Alumni News February 2018

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ALUMNI NEWSLETTER February 2018 • Volume 1 • Issue 1

CAMPUS NEWS Upcoming Events

FEB. 11 Preview Day for prospective students

FEB. 12 Young Alumni Dinner at PUC

FEB. 24 Family Volunteer Night

MAR. 18 School MakerFaire

MAR. TBD Young Alumni Dinner at WWU

Covered Parking & More We now have covered parking!

However, the structures are not simply a source of shade, they are part of a decision to move towards reducing our energy cost by installing solar panels.

The renovation of the High School Gym is scheduled to begin during Spring Break. The main components of the renovation include the locker room remodel, Coach Sue Peter-

APR. 13-14 Alumni Weekend Honoring Classes ending in 3 & 8

SEPT. 23 19th Annual Roadrunner Golf Classic Proceeds benefit Student Aid Fund

son’s and Coach Jon Hall’s offices, as well as the much-anticipated air-conditioning unit! The high school gym has been a source of student memories for the past 46 years. You who have played sports, performed in concerts or participated in other events in the gym know first-hand how greatly airconditioning has been desired!

Spiritual Growth Each school division has a designated Pastor/Chaplain on campus: Linda Tambunan (Elementary), Tom Quishenberry, ’86 (Junior High), and JO Cordero, ’12 (High School). From Kindness Ambassadors in the elementary to Ministry Directors in the high school, students have a wide array Pastor JO, recently organized a chapel at the beginning of this month of opportunities to grow in their relawhich included alumnus Kevin Straine, ‘00, and Jerome Fontamillas from tionship with Jesus. This is the underlinthe band Switchfoot. ing purpose of each faculty and staff member at LLA.

Stay in Touch Keep current by joining the official LLA Alumni Facebook Group and by visiting www.lla.org/alumni.

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ALUMNI NEWSLETTER February 2018 • Volume 1 • Issue 1

FEATURED

ALUMNUS

Jerry Woods, ‘91 After LLA, Jerry attended Walla Walla University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism. Realizing that he wanted a job that would bring laughter to others, he went to work at 89.5 KTSY radio station in Boise, Idaho. During that time, he met his beautiful wife, Crystal, while on a cruise to Mexico. Later, he moved to Ridge Broadcasting, a subsidiary of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, where he now works on a three-person morning show, “Jerry and Blanca in the Morning” on WGTS 91.9 in Washington D.C. Three years ago, while on the air, a listener called-in saying she had always wanted to go on a tour of the White House. Off the cuff, Jerry replied, “Well, when President Obama gives me my personal invitation, I’ll make sure you can come along.” All laughed and thought that was the end.

Jerry with wife, Crystal.

Moments later, Jerry heard, “Pick up the phone! The White House is on the line.”

It was the White House! He was told that they were listening and asked if Jerry and the team would like a tour. A few weeks later, the whole studio visited the White House for a tour.

One of the cool things about working at a radio station in D.C. – you never know who might be listening.

Last October, Jerry, Crystal, and their two daughters, ages 8 and 11, attended the LLA alumni gathering in D.C. and had a wonderful time.

Jerry with co-host, Blanca, and special guest, Kirk Cameron, in their studio.

“ Pick up

the phone!

The White House is on the line.

”

RECENT RETIREES Thank you!

d s of e e r r vic ti a r e R Ye Se

Darryl Benson Dorita West Carol Brink Arlene Arthur Jay Linthicum Dianne Jarrard Janis Smith

2014 2015 2015 2016 2016 2017 2017

21 29 35 27 31 25 30

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ALUMNI NEWSLETTER February 2018 • Volume 1 • Issue 1

FEATURED Jerry Rees, ‘75

ALUMNUS

Jerry always loved sketching from a very young age. His father was an artist and architect (who participated in the design of the cloverleaf shaped Loma Linda Hospital) who inspired Jerry to value the process of taking an idea and bringing it life.

Jerry & Rebecca with their two sons.

“ For over 18

months, I was utterly consumed with making ‘The Brave Little Toaster’

”

While still in high school, Jerry mentored at Disney Studios under the wing of one of Walt Disney’s legendary “Nine Old Men.” Awarded a Disney Scholarship, he attended California Institute of the Arts as Teacher’s Assistant for the now famous inaugural class. Jerry began his career as a Disney Feature Animator, quickly working his way up to Visual Effects Supervisor.

“For over 18 months, I was utterly consumed with making ‘The Brave Little Toaster’. I was so busy on the film that I never saw my friends from Cal Arts days. So as I was writing the Toaster script, I got the impulse to give my friends a secret wave hello from the screen. When the Toaster gang looks for the Master’s apartment on “McBean Parkway” that’s because Cal Arts is located on a street by the same name. I also made the Master’s apartment door number A113, which was the homeroom of our inaugural Cal Arts class.” – Jerry Rees, Writer and Director for “The Brave Little Toaster”

Jerry Rees is a Director of live-action, animation, mixed-media and immersive films / experiences. In addition to theatrical features, he has Directed a record-setting 16 Disney Theme Park attractions in Florida, Paris, Hong Kong and Anaheim, as well as aboard the Disney Cruise Line.

As a Producer, his credits include the Warner Bros. animated feature film “Space Jam”, starring Michael Jordan, and the “Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular”, shown in the 2,400-seat amphitheater at Disney’s MGM Studios. As a Writer, Jerry’s credits include the beloved “The Brave Little Toaster” and MGM/Zanuck’s “Betty Boop”.

He is an Animator, Sculptor, and Fine Artist, dedicated to the use of digital technology in the

service of emotion, character, storytelling and human connectedness. Jerry is currently serving at Walt Disney Imagineering as a PH Executive Research & Development Imagineer.

Jerry and his wife, Rebecca (who also started her career as a Disney Feature Animator), will soon be celebrating their 36th anniversary. Their two sons, Ian and Wilder, have followed in their parents’ footsteps and are both pursuing artistic careers, as a composer and an illustrator.

Harold Rees (Jerry’s Father), at 97 years old, still works 5 days a week making and repairing violins, violas, cellos, double basses, and more!

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ALUMNI NEWSLETTER February 2018 • Volume 1 • Issue 1

FEATURED

ALUMNUS

Brian Lee, ‘08

O G N O C

Following his Biology degree from Pacific Union College, Brian Lee became a Peace Corps Volunteer. He moved to Rwanda for three years working both as a rural science teacher and as a conservationist protecting the habitat and last remaining population of the endangered mountain gorillas.

CHECK IT OUT! New LLA Video Filming and editing was performed by Jon Hwang, ‘12.

Voiceover work was done by Pastor Roy Ice of Loma Linda University Church.

Currently, Brian is a graduate student at the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. He studies a mixture of Ecology, Statistics, GIS (Geographic Information Systems), and Remote Sensing (the discipline of studying the earth using satellites and drones). Most of his work centers on conserving forests and protected areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. His current project includes studying the negative effects of small-scale mining for rare earth minerals in Eastern DRC, which ultimately decimates the populations of elephants and gorillas. He follows the trade of these minerals to China, where they eventually turn into capacitors that go into our cell phones and other electronics. Since most of this goes unknown to consumers, Brian’s goal is to give this issue a voice.

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Brian making friends everywhere he goes!

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ALUMNI NEWSLETTER February 2018 • Volume 1 • Issue 1

FEATURED

ALUMNUS

Jordan Stimmel, ’07 Jordan graduated from Walla Walla University (WWU) in 2012 with a degree in Civil Engineering. While a student at WWU, Jordan spent four years on the men’s basketball team, serving as the team captain for the final two years. After WWU, he went on to earn a Master of Arts in Kinesiology: Sport Management from California State University, Long Beach in 2015. During his time there, Jordan entered an internship as a computer-aided design (CAD) operator with the Games Organizing Committee for the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles.

Over time, his internship developed into a full-time position.

Following this job, Jordan joined TrackTown USA in Oregon and worked as the lead on technology for the 2016 International Association of Athletics Federations World Indoor Championships. During this time, he also worked on the venue development and technology functional area for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for track and field, at the historic Hayward, and provided detailed drawings for the 2016 Olympic trials in Rio. Jordan has also worked on-site for numerous other sporting events, including the 2014 Special Olympics Southern California Invitational and Big West Basketball Tournament, 2016 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships, 2016 Eugene Marathon, 2016 NCAA Track and Field Championships, 2016 NFL Kickoff Concert in Denver, CO, and Super Bowl LI in Houston, TX. Although Jordan loved his sporting adventures, his love for Walla Walla and for inspiring collegiate athletes led him back to his beloved University, where he currently works as the Athletic Director.

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ALUMNI NEWSLETTER February 2018 • Volume 1 • Issue 1

FEATURED

ALUMNUS

Andrew Miller, ’05 Shortly after graduating, Andrew followed his passion for the mountains and moved up to Mammoth Lakes, CA. After three years there, he followed his girlfriend (now wife), Ali, to Salt Lake City, Utah. After spending 10 years in Utah, they moved back to the Sierra Mountains, calling the small town of Crowley Lake, CA home.

Andrew took a leap of faith when he made the decision to pursue his own path and establish his own photography business. Today, his business primarily focuses on the action sports industry with a specialty in snowboarding. He does a range of tasks inIceland cluding producing, directing, and creating content from videos and stills to make up print and digital media campaigns for clients across the world. Some of those clients include Patagonia, The North Face, Jones Snowboards and more. Through his business, Andrew has been able to travel to many diverse and remote places including a 40-day expedition to the Himalayas, a trip sailing across the West Fjords of Iceland, and numerous trips to Japan and Chile. Every year brings new adventures and he is so grateful to be able to have the opportunity to document them.

Andrew is happily married to his LLA high school sweetheart, Ali (Henn) Miller, ’05, and they love spending time with their 2.5-year-old daughter, Ava. His parents still live in the Loma Linda area and his mom, Dana Miller, is going on her 18th year teaching at LLA’s Junior High.

Family photo of Andrew, Ali and Ava.

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ALUMNI NEWSLETTER February 2018 • Volume 1 • Issue 1

ALUMNI NEWS 2013

Jonathan Mamora Jonathan Mamora attended La Sierra University and graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance. During that time, he expanded his musical education, with special emphasis on the intricacies of piano playing, in order to better prepare himself to become a professional classical musician.

He recently moved across the country to pursue his Masters of Music in Piano at Julliard School in New York City, and feels he is being called to serve God through his music.

2008 Eddie Luchembe & Daniela Aponte

Academic Journal in November 2017. Currently, she is continuing her work as a Counseling Intern at California State University, San Bernardino.

Daniela is looking forward to marrying her best friend, Eddie Luchembe, in August 2018!

Skye (Hessel) Zurcher After graduating from LLA, Skye (Hessel) Zurcher completed a degree in Business Administration. Throughout college, Skye worked at U.S. Bank as a banker and branch manager. After graduation, She moved to Washington state and got married.

Currently, they live in St Louis, where Skye works as a compliance analyst for U.S. Bank and her husband is finishing his law degree. The couple hopes to move back to southern California in 2019!

2007

Lucas Secor High School Banquet

Christmas 2017

Currently, Eddie Luchembe works as the Senior Editor for a media company based out of Los Angeles. He is looking forward to marrying his high school sweetheart, Daniela Aponte, in August 2018!

While pursuing a graduate degree in counseling & guidance, Daniela Aponte co-authored an article discussing how to counsel survivors of child sexual abuse. The article was recently published in the Wisdom in Education

After attending Walla Walla University, Lucas Secor was hired into the Loma Linda University Health (LLUH) Management Residency Program and obtained his CPA license.

This past summer, Lucas married the love of his life, Shandra. Both Lucas and Shandra work for LLUH where he is the Director of Business Development.

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ALUMNI NEWSLETTER February 2018 • Volume 1 • Issue 1

ALUMNI NEWS

2007 cont..

Theo Stream

Currently, Theo Stream flies for SkyWest out of Denver. In a few months, his status will be upgraded to Captain. Theo enjoys his travels, as well as the beautiful city he now calls home.

Serns, ‘02 and Courtney Ellstrom, ‘04 play in the Long Beach Volleyball Tournament, which has become a highlight of the year.

He also loves spending time hiking and biking with his girlfriend, Becky, who he met while she was attending Loma Linda University Medical School.

2003

Mindy (Jarrard) Canwell Mindy Canwell is in her 7th year as a kindergarten teacher at LLA. She loves teaching at her alma mater and has a passion for sharing about God and making learning fun for her students!

2001

Brian Tanada Brian Tanada obtained his Bachelor of Arts in History from University of California, Los Angeles in 2005. Following graduation, he went abroad for a year to China to teach English.

Upon his return, Brian attended and graduated from UCLA School of Law in 2010. Since then, he has worked at law firms in Los Angeles and

In 2011, she married Carl Canwell. They enjoy playing coed softball and pickleball, hiking, traveling, being with their families, and hanging out with their fur-children.

Mindy fell in love with volleyball during high school, and her passion for it remains to this day.

She played 3 seasons at Walla Walla University and has been coaching high school volleyball for 11 years. Every year, Mindy, Melissa (Bradford)

Irvine, practicing general commercial litigation. Brian married Esther in 2015, and they now have a baby girl, Brielle, who is almost 1 year old (born February 2017)!

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ALUMNI NEWSLETTER February 2018 • Volume 1 • Issue 1

ALUMNI NEWS 1998

1997

What began as a summer job, quickly turned into a love for Yellowstone National Park. Kristine Branstetter has worked at Yellowstone in various capacities for seventeen years. Her experiences have enabled her to meet people from all over the world.

During those years, she also met her husband, Brandy.

Recently, Kristine has been focusing more on her photography – even winning awards and being published a few times! Last year, after years of not running (since Mrs. Peterson’s P.E. class), Kristine completed her first two half-marathons, just one week apart.

This June, she will run two more.

After LLA, Bob Chitrathorn went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in both Finance and in Real Estate with a minor in Business Administration from California State University, San Bernardino.

He is now in his 15th year as a financial advisor.

He found his passion is in helping people make good financial decisions. In 2016, Bob co-wrote a book titled, Success Manifesto. The book went on to hit four Amazon.com best-seller lists!

Kristine Branstetter

Bob Chitrathorn

Eric Schilt Eric Schilt graduated from La Sierra University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. He went on to receive an MBA from the Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University. Currently, he helps lead the effort on Loma Linda University Medical Center’s new hospital replacement. He has been married for 10 years to his wife, Sara, and they have two wonderful children, Everett and Elin, ages 5 and 3. His wife, Sara, is a Physician Assistant.

Currently, Bob lives in California with his wife, Brittany, and their rescue dog, Mazy. Bob loves his work, but still makes time to cheer on his Pittsburgh Steelers in his spare time!

1996

Ashley Riveira Ashley Riveira landed her first job out of Pacific Union College working as a District Caseworker for Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA). The job involved helping Congressman Thompson’s constituents navigate through various problems with federal agencies, such as helping veterans obtain necessary benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Her passion for advocacy work eventually led her to attend Harvard Law School.

Currently, Ashley works for Crowell & Moring, LLP, an international law firm that specializes in inter-

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ALUMNI NEWSLETTER February 2018 • Volume 1 • Issue 1

ALUMNI NEWS national arbitration, representing clients in disputes with companies or foreign governments.

Her work involves a lot of travel and has taken her to many interesting parts of the world, such as El Salvador and Mongolia.

Ashley met her husband, Robert, while they both worked at Crowell in Washington, D.C. Robert’s job requires them to move every few years, so Ashley now works remotely for the law firm. They will likely be moving to Belgium this summer. Ashley and Robert have a daughter, Vivian, who brings indescribable joy to their lives.

1993

Steven Rath Morgan & Erin Saunders-Rath

Steven Rath Morgan and Erin Saunders were fellow classmates and senior class officers. After completing graduate school, they married.

Currently, Steven is the Head of Global Learning Innovation and Operations for a large technology company. The organization drives technology innovation such as hybrid cloud applications for remote labs, a virtual learning delivery portfolio, and analytics. Additionally, Steven has had the opportunity to represent his company at a summit in The White House.

Erin currently works for the U.S. Government Accountability Office where she leads teams of analysts to improve federal government performance. Steven and Erin spend most of their free

time at regional gymnastics competitions with their two daughters. You can find Steven and Erin on LinkedIn.

1990-1991

Victor Wear,’91 & Shelley (Watson) Wear,’90 Victor Wear and Shelley Watson started dating in 1988. At the time, Victor was a freshman and Shelley was a sophomore at LLA. 2018 marks 30 years since they started dating! They got married in 1995.

Currently, Victor works as an attorney at Graves & King in Riverside and Shelley is the Lead Occupational Therapist at Redlands Community Hospi- First banquet together in 1998 tal. They have two sons, Justin and Jacob, who both have taken after Victor’s love for athletics and music.

Shelley is a two-time cancer survivor with a passion for running—having already completed several half marathons! Victor, an avid sports fan, can be found at just about every sports venue in Southern California and beyond (when he’s not watching his sons’ games of course!).

He also enjoys 2007 family Christmas photo playing the French horn as part of the brass group and orchestra at Loma Linda University Church.

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ALUMNI NEWSLETTER February 2018 • Volume 1 • Issue 1

ALUMNI NEWS 1989

Ovi Popescu Ovi Popescu holds a degree in business administration, as well as a career as an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA). In 1998 he started a tuxedo business in Redlands with his parents called “A Formal Affaire,” which is still active today.

He also holds a seat on the city council of Loma Linda. In this position, Ovi sits on the San Bernardino International Airport committee and is the Chair of the Inland Valley Development Ovi with the General ConAgency where he sul of United Arab Emirates, Abdulla Alsaboori helps manage, market, and grow the airport. As a result of this work, Ovi has developed relationships with a number of foreign governments and ambassadors from Japan, Egypt, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, England, Qatar, and many more.

Currently, Ovi continues his work as an OTA in Redlands, while maintaining his position for the San Bernardino International Airport. He is happily married with a daughter, Gabriella, and a son, Laurentiu.

1984

Noreen Chan Tompkins After graduating from LLA, Noreen Chan Tompkins went on to complete her Doctor of Pharmacy degree. In 1993, she married Trevor Tompkins at the Loma Linda University Church, and then moved to Pittsburgh, PA. She worked as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Infectious Disease for

24 years. During that time, she also worked on a team that implemented the Antimicrobial Stewardship and Pharmacy Consult Services, as well as served as adjunct faculty at Duquesne University Mylan School of Pharmacy and University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.

In 2017, she moved back to Loma Linda to serve as the Dean of the Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy. She is excited to be a part of a team that is educating the pharmacists of the future.

Outside of work, she enjoys rejuvenating her violin skills through participating in the Loma Linda University Church Sanctuary Orchestra and spending time with her family. Noreen and Trevor have three wonderful children (ages 18, 14, and 12).

Tompkins family photo

Noreen deeply appreciates the time she spent at LLA and commits to giving back to her alma mater. In memory of fellow classmate, Clark Davis, who passed away in 2003, the Class of 1984 established the Clark Davis Scholarship for Excellence in Leadership. She participates on the Scholarship Selection Committee along with other members of the LLA Class of 1984.

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ALUMNI NEWSLETTER February 2018 • Volume 1 • Issue 1

ALUMNI NEWS 1982

1974

Mark Haddad has been happily married for 30 years and has two wonderful adult children. He works as a CPA and has served for 7 years in Singapore at both the Far Eastern Division and Asia Pacific Division Offices. His last position there was Assistant Treasurer. After receiving an MBA from Andrews University, he went on to serve for one year as a Business Instructor at Asia Pacific International University. After working for the last 16 years with the city of Redding, Mark currently works as the Assistant Electric Director/CFO.

Jack Boren graduated from Pacific Union College with degrees in both history/political science and journalism. Later, he also completed a Masters in Administration from Cal State Sacramento.

After completing his degrees, Jack spent nearly 10 years as a principal in the Northern California Conference, followed by a decade of serving at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Radiation Medicine and Public Affairs. In 2001, Jack joined the law firm of McCune, Wright, Arevalo, LLP, and currently serves as the VP of Business Operations & Strategy there. Most importantly, he now has 4 grandchildren all under the age of four and being their grandpa is his favorite roll of all!

Mark Haddad

Jack Boren

1977

Charles Umeda In 1981, Charles Umeda received his Juris Doctor degree. He was then hired by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office as a deputy district attorney, where he worked as a prosecutor for felony jury trials.

1971

Craig Sonnenberg

In 2015, Governor Edmund Brown promoted Charles to judgeship in the San Bernardino County Superior Court. Since then, he has worked in the Fontana, Barstow, and Victorville courthouses, and currently works in the Rancho Cucamonga Courthouse as the presiding judge over felony and misdemeanor trials.

Craig Sonnenberg worked for many years in San Clemente as a manager of the Quality Suites, Best Western, and San Clemente Inn, as well as in Laguna Beach as manager of the Village Faire Shops. He has since moved back to Walla Walla, WA (where he once attended as a student).

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