40 marketing leaders under 40, Ebony Magazine’s top entrepreneurs under 34, the Dallas Business Journal’s Minority Business Leader Award, and a 2015 AT&T Game Changer.

Lincoln most recently was honored with the University of Missouri School of Journalism’s Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in the Media Industry. Lincoln is a proud father of the nearly InstaFamous #MontgomeryJames.

Congratulations to Brent Upham ’03 who recently received his doctorate in higher education from Southern Methodist University! Brent is currently the Assistant Director, MS Admissions at SMU. Brent received his B.A. in Letters from the University of Oklahoma followed by his M.Ed. in Adult and Higher Education also from the University of Oklahoma.

Kerry Glennon ’05 (pictured with his father) served in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged in November 2009 following a tour of duty in Iraq. He was awarded the Purple Heart in a special ceremony at Brooks Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Kerry currently lives in Dallas and is getting his mechanical engineering degree from The University of Texas at Arlington. Thank you for your

service! Please let the Bishop Lynch Alumni Office know if there are any other alumni who have received this award by emailing alumni@bishoplynch.org.

Congratulations to Michelle May Morton ’06 who received her MSN-FNP (Masters in the Science of Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner) and her Teaching Certification on May 10, 2018, from The University of Texas at Arlington. She and her husband Ty Morton currently live in Dallas. Pictured with Michelle is her father Paul May, BL faculty member, and her mother Stephanie Jones Burgess ’75.

experience. Posts range from potential parents looking for adoption agency resources to others seeking help finding a biological parent or child. Next step is that she hopes to eventually draft legislation that could give adopted children easier access to their birth family medical records. As quoted in the article what interests her more is being a facilitator for other people in her group. It’s a sense of service that goes back to her parents. “My mom would always emphasize that once you grow up, you have to go back and serve ‘the village,’” Radisek said. “And I can hear quite vividly my dad saying ‘You are so lucky, you have to turn around and help the next girl. It’s your duty to help the next person.’”

Dr. Norelle Wildburger ’06 is doing amazing research with Alzheimer’s. She is currently working on her Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Washington University School of Medicine. She is also trying to secure a patent for brain cell slicing for dementia patients. Norelle received the Jeane B. Kempner Postdoctoral Fellowship Award. Congratulations and way to go Norelle!

Congratulation to Pamela Tyll Radisek ’06 who is finding success after launching her Facebook Page “I AM ADOPTION” which now has more than 7,000 members.

Pamela talked about her adoption story in an interview with Today. The Paraguayborn woman revealed that prior to meeting her adoptive parents, she was first adopted by another American couple. What is also unique with her second set of parents is that her three older siblings were all adopted. She was curious to connect with other adoptees and thus the Facebook page was born during her freshman year at St. Edward’s University in Austin. The private group - all members have to be approved by Pamela - covers the full spectrum of the adoption

Stephanie Main ’08 joined EDSA Fort Lauderdale, a planning, landscape architecture and urban design firm, in April 2018. A PLA (Professional Landscape Architect), Stephanie recently earned licensure for the state of Texas. Prior to joining EDSA, Stephanie was a team lead landscape designer with TBG Partners Dallas and Ft. Lauderdale. She also worked with Keith & Associates Consulting Engineers, Ft. Lauderdale and SWA Dallas.

Stephanie’s work includes master planned residential communities; mixed-use

commercial developments; playgrounds; multi-family; culturally significant national, state and municipal parks; roof terraces; and resorts.

Congratulations to Jacklyn Baker ’09 who had her short story “2908 Porch Swing Lane” published in Texas Road Kill: Texas Horror by Texas Writers Volume 3. She also had a story published in the previous volume. You can learn more about Jacklyn on her blog at www.jacklynbaker.com.

Pat Richards ’09, was officially named associate director of sports medicine at Louisiana. As noted in the Ragin Cajuns newsletter, Pat spent two seasons on the sidelines at Mississippi State as an assistant athletic trainer with the Bulldogs’ football team. Prior to Mississippi State, he served as a certified intern athletic trainer with Louisville’s football team from 2015-16.

He also received his master’s of science in exercise and sport science from the University of Utah in May 2015. Richards earned his bachelor’s of science in athletic training from Texas Christian University in May 2013. During his time at TCU, he completed an internship with the Dallas Cowboys during their 2012 preseason training camp and regular season.

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Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Marlo Vernon '97

Improving Health, Improving the Community By Brennan Meagher, Augusta University For 10 years, Vernon, a wife, mother of five and now a PhD, worked as a research coordinator in the Georgia Prevention Institute at the Medical College of Georgia where she focused on finding ways to improve health and health care. Then, she transferred to the Institute of Public and Preventive Health at Augusta University where she was able to put her Master of Public Health in health promotion education and behavior to work as a public health analyst.

But it wasn’t enough.

Passionate about maternal-child health and health services research, Vernon wanted to do more to move the health care needle in Georgia. When the College of Allied Health Sciences announced a new PhD program in applied health sciences, she knew she had to apply. The program combines advanced health care education with excellence in research to produce graduates with innovative research skills required for health care problem solving.

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lot of work, but it wasn’t impossible.”

She credits some of her success to small class sizes, knowing what type of research she was passionate about, and the encouragement received from professors Dr. Andrew Balas and Dr. Vahé Heboyan.

“Dr. Balas encouraged me to finish the program faster,” Vernon said. “I started the program as a part-time student and finished as a full-time student. I wouldn’t have done it without his encouragement. I’m very thankful. Dr. Heboyan was also very straightforward and encouraging. I always knew he would give me honest feedback.”

Vernon credits the rest of her success to her family, and another seemingly less likely source: maternity leave.

“I’ve worked at Augusta University for 15 years but had always wanted to get my PhD,” Vernon said. “When Allied Health announced this program, I knew it was the perfect opportunity for me.”

“I had two children while I was in the program,” she said. “I’m a mother of five, and it was a lot to juggle working, being a student and a mother. It required a lot of commitment from my husband to help so that I could close the door and work but being on maternity leave was helpful. It gave me a break from work responsibilities.

With my first maternity leave, I had time to focus on biostatistics, and with my second leave I was able to focus on writing my dissertation.”

When Vernon began the program, she learned it was possible to finish within nine semesters, though the average time it takes to complete the degree time is 4-5 years.

Aside from her passion for health care, the desire to set an example for her children provided the motivation Vernon needed to complete the program.

“I worked my tail off and finished in nine semesters,” she said. “It was hard. It was a

“My kids understood what I was doing, and they liked that I was going to be a teacher,”

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she said. “It was good for them to watch me do well in the program from start to finish, and that even when it got hard, I never gave up.”

On June 25, 2018, Vernon defended her dissertation, which focused on indicators of innovation within a university environment.

“I’m interested in reducing waste in research,” she said. “It’s not only difficult to get research funded, but you must make sure the money is used appropriately. You must make community.”

Although the dissertation defense was nerve wracking, Vernon enjoyed sharing her work.

When she was finished, she finally heard the word she’d waited three years to hear: “Doctor.”

“It took a long time to set in, because for a long time I thought I would never be done,” Vernon said. “It felt awesome to go to the lake with my family, without my computer, and celebrate this accomplishment.”

On Dec. 14, 2018, the celebration continued. Vernon officially graduated from Augusta University with her PhD in applied health sciences, but her career at Augusta is not over just yet.

Vernon is now an assistant professor in the Department of Undergraduate Health Professions in the College of Allied Health Sciences and plans to continue her research.

“I’m hoping to explore maternal mortality within the state of Georgia,” she said. “I want to examine risk factors that women experience. Maternal-child health has always been my passion.”

Reprinted with permission from Augusta University

Petty Officer 1st Class Zachary Frank ’11 is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of a crew working aboard Trident Training Facility Bangor. Zachary is a fire control technician serving at Naval Base KitsapBangor in Washington, not far from Seattle. As a fire control technician, he is responsible for tracking contacts and maintaining the protection of submarines.

“I like the weapons aspect of my job and firing torpedoes at enemy targets,” Zachary said. “My favorite part is being deployed and traveling around the world. Serving is meaningful to me because it allows me to give back to my country,” Zachary said. “I enjoy the experience I have received and growing professionally.” Excerpts taken from: board Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Dallas Native Plays a Key Role in Unique Navy Mission By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David Wyscaver, Navy Office of Community Outreach. To read entire article, please go to navyoutreach.blogspot.com and search Zachary Frank.

Austin Calvin ’12 graduated early from Texas A&M in December 2015 with a degree in economics. He joined Charles Schwab as a financial consultant associate and lived in Austin and then Boston.

Austin recently moved back to Dallas and is a financial consultant with ACT Wealth Management. Austin is pictured with proud mom Darlene Ellison ’84.

BL mathematics teacher Kate Ehnis See ’12 has been awarded a grant from Mu Alpha Theta, the National High School and Two-Year College Mathematics Honor Society. Kate’s teaching grant provides $1,500 for classroom mathematics materials and is presented to a teacher in their first three years of teaching who was a member of Mu Alpha Theta in high school. Kate is a proud Friar alum and was a member of BL’s Mu Alpha Theta chapter when she was a student.

Martin Eric Ramon II ’13 was recently promoted to 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Since joining the Army, Eric has successfully completed Air Borne School receiving his Paratrooper Jump Wings and Air Assault School. He is currently serving in Anchorage, Alaska, as a logistics officer where he leads a company of more than 60 soldiers.

Carlos Gonzalez ’13 graduated from West Texas A&M University on May 11, 2019, with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering.

Congratulations to Ethan Young ’13 who graduated from Texas Tech University in December 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a double minor in mathematics and mechanical engineering.

Congratulations to Mikhail Llauder ’13 who was recently commissioned into the U.S. Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant. Mikhail was in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University.

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Alexa Calvin ’14 received her Aggie Ring from Texas A&M University in Fall 2017, then moved to University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX for Nursing School. After a 15-month intensive program, Alexa recently graduated from UTMB Nursing School and works at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, TX as a Neuro Vascular ICU nurse.

Congratulations to Allie Hafertepe ’15 who graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in multidisciplinary studies with a concentration in English as a second language. During her time at Texas Tech, she had two semesters on the dean’s honor list and five semesters on the president’s honor list. Allie is the daughter of George Hafertepe ’76.

Corbin Neumann ’15 served as the Chief Justice of the TAMU Judicial Court and was invited to sit in the TAMU President’s Box at the Clemson football game in September 2018 with other members of the Aggie Student Leaders. Pictured from left to right: Corbin; Student Body President Amy Sharp; Executive Vice President Valentina Tovar; and Speaker of the Student Senate Mitchell Parker. Corbin also got the pleasure of meeting the United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in 2nd picture. Corbin also served as a Cadet Major and Commanding Officer of A1 Company in the Corps of Cadets.

Ben Yoxall ’15 graduated from The George Washington University Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude and received the Wilbur J. Carr Memorial Award for academics and public service from the Elliott School of International Affairs. He graduated with degrees in economics and international affairs with a minor in business administration. Ben is going to work as an economic consultant at Deloitte Consulting.

Congratulations to Catherine “Cat” Balido ’16 for being named the Dartmouth Invitational MVP and named to the all-tournament team in volleyball! She is currently in her junior year at Boston College.

Congratulations to Claudia Hampel ’15 who earned a spot on the Fall 2018 dean’s list at the University of Dayton.

Congratulations to Anna Rose McGoldrick ’15 for receiving the Boren Scholarship.

She will begin a nine-month language immersion program in Amman, Jordan!

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Congratulations to Kaycie Tillman ’15 who helped Florida State win their second national championship in women’s soccer!

Sydney Goudie ’16 is a senior at Louisiana Tech University studying family and child studies with a concentration in child life.

She first learned about child life the summer

before sixth grade when she had surgery on her leg at Scottish Rite Hospital. That experience, along with her interest in the medical field and working with children, led to her interest in child life. In order to become a certified child life specialist, there’s a required amount of internship hours needed on top of all the coursework.

Sydney had a practicum at The Children’s Hospital at University Health in Shreveport which she loved. “I got to learn and see several different procedures and work with many children with different diagnoses.

This experience really helped me enhance my medical knowledge and allowed me to see what kinds of distraction or teaching could be used for different situations,” said Sydney. Excerpts above taken from: Oct. 8, 2018 Rachel Martindale, A Child Life Student’s View of the Profession

Congratulations to Roxanna Martinez ’16. Roxanna graduated with her second Associates in Business Administration and Human Resources Certificate in May 2019 from Eastfield College. She’ll attend Texas A&M-Commerce in the fall where she received a scholarship to study veterinary medicine and minor in business.

Roxanna was awarded a scholarship to attend the Global Citizenship Alliance held in Salzburg, Austria, to represent her college. She became president of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Chapter Psi Eta in August 2018. Under her presidency, she has worked over 40 hours a week to make the chapter well known. Roxanna has helped them win over 20 awards – more than the organization has ever won since it was established. Because of all of this hard work, she has been placed in Phi Theta Kappa’s Hall of Honor. Roxanna has led her PTK chapter to work with the college president and opened an on-campus food and resource pantry in April 2019. Way to go Roxanna!

Congratulations to Carina Villarreal ’16 who hosted an event, Millennial Move Makers: The Conference, at the University of Alabama. This conference began with an idea, zero funding and a team of nine women inspired to do something never seen at The Capstone. The conference was planned in eight months and culminated on March 3, complete with a keynote speaker, eight panelists and three major sponsors: Bumble, Rent the Runway and Sticker Mule. The conference made the local news, school newspaper, local radio, and UA News email. She also made the University of Alabama’s dean’s list for Fall 2018.

Congratulations to Lillie Frazier ’17 who was accepted into a prestigious science and weather summer program for the University of Alabama in Huntsville Remote Sensing REU. She will be working alongside experts in cutting-edge ground-based remote sensing, atmospheric soundings and severe convective storms. She will also have the opportunity to work with VORTEX-SE datasets, participate in NOAA/NSSL collaborative research and help improve the SPC Mesoanalysis products for severe storms forecasting.

Congratulations to Kate Schindel ’17 who has been accepted into the Texas Tech School of Nursing.

Zoe Beyer ’18, a student at University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, has received recognition from the College Board Advanced Placement Program as a National AP Scholar. This highly coveted award is granted to students who took at least eight AP Exams while in high school and scored a four or five on all exams.

While BL often produces AP Scholars, AP Scholars with Honors, and AP Scholars with Distinction, it has never had a scholar awarded the title of National AP Scholar.

Zoe sat for the following eight exams: AP Human Geography, AP World History, AP U.S. History, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature, AP Psychology, AP Macroeconomics, and AP U.S. Government and Politics. At UNCChapel Hill, Zoe is pursuing a double major in peace, war and defense (focus on intelligence) and global studies (focus on the Middle East). She is currently studying the Arabic language and intends to add Russian next year. Along with these studies, Zoe plans to minor in conflict management.

Hats off to Zoe!

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Alumni Spotlight Jason Mulligan ’09 When it comes to composing music, Bishop Lynch alumnus Jason Mulligan ’09 is hitting all the right notes. After earning degrees in music composition from the University of Miami and the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University, Jason is pursuing a doctoral degree in music composition at Duke University on a full fellowship. His research focuses on music’s ability to function as a tool for narrative storytelling and propaganda (particularly in the Stalinist Soviet Union) and the history and development of video game music.

Jason has studied with a number of renowned American composers, including Stephen Jaffe and Pulitzer Prizewinning composer Kevin Puts.

Jason’s music has been performed at Southern Methodist University (SMU), Sam Houston State University, Northern Illinois University, Emporia State University, and Idyllwild Arts Academy. In 2018, he was the first composer to be featured on a Rising Star Recital as part of the Basically Beethoven Festival in Dallas.

He’s performed across the country and internationally at the National Opera Center in New York City, the highSCORE Festival in Pavia, Italy, and the 2019 International Horn Symposium in Ghent, Belgium. In 2019, Jason will premiere at the International Double Reed Society Conference and the International Clarinet Society Clarinetfest. His orchestral work “They Come Through the Wires” will be premiered by the SMU Meadows Symphony Orchestra in April 2020.

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Jason is also an active collaborative pianist and works primarily with Dallas-based soprano Alissa Roca. They had a stop in Dallas on their summer concert tour “Contrasts: An Evening of Art Song.”

You can read more about Jason’s career at www.jasonmulligan.net.

selected for the Baylor B2B program where she has already been accepted to Baylor Law School.

Drake Burciaga ’18 just finished his freshman year at DePaul University. He is a member of the University Honors Program, as well as the Strobel Business Honors Program. Drake is the president and founder of two clubs: BACE Club (Business, Architecture, Construction, and Engineering Club) and Share Chicago. He is also the vice president and co-founder of the official DePaul Debate Team. Drake was offered the prestigious and highly sought-after summer internship at KPMG that is usually only offered to juniors. Being the exception, Drake will become one of the youngest summer interns in company history. “I am very excited for the future.

I would like to thank my parents, siblings and mentors for giving me such a strong foundation. They are my main source of inspiration and give me the fuel to keep traveling down the road of success,” said Drake.

What does a recent graduate do before they start college? Instead of relaxing, Sean Coman ’18 decided to participate in the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

Sean and his father not only ran with the bulls one time, but did it TWICE without any injury!

Congratulations to Cole Garcia ’18 on being named Offensive Rookie of the Year for Rice Football! Cole seized a starting job when the original left tackle was injured during a game. He made his first career start against Florida International University and started the final six games of the season appearing in nine of the Owls’ 13 contests.

The offense, which had combined to score three points in the two games prior to Cole claiming the starting spot, tallied 17 points or more in four of the final six games.

Brittany Chase Malone ’18 is pictured with Coach Darrin Hedges after receiving her Scholar All-American award in Chicago.

She was one of two players selected from the entire state of Texas and the only female!

Congratulations Chase!

Katie Shore ’18 was chosen to be a member of the Baylor Mock Trial team. The tryout process was difficult and there were 40 applicants for 20 spots. Katie was a captain of the BL team and said she felt well prepared for the tryouts. She was previously

Marine Private First Class William “Charlie” Stalder ’18 was guide for Platoon 2175 Hotel Company 2nd Recruit Training Battalion Marine Corps San Diego. Charlie’s platoon was recognized as Honor Platoon for winning seven out of eight events. He also received Honor Graduate recognition and carried the Guidon for his Platoon.

There were six Platoons with approximately 50 men in each. Charlie marched across the parade grounds to shake hands with the commanding officer and receive his plaque.

Charlie will return to San Diego and then on to Camp Pendleton for Infantry Training Battalion for nine weeks.

Congratulations to Mabry Webb ’18 who was named to the dean’s list at the University of Notre Dame’s First Year of Studies for outstanding scholarship during the Fall 2018 semester. To earn this honor, students must be in the top 30 percent of students in their college!

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Weddings 01 Marie Antonette Eraso ’00 married John Richard Manansala on Dec. 23, 2017, in Manila, Philippines, at the Manila Cathedral. Lawrence Eraso ’98 was in attendance as a groomsman. Los Angeles had been their home for the last 12 years, then Marie was hired at Mary Kay Corporate in Dallas to head up the fragrance division. Marie had previously been at Stila Cosmetics on the packaging team for three years. The couple made the move in January 2018 and have now settled in Carrollton.

02 Natalie Roffino ’01 married Chris Hubbard (from London) on July 14, 2018, in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Natalie works for Southwest Airlines in the People (HR) Department and Chris is a pilot with Omni Air International. They reside in East Dallas in the Casa Linda Forest area. Natalie is the daughter of David Roffino ’70.

03 Eden Knodle ’04 and Dees Stribling ’03 were married on April 21, 2018, in Austin, TX. The wedding party included the bride's sister Lindsey Knodle ’99, Erin Mooney ’04, Jennifer Redmond ’04, and Sandra Fabbri Siewert ’04.

04 Emilia León ’04 and Juan Rentería were married on Nov. 11, 2017, at the University of Dallas. The couple met at the University of Dallas while earning their graduate degrees in business. Emilia currently works for Dallas County Community College District as a digital marketing manager and Juan works as an electrical engineer for a manufacturing firm. The couple resides in Garland, TX. 05 Gregg McBride ’04 married Michelle Posadas on April 6, 2019, at Grand Palladium Riviera Maya in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Members of the wedding party included fellow BL alums James Peña ’04 and Kerry Van Zant ’04. The couple resides in Frisco, TX 06 Libby Brooks ’09 married John Meyers on Oct. 8, 2017, at Lost River Cave in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The couple resides in Nashville where Libby works as a stagehand and lighting technician for concerts and special events.

07 Abbey Nevitt ’06 married Drew Bryan ’05 on April 20, 2019, at The Springs in Anna, TX. The couple currently resides in Dallas. Abbey is the daughter of David Nevitt ’78 and Lisa O'Neill Nevitt ’80.

08 Olivia Pajda ’06 married Dr. Anthony Onofrio on May 19, 2018, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Dallas, TX. The wedding party included Katie Lewis Baker ’06. Their wedding was featured on the 2018 Brides of North Texas magazine cover for the fall/winter issue. Photo credit: Dylan Ketchey

09 Leslie Milan Pantuso ’07 married David Edward Organ on April 14, 2018, in Fort Worth, TX. 10 Cari Euart ’08 and Will Daniell (Jesuit Dallas '09) were married on Nov. 24, 2018, at Christ the King Catholic Church, followed by a reception at Dallas Country Club. Cari has been working at Excentus Corporation in Dallas since graduating from the University of Alabama in 2012. The wedding party included maid of honor and former Lady Friar soccer player, Alexis Euart ’10. The couple currently resides in Dallas.

11 Ellen Pouttu ’08, married Peter Stavinoha on Sept. 22, 2018, at Church of the Incarnation in Dallas, TX. The wedding party included Celeste Clayton ’08, Joseph Pouttu ’13 and Kathryn Hand, niece of Jim McIngvale ’69.

12 Erin Farrell ’09 married Tyler Lorenz on March 24, 2018. Her maid of honor was her sister Bridget Farrell ’05. Erin is the daughter of Tom ’78 and Ginger Mills ’81 Farrell. The couple currently lives in New Braunfels, TX. Erin is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and works at an animal hospital in the area.

13 Justin Jones ’10 married Katherine Gilbreath on Dec. 30, 2017. The bridal party included bridesmaids Rebecca Jones Edwards ’12, Abby Jones ’13, Elena Jones Wafford ’17, as well as best man Paul Schlachter ’10 and usher Trent Bieberly ’07. Justin is the stepson of Tim Wafford ’78.

14 Kelsie Cale ’10 married Eric Flemister on Nov. 10, 2018. The wedding party included Katie Cale Frank ’09, Becky Wallander ’10 and Jordan Rochester ’10. Kelsie is the daughter of Chuck Cale ’72 and Jill Rule Cale ’72†.

15 Dylan Adame ’11 and Kelly Corsi ’11 were married on Sept. 2, 2018 – celebrating seven years from the day they started dating! They received the sacrament of matrimony at St. Jude's Chapel in Downtown Dallas and the reception celebration was at the Dallas Arboretum. The wedding party included Sarah Corsi ’17 as the maid of honor and brother Michael Corsi ’13 was a groomsman.

16 Allysen Delaney ’11 married Ryan Patterson on April 27, 2019, at Firefly Gardens in Midlothian, TX. The wedding party included maid of honor Nicole O'Bryant ’11, bridesmaids Lynsey Blankenship ’11 and Alyssa Zarate ’11 and groomsman Drayton Delaney ’16. Allysen is the daughter of Margaret Chadbourne Delaney ’84.

The couple currently resides in Rowlett, TX.

17 Karen Hess ’11 married Collin Beach in Memphis, Tennessee, on Oct. 13, 2018. Thomas Hess ’14, Amy Hess ’15, Mary Hess (Class of 2020), and Angela Hess (Class of 2023) were in the wedding party and Jessica Beilharz ’11 sang during the ceremony.

18 Amelia Jaska ’11 married Drew Nelson on March 10, 2018, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in College Station, TX. The wedding party included maid of honor and sister of the bride Hayley Jaska ’06, the father of the bride Curtis Jaska ’73 and the mother of the bride Deb Jaska, current BL employee.

19 Ashley Stansbury ’12 married Jon Scott on March 9, 2019. The celebration was at The Hall on Dragon in Dallas. Ashley is a NICU nurse at Cook Children's in Fort Worth and Jon teaches science at James Bowie High School in Arlington. Ashley is the daughter of Sandy Sellers Stansbury ’82.

20 Mary Merkel ’13 married Nick Krakosky ’11 on May 11, 2019. Wedding party included Liz Merkel Head ’11 as the matron of honor, Theresa Merkel ’15 as the maid of honor and Nicole Merkel (Class of 2022) and Monica Valles Beal ’13 as bridesmaids. Jacob Head ’11 and Jon Chadbourne ’11 were the best men and Josh Pantoja ’12 and Nick Castro ’12 were groomsmen.

The couple currently lives in Dallas, TX. 21 Michael S. Nevitt ’13 married Lauren Russell on Oct. 13, 2018, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Michael is the son of Jim ’85 and Susie Wong ’85 Nevitt. Alumni groomsmen included Joseph Lopez ’13, Christopher Jordan ’13 and Ben Moore ’13. Alumni bridesmaids included his sisters Lauren Nevitt O'Quinn ’10 and Danielle Nevitt ’16. Michael graduated from the University of Arkansas in May 2018 and is currently a financial analyst for Stronghold Resource Partners in Dallas.

The couple resides in Dallas.

22 Colton Paradowski ’13 married Enid Escobedo in Houston on May 27, 2018. Wedding party included BL alumni Clayton Juel ’13 as best man and groomsmen Chad Paradowski ’07, Chris Paradowski ’10 and Ryan Plugge ’13. The couple currently resides in Chicago, IL. Colton is the son of Chuck ’79 and Diane Arata ’79 Paradowski.

23 Monica Valles ’13 married Alex Beal on Sept.

15, 2018. The wedding party included Macie Valles ’19 and Mary Merkel ’13. The couple currently lives in Midland, TX. 24 Emily Isbell ’14 married Jake Mayfield on Sept.

8, 2018, in Terrell, TX. Alyssa Montemayor ’14 was the maid of honor and Caroline George ’14 was a bridesmaid.

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Births 01 Jenci Kocsis ’94 and wife Dr. Tiffani Kocsis welcomed their third child, Piper Adelaide, on Feb. 4, 2019. She joins her big brother Kellen (7 1/2) and big sister Paige (6). Patricia Kocsis ’66 is her proud grandmother along with aunt Julie Kocsis Sauceda ’92.

02 Kevin Bailey ’00 and his wife Rachel Tulchin welcomed their daughter, Harper Elizabeth Bailey, on Aug. 6, 2018.

03 Rita Carver Cunningham ’00 and her husband Dusty welcomed a baby girl, Blake Rita, in August 2018. She joins big brother Owen (3 1/2).

04 Christian Walker Perow ’01 and husband Michael welcomed Petula Blythe to their family on Jan. 28, 2019. She joins older siblings Eliot (16), Marlo (10) and Cullen (1).

05 Melissa Marsac Semmler ’01 and her husband Chris Semmler welcomed Dylan Ross on Oct. 19, 2018.

06 Sheradon Robbins Waits ’01 and her husband Seth welcomed their third child, Nolan Wallace, on March 17, 2018.

He joins big brothers Jameson (4) and Truett (2).

07 Rachele Carver Piazza ’02 and her husband Gordon Piazza ’02 welcomed their daughter, Isabel Rose, on April 15, 2019.

She joins proud big brother Gabriel (3 1/2).

08 Ashley Schuler Assel ’03 and her husband Tim welcomed Henry David born Feb. 4, 2019. He is adored by big brother Andrew Timothy (5) and big sister Hannah June (3).

09 Mack Hanning ’03 and his wife Jill welcomed Annie Haning. Annie is pictured at 18 months with grandmother Sally Manning Haning ’68.

10 Stephanie Best Oldaker ’03 and husband Adam welcomed their first child Hadley Blake on Oct. 29, 2018.

11 Christian ’03 and Rachel Farrell ’03 Russell welcomed Emma Isabella on April 10, 2018. She joined a very excited big brother Adam.

12 Lauren Hafertepe Allen ’05 and her husband Joe welcomed Joseph Michael on Nov. 21, 2018. His proud relatives are grandfather George Hafertepe ’76 and aunt Allison Hafertepe ’15.

13 Catie Pike ’05 gave birth to her son Miles Sebastian Baum on Oct. 11, 2018. He has already stolen the hearts of his uncle Chase Pike ’04 and aunt Stephanie Pike ’07.

14 Carla Dodson Giudice ’06 and husband Alessio welcomed their first child, Sofia Catherine, on Aug. 30, 2018. Sofia is also the niece of uncles John Dodson ’09 and Tony Dodson ’12, and the granddaughter of proud grandparents Allen and Rose Benedetto ’72 Dodson. She is also the great niece of Lynn Benedetto ’75 and Rick Benedetto ’78.

15 Alex ’07 and Emily Hoolan ’07 Adams welcomed their first child, Forrest Thomas, on Sept. 20, 2018.

16 James Merkel ’07 and his wife Sara welcomed James Alexander on March 9, 2019.

17 Mary Buechler McGiffin ’08 and her husband Daniel welcomed their fifth son on March 14, 2019. Little Finn Ambrose joins the brother club of Brendan (6), David (5), Matthew (3), and James (2). The family lives in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.

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Obituaries ALUMNI David Busse ’66 passed away on May 24, 2018.

Pam Cooper Kelly ’66 passed away on Jan. 11, 2019.

John Chitwood ’67 passed away on July 14, 2018. He was the brother of Mark Chitwood ’68, Kathy Chitwood Dulanski ’73 and Susan Chitwood Norman ’74 †.

Steve Matt ’67 passed away on Jan. 29, 2018, and was the brother of Rosemary Matt ’69 and David Matt ’77.

Antoinette “Toni” Shellenbarger Murr ’68 passed away on May 26, 2018.

Cary Tobolka ’70 passed away on June 19, 2018. He was the husband of Mary Kwilosz Tobolka ’72 and the father of Christine Tobolka Rentfro ’98 and Brooke Tobolka ’00. He was also the brother of Mike Tobolka ’73 and the brother-in-law of Kathryn Kwilosz Bates ’69, Patricia Kwilosz Riedel ’71 and Theresa Kwilosz ’75 and Anne Kwilosz Hill ’81.

Mike Dunson ’71 passed away on March 4, 2019.

He was the husband of Lois Pitman Dunson ’71 and the father of Steven Dunson ’08 and Christopher Dunson ’15 and the stepfather of

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Emily Herren Beller ’98 and Aimee Herren ’01.

He was also the brother of Linda Dunson Boyd ’66, Tim Dunson ’72, Kim Dunson Sine ’76 and Matt Dunson ’78 and the brother-in-law of Elsa Vidal Dunson ’76.

Jill Rule Cale ’72 passed away on July 21, 2018.

She was the wife of Chuck Cale ’72 and the mother of Katie Cale Frank ’09 and Kelsie Cale ’10. She was also the mother-in-law of Zach Frank ’11, as well as the sister-in-law of Roggie Cale ’67, Sheila Cale Bolton-Walden ’70, Terry Cale Polito ’74, and Mary Cale Mann ’75.

Margaret Cunzalo ’72 passed away in November 2018. She was the sister of Leonard Cunzalo ’75.

David “Kelly” Whitfill ’73 passed away on March 5, 2018. He was the husband of Debbie Durbin Whitfill ’73 and the brother of Cynthia Whitfill Burns ’69 and Steve Whitfill ’71.

John Nevitt ’74 passed away on Feb. 13, 2019. He was the brother of Mark Nevitt ’72, Matt Nevitt ’73, Renee Nevitt Davis ’75, Tom Nevitt ’77, David Nevitt ’78, Roxanne Nevitt ’80†, Nancy Nevitt Keller ’82, Jim Nevitt ’85, and Andrew Nevitt ’88 and the brotherin-law of Kathy Hemmi Nevitt ’73, Victor Keller ’74 and Susie Wong Nevitt

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’85. He was also the uncle of Nicole Kolb ’03, Nick Davis ’04, Scott Davis ’06, Abbey Nevitt ’06, Anna Nevitt Oddo ’10, Lauren Nevitt O’Quinn ’10, Thomas Nevitt ’11, Michael Nevitt ’13, Danielle Nevitt ’16 and current BL student Drew Nevitt (Class of 2022).

John Hampton ’75 passed away on Aug. 22, 2018.

Jose Muniz ’77 passed away on April 12, 2018.

He was the brother of Graciela Muniz ’78 and Enrique Muniz ’80.

Tu “Kim” Vo ’78 passed away on March 5, 2018.

He was the foster brother of Chris Orth ’76, John Orth ’77, Mark Orth ’79, and Matt Orth ’79.

Sharon Solar Cox ’79 passed away on May 28, 2018, and was the sister of Tony Solar ’74 and Edward Solar ’76†.

Marc Sikorski ’83 passed away on April 5, 2018. He was the brother of Ken Sikorski ’79†.

Ronnie Freeman ’87 passed away on June 8, 2018.

Michelle Melancon Dunkins ’92 passed away on Oct. 2, 2018. She was the sister of Jill Melancon ’80, Janet Melancon ’82 and Mark Melancon ’83. She was also a current BL faculty member and taught English to Friar students since 2002.

Lynn Bartolotta ’00 passed away on Nov. 16, 2018.

She was the daughter of Father Vic Bartolotta, former faculty member at Bishop Lynch. Lynn received an M.A. in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling posthumously from the University of South Florida (Tampa campus) on Dec. 8, 2018. She had previously received an M.A. in psychology from the University of South Florida (St. Petersburg campus) in 2016.

Emily Henderson ’12 passed away on June 4, 2018. She was the sister of Julia Henderson ’10.

CHILDREN Harlyn Marie Drysdale passed away in January 2019. She was the daughter of Chris Drysdale ’02 and the niece of Ashley Drysdale Fairley ’01.

Tobias “Toby” Larkin passed away on Dec. 26, 2018. He was the son of Mary Bosworth Larkin ’66 and the brother of Matthew Larkin ’90, Cheyney Larkin Crooks ’94, Shelley Larkin Aguirre ’97, and Sean Larkin ’99.

SIBLINGS Michael Geisler, II passed away on March 31, 2019.

He was the brother of Annie Geisler ’14.

Jim Holley passed away on Aug. 25, 2018. He was the brother of Joe Holley ’72 and Nancy Holley ’74.

James “Jimmie” McGarry passed away on May 16, 2019. He was the brother of Lucy McGarry ’19.

Margaret Lynch Morris passed away on Feb. 19, 2018. She was the sister of Joan Lynch Bell ’66 and Fran Lynch Galway ’69.

J. Lee Siegmund passed away on March 15, 2019. He was the brother of Dr. Marianne Siegmund ’84.

SPOUSES William Barbee passed away on Feb. 6, 2019. He was the husband of Linda Humphreys Barbee ’70.

Lynn Roffino passed away on Jan. 14, 2019. She was the wife of Anthony Roffino ’69.

Karon Williams passed away on Aug. 2, 2018, and was the wife of Lindsey Williams, Jr. ’77.

PAST PARENTS David Adams passed away on Sept. 25, 2018. He was the father of Rachel Adams Gonzales ’01 and Chris Adams ’03.

Rose Marie Avery was the mother of Christine Avery Harrell ’69, Patricia Avery Castillo ’74, Kenneth Avery ’77, Thomas Avery

’80, Teresa Avery ’81 and Alan Avery ’85.

Don Broome passed away on Feb. 14, 2019. He was the father of Carren Broome Soules ’84.

Denise Campisi-Keene passed away on June 25, 2018. She was the mother of Madison and Makenzie Keene ’11.

Evangeline Cashel passed away on Jan. 14, 2019. She was the mother of Rosie Cashel ’78† and Marion Cashel ’80†.

James Cecil passed away on April 23, 2018. He was the father of Cindy Cecil Mcanear ’86.

Allyne Cheek passed away on Feb. 19, 2019. She was the mother of Timothy Cheek ’75.

Michael Chester passed away on March 3, 2018, and was the father of Christopher Chester ’90.

Ruth Chin passed away on July 18, 2018. She was the mother of Patrick Gillock ’76, Mary Gillock Williams ’77, Lisa Gillock Matthews ’78, and Carol Gillock O'Neil ’79.

Nancy Condon passed away on Dec. 19, 2018.

She was the mother of John Condon ’80, Suzanne Condon ’81, Dan Condon ’83, and Sheila Condon ’90.

Emily DeSalvo passed away on Feb. 3, 2018. She was the mother of Cathy DeSalvo Turner ’94.

Patricia “Pat” Doing passed away on April 23, 2018.

She was the mother of Frances Doing Whitehead ’77, Winifred Doing ’78, Karen Doing Fritsche ’82, Scott Doing ’83, and

Laura Doing Osler ’86.

Joan English passed away on April 7, 2018. She was the mother of Susan English Holmes ’82, Margaret English Vieger ’83, Joe English ’84, and David English ’85.

Judith Frey passed away on Feb. 17, 2019. She was the mother of Joe Frey ’78, Kathleen Frey Halliday ’80 and Jason Frey ’85 and was the mother-in-law of Mary Mills Frey ’78.

Emma Ganter passed away on April 5, 2019.

She was the mother of Paul Ganter ’66, John Ganter ’67, Mary Ganter Shannon ’69, Martha Ganter Manley ’73, Elaine Ganter ’75, Robert Ganter ’77, Thomas Ganter ’78, James Ganter ’80, Eloise Ganter ’81, and Kevin Ganter ’83 and the mother-in-law of Michelle Parks Ganter ’88. She was also the grandmother of Nick Ganter ’90, Chris Ganter ’92, Ben Ganter ’92, Greg Ganter ’97, Lisa Ganter ’98, Chad Manley ’10, Allison Ganter ’14, and Emily Ganter ’17.

Lucia Golden passed away Feb. 4, 2019. She was the mother of Loriann Golden Sutton ’00.

Sam Grimes passed away on July 30, 2018. He was the father of Sarah Grimes Bell ’90, Shelly Grimes Biggerstaff ’93 and Scott Grimes ’96.

David Grinbergs passed away on Sept. 26, 2018.

He was the father of Rachel Grinbergs ’13, Sara Grinbergs ’14 and Andrew Grinbergs ’19.

Grace Hogan passed away on April 27, 2018. She was the mother of Patty

Hogan Satarino ’66 and Kathy Hogan Smith ’67.

Bertha Holley passed away on June 17, 2018. She was the mother of Joe Holley ’72 and Nancy Holley ’74 and the grandmother of Jeremy Civello ’94 and Jennifer Civello ’95.

Smith Howard, Jr. passed away on Nov. 2, 2018. He was the father of Mark Howard ’85 and Stephen Howard ’88 and the grandfather of Gabrielle Howard ’13 and Ayden Howard (Class of 2020).

Robert “Bob” Klein passed away on May 18, 2018. He was the father of Mindy Klein Grazulis ’71 and Chris Klein ’73. He was also the father-in-law of Connie Zipper Klein ’75 and the grandfather of Audrey Klein ’12.

Mary Margaret Kohr passed away on Dec. 8, 2018. She was the mother of Jeanne Kohr Miles ’90.

Mary Louise Kottwitz passed away on Sept.

20, 2018. She was the mother of Mary Kottwitz Rovira ’67, Bernard Kottwitz ’68, Richard Kottwitz ’69, Thomas Kottwitz ’70, John Kottwitz ’72, Catherine Kottwitz Franko ’75, Mark Kottwitz ’78, and Margaret Kottwitz Morrow ’78.

Henry Lalumia passed away on Nov. 20, 2018.

He was the father of Debra Lalumia Llewellyn ’79 and the father-in-law of Trey Llewellyn ’79. He was also the grandfather of Angela Llewellyn Marentette ’02, Sara Llewellyn Bohne ’04 and Samuel Llewellyn ’11.

Steve Landregan passed away on Nov. 25, 2018.

He was the father of Stephanie Landregan ’71, Deborah Landregan ’72, Genevieve Landregan ’73, Kathleen Landregan Wallner ’76, and Michael Landregan ’77 and the father-in-law of Mark Friend ’73.

Christopher Lane passed away on April 6, 2019, and was the father of Christopher Lane ’92, Taylor Lane ’99, Lindsay Lane Smith ’03, and Katie Lane ’04.

Joan Markey passed away on Nov. 5, 2018.

She was the mother of Ellen Markey ’74, Kevin Markey ’77 and Brian Markey ’85 and the grandmother of Sean Markey ’03.

John “Geary” McEvoy passed away on April 26, 2019. He was the father of Don McEvoy ’88, Todd McEvoy ’91 and Karen McEvoy Olson ’93.

Louise Mehan passed away on April 7, 2018. She was the mother of Ruth Mehan Uhl ’70, Helen Mehan ’72, The Reverend Joseph Mehan ’75, Joy Mehan ’76, Mary Mehan ’78, Emilie Mehan McVey ’79, and Grace Mehan ’83.

Peggy Morgan passed away on Sept. 16, 2018. She was the mother of Margaret Morgan Trammell ’66.

Elaine Nevitt passed away on April 11, 2018. She was the mother of Mark Nevitt ’72, Matt Nevitt ’73, John Nevitt ’74†, Renee Nevitt Davis ’75, Tom Nevitt ’77, David Nevitt ’78, Roxanne Nevitt ’80†, Nancy Nevitt Keller ’82, Jim Nevitt ’85, and Andrew Nevitt ’88 and the mother-in-law of Kathy Hemmi Nevitt ’73, Victor

Keller ’74 and Susie Wong Nevitt ’85. She was also the grandmother of Nicole Kolb ’03, Nick Davis ’04, Scott Davis ’06, Abbey Nevitt ’06, Anna Nevitt Oddo ’10, Lauren Nevitt O’Quinn ’10, Thomas Nevitt ’11, Michael Nevitt ’13, and Danielle Nevitt ’16.

Nellie O’Connell passed away on May 5, 2018. She was the mother of John O’Connell ’69 and Dan O’Connell ’70 and the mother-in-law of Michele Kapp O’Connell ’70. She was also the grandmother of Keri O’Connell Weinstein ’90, Dan O’Connell, Jr. ’93, Kate O’Connell Caballero ’95, and Michael O’Connell ’98.

Charles “Bo” Paradowski, Sr. passed away on Oct. 13, 2018. He was the father of Pam Paradowski Schultz ’78, Chuck Paradowski ’79, Jeff Paradowski ’84, and Beau Paradowski ’88 and the father-in-law of Diane Arata Paradowski ’79. He was also the grandfather of Chad Paradowski ’07, Chris Paradowski ’10 and Colton Paradowski ’13.

Linda Phearse passed away on July 13, 2018. She was the mother of Raquel Phearse Shepherd ’88 and Brandon Phearse ’95.

Mikel Rindflish passed away on Feb. 2, 2019, and was the father of Kayla Rindflish ’06.

Anna Rocha passed away on Feb. 4, 2019. She was the mother of Jerry Rocha ’95.

Raymond Roemen passed away on June 2, 2018. He was the father of Susan Roemen Merkel ’80, Lori Roemen Baumann

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’81, John Roemen ’83, Kathleen Roemen Gordon ’86, and Karen Roemen Polzer ’89. He was also the father-in-law of Charles Gordon ’87.

Dr. Michael Wheeler passed away on Jan. 16, 2019. He was the father of David Wheeler ’82, Brent Wheeler ’84 and Craig Wheeler ’84.

Ralph “Buddy” Russell, Jr. passed away on Jan. 25, 2019. He was the father of Amy Russell ’01.

Elsie White passed away on Feb. 7, 2019. She was the mother of Eileen White ’70.

Virgilio Sanchez passed away on May 3, 2018. He was the father of Virgil Sanchez, Jr. ’77, John Sanchez ’77 and Mark Sanchez ’83.

Eileen Williams passed away on Feb. 23, 2019.

She was the mother of Michael Williams ’75 and Mary Elizabeth “Beth” Williams Spicer ’78 as well as the grandmother of Melissa Williams ’10 and Nathaniel Williams ’13.

Charles Todora passed away on April 19, 2019. He was the father of Angela Todora McDonough ’80, Joseph Todora ’80 and David Todora ’83.

Albert Turinsky passed away on Oct. 26, 2018.

He was the father of Terri Turinsky Nevitt ’73, Valerie Turinsky Storer ’75 and Anita Turinsky Navarro ’78.

Ed Urbanus passed away on Feb. 25, 2018. He was the father of Jim Urbanus ’73, Julie Urbanus Robbins ’78, Nancy Urbanus Dillon ’79, Andrew Urbanus ’82, and Matt Urbanus ’86. He was also the grandfather of Annie Urbanus ’10, Grace Urbanus ’13 and Jack Urbanus ’15.

Janie Vega passed away on Dec. 19, 2018. She was the mother of Javier Vega ’87 and Jaime Vega ’91.

Trudi Weinberger passed away on March 20, 2018.

She was the mother of Karen Weinberger Green ’75, Julia Weinberger Fitzpatrick ’76, The Reverend Paul Weinberger ’77, and Brian Weinberger ’79.

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Lindsey Williams, Sr. passed away on Oct. 15, 2018. He was the father of Lindsey Williams, Jr. ’77.

Marilyn Withey passed away on Dec. 17, 2018.

She was the mother of Sharon Withey Pfeiffer ’81, Susan Withey Escobar ’82, Stephen Withey ’87, and Anne Withey Lohden ’89.

Nancy Wolfe passed away on Feb. 8, 2018. She was the mother of Sue Wolfe Patterson ’79.

GRANDPARENTS Mary Adaline Allen passed away on Oct. 31, 2018.

She was the grandmother of Kathleen Cadigan Howard ’08 and Trevor Cadigan ’10†.

Gus Freitag, Jr. passed away on March 21, 2019.

He was grandfather of Aaron Jaska ’01, Craig Jaska ’04, Hayley Jaska ’06, and Amelia Jaska Nelson ’11. He was also the father of Deborah Freitag Jaska, current BL employee, and father-inlaw of Curtis Jaska ’73.

Bill King passed away on

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Nov. 9, 2018. He was the grandfather of Jacob King ’13.

William “Bill” O’Bryant passed away on Oct. 21, 2018, and was the grandfather of Kristen O’Bryant Van’t Westeinde ’04 and Nicole O’Bryant ’11.

James Purse, III passed away on Sept. 29, 2018.

He was the grandfather of Richard Toussaint ’15.

Mary Jane Seiler passed away on Feb. 14, 2019.

She was the grandmother of Mary Barton ’03, Tommy Barton ’06 and Maggie Barton ’09 and was also the mother of Patty Barton, current BL employee.

Albert Stansbury passed away on Nov. 4, 2018.

He was the grandfather of Courtney Stansbury Johnson ’08, Ashley Stansbury ’12, Ryan Stansbury ’15, and Sydney Stansbury ’18 and the father-in-law of Sandy Sellers Stansbury ’82.

Mollye Vilbig passed away on Sept. 12, 2018. She was the grandmother of Jacob King ’13.

Regino “Ronnie” Villareal passed away on March 5, 2018. He was the fatherin-law of Tom Buechel ’85 and the grandfather of Caroline Buechel ’17.

He was also the uncle of Artie Arista ’80, Tommy Villareal ’80, Nina Villareal ’82, and Ana Arista ’83.

Georg von Tiesenhausen passed away on June 3, 2018. He was the grandfather of Margrit Krischel Kothe ’86.

Interestingly, he was one of the last space pioneers from the German rocket team

that lauched the U.S. space program for NASA. FORMER FACULTY Sister Marie Amanda Allard, who taught at Bishop Lynch from 19791982, passed away on Oct. 7, 2018.

Ron Grubbs passed away on July 15, 2018. He was the husband of Evelyn Grubbs, former Bishop Lynch principal.

Christopher Eric Stepp passed away June 26, 2018.

He was the son of David Stepp, former Bishop Lynch faculty member.

Save the Dates Oct. 18 Alumni

Homecoming Party Nov. 2 Alumni Mass of Remembrance Jan. 7 Alumni Taco Tuesday (BL classes 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016)

March 7

Legacy Gala

April 30 BL

Giving Day May 18 Colin's Classic Golf Tournament

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MISSION STATEMENT Faithful to Catholic tradition and to our Dominican heritage of scholarship and service, Bishop Lynch High School promotes the development of the total person by bringing together a diverse community in a rigorous, college preparatory environment where students are taught to strive for excellence, seek truth, and work for justice in the world.

Revised 2014