We were blessed to gather for our first all-school Mass on April 13 in celebration of Holy Week! It had been exactly 777 days since our last in-person Mass—Ash Wednesday 2020! Every liturgy reflects the combined efforts of the entire EC community, and we are grateful to everyone who worked to create a beautiful and prayerful experience. Much appreciation to Kate Goett ’22, Ben Goett ’25 and Heaven Donalson ’24 for altar serving.
I REMEMBER sitting with a colleague in the Summer of 2011 and telling them that I got a teaching job at Eastside Catholic. He asked me, “So what’s your career vision? Do you see yourself teaching there for the next 10 years?” In all honesty, I think I laughed at that question. I thought, “Ten years? I don’t know about that yet.”
Well, here I am, in my 10th year at EC, and honestly, I can’t imagine working anywhere else.
In reminiscing with another colleague, we joked about how I actually “adulted” here. I started as a twenty-something, fresh-outof-school teacher. Now, I’m married and have two kids. How did that happen?
I taught in the classroom for seven years and transitioned to a staff member three years ago.
Family. EC takes the definition of this word “family” to a whole new level. At our choir retreat each year, I would ask the students to work in groups and try to come up with one word that described choir to them. Every year, without fail, most, if not all groups would say: family.
I have witnessed this in so many aspects of the school. I see it in the students as they gather for retreats and walk arm-in-arm to the parking lot. I see it in our faculty and staff as we support and lift each other up—our jobs are rewarding but challenging! I see it in our parent and guardian community cheering from the sidelines and in audiences, supporting our students as they contribute their gifts.
The EC family shares many commonalities with our own families. They both come with history, good times, challenges, celebration, loss, some (or a lot of) nagging, drama, sacrifice, forgiveness and most importantly, unconditional love.
Our EC family has been through a lot these past three years, but we have shown resilience and proven that we are indeed stronger together. I have never been prouder to say that I work here and serve this community. To the next 10 years! Roll Cru!
–
Soonja Larsen Dean of Students
Ithink I first felt like the world was truly getting back to normal when we were able to celebrate Mass together in the gymnasium during Holy Week this year. Easter signals a time of hope, and being able to gather for the first time in two years made it even more significant. Eastside Catholic thrives because of our students, families, faculty, staff, alumni and alumni families— seeing many of these familiar faces at Mass was a true blessing. Together, we are unstoppable.
This year, an important value we strove to instill and support was resiliency. Our students should leave EC with the tools to manage their next steps—whether heading to college, finding a job, helping a neighbor or working through a decision. These past couple of years have shown our students that life does not always happen as planned, nor can you always plan for the unexpected. Yet, having the tools to persevere and work through change and challenges will serve our students well in all aspects of life.
We had many discussions about mental health, setting goals, maintaining perspective, self-care and more, while encouraging the awareness that each person is capable and worthy. The return to retreats and group activities built on this idea of supporting and lifting each other up, as did in-person Mass and a return to annual events like our all-school Spring Fling! Our faculty and staff spent countless hours behind the scenes to construct a school year that supported the whole person, for which I am proud and grateful. Our students are resilient and building their selfconfidence helps them feel in control of their futures.
To our senior class, please know you will always be part of the Eastside Catholic family. These past years of remote connection have reminded us that our bonds transcend the boundaries of our physical school. I welcome you to our worldwide network of more than 5,300 alumni that will always ground you and connect you with our beloved community.
To our students returning to Eastside Catholic next year, I cannot express how eagerly our faculty and staff look forward
to engaging in the intellectual, cultural and social exchange that emerges when you are physically present on campus. Over the summer, we will work to prepare a school year that will ensure a vibrant experience surrounded by the Holy Spirit.
To our community members—whether you are graduating, returning to campus or recollecting your EC experience, I wish you a joyful and safe summer. I hope whatever you have planned continues to set you on the path to achieving your goals. This summer, I have the opportunity to chaperone our student trip to France and I look forward to sharing stories about our adventures and hearing yours in the fall. Together we can make connections that last a lifetime and change the experiences of our students for the better.
On behalf of Eastside Catholic, thank you for a wonderful school year. I look forward to spending more time with you in 2022-23.
–
Gil Picciotto President
Favorite Books: Fr. Greg Boyle’s Tattoos on the Heart; Fr. James Martin SJ’s Jesus, a Pilgrimage
Favorite Bible Passages: Isaiah 55, Mark 12: 28-34, especially Luke 10:25-37
Favorite Movies: Of Gods and Men, Life is Beautiful, The Mission
Hobbies: Reading, gardening, hiking, singing, volunteering with Washington Trail Association
Parent to three EC alums and aunt to three EC alums
Lynn Kittr i dge
How did you get started in teaching?
I began teaching in Los Angeles at Holy Names Academy from 1989 to 1994, and I worked at St. Joseph in Issaquah/Snoqualmie from 1999 to 2008. I also worked in various roles at Holy Innocents Catholic Church in Duvall from 1997 to 2008, including pastoral assistant for administration and pastoral assistant for liturgy. I even chaired the Holy Innocents auction for three years! Before I was officially employed at EC, I helped my husband Tom Kittridge in his early days as a campus minister with Senior Pilgrimage and Destiny as far back as 1990. I also helped Father Heric with events like Baccalaureate and the groundbreaking for the new campus.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in California in the San Fernando Valley and am the youngest
of five. My parish was Our Lady of Peace—all five siblings in my family attended the Catholic school (I think my last year’s tuition at OLP was $50 a month!). My uncle, Fr. Jerry Gottenbos OMI, was a priest in a neighboring parish, Mary Immaculate in Pacoima, so we often went there for Saturday night Mariachi Mass. My uncle also helped found my high school, Bishop Alemany in Mission Hills, and served as the first vice principal. I graduated from Alemany as the valedictorian in 1983.
Tell us about your college experience.
I attended Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. I majored in English and Theology and almost have a minor in art history. In my junior year (after spending my first two years of college working three jobs to save money), I was able to go to
Rome—through Loyola Chicago’s study abroad program. That was the best thing I ever did—and I highly recommend studying abroad. I was able to spend every Thursday in the Vatican Museum (it was free for the last hours on Thursdays then). I attended at least five papal Masses (Pope John Paul II). I was in Rome during the 1985 Synod of Bishops—quite the experience in itself! I had a class called “Art in Rome” where we went on location with a professor for a three-hour class every week—picture us in the Roman Forum, even the Sistine Chapel, having class. And I spent two separate long weekends in Assisi, staying with a lay community and praying daily with the Franciscans—the origins of my love for St. Francis. What was your first role at EC? I began as a campus ministry assistant for liturgy and taught ninth grade religion—
“The focus for the Religious Studies Department has essentially stayed the same: balance the academic discipline of theology with the formation in faith to enable students to grow in their spirituality.”
back when it was called Search for the Divine and later, The Spiritual Journey. I am now the Interim Director of Campus Ministry and I teach 11th grade Campus Ministry Leadership, 12th grade Community Service and serve as Religious Studies Department Chair. This is my 14th year at EC. What is your favorite part of teaching?
The students! But I also love lesson planning. Tell us about your role as chair of the Religious Studies Department. The focus has essentially stayed the same: balance the academic discipline of theology with the formation in faith to enable students to grow in their spirituality. I am firm in my conviction that religion classes have to be more than academic and they must have a faith component. I believe that religion class should be a place where all students can succeed, even if they may struggle with academics.
What do you hope to pass on to students of all faiths through the religion classes at EC?
If nothing else, I want my students to know that God (Divine Love or however they choose to name God)—loves them more than they can imagine. They don’t have to do anything to earn this love and they can’t do anything to make this love go away. They are simply called to live in this love, learn to love themselves and each other, and live lives as servant leaders. I want to help students experience this love and learn how to love themselves and each other and build communities of care and servant leadership.
Tell us about your summer work with the Washington Trails Association (WTA).
I love to work with WTA on trail repair and construction projects in Mt. Rainier National Park during the summer. Before the pandemic, I served several seasons as the volunteer coordinator for Meadow Rovers at Sunrise in Mt. Rainier. Although that position grew too large for a volunteer and is now a paid seasonal ranger position, I was still able to fill in for the paid ranger on their days off even in that first pandemic summer. As an aside, when I worked at Sunrise, one of my projects was lobbying to have a backcountry potty installed by Frozen Lake. If you know Mt. Rainier, you know that Frozen Lake is a destination day-hike for families. But the lake is also the water supply for Sunrise and there is no restroom in the area. If you have ever hiked with children … well, you know that’s a problem. I am happy to say that my work got the ball rolling. I believe the project has been referred to Congress (it takes an act of Congress to make changes to wilderness districts in National Parks!) and the portable bathroom will be installed in the coming year in the location that I selected. I am proud of
this accomplishment and joke that I will sneak up and install a plaque: The Lynn Kittridge Memorial Potty at Frozen Lake!
I want to restore the liturgy schedule to its pre-pandemic level. I am praying for a chaplain—or continued friendly relations with all the neighboring pastors, to create a team of priest celebrants for our restored, robust liturgy schedule. I hope to create opportunities for students to learn how to go to Mass so their participation is meaningful and fruitful. I think liturgy is the beating heart of our school, so that will always be my primary focus. I also want to support the team who has tackled organizing the retreats this spring. I want those experiences to be successful in creating and restoring the community that was lost during the pandemic. I am also working to restore community service opportunities so students can grow in their servant leadership. I firmly believe all who work in Campus Ministry should also teach to better facilitate relationships with students, and that Campus Ministry duties should be shared among several assistants who also teach—again, for consistency and continuity in the program, to ground the program in the lived reality of our students. With liturgies, retreats, community service, chapel maintenance, leadership development among students and staff, administrative and director duties, and pastoral care of students and staff, the job is overwhelming for one person. What’s something about you that most people might not know?
I have Philippians 4:13 tattooed on my wrist (though on hard days, I claim it is Exodus 4:13—go ahead, look it up!). I love all of Philippians, especially the Baccalaureate reading: Philippians 4:4-9.
JOANNE FARMER is retiring after 17 years at EC. Her impact as a parent, colleague and friend has been wide-reaching. We thank her for her many years of service, her friendship and her collaborative spirit!
In 1994, I moved to Washington with my husband Tim and our daughters Allie (’04) and Lindsey (’07) when Costco transferred Tim here. My “instant” daughters, Kim and Kerry, stayed back in Virginia. In 1999, Tim and I were invited to attend the EC auction as a prospective family by Dick and Chris Dicerchio. Allie enrolled at EC as a freshman at the Newport Hills campus in 2000.
Having been heavily involved in my daughters’ elementary and middle schools, I was excited to join this community of families. As Allie became more involved at EC, from student leadership to cheerleading, Lindsey wanted to become a Crusader too, enrolling in 2003 as a freshman. In 2005, I began volunteering in the Main Office and later was asked to work in the Business Office two days per week. I joined the staff as the tuition administrator, working with families to mitigate the costs associated with private, Catholic education.
In 2002, during Allie’s sophomore year, I was diagnosed with lung cancer and the EC community could not have been more supportive of my family during this difficult time. As I have battled cancer several times over the past two decades, EC has always been there for me as a parent of EC students and as a compassionate place to work.
Over the past 16 years, I have averaged 250 application reviews per admission cycle and am proud to have reviewed over 3,750 applications for future Crusaders. The most significant change in my 16 years at Eastside Catholic is technological advances and social media. When I started in 2005, I had a desktop computer and a fax machine and applications were processed with regular snail mail. I’ve also seen an evolution in how people communicate with each other; social media allows us to connect with prospective students and their families in ways we could never have imagined before.
My favorite part of working at EC is making a difference in a student’s future. I’ve seen how far an EC education can take students
BY JOANNE FARMER
and I am proud to have served so many.
Even though the world is changing, my favorite aspect of the school is how faith-centered it is. And my favorite thing about being a member of this community is being able to see the change in our transfer students. I love watching them thrive after they arrive and get comfortable here.
One of my best-loved Newport Hills campus traditions was Football Game Fridays. The Boosters would host a huge BBQ on campus, and we would rent buses to take students down to the games. Packing the stands and watching my daughters perform as cheerleaders made me proud to wear orange and blue, especially when we beat O’Dea!
From my time at the Sammamish campus, one of my favorite memories is when Archbishop Burnett visited just after the school had purchased the land that the campus now sits on. Archbishop Burnett walked the boundaries of EC and blessed the land with holy water. It was a powerful image that stuck with me—God is in the literal roots and soil of Eastside Catholic School. Interesting note, our ambo, altar and cross on the top of the school were made from felled trees on the property.
In my retirement, I’m excited to travel with my husband (we have an Italian adventure planned), hike and get back into my yoga routine. I’m looking forward to spending quality time with my eight grandchildren in San Diego, Denver, Seattle and Virginia.
My hope for the future of Eastside Catholic is that our school continues to offer every student and their family a faith-based Catholic education that will give each student the confidence to be the person God has intended for them to be. I also wouldn’t mind if my youngest grandson Timothy graduated with the Class of 2034.
Faith, family, friends forever, your faithful Farmer!
MAYTEN GROSS has been an integral part of the EC community for the past 14 years—first as an omnipresent volunteer and later as a staff member leading special event endeavors for the school.
When did you and your family first become involved at EC?
Before the new campus opened on the Eastside in 2008, we hosted parent-to-parent events at our home and were excited to tour the new campus in its infancy. Our daughter, Mahalin ’15, was in the first class to go from sixth to 12th grade, and our son, Cameron ’17, soon followed.
Where do you and your family enjoy volunteering?
I have volunteered at the local food bank, Eton School—where my kids attended pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, Tent City, St. Jude’s Church—where I assisted in Children’s Faith Formation, and the Issaquah Senior Center. I was also on the board of the SAMMI Awards Foundation. I was one of the founding members of the EC Middle School PTF in charge of hospitality, and then PFSA in high school. I also volunteered for the Admissions Department and of course, the school auction. I was a full-time volunteer from 2008 to 2017 before joining the EC staff as the Director of Special Events.
I grew up in a large family, the youngest of 10 girls, so I learned how important it is to take care of each other. My grandmother was a lifelong volunteer at the Red Cross, and I remember hearing stories about her volunteer work as a young child. My father was also very civic-minded and was involved in many charitable organizations. I credit my mother for instilling in us the virtues that I live by to this day. Most of all, my children motivated me to get involved in community service. I wanted to give them a strong foundation just as my parents did, in sharing and caring for others—to be of service and give abundantly and willingly. My husband John has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity in the past and served on the board at Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center.
What do you hope your children learn from the time you have devoted to volunteering?
I’ve always encouraged our children to give back to the community and be humble. As young children, they helped prepare and serve food at the Senior Center in
Issaquah, served breakfast and collected clothes for Tent City in Redmond, helped pick up trash on the roads in Sammamish and spent the day at an orphanage in the Dominican Republic where we had a chance to meet our “adopted son.” The basic needs are the same for all individuals—to be seen, heard, valued and to know that someone cares about you. I know that our children will continue to keep the virtues they witnessed and pass them on to their children when that time comes.
How did you make the transition from volunteer to employee? It was an unexpected opportunity, but I was honored to be asked to step into the director role. After almost two decades of being a mom and full-time volunteer, it was daunting to walk back into the professional arena. I knew I had giant shoes to fill, but there was an undeniable pull—I was compelled to make the transition from volunteer to being on staff. It felt very natural as I had the experience of co-chairing auctions at our children’s previous school and I had also been involved with the auction here at EC for many years, eventually co-chairing during the 2016-17 school year. However, I quickly learned that volunteering and overseeing such a significant social and fundraising event are vastly different. I gained so much more appreciation for those who came before me. The support I received from my colleagues, volunteers and the community truly made a significant impact on the success of the auction and other events, and for that, I am grateful.
What are you looking forward to now that you are moving on from being a full-time employee?
I am looking forward to spending time with my family and friends and I am also excited to travel more. We have a lot of trips planned! Mostly, I am looking forward to discovering new hobbies, improving my golf game and just embracing whatever comes my way.
HE 2022 “REACH FOR THE STARS” GALA AUCTION proved to be a resounding success as we celebrated in person for the first time in two years. With over 500 guests and numerous volunteers, the ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue was filled with excitement and infectious energy. The festivities began with a three-day online silent auction including all types of bidders—current EC families, grandparents, emeriti, auction sponsors, past parents and alumni from as far away as Massachusetts.
The EC spirit came roaring back during the Live Auction with fierce bidding resulting in record sales. With students at the forefront of our Mission, EC Performing Arts provided a sneak preview of the spring musical in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Aden Huey ’24 shared his experience as the first-ever STARS Gala Auction Ambassador, “I really liked seeing my friends at the auction, but my favorite part was being on the stage and waving to everyone.” EC’s very own Student Life Associate Elisha Pa’aga ’14 served as emcee, infusing his unique style and energy to compliment auctioneer Matt Lorch.
The auction was an overwhelming success, generating over $870,000 in gross revenue, including $280,000 for the Making a Difference campaign. We are grateful to our EC families, sponsors, volunteers and supporters for their generosity and partnership—we could not have done it without you!
We look forward to celebrating with our community on April 1, 2023 for the 2023 STARS Gala Auction!
Thank you to our sponsors!
Matthew Forshay joined EC in 2020 as an American Sign Language Teacher. He continues to grow the program he inherited and was recently awarded a PFSA grant to greatly expand the EC Library’s selections relevant to Deaf culture.
A child of deaf parents, we were honored that Matthew shared his story with us.
By Matthew Forshay
My parents met at Gallaudet University while working towards degrees in education. After graduation, they married, moved to Alabama and had me. Since my parents are both Deaf, they weren’t sure what would happen with my hearing. Nine out of ten children born to families with two Deaf parents are hearing. However, my dad has a history of deafness being passed down through his family.
In Deaf culture, the hearing status of newborns is often determined through the “balloon test,” where parents will pop a balloon close to their newborn child and measure the response. While most people would consider the baby waking up and crying to be passing the test, many Deaf families would consider that to be failing the test. My parents did not perform this test on me. My mother will tell anyone that asks that she knew I was hearing the moment I was born and refused to open my eyes. My sister was born two years later with both eyes wide open—and she is Deaf.
When I was five and my sister was three, my family moved to Washington and my dad started teaching ASL at a local high school. My mother was concerned my sister would fall behind in a public-school setting, so she homeschooled us through our elementary years. The only interaction I had with English was when the television was on or when my mom took me out of the house to do errands. After hearing from others that I spoke like a character from Sesame Street (my absolute favorite TV show at the time!), my mother hired a tutor and I began my formal education in English, my second language.
As a teenager, I attended public school from sixth to 12th grade and spent much of that time feeling like I was two different people. “Hearing Matthew” was from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and when I was home I switched to being “Deaf Matthew.” I find persistent states of change to be frustrating, so these years were a challenge and full of misunderstandings between my family and me.
Additionally, my mom and dad found it difficult to parent someone who had access to an entirely different aspect of life that they didn’t understand. I often envied my sister’s ability to be on the same wavelength as my parents, while I felt like I was always butting heads with them. I’m sure part of that is the older/younger sibling dynamic, but another piece of it is that the three of them shared a sense of cultural belonging that I could not fully be a part of.
I graduated from college thinking that I would be an ASL interpreter. After spending a couple of months looking for an educational interpreter position, a good friend of mine (also from a Deaf family) referred me to a local interpreter agency that specialized in emergency placements. I worked with them for about a year and was sent to interpret in many different contexts (medicine, education, physical therapy, business and government).
During this time, a family friend mentioned the ASL teacher at her school was retiring and she offered to introduce us. My parents are both teachers and since I originally planned on being an educational interpreter, I figured I should give ASL teaching a try.
I spent the next year shadowing and subbing for the outgoing ASL teacher and found that I truly enjoy introducing people to my first language. I finished the school year subbing while also completing my CTE certificate. When I sent out applications to schools for the following year, I expected to take over for the retiring ASL teacher where I had been subbing. But when I visited EC, I was blown away by the sense of community and I loved the idea of having smaller classes. My wife and I had been wanting to move out of the South Sound, and we moved to the Eastside when I was offered the position at EC.
The ASL program at EC was launched in 2019 and I took over the young program when I was hired for the 2020-21 school year. I began with four classes (two ASL I and two ASL II). This year, I am teaching ASL I, II and III. I have aligned EC’s ASL program with Seattle Central College. Students who take my classes and are in good standing at the end of the year are eligible for five college credits for ASL I, II and III.
Teaching ASL during a pandemic has been quite challenging. If I had a dollar for every time I heard the phrase, “Mr. Forshay, you froze on my screen and I couldn’t see what you signed,” I would be a very wealthy man! Coming back to in-person learning has been much better for maintaining an ASL environment in the classroom. Facial expressions play a much bigger role in ASL than most people realize.
My hope is to continue to grow the program to the point where I am teaching ASL I – IV and potentially start an ASL club to expand the reach of the program.
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
Thank you! Donate online at eastsidecatholic.org/give or call 425-295-3060
Bob ’92, and Laura Antone have built their life together around stories: ghost stories, historical stories, stories that become art. But before that, there is Bob and Laura’s story.
Sometimes the person you meet in high school does become the person you spend your life with.
Bob and Laura first met when they were students at EC’s Newport Hills campus. It was 1991, and both were in Mrs. Frigon’s art class. They became friends, but then their lives went down different paths.
In the 20 years they were apart, they would often think of each other and the connection they made at Eastside Catholic. Over the years, both would look for the other but without success. Fast forward to 2011, and Laura discovered Bob on Facebook. Laura reached out and they’ve been together ever since, marrying in 2014.
Today, Bob and Laura live in the Snoqualmie Valley, where Bob’s family has lived for close to 100 years. The two share a love of folklore, tradition, storytelling, art, music and community. From their connections to the community, they have pursued their passions culminating in the launch of several joint ventures, including Hidden Northwest Tours in 2017, a Kindle book published in 2019 and their design company, Orchard View Design.
The Antones describe their book, “The Odd Man Up,” as, “an anthology of folk tales, true crime, prehistory, coincidences, jokes, poems, secrets, calamities, tragedies—hard lives lived, lost and won.” Bob said, “It is a very strange book. We wrote it to represent the true culture of the area and embrace and preserve the quirky, lovely vibe of the Valley. Many of the stories came from the oral history of the Snoqualmie Valley and were passed down through the generations.”
The Antones have a second book in the works, focusing more on the relationships and family dynamics of locals in the Valley. Laura said much of the text is formulated by their experiences giving tours of the Valley and learning and reciting the oral history through the scripts.
Along with writing, Bob and Laura lead regular, selfdescribed “ghost tours, haunted tours, bigfoot and crime story tours” spanning Carnation, Duvall, Snoqualmie, Issaquah, Bellevue, the Cascade Mountains and beyond. No two tours are the same as they are customized to their clients’ interests.
“Stories inspire art. Art inspires music. Music inspires. It’s a circle and the processes are all connected. All these disciplines work together. It’s like stoking a fire.”
Through their design cooperative, Orchard View Design,
the Antones create art for community organizations and private individuals. They specialize in sculpture, painting and design and art commissioned or created for families. Patrons participate in the design process by sharing stories that inspire each individual piece.
During the pandemic, they built a dugout river canoe in the traditional Salish style, which took over 1,000 hours to create. The Antones had help from experienced native carver Felix Solomon, beginning with a cedar log that weighed 10,000 pounds. The finished cedar canoe weighs 350 pounds and is currently displayed at the Lewis County Historical Museum.
Their most recent project involved carving two maple tree stumps located at the front entrance of the Fall City Fire Department. The sculptures were hand-carved with “tools used for 100 years”—only chisels, gouges, adze tools, axes and knives were used.
And if that’s not enough, Bob is also the founder of Tinkham Road Band comprised of 32 rotating members.
The band has been together for eight years and specializes in music that captures the history of the Valley. Bob described the band as, “more like a community of people than a band.”
They play at a variety of locations, including local wineries.
Bob is proud of his family’s deep roots in the community and noted that his family has been members of the Catholic community in the Snoqualmie Valley since the 1920s. His grandfather was the oldest parishioner at Our Lady of Sorrows when he died in 2002 and Bob’s mother was the choir director there for 25 years. His uncle, Fr. Bill Antone OMI, was ordained at Our Lady of Sorrows in 1980.
With their variety of pursuits, the Antones shared that they enjoy working together every day. Both Bob and Laura speak fondly about their time at EC and the connections and the community they experienced and are both looking forward to attending the 30th EC reunion this summer.
Contact the Antones and learn more about Hidden Northwest Tours on Facebook. “The Odd Man Up” is available on Amazon Kindle.
For more than 15 years, Leadership Initiatives has partnered with outstanding high school students to gain real-world experience, explore future careers, and develop critical skills to create the next generation of leaders worldwide.
Senior Thaddeus (Tad) Schaefer has been involved with the nonprofit Leadership Initiatives since participating in their summer program after his freshman year. He invited classmates Hunter Broughton, Riley Broughton and Olivia Mackleit to assist him in one aspect of his program discussed below.
Based in Washington, D.C., Leadership Initiatives partners with outstanding high school students to gain real-world experience, explore future careers and develop critical skills to create the next generation of leaders worldwide.
In 2019, then EC High School Principal Barbara Swann nominated Thaddeus for a Leadership Initiatives scholarship as part of their summer program at Georgetown University, for which he was awarded a spot. But due to COVID-19, he attended the Advanced Law Internship program online. “In last summer’s Advanced Law and Trial Internship Tier II, I worked (virtually) to develop a direct and cross-examination of an expert witness with my assigned team,” Thaddeus shared.
After completing the first summer program, Thaddeus was invited to join the International Internship Program, a two-year internship with a nonprofit in the developing world. He was charged with building a team and recruited fellow EC classmates Hunter Broughton, Riley Broughton and Olivia Mackleit. The group meets weekly with their Nigerian contact, Auwal, over video conference to “develop programs which help advocate for human rights victims in the Bauchi State, Nigeria.”
They hear first-hand the issues Auwal faces in his community and the team brainstorms “how to find solutions to advocate for a better quality of life for Auwal’s community.”
Team member Olivia Mackleit shared, “One piece of the program in Nigeria where I believe we have made a difference was the Community Workshop. A lot of preparation goes into the workshop, including creating surveys to gain insight into what issues the community faces. This year, we focused on the issues of inadequate education. Our survey showed that many people did not feel like teachers were being trained
sufficiently to instruct their children. We used this information to create a workshop to address the issues of inadequate education and provide solutions. After the workshop was complete, we received a report that shared how our workshop has made a difference in the community, which is super cool to see. This aspect of the program is the most hands-on and I would say that it is the most impactful towards making a difference in the lives of others.”
Thaddeus will transition to a paid role with Leadership Initiatives after being accepted into their Staff Internship Program. “I will spend six hours a week researching issues and helping to shape topics to discuss in the summer programs. I will be working at the Advanced Law and Trial Internship program onsite this summer as a staff member.”
Thaddeus shared that he plans to attend Boston College next year and with these leadership experiences, he “looks forward to studying international studies,” with the goal of being able to help other people in the process.
What does senior Caiden Bertsch have in common with George W. Bush, Steve Martin, Jimmy Stewart and Dwight D. Eisenhower? They were all school cheerleaders!
THIS SPRING, CAIDEN BECAME THE FIRST MALE cheerleader in Eastside Catholic School history to sign a letter of intent to continue his sport at the collegiate level. Caiden will attend the University of Michigan on a four-year Army ROTC scholarship while continuing to cheer.
He first became interested in the sport after spending time around competitive cheer because of his sister’s involvement. He began to cheer in the eighth grade, “It sounded like fun and would keep me busy.” As he wasn’t involved in another sport at the time, it worked well for him to devote his time to cheer and getting up to speed which eventually led to him trying out for a club team.
“Cheerleading is a year-round sport and I love that. You’re so dependent on your teammates, it’s not like a lot of other sports where a teammate can make a mistake and you can compensate for it. When doing your routine, everyone has to be perfect, and you
have to trust that everyone is going to do their job and that you’re going to do your job. I feel like this aspect builds a bond with your teammates that you don’t get in a lot of other sports.”
Caiden has been the sole male on the cheerleading team since he started at EC, “Being the only guy was kind of weird for me at first, especially because I was the only freshman on the varsity team. But I knew some of the girls from my eighth-grade club cheer team which helped. The girls were super friendly, and my teammates helped me feel welcome.” He received some skepticism at first, but his teammates helped him overcome it. Caiden said, “Once people saw me doing backflips, lifts and working with the cheer squad, the responses changed to more like, ‘oh, that’s actually pretty cool.’ And from there, the negative feedback lessened.”
He said one of the highlights of his four years of cheering in high school was winning the world competition in Florida his freshman year. “Cheerleading has taught me that I perform well under pressure and that I need to be able to rely on other people. I think it’s taught me that other people also rely on me to lift them up when they are struggling. In general, cheerleading has taught me discipline, responsibility, perseverance and coachability.”
When Caiden heads off to college in the fall, he will be cheering, and will also be a member of the Michigan ROTC for which he was awarded a four-year scholarship. As a ROTC , he will be involved in morning training and once per month field exercises over weekends. After graduating, depending on the job he selects, he’ll serve four to six years of active duty as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army.
Head Cheer Coach Courtney Christie said, “We are so proud of everything that Caiden has done in his time at EC. He has grown into such a confident and caring young man. He is a great example of everything a Crusader should be, a natural leader for his team, an ambassador for his school, and a determined individual. We are so sad to see him leave, but so excited to see all the amazing things he will do in the future.”
Sophomore Alyssa Bulai is passionate about tennis and helping others experience the sport. She founded the nonprofit Ready Set Tennis (RST). RST serves children on the Eastside, offering free lessons (and providing tennis equipment, if needed) to those who may have never been exposed to tennis or have never had the opportunity to play.
Alyssa has partnered with Eastside Catholic School to use the campus tennis courts, along with “Love Love Take Two,” which collects used tennis equipment, and “Athletes for Kids” to offer additional programs this summer. Ready Set Tennis was recently awarded a USTA grant to cover some program costs.
To date, the nonprofit has hosted mini-camps and private lessons. RST is free for qualified registrants and is looking forward to hosting even more programs this summer.
Eric Trepanier started a biotech consulting business in 2021 called Dirt Road Consultants located in Seattle to assist cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturers in bringing their revolutionary (and expensive!) products to market. CGT therapies include functional cures for hemophilia and sickle cell disease.
Allie Farmer recently purchased and completely renovated her home in San Diego with her partner Jake Schwartz.
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.
Lindsey Farmer recently changed roles at Eastside Catholic. She is now the Testing Center Coordinator and Paraprofessional in the Academic Resources Center.
Christy Kolwitz will be celebrating finishing her general surgical residency at NYU this year. Next up, she will begin a fellowship in abdominal transplant surgery at OHSU in Portland, Oregon.
Walt Petersen earned his MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington in 2015. He is currently working as a mechanical engineer at Valve in Bellevue, which is an internationally known video gaming company.
Joe Stoutt got engaged to Leah Tyler in Seabrook, Washington on March 26, 2022. Joe is currently working at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, OR and resides in Portland.
Macie [Hudson] Crocker married Jake Crocker (O’Dea, Class of 2013) in Greenbank, Washington on August 7, 2022. They are expecting their first baby in September!
Christian Shigley will return to Seattle to become an orthopedic surgery resident at the University of Washington this summer after completing medical school at Brown University.
Mitchell Neale has accepted a position as a Software Engineer II.
Brad Barrett ’15 and Dani Standish ’16 are engaged!
Jerome Siangco ’15 graduated with distinction from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey with an MA in International Policy and Development in December 2021. He is currently working as an Associate for the National Bureau of Asian Research in Seattle and Washington, D.C.
Hannah Shergold graduated from Gonzaga University in May 2022 Cum Laude with a BA in political science, criminology and business (minor). She will continue her academic career in Fall 2022 as she pursues a Juris Doctorate from Gonzaga University School of Law
Caitlin Burrows recently partnered with the Down Syndrome Community of Puget Sound and accepted an invitation to join their Board of Directors as a Self-Advocate.
Justin Braza, an alumnus of the Options Program at EC, was accepted into the ROAR Program at Washington State University and will attend in Fall 2022. WSU ROAR (Responsibility Opportunity Advocacy and Respect) is a two-year inclusive postsecondary education program.
Friday, June 10—Meet at Rouge in Bellevue at 7 p.m. (rougebellevue.com) Please RSVP to Lisa Ingalls-Smith: ingallssmith@gmail.com
Saturday, June 11—Join us at a Mariner’s game, 7 p.m. start. Meet above the pitcher’s bullpen at 7 p.m. Please purchase your tickets and RSVP to Lisa Ingalls-Smith at ingallssmith@gmail.com. Lisa will be sitting in Section 183.
Questions? Please reach out to Lisa via email. Hope to see you there!
To the following members of our EC community who have died, but whose spirits live on always in our hearts.
Julio Cruz Alumni parent
Dick Ellis Founding school principal
Fr. John Forester SJ Former campus minister
Jerry Molitor Alumni parent and grandparent
Kim Mikolajewski
Alumni parent, former staff member
Fr. George Rink Emeriti
Robert Tiplin Alumni parent and grandparent
Alumni from the Class of 2001—please save the date for Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26! A 20-year reunion (a year late!) will be held across two days: June 25 at Tavern Hall in Bellevue and a family picnic on June 26 at the EC campus in Sammamish. If you have questions or want additional information, please contact Nicole Pietromonaco (Campbell) at nicole.pietromonaco@gmail.com
We are proud to celebrate Middle School Humanities Teacher Caitlin Juntunen who recently completed the challenging process of earning National Board Certification in English Language Arts—Early Adolescence.
Eastside Catholic School
232 228th Avenue SE
Sammamish, WA 98074
eastsidecatholic.org
