The Vector - Winter/Spring 2020

Winter/Spring 2020

FOR THE MOREAU CATHOLIC COMMUNITY

OUR MISSION

Moreau Catholic High School is dedicated to the legacy and values of the Congregation of Holy Cross and its founder Blessed Basil Moreau. We are a college-preparatory school committed to outstanding achievement.

As a community of faith, we prepare our students through academic, social and spiritual learning experiences that form and transform them as they become responsible citizens of our global community.

Kyle Del Rosario ’21 and Carissa Ott ’21 perform in the “Jackson 5 Medley” for the 2019 Winter Dance Concert, Motor City Jukebox: A Shimmy to Motown For more about winter performances, turn to page 21.

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STUDENTS

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VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS

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ATHLETICS

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ALUMNI

FEATURES

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CLIMATE STRIKE

DISABILITY DOES NOT DESTROY DESIGN

A FRESH START

MARINERS WITH INFLUENCE

150 Mariners participated in the global strike for climate justice.

Anaiss Arreola ’21 shares her desire for the future of inclusive design.

Jaylen “Fresh” Ison ’20 looks forward to a football career at Western Oregon University despite a shoulder injury.

Jonathan “JTGily” Gilyana ’16 and Ashley Bias ’04 share insights about the world of social media influencing.

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THAILAND IMMERSION Twelve Mariners travelled to Thailand to participate in a service and cultural immersion trip to Thailand. Cover photo by Kainoa Lee ’20, pictured here, far left, with local women and his brother, Kaleo Lee ’18. To see more of Kainoa’s photography, turn to page 34.

EDITOR Elizabeth (Morales) Zepeda ’03

FOR THE MOREAU CATHOLIC COMMUNITY

MOREAUCATHOLIC.ORG Comments or suggestions for The Vector are welcome. Email us at communications@ moreaucatholic.org

DESIGN EDITOR Timothy Chaparro CONTRIBUTORS Paolo Canuto ’14 Diana (Straggas) DeFrance ’76 Erica Escalante Justin Firmeza ’20

Adrianne Ford Monica Heuer Douglas Hupke Corinna Sanding ’14 PHOTOGRAPHY Paolo Canuto ’14 Timothy Chaparro Charlie Couch (@charliecouch) Gino De Grandis Peirong Ding ’20

Kainoa Lee ’20 Brandon Martyn ’16 Keilah McKeown-Pool ’20 Matthew Rendon-Ibarra ’21 Jonathan Tesfa ’21 THE VECTOR is published three times a year by Moreau Catholic High School • 27170 Mission Boulevard •Hayward, CA 94544 510.881.4300

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Mariners, Blessed Basil Moreau, the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross and the namesake of our school, boldly states in Christian Education that “we do not want our students to be ignorant of anything they should know.” Holy Cross education around the world is called to maintain a global perspective. In the issue of The Vector, you will see firsthand how our students and alumni interact with the world—its challenges and opportunities, and its new technology—inspired by Holy Cross, Mariner values. “Bringing Hope,” the theme celebrated by all Holy Cross schools this year, is evident here on campus, in our local communities, around the world, and in the digisphere.

As educators, we beam with pride when our students integrate the academic with the spiritual, the social with the ethical, the curricular with the cocurricular. When they connect their classroom learning to the issues they hear and read about online, and start proposing awareness-raising activities and solutions, we have that moment of satisfaction that “they get it.” And “get it” they do! Our students and our young alumni are expressing themselves and their passions about the world’s problems and opportunities in their art, in their immersion experiences, in their political action, and in their careers. We are very pleased to highlight some of these stories in this issue.

We are committed to our students’ educational experiences as well as their formation through vocal and instrumental music, dance, visual and digital arts, theater, athletics, social justice, academic competition teams, and community service. Each year we identify areas of our campus where the learning and the expression could be enhanced and improved. This summer, we will begin renovating our Main Gym—new bleachers, new acoustical material on the ceiling, refinished floor, new paint, and new wall pads. A special thanks to our Booster Club for their generous support of this project! In addition, we are starting a year-long project to overhaul the HVAC system on campus.

Yes, air conditioning is finally coming to classrooms and offices here on campus. This will greatly reduce the need to operate our boiler (and prove to be more energy efficient) while providing comfort for students and staff. Finally, all the clocks, tones, and public address systems will be upgraded to a digital system that will greatly enhance our communication capabilities on campus.

We continue to refine our new campus Master Site Plan, which contains our plans for future campus upgrades, and will share that with our community in the fall.

Thank you for all you do to support our students, our alumni, and our school! God Bless and Go Mariners!

Best regards,

Terry Lee President

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BRINGING HOPE “With eyes of faith consider the greatness of your mission and the wonderful amount of good which you can accomplish.”—Bl. Basil Moreau, Christian Education Schools in the Moreau Province share four charisms, or themes, that sumarize what it means to be a Holy Cross school. Moreau Catholic is spending all year focused on one of those themes: Bringing Hope. In this issue of The Vector, you will find stories highlighting many of the ways in which Mariners bring hope.

You’ll read about how our Mariners stand up for what they believe is right and just, and make their voices heard through protest. You’ll see how Mariners bring hope through their service to others, whether locally through their social justice projects, or abroad on immersion trips. You’ll recognize how they pursue their passion for athletics and the arts, and bring hope by sharing those gifts. You’ll find out how Mariners bring hope by raising funds to support programs that benefit our community.

These are just some ways—big and small—that Mariners bring hope to our world. Join us in celebrating this special gift of hope.

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Ambassadors of Hope: Notable Women In Our Community Speaker Series This year marks 100 years since the ratification of the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution, which gave many women the right to vote.

Leading up to the centennial anniversary, Moreau Catholic has embarked on a speaker series to highlight women from our community who have made notable contributions to their field as well as other folk who have worked to advance gender equality. These leaders are Ambassadors of Hope who will inspire the next generation of leaders with their stories.

We kicked off the series on Women’s Equality Day, August 26, 2019, with a talk and visit by 45th Treasurer of the United States and Mariner alumna, Rosie Rios ’83 (pictured right).

During her visit, Rios launched her Notable Women app—an augmented reality app that allows anyone to use their

phone to see the faces of 100 historic women on U.S. currency and learn more about each of them.

In September, Mayor of Hayward, Barbara Halliday (pictured left), spoke about her passion for local politics and how she moved through her career. Following each talk, students had the chance to ask questions of and interact with both of these women.

Our next speaker will be Dr. Candace Harris ’04 on March 23, 2020. Dr. Harris was the 22nd student and just the fifth black woman to earn a Ph.D. in physics from Florida’s A&M University. She is currently a physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. She will be sharing a day in the life of a scientist, and you won’t want to miss this inspiring alumna when she returns to Moreau Catholic! moreaucatholic.org

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CLIMATE

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Joining millions of people in a worldwide movement, Mariners took to Mission Boulevard to take part in the Global Climate Strike on September 27, 2019. Through a series of strikes and protests, groups around the globe demanded action to address the climate change crisis. The strike, also known as the Global Week for Future, took place September 20–27 and involved school groups, corporations, activist groups, and local organizations in the largest climate mobilizations in history.

MCHS students began their walkout in Mary’s Grotto with prayer led by the Campus Ministry Team and speeches by student speakers, including Earthwise co-president Lealyn De Leon ’21. She spoke about the future and lamented the lack of attention that adults pay to the concerns of young people whose future this crisis most affects.

She said, “Adults are denying that the earth is dying. It’s odd to me that people won’t listen to the facts.” She hopes that this activism will continue to raise awareness and, most importantly, effect immediate change.

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After the gathering in the grotto, the group of around 150 students and faculty marched to the front of the school to demonstrate their outrage, holding their protest signs, made on recycled materials.

Earthwise (the school’s environmental club) and the Social Justice Leadership team organized the walkout with the guidance and support of countless faculty, staff, and administration.

Samantha Wainwright, comoderator of Earthwise and 11th grade English teacher, commended the school community for providing so much support: “Nobody involved in planning the event questioned why we were doing the walkout, and I think that’s the most important thing in fighting climate change: combating

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apathy and denial.”

The timing of the strike aligned serendipitously with Wainwright’s class who, at the time of the Climate Strike, were working on their protest projects. The project was meant for students to demonstrate their understanding of rhetorical and persuasive strategies by inventing an original protest movement. Wainwright said, “I really want to empower

students to see how they can be active change makers in the world...Every once in a while you have those magic moments as a teacher where you feel like you’re really practicing what you preach, and this was one of those times for me.”

In her English class, Anna Brown begins the year by asking her students what they believe to be the most pressing concern facing the world right now and what they worry about most. Recently, her students overwhelmingly responded “climate change.” Brown said that this strike “felt necessary, and integral to this year’s theme of Bringing Hope. Students felt empowered by making their voices heard, and for standing up for something they believe in, something bigger than themselves.”

BROTHER GARY STONE, C.S.C., ACADEMIC SUPPORT CENTER The space formerly known as the Learning Center was renovated last summer and officially dedicated as the Brother Gary Stone, C.S.C., Academic Support Center on September 27, 2019.

MCHS Alumni who had the privilege of knowing Brother Gary personally were in attendance, many of whom shared fond memories of the former Moreau Catholic teacher and Holy Cross Brother.

The Brother Gary Center’s renovation included updates to the paint, furniture, technology, and supplies, which all help to further support the growth of Moreau’s diverse population of learners.

-Corinna Sanding ’14 Academic Support Center Coordinator

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Disability Does Not Destroy Design In the summer of 2019, after eight long years, I finally went down a waterslide. I went to the edge of the stairway, looked up at the spiral of steps stretching one story up above me, took a deep breath, and began the climb. It’s not that I’m afraid of heights or don’t like slides. Quite the opposite, actually. I love waterslides. Eight years ago, I was involved in a car accident that left me in a wheelchair with a spinal cord injury and scoliosis. I was seven years old. I hadn’t been on a waterslide since.

But on this day last summer, with the help of my friends, I was determined. I bumped myself up each stair, one by one, and after what felt like forever, I was finally able to go down the slide. Ten minutes of crawling up steps for just ten seconds of excitement. It was a joyous day.

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There was an accessibility seat at this facility that could help me get into the jacuzzi if I wanted to, so I couldn’t help but wonder: why wasn’t there a reasonable way for me to get up to the waterslide?

Is it because most wheelchair users aren’t seen as people who would want to go down waterslides?

I, like other kids my age, love waterslides and the fact that I couldn’t go down it without struggling opened my eyes to the many inaccessible things in our world. Those of us living with a disability are a minority that isn’t always visible to the majority not living with a disability.

such as living with one arm, also serves people who have temporary impairments, like a broken arm, or situational impairments, like holding a pile of books or a baby. In the end, it improves businesses’ bottom line by increasing market

DESIGN IS NOT FRIVOLOUS Most products made specifically for people with disabilities usually originate from the medical industry. These products have a high level of quality and functionality out of necessity. With the notable exception of eyeglasses, most products tend to look “medical” and denote an identity of the user as a “patient.” Design beyond what is medically necessary in this context is often regarded as frivolous. The sale of assistive devices is driven by functionality and medical recommendation rather than consumer choice or preference.

Design and disability have long been at odds with one another, and understandably so. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for buildings are stringent and can be challenging for architects to meet. Requirements like a five-foot turning radius in a bathroom or a long entrance ramp might make it difficult for a building to offer additional accomodations beyond what is required by law. Industrial or interaction designers are expected to design a product or service that “sells,” and people living with disabilities are a small fraction of the general population (12.8% according to the 2017 Disability Statistics Annual Report). It is hard to justify catering to that seemingly narrow demographic. But think of the many people who have temporary disabilities: broken legs, back pain, and any kind of short term illness that might require help with mobility. A more accessible environment helps those people as well.

Living in an inaccessible world, many people with disabilities are faced with a choice: we can live a life of dependence on others, or design and hack our way to independent living. What would our lives look like if the design industry had considered us in the first place?

Design is just starting this trend towards inclusion, but it still has a long way to go. Companies like Microsoft and Nike recognize that a product that is more accessible to some, is easier to use by all.

In her book Mismatch, Kat Holmes describes how designing for people with permanent impairments,

share and improving customer experiences, not to mention inviting new approaches and innovations by redefining the target users. While those of us who are disabled rely on plenty of workarounds in our daily lives (and we are more determined and creative for it), it can be disempowering to see how infrequently we are considered or represented as a part of the general population.

“SIMPLE” TASKS MEAN INDEPENDENCE When was the last time that you thought about grabbing a cup from an upper cabinet in your kitchen? Probably not since you were a child who was too small to reach it. For most wheelchair users, myself included, an upper shelf is simply out of our reach.

Because I wanted to do this simple task independently, I joined a Superhero BOOST x Born Just Right workshop during the summer of 2017.

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us in our daily lives. I designed a wheelchair lift so that I can reach the cups and plates in my kitchen cabinets with ease. It’s a little block that I can roll my wheelchair on top of and rock up on to safely gain a couple more inches of height.

I am just learning to drive, and I could not be more excited for the independence it will give me. Like other teenagers, I want to be able to hang out with my friends without worrying about fitting into their house, fitting into their car, or even fitting in generally without people staring. I want to live independently.

I’m not willing to sit back and hope that the world becomes more inclusive on its own. I know some companies are interested in making this shift towards inclusion, but aren’t sure how. For the design ecosystem to change, we need more people with disabilities to be involved in the design process as designers, not just as end-users.

MAKE JUST RIGHT Taking this problem into our own hands, some friends and I recently started a consultancy group called Make Just Right, to help create the world we want to live in. We are a group of young designers who are providing evaluation and design feedback on products and services earlier in the process. In the world we’re creating, people with disabilities are included, represented, and fully contributing members of society.

We are doing what we can, and we need more designers to step up and shift their perspective towards inclusion. It’s time for designers to consider diverse perspectives (race, ability, age, etc.) from the very beginning, not as an afterthought or ignored completely. We want our voices to be heard and your products to be inclusive. This can only happen through mentorship, hiring, and opening up more opportunities for underrepresented populations to enter the design industry.

These shifts are already happening, and they are the future of design. We need more people at the forefront with us to help push design forward towards inclusion. Not only is this better for businesses, but it’s better for everyone. Your future self—old, grey, and less mobile—will thank you.

-Anaiss Arreola ’21 A version of the preceding originally appeared on Medium.com: https://medium.com/@MakeJustRight/disabilitydoesnt-destroy-design-ede234f4e33

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A Social Justice Leadership Campaign, The Moreau Catholic Holy Cross Social Justice program is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, which guides Catholics in building a just society and living a holy life in modern times.

As seniors, our students have the opportunity to shape a capstone project around a topic about which they are passionate. These projects are designed to have a positive societal impact. In lieu of a capstone, students in the Social Justice Leadership (SJL) class organize a campaign to be implemented during the school year. Recent campaigns have included a sock drive for people experiencing homelessness, a voter registration drive, and a movement to supply free sanitary products on the Moreau Catholic campus.

“Period poverty” is a term that refers to the lack of access to sanitary menstrual products due to financial limitations. This is the topic that Clarissa Guevarra ’20 chose to address as her SJL campaign after being inspired by a video about women experiencing homelessness and how they deal with their periods without proper sanitary products.

Guevarra started a PERIOD chapter at Moreau Catholic (PERIOD@MoreauCatholicHighSchool).

PERIOD is an organization “fighting to end period poverty and period stigma through service, education, and advocacy.” This partnership allowed Guevarra to begin researching a possible partnership with Aunt Flow, which works with organizations, companies, and schools to provide 100% organic cotton tampons and pads.

Additionally, for every ten sold, one is donated to PERIOD. Through Guevarra’s advocacy, Moreau Catholic will begin providing sanitary products in the girls’ restrooms beginning next school year. Though she graduates this year and won’t directly benefit from this project, it will be her legacy. She reminds us that it only takes one caring person to see a need and enact change.

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Between 28 hours of travel there and 36 hours back, a group of eight students and four teachers spent a week fully immersed in a once in a lifetime experience of people, culture, and history.

Right after Christmas break, these Mariners participated in a service/immersion trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand. There they spent time learning about Thai culture by visiting religious and historic sites, and spending time in markets to feast on local delicacies.

Amidst visiting royal pagodas, attending a Thai Baptist service, exploring the Wachirathan Falls, and standing at the base of the Himalayan mountain range at Doi Inthanon National Park, our Mariners built bonds with each other and their Thai hosts.

Anaya Mosby ’21 commented, “To my delight, the Thai people spread their warm hospitality, gracious hearts, and joyful demeanor to anyone and everyone. The people we encountered everywhere welcomed us with sincerity, treating us like one of their own.”

The service portion of the trip began when the group stayed in the hilltribe village of Ban Bon Na near Chiang Mai. There the group finished a water tank for the village and built another for the village school.

While at the school, our students spent an afternoon playing games with the village students, and, despite language barriers, were able to share laughter and fun. Katie (Hansen) Greenbaum ’08 reflected, “When you’re put in an environment where the people have what we would consider less than us and to see that they live life so vividly, and with love and care for one another, it puts a whole new lens on how you see the world.”

Sleeping on mats on the floor, using squat toilets, and bathing in bucket showers, taught our Mariners about life with less luxury than they are used to. They tried their hand at the art of traditional weaving and cooking over coals, and spent time on a sustainable farm learning about and attempting the laborious task of separating rice grains from the husk.

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Upon leaving the village, the group was moved to tears when the villagers gifted them each a hand woven shirt. Each shirt takes three to four days to make, and the sale of these shirts is their main source of income, so to sacrifice that time and profit for 12 shirts was truly a show of great love. “Living amongst them for a few days really inspired me, put things in perspective, and was a great way to start off the new year appreciating everything I’ve been and am blessed with.,” said Amanda Wei ’21.

On their last full day in Thailand, the group worked at an elephant

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sanctuary making food for and bathing the elephants who were retired from circus and logging work. And as if they hadn’t packed in enough excitement over six short days, the group embarked on one last adventure before heading to the airport: a Thai cooking class, which they completed with varying degrees of success.

Our adventurers returned to school jet lagged, hearts and bellies full, ready to share their memories and stories with the Moreau community. Mary McInerny made sure to remind the students that “this is once in a lifetime. You will never come back to this village.

You may never have to use a squat toilet again. You’ll never meet these great people. So really take it in, and live it up. You are so lucky to have the opportunity to travel, so take advantage of it. You come back with a whole new perspective and appreciation for what you have. And you come back with a lot of good food!”

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STUDENT FUNDRAISER Moreau Catholic’s 2019 Student Fundraiser was a huge success! We exceeded our $100,000 goal and the special projects have been funded. Students were asked to sell a minimum of $150 worth of raffle tickets, however 61 students sold $400 or more! The special incentive for those students was a fundraiser t-shirt, fundraiser sweatpants, and their name printed on the gym’s pride banner for all Mariners to see. On October 4, over 423 students along with 100 faculty and staff enjoyed a celebration BBQ including excellent food and games. Thank you Mariner family for your generosity, but more importantly, for your continued support of giving back to your school.

-Diana (Straggas) DeFrance ’76 Special Events & Alumni Manager

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The Show Goes On Moreau Catholic’s Visual and Performing Arts Department presented four dynamic shows for the fall/winter performance season including a dance concert dedicated to the music of Motown, a choral concert that took us around the world, a drama production that made us laugh in Ancient Greece, and a jolly, Christmas band concert.

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This was an encore production of Motor City Jukebox: A Shimmy to Motown, which premiered in the fall of 2016. The concert is a dance tribute to the music of Motown artists spanning from the late 1950s into the 1990s. Dancers moved and grooved to artists like Stevie Wonder, Boyz II Men, The Supremes, and The Temptations.

Ian Geronimo ’20 played narrator and host to share facts about Motown and insights from the artists themselves.

The concert featured dancers from all five levels of dance under the artistic direction of Angela Demmel.

Motor City Jukebox

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(A Shimmy to Motown)

The choral concert, directed

by Dr. Kaia Richards ’99, took the audience on a trip around the world through folk music from Germany, Russia, Jamaica, Ukraine, China, France, India, Haiti, and more.

The concert featured all choral ensembles as well as the quartet of Diego China ’21, Josh Gonzaga ’20, Luis Gonzales ’21, Patrick Zapanta ’20, and soloists Ravi Lal ’22, Josh Gonzaga ’20, Jonah Mageria ’20, Valerie So ’22, Izabel Kwe ’22, Carly Villongco ’22, and Diego China ’21.

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The fall play, Saving the Greeks: One Tragedy at a Time, featured Luis Gonzales ’21 as the bumbling hero, Dialysis, and Antonio Rodarte ’23 as his trusty sidekick, Peon, who together struggle to build a utopia to reverse the fates of many tragic characters from ancient myths and legends. They are joined

by Teiresias, played by Katrina Pace ’21, and Lysistrata, played by Mireya Nevel ’22.

The actors delivered poignant messages about war and peace through racy humor and topical references in this delightful production directed by Tyler Dragoni.

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The instrumental music ensembles, led by Ted Newton, rounded out the winter performance season with an eclectic concert that closed with festive Christmas music.

Justin Firmeza ’20 debuted his conducting skills by leading the symphonic band’s performance of Asian Folk Rhapsody.

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THE GIFT OF MUSIC Music has been a big part of my life since birth.

Being raised in the Church, I was heavily influenced

by Catholic music through Sunday Mass at Holy Spirit in Fremont.

When I was three, my grandpa came home with a small, dusty digital piano from one of the many garage sales he liked to go to. We popped some C batteries into the back and my fingers met the piano for the first time. I spent most of my days learning songs from the radio by ear on that little keyboard. At family gatherings, I loved to entertain, and I loved to look away from the piano to see my family members smiling at me or having friendly conversations with one another as I played. Since his passing, I remember my grandpa everyday for the beautiful gift of music that he gave me when I was just a youngin’.

Today, music is my life. I’ve been so blessed to have had all the pieces fit together by fate. Since kindergarten, I would take every opportunity I had at the end of music class to play what I had just learned. When I got to 6th grade, my music teacher, Mr. Paul Orella, started noticing my growing musical talent, and he asked me to play piano for Mass when he couldn’t be there. At Mass, I would sit next to him and I would watch his fingers groove over the keys, listening to the musical colors that his hands produced. I’ve never had a formal piano lesson, but I became a better player by watching Mr. Orella and doing my own version of what he played.

By the time I got to Moreau, I was quite active in the Church, playing at Mass most Sundays. At my freshman retreat, I was discovered by my greatest mentor, Mr. Patrick Landeza, who first witnessed me playing the tambourine while he was playing guitar during Mass. Mr. Landeza has taught me a lot of important lessons about my artistry. Under his wing, I’ve learned to connect deeply to my emotions whenever I am listening to, performing, or writing music.

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I got more involved with the Moreau community through music and I joined the Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Mr. Ted Newton. Through his band program, I was inspired to learn many different instruments including world percussion, drums, vibraphone, bass, and alto saxophone.

I’ve been exposed to all kinds of music, and my individual style is constantly molded by those different genres.

As I move forward from my years at Moreau Catholic, I will be working to deepen my connections and further my musicianship as a performer, writer, and educator. Through the years, I’ve been able to gain experience in many aspects of music including arranging, performing, leading a group, and conducting. But perhaps my favorite thing to do with music is compose.

I am proud to have been a part of the Moreau Catholic Music Ministry. Through that ministry, I was able to compose and record many songs and reflections on Moreau’s 2018 Close to You album that I co-produced with Mr. Landeza.

To me, the most important thing about art is that it’s shared. Music is a gift that every individual can express differently. I believe everyone should share their gifts just as I have been blessed to share mine.

My three-year-old self would never have imagined that I would be doing what I’m doing now with music. As an artist, I’m always looking for the beauty and imperfections of every day. Music continues to shape my life, and my life continues to shape my music.

-Justin Firmeza ’20

Opening Doors to the World of Dance For their capstone project, Amari Bouyer ’20, Ian Geronimo ’20, Anneliese Wirsching ’20, and Fianna Yeh ’20 worked together with 24 6th, 7th, and 8th graders from Saint Clement School to choreograph and produce two pieces for the winter dance concert, Motor City Jukebox: A Shimmy to Motown.

These four Honors Dance students have been in the Moreau Catholic dance program since their freshman year. As part of their Honors Dance class, they must choose a topic then spend a semester choreographing a piece on their fellow dancers based on research about the topic, a process that is similar to writing a research paper. This capstone project with the middle schoolers was much different.

Geronmino and Yeh partnered to choreograph a piece on half the group to the song “Money (That’s What I Want)” (1959) by Barrett Strong, while Bouyer and Wirsching took the other half and worked on “Iesha” (1991)

by Another Bad Creation. Their goal was to introduce students to dance in a fun, engaging, and safe way while allowing them the opportunity to get to know the Moreau dance program and perform on our stage.

Bouyer said, “As a dancer, this is our passion, this is something that we love, so sharing that with people that might not have the same experience or as much experience, it’s rewarding. Being able to open doors for people to enjoy dance and also have a way to express themselves is

Clockwise from top left: Fiana Yeh ’20, Ian Geronimo ’20, Anneliese Wirsching ’20, and Amari Bouyer ’20

also rewarding.”

them better dancers.”

These young choreographers reflected on the ups and downs of the project. Yeh reflected on the difficulties they faced early on: “I think we all forgot what it was like to be in junior high. We forgot how much energy they had and how difficult things may have been...all these kids had different experiences. Definitely some were slower learners than others. And some people picked things up really quickly.”

All four agreed that the work was worth it. “Seeing the joy on the kids faces when they danced. They were having so much fun coming to rehearsal and learning how to do these dances and getting to brag to their friends about what they were doing onstage! It was great to see how happy they were,” said Wirsching.

Despite some stumbles, the choreographers, by their own account, learned to be patient, clear, organized, and positive.

Geronimo recounted, “There was one instance where the kids forgot everything and we had to jump in. The reassurance that everything’s gonna be fine.

I feel like it boosted up their confidence level and it made

These four don’t see this as the end, however. The hope is that this project can be handed down and continued by next year’s seniors so that this exciting partnership with our closest neighbor can become a tradition.

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EXPLORING VISUAL ARTS

Chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Department and visual art teacher, Karen Thomas, explains the prompts given to students for the projects featured in the following pages.

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Personal Investigation

“The nice thing about [the AP art] program is it allows kids total freedom. They get to decide a concept that’s something interesting they want to explore, so this is why you get a lot of varied looks to [these pieces].”

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1. Ishika Jain ’20, Graphite, Gouache; 2.Ivy Guo ’22, Water Color; 3. Tanishq Babel ’20, Colored Pencil; 4. Ashley To ’21, Gouache; 5. Anza Vo ’21, Colored Pencil

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Mixing Mediums

“In figure 8, the facial features are stitched [with thread] on paper [that was painted] with gouache.

The two that appear to look like quilts and colorful pieces of paper, are actually stencils cut to mimic the look of stained glass. We looked at the function of stained glass in medieval society, specifically, since most of the population was illiterate, this was the way you got to know biblical stories and got to experience a sense of heaven.”

7 6. Angel Chen ’22, Water Color, Ink; 7. Antonia Dias ’22, Paper; 8. Ishika Jain ’20, Gouache, Thread; 9. JJ Pangan ’23, Paper

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Sculpting Personal Aspirations

2D Inspiration, 3D Application “The portrait busts were about creating a bust in this style of a famous artist. Not only were the students learning proportion and how to sculpt a figure, but they were also glazing it given a chosen artist’s technique.”

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“The top pieces (Figs. 10-12) had to do with future projections— their life and their aspirations in the future. They were creating a visual 3D symbol [that is] almost autobiographical, but also aspirational because they haven’t lived up to it yet.”

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10. Keerthi Konda ’20, Ceramic; 11. Joanne Yeu ’20, Ceramic; 12. Katherine Chang ’20, Ceramic; 13. Kristina Garcia ’20, Ceramic; 14. Keerthi Konda ’20, Ceramic; 15. Kristina Garcia ’20, Ceramic; 16. Ashka Desai ’20, Ceramic; 17. Maggie Lee ’22, Ceramic

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Deconstruction/ Reconstruction

“This was an experiment in soft sculpture looking at how you can use found objects. They deconstructed three different stuffed animals and a toy, and reconstructed them into a whole new creature, playing on elements of humor, but also grotesquery.”

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18. Ukhi Moore ’23, Mixed Media, Thread; 19. Janelle Leuterio ’23, Mixed Media, Thread; 20. Diego Gonzalez ’23, Mixed Media, Thread; 21. Mechelle Goulart ’23, Mixed Media, Thread; 22. Zoe Cronin ’23, Mixed Media, Thread

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Geographic Portraiture Kainoa Lee ‘20, an AP Art photographer, primarily focuses on portraiture of locals in developing countries. Inspired by National Geographic documentaries, he has built up a body of work during his travels to the Philippines and Thailand, where he has photographed various local people.

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23-25. Kainoa Lee ‘20, Digital Photography

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FUNDING HOPES & DREAMS On Thursday, November 21, 2019, Moreau Catholic hosted its annual dinner and auction, Funding Hopes and Dreams, at Fremont Marriott Silicon Valley. The name of this event is especially apropos since the theme for the school year is “Bringing Hope.” And bringing hope is exactly what occurred, with over $70,000 raised. Every dollar raised at this event supports our tuition assistance program and supports students who cannot afford to attend Moreau Catholic without assistance. Our student speaker, Aidan Arnold-Galati ’20, provided a firsthand account of how and why tuition assistance has transformed his life. Moreau Catholic was fortunate to have former principal of MCHS and current Head of School at Academy of Our Lady of Peace in San Diego, Dr. Lauren Lek ’97, give the keynote address.

Master of Ceremony, Freddie Silveria, led the evening with energy and excitement. Thank you to all who attended and invested in our students’ futures.

-Doug Hupke Director of Advancement

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Swinging Into Action -Erica Escalante Assistant Administrator to the Athletic Director

Michelle Zhang ’21

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Cross Country

The Moreau Catholic cross country team continued its trend of success by having another record breaking year. Cole Pineda ’20 was ranked #1 in North Coast Section (NCS) with his two mile time of 10:04.3. Jacob Hupke ’23 was ranked #27 for his two mile run, giving the coaching staff a look at the future of Moreau Cross country. Kayla Moraida ’20 was a standout for the girls’ side ranking in the Top 30. The team also went on to the NCS Meet of Champions.

Jacob H

upke ’23

Penny Semko ’22

guyen ’22

Gianna N

Girls’ Golf

The girls’ golf team finished their season with great stats and strong success. The team competed in the NCS Division 2 Championship. Amanda Wei ’21, the team’s Most Valuable Player, led the team with a score of 102. The team itself finished 7th out of 38 teams at the Championship.

While the team had amazing scoring and developments throughout the season, the girls looked forward to being with each other every practice and bonding as a team. The development of the teams was important in achieving goals, but the relationships between the teammates were a huge factor in their success this year.

The girls look forward to their season next year and hope to continue their success.

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Girls’ Tennis

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onzalez ’2

Brianna G

The girls’ tennis team improved this year. Consisting of 10 players on junior varsity and 10 on varsity, the team provides a coach’s dream options for growth. Varsity was heavy with juniors and one sophomore, all of whom made an immediate impact because of the strong foundation they developed at the JV level.

Arabella Jones ’21 took this season’s Most Improved

Boys’ Soccer

The boys’ soccer team buckled down and got to work this season. The junior and senior heavy team brought diversity of playing styles boosted by newcomers German Gonzalez ’23 and Alex Villegas ’23 who were both eager to learn and ready to provide their skills to the team.

The boys adapted their techniques as they played together throughout the season.

This year the team did an excellent job

Player Award, embracing each opportunity on the courts, whether playing doubles or singles. Thalia Ramsey ’21 was recognized as the team’s Most Valuable Player as well as an MVAL Honorable Mention for singles. Brianna Gonzalez ’21 also was an MVAL Honorable Mention and was awarded the team’s Mariner Award for her personality that continuously reflects the Mariner Philosophy on the courts and in the classroom. Anna Giroti ’23

getting to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Captains Declan North ’20, and, MVAL Honorable Mention, Myles Ebert ’20, along with all the seniors, created an atmosphere that moved the team from fear of failure to sacrificing for one another. It was awe-inspiring to watch the boys grow into strong and dutiful young men. While their record didn’t reflect their hard work and passion, the players won the respect of the other coaches, staff, and peers.

Alessandrea Carpio ’20

Girls’ Soccer

The girls’ soccer program has seen exponential improvement on and off the field this season. With an emphasis on teamwork and friendship, the team has been able to push each other to grow from mistakes and have a bit of a laugh along the way. With the team graduating only three starters, the team looks to continue building on that strong foundation.

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Football was the team’s Rookie of the Year, playing some exceptional matches this season. She will definitely be a strong contender for singles next year. Arabella Jones ’21 and Katherine Tran ’22 were named Honorable Mention for their doubles team.

To the team’s advantage, the Mariners return all the talented and experienced players for next season, having no seniors this year. The future looks bright for the Mariner girls’ tennis team.

JV football went undefeated in the Mission Valley Athletic League (MVAL), with an overall record of 8-2. The 2019 varsity football season had an explosive 8-4 record season. They made the North Coast Section (NCS) Division 5 playoff championships ending the season to Del Norte in the semifinals.

What made this team so special goes well beyond the Xs and Os. This season reflected the genuine love and passion that players, coaches, and fans exhibited for the sport and for Moreau Catholic.

The team overcame injuries, improved overall academically, and strengthened the brotherhood that is football.

The varsity team took several MVAL First Team, All-League awards with guard Tyler Randall ’21, running back Devin Arnold ’21, wide receivers Nick Ledesma ’20 and Nikko Reed ’21, defensive end Kaleb Elarms-Orr ’21, and inside linebacker LC Glover ’20. Reed also took home First Team defensive back and kick return specialist.

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am Prakul Sw

Elarms-Orr won the distinguished MVAL Ron Johnson Defensive Player of the Year award.

MCHS also swept MVAL Second Team All-League, with awards given to tackles Maeko DeLeon ’22, tight-end Kaleb Elarms-Orr ’21, quarterback Bowen Dickstein ’20, outside linebacker Tyler Mathewson ’21, kick returner specialist Nick Ledesma ’20, and place kicker Kevin Tan ’20.

The team graduates 12 seniors this year, but is looking to be a dominating force as they will now be competing in the MVAL-WACC combined Football League for the 2020 season. Moreau Catholic will be in the Tier 1 league consisting of WACC League schools: Hayward High, San Leandro, Encinal, and Bishop O’Dowd. MVAL League schools entering this new league are James Logan and Moreau.

0 desma ’2

Nicolas Le

Rally Squad

reull ’20

Sophie B

While cheering on football and boys’ basketball, Rally Squad was also preparing for their Nationals competition in Anaheim over Valentine’s weekend. This was the last big competition for the team’s ten seniors. The squad showed well and is now able to take a break until next football season.

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Girls’ Volleyball

The varsity girls’ volleyball team finished the 2019 season with a 17-11 record. The team had a 10-game winning streak that allowed them to be competitive in the MVAL League. The team made the 2019 North Coast Section playoffs, ending the season in the quarterfinals.

’21 hwobete Joanne O

Joanne Ohwobete ’21 earned a First Team, All-League accolade, while Bianca Punzalan ’21 and Kaili Spooner ’21​were named to the Second Team. An Honorable Mention accolade was afforded to Leila Albaira ’21.

Losing only two seniors, the team will continue to incorporate the program philosophy of respect for the “ROOTS” of the game: Rules, Opponents, Officials, Team, and Self. nzella ’20

Logan Gra

Water Polo

The girls’ water polo program has had great strides since its inaugural varsity season in 2014-2015. This was the first season in six years that the girls’ program had both a junior varsity and varsity program. Based on a foundation of fundamentals and a strong teamplay concept, the program has flourished.

The girls’ teams worked together this season as a family to win their first MVAL match during the regular season. When you step back and consider that the team graduated a class of six major contributors last year, the team did quite well and was able to quickly integrate first-year Waileia Lee ’23 and softball

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’23

player, Ella Murchison ’22. Varsity girls had three MVAL Honorable Mentions: Anina Ferreira ’21, Daniela Hupke ’20, and Waileia Lee ’23.

The varsity boys’ water polo team finished with a 13-8 record for the 2019 season. They surpassed their 2018 season record of 7-16. With this senior heavy team, MVAL First Team, All-League, Kainoa Lee ’20, and Honorable Mentions, Carlo Ferreira ’20 and Nicholas Powers ’20, dominated and led their team through the season.

Next year, both teams are looking to increase numbers and continue to bring attention to one of the newer sports offered at Moreau Catholic.

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Boys’ Basketball

With a crew full of young talent, the Moreau Catholic varsity boys’ basketball team came into the season with high hopes. However, there was more to this season than just a second round playoff exit for the Mariners. It was their 11th consecutive North Coast Section playoff appearance, entering the NCS Division 1 tournament with a #4 seed. This was the 7th time in the program that they were seeded 4th or higher despite losing 6 seniors last year. The Mariners finished First in the Mission Valley Athletic League with a 12-2 record, tying with Washington High School.

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The team, made up of one senior, ten juniors, four sophomores, and one freshman, compiled an overall record of 18-10, before losing in the NCS Division 1 Quarterfinals to Monte Vista.

Despite losing only one player looking into next year, there is room for hope at Moreau Catholic.

The remaining 16 players are hopeful to continue development and improving core to build around. The perseverance and passion shown by the members of this year’s team in the face of these challenges will always be remembered.

’20

James Bell ’22

with a 16-10 record. This is the 9th consecutive season the team has made the playoffs, but the first time in the history of the program to earn a #1 seed. The team went on to win the NCS Division III championship.

With the historic win, the girls secured a spot in the NCS championship tournament.

Girls’ Basketball

The varsity girls’ were electric to watch, ending with a 19-10 season. The young talented team consisted of two seniors, three sophomores, and six freshman. Tied for 3rd place in MVAL, they went into the NCS Division III playoffs

Although the girls are a relatively young team, they have built a strong sense of community. The players learned teamwork, leadership, and much more from the season.

The future of this team looks positive. Four of the five usual starters for the team

are returning next year, with three of them being firstyear players. Dymonique Maxie ’23 was the leading scorer for the team this year with a 15.3 point per game average and was selected to MVAL First Team, AllLeague. Rebounds were led

by Madison Thomas ’23, who averaged 10.3 rebounds per game. Leadership on the court and off the court came from Jaelynn Cid ’20 and Kiara Scott ’20, the team’s two seniors. Cid and Thomas both received Honorable Mentions.

The connection between the girls pushed them into the first game of the NorCal Tournament as the 10th seed.

They fought valiantly, but lost to 7th seed Vanden High School. moreaucatholic.org

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1970 Varsity Football Team Tackles the Weight Room Upgrades Front Row, Sitting (Left to Right): Tom Spillner ’71, Roque Sameron ’72, Coach Dave Favro, Phil Noia ’72, Greg Palin ’71 Second Row (Left to Right): Doug Uchikura ’71, Jeff Roark ’71, Kevin Sweeney ’72, Dave Crudo ’71, Tom Ahlering ’71, Rick Candelario ’71, Bill Arnold ’71 Back Row (Left to Right): Ray Hall ’71, Joe Sinkevich ’71, Larry Ozenne ’71, Chris Ahlering

mo r e au club At the Homecoming Football game in October, members of Moreau Catholic’s very first varsity football team held a reunion. It was a fun filled day of reminiscing with friends and teammates. For some, it was the first time back on campus since their graduation nearly 50 years ago.

The team took a campus tour and, while much has changed in the last five decades, a lot has not. Ray Hall ’71 reflects, “One of the first stops we made was to walk up the steel stairs on the outside of the locker room to the weight/wrestling room [which] had not really changed much in 50 years. I instantly went back to that first summer before our first season when we had weight training sessions in the evening with Coach Favro. The next thought that hit me was ‘Man, this room needs a major upgrade.’”

The football program and the weight room hold a special place in these men’s hearts. Chris Ahlering, a member of the inaugural football team, along with his brother, Dr.

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Thomas Ahlering ’71, recounts, “Coach Favro schooled us in discipline and teamwork, Coach Geib made us tough, and the weight room gave us the strength to persevere and prosper on the field and in life.”

The men fondly remember trying to earn their way into the “Moreau 200 Club” in that weightroom. In order to be a member of the club, they had to bench press at least 200 pounds and they got a t-shirt to boast their accomplishment.

Since that Homecoming reunion, members of the 1970 varsity football team have begun a campaign to assist Moreau Catholic with upgrading the weight room, which not only benefits the football team, but all athletic teams. Greg Palin ’71 states, “I’m very gratified that the simple idea of a football reunion has led to participation by a bunch of old guys with a desire to help the current and future crops of Moreau athletes.”

Ahlering adds, “Discipline, teamwork, toughness, and perseverance, supplemented by physical and

emotional strength gained in the weight room, gave us the edge to win. We hope we can pass a little of that along to future generations with this weight room project.”

To date, these gentlemen have raised close to half their goal of $10,000.

They welcome all former football players, alumni, families, and friends to join them in meeting this goal.

To contribute to our weight room renovation, you can donate online at https://moreaucatholic.org/give/ the-weight-room-project/ or contact Director of Advancement, Doug Hupke: dhupke@moreaucatholic.org

A FRESH START After being sidelined by injury, Moreau’s star running back prepares for a comeback at the college level

“It’s tough to stop him.” That’s how Rob Gatrell, Moreau’s head football coach, describes Jaylen Ison ’20’s performance on the gridiron. The senior running back, who goes by the nickname “Fresh”, possesses an extraordinary ability to anticipate his opponents’ moves, locate his opening, and make his way to the end zone.

His 95-yard touchdown run led to Moreau’s first-ever football victory over James Logan High School. “That was the best.

The whole crowd went crazy,” Fresh says, recalling his favorite moment in the Mariners’ 2018 undefeated season.

Football fans have come to expect electrifying performances from Isons, starting seven years ago with Fresh’s older brother, Jullen “Booda” Ison ’17. He played for the varsity team when he

was still a freshman and later earned the title of Offensive Player of the Year before moving on to the University of Northern Colorado, where he plays today.

When Fresh arrived at Moreau, he was able to deliver on the great expectations that came with his family name. As a junior, he averaged more than 15 yards per carry, rushed for more than 2,000 yards, and scored 34 total touchdowns.

What no one, including Fresh, expected was the injury that would take him off the field.

After dislocating his shoulder in 2018, the student-athlete underwent corrective surgery only to dislocate his shoulder once again when he returned to play the next season. Today, following a second surgery and ongoing physical therapy, Fresh says with excitement, “I can raise my arm now.” When he discusses

his injury, there is no trace of self-pity.

“It took a toll on me, not being able to play my senior season, but I learned how to cheer on my teammates, how to be a real leader, how to motivate others,” he explains, “I really found myself through this injury.” He says the setback has only stoked the fire inside of him. It’s a fire he plans to play with this fall at Western Oregon University, to which he recently signed with a full scholarship. Fresh’s doctors expect he will be ready to play in the first game of the season.

Getting his college offer was no easy feat for more reasons than one. Before the injuries, when recruiters first started to express interest in Fresh, they told him he needed to improve one important stat: his GPA. moreaucatholic.org

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Fresh is grateful for Tsan’s help.

“Mr. Tsan was always there after school for hours, going over math problems, telling me, ‘you got this, you can do it,’” he says. “He broke it down to me in ways I could understand. Mr. Tsan, Miss Ledford, Coach—they always stayed in my ear. Everybody pushed me to be the best I can be academically.”

Both his coach and teachers have high praise for the way Fresh conducts himself on and off the field. “Mom and dad did an amazing job,” Gatrell says.

“I wasn’t pushing myself as hard as I could, and I struggled with my academics,” he says. Fresh credits the support system at Moreau—his coach, his teachers, and a mandatory daily study hall for athletes—with helping him to improve his grades. “I learned how to work hard at Moreau,” he says.

A strong work ethic, both on the field and in the classroom, is something Coach Gatrell wants to see in all of his players. “That’s what I am trying to push, finding that balance as a student-athlete,” he says. “Whether it’s a drill on the field or a math test, “you need to be locked in, focused” and “manage every opportunity for success.”

Michael Tsan, Fresh’s math teacher in both 9th and 11th grade, has watched Fresh find that balance and “make great developmental strides” at Moreau. He’s been impressed by Fresh’s determination to stay on top of mathematics, even though it’s his least favorite subject. “He refused to give up and when he made a mistake, he always learned from it,” Tsan says.

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Tsan adds that Fresh “is a truly positive guy” and “a great role model for his younger sister.”

Caprice Ison ’23 (pictured left with Fresh), a basketball player and dancer who is carving her own athletic path at Moreau, confirms the latter. Both of her older brothers, she says, “expect a lot out of me.”

She says she’ll miss having her brother at Moreau next year. As for Fresh, there isn’t anything he won’t miss when he leaves. “I’ll miss everything about Moreau—the atmosphere, my friends, all the support. Everybody wants to help you. Everybody knows everybody,” he says. “It’s a family.”

-Adrianne Ford

CRAB FEED What a Crab Feed! Thanks for the support of all who attended this event on January 25, 2020. We had a total of 550 guests, which exceeded last year’s total by 100. The dessert dash had an encore performance with dashers selecting from our delectable items. The Golden Raffle ticket made its debut and it did not disappoint.

Our “Sports” theme evening would not have been successful without the support of our community. We look forward to contributing to the renovation of the main gym, specifically the replacement of the bleachers, because of your generosity. A special thanks to our volunteers and those who donated an auction item to this event. On behalf of our Booster Board, Athletics Department, and our Student Athletes, thank you!

-Monica Heuer Director of Athletics

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Mariners with

influence

If you’ve spent any time on social media, you’ve seen them. You may have turned to them for recommendations or have bought something they’ve endorsed. They are today’s tastemakers.

They are influencers.

Known for their specific, often niche, expertise about topics and products ranging from home goods to diet trends, toys to clothing, video games to makeup, the social media influencer is truly a creation of the 21st century. Raking in thousands, even millions of followers, views, and sometimes dollars, being an influencer is the new aspirational career of many.

According to Google Trends, the increase in influencer marketing from 2014 to 2019 mirrors the decrease in print advertising. Additionally, with 3.725 billion active social media users globally, companies are seeing, on average, over five times their return on investment through influencer marketing (Influencer Marketing Hub, 2019).

While some people set out to become influencers, others become influencers by happenstance. No matter the path to becoming one, maintaining a career as an influencer takes dedication, drive, sacrifice, tenacity, passion, adaptability, and a willingness to never stop learning. These are all

qualities that Mariners foster during their time at Moreau Catholic, so it comes as no surprise that some of our very own have ventured into influencing.

THE BUSINESS OF GAMING Contrary to conventional wisdom, playing video games for a living can prove to be quite lucrative. Four of the top six YouTube earners of 2019 are gamers and made an estimated $12.5 to $16.5 million each (Influencer Marketing Hub, 2019). However, simply playing video games is not enough to cultivate a significant following.

Personality and authenticity are key to attracting and keeping followers.

Newish on the influencer scene is Jonathan “JTGily” Gilyana ’16. With his big smile and welcoming, wholesome persona, this Mariner has garnered 174,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.

This part time California State University, East Bay student balances his time between studying Business Administration with a concentration in Information Technology and playing PokemonGO. He describes himself as “THAT kid. The stereotypical kid that went to school, but as soon as I got home, played games until school started.”

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while making videos of himself playing the game as a hobby. About two years ago, that paradigm flipped. Making and posting videos became his priority, while school took a backseat. He became disciplined in his schedule, making sure he was consistently putting out new content, primarily on YouTube, so as to stay relevant. The first year and a half involved a lot of personal sacrifice with every bit of income going right back into new equipment and travel to cover events.

Gilyana likens it to “growing a business from the ground up.” He says, “You need to sacrifice a lot. You are going to lose a lot of money.” Now it seems that his dedication and sacrifice have begun to pay off. In the last year alone he was commissioned to travel for work in France, Spain, Japan, Germany, and Singapore, and hosted an event for over 200 people in New York.

COURAGE OVER COMFORT While gaming videos dominate the YouTube realm, Instagram is the domain of fashion and makeup influencers. A quick search of makeup related hashtags reveals over 266 million posts with the hashtag “makeup” and millions of other #makeuptutorial, #makeupartist, and #makeuplover posts. One of those influencers is a Mariner who caught her break by connecting through social media to a Bay Area celebrity family.

Ashley Bias ’04 has been a professional makeup artist (MUA) since the age of 19. For now, Bias keeps her social media presence limited to Instagram where she currently has 220,000 followers. That is where she connected through direct message with Ayesha Curry—actress, celebrity cook, cookbook author, TV personality, and wife of Warriors point-guard, Steph. Bias worked for MAC cosmetics for eight years before becoming Curry’s “go to.”

A mother of two, Bias knew that leaving a stable, full-time job was risky, but staying would make her unhappy. She says, “I didn’t have anything set, I just knew that I needed to get out of there and work for myself. [There’s] this saying, ‘courage over comfort.’ [I thought], ‘I’m not happy here, so I’m going to go with courage, quit, and try to set myself up to do what makes me happy.’”

So she left MAC, began freelancing, and went back to school to get her esthetician’s license. It was then that one of her career dreams came true. After noticing that Curry followed her on Instagram, Bias reached out via direct message and offered her services. Curry booked Bias for one gig. Curry liked her work so much that she 48

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brought Bias onto her team.

Bias reflects, “Even working at MAC, if you would have asked what I wanted to do, [I would have said] I just want one client and I want to travel. I manifested, in a way, what I wanted. I didn’t want to be a ‘celebrity makeup artist,’ I never wanted to have all this clientele. I just wanted one muse.”

From magazine covers to editorials, If you’re not worth red carpets to television, Bias’s their time, then work is being seen they’ll move on to regularly by Curry’s 7.1 million Instagram somebody else.” followers. Recently, Bias accompanied Curry to New York for Fashion Week where she did Curry’s makeup for many high profile events, allowing Bias to check off yet another accomplishment from her career bucket list. This exposure has led to brand endorsements and guest appearances on videos with makeup companies and other MUAs. Bias hopes it will one day lead to the creation of her own makeup label akin to Kylie Jenner, Jaclyn Hill, or Huda Kattan. For context, Huda Kattan is the top makeup influencer, making around $33,000 per Instagram post.

MACRO INFLUENCING Though these Mariners work in fields that couldn’t be any more dissimilar, there are some common themes their careers share. Of the five types of influencers—Celebrity/Mega Influencers, Macro Influencers, Mid-Tier Influencers, Micro-Influencers, and Nano-Influencers—Bias and Gilyana can both be classified as “Macro Influencers,” defined as having between 100,000 and 1 million followers.

Despite what one might think, micro and macro influencers perform at least 90% of all influencer marketing. The reason? A more intimate connection and engagement with their followers than a celebrity. Statistics show that 60% of YouTube subscribers would take product recommendations from their favorite online content creator over their favorite TV or movie personality.

This personal connection is something both Bias and Gilyana appreciate about their work. One of Gilyana’s favorite aspects of the job is, “When you get to meet people and they tell you how you’ve affected them or what you do for them or that you’re a part of their family’s time.” Similarly, Bias shares, “When you give a piece of yourself, not just the makeup, but person to person, that is a whole

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other dynamic that is cool with my job. You get to meet people, interact, show tips and tricks, maybe open up a part of them that they’ve never even had.”

Bias and Gilyana both attribute the growth of their businesses one hundred percent to the advent of social media. They agree that the pressure to You get to meet stay relevant has challenged their craft by forcing them to put out high quality people, interact, show content often. To anyone trying to tips and tricks, maybe break into influencing, Gilyana advises, “It’s important to analyze your content open up a part of as a creator and see if you’re really them that they’ve giving it your 110% and bringing value to others. It’s important to analyze their never even had.” feedback and to constantly get people’s feedback. If you’re not worth their time, then they’ll move on to somebody else.”

Because of this pressure to always be creating, influencing asks a lot of the content creator and can lead to burn out. Gilyana states, “Whatever you influence is something that I hope you are passionate about or care about. It’s a 24-7 job [and] it hinders your performance if you rest. I’m glad I learned a good way to balance my life and still have fun and be sane.” And Bias cautions, “Use social media for what it is: showcasing your passion, your skill. If you’re genuine and authentic, you can’t get caught up in the riff raff of it like popularity and money. You have to remain true to yourself.”

Whatever the industry, there will always be people whose opinions we seek and trust. For Mariners looking to enter the world of influencing, know that, as Bias puts it, “Mariners have an understanding of keeping faith, community, and passion at the forefront of academic excellence. Instilling drive and high expectations individually that later develop and nurture [a strong] work ethic.” She adds these final words of advice, “‘The mind shall not be cultivated at the expense of the heart.’ - It highlights a value system designed to be grounded and fruitful, much like a business. Apply it to life after high school, building your own business, cultivating brand, and having your passion be at the forefront of whatever it is that you’re doing.”

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Mariner Reunions

1969

Moreau’s 1st Graduating Class

1974

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1975

1976

1979

6 8 1980Reunion

Band y Years lro i G e h T

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1984

Softball Reunion

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Mariner Waves ’76

Pat Cruickshank

’79

Tim O’Bayley

and his sister, Patti (O’Bayley) Aguiar ’75 are happy to be celebrating their mother’s 100th birthday! Elaine Veronica Bettencourt O’Bayley Magnani (above) turned 100 on February 14, 2020. She is also grandmother to Erin Aguiar ’00 and Daniel Aguiar ’05, and mother-in-law of Dave Aguiar ’75.

was named North Coast Section (NCS) commissioner of athletics in 2019, which put him in charge of 177 schools from Crescent City to Fremont, CA. He coached baseball, softball, and basketball as well as taught in several east bay schools including Castro Valley High, Bernard-White Middle, and San Leandro High where he worked for 19 years including four years as athletic director. After moving out to Discovery Bay, he worked at Liberty High and Heritage High, where he again served as athletic director. He feels Moreau Catholic guided his career, and from here he learned to treasure patience, empathy, and sportsmanship above all else. As NCS Commissioner, he strives to counsel both children and parents to help them both have a joyful high school athletics career as well as to prepare for life after high school sports. He hopes to encourage kids to enjoy being kids and to focus on the fun of sports in the present, not the scant possibility of sports scholarships in the future.

’90

Ana (Urbina) Reeg

married Kevin Reeg on August 3, 2019 at the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, CA (below).

’85

Erika Montgomery’s

marketing and public relations business that she founded in 2005, Three Girls Media Inc. (www.ThreeGirlsMedia. com) was named “Best Boutique Marketing Agency” in Washington state, as well as “Most Innovative Social Media Marketing Agency” in Washington

by CV Magazine. The company has experienced exceptional growth this year, building to ten employees and bringing on numerous high profile clients, including a Hollywood movie starring Lucy Hale and Jackie Cruz, “A Nice Girl Like You,” debuting early 2020.

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’86

Michael Polk

was medically retired on July 1, 2016 due to a MVA while on duty after spending nearly 20 years in Law Enforcement as a Sergeant with the State of California. He is thankful to God above to be alive. He enjoys spending each day giving Him thanks and enjoying the company of his beloved bride Nicole (above) of nearly 20 years, their 4 children, and 5 grandchildren. He also loves Facebook which helps him stay in contact with friends he grew up with and his MCHS people. To the Moreau Catholic community he says, “May God bless each and every one of you and I pray that you all remember to enjoy every day you get here on earth. Each day is a blessing and a gift from above, not every day is guaranteed. God’s Blessings to you all and Moreau Catholic High School. Go Mariners!!!

Godspeed and in Christ.”

’93

Marcela Perez

is married and has a beautiful and fun-loving 3.5 year old son (left). She earned her bachelor of science degree in Nursing (BSN) from SJSU and her master of science degree in Nursing (MSN) with a focus in Case Management from SMU. She is now an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse working as a Nurse Care/Case Manager in a Cardiology

Department at a well known hospital system. Her specialty is in Chronic Conditions Management of Heart Failure and Cardiac Rehab. She has also taken the initiative to start facilitating classes to educate Spanish-speaking patients with heart failure and those with recent heart attacks, stent placement, or cardiac bypass surgery. In addition to helping patients manage their symptoms, she helps control costs for the health care system.

’97

Jarrod Bordi

(left) accepted the position of Principal at Vallejo High School in 2018.

’98

Adam Gelb

joined the Bearcat Administrative Team in 2015 as an Assistant Principal. He has experience teaching all grade levels, elementary, middle and high school, most of which was in Dublin, California and Honolulu, Hawaii. He has also coached track, field, and baseball. He married Gabriella Ann Gelb in 2018 (below). In 2019, he piloted then launched a phonefree campus policy at San Mateo High School, making it the largest public high school in the country to go phones free.

’95

Simon Pitfield

’99

Emily Hu

is a medical device researcher with a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Duke University. She is also a multiple world-record holder in powerlifting in the 123lbs weight class, a consultant to the Spitfire App for women’s fitness, and was recently a contestant on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Titan Games TV competition (above). Hu uses her passion for lifting and her scientific background to understand how to efficiently pair the power of the mind with the potential of the body to build overall physical strength.

is the National Team Coach with USA Pentathlon and Regional Director for the western U.S. He visited Moreau Catholic in the fall to give our PE classes some fencing lessons (above).

’97

Dr. Lauren (Clark) Lek

has been a Catholic High School leader and visionary for twenty years and currently serves as the Head of School at the oldest high school in San Diego. After graduating from Moreau Catholic HIgh School in 1997, Lauren pursued her bachelor’s degree from UC San Diego, received an M.A. in Educational Leadership from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, and an Ed.D. in Educational Technology Leadership from Pepperdine University.

Her passion for helping students find their love in STEM resulted in starting robotics programs, engineering classes, receiving two Apple Distinguished School Awards, and piloting the AP Computer Science Principles program. She is an educator that passionately believes in the power of the real world connections and has launched programs with USD, UCSD, SDSU, and local San Diego corporations such as Ilumina, Qualcomm, and Solar Turbines just to name a few.

Beyond just the STEM disciplines, Lauren has successfully launched several nationally recognized

Dr. Lek was the keynote speaker at our Funding Hopes and Dreams dinner and auction in November

programs from Architects of Change with Maria Shriver, to the OLP Women’s Symposium welcoming keynote speakers such as Anne Sweeney and Summer Stephans.

Outside of the school campus, Lauren is dedicated to serving as a Rotarian for the second largest Rotary Club in the World, Club 33.

Lauren is a mother of three, a reader, writer, presenter, keynote speaker,

and a board member. Over the years she has been recognized with awards such as the CEO of the Year, a Woman who Means Business, 40 under 40, and the Athena Pinnacle Award in Education. To know Lauren, is to know an individual who finds tremendous joy with all things teenagers, and to help them become the faith filled leaders who will transform our world.

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the third annual Untold Stories live pitch event. This awarded Tsang a $1 million grant from AT&T to go toward her film and earned the film a slot in next year’s Tribecca Film Festival. Marvelous will also run across AT&T’s video platform.

’01

Les Del Rosario

keeps in close contact with his Mariner buddies. Pictured below from left to right: Juan Francisco ’99, Les, Jon Lorenzo ’99, Julius Ramirez ’99, Mai Nguyen ’99, Roberto Soto ’99, Thi Hoang ’99, Christian Daco ’99, and Andrew Ghiringhelli ’99.

’03

Kate Tsang

is doing post-production work on her film, Marvelous and the Black Hole, which was selected as the winner of

This coming-of-age comedy impressed a greenlight committee of industry leaders and film experts who selected this year’s winner after hearing pitches from five finalists. The film follows teenage delinquent Sammy Ko as she and a surly children’s party magician embark on an adventure that helps her grapple with her tumultuous home life and inner demons.

’11

Adam Robinson

is currently a graduate student at Holy Names University where he is working toward his teaching credential.

He is a teacher in the Hayward Unified School District. He also coached the 2018 National Championship Laney College football team. He and the Laney College team will appear in the Netflix series “Last Chance U,” which will premiere in July 2020.

’12

show tackles the highly emotional topic of women who were forced into sexual slavery—known as “comfort women”— by the Japanese Imperial Army during WWII. This musical is said to shed light in a true-to-life yet accessible way on a tragedy that befell approximately 200,000 mostly Korean women. Brandon is pictured in rehearsal above, right with his cast mates Abigail Choi Arader, and Tim Jim Lim (Brandon pictured above, right. Photo: Andrew Cullen/ LAist).

’15

Angela Busgano

treated the Moreau Catholic community to a moving performance of Ave Maria during the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception mass, presided

by Bishop Michael Barber, S.J. on December 9, 2020. After graduating from

Brandon English

played General Hiroshi/ Youngsun’s Husband in Dimo Kim Musical Theatre Factory’s production of Comfort Women: A New Musical, which closed its third run in Los Angeles this past fall. The

’15

Tyler Klingenbeck

graduated from UC Santa Cruz in June of 2019 with a degree in Neuroscience. He recently went on a mission trip that was organized by the Bay Area Surgical Mission (BASM) organization. They traveled to Daet, which is the capital of the Camarines Norte province in the Philippines. The team included three surgical specialties: general surgery, head & neck/ENT, and OBGYN. They completely approximately 160 cases in 5 days, which were all done free of charge to the patients. The team of clinicians was comprised of surgeons, CRNAs, NPs, RNs, as well as student volunteers like Tyler. Most of the team was from the Bay Area; however, some of the team was from New Mexico, Washington, and Iowa. All of the medical supplies and medications were collected or donated by the Kaiser hospital system.

The leader and head organizer of this medical mission is a CNOR from Kaiser Oakland who is originally from Daet and returns every two years to give free surgeries to the people of her home province. The mission is also sponsored by the governor of the Camarines Norte Province who helps spread the word of

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their mission to the community.

Tyler’s most powerful moment of this mission was at the end during their final meal as a team. One of the post-op nurses shared something that one of the patients said about the team: “My family and I had been praying for two years to receive this surgery and BASM finally answered our prayers. Without this mission, I don’t think I would be here today.” This was a powerful moment for the entire team because of the tough week they had. Tyler shares, “Medical missions rarely go as planned. There are constantly new problems and obstacles that we must problem solve and overcome and to hear that we were able to impact the lives of this entire family with our service really validates the work we did while we were there.”

Tyler is currently in the process of applying to medical school and is waiting to hear back from schools for interview invites as well as working as an EMT at Royal Ambulance in San Leandro. He is also trying to shadow one of the doctors he met on this trip and trying to find some new volunteer opportunities.

Moreau, Angela went to USF where she majored in nursing and minored in music.

Though she is interviewing at hospitals for an RN residency in pediatric nursing, she still strives to keep music in her life, and is a member of Voices of Silicon Valley choir. About her visit she reflects, “Moreau is a unique place. No one does masses like Moreau. It felt like coming home to something. It was nice to be part of it again.”

University of Ghana Legon, immersing herself in Ghanaian culture, and building proficiency in their language. Of her time as a Mariner, she says, “Moreau Catholic provided me with a safe space where I could be curious and explore my talents!

I am now able to utilize them.”

’18

Spencer Borbon

is finishing her bachelor’s of science degree in physiological science at the University of California, Los Angeles where she is also a sports medicine intern. Her goal is to apply to medical school.

is at the University of Oregon working toward a psychology degree. In his spare time he works at the non-profit, Kisports, and competes in Spartan Races. Spencer is pictured right, second from left, at the 2019 Alumni Breakfast with Daniel Vazquez ’18, Clifford Vuong ’19, and Michael Vickers ’19.

’16

’19

’16

Sarah Adams

Macey Ibalio

has traveled to 11 new countries over the past three years, including studying abroad in Hong Kong and Italy. She is currently a student at the University of Southern California working toward a bachelor’s of science degree in business and she works as an asset manager for Wells Fargo.

’16

Zachary Task

earned a repeat internship with Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA 6th District) who is a member of the U.S. House Coalition for Autism Research and Education. Task is a student at MERISTEM, which is a program for young adults on the Autism spectrum that

Caroline Au

is the latest Mariner to join a Division 1 college team. She joins UC Davis Track and Field as a Pole Vaulter, a particularly full-circle achievement as this is MCHS Pole Vault Coach Ben Greenbaum ‘00’s (Pictured below with Caroline) alma mater. She is one of four Mariners who are currently pole vaulting for a D1 team. The other three - Alexis Aquilizan ‘18, Mariah Lark ‘17, and Tommy Slakey ‘18 - wear Titans colors for California State University Fullerton.

Got a Wave?

Recently married? New job?

Baby on the way? Win a big award?

We know our Mariners are doing great things and we want to share the news!

Send us your life updates by visiting moreaucatholic.org/ AlumniKeepInTouch or email Alumni Manager, Diana (Straggas) DeFrance ’76: ddefrance@moreaucatholic.org

’19

Zoie Camille

prepares them to enter the workforce or pursue higher ed.

’17

Kadija Samura

is currently a junior at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. She is studying Economics and Education Policy with plans to pursue her master’s degree upon graduation in 2021.

Kadija is a recipient of the Boren Scholarship, a grant provided by the Department of Defense in order to build culturally competent individuals who can bridge gaps within the global world and the U.S. She is currently spending a year abroad and conducting research at the

is studying game design at the DigiPen Institute of Technology where she recently designed her own board game!

IN LOVING MEMORY

Please pay for the souls of all our dearly departed especially

William (Bill) Shindler Archbishop Alexander Joseph Brunett Clayton Magsanay ‘12 Mary McCrossen Anne Bartalini

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M O R E A U Catholic High School Golf Classic Benefiting the Brother Gary Stone, CSC, Scholarship Fund

The Brother Gary Stone, C.S.C., Scholarship Fund was created to honor the legacy of former Moreau faculty member, Br. Gary. This endowed scholarship funds several students throughout their four years.

Currently, there are 19 Br. Gary Scholars attending Moreau Catholic. These students are recognized for high academic achievement in their eighth grade year. All of the proceeds generated from the Moreau Catholic Golf Classic are dedicated to the continued growth of this fund and the support of our students.

One of those students is Zachary Usac ’21. He has been a dedicated member of the band and student government since his freshman year. He is also a music minister and, for the first time, will appear in the spring musical. This once shy young man now leads the school at rallies as the Associated Student Body Activities Commissioner.

Usac attributes his involvement at Moreau to the welcoming community and the support of his teachers, especially Social Justice Coordinator, Jerico Abanico and Band Director, Ted Newton.

To these men, Usac attributes the growth of his confidence, humility, and determination to succeed.

He shares, “Being a Brother Gary Stone recipient is truly an honor. Throughout my years at Moreau, not only has the Brother Gary Stone award been a blessing, but it has also motivated me to become the Mariner I am today. This award is such an instrumental factor in my high school career because it continuously inspires me to pursue my passions, to strive for greatness, and to never settle. I would like to thank everyone involved for helping me achieve this award, including my family and friends. It is truly a humbling experience.”

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Monday, June 15, 2020 Lake Merced Golf Club Daly City, CA Contact Diana (Straggas) DeFrance ’76 for more information.

Mariners, We Would Love to

HEAR FROM YOU!

Detach this form and mail to: Moreau Catholic High School Alumni Office, Diana (Straggas) DeFrance ’76 27170 Mission Blvd.

Hayward, California 94544

Your fellow Mariners are interested in reading about what you are doing. Please use this form to keep your classmates and other Moreau Catholic friends up-to-date on the activities in your life. Send us news about career moves, publications, additions to your family, awards, etc. We especially welcome wedding, baby, and group gathering photos.

You can also email your news to: Diana (Straggas) DeFrance ’76 at ddefrance@moreaucatholic.org. or update your information online at www.moreaucatholic.org/AlumniKeepInTouch

Full Name ________________________ Maiden Name __________________________ Zip________________ Class Year __________ Occupation ____________________Employer _________________________________ Street Address _____________________________________________________________________________ City ______________________ State ________________________ Zip ________________________________ Home Phone _______________________ Email __________________________________________________ News _____________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ moreaucatholic.org |

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27170 Mission Boulevard Hayward, CA 94544-4194 Change Service Requested

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MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS Whatever your passion—academics, athletics, campus ministry, visual and performing arts—your planned gift benefits both you and our students.

To learn more about including Moreau Catholic High School in your estate plan, please contact Director of Advancement, Doug Hupke at 510.881.4305 or email dhupke@moreaucatholic.org.