GONZAGA
• THE JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL •
Gonzaga College High School
Educating young men in the Jesuit tradition since 1821 19 Eye Street, NW Washington, D.C., 20001
PRESIDENT
Rev. Joseph E. Lingan, S.J. ’75
CHAIR OF THE GONZAGA BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Tim Flynn ’72
HEADMASTER
Thomas K. Every II
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Stephen M. Neill ’89
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF ALUMNI & ADVANCEMENT
David Dugan ’98
DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS
Byron Harper ’84
EDITOR
Mary Clare Glover
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Annie Rosello
DESIGNER
Renee Spencer
CONTRIBUTORS
Byron Harper ’84
Mark Howell ’73
Conrad Singh ’00
PHOTOGRAPHY
James Kegley
Conrad Singh ’00
Renee Spencer
Jessica Taglieri
Matt Taglieri ’04
Please send comments, suggestions, corrections, and changes of address to info@Gonzaga.org.
Gonzaga Magazine, the official magazine of Gonzaga College High School, is published by the Gonzaga Office of Marketing and Communications.
Members of the Class of 2025 “clap in” the Class of 2028 during their Freshman Orientation. The tunnel of cheering students has become an annual tradition, and is echoed during Commencement when Gonzaga’s faculty forms a similar tunnel ushering students into and out of St. Al’s for their graduation ceremony.
in the late 1970s, the Gonzaga International Volunteer Experience (GIVE) forever changed the lives of those who participated and those they served. More than forty years later, its legacy lives on through Gonzaga’s robust service immersion program.
Dear Gonzaga Community,
As many of you know, over the past year and a half, Gonzaga has been engaged in a thoughtful and collaborative community-wide process to develop a new strategic framework. It has been inspiring to hear from so many of you during this journey, and I am excited to share an update on that process in this issue of Gonzaga Magazine. At its heart, this plan includes a revitalized mission statement, a clear articulation of our school’s core commitments, and an exciting new strategic framework that will guide our school over the next decade. I invite you to read more about it on page 20, where we outline how this vision will honor Gonzaga’s rich legacy while preparing us for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
In this issue, we also take a deep dive into the history of a program that many of our alumni will remember fondly: the GIVE (Gonzaga International Volunteer Experience) program. Originally a summer service trip to Mexico in the 1980s, this grassroots initiative evolved into our current service immersion program, which now offers more than a dozen trips each year. The article on page 24 is a powerful reminder of how service has been—and continues to be—an integral part of the Gonzaga experience.
Another highlight of this issue is the transformative $5 million gift Gonzaga recently received from the James A. and Alice B. Clark Foundation. This profoundly generous contribution will go directly into Gonzaga’s endowment, helping to ensure that even more young men can experience a Gonzaga education through increased access to tuition assistance. I want to especially acknowledge and thank Scott and Courtney Pastrick, former Gonzaga parents (and Scott former Gonzaga Board Chair), whose commitment to and involvement in Gonzaga has been invaluable. This generosity reflects a deep belief in the power of a Gonzaga education to transform lives, and we are sincerely and
genuinely grateful for their support.
I am also excited to introduce a new recurring series in this issue, called “Why Study…” on page 18. In each issue going forward, we will feature an essay written by a different faculty member reflecting on why their subject matter is relevant and important to study in today’s modern world. Thank you to longtime Mathematics teacher Mark Howell ’73 for writing the first of these essays, a thought-provoking reflection on the beauty of mathematics.
As always, you will also find updates from across our vibrant community—such as a new partnership with the National Archives, the impressive growth of the Student Broadcasting Club, and photos from the Gonzaga Mothers Club Gala and the 40th Annual Carmody Lynn Open. These stories are a testament to the many ways in which our students, parents, and alumni continue to embody Gonzaga’s commitments to growth, service, and excellence.
Thank you for your continued support and for helping bring Gonzaga’s mission to life every day.
With every best wish,
Rev. Joseph E. Lingan, S.J. ’75 President
by the numbers
Gonzaga College Counseling
Gonzaga’s College Counseling team approaches the college application process in a holistic and personalized way, working individually with each student to help him identify his unique talents, interests, and gifts. Here’s a snapshot of Gonzaga College Counseling by the numbers.
126
Number of college visits Gonzaga hosted during the 2023-2024 school year
2,064
Number of Common Applications submitted by the Class of 2024
4
Number of College Counselors on Gonzaga's staff
Average number of colleges the Class of 2024 applied to 8
Total years experience of Gonzaga’s College Counselors
78
170
Number of colleges that came to Gonzaga's College Fair last year
12
Number of institutions that currently have ten or more Gonzaga students enrolled
• Boston College
• Fairfield University
• Georgetown University
• Indiana University
• James Madison University
• Penn State University
• University of Maryland
• University of Minnesota
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Virginia
• United States Naval Academy
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
221
Number of unique colleges our seniors were accepted to in 2024
Grandparents Day Mass and Brunch
September 29, 2024
More than 500 Gonzaga students and their grandparents joined us during Grandparents Day, which included Mass in Saint Aloysius Church followed by student campus tours and brunch in the Carmody Center. Gonzaga was honored and grateful to share Eye Street with these special people in our students’ lives.
1., 2., 3. Gonzaga students with their grandparents. 4. The Lopes family – Joseph Lopes (P ’92, ’97, GP ’27, ’28) and his grandsons Jake Lopes ’27, Colin Lopes ’28, Nolan Kretz ’28, and Owen Modlin ’27–carried up the gifts during Mass. 5. The keynote speaker during brunch was Rear Admiral Thomas C. Lynch, who is parent of Tom Lynch, Jr. ’89 and grandfather of Bruce Lynch ’17 and John Lynch ’27. 6. Guests enjoying the brunch program.
1. From left to right: Timmy Murray ’86, Joe Murray ’85, Mike Murray ’62, Bo Murray ’95. 2. Clear blue skies and leaves at peak color created the perfect conditions for this year’s tournament. 3. From left to right: Chris Delaney ’86, Steve Brown ’86, John Bidwell ’86 4. From left to right: Joe Dugan ’94, Seamus Morgan ’94, Michael Sewell ’94, and friend. 5. From left to right: Khary Stockton ’89, Matt Sullivan ’89, Doug Davidson ’89, and Stephen Neill ’89. 6. Gonzaga’s President Rev. Joseph E. Lingan, S.J. ’75 and Senior Vice President of Alumni and Advancement David Dugan ’98
Carmody Lynn Open
October 25, 2024
Hundreds of Gonzaga alumni and friends gathered on Friday, October 25 for the 40th Annual Carmody Lynn Open, held at P.B. Dye and Worthington Manor golf courses. Played in honor and memory of Kevin Carmody ’62 and Michael Lynn ’94, the event raises tuition assistance for Gonzaga students who do not have a father in their lives.
44th Annual Gonzaga Mothers Club Gala
December 7, 2024
1. Father Lingan is pictured here with GMC 2024-2025 President Sarah Scherer (center left) along with Gala co-chairs Olivia Dorieux, Jennifer Burnside, Shannon Merkle, and Tara Moore 2. Gala guests enjoyed browsing through an outdoor “market” in the courtyard, where they could bid on handmade Gonzaga-inspired gingerbread houses, enjoy warm cocktails, and sample pretzels and other European marketinspired treats. 3. Current Gonzaga parents enjoying the Gala. 4. Before dinner started, guests were able to bid on hundreds of almostlive and silent auction items in both the Upper and Lower Commons. 5. Guests entered their last-minute bids before the silent auction closed. 6. Mr. Christian Zombek, S.J., a Jesuit Regent who is teaching Math this year on Eye Street, kicked off the dinner portion of the evening with some yodeling and fun.
The Gonzaga Mothers Club transformed Eye Street into a German-style market for this year’s Gala, which was themed “Saint Aloysius Old World Christmas.” The evening included silent and live auctions, a seated dinner and dessert and dancing – all in support of Gonzaga’s Annual Fund, which directly benefits the current student body.
Greasers Take the Stage
This past fall, the Gonzaga Dramatic Association produced The Outsiders, based on the novel by S.E. Hinton. Exploring themes of social inequality, friendship, loyalty, and the struggles of growing up, the cast, pictured here, portrayed the novel’s scenes of violence and loss with skill and grace. “Despite all of the characters’ differences, the story suggests that everyone – whether rich or poor –has similar struggles and feelings,” says Meghan Goldsmith, Producer of the Gonzaga Dramatic Association. “We thought that was a worthwhile and valuable lesson for high school students to explore on stage.”
Behind the Scenes
Thanks to a new partnership with the National Archives Foundation, Gonzaga students now have access to special before-hours tours of the museum and its collection. In early November, a group of both Gonzaga students and Global Exchange Program students from Italy and Spain got to take the first such tour – viewing original historical documents such as the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence. The docent also brought facsimiles of other documents in the collection for the students to view, including several treaties with Italy and Spain and a copy of the original charter for Gonzaga College, which is stored at the Archives. Headmaster Tom Every, pictured here with Gonzaga’s Charter, noted that, “This partnership gives our students an incredible chance to experience history firsthand. The ability to see these national treasures up close and right in our own backyard brings history to life. This type of experience helps our faculty extend the classroom beyond the confines of campus, which is a key goal of ours -- to take advantage of our location in the heart of the nation’s capital.”
EAGLE EYES ON GONZAGA SPORTS
Gonzaga’s Sports Broadcasting Club has blossomed into a robust, student-run club that teaches real-world skills while also connecting alumni and fans back to Eye Street.
In the summer of 2015, a single camera was placed on the roof of Dooley Hall. A few weeks later, on August 29th, Gonzaga students and faculty broadcast the dedication of newly renovated Buchanan Field, followed by the Varsity Football game versus Calvert Hall, called by Tony Limarzi ’94. The ability to return virtually to Eye Street and cheer on the Eagles proved extremely popular, and with it, the seeds for an exciting new club were planted.
Gonzaga’s Sports Broadcasting Club (SBC) picked up steam gradually over the next few years, with more students joining both on and off camera to stream the occasional football or basketball game. By 2019,
the club had enough students with enough technical expertise to partner with the Gonzaga Fathers Club to broadcast the entire DC Classic basketball tournament. When the pandemic struck in 2020, live streaming became a crucial lifeline to campus. With the inability to gather large groups in person, Gonzaga invested in high-tech equipment that enabled the school to stream Masses, Charter Day, and other events. In 2021, a stateof-the-art broadcast hub was installed in Kohlmann Hall and more cameras were added throughout campus, including overlooking Buchanan Field and in the Carmody Center. When school returned to normal after the pandemic, the Sports Broadcasting Club
The Gonzaga Sports Broadcasting Club has made several visits to ESPN’s studios to see a behind the scenes taping of Pardon the Interruption, hosted by Gonzaga parent Michael Wilbon (P’26).
found it now had the equipment necessary to create professional quality streams for fans during all three sports seasons.
Today, the SBC has more than 40 members and streams approximately 35 games per year. On average, six students and two faculty members support each broadcast. Jobs vary from technical director and camera operator to graphics and on-camera talent. Each year, the club moderators ensure that students have opportunities to get their feet wet covering Freshman and JV games before working their way up to highly anticipated Varsity matchups.
“One thing I love about Sports Broadcasting is that it’s student-run,” says Mr. Rob Horan ’12, Assistant Director of Educational Technology. “The students design the graphics, write their own copy for pre- and post-game shows and halftime, and they’re really the ones doing the problem solving.”
Ms. Penny Lynch, Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Training and a club moderator, says it’s important that students get exposed to every role in the production. “If they want to be an on-air announcer, they have to learn the tech, editing and producing, as well,” she says. “They gain self-confidence when interviewing coaches or people they don’t know, and they have to have the maturity to remain professional and not get caught up in the emotions of the game.”
Math Teacher and co-moderator Mr. Paul Buckley ’86 says the students do a lot of research before the games so they have material to talk about on air. “It’s a great boost of confidence when the number of viewers ticks up during a broadcast,” he says, “or when teachers, alumni and fans compliment their efforts.”
One local fan who has become involved with the club is ESPN commentator and co-host of Pardon the Interruption Mr. Michael Wilbon (P ’26). He has invited club members to the ESPN studios in DC to watch a taping of his show, commentated alongside the students at Gonzaga games, and been interviewed at halftime.
On-air commentator JD Thiede ’27 announced the high-stakes basketball game against Paul IV in January, alongside broadcast partner Jack Cushman ’27 and Mr. Wilbon. “When we’re broadcasting on a livestream, the audience can see what’s happening, so we’ve learned to tell them things that they wouldn’t know from just watching.”
Club leader Sam Cruley ’26 put the broadcast team together for that PVI game, and was thrilled that they had 1,400 viewers on the livestream. “The atmosphere
of having my full team in such a competitive rival game was incredible,” he remembers.
Senior leader Henry Calpin ’25 has been involved with SBC since his freshman year. “I’ve always loved statistics and the news aspect of sports games, so when I heard about the club, I dove in head first,” he says. “It has transformed my passion for this business from a side hobby to something I could very easily see myself doing for a living.”
To date, the SBC has streamed more than 150 games, including all 12 games during the annual DC Classic basketball tournament. During Hispanic Heritage Month, they broadcast a soccer game in English and Spanish. Soon, club members hope to do a halftime show live from the WZAG studio in Forte Hall. Mr. Buckley is excited for what’s ahead. “It’s a club that has a ton of potential,” he says. “If we have a committed crew, we can do some incredible things.”
Tune In to Gonzaga Sports
Scan the QR Code to watch the Broadcasting Club in action. Click the ‘Live’ tab to enjoy past broadcasts, and subscribe to receive notifications for upcoming games. Hail Gonzaga!
In 2021, Gonzaga installed a state-of-the-art broadcast hub in Kohlmann Hall.
Go Gonzaga! HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FALL 2024 SEASON
Soccer
Soccer had a standout 2024 season, winning both the WCAC and DCSAA championships and completing their second undefeated season in the last three years. Under the direction of Head Coach Scott Waller and the leadership of captains Colin Crowe ’25, Ivan Hughes ’25 and Thomas Gabay ’25, the team pulled out victories over DeMatha and St. Albans in the championship matches to finish the season 22-0-2. On the season, Crowe saved 98 shots and totaled 14 shutouts in goal while Hughes tallied 21 goals and eight assists. The team finished ranked #5 in the nation by the United Soccer Coaches Association and #1 in the area by the Washington Post
Cross Country
Cross Country had another strong season, finishing in second place in both the WCAC and DCSAA Championships. In the Jesuit Championship in the Bronx, New York, Gonzaga won its first title since 2009 and Anthony Sarro ’26 became the third Gonzaga runner to win the individual title since 2002. Captain Will Buckley ’25 finished second, Kai Rock ’26 fourth, Ian Catanzano ’26 seventh, and Declan Musselman ’27 tenth to round out the team scoring. Other major contributors throughout the year were senior captains Peter Allen, John Hirko, and Matt Podratsky.
Football
Football’s season was marked by hard fought victories on the road and memorable wins on Eye Street. The Eagles travelled to Ohio to defeat Springfield in the season opener before winning three straight home games over Fordham Prep, Loyola Blakefield, and Archbishop Carroll. Other highlights included a win over Benedictine (VA) on the road, a victory over McNamara on Senior Day, and a 10-7 win over St. John’s on Military Road. Led by senior captains Kainoa Winston (DC Gatorade Player of the Year), Lincoln Fisher, David Fred, and Lonnie McAllister, the team finished with a 7-4 overall record.
Water Polo
Water Polo had some memorable wins during the 2024 season and finished 13-14 on the year. On September 18, the Eagles notched an 11-10 comeback win over Spalding after being down five goals in the third quarter. Chris Delaune ’25 tied the game with less than two minutes left, and Kasper Parfomak ’27 scored his fifth goal of the game to put the Eagles ahead with less than a minute left. In the final regular season match of the year, the team earned a 19-7 victory over Georgetown Prep with all four seniors, Delaune, Captain Gavin Fore, Matthew Kennedy and Peter Turner, contributing to the big win.
Fall All-Met Selections
Cross Country
2nd Team: Anthony Sarro ’26
Honorable mention: Will Buckley ’25
Football
1st Team: Kainoa Winston ’25
Honorable mention: Lincoln Fisher ’25, David Fred ’25, Lonnie McAllister III ’25, Carter Meadows ’26, Rex Stinchcomb ’25
Soccer
Player of the Year: Ivan Hughes ’25
1st Team: Colin Crowe ’25
2nd Team: Thomas Gabay ’25, Charlie Waller ’27
Fall All-WCAC Selections
Cross Country
1st Team: Will Buckley ’25, Kai Rock ’26, Anthony Sarro ’26
Football
1st Team: Kaleb Cole ’25, Aidan Foster ’25, Lincoln Fisher ’25, David Fred ’25, Lonnie McAllister III ’25, Brayden Marko ’26, Rex Stinchcomb ’25, Kainoa Winston ’25
2nd Team: DeVenchi Arnold ’25, Jalyn Christian ’26, Jack Gaskins ’26, John Holley ’25, Jason Lindsay ’27, Carter Meadows ’26, Zion Rogers ’25
Honorable Mention: Gavin Bennett ’26, Ethan Brown ’25, Brayden DeVaul ’25, Tyson Harley ’26, Billy Matan ’26
Soccer Player of the Year: Ivan Hughes ’25
1st Team: Thomas Gabay ’25, Charlie Waller ’27
2nd Team: Julian Antezana ’26, Colin Crowe ’25, Anthony Kozuch ’25
Honorable Mention: Ben Feinberg ’25, Nico McKee ’25, Dylan Test ’26
Flying High at the Next Level
As of early February, 43 seniors had committed to play a sport in college. Here’s a list, organized by sport, of the athletes and the colleges where they will play next year:
Baseball
Luke Forde, Catholic University of America
Mark Jungers, Ursinus College
Cash McDade, Baylor University
Basketball
Derek Dixon, University of North Carolina
Christian Gurdak, Virginia Tech University
William Harper, University of Richmond
Nykolas Lewis, Xavier University
Alex Touomou, Harvard University
Basketball & Track
Langston Davis, Goucher College
Crew
Michael Schaefer, College of the Holy Cross
Henry Scherer, College of the Holy Cross
Cross Country & Track
Will Buckley, College of Charleston
Football
DeVenchi Arnold, Bowling Green State University
Ethan Brown, Princeton University
Brayden DeVaul, Fordham University
Golf
Andrew Clark, Rhodes College
Carson Looney, Virginia Commonwealth University
Lacrosse
Carter Cadin, Colgate University
Gaetano Cicotello, Yale University
Jake Gularson, Drexel University
Alex Irisari, Bates College
Kevin Kane, Mount St. Mary’s University
Bobby McCarthy, Williams College
Jake Mendenhall, United States Naval Academy
Chase Noyes, Fairfield University
Caleb Oliver, Dickinson College
Rugby
Patrick Coyne, Dartmouth College
AJ Harper, Rochester Institute of Technology
Ethan Heim, University of Arizona
Alec Wood, Fairfield University
Soccer
Colin Crowe, Swarthmore College
Nico McKee, Claremont McKenna College
Swim & Dive
Aidan Foster, Howard University
Lincoln Fisher, College of the Holy Cross
Lonnie McAllister III, Stanford University
Jimmy Mulholland, Dickinson College
Zion Rogers, Howard University
Rex Stinchcomb, University of Buffalo
Justin Wallace, Merrimack College
Kainoa Winston, University of Michigan
Palmer Bice, Boston College
Anderson Bishop, College of the Holy Cross
Andrejs Brooks, United States Naval Academy
A LANDMARK INVESTMENT, REAFFIRMED
In late 2024, Gonzaga was honored to receive a transformative $5 million investment from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation. The investment, made to the endowed scholarship fund established by the late A. James Clark in 2010, serves as a testament to the lasting impact of Mr. Clark’s vision for education.
This is the second $5 million investment made by the Clark Foundation to Gonzaga’s endowment in recent years. The first, made in 2018, was the initial gift of the school’s Forever Gonzaga Bicentennial Campaign, which concluded in 2023. The new commitment, made a year and a half after the campaign’s conclusion, underscores the school’s continued emphasis on endowment growth.
Courtney Clark Pastrick, daughter of A. James and Alice B. Clark and Board Chair of the Clark Foundation, emphasizes her family’s deep commitment to expanding opportunities for students from low-income backgrounds. “Our personal experience at Gonzaga was that the school lived up to its reputation for having a socio-economically diverse student body, and that shaped our son Clark’s experience in a very positive way,” she explains.
“At the same time, we recognize that remaining accessible can be difficult. If you want tuition to stay within reach for families, you must grow the endowment.”
That belief is at the heart of the Clark Foundation’s additional $5 million investment in the A. James
Scott and Courtney Pastrick with their son, Clark, who graduated from Gonzaga in 2010.
Clark Endowed Scholarship Fund. “Clark’s time here, and the spirit of the community, truly cemented our commitment to this school,” Courtney says. “This investment is about ensuring that every young man who deserves a Gonzaga education can receive one.”
Through this gift, the Foundation aims to sustain Gonzaga’s ability to provide significant financial aid, furthering the school’s mission to serve a diverse and talented student body.
A. James Clark, a longtime philanthropist and the CEO of Clark Construction, passed away in 2015. Under his leadership, the company became a pillar of Washington DC’s development, with projects ranging from museums to sports arenas. But beyond the buildings, Mr. Clark’s legacy is carried forward by his Foundation, which has supported many educational and community-focused initiatives throughout the region.
Mr. Clark was first introduced to Gonzaga through his work and involvement in the Washington, DC community. Over time, he developed a deep appreciation for the school’s commitment to character, service, and academic excellence. His connection to Gonzaga grew even stronger through the experience of his grandson, Clark Pastrick ’10, further solidifying his admiration for the institution. “The more my father got to know Gonzaga, the more he loved it,” says Courtney. “This investment is special because it combines his passion for educational access and his love of Gonzaga. We are so pleased to be in the position to support the school in this way.”
R. Scott Pastrick, former Chairman of Gonzaga’s Board of Trustees and Clark’s father, has deep roots in Jesuit education, having attended Campion High School in Wisconsin. His time at the Jesuit school influenced his strong belief in the values of character, community, and giving back—values he later saw embodied at Gonzaga.
Gonzaga President Rev. Joseph E. Lingan, S.J. ’75 says the impact of the Clark Foundation’s generosity is long-lasting and transformative. “The Pastricks and the Clark Foundation have shown extraordinary leadership by bookending our Bicentennial Campaign – providing the seed gift that kickstarted the entire effort, and then six years later, doubling their
generosity with this second $5 million investment. As anyone in secondary education knows, costs have skyrocketed in recent years. These two gifts to our endowment ensure that Gonzaga’s tuition remains within reach for both current and future families, while also enabling us to continue to meet the financial aid needs of our families. I cannot overstate the importance of the endowment in setting Gonzaga up for future sustainability and success.”
“This investment is about ensuring that every young man who deserves a Gonzaga education can receive one.”
- COURTNEY CLARK PASTRICK
The Pastricks were awarded the Saint Aloysius Medal, which is Gonzaga’s highest honor and recognizes service to school and community, in 2013.
Reaching New Heights
Students in Mr. John Heetderks’s Introduction to Engineering course had one class period to create the tallest self-standing tower they could using only two pieces of paper and one meter of tape. The winning tower, pictured here, measured over two meters tall. A semester-long elective course, the Introduction to Engineering class is primarily project-based. Other projects have included designing and testing bridges made of balsa sticks and hot glue and fabricating and flying hot air balloons made of painters plastic and plastic bag sealers. “This class is full of real-world, hands-on projects,” says Mr. Heetderks. “And it’s as much fun to teach as I hope it is to take.”
WHY STUDY… MATHEMATICS
Father Lingan recently posed a question to Gonzaga’s faculty: What do modern-day students gain from studying your subject? Faculty were invited to submit an essay answering this question for a new feature in Gonzaga Magazine. This new feature will appear in each issue going forward and will present a different faculty member answering this question–and giving the Gonzaga community a sense of the talented faculty and staff who shape our students’ experiences. We hope you enjoy the first in this series, written by longtime mathematics teacher and alumnus Mark Howell ’73.
“Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe.” So said Galileo Galilei.
Why study mathematics? I will try to answer that question from three different perspectives: personal, practical, and pantheistical.
I was always pretty good at math. I had to work hard at it in school, but my efforts, generally speaking, paid off with a successful undergraduate performance as a math major at the University of Chicago. The course requirements for a degree in mathematics were not terribly burdensome, and about halfway through my undergraduate years, I saw a path of least resistance that led to an undergraduate degree in math. At about the same time, I became aware that pursuing an advanced degree in math would likely have been a fool’s errand. Simply put, I realized I wasn’t good enough at it. I saw friends and classmates whose insights and mathematical prowess dwarfed my own. Teaching suddenly had great appeal! Subsequently, I’ve learned how much I love school mathematics, and, in particular, how much I love helping my students see its beauty. Thankfully, I found a job that gives me that great pleasure.
As a practical matter, extensive study of mathematics or one or more degrees in math advances the qualifications for a host of careers and academic pursuits. Over the years, I learned how law schools, medical schools, and business schools, to name a few, value applicants with a degree in mathematics.
Studying mathematics, the thinking goes, leads to a disciplined mind, enhances problem solving and analytical skills, and produces qualities that lead to success in a host of other fields. While it is true that mathematics seems to attract some rather quirky and eccentric individuals, nonetheless, there seems to be almost universal recognition of the value of a sharp mathematical mind.
Early in my study of mathematics, I learned about the certainty of mathematical truth. In math, once a result has been proved to be true, it will always stay true. Truth in mathematics is eternal! In other sciences, results
Mark Howell ’73 has been teaching mathematics at Gonzaga for 46 years.
that at one time seemed to be true were later found to be not quite right. There, “truth” is transient! Newton’s laws, for example, were “overturned” by Einstein and his theory of relativity. But in axiomatic mathematical systems, we use deductive reasoning to prove results, and take comfort that, once proved, these can be used to build still more results. I find it most appealing that we can be absolutely certain, for example, that in a Euclidean right triangle, the square of the length of the longest side is equal to the sum of the squares of the two shorter sides. And this will always be so.
It seems to me that there is something mysterious about mathematical truths. In fact, I believe that, of all academic disciplines, it is through mathematics that we get the clearest, most unfiltered and undistorted insight into the beauty of God’s creation. (Art and poetry do the same thing for me, but in a different way.) Though the language of mathematics gives us the machinery to describe physical reality, mathematics itself exists in its own realm. It is as if God, as part of the Creative Act, produced not only all the “stuff” that we can see and touch, but also sprinkled these magnificent mathematical connections all around for us to discover. A few years ago, Fr. Gerry O’Connor, S.J. said at a school Mass, “In learning about Creation, we learn about the Creator.” There is a mystical link between results in mathematics and the physical universe. Kepler and Newton discovered that the planets travel in elliptical orbits. Ellipses were studied by ancient Greeks two thousand years ago! The Scottish physicist James Maxwell extended classical physics to include electricity
and magnetism by means of just four simple equations. Prior to his work, it had taken volumes to describe the phenomena. The British mathematician G.H. Hardy boasted that his work on number theory had absolutely no practical application. Alas, he was proven wrong when one of his results was repurposed by geneticists to describe evolutionary behaviors over many generations.
It is not just these applications that give mathematics its charm. I see stunning beauty in simple mathematical equations. Perhaps my favorite is Euler’s Identity, an elegant equation involving the top five numbers in math: e, the base of the natural exponential function, a fundamental constant in physics; p, the ratio of the circumference to the diameter in any circle; i, defined as the square root of negative 1, and the foundation of the complex number system; 1, the multiplicative identity; and 0, the additive identity. Each of the five enjoys a high ranking in the world of famous numbers. That all five (and only these five) appear in one equation is simply staggering! Deriving this equation using infinite series is an annual spectacle for my Calculus students!
The Creator places this beauty before us, and the same Creator gives us the minds and desire to witness and revel in this beauty. Mathematics is full of startling and beautiful surprises. Galileo describes mathematics as a language. For me, mathematics offers a glimpse into God’s poetry.
So, my message is: study math if you like it; study math to get a satisfying job; study math to read what God has written!
“I believe that, of all academic disciplines, it is through mathematics that we get the clearest, most unfiltered and undistorted insight into the beauty of God’s creation.”
Says Mr. Howell: “I discovered some of the connections in this article in a book by Mario Livio titled Is God a Mathematician? It’s a wonderful read!”
GROUNDED IN TRADITION, FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE
With a revitalized mission and a new forward-looking strategic framework, Gonzaga has set an inspiring course for the future.
Introduction from the President
By Rev. Joseph E. Lingan, S.J. ’75
As we proceed further into Gonzaga’s third century of service, I am pleased to share an important development with you: a renewed mission statement and expression of our core commitments as well as strategic priorities that will guide our school over the next decade. These updates reflect both our vision for the future as well as the collective work of our entire community.
This process began after the conclusion of Gonzaga’s Bicentennial celebrations and the successful completion of the Forever Gonzaga Bicentennial Campaign. As the school emerged from the challenges of the pandemic and looked ahead, we realized that this was the moment to look toward the future with honest hope. We desired to create a forward-thinking planning framework that would honor Gonzaga’s legacy, sustain our excellence, and ensure we are ready for what comes next.
We began our effort to identify and define our strategic priorities by first reviewing, reflecting on, and renewing Gonzaga’s mission. This led to a prayerful and careful discernment on our mission statement and core commitments.
We did this to ensure that our future truly reflects who we are as Gonzaga. Throughout this process, we engaged many voices from within our community — faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents, and friends of Gonzaga. We gathered insights through surveys, discussions, and reflections, working together to assess our strengths, identify our challenges, and envision a path forward.
I am grateful for the enthusiastic and thoughtful participation of so many members of our Gonzaga community and for the generosity of spirit such participation reflects. Because of you, this process has been collaborative and heartening – and as we move forward, it will be ongoing, and continue to be shaped by discernment, dialogue, and a shared commitment to our Catholic and Jesuit identity and mission.
I am pleased and honored to share the results of this process with you: a revitalized mission statement, a clear articulation of our school’s core commitments, and five strategic priorities that will guide Gonzaga as we enter the next chapter of our rich and abundant history.
A Guiding Light: Gonzaga’s Mission
“I believe that this mission reflects that we are clearly Jesuit but also uniquely Gonzaga,” says Father Lingan. “It reflects how Gonzaga differentiates itself among high schools, inspires the shared work of faculty and staff, and responds to the aspirations of parents who seek to educate their sons well.”
At the heart of every institution lies its mission — the moral compass that clearly expresses its values and shapes its aspirations, priorities, and actions. As we engaged in our strategic planning effort, it became clear that it was time to consider a new articulation of our mission. To be clear, this is not a new mission for Gonzaga, but rather a more precise expression of the mission we have been committed to and living out for more than two centuries.
OUR MISSION
A Catholic, Jesuit high school founded in the nation’s capital in 1821, Gonzaga prepares young men for college success and for lives marked by integrity, purpose, and an enduring commitment to service and justice. Gonzaga develops in our students a love of learning, strength of character, an awareness of their gifts and talents, and an understanding of how deeply and personally they are loved by God.
THE HEART OF GONZAGA: OUR CORE COMMITMENTS
Before deciding on our strategic priorities for the future, it was essential to identify the core commitments that will continue to guide our efforts. These commitments are not just aspirations for the next decade – they are enduring values that each reflect a key aspect of Gonzaga’s identity and mission; they will remain constant and provide a foundation for all that we do.
CURA PERSONALIS
We are committed to ensuring that every aspect of our educational approach at Gonzaga is informed by the Jesuit principle of cura personalis, care of the whole person—mind, body, and spirit.
CULTURE OF ENCOUNTER
We are committed to fostering a community where every individual feels recognized, valued, included, and welcomed as a vital member of our Catholic, Jesuit family through our Culture of Encounter.
FINDING GOD IN ALL THINGS
We are committed to embracing the Ignatian call to find God in all things, guiding students to see the world with faith and purpose, navigate life with an awareness of God’s loving presence, and recognize grace in the ordinary.
IN THE MIDDLE OF THINGS
For Gonzaga’s entire history, we have been committed to being in the middle of things, in medias res, because our location offers students diverse experiences that shape their identity and teach them to find God in all things, in all people, and in all settings.
A LOVE OF LEARNING
We are committed to an education that transcends academic rigor, developing in our students a love of learning, intellectual curiosity, openness to growth, and preparing them to engage the world as contemplatives in action.
CURA APOSTOLICA (APOSTOLIC CARE)
We are committed to enhancing our operational efficiency, fostering sustainable growth, adapting to evolving needs, and stewarding the resources entrusted to Gonzaga with integrity and care.
SHAPING THE FUTURE: STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
With our refreshed mission and core commitments as the foundation, we now look ahead to the next decade. Gonzaga’s five strategic priorities reflect specific areas of focus for our future, each one aligned with our core commitments and designed to help us continue to fulfill our mission.
Gonzaga’s administration has already begun working with faculty and staff to create concrete goals and action plans underpinning each strategic priority. Because this framework is intended to guide us through the next decade, new goals will be added as time moves us forward. Our hope is that this flexible, dynamic framework will allow us to be responsive to the evolving needs of our students and the changing world in which we live.
CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY
STAY INFORMED
Gonzaga has created a web page to share updates as they become available on our Strategic Framework, including information about the goals and action plans underpinning our strategic priorities. Please visit Gonzaga.org/StrategicFramework for more.
Develop a comprehensive, long-term campus and neighborhood master plan that informs and sequences future campus investments and partnership commitments.
FACULTY AND STAFF
Invest in our faculty and staff through programs that support their ongoing professional development, deepen their mission commitment, enrich student experience, and drive student impact.
FINANCIAL STABILITY
Ensure long-term financial sustainability by strategically balancing investments in the faculty and staff, financial assistance, and campus development, while continuing to prioritize endowment growth.
PROGRAM EXCELLENCE
Invest in advancing program excellence in academics, student support, co-curricular activities, and leadership development, enhancing a culture that supports holistic student growth and success through data-informed practices.
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
Institutionalize the identification, pursuit, and engagement of strategic partnerships that expand our reach, enhance our mission, and enrich the student experience.
A JOURNEY OF FAITH AND SERVICE
Started in the late 1970s, the Gonzaga International Volunteer Experience (GIVE) forever changed the lives of those who participated and those they served. More than forty years later, its legacy lives on through Gonzaga’s robust service immersion program.
In the summer of 1979, a group of Gonzaga students and faculty members gathered around the bedside of an ailing Fr. Horace McKenna, the legendary Gonzaga Jesuit after whom the Father McKenna Center in the basement of Saint Aloysius Church is named. Fr. McKenna raised a hand to bless the group – and their two used cars – as they prepared to set out on a 2,400 mile journey of adventure, faith, service, and brotherhood to Guadalajara, Mexico.
The rising seniors from the Class of 1980 were led by Fr. Donald “Doc” Ward, S.J., and a young faculty member, Mr. Mark Howell ’73. Called the GIVE program (for Gonzaga International Volunteer Experience), the trip was modeled after one that had been started by Fr. Brendan Lally at Scranton Prep in Pennsylvania. The group was embarking on a sevenweek service experience at Cuidad de los Niños, a Jesuit-run organization that provides basic education and skills training to orphans and children of the working class poor.
“There were two big elements to the trip,” says Mark Miskovsky ’80. “The first was experiencing a new culture and a level of poverty that we had never seen. The second was helping these kids who had close to nothing. But I think in the end, they helped us more than we helped them.”
Mark Howell had only been on staff for a short time, and was eager to chaperone alongside Fr. Ward, one of his mentors. “It sounded like a fun thing to do, and so I just threw myself into it. Kids’ lives were less orchestrated in the summer; they didn’t have all these different activities pulling them in various directions like kids do today.” Howell ended up spending three
summers with the GIVE program, his third trip ten years after his first.
The students were selected primarily because they were academically solid and involved in the life of the school. Because the group was living in austere conditions, bunking in one room, and eating less than they were used to, it was important that they all made an effort to get along.
“Doc Ward taught us that you can be a peacemaker, or you can be a troublemaker and divisive,” says Miskovsky. “That’s something that he really instilled in us, and I’ve always held onto; it made me aware of who I am and how I treat others.”
The Gonzaga students spent their days immersed in the life of the orphanage. They spent time with the older boys in the workshops, trying their hand at everything – making shoes, soldering sheet metal, planting trees and maintaining the grounds. But their primary responsibility was to engage with the children. “The ‘work’ that they had for us to do was much less important than the relationships that we formed with these kids who had nowhere else to go,” says Howell.
Tom Strike ’84 heard about GIVE during his freshman year, and immediately knew he wanted to be part of it. Applications were submitted at the beginning of junior year, and for those accepted, it was a big commitment.
Gonzaga students with residents of the Ciudad in the summer of 1989.
Fr. Kevin Gillespie, S.J. with residents of the Ciudad in 1983.
families or in parish halls in Atlanta, New Orleans and other cities and towns along the way. “The journey down allowed us to bond as a group,” Strike says. “Unlike today, we had no internet or mobile phones to talk to family or friends – we were unplugged from our world. In retrospect, that was a great thing.”
Fr. Joseph Lingan, S.J. ’75 and Fr. Kevin Gillespie, S.J., both young Jesuit scholastics working at Gonzaga at the time, led the 1983 trip. For some Gonzaga students, the GIVE trip was like nothing they’d ever experienced. “One young man in our group had never left Washington, DC,” says Fr. Lingan, who now serves as Gonzaga’s President. “I remember driving out of DC across the 14th Street Bridge, and he said, ‘I’ve never been in Virginia before. I’ve never been out of the District.’ That’s when I knew – this is going to be quite
A defining part of the trip was always the first stop over the border to spend a few days with Fr. Paddy Quinn, a missionary Irish priest who had spent time in Mississippi before moving to Saltillo, Mexico. Fr. Quinn ran health clinics and ministered to dozens of remote villages, sometimes on the back of a donkey, the only means of transportation. “There are some people, when you meet them, you feel like you’re in the presence of holiness,” says Mark Howell. “Father Quinn was like that.”
Fr. Gillespie knew a number of the students on the ’83 trip well because he’d coached them in football or baseball and taught their moral theology class. The post-trip retreat in the fall was very meaningful, he says, because it gave the students time to reflect on the impact of the trip. “We were able to instill the values of compassion, generosity, and working as a team, and it became part of their lives as they entered senior year,” he explains. “GIVE wasn’t just a nice trip in the summer; this was value formation and reflective action – part of the Jesuit pedagogy – and these men really responded.”
Members of the 1979 GIVE trip.
The GIVE program had a profound impact on the lives of countless orphans and children of the working poor in Guadalajara. But constraints on students’ time, availability of chaperones and a strong desire to include more students in service opportunities led to an evolution in Campus Ministry programs. In the mid 1990s, the Gonzaga service program began to change and expand. Today, more than 150 students participate in 13 service immersion trips around the country and the world each school year.
“In 2023, I was praying and reflecting prior to the commissioning Mass for students going on immersion trips,” says Fr. Lingan. “I realized that it had been 40 years since my first GIVE trip, and it really moved me to think that it all started with that program. That Mass was to send forth more than 150 students and chaperones, and I was so heartened to see and appreciate how the program had expanded.”
“Now it’s the same mission to many different locations – to help those in need, whatever the need is,” says Tom Strike. “The diversity of service immersion opportunities now is incredible, and more students can – and should – take advantage. I, for one, loved every bit of it.”
If you took part in a GIVE trip to Guadalajara and would like to share your memories, please scan this QR code to tell us about it. We will share the reflections and memories we receive on a page on Gonzaga’s website.
The Culture of Encounter
“The opportunity to learn about a social justice issue by traveling to a community and hearing someone’s story is invaluable,” says Ms. Danielle Flood, Director of Campus Ministry. “Pope Francis calls it ‘the culture of encounter.’ The hope is that allowing students to walk with the marginalized sets their hearts on fire and sticks with them well beyond their years on Eye Street. These trips live far beyond the seven days spent at the border, or in a homestay, or serving a meal -- they are a collection of stories that, hopefully, set our students up to make change in our world in whatever they do.”
During the 2024-2025 school year, spring break, and summer vacation, 150 students and 30 chaperones will spend a week serving in each of the following locations:
• Selma, Montgomery, Birmingham, Alabama
• Apopka, Florida
• Baltimore, Maryland
• Camden, New Jersey
• Harrisonburg, Virginia
• Los Angeles, California
• Quito, Ecuador
• Salem, West Virginia
• San Salvador, El Salvador
• US Mexico Border
• Washington, DC
Fr. Joseph Lingan, S.J. ’75 on the 1983 GIVE trip with a young resident of the Ciudad.
Upcoming Reunions on Eye Street
Saturday, May 3
Golden Reunions for the Classes of 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, and 1970
Gonzaga.org/GoldenReunions
Friday, May 30Sunday, June 1
Class of 1975 Jubilarian Reunion Weekend
Gonzaga.org/50
Saturday, Oct 25
Class Reunions for the Classes of 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020
Welcome Back!
Thank you to the many alumni who joined us on campus this past fall to celebrate their reunions!
Alumni from the Classes of 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019 joined us on Saturday, October 26 for their Class Reunions. After Gonzaga Football defeated Bishop McNamara on Buchanan Field, alumni gathered in the courtyard and on Eye Street for dinner, drinks, and class photos.
Wing, Chris Lawrence, Bruce Zaharevitz, Patrick McEnearney, Greg Diggs, Chris Hancock
Row 1: Sergio Borgiotti, Rich House, Fr. Harry Geib, SJ, David Shaheen, Matt Sullivan, John Irving, Sloan Deerin, Adam Vogt Row 2: Francisco Espinel, Sean Ward, Marcello Espinosa, Doug Davidson, Tom Lynch, Stephen Neill Row 3: Doug Steele, Steve Grimberg, Lance Hill, Dominic Puchalla, Delmon Robertson, Steve Langevin Row 4: Matt Kirvan, Patrick Kadow, Jeff Murray, Rob Miller, Pat Bailey, Justin Boyle Row 5: Scott Hamberger, Kurt Zegowitz, Robert Tiffey, Garrett Walsh, Stephen Kilkullen, Chris Curtin, John Gegg
Row 1: Tim Barrett, Patrick Trimmer, Peter Tahan , Joe McNally, Anthony Senerchia, Michael Ward, Rob Hannan, Matt Wilkerson Row 2: Brandon Newby, Christopher McLoughlin, Matthew Stowe, Timothy Boylan, Timothy Tuck Row 3: Aaronson Clark, John Butto, George Alafoginis, Michael Christin, Mike Burke Row 4: Frank Shaw, Kenny Wood, Daniel Gonzales, Charles Cummins Row 5: Jordan Lockett, Mark Owens, Kemi James, Jessie Oursler, John Flannery, Mark Lyman
Row 1: Justin Pica, Pat Mulikin, Jeff Clay, Malcolm Johnson, Jay Ravida, Steve Brinkhaus, Andre Bryan, Jason McNutt Row 2: Bryan Burke, Matt “Squeak” Somerville, Scott Kelly, John Thiel, John Meyers Row 3: Mike Sewell, Bernard Greene, James “Butch” Hance, Charles Garland, Mark Sinatra, Ray Briscoe Row 4: Mike Hogan, Kevin Mitchell, Damon Cruz, Jason Gagen, Seamus Morgan, Jim Miller, Tony Limarzi, Bo Christian Row 5: Mike Hallowell, Michael Fitzmaurice, Jed Crandle, Aaron Smith, Victor Ecarma, Guido Zucconi, Tim Halloran Row 6: Joe Dugan, Kevin Ward, John Swaggart, Andrew Farkas, Jeremy Schottler, Chris Johnson, Mike Durso
Row 1: Pat Gittings, Andrew Zaharevitz, Kenneth Miller, Trevor Rickford, Tom Touchet, David Nies, Robert Burke Row 2: Eric Mann, Robert Kelly, John Dougherty, Steve Dimond, John Schmidtlein, John Briley, Byron Harper Row 3: John Shea, Lowell Scott, Michael Park, Brian Casey, Mo Rowe, Ed Whalen, James Fisher Row 4: Michael Carr, Kevin Bell, Michael Dunn, Ben Smith, Peter Shipley, Kevin Enright, Kevin Ebel, Bill Davin Row 5: Scott McCaleb, Vernon Holmes, James Howell, Todd Ford, Francis Hopkins, Ralph Allen, Johnny Butler
Row 1: Nick Arpin, JP Kelly, Jack Lynch, Mark Hamilton, Chris Lojacono, Jules Bell Row 2: Mark Schnurr, John Donnelly, Peter Carroccio, Richard Camby, James Johnson Row 3: Carl Barnes, Tim Walsh, Tony Buckley, Kevin Whitcomb, Juan Thompson Row 4: Andy
Row 1: Matt Taglieri, Steve Hartman, Brock Snyder, Ed Tarbutton, Alex Saenz, Mike Catts, Brian Soule’, Patrick Burke Row 2: Tom George, James Buckley, Brian Geisen, Jim Flanagan, Christian Sese, Nat McGrath, Bernie McKeever, Andrew Olive, Andrew Stoiber Row 3: Michael Warin, Cameron Seward, Richaed Vilmenay, Glen Posey, Jay Bullock, Andrew Grinc, Ian Handerhan Row 4: Conor Brady, Nick Genovese, George Lynch, Paul Interdonto, Nathan , Mark Solomon, Brad Watson, Barry Sullivan, Andres McAlister Row 5: Aaron Moores, Pat Ham, Stephen Grant, Donald Issac, Matt Craven, Robert DeMarco, Steve Reed, Nick Genovese, Brian Test, Mike Desmarais Row 6: Thaddeus Flood, Tim Ebner, Hugh Sullivan, Wally Sedgewick
Scott Hoffman Row 4: Marty McGowan, Luke Bowe
Row 1 (squatting): Turner Echols, Stephen Beckerle, Hunter Watson, Nicholas Smith, Maurice Holmes, Tyrell Thomas, Patrick Myers, Mark Roberts, Robbie Walker, Ian Kehoe, John Francone, James O’Boyle, Jeff
Jack Digoia Row 2 (Standing): Ben Cima, Tyler Rock, Zach Ferrante, Connor Flynn, John Flynn, Luke Smith, Matthew Parrish, Erich Meissner, Jimmy Roman, George Swirski, Joseph Biegun, Jack Kelly, Brandon
Thomas Cuddihy, Connor Sharp, Austin White, Jack McGlynn, Jack Mullally, Loc Nyguen, Thomas Tran, Tommy Williams, Tyler Jones, Adam Hamilton, Patrick Bailey, Jordan Persons, Stephen
Hailey, Bobby Nealon, Mac Sproul, Charlie DePont, Sean Weber, Freddy Mesmer, Jack Joyce, Michael Barry
Row 1: Loic Sangwa, Luca Militio, John Thompson IV, Jordan Bashar Row 2: Edward O’Keefe , JT DeGioia, Andrew Lennon, Ryan Vilgante, Tomas Williamson, JR Bingle, Mikal Ashton Row 3: Jack Andrews, Henry Blackwood, Anthony Seiler, Beau Wallace
Owen
Grant
Boggs,
Palmer, Aidan Kenney, Devin Flynn,
Cekuta,
Flood,
Johnson, Peter
Row 1: Michael Beatson, Gino Gallardo, Lawrence Lucas, Alan Elder, Patrick Wolf, Matt Lechner
Row 2: Kevin Creamer, Steven Hough, Keegan Downey, Antonio Cabrera, Richard Sandza, Mike Kerrigan
Row 3: John Nalls, Jonathan Kelley, Bryan Wadey, Peter Grinc, Connor Ford, James Rogers,
Alumni News & Notes
1953
Rev. Dominic Totaro, S.J. celebrated the 70th anniversary of his entry into the Society of Jesus last fall.
1956
In August, David Hofmann received a Master of Arts in Eastern Classics from St. John’s College, Santa Fe, NM - the western campus of St. John’s in Annapolis, MD. While a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy in 1960, David set a goal to someday avail himself of the school’s unique approach to liberal arts subject matter that included history, philosophy, politics and religion. He received a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts at St. John’s in 2006 after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, retiring from his business career in 2004.
1960
Darryl Hill married Cheryle Baptiste DDS in October at their waterfront home in Trappe, MD. Friends Dick Deerin ’61 and Brendan O’Neill ’60 were delighted to join in the celebration.
1971
Steve Blizzard has retired from national title underwriter Stewart Title Guaranty Company after 35 years of service. He ended his career as Senior Underwriting Counsel in Virginia. He was awarded the Ron Critzer Lifetime Achievement Award by the Virginia Land Title Association, having served as a Past President, author, mentor and speaker. Steve and his wife of 46 years, Becky, divide their time between their home in Fairfax City, VA and Pompano Beach, FL.
Charles Carey recently became a Member Emeritus of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. after practicing in the area of public finance law for over 50 years. Charles was also appointed to the Board of Trustees of the University of Scranton, his collegiate alma mater.
Last summer, Tom Donohoe hosted an impromptu gathering at his home in Frankford, DE, with Daniel Foley ’71 and Christian Stauffer ’94
Jack Hencke served as the head official at the East Coast Elite track meet at the Virginia Military Institute in early January, and made his way over to the Gonzaga team beforehand to introduce himself and offer some words of encouragement. Jack participated in track and football while a student, long before the installation of Buchanan Field and a track on campus.
Top Left: Charles Carey ’71 recently became a Member Emeritus of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., and was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the University of Scranton.
Top Right: Tom Donohoe ’71, Daniel Foley ’71 and Christian Stauffer ’94 at an impromptu gathering last summer.
Bottom Right: Jack Hencke ’71 served as the head official at the East Coast Elite track meet in January, where he greeted and encouraged the Gonzaga team before the meet.
Bottom Left: Darryl Hill ’60 married Cheryle Baptiste DDS in October at their waterfront home in Trappe, MD, with friends Dick Deerin ’61 and Brendan O’Neill ’60 in attendance.
1977
On December 1, during the 157th Anniversary service at First Baptist Church of Vienna, Virginia, Rear Adm. Sinclair M. Harris, USN was recognized for his service as the Men’s Ministry Servant Leader with the church’s Five Star Award.
1988
In the fall, Tim Grisius hosted a crew of Gonzaga friends for their annual get together at his weekend place in Annapolis. The group enjoyed local brews, great weather and a lot of laughs.
1992
John Guccion is a corporate video voice over talent for Samsung Care, and a nonfiction audiobook narrator on Audible. He and his wife Brandi live in Irving, Texas, but he’s still a Commanders fan! John was in the first formal class of WZAG which led him to a bachelor’s in Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse University and then work in radio news and sports broadcasting. After a change in career paths, he returned to voiceover work in 2021.
2002
Michael Tam has spent the last six-plus years working on the Blue Origin New Glenn rocket from its preliminary design review stage through to successful payload insertion in orbit around earth. The rocket was designed to launch satellites into orbit and someday carry astronauts.
2008
Los Angeles-based writer, director and producer Carter Ward founded production company Arden Pictures in 2021. The company’s first film, Step Back, Doors Closing, had its East Coast premiere in December at the Dances with Films Festival in New York. In his director’s statement about the film, he explains, “In our increasingly complicated world, I believe that it’s both necessary and therapeutic to slow down and reflect on the positive aspects of the human condition through art.”
Top Left: Rear Adm. Sinclair M. Harris, USN ’77 was recognized for his service as the Men’s Ministry Servant Leader at First Baptist Church in Vienna, VA.
Top Right: A group of Gonzaga friends gathered in Annapolis in the fall. Left to right: Brian Vandegrift ’90, Craig Vandegrift ’88, Creighton Armstrong ’88, Tim Grisius ’88, Joe Ralston ’88, non-Gonzaga grad, Nestor Camina ’88, and Greg Reilly ’88.
Middle Right: Carter Ward ’08 at the premiere of his production company’s first film, Step Back, Doors Closing, which he wrote, directed and produced. (Photo credit: Robert Tapaltsyan)
Bottom Right: John Guccion ’92 is a corporate video voice over talent for Samsung Care, and a nonfiction audiobook narrator on Audible.
2009
Colin Gerrety and his wife Sarah welcomed their first child, daughter Ada Clare Gerrety, in September.
2013
Patrick McNamara married Brooke Lupton in Matthews, North Carolina on October 26, 2024, with many Gonzaga friends and family members in attendance. Patrick comes from a long line of Gonzaga grads, including his father, Jerome “Jerry” McNamara ’73, uncle David McNamara ’72, late uncle Andrew McNamara ’79, and late grandfather Joseph McNamara ’43. Pat and Brooke both graduated from University of South Carolina; he is an account executive at Hubspot.
2015
Dennis DeVol and Courtney Twigg were married on September 28, 2024 at St. Aloysius Church. They met as students at Mount St. Mary’s University. Dozens of Gonzaga alumni attended the wedding and the reception at Kenwood Country Club. Dennis comes from a big Gonzaga family, including his late grandfather Dennis Warner ’55, late great uncle Christoper Warner ’63, brothers Brendan ’18 and Seamus ’21, and cousins Terry ’08 and Joey Kernan ’10. Other class of 2015 alumni in attendance included: Matthew Cabrera, Daniel Callahan, Patrick Foley, Sean Gilroy, Chandler Hughes, Patrick Johannessen, Noah King, Danny May, Michael Murray, Shawn Spellacy, Ned Tracey, and Finn Tuite
2016
Harrison Coon married Dr. Hailey Erickson on June 29th in Beechgrove, TN. They live in Charlotte, NC, where he works for Middleburg Properties. Harrison is a First Lieutenant in the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 278th Infantry unit, which deployed in September to the Middle East as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. He received an Army ROTC scholarship to the University of Tennessee where he graduated in 2020 with a BS in Business/Supply Chain Management.
Left: Colin Gerrety ’09 and his wife
welcomed their first child, daughter Ada Clare Gerrety, in September.
Bottom Left: Gonzaga friends and family gathered in Matthews, NC, in October for the wedding of Patrick McNamara ’13 and Brooke Lupton. Also in attendance: Father of the Groom Jerry McNamara ’73; Best Man Marshall Marks ’14; Groomsmen Devin Doolan ’14 and Stephen Ewanciw ’13; David McNamara ’72, Joey Battista ’11, Colin Savercool ’14, Shane O’Connell ’16, William Marks ’16, Jimmy Kuzma ’13 and Jack Draddy ’14.
Top Right: Dennis DeVol ’15 and Courtney Twigg were married at St. Al’s Church on September 28, 2024 with dozens of Gonzaga alumni in attendance.
Bottom Right: Harrison Coon ’16 married Dr. Hailey Erickson on June 29, 2024, in Beechgrove, TN.
Top
Sarah
A Family Affair
Cousins Juan Kassar ’04 (Liz) and Evan Clough ’10 (Joanna) and their families celebrated the births of their daughters, Theresa Odette Kassar and Carter Enid Clough, on October 17, 2024 at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, VA. Heather McKeever, wife of Juan's classmate Bernie McKeever Jr. ’04, was the attending Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for both newborns. It was a great day for these Gonzaga families! Left to right: Juan and his father, Bechir, Evan and his father, Mike, and their girls.
Washington University in St. Louis graduate student Cullen Capuano earned his second All-American honors in Cross Country, based on his finish at DIII NCAA nationals in November.
New York Jets rookie Olu Fashanu came back to Eye Street during his November bye week. He and his father Anthony visited Coach Randy Trivers and donated two signed jerseys - Gonzaga #77 and Jets #74 - that were auctioned to lucky bidders at the annual Gonzaga Mothers Club Gala.
New York Jets rookie Olu Fashanu ’20 returned to Eye Street in November.
Cullen Capuano ’20 earned his second All-American honors in Cross Country in the fall. (Photo Credit: WashU in St. Louis)
Alumni Workshop Inspires Poets
In January, three alumni poets returned to Eye Street to lead a workshop with Mr. Joe Ross’s Creative Writing Poetry class. Kyle Newman-Smith ’16 and Jack Ryan ’22 joined two current senior poets to critique and discuss a new poem by Richard Scott ’23 titled ‘Hit Me: A Gambler’s Mentality’. The exercise was a great lesson in cooperation, creativity, and giving and receiving criticism. Students in this one semester class read three books of poetry, write 12-14 poems of their own, and workshop their classmates’ poetry, which makes the poems - and the poets - even stronger.
Ball Brothers Reunited on the Field
Justin Ball ’19 played a season of SEC college football with his younger brother, Cameron Ball ’22 at Mississippi State University. The brothers are both tight ends, and transferred to MSU after playing at different programs. Justin received his masters degree from MSU in December 2024, and previously received his undergraduate degree in Pre-Med from Vanderbilt University in May 2023. Cameron is a Business Marketing major at MSU.
2022
Clark University junior Milo Justice was recently highlighted for his leadership in game design through the Becker School of Design & Technology. Justice is studying abroad in Japan during the spring 2025 semester.
Peter Mildrew is serving as president of UVA’s premier a capella group, the Hullabahoos. The group sang at the White House in December, and are travelled to Ireland to perform over spring break. He credits Gonzaga’s fine arts department with his “drive to be involved at Gonzaga, and UVA for that matter. Channeling my passion for music provided me with tangible leadership opportunities, and I felt greatly supported by Gonzaga’s faculty and peer communities.”
Middle Right: Milo Justice ’22 was recently profiled by Clark University for his leadership in game design (Photo credit: Clark University).
Bottom Right: Peter Mildrew ’22, president of the University of Virginia’s premier a capella group, The Hullabahoos. (Photo credit: University of Virginia)
2023
In November, Thomas Batties and the Harvard basketball team played at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, where classmate Jack Teuschl is a second year cadet. When the team toured campus, the friends were able to get together for lunch.
2024
Howard University men’s basketball guard and team captain Blake Harper had a stellar freshman season. He was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year, the first player in conference history to win both accolades in the same year. In March he was selected HBCU National Player of the Year and HBCU Impact Award Winner. Harper averaged 19.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
RELIVING THEIR GLORY DAYS
Still got it! Thanks to the many alumni who came back and played in various alumni games over the holidays –including those who played Hockey and Lacrosse, pictured here.
Left: 2023 classmates Jack Teuschl and Thomas Batties reunited at the US Naval Academy.
Right: Blake Harper ’24 had a stellar rookie season on the Howard University men’s basketball team.
GONZAGA SET THE PATH
On November 26, 2024, Frank Stanley passed away at his home in Austin, Texas, at the age of 82.
Although a member of the Class of 1960, his classmates may pause for a moment, trying to conjure the youthful face of their Gonzaga brother. Because his family moved to Florida midway through his sophomore year, Frank only spent a year and a half on Eye Street. Despite his short time as an Eagle, Gonzaga stayed with Frank for the rest of his life.
A hard worker always, Frank was the only boy in his elementary school with both morning and evening paper routes. During summers when he was older, he sold Bibles door-to-door, was a Fuller Brush salesman, and worked at the first McDonald’s in Jacksonville, Florida. After complaining of installing attic insulation in the summer heat, his father got him a job the following year at an Oscar Meyer freezer distribution center.
Frank graduated from Georgia Tech in 1964 with a degree in management. He attended Naval Officers Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island and was commissioned an Ensign in 1966. He was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal for leadership and left active service with the rank of full Lieutenant in 1969. Frank earned an MBA from the University of Florida in 1970 and joined the Atlantic National Bank in Jacksonville as an investment officer. He and his wife, Mary, had two children, a daughter and a son. Until his retirement in 2009, Frank held executive positions in investment houses in Atlanta and Memphis.
Frank began supporting Gonzaga in the late 1980s, and showed up unannounced in December of 1997 with a $1 million gift to the school. A humble man for
others, Frank was an early investor in the school’s endowment, and was glad that Gonzaga Presidents Fr. Stephen Planning, SJ, and Fr. Joseph Lingan, SJ, ’75 and the Trustees were prioritizing endowment growth. “I would update Frank frequently on our progress,” says Senior Vice President of Alumni and Advancement David Dugan ’98, “and he’d say ‘Don’t ever stop growing those funds - Gonzaga’s going to need them.’”
“Frank is an unsung hero for our mission,” Dugan continues. “He cared deeply about Gonzaga’s safekeeping and prosperity, and quietly and consistently donated over the years. He told me more than once that the year and a half he spent at Gonzaga was the finest education he ever received, and it set the path for his life. What a blessing Frank Stanley has been to this school and generations of Gonzaga men whose lives he continues to touch through his generosity.”
Frank with then Gonzaga President Father Stephen Planning, S.J. in March 2018.
Robert C. Alberi ’65, father of Michael A. ’07; brother of the late Albert D. ’62
Robert E. Branand, father of Robert G. ’98 and Brian ’02
Bryan E. Cassidy, father of Daragh B. ’82 and Padraic J. ’83
Salvatore L. Costabile, father of Christopher R. ’77 and David M. ’85; grandfather of George J. Katinas ’04, Anthony C. Dahut ’11, Joseph L. Dahut ’14 and C. Michael Costabile ’15
John C. Daniel, father of John W. ’01
Joel M. Farr ’68
Karen Fisher, mother of Brian C. ’92 and Michael P. ’96; grandmother of Patrick O. ’28
Candace F. Flynn, wife of John T. ’67
Michael R. Gardner ’60
Maxine R. Gimber, wife of Harry M. Gimber III ’53
Rodney D. Gould, Sr, father of Rodney D. Jr. ’08
Walter M. Gretschel, father of Christian L. ’91; grandfather of John R. ’18, Nathan M. ’24, and Wyatt O. ’27
Juanita B. Holmes, mother of Vernon Holmes ’84
Janet M. Jannetti, daughter of Robert C. Sullivan ’44; niece of Daniel J. Sullivan ’41 and Hugh J. Mullins ’48; aunt of Connor R. Welch ’01, Matthew J. Mulligan ’16 and Daniel P. Mulligan ’18
William B. Jenkins ’65
John Jennings, former Gonzaga photographer and inductee into Gonzaga’s Athletic Hall of Fame
Paul N. Kane ’53, brother of the late Peter L. ’46
Michael E. Keane ’53
Kathleen Gormley Keany, sister of Mark J. Gormley ’56, Michael J. Gormley ’63, Francis X. Gormley ’68, Thomas M. Gormley ’71 and Joseph Gormley ’74; aunt of Christopher LoJacono ’79, Joseph M. Gormley ’99, Matthew C. Gormley ’05, Sean LoJacono ’08, and Christopher J.Gormley ’13
Straton C. Laios ’51, brother of Edward T. ’60, 2015 Alumni Man of the Year
Barbara D. Lillard, mother of James D. ’03 and Sean M. ’06
Jane T. Lively, wife of Patrick M., Sr. ’88; mother of Patrick M., Jr. ’22; sister-in-law of John. J. III ’87; aunt of John J. IV ’24
James M. Manning, father of Michael T. ’86 and Kenneth C. ’88
Joseph A. “Tony” Matan ’54, brother of the late Thomas W. ’57; uncle of Mark C. ’84, Joseph P. ’88 and James A. ’94; great uncle of Patrick ’20, James A. Jr. ’22, Thomas F. Dombo ’22, Joseph T. ’24, William S. Dombo ’24, Michael F. ’26, William S. ’26, Harrison M. Dombo ’28 and Paul G. Albornoz ’28
Joseph C. McGrath ’65, father of Joseph T. ’04
Carl I. Mills ’64
Christopher J. Mills ’62, son of the late William E., Sr. ’33; brother of the late William E., Jr. ’54
William M. Morrison ’02, brother of John R., Jr ’00
Lance A. Morrow ’58
John Murray, father of Michael P. ’02
Louis Nardella, father of current faculty member, Joseph M.
Fr. Eugene Nolan, SJ., former Gonzaga faculty member
Theresa A. O’Connell, wife of the late Edmund B. ’61; daughter of Paul F. Interdonato ’38; sister of Andrew G. Interdonato ’62 and Anthony P. Interdonato ’66; aunt of Paul M. Interdonato ’04, Anthony J. Interdonato ’05, Nicholas G. Interdonato ’07 and the late Paul A. Interdonato ’03
Ruth Owens, mother of Mark T. ’99
Patricia Pielmeier, wife of the late David M. ’58; mother of current faculty member Douglas E. ’83
William H. Roache ’63, brother of Raymond R. ’61 and the late Bernard E., Jr. ’59; nephew of the late Philip L. Jr. ’35, the late Donald A. ’38 and the late J. Chester Coakley ’44; cousin of Tim N. Coakley ’85 and the late John C. Coakley ’79
Lorraine Roddy, mother of Michael J. ’80
Maria de Loreto Rodriguez, mother of Francisco J. Lubian ’90 and the late Manuel Rodriquez Lubian ’92; aunt of Pablo E. Perez ’90, Michael A. Gonzalez ’01, Matthew G. Gonzalez ’07, and Andrew M. Gonzalez ’10; great-aunt of John R. Perez ’20 and Javier A. Fox ’23; grandmother of Dominic Lubian ’29
William C. Rogers ’53, uncle of Leon A. LeBuffe ’62, Francis P. LeBuffe ’64, James LeBuffe ’66, Vince J. LeBuffe ’68, James W. Rogers ’73 and Timothy J. Rogers ’75; great uncle of James B. Rogers ’09; brother-in-law of the late Daniel J. Lane ’53
Mary Sadlack, mother of Christopher K. ’89 and Jason ’91
Gerald Shannon ’49
Mary D. Shortley, wife of the late Robert L. ’40; mother of Robert A., Jr. ’97; cousin of Michael J. Kelley ’02 and John F. Kelley ’28
Marcia and Frank Silvestro, parents of Mark E. ’01
Thomas Garner Smith ’49, brother of the late Terence J. ’50, the late David, the late Kevin, and nephew of the late Fr. Francis Garner, SJ
Frank N. Stanley III ’60
Rev. James A. Stoeger, SJ, former Gonzaga Headmaster
Juan M. Thompson ’79, father of Lawrence C. Lucas III ’09 and Matthew D. Lucas ’10
Michael J. Thornett ’61, brother of Robert W. ’57, Richard G. ’50 and the late J. Frederick ’54; uncle of Richard J. ’90
Edward L. Tiffey, father of Edward P. ’83, John A. ’85 and Robert L. ’89; grandfather of Matthew C. ’26
Opal L. Waldron, mother of L. Quincy ’97
Mary Jane Yarrington, mother of Robert B. ’68, mother-in-law of Michael O. Ball ’68
GONZAGA
COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
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