EC Magazine, Winter 2023

Each semester, seniors in my Community Service class volunteer at service placement sites in the local community. One of their favorites is Elizabeth Blackwell Elementary School, where two outstanding first-grade teachers teach: Karina Neale and Carol Nicholson. These educators have opened their classrooms to our service students since the program began in 2012. A few of our senior volunteers were once students in Ms. Neale and Ms. Nicholson’s first grade classrooms!

Our volunteers enter the classrooms daily to the fi rst graders’ cheers and dive right in. They spend one-on-one time mastering spelling words or counting to 120 by fi ve. Or they organize rousing touch football games at recess or lead Friday story time. Both Ms. Neale and Ms. Nicholson say their students would not receive nearly as much one-onone instruction without our volunteers—instruction which is especially needed post-pandemic. Our students have said that these volunteer opportunities are one of the most meaningful experiences of their EC education.

One of the best parts of my day is visiting our students at their placements and observing their transformation from stressed high school students to capable and responsible young mentors. It brings tears to my eyes every time—I am that proud of my seniors!

—LYNN KITTRIDGE DIRECTOR OF CAMPUS MINISTRY AND COMMUNITY SERVICE TEACHER

From Our Director of Technology

Dear EC Community,

EC has long been my home away from home. My mom was the head librarian at EC during my freshman year at the Newport campus until I graduated from college. I interned at EC during my junior year at the University of Washington, shadowing the IT director until I graduated. EC hired me as a full-time IT assistant after graduation and I was eventually promoted to head of the IT Department. To further my career and be closer to friends and sunshine, I moved to the Bay Area, where I worked for eight years as director of technology at De La Salle High School. Several moves later, I rejoined the EC community in 2017. Back home once again.

Much has changed since my school days and throughout my career in IT. As a student at EC, we didn’t have internet—we had computers used for typing classes and playing simple 8-bit programs like Oregon Trails on Apple 11e computers. I’m sure many parents out there can relate to those days and how technology wasn’t as integrated into our lives then.

The three most significant changes since my school days are mobility, access to information and cyber safety and security. With these changes, I see great opportunities. Increased mobility means increased flexibility, and easy access to data means information is

at your fingertips anytime you want—at school, at home or even in Antarctica with the right service! Improved cybersecurity leads to better outcomes for student safety.

Our families should know that EC’s investment of time and money in IT and EdTech resources ensures that we are on the leading edge when using technology in the schoolhouse. Technology is everywhere, from curriculum to school operations to athletics to clubs and activities. And the technology that we utilize is thoughtfully and thoroughly selected by our dedicated team.

The EC EdTech Team, including myself, carefully evaluates new educational tools to ensure they match the curriculum now and in the future. We ensure EdTech tools meet our standards, initial environments are configured appropriately and our systems can accommodate the tools as designed.

Curriculum drives technology change, not the other way around. We use technology to lead to a particular outcome in our classrooms. We seek to design classrooms to be mobile and completely wireless. We want to optimize the educational environment to be socially interactive and create a better teaching environment and collaborative experience for our students.

Classroom technology has shifted—large LED TVs, wireless casting via Airtame devices and OWL cameras for remote learning. Classroom management is extensive, with teachers better able to control access to information to keep students on track and safe. Local and online (SAAS) educational services and subscriptions are heavily used at the school with additional services being added at a fast but controlled pace.

Students today have a world of possibilities at their fingertips. I’m grateful to lead a team of individuals to support and ensure our desired educational outcomes on campus, in the physical classroom and if needed, while learning remotely.

Tyler

Runnells ’93

Director of Technology

Dear Eastside Catholic Community Members,

Stories are important. Since the beginning of time, stories have been central to relationships. Stories help us interpret and remember events. We engage each other with stories.

Storytelling is more than recounting our experiences or facts. Culture, ambition, goals and lessons are all part of what make stories so compelling. They resonate because we see ourselves in a story or, more importantly, who we’d like to be. Stories reflect the universal truths about us and our world and help shape our perspective or let others understand who we are and who we want to be.

With this in mind, I want to share a story with you about something that happened this last year at EC. In Spring 2022, a visitor found a Notre Dame University class ring on our campus. We reached out to our community and waited to see if anyone would claim it. No one did.

Our story could end there, but it doesn’t. Kay Nichols, our talented chief financial officer, remembered that Sally Sonnen (one of the friendly faces in our Attendance Office) had a daughter who attended Notre Dame and Sally’s husband Mitch is also an alum. Sally’s daughter turned over the information to her father.

Mitch posted the information on a Notre Dame networking site and the ring was eventually reunited with its owner. The ring owner’s father passed away in January and she had only worn it a couple of times before misplacing it, making the reunification

even more special. It had been a tough year for the family with the loss of a sister as well, so recovering the ring was a true blessing for this individual.

As I think of this story, it reminds me of how small actions can create extraordinary blessings. How taking the time and effort to do something kind, even if it’s out of your way, can have an impact.

As we begin 2023, I hope this serves as an inspiration for the impact we all hope to have in the world. In this magazine, we share stories about our teachers, alumni and programs and the impact each has on making EC, and the world, a better place. These stories both bind us together and inspire us in our daily lives.

–Gil Picciotto President

Master of Librarianship, University of Washington; B.A. Western Washington University

Grew up in Skagit County outside the small logging community of Hamilton

Spent three years in the Army, mainly as a cannon crewman stationed in Germany

Likes short hikes in the Cascades, reading, baking cookies or pumpkin bread

Enjoys spending time with family

Hooked on Books

What are your favorite books?

There are so many books—it’s difficult to choose favorites! I go back and forth between fiction and nonfiction. For contemporary authors, I like Richard Ford and Richard Russo. I always pick up the latest mystery from the Irish writer John Banville, though they tend to be pretty dark. Graham Greene is another favorite author.

What made you interested in becoming a librarian?

As a student at WWU, I had a part-time job in the library. I was supposed to shelve books and do odd jobs, but because I had done so much research for my major, the head reference librarian (Ray McInnis) let me help students with their research. Mr. McInnis encouraged me to apply to graduate school and become a librarian.

What was your first librarian job?

My first professional library position was in a King County governmental agency, primarily working with technical reports and environmental impact statements. I provided lots of research assistance to engineers and planners, but we were also open to the public and got all kinds of questions. You wouldn’t believe how passionate some people are about buses.

How has being a librarian changed?

Like most professions, the internet and technology changed everything. When I started graduate school, the University of Washington still had a massive card catalog system and rows and rows of print journals. When the first library I worked at switched to an online catalog, we continued

printing out a paper index for years because the system was unreliable. Now, almost all research is conducted online using research databases and we can listen to audiobooks on our phones.

While the way information is created, stored and accessed has changed, the reason students go to the library remains the same—a need to locate the material that matches their research needs or interests. And students still stop by to check out books because they love to read.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love interacting with students and helping them in whatever way I can. I love when students tell me about books they are reading or suggest new titles for our collection. It’s great to work equally with

D oug Am mons

middle school and high school teachers and students. I also enjoy attending extracurricular events like the school’s incredible theater productions, athletic events and the annual Art Walk.

At EC, you are much more than our resident librarian.

One aspect of my job that I enjoy is the opportunity to step out of the traditional role of a librarian. One example is being a Mentor teacher. With a few changes, I’ve had the same group of students since their freshman year (some I’ve known since they were in seventh grade). It’s been fun watching the students grow (in more ways than one) and be able to experience their journey to senior year. I will miss this group, but I can’t wait to see them graduate.

I run the middle school Battle of the

Books reading competition which is always fun. I’m proud to say the Eastside Catholic team has been Archdiocesan champs for three years running. I also work with the A-to-Z affinity groups in middle school and high school and am an advisor to the Manga Club. Some of my favorite memories of EC have occurred while chaperoning events outside school like Destiny, the sixth grade NatureBridge trip to Olympic National Park and Senior Pilgrimage. I also occasionally fill in as an emergency substitute teacher.

What is your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge is trying to keep up with the excellence and energy that the incredible EC teachers and staff bring to school every day. I am blessed to be able to work with some incredibly brilliant and caring individuals.

What advances or changes do you see on the horizon?

We have seen so many trends and fads in the 30-plus years I have been a librarian that I don’t try to predict what’s coming next. At one time, we thought all new books would only be released on CDs! Change will happen but what will stay the same is libraries will always be safe, welcoming places with something for everyone.

What have you learned from working with EC students?

Apparently, I was a slacker in high school! The students at EC are involved in so many activities—student leadership, band, choir, National Honor Society, volunteer work, athletics, robotics, on and on. It’s impressive how gifted our students are.

“I am blessed to be able to work with some incredibly brilliant and caring individuals.”

Gather, Savor, Linger!

Aroma Coffee Co.

In September 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, KELSEY WILSON ’03 took a “big leap of faith” alongside Emily Ridout and Sarah Cox and opened a coffee shop in Fall City, Washington.

is located in the historic 1904 Prescott-Harshman House, the site of the first telephone company in the area. Wilson said, “In its beginning, this house was a hub for connection and community as a phone company, and with Aroma, we’re able to bring that community back.”

Plans for Aroma Coffee Co. began in 2007 and gathered steam in 2014 before hitting some roadblocks. From selecting a location, permitting challenges, to cultivating business partners, Wilson and her partners overcame a myriad of hurdles to finally open their doors 14 years after their initial idea took shape. Opening with just one employee, they now have 14 full and part-time employees.

Wilson and her partners all have ties to the community, “Fall City lacked a community gathering space and we wanted to create a heart for the community.” Wilson said the outpouring from the community once they opened was incredible. “We were blown away from the beginning. We were very lucky to open when we did. With the pandemic in full swing, people were isolated and ready to be out. Even with distancing and limited capacity, the business grew.”

Their mission for Aroma Coffee Co. is evident in all they do and printed on the walls in shorthand: Gather, Savor, Linger. Wilson explained that they wanted to create “a place to gather, a craft to savor and an invitation to linger.” They seek to cultivate a fullness of life, whether with their team or vendor relationships, “connection of community is of utmost importance.”

They source their coffee beans from ethical and sustainable farms, ensuring that the coffee they serve is of the highest quality and has a minimal environmental impact. The pastries and food they serve are sourced from local bakeries and local vendors.

In addition to serving delicious coffee, Aroma Coffee Co. is also committed to supporting the local community. They frequently partner with small businesses and donate a portion of their profits to charitable causes. From hosting Friday night markets for the past two summers to hosting community events like the Fall City Christmas tree lighting event, which raised money for Gray’s Way which benefits pediatric brain cancer research. Wilson and her partners have enjoyed watching the community connections happen in and around their business.

The cozy and welcoming atmosphere that Wilson and her partners have created sets Aroma Coffee Co. apart from other coffee shops. From the locally produced artwork on the walls to rustic wooden trays and shelving crafted from reclaimed building materials, to the comfortable seating indoors and out, Aroma Coffee Co. is a place where customers can relax and feel at home.

Since opening its doors, Aroma Coffee Co. has become a beloved community staple and a must-visit destination for coffee lovers in the area. Wilson and her partners’ dedication to quality and community has made Aroma Coffee Co. successful. As for plans to expand, Wilson said, “our focus is really on what we can do in the community we live in.”

In addition to her role as operations director, Wilson serves as a barista at times. “I get to serve coffee to my actual neighbors. We can live in the community and support one another.”

She is thankful for the education she received at Eastside Catholic and felt she was well prepared for college and her future career with teachers like Ms. Hubert, Doc Culbert and others challenging her.

“I get to serve coffee to my actual neighbors. We can live in the community and support one another.”

Christian Shigley

’13 shares his pathway to becoming an orthopedic surgeon. After graduating from Harvard University in 2017, he attended Brown University graduating in 2022. He is now in his fi rst year of residency with the University of Washington.

under the umbrella of sports medicine. I became fascinated by the biomechanics of fixing muscles and bones and how quickly patients could restore their function and mobility.

Tell us how you went from medical school to your current position?

The transition from medical school to residency is pretty rigid. During the fourth year of school, students apply to and interview at residency programs. Afterward, the student and the program will rank each other before some computer determines which students are “matched” to which program. So, there are no multiple acceptances or choices to be weighed, just a letter with a binding contract. It’s akin to being assigned a deployment in the military. Pretty serious!

Did you know you wanted to return to the Seattle area?

I always wanted to come back to Seattle. I enjoyed my time and experiences in New England, but it never swayed my goal to return. I love the outdoors here, the considerate and friendly culture and being closer to my family. Plus, the University of Washington is one of the top orthopedic programs in the country for their research, diverse patients and pathologies and national reputation.

How has your residency gone so far?

It’s going well! I’m five months into my five-year program and it’s rewarding to finally be able to provide healthcare every day and study it at home to advance my skill set. I’m involved in stabilizing patients in Harborview’s ER, participating in the operative repairs of their orthopedic injuries, seeing patients in the ER, guiding their postoperative care, and ultimately getting patients out of the hospital to their families and friends. After five years of residency, I’ll do a one-year fellowship—where you truly specialize—before going into practice. I hope to do a fellowship in hand surgery versus foot and ankle surgery, for example.

What do you do in your free time?

When I get to escape the hospital, I like to keep active by working out, running around Lake Union, carrying my kayak down to South Lake Union and hiking. I’m really looking forward to skiing and snowboarding this winter at Crystal Mountain. I also make it home a decent amount to visit my parents and dog, Thor and for dinner (and steal the leftovers).

Did you always know you wanted to be a doctor?

Did you go straight from college to medical school?

I took a gap year between college and medical school. I came back home to Sammamish and worked at Fred Hutch during that time. I was involved in cancer research on engineering immune cell receptors for a new cancer treatment approach called adoptive T-cell therapy. During that year, I also coached junior football for Eastside Catholic Junior Football with my dad, Mike Shigley. Throughout this time, I became interested in providing healthcare to athletes and read about specialties that practice sports medicine. Orthopedic surgery was the only surgical specialty

I knew I wanted to be a doctor once I took biology in high school, but my reasons evolved. In high school, I liked the idea of going into a career that utilized biology, where the focus of my work would be to help others, in line with the servant leadership values that EC instilled in me. During college, I recognized how much I valued teamwork from my 11 years of playing football, including during college. I also enjoyed the lab research I performed but missed seeing the clinical impact of my work and the patients it would affect. When I volunteered with lower socioeconomic patients helping them access community resources to benefit their health, I realized that I wanted a career where I could build rapport with my patients to help them improve their health and lifestyle.

Options Program Reunion, June 2022

We were thrilled that our Options Program alumni were able to hold a reunion in early June! About 20 students plus family and friends met in Issaquah with representatives from the Class of 1994 through the Class of 2021 #LifeIsBetterWithOptions

Class of 2001 Reunion

Members of the Class of 2001 met at Tavern Hall in Bellevue one weekend over the summer and had a great time catching up with friends old and new.

Homecoming Alumni Reception

It was great to see our alumni return to EC for the 2022 Homecoming Game! Alumni re-connected with classmates and teachers at an Alumni Reception held in the big white tent (out of the rain) with the game live streamed to not miss a play.

EC Business Directory

Connecting Our Community through Commerce

In September 2022, we launched a new free online service to our community—the EC Business Directory! This new feature of the eastsidecatholic.org website creates a business network that encourages EC alums, friends and families to promote and support their products and services.

Any EC family or alum can submit their business for a free listing on the directory. The directory also features banner and sidebar advertising to support specific EC programs. For the start of the football season, supporters could choose to have a display ad included in the directory through a fundraising event.

One of our goals in launching this directory is to help educate the EC community about all the fantastic businesses owned, managed and affiliated with EC families and alumni.

The EC Business Directory will be promoted via social media channels several times during the year.

If you would like to list your business, please visit eastsidecatholic. org/business and enter your details in the form. We are excited to support all of our community-owned businesses and look forward to watching our network grow!

JUST FOR KICKS

SENIOR NIGHT CELEBRATION FEATURED A FIRST-TIME CHALLENGE: STUDENT ATHLETES VERSUS FACULTY AND STAFF

By Athletic Director Stacey Stoutt

Each year, for every sport, we honor our seniors on the last home game of the regular season. It’s a longstanding tradition to acknowledge the contributions of senior teammates and their families publicly.

On Tuesday, October 18, our Eastside Catholic girls soccer team was scheduled to play Chief Sealth on Charlie Acosta Field. It was the last regular season game and the official Senior Night we had planned to honor our eight seniors. But it didn’t happen. With massive and persistent wildfires burning large swaths of Washington state, smoke blanketed the Plateau, resulting in unhealthy air quality and forcing the cancellation of all schoolrelated outdoor activities.

When it was evident that air quality was not improving enough to play the match in the next few days and with no chance to reschedule that last match of the official WIAA soccer season, the Athletic Department staff devised an alternative plan. We didn’t want our seniors to leave EC without honoring their contributions to the school and their sport.

I approached the seniors with an idea. I asked them what they thought about challenging our faculty and staff to a soccer match and holding our Senior Night Celebration that night. They loved it!

My staff had already checked with a few faculty and staff members to ensure the idea was feasible before we pitched the idea to the team. Happily, all the employees we initially talked to were eager to play, and within an hour of sending an email invitation to all school employees to gauge interest, we had more than 30 volunteers ready to play. I was amazed at their willingness to be part of this event and how excited everyone was!

The Faculty/Staff Senior Night Showdown was ready to roll … let the trash talk begin.

The lighthearted banter between the faculty/staff and players went on for the week leading up to the match, complete with an incredible hype video produced by senior Aiden Gregorios. Tshirts and shin guards were ordered for the Faculty/Staff team and President Gil Picciotto borrowed a pair of cleats from the football storage closet. The teams were ready.

On the night of the event, the wildfire smoke had dissipated and it was a clear, cold evening. EC Boosters were on hand with pizza, hot cocoa and donuts for all who attended. Many prayers were said for the avoidance of injuries. And the band showed up supporting their fearless leader, Director Mr. Boysen adding to the celebratory atmosphere.

We kicked off the night honoring our eight senior soccer

players and their families with flowers and tears: Evie Aitken, Reaghan Coyne, Sammy Foote, Audrey Fossum, Catie Gray, Jenna Marti, Ellery Norton and Bella Serex.

Then the battle began!

The seniors dominated the pitch in the first half with many shots on goal, but English Teacher Paul “The Iron Curtain” Morrisroe stopped them all. A beautiful shot by Head Soccer Coach Mike Blackburn put the Faculty/Staff team up 1-0 in the first half. Jenna Marti put one in the net for the seniors in the second half and at the end of regulation, we were all tied up, 1-1.

The game would be decided by penalty kicks.

The Iron Curtain again stopped all senior shots and the Faculty/Staff team came out on top —winners of our first-ever Faculty/Staff Senior Night Showdown!

Senior Sammy Foote said, “I thought the Senior Night soccer game vs the Faculty/Staff team was awesome! It was really special to see how everyone came together to put this night on for us after our senior night got cancelled and we didn’t really know when we would get one. I hope this becomes an annual event! I can’t wait to come back after I graduate to watch the rematch!”

From Paul Morrisroe, aka the Iron Curtain, “It was an absolute blast playing the girls on their senior night. All the smack talk from the previous weeks made the game wicked exciting. These seniors left such a huge impact on the EC soccer program that it only makes sense they started a new senior night tradition. Hey juniors, see you for a rematch next year.”

We might have started a new tradition at Eastside Catholic. Roll Cru!

BEER SNOB

Outside of his life as an EC PE teacher Adam Chumbley pursues his passion for brewing. His work and hobby crossed paths in Fall 2022 at the annual EC Oktoberfest event. Here’s his brewing story.

By EC PE Teacher Adam Chumbley

Even dating back to my college days, I’ve always essentially been a beer snob—always thinking to myself, there has to be something better than this domestic lager, right? I lived with my college teammate, an Irish guy named Barry Egan from about 200206. If we went out, he would always reach for a pour of Guinness or Smithwick’s or some other import that was simply better than anything America had to offer at the time.

I fell in love with German beers, particularly wheat ales before they were popular (and after they were popular, too). Barry taught me a lot about beer, including that each style of beer has a specific glass that goes with it for a very specific purpose. I went on to learn more about the four main ingredients in beer: water, barley, hops and yeast. I wanted to know more about packaging, storage and what makes a great beer great.

My friends at the time used to poke fun at my passion for beer, and a few decades later, they still consistently send me pictures of their night out at a brewery or a snapshot of the craft beer in their fridges. At one point, we even had a rotating craft beer box we sent around to one another. I made believers out of all of them.

I tell everyone you can imbibe whatever your heart desires, but when I put my beer up against the one you’re drinking, I bet you’ll reach for mine every time after that. My first homebrew was from a basic brewing kit when I lived in Florida. A German Hefeweizen. I nursed that beer like a baby, and it turned out real nice. I was hooked. Times changed and I gave away everything I owned, including my beer brewing supplies, to chase a girl I had just met back to Washington. Three kids later I’d say it worked out just fine!

Around 2014 my sister-in-law bought me a one-gallon brew kit

for Christmas. I made an IPA, and it turned out well. I asked my amazing wife if I could get a more extensive kit like the one I had in Florida, and she gave me the green light. My first beer on that kit was a Belgian Tripel. This beer generally has a pronounced booziness to it, with the presence of Bavarian yeast and some fruity esters. To experiment, I threw some Citra hops late in the boil to mix it up, even when those hops would usually be reserved for hoppy citrus-style beers like IPA’s. The beer turned out great.

My friend Josh Caraccio moved from Utah a few years ago and now resides in Sammamish. He generally hated any beer not named IPA, but after getting his hands on my homebrew, he started to love and appreciate all styles of beer…even dark beers! Josh and I chatted and he strongly hinted at wanting to support my hobby.

After years of brewing once or twice a year, I asked my friends, who were drinking all my precious homebrew, if they would be willing to support my hobby financially. Not because I wanted to make money but because I refused to cut corners in making the best beer possible, and there was no way I could foot the bill for all the people asking to try my beer! They all obliged, and Silvana Brewing (named for the town I live in) was born. The brewery is not real but I have an Instagram page (@silvanabrewing) and our logo is on our cans.

At some point, I reached out to my cousin Rachel Dawley (Instagram @artieearl) to add labels to my cans. I mainly come up with design ideas and she makes my vision a reality and then some. Actual beer can labels are quite pricy, so we go with a sticker website that does the trick. The labels may be considered an unnecessary extra cost, but I disagree. It’s all about the craft beer experience— from the can all the way to the glass!

The first beer I canned was “Trust Fall Tripel.” It‘s the same beer I brewed for my first five-gallon batch here in Washington, and the label features me in lederhosen falling into an endless abyss of hops. Appropriately named, and after this year’s super fun Oktoberfest at EC, featuring my Marzen (traditional German Oktoberfest beer), I believe everything has truly come full circle.

We have expanded quite a bit from my extract brewing days (powdered malts) to my all-grain brewing (grains steeped in a mash) prowess that gives me the most control over my beer. All professional breweries are all-grain, which is one of the reasons they can be so creative and produce such great, quality beer. I brew anything from traditional beer styles to coloring outside the lines with fresh cherry ales, coffee beers, and my pride and joy, Chumbley Family Christmas ale, which tastes like a rum soaked fruitcake in a glass.

I can now develop every recipe I write for 15 gallons of finished beer (a standard half-barrel keg). Each year, I will be able to brew at least 150 gallons of beer, which is almost nanobrewery size. It certainly is fun down in the man cave these days!

Because I ask lots of questions, I’ve made friends at quite a few breweries in the greater Seattle area who support me. I made Ravenna Brewing’s very first mash paddle for them out of solid oak. Over the years they have repaid

the favor with some free beer and merch, endless brewing advice, and even letting me use their loading dock to deliver a pallet of commercial-level pint cans.

My homebrew club, the Stilly Mashers (Arlington, Washington), started at Skookum Brewery and now all the meetings are at In the Shadow Brewing. Both breweries are in Arlington, and I know the owners and employees well. One of our Stilly Mashers is also the head brewer at Scuttlebutt Brewing, so brewing advice is always on the forecast at our once-a-month meetings.

This past year I decided to enter my first homebrew contest. I just went for it and entered the National Homebrew Competition, which is supported by the American Homebrew Association (AHA). I entered my “Get Ready To Live” cream ale. Due to the large footprint of the homebrew community and the lack of BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) judges, some categories are lumped together when they normally wouldn’t be. My cream ale was put up against the lager brews in the nation. I was not hopeful, as it is quite difficult to brew a quality ale that can stand up to the clean taste of a lager. But I received 5 out of 5 stars from two of three judges and made it into the final round of judging in a category that received nearly a hundred entries!

I’m super stoked to continue with my craft and keep sharing my hobby with anyone who will listen, is 21 years or older and has taste buds. With that said, I’d like to offer a “Learn To Brew” with Coach Chumbley as an auction item. I would collaborate with the highest bidder on a beer style of their choice. We would brew together on brew day and I’d provide five gallons of finished canned beer after the brewing process is over.

If you’re licking your chops and just want to taste this stuff, consider joining our Silvana Brewing Beer Club by reaching out to me on Instagram @silvanabrewing or email me at achumbley11@gmail.com

My friends at the time used to poke fun at my passion for beer, and a few decades later, I made believers out of all of them.

TRIPLE CROWN

Three trails / 7,678 total miles / all on two feet

EDDIE JANICKI ’11 is a project engineer for a general contracting company in Seattle. In his free time, he is an avid hiker. He recently completed the “triple crown” of hiking—the Appalachian Trail (AT), the Continental Divide Trail ( CDT) and the Pacific Crest Trail ( PCT ) .

ONLY ABOUT 400 PEOPLE have completed these three trails in a lifetime, and most take four to six months to complete. Eddie hiked the first trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, in 2018, and he tackled it with his best friend Eric and Eric’s brother Marshall. They were together for almost the entire hike (about six months), splitting up from time to time.

The second trail was the Continental Divide Trail in 2020. He hiked this trail alone during the COVID-19 shutdown. He said he met few people on that trek, “probably 10-12 people on the North Bounders total. It was an extremely solitary experience. And it is the most remote and desolate of the three trails as it is.”

The third trail he completed was the Appalachian Trail in 2022. He started this hike alone but said he met many other hikers along the way. “This one is by far the busiest because it is the oldest of the three and I

think more of the general public has learned about it over time.”

To complete the “triple crown,” he worked and saved money in between each trail. He quit his job for the first two hikes and took a leave of absence for the third. He had some minor sponsorships over the years, providing free gear with their products’ exposure.

Eddie said through this experience, he’s met people from all over the world, including Japan, Korea, China, Australia, Ireland, Netherlands and Germany. “One of the best friends I met on the CDT was a guy from Colorado, an ex-Navy commander. We only saw each other on three occasions, but they were all so memorable because we were both excited to see another thru-hiker. One occasion involved a moose stampede in the middle of the night when we were camping on the Colorado-Wyoming border. That was crazy. I could fill a whole book about the characters I’ve met.”

Janicki said many lessons learned at EC were helpful on the trail and in his life. “These hikes are really about grit and determination and willpower—so not exactly things you are directly ‘taught’ per se. Some of the lessons learned from my basketball coaches come to mind. Coach Kramer, Coach Rudy and Coach Coates would always say, ‘control the controllables.’ They taught us not to complain to referees because we can’t control them. But it directly applies to not complaining about other things like bad weather, wet feet or sketchy mountain pass crossings. There are tons of uncontrollables on trail, and you just have to go with the flow.”

“The thru-hiking lifestyle is very ‘alternative,’ I would say. So, you must be very comfortable with being yourself because you have a lot of alone time. Thinking back on EC, I still value to this day teachers who allowed students to be themselves and have fun. Mrs. Maletta was certainly one. Ms. McDermott was another. My freshmen year art teacher, Mrs. Nau, was amazing too at fostering creativity and being kind and gentle.”

Janicki said there’s no way to train for a six-month hike specifically. “I have always stayed in good shape throughout my life. My training during the trail years mostly involved skiing, mountain climbing, running and biking. You have to only think about one

day at a time, and then three weeks into it, you realize your body is becoming strong. The mind leads, the body follows.”

On the trail, Janicki said a typical breakfast, lunch and other breaks are Cliff bars and protein pucks. For dinner, he would cook a hot meal like a “ramen bomb (ramen, peanut butter, tuna or beef stick, hot sauce), or other dehydrated options.” He said he would occasionally get Mountain House dehydrated meals from care packages from family.

“The greater point is that you just learn how to ignore your hunger pains. When you’re burning 5,000 calories a day, there’s no way to eat enough food. So, you just get by until you reach the next town, and that’s where you pig out and get your calorie count back up.”

According to Janicki, animal encounters were common on the trail and mostly uneventful. But there were scary moments too. “My scariest animal encounters were the first couple of times I saw moose. The first moose was near San Luis peak in southern Colorado. It stared at me for a while, then ran away. The second was near Estes Park in northern Colorado. I spooked a moose coming around a bend on a trail and was way too close for comfort. It immediately started snorting and stomping its front legs. I had my bear mace drawn and was slowly backing up. It eventually ran off after about a minute.

“I also had a grizzly bear encounter in the Yellowstone backcountry. A bear charged my tent as I was getting ready for bed. A ‘bear bluff’ experience. I shouted at it, as loud as I could and it ran off.”

Janicki was recently engaged and is currently planning his wedding. He’s enjoying being home for the time being and has no plans for significant hikes in the near future.

There are tons of uncontrollables on trail, and you just have to go with the fl ow.

1988

Aaron Wood moved to the Washington, D.C. area in 2016. He is currently a professional services security consultant for Delinea and lives with his wife and two cats inside the Beltway. In his free time, he and his wife explore the Eastern and Southern U.S., attend EDM festivals and remote concerts, stream video games, compose electronic music, cheer on the Washington Nationals, and other events “living life out loud and to the fullest.”

1998

Chris Drewry had a busy pandemic: meeting, proposing to and marrying Samantha (Erdmier) Drewry in the living room of their 1890s former church. The couple welcomed Charles Ryan Drewry on August 6, 2022, and promptly moved to Winnetka, IL, north of Chicago.

2003

In her last year with Special Olympics, Justine Martin was awarded two gold medals in the 100-meter-walk at the State and regional track meets, where she set a personal best record. In 2022, Special Olympics featured her in their Athlete Spotlight, where she shared her thyroid cancer story; she has been cancer-free for two years. In October 2022, she moved with her grandmother to Marana, Arizona, to be closer to family and friends.

2008

Bobby Kubacki got engaged to his girlfriend Anne Temme on New Year’s Day at Willows Lodge in Woodinville. He celebrated with several classmates at Sumerian Brewing Company following the proposal. He is looking forward to a fun wedding with members of the Class of 2008.

2009

Matt Boyd was traded to the Seattle Mariners from the San Francisco Giants on August 2, and later signed a contract with the Detroit Tigers on December 14.

2010

Colin Caudill and Katie Hurlbut ’12 welcomed a daughter, Chase Diana Caudill on November 24.

2011

Kim Dinh earned a master’s in social policy in 2020, currently lives in Philadelphia with a big fluffy dog, and works as an illustrator, filmmaker and campaigner on social justice issues.

2012

Madeline Kossik has returned to Seattle and started her general surgery residency at Virginia Mason Medical Center after completing medical school and receiving her MD from New York Medical College.

Jillian Nichols and Jim Correa married in Seattle on September 24.

2013

Courtney Brown visited campus in November and met with Mrs. Maletta’s computer science classes to talk about her career in the tech industry. Courtney currently works as a software development engineer for Amazon and helps coach the EC fastpitch and golf teams.

2015

Marek Kossik graduated with an MS in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Washington, focusing on hydrology and hydrodynamics. He is a staff engineer at WEST Consultants, who provide specialized water resource engineering consulting.

Tristana Leist moved to New Zealand (Aotearoa) in Spring 2022 with her partner Brandon, for her work in sales for Amazon Web Services. Tristana is a dual citizen.

2016

Tara Murphy graduated from The University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering and is a field engineer with GMF Steel Group in Tampa (Lakeland), Florida.

2017

Seth Buscho graduated from Baylor University in May 2021 with a degree in biology/pre-med. In June 2021 he married his college sweetheart, Carah Lyons (Ft. Worth, Texas) in the Smoky Mountains of TN. In July

Bobby Kubacki ’08

Katie Hurlbut ’12 and Colin Caudill ’10

Marek Kossik ’15

Madeline Kossik ’12

Justine Martin ’03

Anthony Smith ’21

he and his wife moved to Galveston, TX where Seth began medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch. After completing his first year, he received two awards for outstanding achievements in neurology and research on eye diseases/Alzheimer’s, recently published in Experimental Eye Research. He will present his research at an ophthalmology conference in Australia in February 2023. He has also received an NIH grant to continue his eye research at UT. He’s enjoying married life and a new beagle puppy.

2021

Anthony Smith attends the University of Washington where he is also a track and field athlete. In 2022, he made the final in the 200m at the U20 World Championships in Cali, Columbia, placed 1st in the 200m and 3rd in the 100m at the U23 Mediterranean Championships in Italy, won the 200m at the Turkish senior national Championships, and broke the U20 national records in Turkey in both the 100m and 200m outdoor records and the 200m indoor record.

J.T. Tuimoloau just completed his sophomore season as defensive end for the Ohio State Buckeyes. In a standout

IN MEMORIAM

To the following members of our EC community who have died, but whose spirits live on always in our hearts.

Michael Westover ’87

Peter Crumbaker ’96

game against Penn State, he had two interceptions, two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He became the first player to accomplish this in an FBS game in the 21st century. Following that game, he was named Big Ten and National Defensive Player of the Week. In addition, he was named First-Team All-Big Ten Conference

by league-wide votes from the head coaches and 28-member media panel. He is one of eight finalists for this year’s Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award, which is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player of Polynesian ancestry that epitomizes great ability and integrity.

Oktoberfest 2022

Oktoberfest was a fun evening filled with lively music provided by the Bavarian Beer Garden Band, delicious food including tasty snacks and doughnuts and some impressive homebrew courtesy of PE Teacher Adam Chumbley

(See page 14 for details). We’re already looking forward to next year!

Tristana Leist ’15 Jillian Nichols ’12

J.T. Tuimoloau ’21

Seth Buscho ’17

EA ST SI D E CA T HO L I C

Eastside Catholic School

232 228th Avenue SE

Sammamish, WA 98074

eastsidecatholic.org

Eastside Catholic School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship, tuition assistance and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.