De La Salle Union Magazine - Spring 2022

De La Salle UNION MAGAZINE

| SPRING 2022

ROOTED IN Relationships

FROM

PRESIDENT Dear De La Salle Community: I very much hope that you and your family are well. As we leave Lent and celebrate the Easter Season (and move closer from pandemic to endemic), I think we each have a ton for which to be grateful.

Sometimes it is easy to lose sight of the fact that we are an Easter people, not a Good Friday people.

Yes, we must abide by Good Friday–there is no other way to get to Easter–but we don’t live there.

Like our Lasallian Catholic education, Easter is all about relationships. The depth of Christ’s love for us is so overwhelming that we feel this deep sense of appreciation and gratitude.

This is not unlike what our young men and alumni experience and talk about because of their De La Salle education. Our school is all about being rooted in relationships. Isn’t that what makes the Spartan Brotherhood so powerful, palpable, and enduring?

In this issue of Union, you will read stories about the Bishop Cummins Scholarship Program, the school’s accreditation process, faculty legacy, the tradition of the De La Salle Boat Races, and the announcement of our very deserving 2022 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. They all illustrate that De La Salle is indeed a place where we form Men of Faith, Integrity, and Scholarship and do so through the way we “love, guide, and instruct” them.

I hope you catch a glimpse of how these relationships are like a ripple in the ocean. It might seem small or insignificant but like St. Teresa of Calcutta said, “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”

Indeed! De La Salle would not be what it is today without each of you and the significance you play in this community because of who you are.

A final word. May 15th is celebrated as the Feast Day of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, the Founder of the Christian Brothers in 17th century France. On that day, I invite you to pause and say a brief prayer of gratitude for a Brother, educator, coach, or friend that you met because of De La Salle High School. I imagine you will notice that drop in your life’s ocean was much more meaningful than you realized. That is the power of being rooted in relationships! That is the power of De La Salle High School.

In gratitude, service, and prayer,

David J. Holquin President

The School Seal The school seal is an important part of the identity of De La Salle High School. The symbols used to make up the seal have particular meanings that reflect the values and purpose of the school. In the center of the seal is the Chi Rho (Kye Row). This is the Greek abbreviation of the title “Christ.”

The first two letters of the word Christos or “Christ” are “Chi” and “Rho,” represented in the Greek alphabet as a capital “X” and “P.” The fleur-de-lis, with “lis” meaning lily in French, reminds us of our French origins with Saint John Baptist de La Salle. The lamp is a symbol of knowledge, reminding us of our primary purpose as a school — education. The section of broken chain represents freedom — freedom from ignorance. The chain surrounding the seal signifies strength and unity. “Les Hommes de Foi” is French for “Men of Faith.”

Faith • Integrity • Scholarship

De La Salle UNION MAGAZINE

| SPRING 2022

In This Issue Bishop Cummins Program: An Opportunity to Succeed

1

What Floats Your boat?

20 Years of Boat Racing

5

Every Six Years De La Salle’s Accreditation Study

7

Lasting Impact Faculty Relationships Connect De La Salle Community

11

Heathers – Continuing the Conversation

15

Community Giving 17 Annual Report on Finance

19

Letter from the President of the De La Salle Alumni Association 20 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year

21

Alumni Activities 23 What’s Happening Alumni 27 Spartan Sports 29 In Memoriam 32 The De La Salle “Union” is a bond of unity for the extended De La Salle family — alumni, parents, alumni parents and the many friends who make up our school’s growing family. Read the Union online at dlshs.org/union.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Steve Abreu ‘83 Victor Baker ’92, Vice Chair Brother Nick Gonzalez, FSC Blas Guerrero AP ‘21 Denny Hintz AP ’94, ‘96 Glenda Morris AP ‘14 Margie Morris AP ‘14 Mike Niedermeyer AP ‘06 Matt Noonan AP ’01, ’09, ‘10 Marilyn Paquette Frank Wagner ’73, Chair Darrell Williams AP ‘11

PRESIDENT’S CABINET David J. Holquin President Dr. Heather Alumbaugh Vice President for Academic Life Mark Chiarucci Vice President for Advancement Lynne Jones Vice President for Finance Leo Lopoz ’94 Vice President for Athletics Joe Aliotti Senior Staff for the Office of the President

Content Michael Aquino, Mark Chiarucci, Rich Davi, Erin Hallissy, David Holquin, Lynne Jones, Josh Quintero ’98, Tim Roberts ’88, Marcus Schroeder ’06, Ida Tolentino, and Karla Wiese.

Photos Viki Acquistapace, Dr. Elizabeth Berkes, De La Salle Alumni Office, De La Salle Athletics, De La Salle Photo Library, De La Salle Summer Camps, Jose Fajardo, Henriette Howett, the Mercer Family, Josh Quintero ’98, Studio One Photography, and Damon Wiley.

Design Marsha Sanchez Produced by the Office of Advancement De La Salle High School • 1130 Winton Drive, Concord, CA 94518 Tel: (925) 288-8100 | Fax: (925) 686-3474 • dlshs.org

ROOTED IN Support

Bishop Cummins Program: An Opportunity to Succeed Roberto Martinez knows the power of a Lasallian education, and the importance of making it available to boys whose families aren’t able to afford tuition at De La Salle High School.

As the first in his family to go to high school, and the son of a single mother who worked hard to help him do well at Cathedral High School, a Lasallian school in Los Angeles, Martinez now says he is “paying it forward” in his job as the new Bishop Cummins Program Coordinator at De La Salle.

“It’s personal for me to see these students be successful,” Martinez says, sitting in his office in the Learning Center, where the students gather after school for tutoring, mentoring, and camaraderie. “It’s my story too. I struggled growing up.

I was in their shoes.”

Martinez, who went on to major in Theology and Education at LaSalle University in Philadelphia and was for a time in the Brothers’ novitiate, has brought his passion for helping disadvantaged boys to De La Salle. His goal is to not mentor just the 66 students now in the Bishop Cummins Program, but to grow the program from five percent of the student body to approximately 10 percent of the school’s total enrollment.

Martinez says he wants to ensure that the scholars get the services and support they need, academically, socially, and emotionally. That means getting to know and mentor them, communicating with their parents, including those who don’t speak English, and keeping in touch with their teachers, counselors, and coaches at De La Salle.

The Bishop Cummins Program, which provides tuition for students whose family income is below the federal poverty level and would not otherwise be able to afford De La Salle, was created by Mark DeMarco ’78 soon after he became De La Salle’s President in 2007. DeMarco, who retired in 2021, brought in Greg MacArthur ’03 to run the program. MacArthur grew the program and nurtured hundreds of Bishop Cummins Scholars through De La Salle until he moved into the Health Physical Education and Recreation Department this school year.

“I always felt the Bishop Cummins Program was the mission of the school.

It’s a great program.”

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Joining Martinez this year is Terry Eidson, a long-time De La Salle teacher and coach who worked with many Bishop Cummins Scholars for years. Eidson plans to spend his remaining years at the school with the program.

“I always felt the Bishop Cummins Program was the mission of the school. It’s a great program,” Eidson says. “It’s an opportunity to mentor the young men who academically can use that push.”

Eidson, who describes himself as a sometimes cheerleader, sometimes motivator, says the boys understand the expectations of the program, and they want to meet them. Eidson and Martinez help the boys in keeping up with their assignments, tracking their grades, and Eidson

says, “pushing them in a gentle way” while always being “on the teacher’s side.”

Sometimes the scholars “don’t even realize they can go to a teacher or get a tutor for a particular subject,” Eidson remarks, noting that the adult mentors help them navigate an environment that can sometimes seem overwhelming.

Martinez says he, Eidson, and Learning Center Coordinator Jon Norfolk, help the students Monday through Thursday, along with tutoring help from National Honor Society students. On Fridays, Martinez has started after-school social sessions in the center for the boys to hang out, play games, and build a strong community.

SPRING 2022 | 2

“I’m really surprised at how successful it is,” Martinez says, who recalls feeling that high school was his “second home.”

“They just feel that they want to belong. They want to be with each other.”

In the fall semester, Martinez had a luncheon for family members so they could meet the program’s staff, the Counseling Department, and those who raise funds for the program. It allowed them to help build a community and establish relationships, while having a good time.

When the students struggle, Martinez and Eidson are also there for them.

“Sometimes the conversations are hard,” Martinez says. “I tell them, ‘I’m hard on you because I love you. Because I love you, I’m not going to let you fail.’ ” Those conversations may lead to learning that the boys are having a hard time academically because they’re going through difficult times.

“I don’t see an F,” Martinez says. “I see the boy that’s struggling because he has lost his dad, or his parents are getting a divorce.”

Currently, of the 66 Bishop Cummins Scholars, 20 are freshmen. Many of the students come from the De La Salle Academy in Concord, a middle school that focuses on boys from underserved families in Concord, and others are from the Monument Corridor in Concord and North Concord, Bay Point, Pittsburg, Antioch, Richmond, and Oakland. The program is based on a mutual commitment that scholars will commit themselves to a college prep environment, and the school committing to provide structures and mentors to help them succeed.

So far, that success is shown in grade point averages of 3.01 in recent years and a 100 percent college acceptance rate from various universities and community colleges, including the UC and CSU system, the University of Tennessee, Seattle University, the University of Missouri, Columbia, and the University of the Pacific.

As part of its effort to grow the Bishop Cummins Scholarship Program, it was the school’s beneficiary of its Giving Tuesday effort in November 2021. Fundraising efforts noted that it cost more than $20,000 a year for a Cummins scholar to attend De La Salle, and that the efforts of donors are crucial to keep it going – and growing.

Bishop Cummins Scholars

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

2021-22

Freshman

21

15

19

15

20

Sophomore

15

20

15

19

16

Junior

12

14

19

18

17

Senior

11

11

13

13

13

Total

59

60

66

65

66

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Academic Achievements Cumulative Grade Point Average Co-curricular Participation College Acceptance Colleges Accepted to

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

3.09

3.01

3.01

70%

100%

100%

91%

100%

100%

San Francisco State University

Laney College

California State University, Chico

Santa Clara University Diablo Valley College California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Los Medanos College

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo California State University, Sacramento University of Washington University of Missouri, Columbia

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

University of California, Merced

University of Arizona

University of Portland

University of Utah

Seattle University

Diablo Valley College California State University, Sacramento University of the Pacific University of California, Merced University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Bishop Cummins Alum:

Damon Wiley ‘16 Alumni of the Bishop Cummins Scholarship Program note their gratitude for the opportunity to go to De La Salle and continue on to college and a career. Damon Wiley ’16 says that his years at the school helped him expand his horizons, meet a wide variety of people, and provided a foundation for his later success at UC Berkeley and in his professional career. Wiley was recently promoted to Talent Acquisition Specialist at LinkedIn. “I can genuinely say the guys I was with in the Bishop Cummins Program are still my best friends today,” Wiley says. “When I was at De La Salle, people came from different socioeconomic circumstances, but it didn’t matter where you were from. I lived in a small apartment with my grandparent and other guys were living in million-dollar homes, and their folks would open up their homes to me. It was beautiful to see.”

Wiley says he experienced a lot of childhood trauma, with his parents essentially out of his life before he was six. He knew nothing about De La Salle until junior high, when he heard about it from his uncle and friends in his Pop Warner football league in San Ramon.

Wiley played defensive end and guard on the Spartans football team, which won state championships in two of his seasons (2014 and 2015). He went on to play rugby at UC Berkeley, where he was a threetime All-American and on a national championship team. He majored in interdisciplinary studies, putting together a focus on economics, history, rhetoric, business, and African American studies.

“De La Salle was just paramount in my development as a young man,” he says. “They really shaped and molded me. Something I teach the young men I mentor now is to go to places where you’re going to get more tools on your toolbelt.”

At De La Salle, the tool belt he got as a Bishop Cummins Scholar held all the things he needed to succeed.

Help us succeed.

To learn more about how to support the Bishop Cummins Program, the Learning Center, or the De La Salle Annual Fund, please visit dlshs.org/givenow, or contact Mark Chiarucci, Vice President for Advancement, at chiaruccim@dlshs.org or Karla Wiese, Director of Development, at wiesek@dlshs.org.

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ROOTED IN Tradition

What Floats Your Boat?

Boat Races Closing in on 20-Year Mark Before the start of the 2003-04 school year, David Jeans and Dr. Nicole Nunes wanted to bring a hands-on, student class project into their physics classes. After some thoughtful collaboration, the De La Salle Boat Race Project was created.

First appearing in the spring of 2004, under sunny blue skies and with warm weather, De La Salle senior physics students were assigned a task to construct a man-powered, two-person, cardboard boat that would float for 15 minutes. If it wasn’t enough to build a boat that would float for 15 minutes, the students were also tasked with completing as many laps across the De La Salle pool as possible.

“This can’t be done,” said Jeans of the students’ initial reaction to the project. “We can’t put two people in a boat for 15 minutes and float, it’s cardboard!” What started as a student project that ‘couldn’t be done’, now, 18 years later, the Boat Race project is engrained into De La Salle life, and is an assignment students look forward to completing.

“The seniors look forward to the Boat Races as part of their senior year experience. We’ve created an annual project that’s fun and is now a tradition at De La Salle,” said Jeans.

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...or Not!

Although the first students to take on this assignment were hesitant about the project’s possible success, those seniors nervously embarked with cardboard boxes and Elmer’s Glue in hand. The initial year’s build, which was entirely on campus, was one and done so the result was either failure or success.

Early on, failure was more common, and when a boat lasted the full 15 minutes, it was an incredible feeling for those students. “In the beginning, they didn’t think they could do it. Some people rallied, had fun, and succeeded,” said Jeans. “In any one class of seven or eight groups, maybe one boat would survive the 15 minutes. Now, we can have as many as five or six boats from a single class last that long.”

Over the years, the assignment hasn’t changed much. A slight change in materials (Elmer’s Glue was replaced with Duct Tape after the first year), increased project time, the creativity of the students, and excitement for the project each year, have led to more successful builds.

In 2008, a group of Carondelet students began building mock boats before the day of the event. Those four students, whose names remain secret, completed a successful boat after constructing multiple prototypes. Not only did their final boat last the entire time, but they completed 47 laps, which is still the project record. Those students attended college at Cal Poly, Notre Dame, and UCLA. The Notre Dame graduate eventually became a project manager on the building of the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco.

The internet has changed how the building process is done, as students have plenty of access to this information online. “We haven’t disclosed the names of the students who have the record because students have tried to search online for them to see how they built their boat.” Even though students can see what these cardboard boats look like online, they still have to apply the physics concepts to the engineering of their boats.

still need to plan out when they will meet as a group, when and how they will get their materials, if they are going to build a prototype, and when they will build it.

“I find that the physics concepts are not that hard for the students, but the engineering, the project management, the teamwork, and the time management sometimes are bigger issues,” said Kelly.

Today, the project is held at the end of the first semester, usually in chilly December weather. Sometimes it’s so cold that steam rises from the pool for the early morning classes. Since its inception in 2004, the project hasn’t changed, but students have adapted and changed how the project is done. “It’s good to have old-fashioned projects that aren’t computer-based,” said Jeans.

Over time, boats have gotten better and the students have become less nervous and more creative with their designs. “The most challenging part was providing a leadership role and trying to pull our team together to solve a complex problem using very simple solutions,” said Charlie Cole ‘22, whose boat completed 27 laps and finished second this past fall.

Although the boat construction and physics concepts are at the forefront of the assignment, Mr. Jeans noted the following unexpected outcome, “the bonding experience associated with this project is something you can’t teach in a classroom. Students talk about how close they get, and how they get to know each other better. It’s something outside of the classroom that’s not based on an equation or a book. Everyone has their part to play and they hold each other accountable to their role.”

Cole’s advice to future Spartans “keep it simple - if you try to do too much, you will go down quickly.”

Mr. Corey Kelly, who was hired in 2011 and has been part of the project for the last 10 years, embraced the hands-on project from day one, remembering, “this is a very cool and interesting project, and because I’m an engineer, I wanted to know about the logistics.”

Because the project takes place in senior physics classes, and nearly 90 percent of De La Salle students take senior physics, most recent Spartan Alumni know what the experience is like. Hopefully, they can vividly remember their Physics Boat Race project as a fun, engaging, learning experience.

The project is usually introduced in early November, so Mr. Kelly moved his liquids curriculum unit to tie into the project. Most students understand the classroom concepts, but over the next month, they

“I love the boat project,” said Kelly. “It’s such a good way to bring together all the different skills and intelligence levels. It’s a tradition now.”

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ROOTED IN Improvement

Every Six Years

School Endures Lengthy Accreditation Self-Study For the past 18 months, De La Salle and its faculty and staff, led by Dr. Elizabeth Berkes, Director of Faculty Development, and Ms. Lillian Dickson, Director of Academic Services, prepared for its once-everysix-years Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA) accreditation review. The process culminated on February 16th, after a four-day visit by the WCEA Visiting Team comprised of six private and public school educators from around Northern California.

What is the WCEA?

The WCEA is a private educational accrediting agency established under the auspices of the Bishops of the Catholic Dioceses of California. Accreditation verifies the quality of a school’s overall educational program. There are two dimensions to accreditation in the WCEA context: 1) an internal or subjective dimension and 2) an external or objective dimension. The internal dimension has to do with the school examining itself so as to see and declare what it does well and what it needs to improve. The external dimension of accreditation in the WCEA context has to do with an outside body verifying the Catholic educational quality of the school experience. De La Salle went through its last accreditation process during the 2015-16 school year.

Pictured is the Accreditation Team that visited De La Salle High School in February. The picture of J. D. Childs, Jim Jordan (Visiting Team Chair), Terese Ghilarducci, Kristin Hannon, Jennifer Reinwald, and Judee Sani was taken in the school’s chapel on the first day of the visit.

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E3 process is very rigorous for a school community because it involves “theThegathering of multiple years of data from all stakeholders. I’m incredibly

proud of the way the administration, faculty, and staff approached the mountain of data – fearlessly, in the words of the Chair of the Visiting Team.

There were many months of hard conversations and difficult decision-making that I know will truly benefit the students entrusted to our care.

I couldn’t be more excited for the future of our school.

Dr. Elizabeth Berkes, Director of Faculty Development and Accreditation Chair

“

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“

The WCEA process was rewarding because it validated my belief that De La Salle truly is a special place AND it also challenged us to become even better. I look forward to seeing our Educational Improvement Plan come to fruition over the next few years because it will have a significant impact on faculty, staff, students, and families. The process was inclusive because everyone had a seat at the table—our entire community had an opportunity to contribute to the process.

“

Spencer Shivley, Chair, Science Department

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The Impact

To understand the impact of what the accreditation process means to the school, and the priorities derived from the study, one has to look no further than the Learning Center, which was completed in 2018. After the last accreditation assessment in 2016, it was determined that the area of academic student support was not sufficient to assist De La Salle’s 1,050 students and the school did not have adequate facilities to serve these students. Over the next few years, De La Salle not only added two full-time staff positions but also allocated budgeted funds, as well as fundraised dollars, to complete a new Learning Center. These changes have had an immeasurable impact on hundreds of students these past three years.

The Process

Over the past year and a half, the school community used a variety of surveys and discussion groups to reflect on its policies, programs, and structures using the Ensuring Educational Excellence (E3) criteria-based protocol.

Over that time, De La Salle’s self-study determined that Instructional Time Management (class schedules), strategic additions of school leadership, faculty compensation, and capital projects should be prioritized. Therefore, the school determined a systematic assessment of the following areas is needed: • Lasallian Catholic Identity • Organization Efficacy • Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction • Co-curricular Programs • Responsible Stewardship of the School’s Material Resources Following the E3 guidelines, research began and thousands and thousands of data points were collected. Teams of faculty and staff members then served on sub-committees (Integral Groups) based on the E3 Principle areas. And then, the hard questions were asked: • How does De La Salle High School become truly exceptional?

• How does De La Salle continue to show love, care, and compassion for our students?

What are the next steps the school needs to take?

Once the school administration, faculty, and staff completed the review of data in all areas, and areas of strength and growth were identified, the process of developing a school-wide Educational Improvement Plan commenced. Four areas of Vital Growth were chosen after extensive discussions, presentations, and a rank choice poll of all employees.

• R eview of faculty compensation and administrative structure • Evaluation of post-pandemic time use across an expanded curriculum • Facilities upgrade • Expanded student support While other areas of growth were identified by particular offices, programs, and departments, the four Vital Growth Areas will receive priority attention from the school and outside monitoring by WCEA of the stated improvement goals.

Initial Findings & the Future

During the four-day review, the committee visited classrooms, held interviews with school community members, including the administration, faculty, staff, and students, and reviewed the underlying data that guided the school’s self-study process.

The initial reporting back from the Accreditation Team was positive, and through the process, descriptors such as “authentic”, “fearless”, “inclusive”, and “focused” were conveyed by the Accreditation Team to the De La Salle faculty and staff in the final meeting on Wednesday, February 16.

School leadership is excited about the potential impact, as the report not only confirms the instruction and care currently provided on campus, but also, will help inform the school’s priorities, direction, and decisions for years to come.

The report affirmed that “what we do exceptionally well at De La Salle is the climate of care that we give to our students, which is very important given that boys are relational learners.

Additionally, the process allowed every member of this community to continue to be a community of learners and seekers in the service of providing the best Catholic education we can to our students. We welcomed this process with open arms and listening hearts because our students deserve our best.

“

Dr. Heather Alumbaugh, Vice President for Academic Life

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ROOTED IN History

Lasting Impact

Long-Time Faculty and their Relationships with the Next Generation of Teachers at De La Salle The De La Salle High School story began in September of 1965 with the first Spartans at Most Precious Blood. Then, a year later students walked the Winton Drive campus for the first time. That was 57 years ago, and over that time there have been many faculty members that have taught lessons in the classrooms. Many of those faculty members have come and gone, but some have lasted for more than three decades, and for a few, more than 40 years.

Legendary De La Salle football coach and Religious Studies teacher Bob Ladouceur retired last year after 42 years on campus, leaving the longevity title to his “right-hand man” Terry Eidson, who has been teaching, coaching, and mentoring De La Salle students for 41 years, as the longest-tenured faculty or staff member currently on campus. As of now, only Ladouceur and Eidson have reached the 40-year mark at De La Salle, but a few others are approaching that milestone.

Following in Eidson’s footsteps are four faculty members who have been teaching, coaching, and mentoring students at De La Salle for more than 30 years. Kelly Gardner, the World Languages Department Chair, has been teaching Spanish at the school for 35 years, Math teachers Steve Guthrie and Scott Hirsch ‘82 have been on campus for 34 and 32 years, respectively, and John Pelster ‘87 has been teaching English classes for 30 years, while coaching the cross country team for the last 16.

Although a paragraph cannot tell the entire story about these individuals’ time at De La Salle, one thing we know is true, they all have made a lasting impression on numerous young men over the past three-plus decades.

Terry Eidson

(September 1, 1981) – Religious Studies/ Bishop Cummins Program Coming to De La Salle in August of 1981, Terry Eidson, who has done just about everything for the school, which includes teaching, leading senior synthesis, and mentoring student leaders, while coaching football and golf and even serving as the Athletic Director for 12 years. “What keeps me coming back every day to De La Salle is our outstanding faculty and support from the administration,” said Eidson. “I have been truly blessed to come to De La Salle for the last 40 years. This is not a job but a vocation for me, and the students keep me young and on my toes.” In his primary role as a faculty member in the Religious Studies Department, beginning in 2021-22, Eidson is no longer coaching sports. He is now a “limited consultant” for football and has moved over to assist with the Bishop John S. Cummins Scholarship Program. “Most importantly, not a day goes by where I am not challenged,” Eidson said. “With the challenge, though, comes a lot of laughter and enjoyment knowing that I am a part of a community of brotherhood and love. Continuing the mission with graduates reminds me of the impact De La Salle can have on its students, and it is inspiring to see the alumni giving back to a place that meant so much to them.” Currently, there are more than 10,000 alums of the school, so knowing the exact number of people that Terry Eidson has either taught or coached over his 41 years is hard to quantify. But one thing is for sure; he’s left an impact on many Spartans. One way we can quantify his De La Salle legacy is knowing that he either taught or coached 12 of the 24 current faculty and staff members at the school.

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Kelly Gardner

(September 1, 1986) – World Languages Over her 35 years as a teacher at De La Salle, Kelly Gardner has been teaching Spanish in the World Languages Department during her entire tenure at the school. She served as the department chair on numerous occasions and currently holds that position for the school while teaching Spanish 1 and Spanish 3 classes. When asked why she returns each year she replied, “De La Salle has always been good at taking care of one another. It deeply touches you and makes you so proud to be a part of this institution.

It’s not just a school, we’re like family.” She also served as the moderator for numerous clubs over the years including the bowling club, the E Club, and sophomore and junior class moderator – just to name a few. Kelly also saw how De La Salle reaches the student, as her son William graduated from De La Salle in 2012. “Willie is proof that we educate the whole boy,” she said.

“Not only do we teach the lessons in the classroom, but knowing that the kids feel free to talk to their teachers about problems, things they have going on in their lives helps develop strong relationships between students and faculty.” During her career, she has had the privilege of teaching current faculty alums Tim Bedford ‘03, Jon Clark ‘04, Scott Drain ‘94, Rick Graham ‘90, Greg MacArthur ‘03, Nick Pelosi ‘91, and Marcus Schroeder ‘06.

Steve Guthrie

(August 24, 1987) – Mathematics Hired in August of 1987, Steve Guthrie is in his 34th year at De La Salle and teaches algebra and geometry classes. Teaching in the classroom is one way Mr. Guthrie connects with the students, but he refers to his 29 years (1988-2018) as the swimming coach as an avenue to connect, not only with the students but with the parents to reinforce the family atmosphere of the school. “In my first few years, getting to know the boys was fun,” he said. “Being the swimming coach right off the bat tied into a bunch of guys which allowed me to have great relationships with their parents as well.” Like Kelly, Steve and his wife, both Catholic school teachers, believe strongly in the Lasallian charism. That’s part of the reason why his sons Ben ’06 and Jared ‘10 attended De La Salle and were able to experience the brotherhood. “It was important for us to get our kids into what we thought was a good Catholic school, and De La Salle does a great job with education,” he said. “From a personal perspective, our kids had no trouble in school after coming here.” One thing that students will always remember about Steve Guthrie is his bellowing voice. Even if you didn’t get to experience that as part of the swim team, many students, and parents, can probably still hear his voice as he directs traffic through the De La Salle parking lot, before and after school.

Over time, he’s instructed seven of the 24 faculty/staff alumni, including Travis Pacos ’11, who is now in his fourth year as a Math teacher at the school. Steve has seen how Travis instills the same values in the students he teaches. “Travis has a concern for the boys and has an outstanding work ethic,” said Guthrie. “He’s teaching Math and coaching, so he gets a lot of time to connect with the students.”

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Scott Hirsch ’82

(August 21, 1989) – Mathematics The next longest-tenured faculty member is also the longest-tenured faculty alum. Scott Hirsch ’82 walked the halls of De La Salle as a student from 1978-82 but missed being taught by Eidson, Gardner, and Guthrie.

After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, and teaching briefly in the Fresno area, Hirsch returned home to De La Salle as a teacher in August of 1989. “Everything started right here, and De La Salle shaped who I am,” said Hirsch. “As a student, I learned through service that I liked working with kids, and the mission of De La Salle, teaching the heart, mind, and soul, has always been important to me.”

Hirsch continues to teach algebra and trigonometry at De La Salle, but his days as the head coach for water polo and swimming (at Carondelet) have passed him by, although he still helps out as an assistant from time to time. “De La Salle has always been my second home,” he said. “Other than my parents, all the foundational stuff about life I got here. De La Salle has always been about good people and doing God’s work, and trying to help everyone become a better person.” Starting as faculty members just two years apart from each other, Guthrie and Hirsch have formed a strong connection over the years due to their love for swimming and teaching math, as well as their connection to the Lasallian charism which brought their sons to De La Salle as well. Scott’s son Andrew graduated from De La Salle in 2016 and his son Michael completed his education at De La Salle in 2019.

John Pelster ’87

(September 1, 1991) – English John Pelster was a student from 1983-87 and returned to campus as a teacher in 1991, promptly after earning his undergraduate degree from UC Santa Barbara that same year. When asked why he got into teaching so soon, he responded, “I got into teaching because I felt I could help these kids move on and be successful in life and make the world a better place. Working in sales or at a bank would have just been part-time jobs and not as fulfilling in the way that I thought teaching could be.” So now 30 years later, he continues to teach and reach the De La Salle students through his teaching in English 3, AP English Language, Western Literature, and Literature and Conflict. But his teaching doesn’t end in the classroom. He’s been the head varsity cross country coach for the past 16 years, leading the Spartan runners to six league and NCS team titles, 14 state meets and helping two Spartans qualify for the national championships. “You get into this profession because of the materials, you stay in the profession because of the kids,” he said. “I enjoy being in the classroom with them and sharing my love for this material. I try to help them expand their abilities, not just to understand literature, but to be able to think critically, express themselves, and develop their skills and communication. This is something I find fulfilling in a way that is more profound.” John also deeply believes in the De La Salle education so much that his son James ’15 graduated from the school 28 years after his father.

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Building the Foundation: Our De La Salle Family Faculty Tree

What is the overall impact that these five Lasallian Educators have had on the De La Salle community? Well, with their combined 172 years of service, and counting, they have loved, guided, and instructed well over 5,000 De La Salle graduates.

but sat in Scott Hirsch’s math class in the late 90s. Alumbaugh, now in his 18th year as a teacher at De La Salle, was a social studies teacher for current HPER faculty member and basketball coach Greg MacArthur ‘03, who also coached Pacos in basketball.

De La Salle currently has 24 faculty and staff members who are alumni of the school, including Scott Hirsch ‘82 and John Pelster ‘87, and combined with Gardner, Eidson, and Guthrie, they have either taught in the classroom or coached on the playing field, 19 alums that are employed at the school. The only three current faculty and staff there that were not taught by one of these five 30-plus year faculty members: Fr. LaSalle Hallissy ’69, Cris Rosales ’76, and Bob Guelld ’81.

In evaluating who taught who, one interesting perspective falls to current Director of Student Support Service, Scott Drain ’94, who was a student in the classes of Eidson, Gardner, Hirsch, and Pelster, and is the only current alum employee that had four of the five 30-plus year faculty members as a teacher.

The connection to these alumni goes back as far as the late 1980s, when English teacher Rick Graham ’90 sat in Kelly Gardner’s Spanish class as a sophomore, to as recent as 2011 when Travis Pacos ’11, who now teaches math, was a student in Steve Guthrie’s algebra class during the 2009-10 school year and a student and football player for Terry Eidson.

One unique perspective is that one can link generations of teaching to three or four generations. Like how 1991 alumnus Rick Graham learned from Kelly Gardner as a student, then Graham, who has been teaching at De La Salle for 23 years, was an English teacher for Tim Bedford ‘03 and Jonathan Clark ‘04, who are now teaching the current generation of Spartans. Another multi-generational connection runs through Justin Alumbaugh ‘98, who not only played for Eidson

Additionally, De La Salle has five faculty/staff members who are Carondelet High School graduates: Dr. Heather Alumbaugh CHS ‘91, Jennifer Ricketts CHS ‘91, Viki (Lazio) Acquistapace CHS ‘79, Lindsay Melaas CHS ‘00, and Jamie Frick CHS ‘08. Only Jennifer Ricketts had any of these long-time faculty members as teachers, as she had Terry Eidson for Student Leadership.

But what is it that prompts these alumni to come back and teach at the school where they were students? Is it the love for the school?

Is it the faculty members they learned from? Or is it that they just want to make a difference in the lives of young men and help them learn and grow? No matter what their reason for returning, they made a significant impact on the current alumni faculty members, as they have with many Spartan alums over the past four decades and counting.

SPRING 2022 | 14

ROOTED IN Lasallian Values

Continuing the Conversation about Respect, Inclusion, and Belonging From March 31-April 9, the De La Salle/Carondelet Theatre Company hosted six showings of Heathers the Musical (High School Edition) in the Brother Celestine Cormier, FSC Theatre. As part of the overall theatrical experience, De La Salle and Carondelet students, along with their audiences, took part in dialog to discuss many mental health concerns present in today’s school environment.

Bullying, suicide, school violence, homophobia, and troubled families, are just a few of the issues students and parents struggle with on a daily basis. Parents try to protect teenage children from many of these issues which are painful, difficult, and all too real in the lives of many children today. When it was announced that Company would do Heathers the Musical as its Spring Production, some members of the community were skeptical and asked, “Why Heathers?”

Both schools are pleased that Company continues to be a place of Educational Theater. A place where art helps to enlighten, raise awareness, and open dialogue that benefits individuals involved, the audience, and the wider community. “What happens when the audience sees a character experiencing struggle, doubt, and pain?

Empathy,” said Company Co-Director, Ms. Meredith Barnidge.

“Our vision in choosing plays such as Heathers the Musical is to downplay the scandal, and rather expose the truth of teen experiences in this dark comedy that are expressed in sometimes absurd and exaggerated ways.”

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For the last few years, De La Salle and Carondelet, as two schools, one community, have helped students wrestle with uncomfortable content as an impetus for dialogue and action based in concert with the productions chosen. The content of Heathers the Musical is part of wider school conversations on the themes raised in the performance in collaboration with the school’s Student Support team and various academic departments, as well as community mental health groups.

“As a Lasallian

“As a Lasallian Catholic school, De La Salle High School is called to live out Gospel values even if, and oftentimes because, it is uncomfortable,” said Dr. Heather Alumbaugh, Vice President for Academic Life. “We often tackle challenging issues knowing that while parents are the primary educators of their children, De La Salle too, has a role in ensuring the young men are equipped to have difficult conversations on challenging topics.”

While the show provided an entertaining forum for these questions to be inspired, De La Salle also realized that it is necessary and important to bring in experts to help process these ideas for the students and their parents. De La Salle partnered with Being Well CA to provide supplementary information and facilitate conversations for students and the wider school community. Being Well CA’s mission is to reduce anxiety, depression, and suicide ideation in our youth. They do this by providing schools, parents, students, and communities with workshops, tool kits, and training to improve mental health support.

Catholic school, De La Salle High School is called to live out Gospel values even if, and often times because, it is uncomfortable.”

“As Lasallians, we are committed to helping our students to view others with respect and reverence-affirming their dignity, value, and importance in the eyes of God and our community,” said Barnidge. “This is very intentional on the part of the faculty, Company directors, and the schools’ administrations. Issues that both schools have sought to address, Company has continued to partner with, in extending that conversation with the show’s audiences.”

Heathers the Musical is yet another extension of the curricular work and opportunities for dialogue that happens on campus, and De La Salle hopes it creates conversation in homes.

De La Salle empowers its students to speak and stand against negativity and cruelty. In some cases, the conversation on campus has been ongoing, with school-wide conversations on masculinity, awareness around gender-based harassment, and violence that came before the production of Dogfight.

Prior to the launch of the show, Company cast and crew members integrated ongoing empathy exercises as part of rehearsals, as Being Well CA facilitated both a cast/crew workshop and one for parents of cast/crew on Hope and Suicide Prevention.

If you are interested in learning more about what De La Salle is doing to help its students work through their mental health concerns, visit the De La Salle website at dlshs.org/campus-life/ student-support.

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ROOTED IN Giving COMMUNITY­­is ­­Felt Through Support for the Students on De La Salle Giving Day and Giving Tuesday Fall 2021 was a collective celebration as De La Salle was able to start the school year in person after over a year and a half of virtual and hybrid learning. It was a joy for faculty, staff, and students alike to be 100 percent on campus while still navigating through the challenges of COVID-19.

A new school year brings our every year, operational challenges of running a school like De La Salle. With the increasing need for tuition assistance (now more than $4 million) for families in need, the continued investment in innovation and resources for our faculty, and the ever-growing interest in co-curricular programming for students - the need for continued support for the Annual Fund is imperative.

Thankfully, the De La Salle COMMUNITY continues to answer the call for support, and this past fall was no different. On Tuesday, October 12, 2021, parents, alumni, grandparents, and friends poured in support and love for our students on De La Salle Giving Day. Thanks to a wonderful Challenge Grant from Steve ‘83 and Kellie Abreu and 350+ donors, together, more than $200,000 was raised to benefit our students, a new record for De La Salle Giving Day!

#GI INGTUESDAY

11.30.2021 On Tuesday, November 30, 2021, De La Salle celebrated Giving Tuesday, a day recognized by organizations globally to encourage philanthropic giving during the holiday season.

For Giving Tuesday this year, De La Salle focused efforts to raise awareness and funds for a program near and dear to our hearts - the Bishop John S. Cummins Scholarship Program. During Giving Tuesday, messages from Bishop Cummins Program Coordinator, Roberto Martinez, and program staff member, Terry Eidson, shared personal reflections about the importance and impact of the program on the Bishop Cummins Scholars who are recipients of the support. You can visit dlshs.org/givingtuesday and view video testimonials from our Bishop Cummins Scholars.

De La Salle’s mission is to “serve and embrace students with varied academic needs and diverse social, cultural, and economic backgrounds.” For a population of our student body, the economic need is great. Some students don’t have the money to purchase a meal, a BART or bus ticket, clothes for Liturgy, or even a ticket to the dance, let alone pay tuition. Some come from homes torn by drugs or parents facing unemployment, they may be bouncing from one home to the next, or have even experienced homelessness. At De La Salle you might think that our families are immune to these challenges, but you would be surprised. To our Bishop Cummins Scholars, these challenges are a reality.

Thanks to the De La Salle COMMUNITY, more than $90,000 was raised through our #GivingTuesday effort and into December, from individual donations, as well as three significant foundation grants specifically awarded to support the Bishop Cummins Scholarship Program.

While the school is thrilled with the success, the need is still very great as De La Salle continues to make the gift of a Lasallian Catholic education available to the students. Thank you to our community who make investing in the school and our young men a philanthropic priority throughout the year.

Contact Vice President for Advancement, Mark Chiarucci at (925) 288-8106 or chiaruccim@dlshs.org to learn more about how your gifts can make a tremendous impact on our school and students.

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Leadership Giving De La Salle High School is built on a foundation of generosity. Today, De La Salle philanthropists are vital members of this community of support, with a unique perspective on the power of a De La Salle education. The De La Salle Annual Fund is one of the most important ways our community of parents, alumni, grandparents, and friends equip our students with exceptional resources. Annual Fund gifts have an immediate impact on every current student, through unrestricted support for De La Salle’s co-curricular activities, faculty development, and financial aid.

When you make a leadership gift to the De La Salle Annual Fund, you help create exceptional experiences for today’s students. Through your generosity, you open doors of opportunity to students from the widest possible range of backgrounds. In turn, each student brings to De La Salle different passions and perspectives, talents, and backgrounds.

Your gift also helps make it possible for the school to meet its mission to educate all qualified students. Leadership gifts play a critical role in filling the gap between the amount of financial aid that’s available from endowed scholarship funds, budgeted financial aid, and the total need of today’s students.

The impact of your annual leadership gift is immediate and significant.

Leadership Giving at De La Salle makes the remarkable achievements of our school possible and ensures that students are given every opportunity to succeed in the classroom. De La Salle appreciates the generous support of parents, alumni, and friends - at all levels of giving.

Membership is given to those families who commit gifts of $1,965 or more annually.

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The Leadership Giving is recognized based on annual giving to De La Salle from July 1 - June 30 each school year. Your gift, along with your corporate match, will be combined for inclusion in the highest annual recognition society.

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1965 CLUB OST LOY ’S M AL LE AL

The 1965 Club recognizes investments in the De La Salle Annual Fund totaling over $1,965 annually. Benefits include an exclusive invitation to our annual 1965 Club Reception and special quarterly communications from De La Salle Leadership so you may see the results of your investments in action.

The Lasallian Society recognizes investments in the De La Salle Annual Fund totaling over $5,000 annually.

In addition to benefits received at the 1965 Club level, exclusive benefits for the Lasallian Society include a special Leadership Round Table reception and a comprehensive Annual Impact Report from the President.

The Founder’s Circle recognizes cumulative investments totaling over $100,000 at De La Salle. In addition to benefits received at the 1965 Club and Lasallian Society levels.

WHY SHOULD I INCREASE MY GIFTS? THE MARGIN OF EXCELLENCE. If you have been making Annual Fund gifts of $500 or $1,000, please consider upgrading your gift to the 1965 Club level of $1,965 or the Lasallian Society level of $5,000. Why? De La Salle High School strives for excellence in all that we do and we are intentional with every step that we take - our academics, our co-curriculars, and all of our programming. The support of our leadership donors affords us the opportunity to sustain that excellence, by providing significant resources for each of the school’s priorities.

By becoming a leadership giving investor at De La Salle, it will give you the satisfaction of knowing that you have led the way toward ensuring the standard of excellence and phenomenal achievements that have been a tradition for our school, and are maintained for years to come.

For more information on Leadership Giving at De La Salle High School, please contact Vice President for Advancement, Mark Chiarucci at (925) 288-8106 or chiaruccim@dlshs.org or Director of Development, Karla Wiese at (925) 288-8195 or wiesek@dlshs.org.

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The Vice President for Finance’s Annual Report: Focus on Endowment and Financial Aid De La Salle’s endowment saw a boon when a $15 million endowment bequest from the late Mr. Kenneth Hofmann and the Hofmann Family was realized. As the endowment grows, so does the amount of endowment income available to provide budgetary support for financial aid and other programmatic purposes. It will be vital for donor investors to support increasing the endowment to meet current and emerging needs.

Endowment Fair Market Value

$35,000,000 $30,000,000

$29,454,477

$25,000,000 $20,000,000 $15,000,000 $10,000,000 $5,000,000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

The need for financial aid typically increases as tuition increases. (And tuition increases as faculty and staff compensation and other costs of running the school increase, which is annually.) A growing portion of the financial aid budget is funded by endowment earnings and specific donor-restricted gifts, while the largest funding is from the operating budget. As a part of the operating budget funding, your gifts to the Annual Fund make more resources available for financial aid and other program features.

The Christian Brothers’ mission is “to provide a human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor.” Therefore, financial aid is the heart of the mission for all Lasallian schools, and specifically in the District of San Francisco New Orleans District. To respond to the call to support at least five percent of our student body whose family incomes are at or below the poverty level, the Bishop John S. Cummins Scholarship Program was established. De La Salle currently assists seven percent of enrollment in this income category. Financial assistance is available well into middle-income levels so that a diverse cross-section of students from different economic realities can enrich the De La Salle community. We currently award over $4.2 million in financial aid to over one in three students.

Total Financial Aid & Increasing Endowment Funding $4,500,000 $4,000,000 Operations Funding

$3,500,000 $3,000,000

Endowment Funding

$2,500,000 $2,000,000 $1,500,000 $1,000,000 $500,000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

In other financial news:

• The June 30, 2021 financial statement audit was completed last fall, and De La Salle continues to be ranked as a high performer among its peers.

• Our community is responding to the Advancement Team’s request for support of our Annual Fund which is critical to all of our programs. Make a gift today by visiting dlshs.org/givenow.

• Our Vice President for Finance, Lynne Jones, is retiring at the end of this school year. If you know a skilled financial manager with loads of enthusiasm and energy for the Lasallian mission, who would love to be a strategic thought partner with the President and other Vice Presidents, see the job posting at dlshs.org/career.

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Meet the New President of the Alumni Association

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Dear Spartans, “Change is the only constant in life” - Heraclitus, Greek philosopher. Those words could not resonate more for all of us, as this time last year we were living in a virtual hybrid world.

A year later and many of us are navigating these waters as true Spartans would, head-on. We have seen polarizing events and change take place on the global, national, and local fronts impacting all in one way or another. We have been the beacon of change in our personal and professional lives, guiding those around us through those events and changes.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t take the time to thank both Lloyd Schine III ’94 (former Director of Alumni Relation) and Scott Roberts ’93 (former Alumni Association President) for their time and service to the De La Salle community. Thank you, gentlemen, for all you have done and will continue to do. As a Spartan, the call to serve resonated with me since graduating in ‘98! Those who know me, know I live the “enter to learn, leave to serve” philosophy that was a part of education while on Winton Drive. Always willing to give whatever I could whenever I could, whether it be time with our current students on a Latinx zoom or mentoring one entering the business world. I believe that is what brought me back to be a part of the Alumni Board of Directors. Service is what has brought back so many of us through the years to carry on the tradition of the brotherhood. That changing of the guard, so to speak, is a critical part of what it means to serve all that are a part of De La Salle.

As Spartan Alumni, we all play an integral part in the future of our Spartan brotherhood. As mentioned above, the philosophy reminds us that through change we remain consistent. That brotherhood consistently gives to or serves for the next generation, ensuring they receive the necessities for a quality educational experience, and how De La Salle manages the ever-changing environments around them. In our current environment, what we give back means more to this next generation than ever. Your donation affords these young men a quality education that will propel them into a bright future.

As we find ways to reconnect, reunite, and well, just see each other’s faces again, we hope that you will find your way back to Winton Drive. I am honored to serve as your Alumni Association President, a role I do not take lightly. I appreciate each and every one of you as ambassadors of our brotherhood. Continue to fight the good fight!

Go Spartans!

Josh Quintero ‘98 President, DLS Alumni Association

De La Salle Alumni Board for 2022-23 Jonathan Bellusa ‘93 Derek Fahlman ‘04 Robert Falco ‘83* Charles Favroth ‘00

Kevin Francis ‘04* Richard McNell ‘03 Daniel Murphy ‘09* Danny Pease ‘02

Adam Polk ‘01* Ian Tongol ‘02 Jared Wagner ‘07* Adam Wong ‘18

* New Board Member

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ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR

Kent Mercer ’87 A Distinguished Spartan Life The De La Salle Alumni Association, along with the entire De La Salle community, is proud to honor Kent Mercer ‘87 as the 2022 De La Salle High School Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.

Kent’s ties to De La Salle go back 40 years when his oldest brother Eric ’84 started high school and his dad would take him to watch games. Soon, the entire family was spending a lot of time on campus as the other Mercer boys (Brian ’86 and Craig ’90) went through their high school years.

Sporting events, fall festivals, fundraisers, the DLS 200, horse races featuring Christian Brothers racing around the cafeteria – the Mercers enjoyed participating in them all, making De La Salle almost like a second home.

“It was a place where you came to just be yourself and enjoy being there,” Mercer recalls. “It helped to shape who I am. That’s what is so unique about this place.”

Mercer, who captained the first water polo team at De La Salle and also was on the swimming team, says his parents valued the great education and the school’s Lasallian values. His father, Bill Mercer, had graduated from another Christian Brothers school, St. Mary’s College High School in Berkeley. (The family started an endowment at De La Salle in Bill Mercer’s memory after his death in 1990.)

“It was a very caring and safe environment where you felt free to be yourself,” Mercer says of De La Salle. “It was a great experience.”

Along with playing sports, Mercer also took a sports medicine class, sparking his interest in a career that led him back to the school as its athletic trainer. He graduated in 1993 from Chico State University, where he met his wife, Kim, in his senior year, with a degree in exercise physiology. He later got a master’s in kinesiology at Cal State Hayward (now East Bay).

He was an exercise physiologist but jumped at the chance to return full-time to De La Salle in 1997 in the football and basketball programs. In 2000, Mercer was hired as the athletic trainer, and he’s been at De La Salle full-time ever since.

Mercer says he loves the school and its mission of developing boys into young men in the Lasallian tradition of promoting faith, education, service, and commitment to helping those who are less fortunate.

Mercer and his wife also sent their two sons to De La Salle – Tanner, who graduated in 2019 and is now a pre-med student at Duke University, and Zachary, a current senior who is on the baseball team.

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Dame. Each gets the same level of concern from Kent,” Roberts says.

Mercer says he loves being the athletic trainer at De La Salle, especially with the dedicated and caring people who lead and coach the athletic programs.

“The goal of our program is to keep (students) healthy, keep them safe, and keep them inspired to be active,” he says, adding that coaches and staff “hold people accountable and have expectations.

They develop boys into young men who go out into society and contribute.”

His commitment to De La Salle has now led to him being named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, a well-deserved honor, says Alumni Director Tim Roberts ’88.

“You could just tell Kent was one of the guys who had a very high moral compass,” says Roberts, who first met Mercer when they were both students at the school. “He’s just one of the finest humans that you’d want to come across.”

Roberts says that along with being a strong supporter of De La Salle, Mercer is also an outstanding athletic trainer whose door is open to anyone on campus who needs his help - from a theater student who gets hurt, to a star athlete.

“I’ve watched him with a freshman who just wants to be a fly on the wall, and a 285-pound football player who wants to go to Notre

Mercer says the biggest changes in his decades on campus have been social media and the competitiveness over getting into college. He advises students to pursue the college that is right for them, not just the biggest name schools.

The coronavirus pandemic led to a new role for Mercer, who was put in charge of the school’s COVID response. A major accomplishment, along with devising hybrid education and testing programs, was developing an app with a Duke University friend of his son Tanner to systemize pre-screening and tracking COVID on campus. The app was picked up by other schools.

“This has been very challenging,” he said of his role as “COVID czar.”

“I tried to stay up to date on what was going on. Our goal was to get people back on campus.”

Mercer says he’s proud of the school for how it responded to the challenge when it kept caring for and educating students in a safe environment. Just like De La Salle always strives to do.

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AlumniActivities

Soccer and Basketball Alumni Events Every fall has several traditions that bring us back home. Home to each of us can mean many different things - coming back to see your family, your friends, the home you grew up in, or coming back to campus to where you spent your most formidable years.

This year might have been a little extra special with everything the pandemic has affected, these last two years, as a record number of alumni came back to campus to compete on the pitch and in the gym.

The De La Salle Alumni soccer game was played to a 6-6 tie going into a shootout, and our 2022 varsity soccer team prevailed over an allstar alumni squad. Players and fans from both sides enjoyed some off-site hospitality hosted by the Alumni Association.

The alumni basketball game has outgrown our usual format of alumni competing against our current varsity team and has now become an alumni versus alumni basketball game. Odd years, even years, a balance of young, and not so young, alumni played hard, competed, and naturally, the alumni won. Current Spartan basketball players stayed to meet and greet our alumni and their families at the Alumni Association Reception in the Ladouceur Athletic Performance Center and Hall of Fame Lobby.

It was great to see this fall tradition continue and grow each year. Looking forward to seeing you all again in fall 2022.

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De La Salle Establishes Mark Halvorson Endowment Fund The Mark Halvorson Endowment Fund will be established as a lasting tribute to Mark’s legacy on the De La Salle campus. This endowment fund will provide tuition assistance to a Spartan student that demonstrates financial need, while also being a leader in the classroom and in the community. Preference will be given to a student in need of financial aid who is participating in wrestling.

Not only did Mark build an outstanding and winning wrestling program at De La Salle, but he was a globally renowned wrestling coach who unexpectedly passed away in February of 2021 at the age of 57. He coached the varsity wrestling team at De La Salle for 22 years, leading the Spartans to 11 North Coast Section championships. He coached nearly 100 student-athletes to state meets, claiming 23 medals and two individual championships. Mark also coached for Team USA Wrestling, where he was a volunteer coach for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Mark’s care for others, unselfishness, work ethic, passion for his sport, and life lessons he taught the student-athletes will make him unforgettable on the De La Salle campus.

On Saturday, May 14, the school will host the inaugural Coach Mark Halvorson Takedown Poker Tournament in the Hofmann Student Center. The Mark Halvorson Takedown will be a full-blown, professionally-run poker tournament, and all proceeds from this event will be used to establish the Mark Halvorson Endowment Fund.

Visit dlshs.org/alumni for more information or to sign-up for the tournament.

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Spartan Night at the Colombo Club Returns in 2022 Ten years ago, the De La Salle Alumni Association wanted to come up with an event to build community and continue the Spartan legacy over a good meal. Thus, the Alumni Colombo Club mixer was formed. We don’t think about it often, but our parents are left with a void, same as alumni when we graduate and move on from De La Salle. Sharing a meal is a staple for a family to spend quality time together, slow down, and talk with intent.

What better place for De La Salle alums to do this than the oldest Italian American club in the United States, the Colombo Club in Oakland.

Alumni from all around the Bay Area came to the annual dinner, with many of them bringing their fathers. The topic of conversation at any given table was all things De La Salle, including updates from campus life. Long-time math teacher Steve Guthrie and President David Holquin shared the process and results of our 18-month Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA) accreditation.

Over the years, we have seen this event grow. This year we had our first threegeneration table with a former dad, an alumni dad, and recent graduate joining the camaraderie. The hospitality from the Colombo Club staff sets the tone with passed focaccia bread, oldschool bartenders, and a plated meat and cheese dish. Roasted potatoes, veggies, roasted chicken, and Frances’ world-famous ravioli with table wine are enough to quiet down any room for a few minutes. Prayer, some introductions, and a quick state of the school were enjoyed by all.

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De La Salle & Carondelet

Saturday August 6th • 5pm-11pm

Celebrating the classes of: 1975-77, 1980-82, 1985-87, 1990-92, 1995-97, 2000-02, 2005-07, 2010-12 Campus tours, great food and drink and live music!

Visit dlshs.org/reunions for info.

Featuring

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What’s Happening Alumni Frank Wagner ‘73 (A) Frank Wagner currently serves as the Chair of De La Salle’s Board of Trustees and is proud and grateful to be completing six years of service at the end of this school year. Professionally, he is enjoying his 15th year at Google, where he is a Vice President in its “People Operations” (HR) department, and leads the Company’s employee compensation function. Frank lives with his wife, Lynn, in Newport Coast, CA, and has resided in Orange County since graduating from UC Berkeley with his bachelor’s and master’s in Business Administration.

Carl Ford ‘74 Well, it finally happened. I am RETIRED!! Feels great. Living back in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I have much to catch up on. Having been living in Hamburg, Pa., for the last 18 years, it’s great to be back in the warmer climate. Best wishes to all!!

Robert Falco ‘83 (B) Robert became a Deacon for the Oakland Diocese on Sept 12, 2020. (That’s right during lockdown COVID-19 and fires ripping through California and Oregon - air quality during outside Ordination was horrible!). He is currently assigned to St. Raymond Church in Dublin, Calif., and it’s a blessing to the community and has a gift for preaching. Robert has also self-published a book titled Meaning: If God is your Co-Pilot, Switch Seats. If you are interested in purchasing his book, it can be purchased on Amazon-Kindle, as all proceeds from book sales will go to support St. Raymond’s Church.

Tim McGuire ‘83 (C) In May of 2021, Tim McGuire retired from the United States Army after a decorated 34-year career. A 1987 graduate of West Point, Tim had command assignments in the Armored Division (1994–95), the 173rd Airborne Brigade (2003-06) during its deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and the 82d Airborne Division (2008- 10) during its deployment to Iraq. He has also worked in Washington, D.C. (2010-12) as Deputy Chief of the

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Legislative Liaison in the Office of the Secretary of the Army, was a Brigadier General for the Joint Readiness Task Force at Fort Polk, served as the Deputy Commanding General of United States Army Europe, and last served as the Deputy Commanding General of the United States Army Installation Management Command (2018-21).

His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Ranger Tab, and Pathfinder Badge. The 2015 De La Salle Distinguished Alumnus of the Year and his wife Susan have four children, Tom, Maria, Erin, and Patrick.

Robert Heaney III ‘88 (D) Robert currently works at AT&T as an Application Sales Executive. He is married with three kids Katie (18), Grace (14), and Matthew (11).

Paul Hockel ‘88 (E) Paul graduated from the University of San Francisco in 1992 with a degree in Philosophy and spent the next six years in the US Air Force as an Intelligence Officer. He completed a Master of Science in Management Information Systems from Bowie State University in 2010 and an Executive Master of Business Administration at the University of Cambridge, England in 2016. Paul was recently promoted to Technology Vice President and is the Head of Data & Analytics for the Intelligence and Homeland Security Division of General Dynamics.

He has lived in Europe for the past 26 years, including the last 15 in England with his wife, Triona, and their three children.

Chris Cinch ‘90 (F) Chris has a staffing business, Diablo Partners LLC, that has been chugging along through the pandemic, and focuses on supporting the logistics and trucking industries throughout Northern Cal. Personally, Chris says it’s not easy grooming a

future Spartan and Cougar in this new world we live in. Chris and wife Kristin have been busy with their fifth-grade twins (Alex and Avery) at Christ The King in Pleasant Hill. Alex has been navigating through the CYO basketball season. Avery is taking dance at the infamous Studio A under Aggie Eidson perfecting new routines and growing like a weed! The family had a nice ski trip to Whistler, Canada after Christmas and we had a couple of bluebird days, even though the temps were near zero degrees each day... chilly for daddy.

Chris DeMeo ‘90 (G) Chris converted his primary property in Walnut Creek to a vineyard in 2010. Currently, he is growing six varieties of grapes, wine production started in 2013, and DeMeo Vineyards was established and bonded in 2021. Chris expects his first vintage to be released later this year and is planning a formal launch at his property when released.

Steven Hennigan ‘93 After eight years in the Houston area, Steven accepted a new position as the Deputy Executive Director of Aviation and Chief Operating Officer with the Lee County Port Authority, which oversees Southwest Florida International Airport and Page Field in Fort Myers, Flo. Recently, his family moved to Estero and are enjoying the Southwest Florida lifestyle!

Michael Manzano ‘99 (H) Michael currently serves in the military as a Naval Special Warfare Command, Assistant Deputy Force Engineer. As a Navy Reservist, he was recently promoted this past November from Lieutenant (LT) to Lieutenant Commander (LCDR).

Tosh Lupoi ‘00 In January, Tosh was named the Defensive Coordinator at the University of Oregon. Before being named the DC at Oregon, he coached three seasons in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2021), the Atlanta Falcons (2020), and

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May 28, 2021, and was joined by his wife Megan and sons Calvin and Conner.

the Cleveland Browns (2019). Additionally, he was on the University of Alabama coaching staff for five seasons (2014-18), winning two national championships, and working his way up to Defensive Coordinator for the 2018 season. Tosh began his coaching career in the Pac-12, coaching the defensive line at California (2008-11) and Washington (2012-13).

Aran Nafisi ‘07 (L) Earned a bachelor of arts degree from UC Berkeley where he was a member of the three-time national champion rugby team. Holds a Master of Business Administration from the Fordham Gabelli School of Business, and is currently the Associate Vice President of Mortgage Lending at Guaranteed Rate Affinity.

Govida “Go” Thomas-Carter ’01 (I) Go owns his own publishing company. Audio Visual Artist/ Super producer, but an even better dad to four beautiful little beings. Check out his latest album Diamond Vision: https://bit.ly/3ITu3nf

Dominic Aliano ’10 In December of 2021, Dominic was announced as the Mayor of Concord. He was first elected to the Council in November 2018 and served as the Vice Mayor prior to his selection as Mayor. He previously served on the Board of Directors for three local non-profits: The Monument Crisis Center, Support4Recovery, and the Todos Santos Business Association. He also served on the Concord Planning Commission from 2016 to 2018.

Tim Bedford ’03 (J) We have a new Spartanette in the house! Olivia Andromeda Bedford was born at 10:40 pm on November 6, 2021. Grandie, as in SHERRY BEDFORD, couldn’t be happier about her second granddaughter. Tim (GIRL DAD) meant to send this earlier, but it’s been very difficult for him to stop looking at Olivia. She is perfect and he and Marina couldn’t be happier.

Thomas Neufeld ‘16 Thomas recently graduated from the University of Missouri School of Science of Technologies (Missouri S&T) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration - IT Cyber Security and is now ending his first year for his master’s degree at the Missouri of Science and Distance graduate

Ben Guthrie ‘06 (K) Ben Guthrie was a Firefighter and Paramedic with the Stockton Fire Department for five years before transferring to the Oakland Fire Department in May of 2021. Ben was sworn into the Oakland FD on

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program. Thomas is also working at the Livermore Lawrence National Laboratory, working in Cyber Defense.

John Costa ’17 (M) John recently graduated from San Francisco State with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. A dad, John’s daughter Kyrah Rose Costa was born in November of 2020. He is currently working in the tech sales field as a Business Development Rep. Dirk Tolson III ‘18 Dirk is attending Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, CA. He is currently working on a Bachelor of Science in Statistics with a double minor in Computer Science and Spanish. Dirk is also a brother of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and recently finished his term as Historian for his chapter. Dirk has also done undergraduate research with the Mathematical Epidemiology Research Group (MERG) under the supervision of his professor, Dr. Omayra Ortega. He recently finished an Internship with UC Berkeley in the Summer of 2021 as an Undergraduate Researcher studying probability, algebra, and combinatorics. He expects to finish his degree in 2022.

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SpartanSports 2021-22 Fall-Winter Recaps

The 2021-22 De La Salle High School fall and winter sports seasons are officially behind us, and there was a tremendous amount of success for the teams that competed over the past six months. We would like to congratulate the sports of cross country, football, and water polo teams on successful seasons this fall, and basketball, soccer, and wrestling, which compete in the winter season, on their most recent successes.

Fall Sports

Cross Country—The cross country team finished the year placing third overall in the East Bay Athletic League (EBAL) Championship, as Oscar Gomez ’22 was the league’s individual champion. Gomez was a First Team All-EBAL honoree and Trey Caldwell ’25 was a Third Team All-EBAL honoree after finishing 20th overall. After the EBAL Championships, the Spartan runners competed in the North Coast Section (NCS) Championships, finishing fifth in Division II, as Gomez paced De La Salle with a third-place individual finish. With the top-5 team finish at NCS, De La Salle qualified for the state meet for the 30th time in school history. The Spartans finished 15th in the CIF Division II State Championships, while Gomez finished fifth in the individual competition.

Football—After posting an 8-2 regular-season record, the De La Salle football team captured its 29th consecutive NCS Championship with wins over James Logan (49-13) and Pittsburg (42-14) in the Open Division Playoffs. The Spartans advanced to the CIF Division 1-AA playoffs, losing to Folsom, 28-27, in the NorCal championship game. De La Salle had 14 players earn All-EBAL Mountain Division honors; Zeke Berry ’22 (Player of the Year), Derrick Thompson ’23 (1st Team), Matthew Abbes ’22 (1st Team), JJ Tofaeono ’22 (1st Team), Charles Tofaeono ’23 (1st Team), Marley Alapati ’24 (1st Team), Bryant Meredith ’22 (1st Team), Jordan Kennedy ’22 (1st Team), Charles Greer ’23 (2nd Team), Cooper Flannigan ’23 (2nd Team), Carson Jones ’22 (2nd Team), Cooper Powers ’23 (2nd Team), Journey McKoy ’23 (2nd Team), Nick Fuenzalida ’22 (Honorable Mention). Berry was also named an Under Armour All-American and was selected as the All-American Bowl National Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, he was named the Defensive Player of the Year by the Bay Area Newsgroup, SF Gate, and SportsStars.

Water Polo—The 2021 campaign marked a historical year for the De La Salle water polo team, as the Spartans posted a 23-6 overall record.

After defeating California HS to capture the EBAL Championship with an 8-0 league record, the Spartans captured the school’s first NCS title since 2004 with a 15-12 win over Miramonte High School in the Open Division Championships. De La Salle defeated Menlo, 17-16, in the first round of the CIF NorCal regionals, before falling to Miramonte, 14-13, in the semifinals. Congratulations to the following student-athletes on their All-EBAL selections; Carsten Peters ’23 (1st Team), Charlie Saunders ’22 (1st Team), Jack Richards ’23 (2nd Team), Tyler Laymon ’23 (2nd Team), and Dominic Brown ’23 (Honorable Mention).

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Winter Sports

Basketball—The De La Salle basketball team posted an 18-4 record during the regular season, then captured the 2022 East Bay Athletic League (EBAL) championship with a 57-44 victory over Granada. Following the league championship, the Spartans earned the No. 2 seed in the North Coast Section Open Division Championships, advancing to the section finals, where they fell to top-seeded Campolindo, 51-50. The Spartans advanced to the 2022 CIF Open Division Playoffs as the No. 4 seed. De La Salle’s season came to an end following a 57-52 loss to Archbishop Riordan in the opening round of the tournament. De La Salle finished the season with a 24-6 overall record. Congratulations to All-EBAL selections John Semany ’22 (first team), Alec Blair ’25 (first team), Javon Johnson ’22 (second team), and Jordan Webster ’22 (honorable mention).

Soccer—The De La Salle soccer team captured the 2022 EBAL Championship, closing out the regular season with a 15-6-1 overall record, including an 11-1-1 record against league opponents. In the 2022 NCS Division I Soccer Championships, the top-seeded Spartans defeated James Logan (7-0), Monte Vista (6-0), and Clayton Valley Charter (1-0) to advance to the championship game, where De La Salle defeated Montgomery (2-1) to bring home the school’s 14th NCS championship trophy. De La Salle earned the No. 3 seed in the CIF NorCal Division I Soccer Championships, opening the NorCal playoffs with a 4-3 overtime win over Sanger. The soccer season came to an end with a loss to Watsonville 7-6 in penalty kicks in the semifinals. Including their 5-1 record in the postseason, the soccer team finished the year with a 20-7-1 overall record. Seven Spartans were named to the all-league team, as defender Lucas Pfister ’23, forward Charlie Hogan ’22, and midfielder Anthony Torres ’22 were first-team selections, forward Cooper Kennedy ’23 and midfielder Noah Schwenger ’22 were second-team honorees, and goalkeeper Dom Sposeto ’22, defender Jordan Kennedy ’22, and forward JP Hernandez ‘22 garnered honorable mention recognition.

Wrestling—The success of the De La Salle wrestling program continued with the 2021-22 season, as the Spartans captured their 14th NCS Duals Championship on February 5th and the East Bay Athletic League team title on February 12th, as all 14 wrestlers advanced to the 2022 NCS Individual Wrestling Championships. Spartan wrestlers that won individual league championships were: Caleb Tatad ‘24 (108 lbs), Bobby Cuevas ’22 (122 lbs), Atri Feizi ’23 (134 lbs), Matthew Pierce ’22 (184 lbs), Stefan Bakiev ’23 (222 lbs), and Aiden Roe ’22 (287 lbs).

With top-three finishes in their weight class, Manuel Martir ‘24, Carlos Vazquez ‘24, Franklin Enkhmandakh ‘24, Gavin Fernandez ‘23, Colin Sweeney ‘22, and Nicholas Sherlock ‘22 earned All-EBAL honors. Following the dominating performance in the league meet, the Spartans captured their 12th NCS Team Championship on February 19th, bringing their streak to seven straight. All 14 wrestlers contributed significantly to the team score of 318.5, capturing 12 medals and qualifying nine wrestlers to compete at state, and Cuevas captured his second straight individual NCS title with a win in the 120-pound weight class. With nine Spartans competing at the CIF State Wrestling Championship in Bakersfield the weekend of February 24-26, De La Salle finished 16th overall, as Gavin Fernandez (4th place, 152 lbs) and Aiden Roe (6th place, 285 lbs) had medalist finishes.

With the fall and winter sports seasons over for the Spartans, the spring sports of baseball, golf, hockey, lacrosse, rugby, swimming and diving, track and field, and volleyball are currently underway. Be sure to visit DLSSpartans.org for all your De La Salle Athletics content, or you can follow De La Salle athletics on social media on Twitter and Instagram at DLSAthletics.

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De La Salle Camps Summer 2022 Weekly Offerings (Monday – Thursday) June 13-16

Beginner’s Archery – 10-12 Advanced Archery – 12:30-2:30 Baseball – 8:30-12:30 Basketball – 8:30-12:30 Soccer – 8:30-11:30 Strength, Speed & Agility – 1-2:30 Junior All Sports – 8:30-10:30

June 20-23

Baseball – 8:30-12:30 Basketball – 8:30-12:30 Championship Football – 8:30-12:30 Future Stars Football – 12:30-3

June 27-30

Basketball – 8:30-12:30

July 11-14

Beginner’s Archery – 10-12 Advanced Archery – 12:30-2:30 Baseball – 8:30-12:30 Basketball – 8:30-12:30 Fine Arts Improv – 8:30-11:30 (2-week course) Lacrosse – 8:30-10:30 Advanced Soccer – 8:30-10:30 Soccer Juniors – 11-12

July 18-21

Baseball - 8:30-12:30 Basketball – 8:30-12:30 Fine Arts Improv – 8:30-11:30 (2-week course) Volleyball – 1-4

July 25-28

Additional Camps Strength, Speed & Agility Camp 1 (M/W) – June 20, 22, 27 & 29 July 11, 13, 18, 20, 25 & 27 August 1 & 3 Camp 2 (T/TH) – June 21, 23, 28 & 30 July 12, 14, 19, 21, 26 & 28 August 2 & 4

Water Polo

Middle School Shooting Camps - TBD High School Camps – TBD

Football

QB and WR Camp – June 18 Varsity Passing Tournament – June 25

Wrestling

Camps and Dates TBD

Basketball – 8:30-12:30

Camp offerings open to boys and girls ages kindergarten through high school.

Visit dlshs.org/athletics/camps-clinics or scan QR code for more information and to register.

enrichment + athletic camps | summercamps@dlshs.org | 1130 Winton Dr. Concord, CA 94518

In Memoriam Brother Michael Harry Saggau, FSC (January 16, 1936 – January 12, 2022) Brother Michael Saggau, FSC passed away peacefully in the afternoon of January 12, 2022, surrounded by his niece and members of the Holy Family Brothers Community, at Mont La Salle, at the age of 85. Brother Michael was an inspiration to so many who had the opportunity to be in his presence for so many years. He worked at De La Salle from 1967 to 1969 as Vice Principal, Teacher, and Sub-Director. He returned to De La Salle in 1996 through 2018 in various positions including; Area Supervisor, Assistant Athletic Director, Director of Admissions, Counselor, Co-Administrator of the Brotherhood Fund, and the Director of St. Joseph’s Camp. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.

Sharon Kennedy Gerlach (June 1, 1963 – March 23, 2021) Sharon Gerlach, a valued member of the De La Salle community, passed away from cancer in May of 2021. Sharon, whose son Glenn graduated from De La Salle in 2009, was the designer for the school’s Healing Spaces Club for 14 years, bringing beauty and comfort to numerous homes and facilities throughout the Bay Area. She was the heart and soul of the club and De La Salle could not have accomplished anything through the Healing Spaces Club without her dedication. Sharon was deeply loved and our hearts go out to her husband, Glen, and her children, Glen ‘09 and Sheila. She was a gift to us and we will be forever grateful to have had her as part of the De La Salle family.

Keith Gillette (May 18, 1977 – January 25, 2022) On the evening of January 25, 2022, Keith Gillette passed away from a sudden heart attack. Keith joined the De La Salle family in 2009 and was a beloved member of our Buildings and Grounds crew until his passing, and he was also active with the De La Salle baseball program. Keith’s legacy and work may have been behind the scenes from most, yet he exhibited being a man of faith, integrity, and scholarship. Please continue to extend your prayers for Keith and his family, especially his wife Crystal, sons Marshall ’19 and Major (11), and daughter Zoe. We apologize for the following errors published in the Fall 2021 Issue.

• Gerry Argenal was listed and it should have been Noreen Argenal • John Pericich was listed and is not deceased • Vincent Bianchina ’20 was omitted from the list of Richard Bianchina’s grandsons

Joseph Arenivar, father of Samuel Arenivar ‘84 and grandfather of Lukas J. Kamrud ‘25 Paul Baldacci, father of Thomas Baldacci ‘77, Louis Baldacci ‘82, and James Baldacci ‘83 and grandfather of Kevin Baldacci ‘07, Michael Baldacci ‘08, Thomas Baldacci ‘10, Matthew Baldacci ‘13, Anthony Baldacci ‘21, Daniel Glesener ‘08, and John Glesener ‘10 Mary Balog, mother of Michael Balog ‘75 and Christopher Balog ‘80 Yvonne Billo, mother of Charles D. Billo ‘71 Larry Allen Borden ‘75 Linda Borrelli, grandmother of Dominic Borrelli ‘21 James G. Bowen, grandfather of James R. Bowen ‘13 Jacob D. Bowen ‘04 Katharine Brady, grandmother of Charles B. Conrad ‘19 James A. Brasiel ‘88, brother of Robert W. Brasiel ‘82 Otto Brueheim, grandfather of Robert Brueheim ‘09 Rick Campo, father of Justin Campo ‘19 Christopher M. Coffee ‘96 Martha Cortez, grandmother of Nicolas J. Cortez ‘17 Louis Cousin, father of Edward Cousin ‘76 and Richard Cousin ‘80 Donald Cox, grandfather of Antonio Costa ‘13 and Stefano Costa ‘20 Bernard Cummins, father of Bernard Cummins ‘79, John Cummins ‘82, Kevin Cummins ‘86, and Joseph Cummins ‘89 Michael Curran ‘88, brother of Dennis Curran ‘89 and Robert Curran ‘93 and father of Michael Curran ‘17, uncle of Patrick Curran ‘18, John Curran ‘21, and Thomas Curran ‘24 Nancy Dooley-Englund, mother of William Dooley ’90 and Vernon Dooley ‘96 Daniel C. Eulberg, ‘69 Lawrence Forige, father of William Forige ‘08 James H. Francis, father of James Francis ‘82, John Francis ‘83, and Kevin Francis ‘87 Michael F. Gardner ‘84 David J. Gross, father of Karl J. Gross ‘76 and Jonathan F. Gross ‘93 Gary Hale, friend of De La Salle William Halsey, father of Joshua Halsey ‘94 and Benjamin Halsey ‘98 Elaine Irene Jordan, mother of Patrick Jordan ‘84 and Sean Jordan ‘86 Dennis Kerns, father of Nathan Kerns ‘17 Kenneth R. Kettwig, father of Darin K. Kettwig ‘ 88 and Todd Kettwig ‘86 (deceased) Malcolm King, father Brendan King ‘89 Denzil McCuskey, father of Robert McCuskey ‘81 Kent Allan Meredith, grandfather of Bredan Chestnut ‘23 Andy Parodi, grandfather of Brian Maloney ‘10 and Conor Maloney ‘16 Robert Pavlovic, father of Benjamin Pavlovic ‘95 Julie Perry, mother of Casey Keenan ‘08 and Teacher and former Dean of Students at Carondelet Paul J. Pravettoni, father of Rocco J. Pravettoni ‘24 William “Bill” Probst, father of staff member Russell Probst and grandfather of Ryan Jorgensen ‘03 and Joshua Jorgensen ‘06 Ralph Ramirez, grandfather of Peter Nyznyk ‘11 and Cameron Nyznyk ‘13 Edith Scribner, mother of Donnie Scribner ‘89 (deceased) Gloria Spijker, mother of William Spijker ‘77 and Edward Spijker ‘82 Carol Anne Spiller, mother of Stephen Spiller ‘73, Kevin Spiller ‘74, Dennis Spiller ‘77 and Chris Spiller William “Bill” Strong, former De La Salle Whitecoat and father of Justin Strong ‘03 William “Bill” Timken, grandfather of Maxwell Perkins ‘10 Norman B. Wheelock, father of Norman M. Wheelock ’76 and Mark D. Wheelock ’79 and uncle of Charles R. Shoemaker ’73, Rick D. Shoemaker ’74, and James Shoemaker ’76 Carlos Zocchi Sr., father of Carlo Zocchi ‘75, Louis S. Zocchi ‘74, Claudia McCaffery CHS ‘84, and Paula Lenahan CHS ‘78, father-in-law of Kevin Lenahan ‘75, and grandparent of Carlo Zocchi ‘12, Gian Zocchi ‘16, Griffin McCaffery ‘13, and Eric Lenahan ‘07

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De La Salle HIGH SCHOOL

1130 Winton Drive • Concord, CA 94518 • dlshs.org

Dates

Remember 2022

Wednesday, April 27 College Preview Night for Juniors and Parents Zoom

Monday, June 20 Brother Maris Golf Tournament Round Hill Country Club

Saturday, April 30 Class of 1971 Reunion The Bourbon Highway

Saturday, August 6 Grand Reunion for the classes of 1975-77, 1980-82, 1985-87, 1990-92,1995-97, 2000-02, 2005-07, 2010-12 De La Salle/Carondelet Campuses

Monday, May 2 Class of 2026 Welcome Night De La Salle Campus Saturday, May 14 Mark Halvorson Takedown Poker Tournament Hofmann Student Center Sunday, May 15 Dads and Grads Casino Night Hofmann Student Center Friday, May 20 Baccalaureate Mass and Reception De La Salle Campus Sunday, May 22 Graduation, Class of 2022 De La Salle Campus

Wednesday, August 10 First Day of Classes for 2022-23 De La Salle Campus Thursday, September 15 Taste of De La Salle Hofmann Student Center Friday, October 14, Class of 1972 Reunion TBD Monday, October 17 De La Salle Golf Classic Diablo Country Club Sunday, October 23 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Hofmann Student Center