EC Magazine, Winter 2022

WINTER 2022

Magazine

I N S I D E E A ST S I D E C AT H O LI C

EC MAGAZINE Inside Eastside Catholic

WINTER

2022

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From Our High School Assistant Principal

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From Our President

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In the Classroom

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Volunteer Feature

10 Beyond Textbooks 12 Alumni Feature 14 On Campus 16 In The Community 18 Class Notes

ON THE COVER One of the happiest days of our school year is the Middle School Blessing of the Pets Prayer Service! We were thankful to host this annual event in-person again in October.

OUR MISSION Eastside Catholic School is a Catholic faith-based educational community where students learn to integrate their thinking and believing in ways that encourage intellectual excellence, nurture relationships and inspire a life of leadership and service to others.

BRAVO!

Guided by Drama Teacher and Director Holly Whiting, our Performing Arts students were thrilled to once again take the stage in front of a live audience in November. More than thirty students took part in producing and performing in these comedic one-act plays: “The Nine Worst Breakups of All Time,” written by Ian McWethy, and “Take Five” written by Westley Pederson.

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From Our High School Assistant Principal

I

love reading this magazine. In fact, I get fired up reading it!

How wonderful is it to regularly hear about the amazing things that happen here at EC, within the alumni community and witness evidence of this community’s positive impact on the world? To me, it serves as a reminder of what I came to know right away about this place—EC is special. It is the people, the friendships formed and the long-lasting relationships that move beyond these walls.

When asked to share some of my experience with relationships at EC, I foolishly thought that would be an easy task. I thought back to craning my neck with sixth graders while our jaws dropped in awe of the old-growth forests in the Olympic National Park; I went to memories of standing on the marble steps of the Lincoln Memorial with our promoted eighth graders with the words “I HAVE A DREAM” etched beneath our feet. Then my nose remembered the abrupt shift from smelling the crisp ocean air to wet feet as I moved past the empty shoe pile that welcomed me into the recreation hall at Fort Flagler for our Destiny retreat.

Time and again, I have been privileged to walk with our students

along their EC journey. These moments, for me, are everything.

One moment always stands out from my first year at EC. I vividly remember taking my eighth grade mentor students to the “Moving Up” assembly. This assembly marks the moment when the senior class says goodbye and every other class gets to “move up” to their new section of bleachers in the gym. This rite of passage plays out in many gyms across the country in the spring. Based on my experience in other schools, I prepared to console my students after they were called up. But what happened amazed me and let me know what I had been feeling all year—that this place is special. Without being prompted, our rising senior class stood up in unison to give our incoming ninth graders a standing ovation. All the other grade levels followed suit and I walked with my soon to be ninth graders to their new seats accompanied by the soundtrack of applause and affirmation from the upperclassmen.

Though we are not without challenges as we navigate this changing moment in time, I want to give thanks for the resiliency that our community has shown and challenge us to be like those rising seniors. To defy complacency and stand up to support one another. To “as always, remember to take care of each other” because we are truly stronger together. Or, in simple terms, let’s help one another to not just talk about it, but to be about it.

–James MacIntyre H i g h S ch o o l A s s i sta n t P r incipal

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From Our President

Dear Eastside Catholic Community Members,

A

good friend of mine from high school recently reminded me of this story about George Washington Carver: George asked God, “What was the universe created for?” The response he received was that it was too big a question to be revealed to him. Again, in prayer, George asked God, “What was man made for?” The response he got back was that it was too big a question to be revealed to him. Finally, George asked, “How can I use the peanut to bless mankind?” This was something that could be shown to him.

The world is better thanks to that revelation. While it is commonly misunderstood that George invented peanut butter (he did not), he fundamentally changed the world with over 300 peanutbased products, including shampoo, ink and even chili sauce!

When I read that story, it immediately brought me back to the past 20 months or so. Let’s be honest, we’ve all worked our tails off despite a lot of stress and frustration. I think my big questions around, “Why this pandemic?” “Why the new variants?”—have yet to be revealed to me or anyone.

Without understanding the greater why, I’m incredibly proud of our response to the unknown and our resolve to overcome the challenges brought on by the pandemic. Through God and the goodwill and talents of those around us—our faculty, staff and students—we have become more resilient.

Knowing that nothing replaces the energy and excitement of the in-person classroom, we have found creative ways to utilize technology that advances teaching and have doubled down on inperson education when it is safe to do so. When service opportunities disappeared and were deemed unsafe, our students found new ways to perform over 5,000 hours of service undeterred.

Knowing that we had to rethink how to keep our community safe, we were able to reexamine schoolhouse configurations and evaluate spacing to ensure comfortable and safe classrooms while providing a suitable environment for learning. As an example, the tent between the Athletic Pavilion and Commons created an outdoor dining

space allowing air circulation and spacing for lunches, and became a space for department meetings and drama or choir rehearsals, an opportunity to hold class outdoors, a gathering space for alumni and friends and so much more.

We may not always immediately receive answers to the big “why” and “how” questions we have about the world around us. I am confident that “what” we can do to help our students in the near future will continue to be answered through God’s grace and by our school and extended community.

In March, we will gather together for the 37th annual STARS Gala Auction for a night of fun and community, focused on raising funds that allow us to adapt and support our students. We will continue to seek answers to the big questions, but in the meantime, let’s get busy and work on the small ones.

–Gil Picciotto P re s i den t

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In The Classroom B. A . from Gon zaga U n iversi t y Played basketba l l at Gon zaga U n iversi t y for four years Grew u p on a 1,500 -acre fa r m i n Colfax , Washington Loves Mexica n food Favor i te movie: S ecreta r iat Favor i te hob bies: read i ng a nd fa m i ly ti me DEC A Advisor si nce 2017

Kerri Jensen

Taking Care of Business Who inspired you to teach?

My mom was a middle school teacher for 36 years and she was a legend. It was inspiring to see her teach her students and then to see them come back to share their great accomplishments and appreciation for what she taught them. I loved going to school where she worked and seeing her in the hallways and it made me proud to feel like I was part of a larger community.

Why did you transition from corporate work to teaching?

At an early age, it was my goal to become a CEO for a medium to large company. I was on track and climbing that corporate ladder when I met my husband. He had a strong sense of family and a courageous faith. I admire that so much in him and

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when we were blessed with our first of three children, I knew that my goals and priorities had changed. I have always been thankful for the 15 years of experience with Procter and Gamble, and I have never regretted my decision to leave that company to be home with my family. It was not always easy as we had to sacrifice some things, but our kids didn’t notice. The relationship I have with my children now is directly connected to the time we had together as a family as they were growing up.

What is your favorite part of teaching?

Students are the best part of teaching.

They are an amazing collection of diverse individuals trying to navigate so many things at once. As their teacher, I see them handle so many emotions and

expectations, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. But I appreciate that they try. Also, as a side note, they are so funny!

I think I laugh out loud every day because these students have great senses of humor and they really are funny!

Does what you teach in business and marketing change year to year depending on trends or emerging sectors?

Accounting is a class I like to teach more and more because it is consistent and unchanging. Marketing is the opposite.

It is changing so much with the digital and online opportunities today. It really started with the smartphone. While the fundamentals remain similar, the delivery and the content are ever-changing. I do enjoy teaching marketing, but the change is constant.

“Students are the best part of teaching.

They are an amazing collection of diverse individuals trying to navigate so many things at once.”

What are the skills students gain as part of the DECA program?

Students gain real world experience as they work through business ideas, challenges and teamwork. DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe. The program focuses on 21st century skills and entrepreneurship through problem solving, critical thinking, communications skills, creativity, collaboration and teamwork.

DECA’s competitive events are aligned with the National Curriculum Standards in the career clusters of marketing, business management and administration, finance, hospitality and tourism. I am proud of the fact that my DECA students have qualified for nationals these past five years!

Any hidden talents or interests?

Growing up on a farm, we raised Angus beef cattle. I suppose a hidden talent would be showing cattle. We would spend our summers working on the farm or traveling state to state showing cattle. Regarding interests, before I reached six feet tall (in the eighth grade), I was convinced I would be a dancer on Broadway. I have always admired the athleticism of dancers and wanted to be just like them. Once I embraced the blessing of height, I realized sports were a great outlet and played both volleyball and basketball in high school. I continue to call myself Gonzaga’s #1 fan. I was so excited when my daughter decided to attend Gonzaga this year. She is a freshman on a much bigger campus than when I was there and at a

school that is quite a bit more well known.

I like to tell her “I was a Zag before being a Zag was cool.”

Any hobbies you’d like to share?

My family is my greatest treasure and my favorite hobby. My husband and I prioritize family time and I am blessed with a large, healthy family. I love to spend time at the lake, farm and ocean as well as hiking, traveling and reading. The reason I love these things is because I do them with my family and friends. I have raised many different animals in my lifetime, and you may be surprised to know my favorite one is the chicken! They are so fun and therapeutic to watch, plus they give you a little gift every morning.

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Volunteer Feature

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e can’t believe it’s been over 30 years since our journey with Eastside Catholic School began. As we reflect on our time at EC, it has become clear that committing to sending our children to the school and getting involved in the EC community has been a beautiful gift to our family.

Thirty years ago, we had our home in Newport Hills and discussed the options of Catholic grade school and high school, as Catholic education played a very important role in my upbringing in Portland, Oregon. With our parish, St. Madeleine Sophie, not having a grade school and transportation to other schools being a challenge, we enrolled our boys in public school. When Eastside Catholic moved four blocks from our home, it was clear that God was opening up an opportunity for the gift of Catholic education to our family.

The second event that influenced our decision happened when Jerry was coaching our boy’s Renton Park basketball teams and went to pick up our older son from practice. A dad (Terry Flanagan) put together an AAU basketball team for EC. Jerry came home and

said, “You probably won’t be interested in our boys playing for EC because they’re already playing on two teams.” At that point, I saw another door open and immediately said, “Sign them up.” I didn’t care if they played twice a day, seven days a week, if that got us closer to sending our boys to EC. No surprise, Jerry’s interest increased.

As a result of these experiences, in 1991, our son Jason enrolled at EC. Our family was excited to join a welcoming community where parents were encouraged to get involved. And that we did! Jerry joined the Booster Club, Jeff ’96 enrolled in 1992 and Patrick ’00 in 1995, and I served on the board of trustees from 1993-1999. These were wonderful years of incorporating Catholic teachings into our family values.

In late 1999, a call came from our friend John Luger saying that he and Donna had just sold the family business and that now was the time that “we” were going to lead the efforts to build a new school. That process led to forming a Permanence Committee, and I was honored to be a part of it. A group of highly-motivated

Our EC Life B Y MA RY A N N E D’A M B RO S I O Emeriti, EC grandparent and alumni parent

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professionals met monthly for the next nine years, working diligently and devoting their talents toward all that goes into such an enormous project. The campaign for the new facility was led by our school president and many dedicated individuals who worked together to make this dream come true. I also joined the EC Advancement Department to work on the campaign efforts.

After the new campus was completed, I left my position at the school in 2009. In 2014, I was invited and accepted to serve on the board of trustees again. It was another rewarding experience in my long association with the school.

Our children have been blessed by their experiences at EC. Our son Patrick married his high school sweetheart, Kelly Shaw ’00, in 2006 and our son Jeff taught in the Options Program and coached basketball for five years. We now have the privilege of being EC

Make Your Gift Today!

We truly appreciate the dedication and generosity of our community.

Every gift to Eastside Catholic School has a profound impact on our students’ experience, regardless of its size.

Your gift helps to: • Accelerate STEM education through innovation and technology • Support faculty professional development and training • Invest in students through tuition assistance • Elevate performing and visual arts grandparents with Jeff and Megan’s son Nick, a sophomore, and their daughter Kate who will begin at EC next year. Jason lives in Portland and he and Kenzie have had their three children, Blake, Sam and Reese, benefit from Catholic educations.

Because of their EC experience, we are very proud that our children and their families have made Catholic education a priority.

Our hopes are that our four youngest grandchildren, Lauren, Jane, Ben and Alex will be future Crusaders.

We have loved being involved with Eastside Catholic and have been blessed by the school’s gift to our family. We look forward to continuing our involvement in the years ahead.

Thank you!

Donate online at eastsidecatholic.org/give or call 425-295-3060

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Beyond Textbooks

RCeconnecting

elebrating our faith together on campus

F

rom the times of the early Church, the act of gathering has been in and of itself a manifestation of faith. Wherever our spiritual journeys may take us, the company of others often enriches our lives.

At Eastside Catholic, our community has certainly felt the strain and loss of the pandemic and its impact on spiritual gatherings and we are overjoyed to gather in person as a community of faith once again.

Since students, faculty and staff have been back on campus, we have been blessed to celebrate the Sacraments in our Chapel once again, along with many other beloved school traditions. Priests from throughout the region including Fr. Justin Ryan, Fr. Augustine Hilander, OP and Fr. Chad Green have been generous with their time to celebrate grade level Masses, as well as a Mass of Thanksgiving and Mass celebrating the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Along with celebrating the eucharist, these priests have provided the opportunity for the sacrament of reconciliation for our community.

Campus Minister Lynn Kittridge said, “These regular celebrations are keeping the heart of EC beating through the pandemic. I can’t wait until we can celebrate all together again as a community post-pandemic!”

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Youth Alpha Series The course was created to outline the core principles of the Christian faith that all denominations agree on. Alpha creators believe that what unites us is infinitely greater than what divides us. Youth Alpha is based on a 13-episode program of videos and guided discussions, with each episode covering a different topic of the Christian faith. Youth Alpha seeks to create a space where youth will be excited to engage in conversations about faith.

“

I participated in the Alpha program at my parish and found it to be beneficial in enhancing my faith journey. In offering Youth Alpha to the students here at EC my hope is they will also find it valuable as they explore their own faith and learn how God is working in their lives.”

—Joji Siegel, core team member

“ EC’s Destiny retreat has been lovingly adapted to thrive in an oncampus format. In honor of our Touchstone of Servant Leadership, students, faculty and families have continued to support those in need in our region through programs such as Shoeboxes of Joy, Tent City meals and the Giving Tree.

As with all times of change, there are also opportunities for new seeds to grow. A group of adults meet on campus weekly for faith sharing and formation with the goal of furthering relationship building across all areas of our campus. Dubbed the Core Team, this gathering and time of sharing provides a foundation for faculty, staff and parents to serve all students.

Also new this year is our Youth Alpha Series. Youth Alpha (highlighted at right) is a series of videos designed to engage students in conversations about life, faith and Jesus. Adult leaders invite students from all grade levels and various spiritual backgrounds to participate in this inclusive, welcoming environment. All participants are encouraged to consider different topics related to the Christian faith thoughtfully.

This series exemplifies the importance of relationships both as a Touchstone of the school and our focus for the 2021-22 school year.

[Youth Alpha] has made a difference in the way I view my time at school and it‘s caused me to slow down and think about what I do and say. I would say that it‘s a perfect opportunity to find other students who are interested in their faith.

Even if you’re not religious, it‘s a great way to learn about, and build relationships with other classmates.”

—Kate Goett, student participant

“

In the short term, I hope this group continues to be a haven of advice, spiritual support and formation in our faith. In the long term, I hope it grows to provide more support in spirituality and faith for the whole community.”

—Lynn Kittridge, campus minister

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On Campus

READY FOR

TAKEOFF ZANDER HAMILTON ’23 first became interested in flying because of the incredibly technologically advanced machines. His interest was rewarded last year when Zander earned a slot as a cadet in the Red-Tailed Hawks Youth FLY Program (RTH).

The RTH FLY Program is a two-week program introducing underrepresented youth to the world of aviation. RTH hosts the FLY program at Galvin Flying in Seattle, where cadets receive 10-12 flight hours and 40 hours of pilot ground school. Top performers are selected to continue past the solo flying level and earn private pilot certification.

Zander said he invested a lot of time studying during the summer program as a large volume of content is loaded into the 14-days. “Not only did we have to learn it all, but we had to retain 12

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all that information and skill as well. I had to make sure that I understood what was being taught and could continue to apply it, whether in actual scenarios or for quizzes and a knowledge test,” Zander said.

There were eight students in this year’s group of cadets and Zandar was honored to win the Top Gun Award, which provides additional support and funding for pilot training. Zander demonstrated his commitment to go above and beyond to complete the training with excellence to earn the award.

“I love aviation, and I aspire to be a professional some years from now. I hope to join the U.S. Air Force Academy, become a pilot (preferably fighters) and receive additional training. Once I grow tired of that, maybe I’ll join an airline until I retire.”

AP Perfection Sharon Huang earned a rare perfect score on the college-level Advanced Placement® (AP) Research exam in spring 2021. Not only did she receive the top score of 5 but was also one of only 375 students in the world to earn every point possible on the AP Research exam, receiving the maximum score on each portion of the exam.

AP Research allows students to deeply explore an academic topic, problem or issue of individual interest.

Through this exploration, students design, plan and conduct a year-long research-based investigation to address their area of interest. The course culminates in an academic paper of 4,000-5,000 words and a presentation with an oral defense. Students must complete the year-long AP Seminar course before enrolling in AP Research. “Sharon’s accomplishment on the AP Research exam is nothing short of extraordinary,” High School Principal Ryan Aiello said.

Sharon’s academic paper for AP Research was titled “The Association Between Sports, Body Image, and Eating Disorders of Male Teens at Eastside Catholic” and was accepted for publication in the Journal of Student Research.

Sharon’s project ran into some roadblocks along the way when she reached out to more than 20 King County

ALEX SZRAMA ’23 found that she immediately loved the adventure and freedom of flying after her dad, who holds a private pilot’s license, arranged an introductory flight for her. She joined the Civil Air Patrol when she was in the seventh grade, and through that experience, has flown orientation flights and learned about aerospace and aviation.

Recognizing the high cost of flight training required for a pilot’s license, Alex applied for and was awarded a 2021 Continuing Aviation Grant and Private Pilot Ground School scholarship from Cascade Warbirds earlier this year.

The scholarship program offers the Continuing Aviation Education Grant to one scholarship recipient who intends to earn their FAA private pilot certificate within the following year. Applicants must complete the ground school course, both introductory flights and submit an essay.

“Thanks to the opportunity given to me by Cascade Warbirds, my next goal is to continue flight instruction, fly solo and receive my private pilot license. My future goal,” Alex said, “is to be accepted into the U.S. Air Force Academy and become a military pilot.”

For younger students who are interested in aviation, Alex offered this advice, “I’d encourage anyone interested in aviation to join the Civil Air Patrol where you can explore different aspects of aviation and space flight and experience the excitement of piloting a small aircraft.”

schools for survey participation, but none responded. She was able to pivot and adjust her research plan to focus on only EC students which allowed her to uncover statistically significant results.

Her key findings highlighted male adolescent students who play aesthetic sports such as dance, gymnastics, cheerleading, and figure skating show a significant increase in the probability of having severe body image issues. She also found that student-athletes who play strength sports such as American football, weightlifting and wrestling show greater susceptibility to body image issues and elevated ED risks than average students, though less severe than aesthetic athletes.

Through her experience, Sharon shared, “ Being able to discover a problem, make recommendations towards a solution and potentially influence others positively in my community through this research study made me feel needed, important and included. Words cannot describe my overflowing appreciation for the AP Research class, without which I would not have tried to engage in real-world problems or phenomena and make a difference.”

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In The Community

Students Making a Difference RESHMI NILUS ’22 Cards for Cancer and Project Generosity

I

started making cards in sixth grade to earn an allowance. At the time, I was selling greeting cards to my teachers, friends and around the neighborhood.

In eighth grade, I started learning more about breast cancer and the ongoing research trials at multiple renowned institutes. I decided to combine my love of making cards with doing good in the community. Knowing very well I could not help this cause in the physical lab due to age and lack of a degree, I decided to raise funds for the cause. To reach a broader client base, I also created a website that marketed the cards to people across the nation. So far, we have received orders from across the U.S., including California, Texas and Washington.

Even with the website, I knew I wanted to help more.

So, I conducted fundraisers for the same cause. This sister

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organization is called Project Generosity. We host fundraisers of various types, from bake sales to jogathons, to generate even more money. I continue to work on these nonprofits and am always working on new Project Generosity ideas!

In total, we have raised over $2,000 for research. All our proceeds go to the Salk Institute in San Diego. We found that the fundraisers by Project Generosity raise more money, so we are looking forward to producing additional events.

Each fundraiser takes about 72 hours of planning and baking, with 12 hours of sales and deliveries (with COVID, we had to take many extra safety measures). I recruit volunteers of all ages and rely on the help of friends and family. During the last effort, we had 11 volunteers!

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hen Sarah Bosworth ’17 was 15 years old, she had to stay at Seattle Children’s Hospital with a staph infection.

While there, she noticed the itchy and thin covers in the first room she stayed in. The following day she was moved to a different room where there was a purple fleece tie blanket on the bed, making her immediately feel more warm, safe and comfortable.

She wanted to make sure every child in the hospital could have that same feeling of warmth and comfort she did when she had the fleece blanket. From her experience, she started Kiddos Cuddles, with the simple mission of providing a fleece tie blanket to every child in the hospital to help them feel safe during their stay.

When Sarah graduated, she passed the responsibility and organization on to Annie Becker ’20 and Audrey Charters ’20 and they led Kiddos Cuddles until they graduated. They then passed Kiddos Cuddles on to Fabiana Pulido ’21, who then passed it on to me! I will be graduating this year and will pass the organization to Alejandro Pulido ‘24, Fabiana’s younger brother.

After hearing about Sarah’s experience and learning more about her story, I knew I wanted to play a larger part in Kiddos Cuddles. I love this organization because we help make patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital more comfortable when they are in an unfamiliar place and already going through so much. I know hospitals can be scary, so I want every child to have the best experience possible. To be a part of that effort has been incredible.

Due to COVID-19 and safety precautions, Seattle Children’s stopped accepting donations this year.

But as Kiddos Cuddles has continued to receive blanket donations, we decided to make a temporary change during these strange times.

For the present, the blankets are going to Mary’s Place, a shelter to help women, children and their families while they are homeless. We hope that Seattle Children’s Hospital will accept our blanket donations soon, but we’re glad we can help our community in other ways to make people feel safe and comfortable.

Thank you to EC students and all the other students in the area for helping make Kiddos Cuddles possible. Remember to keep making blankets and to keep donating!

SARAH DALY ’22 Kiddos Cuddles

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Alumni Feature

GLOBAL VISION

Eva Hartman ’20, currently a student at USC, has been working to make a difference in the world. She was recently named an editorial fellow at the Dornsife Global Policy Institute, writing about under-reported events in world politics and has also been working to design curriculum and train youth public health ambassadors in Uganda.

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Tell us about your work for Ray United FC, a Ugandan public health NGO. Ray United FC (RUFC) is a public health non-governmental agency (NGO) that was started about a decade ago by my mentor and former World Health Organization Official Dr. Heather Wipfli. RUFC began as a series of camps connecting Ugandan and American youth. The program has

expanded rapidly in collaboration with the Makerere University International Health Department to promote greater public health throughout Lira, Uganda. We have dual teams of American and Ugandan university students and faculty that work together to conduct research and design on-the-ground community health interventions. These interventions are then implemented by our amazing public health ambassadors, highly trained youth ages 18-22 who live in Lira.

What’s your current role with RUFC? I’m a program management intern, but I’m also involved in a fair amount of data analysis. I was a part of the original team that designed the curriculum and trained our ambassadors, which meant learning how to communicate in both English and Luo (the local language) and work on 3 a.m. Zoom calls because of time differences. I’ve also designed census-style demographic research, run data collection on malaria infection rates, and conducted case studies on COVID-19. I’ve written reports for the Peace Corps, presented to members of the Ugandan Parliament, and written grant applications for the U.S. Embassy.

We also have multiple journal articles in the peer review stage and have been invited to present at various academic conferences in the next year!

We Are EC

Off the Tee The EC Golf Team was off to an impressive start this fall!

Four girls and 30 boys participated in nine matches followed by the Metro Tournament.

What else are you involved in?

I’m an editorial fellow at the Dornsife Global Policy Institute, where I write articles on under-reported events in world politics, specializing in economic development and the future of United States security. I also research for the Near Crisis Project, which seeks to create a database of past near crises that can be used by government officials to develop strategies that prevent conflict escalation.

How do you like the University of Southern California?

USC is fantastic! I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to attend a university with such amazing opportunities. I’ve had class canceled because a professor had to travel to Washington, D.C. to brief the State Department, and I met Andrew Yang on a Zoom call this past year. My peers are passionate about what they study and always want to collaborate across fields, which is a blessing considering that my major is so interdisciplinary. The biggest change from EC is definitely the size of the student body and the professors cold calling on students in lecture!

Nicole Koong won the Metro Tournament, was awarded the Metro League Player of the Year and was named to the Girls First Team All-League with teammate Ashley Seigel, who finished fourth in the Metro Tournament. All four women golfers qualified for Districts in May. Nicole had an impressive summer as well—she won the Junior Club Championship at Sahalee Country Club and played in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Chambers Bay.

Did EC prepare you well for college?

Absolutely. Ms. Deardorff introduced me to the amazing world of international relations in her AP World History and AP Human Geography classes, and Ms. Maletta gave me the statistical tools I needed to work in research at the university level. Dr. Wootton’s AP Language class is why I’m able to piece together the seemingly thousands of journal articles I read each week.

Do you have any post-graduation plans?

I’m majoring in international relations and minoring in global health, and plan to study abroad at France’s Ecole Libre des Sciences Politiques, or Science-Po. Post-grad, I hope to work in NGOs for a few years before attending law school—I have my eye on a few dual JD/Master of Foreign Affairs programs.

On the men’s side, Jack Hufford, Charlie Powell and Thaddeus Schaeffer qualified for the District Tournament.

To cap off fall play, Jack Hufford qualified for the State Tournament when he won a playoff hole by sinking a heartstopping 55’ putt!

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Class Notes

Ty Mahoney ’13

Kip Durrell ’85 and Michale [Becker] Durrell ’84 Lauren Durrell ’22 (left), Emily Durrell ’18 (right)

Elisha Pa’aga ’14

share your news Do you have a new job?

A new address?

A new child?

Want to get involved?

Send an email with any updates to alumni@ eastsidecatholic.org.

Chad Brown ’13

1984, 1985

2011

Kip Durrell ’85 and Michale [Becker] Durrell ’84 celebrated their oldest

Allie and Joe Mahan were married this past August. It was a beautiful wedding along the Columbia River Gorge.

Allie is a Marketing Specialist at Lease Crutcher Lewis in Portland, Oregon.

Joe is a full-time member of the Oregon Air National Guard working for the 102nd Civilian Support Team.

daughter Samantha’s wedding on July 31. Samantha and Ian McLoughlin met at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California and are residing in Kirkland.

Samantha is currently working in human resources for Luxottica and Ian is working in brokerage for CBRE. Also pictured are Lauren Durrell ’22 (far left) and Emily Durrell ’18 (far right).

1988 Kari Lynn Claussen is on the Seattle Skihawks Racing Team. The Skihawks Racing Team inspires and involves athletes with intellectual disabilities in the winter sport disciplines of alpine, Nordic, snowboard and snowshoeing.

Kari also participates in the Special Olympics of Washington.

Kalli [Heric] Willis married Colin Willis on June 19, 2021 at Harmony Meadows in Lake Chelan, Washington.

2013 Chad Brown ’13 and Katie Brown welcomed Griffey the goldendoodle into their family in September 2021.

Ty Mahoney and Matthew McGory of Texas announced their engagement and plan to marry in March 2022 in Austin, Texas.

2004

2014

Kerry Lynch Engle was recently hired

Alex Kovar is currently working as a

as the Development/Office Assistant at St. Brendan Catholic Church in Bothell.

loan officer at Evergreen Home Loans.

2010

Catholic staff in 2020 as the Student Life Associate. He also is the Linebackers Coach and Assistant Academics Coach for the Athletic Department. He earned his BA from Central Washington University in 2019.

Brian Brezarich is pleased to share that he became an uncle to a niece and nephew this year.

Elisha Pa’aga joined the Eastside

2017 Cameron Gross graduated from Cal Poly with a mechanical engineering degree in June 2021. While finalizing his career path, he has been pursuing

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his passion for boulder and rock climbing in Joshua Tree, California.

2018 Scott Lees is a senior at Cornell University and a kicker on the football team. In his last football game this season, he kicked 4/4 field goals and 2/2 extra points, equaling the Cornell University record. He was awarded Ivy League player of the week. He will graduate in May 2022 with a major in applied economics and management.

In October, Emmie Head completed a funded research project with St. Olaf College’s Institute for Freedom and Community. Emmie presented her paper “Substantially Similar?: Forensic Musicology, the Expert Witness and Challenges to Artistic Freedom” at the meeting of the Midwest chapter of the American Musicological Society.

2021 Vinny Do’s first year at Gonzaga went well even with the difficulties of the pandemic. He continues to pursue his interest in computer science which began at Eastside Catholic, and he is grateful for the foundational skills he learned in high school.

Alex Kovar ’14

Kalli [Heric] Willis ’11

Scott Lees ’18 Joe Mahan ’11

➺ Save the Date!

Class of 2001 Reunion The Class of 2001 is hosting their 20th reunion (a year late) on Saturday, June 25 at Tavern Hall in Bellevue and a Family Picnic on Sunday, June 26 at Eastside Catholic!

For more information, please contact Nicole Campbell at Nicole.pietromonaco@gmail.com

HOMECOMING 2021

Emmie Head ’18

Cameron Gross ’17

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

Erin Cox ’93 Diane Foreman Alumni grandparent Jim Joliffe Alumni parent Bob Murphy Alumni parent and grandparent James Rambaldini Alumni parent and emeriti Jim Sepic Alumni parent and emeriti

OKTOBERFEST 2021

Charles Beach Former EC faculty

EC MAGAZINE WINTER 2022

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EASTSIDE CATHOLIC 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.