The Gear--March 2024

BOSCO TECH’S MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

THE GEAR

ENGINEERS DAY AT THE TECH --WELCOME HOME, ALUMNI

ISSUE 138 MARCH 2024

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Hello, Tech family-We once again hosted successful alumni in engineering and science professions for a very informative Engineers Day. We’re very grateful for their time and unique insights, but more, for the essential life skills and character traits for success in business and personal relationships that they shared with our students.

From the how-to presentations and Q&A sessions I was honored to to sit in on, our Techmen shared with their younger ‘brothers’ invaluable reminders to embrace their career and life responsibilities, to own up to their mistakes and, when necessary, to correct what is needed to smoothly move forward.

I heard alumni reminding students that the ability to effectively communicate outweighs any other skill, training or talent. And I heard our students ask mature and thoughtful questions of our speakers. What an inspiring and practical opportunity for these young men!

That willingness to guide and to transparently share insights from their professional and educational experiences are part of the intangible bond I believe connects Techmen, wherever they go and whatever they accomplish.

At the small reception after the presentations, the alumni guests engaged with many of their former instructors--who remembered them well--and shared fun stories of their days as students. Many attribute their professional success to life lessons instilled in them back then, from instructors who inspired them and taught them to persevere and apply themselves.

That, to me, is a perk of working on campus for so many years. I see the ongoing cycle of our mission to educate coming to fruition through the decades, and those positively impacted paying it forward. May God bless our alumni who give back, and our students who will follow in their footsteps in the coming years.

With gratitude,

FOLLOW THE TECH

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Memo Gutierrez (AU ‘83) President

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES SHARE YOUR GOOD NEWS

Senior parents, please remind your sons to log in to their Scoir. com accounts and share their college acceptances as they receive them.

We’re incredibly excited for these young men and the opportunities that are before them and want to share in it all with you. Additionally, it helps our College Counseling program continue to provide up-to-date information to our families.

INTERNSHIP CANDIDATES PRACTICE PREPARING FOR JOB INTERVIEWS Juniors completing the Tech’s internship preparation program are currentlyreadying themselves for interviews. Following an intensive overview of communication skills, the students are working on how to best respond to the “Tell me about yourself” question and other tricky inquiries like “Tell me about your weaknesses.” They also learned about elevator speeches, a brief way of introducing yourself and sharing several accomplishments and goals.

At a recent lunch and learn interviewing workshop, the participating juniors tried out their elevator speeches in speed interviewing exercises where they asked each other tough interview questions and critiqued each other’s responses, body language and overall impression. The group also worked on developing a strong professional presence and demeanor, including lessons in the proper hand shake, making eye contact and utilizing positive body language needed for a successful interview.

Mock interviews with Tech administrators begin in March. The interviewers will provide constructive suggestions and helpful hints for students to ace future professional opportunities.

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ALUMS RETURN FOR ENGINEERS DAY Making cool stuff that works in space, succeeding in technology fields, and navigating AI were among the topics at the Tech’s Engineers Day on Feb. 22. Because the school has graduated generations of leaders in engineering and STEM-based professions, the annual celebration is a highlight of the school year featuring Techmen.

Many thanks to our alumni; we’re grateful to these Techmen for sharing practical guidance in education and career pathways with current students: • • • • • • • • • • •

Landon Acevedo (ACE ‘15) Marco Aiello (DE ‘93)--Owner/Partner--SGI Hollywood (Cinema Quality Control Services) John Denning (MS ‘88) Hardware Engineering Director, Northrup Grumman Juan Diaz--President/CEO, JMD Steve Leathers--VP, Operations, Reyes Construction Bryan Lee (MS ‘09)--Senior Scientist, AbbVie (Pharmaceuticals Research and Development) Leonard Lucero (MT ‘84)--Mechanical Ground Support, Lockheed Martin Mark Martinez (EL ‘11)--Senior Frontend Engineer, BeSmartee Adrian Pacheco (MT ‘08)--Sales Engineer, Cirtec Medical (Medical Impant Manufacturing) Kevin Park (EL ‘89)--Consultant, Various Companies Frank Lora (CSEE ‘17)--Test Engineer II, Sig Sauer Firearms

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COMPETITION CHEER TEAM CHAMPS TIGER CHEER BRINGS HOME TITLE And they did it again... Congratulations to the amazing Tiger Competition Cheer Team! Last Saturday, they traveled to Knott’s Berry Farm and came home as State Champs in both the Performance Cheer and Small Advanced Show Cheer Divisions!

In addition, Junior Ahliana Medina placed 3rd in Jr. Division and Kiana Wong placed 3rd in Sr. Division Jump Off Contest. And team parents, coaches and friends cheered and danced to help them secure the state “Most Enthusiastic” award.

Next up, these winning athletes will participate in the NRG Dance and Cheer State Competition on March 2.

BLARNEY & BLESSINGS IS MARCH 10 TECH COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER TO REMEMBER BISHOP DAVE Don’t miss it--Bishop Dave’s Blarney and Blessings 2024; the Tech community comes together on Sunday, March 10, to remember the one and only Bishop David O’Connell. All proceeds from the evening provide tuition assistance.

Visit https://www.boscotech.edu/stpatricks today for details and tickets. This event is sure to sell out!

Don’t miss it--Bishop Dave’s Blarney and Blessings 2024; the Tech community comes together on Sunday, March 10, to remember the one and only Bishop David O’Connell. All proceeds from the evening provide tuition assistance.

BLARNEY & BLESSINGS,

Visit https://www.boscotech.edu/stpatricks today for details and tickets. This event is sure to sell out!

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STUDENTS OF THE MONTH FEBRUARY 2024 The Tech’s Student of the Month award recognizes success in the classroom and celebrates the outstanding characteristics of our students as citizens of the school community. The following young men were voted on by their teachers to receive this recognition for February. These students were voted on by their teachers to receive this recognition for February:

Freshman Brandon Ayala

Sophomore Jose Alvarez, Jr.

Junior Clark Canada Senior Donivan Schweiger

men h c e T , e n o d l Wel

SPACE SHUTTLE MOCK UP CREW The NLG Team is halfway done with sanding down the parts that make up the nose landing gear.

After sanding, the team applied a primer coat on the parts and checked the finish for smoothness.

Next, was the final coat of paint. Great job, gentlemen!

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CHRISTIAN SERVICE AWARDS

ARCHDIOCESE RECOGNIZES STUDENT & TEACHER

Annually, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles honors students and instructors from all Catholic high schools for their significant contributions in the area of Christian service. For these awards:. On March 12, representatives of Bosco Tech will be recognized for their exemplary service: Andrei De La Cruz is a member of the National Honor Society. He helped bring back the school’s Math Tutoring program, in which he recruited tutors and tutees as far back as 2022.

Andrei is also the Senior Advisor for the Character Assembly Committee where he helps oversee all aspects of monthly student body gatherings that celebrate accomplishments and promote positive student behavior. He directs the team that decides on the assembly’s theme and the scripture verse; delegates or directly assists in creating the reflection; creates the slideshow presentation; finds guest speakers; writes the event’s script; helps decorate for the event; and makes sure that the committee knows what they are supposed to do before, during and after each assembly. In this role, Andrei guides the Christian Service of many others, while also continuing to build his own path.

Andrei is also part of the team that prepares school prayer services, liturgies, and retreats. At the beginning of the school year, he was especially helpful as part of the summertime Freshmen Salesian Experience, an overnight retreat for our newest students that includes a beach trip with Mass on the sand. As a senior, Andrei became a leader at the last Kairos retreat.

All of these activities have helped Andrei to demonstrate leadership and service in the area of Youth Ministry. He has consistently demonstrated his faith and compassion with an attitude of humility and joy. We are proud to nominate him for the Christian Service Award.

Dr. Carolina Schmeisser has taught at the Tech for nearly 18 years, primarily in the World Languages department, teaching three levels of regular Spanish (I, II and III) and Bilingual (I, II). She has served as coordinator of the school’s teacher Professional Development program for several years and is a long time member of the school’s education committee. Prior to that she has co-moderated the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica and moderated the school’s Spanish Club for many years.

It is in these areas that Dr. Schmeisser has been instrumental in leading several branches of Bosco Tech’s many service programs.

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CHRISTIAN SERVICE AWARDS

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She shared about this work; “It is a fantastic way to get students to experience the joy in being of service to others, having a fun time interacting with their peers while helping others at the same time.

Students discover their hidden talents that may change views of the value of every person and their own self-worth.”

Dr. Schmeisser has guided her students with toy drives, tutoring at schools from East LA to Rosemead, and volunteering annually at local marathons, among other activities. She enjoys watching, “students gain new experiences in performing a service beyond themselves, while discovering the different backgrounds of others they are working for and with, as they work towards a common goal. Service to others creates understanding, empathy, and self-efficacy.”

In addition to her Christian Service work, Dr. Schmeisser volunteers her time every morning before school to supervise the morning food service program. She does this partially because of a close friendship she has developed with the manager of the food service program, but also because it gives a chance to interact with students before they begin their coursework and the routines of their day. This has allowed her to build closer relationships with her students and allows them to see her in an environment outside of the classroom. An important part of the Salesian Education System, developed in Italy during the mid-1800’s by St. John Bosco, is to be Present with young people, building a second Home for them, expressing John Bosco’s System through Reason, Religion and Loving Kindness. This is Dr. Schmeisser; she has been an amazing example of a true Salesian Educator.

Congratulations and many thanks to both Dr. Schmeisser and Andrei De La Cruz!

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ALUMNI, WE’RE HEADED YOUR WAY COMING SOON TO D.C., DENVER, VEGAS & MORE Alumni, join us in the coming weeks for networking with your Tech brothers from the area. Getting together Techmen, no matter where you live-that’s what these free gatherings are all about. No speeches, no fund requests-just an opportunity to catch up with Tech alumni in your neighborhood, enjoy appetizers and a beverage in a low-key setting, and visit with your brothers for a while.

We’re looking forward to seeing you! The events start at 5:30 p.m.--no set end time. Complimentary beer and Phoenix alumni reception 2024 at Four Peaks Brewery brought together: heavy appetizers will be served. Please Tony Moore (‘82), Joseph Balian (AU ’ 85), John Berilla (ME ’75), Dana join us; we’re looking forward to seeing Berilla, Memo Gutierrez (AU ’83), Fred Swirbul (EL ’ 80) and Joseph Kutschka (Machine Shop ‘61). you!

For details, all upcoming locations and to RSVP, visit: https://www.boscotech.edu/alumni/out-of-town-alumni-receptions.

35TH ANNUAL TECH GOLF CLASSIC DATE SET FOR POPULAR EVENT Watch social media for details about the 35th Annual Bosco Tech Golf Classic at the Hacienda Golf Club on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024.

Called the ‘jewel of the canyon,’ the beautiful and historic private course is located in La Habra Heights. For several years, Tiger Woods held the course record.

Line up your foursome--this event will sell out quickly!

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SPORTS UPDATE

BY ATHLETIC DIRECTOR VINCENT NOLASCO WINTER SPORTS WRAP UP: Tiger Soccer had three student-athletes who earned All-League honors. Senior Marco Garcia earned First Team All Santa Fe League. Sophomore Eric Alvarez and senior Noah Martinez earned Second Team All Santa Fe League.

Great job by Coach Michael Mojarro for his leadership and guidance of these student-athletes in the soccer program!

Tiger Basketball ended the league season with an undefeated record of 10-0 and earned back-to-back Santa Fe league championships. Junior Jaden Erami was selected as MVP of the Santa Fe League and First Team. In addition, there were three students who earned First Team All Santa Fe league honors: senior Ryan Osborne, junior Darius Benitez and senior Andrew Hernandez. The following student-athletes were selected to Second Team All Santa Fe League honors: freshman Kennith Martinez and junior David Tadian.

The Tigers ended the CIF-SS Division 3A playoffs as finalists. In addition, they qualified for back-to-back seasons in the CIF State Southern Regional Tournament. The CIF State Southern Regional Tournament is made up of semifinalists from the CIF-Southern Section, CIF-LA City Section, CIF San Diego and CIF Central Section.

This year we are in Division III. The basketball team won both their first three round games against Rancho Buena Vista, Woodbridge and San Marcos. As of the printing of The Gear, the Tigers will face Alemany High School, in the next round.

You’ve done amazingly well, Tiger basketball team and coaches!

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SPORTS UPDATE CONTINUED

SPRING SPORTS: Esports is in full action this season and under the leadership of Coach Stephen Andryshak. The various Esports teams are looking forward to competing and making playoffs for their respective leagues.

Baseball started their season three weeks ago. They are 3-2 so far, and 1-0 in the Santa Fe League. Coach Daniel Quintana’s first season in the Santa Fe league looks promising for Tiger baseball.

Volleyball is 3-1 so far in the season.

They made the preseason watch list for Division Seven. Camino Real League play starts next week. Coach Reyes is looking to make a playoff push in the Camino Real league.

Track and Field is led by Coach Blayze Fimbres. The track and field program participates in various invitationals during the month of March and has three league cluster meets at St. Paul High School. Tigers are led by league champion in discus and CIF-SS qualifier senior Jake Ayala and CIF-SS qualifier Daniel Cendejas.

The Golf program is led by second-year Head Coach Brian Waters. He has expanded his program to field a junior varsity team this season. Senior Lucas Christman is hoping to qualify for CIF at the end of the season. Varsity golf has their matches at Whittier Narrows.

The Tiger tennis program is led by veteran Head Coach Rudy Herrera. Tiger tennis is looking to improve from this past season and hoping to qualify a student or two for league finals. Varsity tennis plays matches at Whittier Narrows.

Follow the Athletic Department Instagram and X accounts for all athletic department updates, scores and game day posts.

Go Tigers! --Mr. Nolasco

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IN GRATITUDE The Bosco Tech community is extremely grateful for all recent donations made by generous foundations, organizations and alumni. Among those gifts:

February 2024: Name

Ahmanson Foundation Blanche M. Walsh Charity Trust

Amount $50,000 $ 3,500

Purpose Scholarships Scholarships

Bosco Tech truly appreciates our benefactors who share our mission to educate young people. Please let us know if you have connections to a charitable foundation, or if your employer has a grant-making program. Contact Manager of Foundation Relations Anne Sigoloff at asigoloff@boscotech.edu or (626) 940-2027.

ROSE PARADE BAND PRACTICE We gathered our brother schools (and sister musicians too) to “showcase Salesian talent,” as Tech President Memo Gutierrez said at the Tournament of Roses kick-off band meeting at the Tech in mid-February.

Named the Salesians of Don Bosco Southern Calfironia High School Marching Band, the composite group will represent Bishop Mora Salesian High School, Don Bosco Technical Institute and St. John Bosco High School.

We’re incredibly excited for our talented musicians to march on New Year’s Day. Hundreds of bands from all over the world apply for this once-in-a-lifetime chance; our group is one of only 24 selected! Bringing to fruition the 2025 Pasadena Tournament of Roses theme, “Best Day Ever!” Yes, it will be!

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ACE SENIORS PREP DESIGN BUILD ACE SENIORS TO SHOW THEIR SKILLS

Seniors in ACE are hard at work, preparing for the 2024 Construction Industry Education Foundation Design Build Southern California competition in early April.

The two-day hands-on event, held at Golden West College, is an opportunity for student teams to demonstrate their architectural, construction and teambuilding skills while connecting with local industry and architectural mentors.

The Techmen will be competing against 24 Southern California teams for awards and scholarships.

Under the careful direction of ACE Chair Brian Waters and instructor Ms. Marlena Jackson, the students have designed a usable structure and are building a mock up in the ACE lab. The materials for the mock up were donated by Tony Christman the owner of Sitework Concrete Systems Inc. Once at the competition, they will be timed and monitored as they construct their design from the ground up.

The senior team members are Adam Beam, Anthony Ramirez, Christopher Vicario, Isaac Alcantar, Jake Ayala, Jorge Mendoza, Jose Carrera, Juan Pablo Rodriguez, Khiru Khan, Luca Herrera, Lucas Christman, Marco Garcia, Mario Vasquez, Michael Sanchez, Raymond Valdepena, Ryan Osborne, and Sean Sotelo.

“The competition always brings out the best in our students,” Mr. Waters said. “These young men have solid design abilities and also the practical skills to put together the structure, while working together cooperatively and efficiently.” ​ s in past years, our seniors have gone over and beyond in their preparation by earning OSHA A certification prior to the competition. This industry-standard licensing will earn them extra points in the competition’s final tally. ACE teams consistently win awards for their architectural and building prowess.

The CIEF is dedicated to promoting career awareness in the construction industry among high school students and annually hosts this timed hands-on contest. Each competing high school team was challenged to design and prepare several construction documents according to criteria outlined by CIEF. Teams then build structures during the two-day competition and are judged by industry professionals on design completion, construction, code compliance, and safety.

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TECH HOSTS MASTERPIECE FLL EVENT TECH ROBOTICS TEAM LEADS YOUTH MATCH

The Tech’s Robotics team hosted First Lego League teams in a mid-February MASTERPIECE Cup Challenge. The FFL offers events and challenges for 4- to 16-year-olds to spark an early interest in STEM fields and to encourage exploration of design and programming.

The Tech event, primarily for rookie teams, brought ten teams and their advisors and coaches to campus for competitions and an awards ceremony.

“Hosting the challenge was a great opportunity for our students to practice leadership skills and share their experience with younger teams,” said Assistant Principal of Technology Luis Garza, who oversees the school’s outreach programs. “Articulating the tech knowledge they’ve gained lets them pass it on while reinforcing it for them too.”

TIGER BASKETBALL MAKES THE NEWS The Tiger basketball team made the news!

Did you see it? Santa Barbara News Channel 12 Sports Director Mike Klan reported on the Tech’s recent playoff game against Santa Barbara High School. Because it was a home game for the Tigers, our gym, fans, players, and cheer team are featured. https://keyt.com/news/local-news/topstories/2024/02/17/sb-dons-come-up-justshort-in-road-semifinal-game-at-bosco-tech/

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MARCH 2024

Please note that dates, events and locations are subject to change. Check the school’s full calendar at https://www.boscotech.edu/student-life/calendar for the latest updates.

FRI 3/1 DANCE AT 7 PM TUES-FRI 3/5-3/8 THIRD QUARTER EXAMS TUES 3/5 PARENT COUNCIL MEETING AT 6 PM SAT 3/9 VOLLEYBALL BOOSTERS’ CLOTHING DRIVE IN THE YAC 12 NOON TO 2 PM SUN 3/10 ST. PATRICK’S BLARNEY AND BLESSINGS CELEBRATION AT 5 PM MON 3/11 QUARTER BREAK (SCHOOL CLOSED) TUES 3/12 FOURTH QUARTER BEGINS

LA ARCHDIOCESE CHRISTIAN SERVICE AWARDS WED 3/13 WINTER SPORTS RALLY

JUNIOR CLASS UNITY & RING CEREMONY THURS-SUN 3/14-3/17 FRC LA REGIONAL ROBOTICS COMPETITION MON 3/18 JUNIOR CLASS RETREAT FRI 3/22 PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES (NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS) SAT 3/23 S.T.A.R. PROGRAM MATH TUTORING SUN 3/24 PALM SUNDAY MON 3/25 WOODBURY UNIVERSITY INSTANT DECISION DAY FOR TECH SENIORS TUES 3/26 LA ARCHDIOCESE CHRISTIAN SERVICE AWARD CEREMONY AT 10 AM TUES-WED 3/26-3/27 EASTER SERVICES AND RECONCILLIATION BY THEOLOGY CLASSES THURS-SUN 3/28-4/7 EASTER BREAK SUN 3/31 EASTER SUNDAY--HE IS RISEN! MON 4/1 SCHOOL OFFICE CLOSED TUES-THURS 4/2-4/4 SCHOOL OFFICE HOURS 8 AM TO 3 PM FRI 4/5 SCHOOL OFFICE CLOSED MON 4/8 CLASSES RESUME TUES-FRI 4/9-4/12 KAIROS 96 SUN 4/21 FATHER/SON BREAKFAST & MASS

HAPPY EASTER, TECH FAMILY!