Academy of Distinguished Dons 2023 Program

Friday, March 3, 2023 Cathedral Catholic High School

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Friday, March 3, 2023 Cathedral Catholic High School

MENU

BY KABUL WEST

Fig and Goat Cheese Roma Bruschetta on a Crostini Crab Stuffed Mushroom Tuna Tartare Cranberry Pear Salad with Candy Walnuts and Cranberry Vinaigrette Sautéed Parmesan String Beans with Mushrooms Butter Herb Mash Potato Grilled Eggplant with Creamy Garlic Aioli Lemon Butter Sea Bass with Coriander Chimichurri Sauce Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce and Marinara Sauce Rice World-Famous Dons Cookies with Vanilla Ice Cream

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ALUMNI BOARD 5 EXECUTIVE ALUMNI BOARD 6 ACADEMY OF DISTINGUISHED DONS CRITERIA 7 2023 INDUCTEES 8 MEMBERS OF THE ACADEMY OF DISTINGUISHED DONS 48 GRATITUDE 50

AGEN DA

COCKTAILS AND RED CARPET

PRAYER AND GRACE

Fr. Paul de Soza

BUFFET DINNER

WELCOME MESSAGE

Sean Doyle ‘80, Director of Alumni

AWARDS CEREMO NY

Proceeds Benefit the Alumni Scholarships

MASTER OF CEREMONIES JOHN MONTALI ‘88

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ohn Montali is a USDHS graduate from the class of 1988, where he excelled in both football and basketball. He is in his twentyseventh year teaching biology to the Dons in the classroom. He has coached the Dons Varsity Football Team for the past twentynine seasons, twenty-seven of which he has served as the defensive coordinator. Montali has led stellar defensive units, winning CIF titles in 1998, 1999, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018 and 2019, a State Division II Championship in 2008 and Division 1 in 2016, and Southern California Champs in 2018. John is married to his high school sweetheart, Michelle LeTourneau Montali ‘88.

They have four children, Ava ‘19, Joseph ‘22, Daniel ‘26 and future Don, Caroline ‘31.

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ALUMNI BOARD CO-PRESIDENTS

Marissa Douglass Sumler ‘06 Brooke Finley Mulvain ‘08 TREASURER

Lee Ann Najjar Iagmin ‘87 SECRETARY

Dawn Manning Suprenant ‘83 John Knudsen ‘76 Antoinette Busalacchi DeSantis ‘81 Tom Rickling ‘85 Jonathan Benet ‘02 Kevin Meissner ‘02 Tracy Skorheim ‘06 Tyler Gaffney ‘09 Josh Jacko ‘10 Teresa Murphy ‘12 Drew Gaffney ‘13

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EXECUTIVE ALUMNI BOARD Larry Van Wey ‘62 Steve Boudreau ‘69 Jim Mulvaney ‘74 Jim Waters ‘73 Martin Correia ‘87 Anne Pickard Majer ‘95

SELECTION COMMITTEE

Steve Boudreau ‘69, Distinguished Don Veronica Myers ‘72 Karen Tisi Jassoy ‘84 Tom Rickling ‘85 Martin Correia ‘87, Distinguished Don Lee Ann Iagmin ‘87 Dawn Lee ‘89, Distinguished Don Suzanne Robertson McComic ‘93 Andrew Balelo ‘99 Valentyna Garcia-Banner ‘02 Scotty Prunty ‘20

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THE ACADEMY OF DISTINGUISHED DONS The Dons Alumni Association recognizes and honors distinguished Dons alumni and special friends who positively impact the world by using their talents and resources to benefit Catholic education and the communities around them. These distinguished Dons support the mission of Catholic education and also value the Dons’ shared traditions and memories.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

1. The candidate is a graduate of Cathedral Girls High School, University of San Diego High School or Cathedral Catholic High School or a person who has a special relationship with the aforementioned, such as a teacher, administrator, volunteer, donor, etc.

2. The candidate has achieved success or recognition in an occupation, avocation or accomplishment that reflects positively on the reputation and Catholic Tradition of USDHS, CGHS and CCHS, according to the collective judgment of the selection committee and the presiding board of the Dons Alumni Association.

3. Candidates will be considered for admission to the Academy from time to time by the presiding board of the Dons Alumni Association upon nomination by a member of the board, an alumnus, faculty member or administrator of USDHS, CGHS or CCHS, and with the consent of CCHS administration.

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HONORING THE 2023 INDUCTEES

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THE LATE RICK KNEESHAW ‘65

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ichard “Rick” Kneeshaw graduated from University of San Diego High School in 1965. He was born in San Diego, California, to Harriet and Richard Kneeshaw, but he spent much of his childhood in Los Angeles. Rick contracted polio at three years of age and received ongoing treatment at Shriners Hospital for Children in Los Angeles, where he also attended elementary school. During his time as a student at Uni, Rick was a proud announcer at Dons Football games. He was on the swim team and was involved in El Cid and the Pep Club. Rick also sang in the school choir.

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Rick graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. After graduating from Cal Poly, Rick returned to San Diego, where he worked for Rohr Industries & Litton Automated Systems for twenty-five years. During this time, he worked on building automated warehousing systems for British Airways, Caterpillar and General Mills. After concluding his engineering career, Rick returned to his studies and received a Master of Arts in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego in 1998. He then began teaching math at his alma mater, University of San Diego High School.

Upon returning to San Diego after graduating from Cal Poly, Rick had become active in the San Diego Catholic Alumni Club where he met and married Lenora Schulte of Emery, South Dakota, in 1972. Their daughter, Kathy, was born in 1974. Rick and Lenora enjoyed traveling through Europe, numerous cross-country trips in their motorhome and cruising the world together.

Rick loved being a member of the Dons community. His daughter, Kathy (Kneeshaw) McIntosh, graduated from Uni in 1992, and his grandchildren, Emma and Andrew McIntosh, are members of Cathedral Catholic High School’s class of 2021 and 2024, respectively. Rick served as school board president at USDHS, and when the school was in the process of moving to the Cathedral Catholic High School campus, he was involved in helping design the campus layout. Rick was a proud member of the Uni class of 1965 reunion committee and enjoyed monthly lunches with the class of ‘65. He loved watching Uni/CCHS football games.

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Rick was an active volunteer in the community and treasured the friendships he formed through his involvement. He served as a leader in establishing Good Shepherd Catholic School, as president of the San Diego Post-Polio Survivors Group and board member of the Disability Rights Legal Center. Rick loved serving as the “unofficial” mayor of his neighborhood through baking bread, woodworking, talking on his ham radio, walking his beloved dog, Charlie, in the park and watching his grandchildren grow.

Rick peacefully passed into God’s hands surrounded by his family after a short battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer on February 4, 2020. Rick is survived by his wife of forty-seven years, Lenora, his daughter, Kathy (Tyler) McIntosh ‘92, his grandchildren, Emma ‘21 and Andrew ‘24 McIntosh, his brother, George (Terry) Kneeshaw, his sisters, Rosalie (Norm) Lorenzen and MaryAnn (Larry) Parkhurst, nineteen nieces and nephews and his dog, Charlie.

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CAMERON CROWE ‘73

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ameron Crowe graduated from University of San Diego High School in 1972 at fifteen years old (Cameron graduated early as a junior but was technically in the class of 1973). He was born in Palm Springs, California, and was raised in San Diego by his parents, James and Alice. Recognizing that Cameron was gifted, his mother pushed him to excel. He skipped kindergarten and two grades in elementary school, and by the time he attended Uni, he was quite obviously younger than the other students. Cameron began writing for the school newspaper, and by age thirteen, he was contributing music reviews for an underground publication, The San Diego Door. While at Uni, he was involved in Speech and Debate and worked on his own

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underground campus newspaper, Common Sense.

On a trip to Los Angeles, Cameron met Ben Fong-Torres, the editor of Rolling Stone. He joined the staff of Rolling Stone, where he was a contributing editor and later, an associate editor. Cameron profiled such influential music world figures as Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Neil Young, Eric Clapton and the members of Led Zeppelin.

In 1979, Cameron (then 22) returned to high school as a senior to research his book on teen life. Fast Times at Ridgemont High became a best-seller and Universal Pictures, which had optioned the book while it was still in galley form, signed Cameron to write the screenplay. Released in the summer of 1982 and directed by Amy Heckerling, Fast Times at Ridgemont High became one of the year’s biggest hits and helped launch the careers of Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Forest Whitaker, Nicolas Cage and Eric Stoltz. Cameron’s screenplay was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Screen Adaptation.

Cameron regularly returned to his roots, penning liner notes for Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Peter Frampton and Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was nominated for a Grammy for his work on Bob Dylan’s Biograph box set.

In 1989, Cameron made his feature film directorial debut with his original screenplay Say Anything… The now iconic scene of John Cusack holding a boombox over his head has become part of pop culture. Cameron’s next hit as both writer and director came just a few years later. Jerry Maguire, starring Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger, was released in 1996 to strong box office results and

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was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture.

Almost Famous, which Cameron wrote and directed, was released in 2000 and was the culmination of a ten-year journey to put Cameron’s experiences working for Rolling Stone on film. It was cited on over 150 critic’s Top 10 Lists and received six Golden Globe and four Academy Award nominations. It received two Golden Globes: Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical and Best Supporting Actress, Kate Hudson. Cameron was awarded the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and a Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Medium. Almost Famous opened up in the theatrical debut at Olde Globe in San Diego in 2019. Cameron went on to produce Vanilla Sky, Elizabethtown, We Bought a Zoo and Aloha.

Other projects of Cameron’s over the years include a 1983 Tom Petty special for MTV, Pearl Jam’s DVD Single Video Theory, the documentary Pearl Jam Twenty and his latest project, which is also his first television series for Showtime, Roadies, starring Luke Wilson.

Cameron has twin boys, William James Crowe (named after Billy Wilder and Crowe’s late father, James) and Curtis Wilson Crowe (in honor of his ex-wife Nancy Wilson and Pearl Jam manager and longtime friend, Kelly Curtis). He resides in Southern California.

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DOUG BARBA ‘80

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oug Barba graduated from University of San Diego High School in 1980. He was raised by his parents in the Mission Hills neighborhood of San Diego and attended St. Vincent de Paul School. Doug hails from an extensive family of Dons, including his siblings, David Barba ‘71, Daniel Barba ‘72, Diana Barba ‘74, Donald Barba ‘75, Denis Barba ‘77, Deborah Barba ‘78 and Dale Barba ‘85; his niece and nephews, Trish Howell Walsh ‘03, Ed Howell ‘06, Denis Howell ‘13 and Tito Howell ‘15; and his sons, Gavin Barba ‘13 and Sam Barba ‘17. As a student at Uni, he was involved in multiple sports and made lifelong friends.

His all-time favorite teachers were Ms. Yeager and Father Costello.

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Following graduation from high school, Doug went off to play Minor League Baseball. After his second season, he had a catastrophic knee injury, and his baseball career was soon over.

At that point, he began coaching baseball and started college. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Sport Psychology and Master of Arts in Performance Psychology at United States International University in San Diego. Upon completing his master’s degree, Doug and his wife, Laura, moved to Gainesville, FL, where he completed his Ph.D. in Sport and Exercise Psychology from the University of Florida in 1998. After finishing his Ph.D., Doug and Laura returned to San Diego, where he began teaching at San Diego State University. He taught there for twelve years and then moved to National University, where he has been for over ten years.

Doug has given his time for the past twenty-four years to most of the Cathedral Catholic sports teams as the team psychologist. He works on the mental game of sports to enable Dons to be better in the classroom and at their sport.

Since 1985, Doug has been married to Laura Adema, an OLP graduate whom he met on a blind date on leap day in 1980, his senior year of high school. He has enjoyed a happy and wonderful marriage for the last thirty-seven years. Doug would like to thank Laura, his greatest inspiration in life.

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NEZ BALELO ‘81

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ezi “Nez” Balelo graduated from University of San Diego High School in 1981. Nez was raised in San Diego, California, where he was brought up in the commercial fishing industry. He is of first-generation Portuguese descent, as his family migrated from the Madeira Islands to the United States.

After a successful collegiate career playing for Pepperdine University in the late 1980s, Nez was drafted in the fourth round for the Seattle Mariners as a promising MLB infielder before a devastating accident cut his professional playing days short. After extensive rehabilitation, Nez was able to bounce back and finish

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his career playing in Italy and for the Atlanta Braves.

After his playing days were over, Nez then took the same drive, determination and perseverance which made him a standout on the ballfield and funneled that energy into business. He leveraged his entrepreneurial skills and opened a development baseball school outside of Los Angeles, West Coast Baseball School, where he made an impact in the lives of hundreds of young men. At the same time, Nez accepted a job with the Atlanta Braves in a hybrid development, scouting and consulting role.

After a ten-year run working for the Braves and learning the organization from the ground up, while also continuing his entrepreneurial pursuits of building and purchasing numerous baseball facilities, Nez took his drive to another level. He walked away from the Braves, sold his schools and branding license, and started his own sports agency. In three short years, Nez established himself in the sports agency world, having numerous first-round picks and multiple players making it to the big leagues. Nez was then recruited to join IMG Sports Group as a senior executive before moving over to Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in 2006 to start the agency’s sports group.

Today, Nez heads up the Baseball Division within CAA Sports, where he represents some of the most talented athletes in the world. He has been a part of negotiating over four billion dollars worth of contracts since joining the agency. For six consecutive years, he has been ranked on Forbes’ “Most Powerful Sports Agents in the World’’ list, and his clients include Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels and Sandy Alcantara of

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the Miami Marlins to former greats MVP Ryan Braun and AllStars/Gold Glove winners Andre Ethier and Adam Jones to UFC Hall of Fame champ Georges St-Pierre.

One of Nez’s proudest moments was implementing a “Zero Tolerance” stadium rule with MLB regarding fans and racial slurs directed to athletes while trying to perform their jobs on the field.

The rule currently stands today. Nez also implemented the “Ohtani rule” which allows a two-way player to be viewed as one.

Nez has been married to his college sweetheart for thirty-seven years, and they reside in Los Angeles with their two cats, Sweet Pea and Elizabeth Taylor.

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JACK WHITE ‘85

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ack R. White, Jr., graduated from University of San Diego High School in 1985. He was raised by his parents, Jack and Dossy White, in the Marston Hills neighborhood of San Diego. As a student at Uni, he was on the football, basketball, and track and field teams. His favorite teacher was Mr. Roth, who had a humorous and offbeat way of keeping him from failing physics.

Jack’s favorite memories from high school are Friday night games at the USD stadium and post-game gatherings at Vacation Village.

Jack graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1990. In college, he and his roommate had developed a hobby of

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brewing beer in their apartment, and in 1992, Jack co-founded Home Brew Mart just down the road from Uni. What began as a shop for home brewing supplies and ingredients evolved into a space for home brewers to come together and share ideas. In 1996, Jack built a brew house behind Home Brew Mart and hosted his first tasting bar in San Diego. Thus, Ballast Point Brewing Company, named after the historic site on San Diego Bay in Point Loma, was born. The company quickly grew, and in the early 2000s, Ballast Point Co. outgrew the Home Brew Mart location and relocated to a larger brewery in Scripps Ranch. In 2008, the company received the first distilling license in San Diego since the Prohibition era and built a distillery inside the brewery. Two years later, they won Brewery of the Year at the World Beer Cup. Ballast Point Co. continued to expand, opening a Little Italy brewery and kitchen and building a new facility in Miramar to replace the Scripps Ranch brewery in 2013. Jack left Ballast Point Brewing in 2015, but he and his business partner held on to the distillery arm of the company, which was rebranded as Cutwater Spirits. A few years later, Cutwater Spirits was sold to Anheuser-Busch.

Jack’s accolades include San Diego Business Man of the Year, Small Business Association of California Small Business Man of the Year and Brewers Association Brewery of the Year. Jack draws his inspiration from Ken Grossman, founder of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Jack is married to Jennifer, who he met in college. In college, they backpacked through Europe together, and today, they continue to venture together across the globe. They have a 29-year-old son, Colin, who lives in the Bay Area and is

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engaged to be married this year. Jack would like to thank his loving family for supporting his dream to start a business.

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THE L E BHER Z FA MILY F O U N D AT ION SCHOL A RS H I P

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he Lebherz Family Foundation Scholarship assists Nativity Prep Academy students who desire to attend Cathedral Catholic High School. Nativity Prep Academy supports economically disadvantaged students from 6th grade through college. This particular scholarship funds a full year’s tuition for students to attend Cathedral Catholic. The funds allocated for their high school years will go back to Nativity Prep to help them expand their reach, plus the tuition each family pays will also support Nativity Prep, not CCHS. Funds will be endowed to ensure the longevity of this scholarship.

Most of the Nativity Prep students select Cathedral Catholic for high school. One hundred percent of the Nativity Prep students that have attended CCHS matriculate to a fouryear university and feel academically, emotionally and spiritually prepared by CCHS.

Phil Lebherz ‘71 has pledged $250,000 a year for four years as long as the gift is matched each year. We are looking for donors to help us match this gift and support Nativity Prep students.

To make a gift online through our website, scan this QR code:

Or visit: www.cathedralcatholic.org/makeagift Select “Lebherz Family Foundation Scholarship” in the drop down.

Please let us know if you would like more information or have any questions. Thank you for helping develop faith-filled students into global citizens.

GUYMON CASADY ‘87

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uymon Casady graduated from University of San Diego High School in 1987. He was raised by his parents, Kent and Janed Casady, in the Mission Hills neighborhood of San Diego. As a student at Uni, Guymon played varsity soccer and tennis, he was the senior class vice president and he was voted as his class’ “Most Likely to Succeed.” Guymon’s favorite teacher at Uni was his 9th-grade English teacher, Mr. Peck, and his favorite memory was “The Bench Crew.”

Guymon attended the University of Pennsylvania. After his sophomore year of college, he worked as an intern for a

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Congressman in Washington, D.C. an intern for a Congressman in Washington, D.C. Upon graduating from Penn in 1991, he traveled throughout Europe and lived in Madrid for a year before settling in Los Angeles.

Guymon’s first job in Hollywood was working as an assistant in the Motion Picture Talent Department at Creative Artists Agency (CAA). After leaving CAA, he worked for Propaganda Films for six and a half years as a film executive. While there, he wrote a business plan to create an in-house talent management company, which was foundational to Propaganda Films becoming Anonymous Content. When Propaganda was sold to Seagram, he went to work for the talent management company Industry Entertainment, where he began his career as a manager/producer.

Guymon left Industry in 2002 to co-found the talent management and production company Entertainment 360, a company he has grown for the last twenty years.

Guymon is a four-time Emmy Award-winning Producer for HBO’s Game of Thrones, the most Emmy Award-winning series in television history. In 2008, he was included in Variety’s first annual Dealmakers Impact Report. Guymon was a U.S. Junior National Rowing Champion in the four with coxswain. He is a passionate paddle tennis player and an enthusiastic collector of art.

Guymon married Robyn Norris Casady in 2007 and has been happily married for over fifteen years. He is the proud father of Ford and Boone Casady, who are hot-shot tennis and baseball players. While the boys are passionate about athletics, they are also thriving academically.

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Guymon would like to thank his mother, Janed, for instilling in him, above all else, the virtue of integrity. He would like to thank his father, Kent, for coaching and advising him throughout his life. Guymon would also like to thank everyone with whom he has ever interacted for contributing to his ongoing development and evolution.

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JOHN MONTALI ‘88

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ohn Montali graduated from University of San Diego High School in 1988. He was raised by his parents, Larry and Sammie Montali, in the Del Cerro neighborhood of San Diego and attended St. Therese Academy. John comes from a great family of Dons, including Marshall LeTourneau ‘63, Michelle LeTourneau Montali ‘88, Chris LeTourneau ‘90, Melanie Gore ‘93, Larry Montali ‘80, Julie Montali ‘84, and his children, Ava ‘19, Joseph ‘22, Daniel ‘25 and future Don, Caroline ‘31. As a student, John was on the football and basketball teams. His favorite teacher was Mr. Fares (who is also being inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Dons tonight) because of his passion for teaching

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English and his unique engagement with various kinds of students.

John’s favorite memory from high school was meeting the love of his life, Michelle.

John and Michelle both attended the University of California, Los Angeles. They were married in 1997 and, as previously mentioned, have four children. John currently teaches in the Science and Engineering Department at his alma mater, Cathedral Catholic High School, where he is also heavily involved in the Dons athletics program. He has coached baseball, basketball, powder puff and football. He is an announcer for baseball, as well as girls and boys basketball, and he emcees numerous school and alumni events.

John is also a member of the Dons Sports Hall of Fame with the 2008 football team. He is often seen behind the snack bar at games and bartending for alumni reunions.

John has received various rewards such as the Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching from his peers, Assistant Coach of the Year from the Cathedral Catholic Athletics Office, High School Sports Association Award and 2021 Union-Tribune Assistant Coach of the Year. His greatest inspirations are his dad, his father-in-law, Marshall, and Coach Hamamoto, who hired him and set him up for success.

John would like to thank his amazing wife, Michelle, his children and his family. He would also like to thank Coach Sean Doyle and Dr. Richard Kelly for giving him his first teaching job.

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GLORIA CALDERÓN KELLETT ‘93

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loria Calderón Kellett graduated from University of San Diego High School in 1993. She was raised by her parents, Juan and Gloria Calderón, in Alpine, California.

As a student at Uni, Gloria was on the swim team and was involved in drama and ASB. Her favorite teachers at Uni were Mr. Geiger, Mr. Smola and Mrs. Allari. Her favorite memory from her days at Uni was meeting her high school sweetheart and husband, Dave Kellett, with whom she has two children.

The proud daughter of Cuban immigrants, Gloria graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 1997 and went on to earn a

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Master of Arts in Theatre from Goldsmiths, University of London in 1999. She spent her early years as a writer/producer on numerous shows, including Devious Maids and How I Met Your Mother. Her acting credits include Jane The Virgin, Angie Tribeca, Dead To Me, How I Met Your Mother and One Day at a Time. She also appeared as a narrator on Drunk History (New Orleans). Gloria is also a sought-after director, having directed episodes of One Day at a Time, Mr. Iglesias, Merry Happy Whatever, United We Fall and the Mad About You revival, among others.

Gloria was an executive producer, co-creator, co-showrunner, director and actress on the Emmy-winning sitcom One Day at a Time. Her critically acclaimed Amazon Original series, With Love, is the first series coming out of an overall deal between her company, Glonation, and Amazon Studios. Along with Blumhouse Television and Spotify, Glonation is also producing The Horror of Dolores Roach, based on the hit Gimlet podcast, reuniting her with star Justina Machado.

Gloria is an ambassador for the non-profit ReFrame, which celebrates and encourages gender parity in front of and behind the camera. She is also a founding member of the Untitled Latinx Project, a group of Latino showrunners who advocate on behalf of the Latino community (by such efforts as the Dear Hollywood initiative) to help studios identify ways to support and tell Latino stories, as well as The Latinx List (in partnership with the Black List and the Latinx Tracking Board) to identify unproduced work by upcoming Latino artists. She is a member of the Creative Coalition where she fights to support the arts and arts programs by going to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of Congress to

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encourage their support for the National Endowment for the Arts. She also recently partnered with the Latinx House/Adelante to support up-and-coming Latina directors to help them have set experience on her show, With Love. Gloria also launched a Hollywood 101 web series with Buzzfeed’s PeroLike. The series offers free advice to new artists at the beginning of their entertainment careers.

Awards for her work include The Television Academy Honors, The Geffen TrailBlazer Award, Mental Health America Media Award, ALMA Award, Imagen Award, Vanguard Award, NHMC Award, Sentinel Award and The Voice Award. She has been honored as an industry leader by The Hollywood Reporter in their Top Women in Entertainment issue, the THR100 list issue and their 50 Agents of Change issue.

Gloria is always willing to make herself available to meet with students at Cathedral Catholic High School. She was recently a guest speaker via Zoom for the Girls Leading a Movement club.

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BROOKE RINEHAR T MANDRIL ‘96

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olonel (Retired) Brooke Rinehart Mandril graduated from University of San Diego High School in 1996. She was raised in Del Mar, California, by her parents, Gary and Nancy Rinehart. During her time at Uni, Brooke was on the soccer, cross country, and track and field teams. Some of her favorite memories of high school were the cross country team’s runs to the bay. In addition to Dons athletics, Brooke was also involved in ASB and National Honor Society. She was profoundly inspired by one of her teachers, Mrs. Janet Davis, whose teaching encouraged her to learn and explore. Mrs. Davis’ passion for history and her overall demeanor greatly inspired Brooke.

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Brooke graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Management in 2000, the University of Southern California with an MBA in 2006, Georgetown University with a Master of Policy Management in 2013, and Air University with a Master in Strategic Studies in 2017. After twenty-two and half years in the Air Force, Brooke began a second career at Lockheed Martin Space as the Director of Stakeholder Engagement within Operations.

Prior to retiring, Brooke was the Vice Commander, 10th Air Base Wing, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. The 10th Air Base Wing supports over 4,000 cadets and a total military community of over 25,000 personnel, and it executes a $150 million operating budget. As Vice Commander, Brooke directed a team of more than 3,000 military, civilian and contractor airmen who conduct all base-level activities for the entire installation, including security, civil engineering, communications, logistics, finance, contracting, chaplaincy, legal, lodging, medical, military and civilian personnel, and force support programs.

Previously, Brooke had served as the Chief of Budget Analysis, United States Space Force, where she was responsible for the execution of the $9.6 billion space portfolio across five wings, the Major Command, Center and Numbered Air Force. Throughout her career, she served in a variety of roles on the Joint Staff, Air Staff and United States Space Force, including Executive Officer to the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, National Defense Fellow at Georgetown University and Commander of the 75th Comptroller Squadron.

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Since high school, Brooke has moved twelve times. She spent the majority of her military career in Washington, D.C., and Germany.

She met her husband in 2016 while traveling in India and Australia.

She has visited eighty-six countries, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, ran five marathons on three continents and completed an Ironman triathlon. Brooke has one son, Maverick, who lives up to his name in every way.

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THE LATE MARIO FIERRO ‘02

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ario Dario Fierro graduated from University of San Diego High School in 2002. He was raised in Chula Vista, California, and Tijuana, Mexico, by his parents, Mario and Martha Fierro, and he attended Sacred Heart Parish School.

Mario’s sister, Daniella Fierro, is also a Don, having graduated from Cathedral Catholic High School in 2011. As a student at Uni, Mario was heavily involved in Dons athletics. He was on the freshman football, cross country, and track and field teams.

Mario was dedicated to staying in San Diego long term. After a short time at the University of Oregon, he transferred to San Diego

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State University, where he graduated in 2008. Mario returned to the Dons family to begin his professional career as a substitute teacher and coach at Cathedral Catholic High School. He then took his first teaching position at Notre Dame Academy and became the Athletic Director. Once a full-time position became available at his alma mater, he jumped at the opportunity. Mario taught social sciences to freshmen and sophomores while coaching football and track and field. He was always willing to help or take on an extra class. He loved announcing the girls basketball games and had his signature call, “Times out.” He was the Vice President of the Dons Alumni Association, for which he headed up the parochial team basketball and football games. He also oversaw the Alumni Golf Tournament with the goal of selling out the event each year, which he accomplished.

Mario loved spending time with family, friends and, of course, the Dons community. Mario was “all in” for his students, his players and his faith. He made a significant impact on those he taught and coached, as well as his fellow employees. Mario’s life was tragically cut short on February 2, 2021, months after announcing the engagement to the love of his life and fellow Cathedral Catholic teacher, Amy Gembara. His influence on the Cathedral Catholic community remains to this day. A scholarship has been named in his honor at Cathedral Catholic High School and Mater Dei High School in South Bay. Although he is no longer with us, his love for supporting students and helping make them better people lives on.

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THE LATE DR. ESTELLE KASSEBAUM HONORARY DON

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r. Estelle L. Kassebaum taught and administrated at the University of San Diego High School for twenty-five years and dedicated her life to Catholic Education in San Diego for over thirty-five years. Estelle was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, by her parents, Anthony and Katherine Rubano.

Dr. Kassebaum married her husband, David, a U.S. Navy pilot, in 1957 and consequently moved around the United States for David’s training before arriving in San Diego in the early 1960s. Together, David and Estelle were blessed with two children, Katherine ‘76 and Nancy ‘77. Estelle received her bachelor’s degree from the

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University of San Diego College for Women in 1970. In 1983, she completed her Master of Education from Azusa Pacific University, and she received her Ph.D. in Education from Berne University in 2002.

Dr. Kassebaum made a significant impact on the Dons community during her time as a teacher and administrator from 1970 to 1995.

While at Uni, she taught many classes, wrote curriculum for the Fine Arts Department, established parent volunteer programs, launched a student exchange program with Japan, founded the Ambassador for Christ Corps, wrote the Uni summer school curriculum and directed Student Activities. As Uni’s Assistant Principal/Executive Director of Development, Dr. Kassebaum revised and implemented the Development Program, developed annual giving campaign strategies, coordinated all annual giving programs, wrote school grants, addressed many national conferences, in-serviced the Dioceses of Victoria and San Antonio, Texas concerning development efforts, headed recruiting for Uni, and spoke at many National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) Conferences.

A passionate and forward-thinking educator, administrator and mentor who loved her students, Estelle was recognized nationally for her innovative and far-reaching contributions to Catholic Secondary Education. She was one of eight national recipients of the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) Award and was honored by the Greater San Diego Industry and Educational Council for her educational contributions. Dr. Kassebaum also received the Council for Advancement and Support for Education (CASE) Award for outstanding small publications and was selected

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by the San Diego Journal as a finalist for “Women Who Make a Difference.” She was also identified as one of the 2,000 most notable women in America and was acknowledged by the Professional Women’s Association of Southern California for her outstanding contributions to secondary education. Besides being involved in several other educational organizations, Dr. Kassebaum was also a member of the Downtown San Diego Rotary Club.

In 1995, Dr. Kassebaum left Uni to become the Principal and Director of Development for Marian Catholic High School. The moment she walked onto the campus, Estelle worked tirelessly to build a new entrance to the school grounds, renovate numerous buildings, add portable classrooms to accommodate a growing student body, update the curriculum to a competitive standard, establish another chapter of the Ambassador for Christ Corps, start a student exchange program with Japan, develop an annual giving campaign and raise the student enrollment to an all-time high. During this time, Dr. Kassebaum also served as a member of the Board of Directors that enabled the development of the newly opened Cathedral Catholic High School (the new home of the mighty Dons). In 2005, Estelle stepped into the role of President at Marian Catholic High School. As President, she raised over fifty million dollars for the planning and construction of Mater Dei Catholic High School. Dr. Kassebaum was very involved in the shaping of the new school and not only traversed the property during the integral planning phases of the new campus but was able to join Bishop Brom in the ground-breaking ceremony of Mater Dei Catholic High School (MDCHS) in the fall of 2005.

Like many architects of great cathedrals, Estelle wasn’t able to see the school to its fruition. However, to this day, The Dr. Estelle L.

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Kassebaum Theater continues to carry forward her memory on the MDCHS campus.

Dr. Kassebaum passed away on January 24, 2006, from advanced ovarian cancer that was diagnosed on January 4, 2006. She was sixty-eight years old. Her legacy lives on through her beloved family and friends and through the faculty and students she served for so many years.

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MADAME BARBARA CHAILLOU HONORARY DON

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adame Barbara Chaillou taught French at University of San Diego High School and Cathedral Catholic High School for forty-three years. Born in Washington, D.C., Madame Chaillou was raised in Cannes, France, and has lived in San Diego since 1975. She is a graduate of San Diego State University. Both of her daughters, Valerie and Cecile, graduated from Uni in 1986 and 1987, respectively.

In addition to teaching, Madame Chaillou was also greatly involved in the International Club. One of her favorite memories from teaching was an end-of-the-year luncheon, for which she

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made beef tongue for the students. They loved the dish until she revealed what it was. Her students still give her a hard time for it. During her time off from teaching, Madame Chaillou would offer to take students on study abroad trips. She loved that what they had learned in class would come alive. The students not only learned about academics, they also conversed with the locals, learned about people’s customs, foods, what the youth do to have fun, about sports and music and even politics. They learned to deal with the snoring roommate and the fatigue of a long day in exchange for laughter and camaraderie. They usually came back with more appreciation of their own country. Madame Chaillou cannot praise enough the merits of traveling.

Madame Chaillou would like to thank Uni and Cathedral Catholic High School parents who made the sacrifices necessary to give their children a quality Catholic education. She would also like to thank her colleagues for sharing the same passion for teaching, her students for making her life so enjoyable, and her family for always being by her side.

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MICHAEL FARES HONORARY DON

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r. Michael Fares taught English at University of San Diego High School for thirty-one years. Originally from Chicago Heights, Illinois, he graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1973 and from the University of Illinois Chicago in 1976. Mr. Fares taught in the Midwest at De La Salle High School in Chicago and in Michigan City, Indiana, before moving to California.

During his tenure at Uni, Mr. Fares was the journalism advisor for El Cid, Mexican Club moderator and wrestling coach. Michael has many favorite memories from his teaching days, including

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working with Dr. Richard Kelly, who offered steady support and inspired guidance, helping juniors and seniors write competent and interesting essays, and feeling the spirit of a thriving, caring Catholic community.

Mr.Fares’ classroom was an experience all in itself. He had a podium on wheels that he would often ride up and down the aisle lecturing the students. He made the material he taught entertaining and engaging. Mr. Fares had a special way of making every student feel heard, welcomed and loved in his own way. He put his heart and soul into producing the paper copy of El Cid. The days El Cid came out created a buzz around campus.

Although his classroom was ostentatious, he wanted to retire quietly. Once students got word he was retiring on the last day of class, they wanted to make sure he felt gratitude and gathered outside of his classroom and started chanting his name.

Michael has received numerous recognitions from former students, from letters to emails to book dedications to scores of street shoutouts, “Hey, Mr. Fares! Do you remember me?” He feels truly blessed to be a member of the Dons community, where he and his family thrived for thirty-one years! Mr. Fares would like to offer his deepest gratitude to Margaret Mauro, head of the English Department, who hired him, trusted his abilities and encouraged him every day with his positivity and support.

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Dav e T ho ennes A l u m n i

g o l f T O U R N A M E N T

M o nday J U N E

5 ,

2 0 2 3

M adera Go l f C o u rse

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eat. drink. be giving.

Saturday, March 18, 2023 purchase tickets

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MEMBERS OF THE ACAD EMY OF DISTINGUISHED DONS INDUCTED ON FEBRUARY 22, 2019

Reverend William Springer ’62 Reverend Jerry O’Donnell ’64 Monsignor Raymond East ’68 Very Reverend Monsignor Dennis Mikulanis ’69 Reverend Peter M. Escalante ’70 Reverend Michael Sinor ’70 Very Reverend Matthew Spahr ’78 Reverend Brian Hayes ’80 Most Reverend John P. Dolan ’81 Reverend Michael Ortiz, Honorary Don INDUCTED ON MARCH 10, 2012

Gloria Walton ‘44 Brian Bennett ‘67 Bob Burson ‘67 Steven Boudreau ‘69 James M. Waters ‘73 Luis Alvarez ‘77 Judge Michael Smyth ‘81 Scott Marshall ‘85 Mattie Scarpella ‘86

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Dawn Lee ‘ 89 Mike Alfred ‘99 Ryan Alfred ‘01 Monsignor John A. Dickie, Honorary Don INDUCTED ON APRIL 17, 2010

Larry Van Wey ‘62 Marshall LeTourneau ‘63 Bruce Binkowski ‘66 Mike Sexton ‘66 Mike Carey ‘67 Tom Wood ‘68 Fr. Peter Escalante ‘70 Phil Lebherz ‘71 John Cardosa ‘73 Mary Zorn Meissner ‘73 James F. Mulvaney, Jr. ‘74 Mark Snell ‘74 Kathy Shelburne ‘76 Sean Doyle ‘80 Antoinette Busalacchi ‘81 Martin Correia ‘87 Amy Goodpaster Strebe ‘87 Doug Abts ‘91 Amy O’Doriso ‘99

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GRATITUDE We appreciate everyone who made this event possible.

Our student-workers, Rocco Balistreri ‘24, Sam Bjerke ‘24, Abby DiLorenzo ‘24, Sholeh Mozaffari ‘24, Jack Stevens ‘24, Mackenzie Turgeon ‘24, Matthias Beals ‘25 and Logan Jones ‘26.

Our student musicians - on vocals, Adriana Quezada ‘24, and playing the guitar, Carson Panter ‘24 Chad Majer with Majer Imagineering Susan Greeven, CCHS Coordinator of Hospitality The CCHS Facilities Team The CCHS Administration Catering by Kabul West CCHS Marketing and Communication Department: John Paul De Vera, Sophie Lillis and Pam Poe Ambassador for Christ Corps students John Knudsen ‘76, photographer

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Matt Nguyen ‘15, video production and lighting designer Preston Palmo ‘23, post video production Braden Surprenant ‘13

If you are interested in getting more involved with the Dons Alumni Association, please contact the Office of Alumni at alumni@cathedralcatholic.org, (858) 523-4000 or contact anyone on the board.

Sean Doyle ‘80, Director of Alumni Anne Pickard Majer ‘95, Assistant Director of Alumni

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