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COUNSELOR The

17301 Old Vic Boulevard | Olney, Maryland 20832

The Counselor 2021

A Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School

OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL HIGH SCHOOL A Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School : OLGCHS.org : 2021

PARENTS OF ALUMNI If this issue is addressed to a son or a daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify Catie Brown ’13, director of alumni engagement, at cbrown@olgchs.org. Learn About Us at OLGCHS.org

ART BY MATT CORRADO ’01

Alumni Shine in Arts and Entertainment Katie Mariko Murray ’10, singer and actress

CONTENTS

IN MEMORIAM

We remember the following Falcons that have passed away.

Art by Good Counsel’s own Matt Corrado ’01

May their spirit soar high. Brian Arvedlund ’92

Timothy Marx ’72

Tom Boyle ’65

Robert Mascari ’83

Tatiana Carrier (Evereklian) ’01

Jeffrey McLaughlin ’74

Michael Cherry ’71

Kevin McLaughlin ’75

Chris Courtemanche ’92

Steve Monaghan ’71

William Ferguson ’62

John Nalls ’83

Michael Grygier ’77

James Nock ’62

Omari Isreal ’03

Joe Ossi ’67

Michael Jerolaman ’68

Mary Jane Ryan ’92

Robert Kennedy ’72

Gary Sandman ’69

Kevin Kidwell ’74

William Strasser ’80

James Lenahan ’84

John Termini ’63

Matthew Loudon ’18

George Ware ’68

William T. Marcoux, Jr. ’74

Saying Goodbye to Greats

Former Falcon Athletes Shine

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list based on notifications received of alumni who passed between September 2020-July 2021.

2021

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14 8

Falcons on Tap

Dr. Suzie Miller

24 2021

Alumni in the Arts

A Foundation for Justice THE COUNSELOR

PRESIDENT'S LETTER

Back to normal. Almost.

DEAR FRIENDS We inspire our students to excel, serve and love.

We begin the 2021-22 school year with optimism for a more normal classroom experience for our students and faculty. Adults who want the vaccine have been vaccinated. Students, too, are experiencing that combination of joy and relief that comes from being two weeks past the final jab. The past 18 months have demonstrated, time and again, the resilience of the Good Counsel community. We finished the 2020-21 school year with around 800 students in the building each day, safely masked and six feet apart. Our substantial investment in Zoom Room technology proved well worth it, enabling students at home, whether close by in Olney or on the other side of the world, to participate meaningfully. The combination of talent, creativity and sheer hard work by our faculty meant our students had a quality educational experience. We capped off a demanding school year in a special way. The Class of 2021 assembled as one for the first time since the winter of 2020. On a beautiful Thursday morning in May, accompanied by a chorus of approving cicadas, we gathered on the football field to celebrate graduation for the first time in two years. We also acknowledged the retirement of colleagues who have impacted the lives of thousands of Falcons: Dick Burns (43 years), Rich Slocum (40 years) and Eleanor Donaghue (32 years). These departures leave English teacher Rich Seel, going into his 45th year, as our most senior teacher by ten years and the only remaining employee hired in the 1970s. And, back in March, we mourned the passing of our beloved Tom Kolar, a Good Counsel teacher and coach for 53 years.

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There is so much to make us proud in this issue of The Counselor. We highlight the impact alumni are making, locally, nationally and globally. Five alumni serve as judges in Montgomery County. Rio gold medalist Kyle Snyder (wrestling) has been selected for his second Olympic team. Joining him in Tokyo is gymnast Uche Eke, for the Nigerian team. And we share stories of Falcons carrying on our proud tradition of accomplishment in the arts, as actors, writers, filmmakers and recording artists. As you enjoy this year’s edition of The Counselor, may you once again feel a powerful connection to the mission of Our Lady of Good Counsel High School: We inspire our students to excel, serve and love. Warmest regards,

Paul G. Barker, Ed.D. President

CONTENTS

A publication of OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL HIGH SCHOOL A Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School 17301 Old Vic Boulevard, Olney, MD 20832 240.283.3200 | olgchs.org PRESIDENT Paul G. Barker, Ed.D. PRINCIPAL Tom Campbell ’93 2021-2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR | Philip J. Mantua ’76 VICE CHAIR | Dr. Luther Ampey, III PRESIDENT | Paul G. Barker, Ed.D. Ralph Boyd, Jr. Patrick Caulfield Christina Cocozzella Trista Colbert Br. Stephen Comeau, CFX Victor Del Pino ’94 Dr. Nancy DeNicola Dr. Eileen Haase, Ph.D. Dr. Edward Hardiman, Ph.D. Dr. David Higgins ’75 Ronald Hill ’72 Rev. Robert Lawton, S.J., Ph.D., ’65 Roger Mason, Jr. ’99 Dan Murphy ’84 Rebecca Neff Robert Ramin William Riley, Jr. ’68 Maggie Lynch Selwood ’01 Michelle Rubie-Smith Dr. Lori Scialabba, JD Cynthia Van Horn EDITOR Jane Bornhorst GRAPHIC DESIGN Lori Fields ADVANCEMENT OFFICE: Chief Advancement Officer Julie Potter Director of Advancement Services Karin Boteler Director of Alumni Engagement Catie Brown ’13 Director of Advancement Savannah Renehan Director of Annual Giving Jessica Sardella President’s Assistant Jeanette McCarthy MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE: Chief Marketing Officer Cheryl Plainte Digital Content and Social Media Coordinator Paul Kennedy Submit comments, contributions and address updates to jmccarthy@olgchs.org.

FEATURES

SPECIAL

4 Saying Goodbye to Greats

10 By the Numbers

6 Former Falcon Athletes

27 Paying it Forward

8 Falcons on Tap

ADVANCEMENT

12 Dr. Suzie Miller

22 A Legacy of Hope

Legacy faculty recall impactful careers

Shining on the world stage

Alumni with a flair for brewing craft beer

2021 recipient of the Brother Robert Arrowsmith ’63 Distinguished Alumna Award

14 Alumni in the Arts

Entertainers and creators dazzling diverse audiences

24 A Foundation for Justice

Class of 2021 Profile

Brother Mark Award winner Josie Baur

Fitzgerald Family honors lost loved one

28 Events Recap 30 Community Partners 33 Class Notes 45 In Memoriam

Five alumni serve on the bench in Montgomery County

2021

THE COUNSELOR

FEATURE

SAYING GOODBYE TO GREATS

Legacy Faculty Recall Impactful Careers Other popular productions he contributed to at Good Counsel include “Les Misérables” and “Into the Woods.” A highlight in GC’s history was the opening of the Ellen C. Mervin Theatre, a part of the school's Performing Arts Center, in 2019. Slocum directed orchestra students in the facility’s first show, a production of “Damn Yankees,” which received glowing reviews.

Dr. Richard Slocum

Dr. Richard Slocum, longtime fine arts chair, music teacher and orchestra conductor at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, retired last spring after 40 years.

▲ Rich Slocum conducts the 2019 Christmas Concert.

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Over the years, Slocum inspired scores of students to appreciate and make music. He awed audiences through his orchestral direction during school musicals, such as a 2017 production of “Titanic,” which prompted Patrick McMahon, a reviewer for DC Metro Theater Arts, to write, “Even more impressive was the orchestra pit. Made up of 16 musicians, the lush orchestrations really shined through, thanks to the musical direction of Dr. Richard Slocum.”

“Whether the jazz ensemble or the orchestra, everyone loves watching Rich conduct,” says GC President Paul Barker. “He always conveys love of the music, encouragement of the players and, of course, a great sense of humor and showmanship.” In 2014, Tim Welsh ’84 named the Dr. Richard Slocum Music Scholarship in honor of his former teacher. “Mr. Slocum helped me understand that music is a universal language that brings people together,” Welsh says. “Because I learned this from him, I have used music to help unite my family and my community.” In 2016 the school’s orchestra pit was named for Slocum and his wife, Rosemary, for their many years of service to GC’s music and performing arts programs.

Dick Burns also retired in 2021 after teaching social studies and coaching various teams at GC for over 40 years. “It was a lifestyle. I don’t think I ever viewed it as only a job,” Burns says. “Over the years, I think I’ve gained as much as I’ve given.” Early in his career, Burns had the opportunity to teach college or work for the U.S. State Department, but he chose to teach at GC instead. He says he knows he made the right choice. When Burns first started teaching in the late 1960’s, he reflected his generation’s idealism and sometimes preached social justice to his students. Over time, his style evolved and he learned to listen to his students and to help them consider other perspectives. “I tried to draw from my students and improve the gifts they were born with to make them better students and hopefully better people, to challenge them to think critically and to excel academically,” he says. Aside from teaching, Burns coached track and boys slow pitch softball at various time periods, in addition to working with the retreat program, running the school newspaper and directing summer school. Living in harmony was always a very important facet of life at GC, Burns says. Over the years, the school has benefited from a more diverse student body. “We tried very hard and I think we were successful in forming a true community,” he says. Dick Burns has two scholarships in his honor. Tim Welsh ’84 established the Richard Burns Social Studies Scholarship awarded annually to provide financial assistance to a rising senior with excellent achievement in social studies. And in 2019 the Richard Burns Endowed Scholarship was created to provide financial assistance to a rising senior who excels in athletics, service or extracurricular activities. Today, Burns has more than 1,500 connections on Facebook that came from GC. He keeps in touch with many of his

Dick Burns

Dr. Eleanor Donaghue

former students. “I had lunch recently with an alumnus, Bill Wood ’86, who gave the most outstanding graduation speech I ever heard,” he says.

can range from eating disorders to screen addiction. “When you see a kid’s grades drop, there’s something going on,” she says.

Burns is happy when he reflects back on his career. “I’ve learned there’s not one way of doing things for all people. The ability to be flexible and adaptable to the different needs people have is important,” Burns says. “I know my students have made me better, and I hope I have made them better, too.” Dr. Eleanor Donaghue retired from her role as director of personal counseling last spring after 32 years. She owns a small private practice and plans to supervise licensed counselors and possibly teach at the university level. Originally from the Philadelphia area, Donaghue taught for a number of years before joining the GC counseling staff in 1989. Donaghue worked to earn her doctorate from Catholic University while working at GC. She served as chairperson of her department for 16 years. Her team dealt with a broad spectrum of mental health issues including emotional, social, family and academic. This

“If there was a crisis, I would intervene,” Donaghue says. This process included speaking with a student’s parents, therapist if there was one, teachers if necessary and the school principal. “We try to figure out, what do we need here to help this child out in this situation?” Donaghue and the counseling staff provided resources for parents and also for GC faculty, such as a presentation on mindfulness offered in the fall of 2020. She recalls dealing with emotionally wrenching current events that affected the school and students over the years, such as the rise of school shootings, 9/11 and the DC sniper attacks. “I remember an intern I had during 9/11 said, ‘I was going to ask you how to handle a crisis; now I know,’” Donaghue recalls. She has loved working with the families and teachers at GC and enjoys hearing from former students. “A lot of kids will come back and say I helped them,” Donaghue says. “They’re the ones who make what you do worthwhile.”

To celebrate the legacies of Dick and Rich, gifts to their respective endowed scholarships can be made at www.olgchs.org/scholarships.

2021

THE COUNSELOR

FEATURE

KYLE SYNDER

Former

Falcon Athletes Shining on the World Stage By Chris McManes Our Lady of Good Counsel High School has produced several world-class athletes. Two, for example, are Olympic gold medalists. Another is among the finest soccer players in the world, and two others recently made history. Kyle Snyder (wrestling) and Jack Conger (swimming) struck Olympic gold in 2016. Margaret (Midge) Purce plays with the World Cup-winning U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT). Uche Eke became the first gymnast to represent Nigeria in the Olympics. Nicole Enabosi competed for a final spot on the Nigerian women’s Olympic basketball team. Snyder and Eke competed at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, which were postponed until July 2021. The athletes’ careers overlapped at Good Counsel.

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nyder ’14

Snyder, nicknamed “Captain America,” qualified for his second Olympics by winning the 97-kilogram class (213 pounds) at the USA Wrestling Olympic Team Trials in April. Although his training was interrupted when the pandemic hit in March 2020, he used the time to work on other things. “It allowed me to grow mentally,” Snyder says. “I visualized a lot. I got thousands of reps in my mind. At GC, Snyder enjoyed one of the finest careers in high school wrestling history. From 201113, he was 179-0 and won three National Prep championships. He was named to the prestigious 2012 Asics All-American team. As a junior in 2013, he was honored as Asics All-American Wrestler of the Year. Snyder finished high school in Colorado while in residence at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. At Ohio State University, he was a four-time All-American and three-time NCAA champion (2016-18). With Snyder’s help, the Buckeyes won their first team national championship in 2015. While still in college, Snyder won senior world titles in 2015 and ’17 at 97 kg. He graduated with a degree in sport industry and was a 2017 CoSIDA secondteam Academic All-American. He earned his Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. He is the youngest World and

Olympic champion in U.S. wrestling history. “I compete because God wants me to,” he said. “I know he made me to be a wrestler at this point in my life, and I’ll compete until he tells me to stop. God teaches me a lot about himself through wrestling.”

UCHE EKE Eke (eh-kay) punched his history-making ticket to Tokyo by winning the all-around bronze medal at the 2021 African Games in Cairo in late May. Growing up, Eke trained in Laurel, Md., with Fairland Gymnastics. The Maryland-born athlete was able to represent Nigeria because his father, Daniel, is from there. Following his 2015 graduation from GC, where he competed in track and field, Eke joined the men’s gymnastics team at the University of Michigan. In 2017, he advanced to the NCAA Championships in parallel bars. He graduated from Michigan with a bachelor’s in computer science and a master’s in information. Eke won Nigeria’s first gymnastics medals at the African Games in 2019 by capturing bronze on parallel bars and gold on pommel horse. Qualifying for the Olympics was a lifelong goal.

MIDGE PURCE Purce, who has also played on U.S. U17, U20 and U23 national teams, made her USWNT debut in November 2019 against Costa Rica. She scored her first goal

FEATURE

Jan. 22, 2021 in the United States’ 6-0 win over Colombia.

“Thank you for your leadership and for being a role model to so many young women and girls around this country,” Jill Biden said.

Although Purce wasn’t picked for the 18-member Olympic team, she is still in good position to compete in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

JACK CONGER At the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, Conger won a gold medal on the 800m (meter) freestyle relay team. During the 2018 Short Course World Championships in China, he captured gold in the 200m free relay and 400 medley relay.

In a Dec. 2, 2020 feature story on USA Swimming’s website, Conger said that during the early days of the pandemic, he was fortunate to keep training. While many pools were closed, he had access to a facility where he could continue lifting weights, doing dryland exercises and most importantly, swimming. Conger qualified in five events for the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials but failed to make the team.

After introducing the First Lady, Purce drew praise from her.

her teams were 71-7-9 (.868 winning percentage) and won three WCAC championships. She scored 101 career goals and had 39 assists. She is a 2013 graduate.

In August 2020, Purce was elected to the Harvard Board of Overseers, one of the school’s two governing boards. In March 2021, she and U.S. national teammate Megan Rapinoe visited President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House to discuss equal pay for women.

e ’1 5

Nico

Purce was a four-time All-Ivy League first-team selection and two-time All-American (third team in 2013; first in 2016). After graduating from Harvard with a degree in psychology, she was the ninth overall selection of the 2017 National Women’s Soccer League College Draft. She plays for NJ/NY Gotham FC and represented the USA in the 2021 WNT Summer Series.

Conger was a member of three NCAA championship teams (2015-17) and graduated from Texas with a degree in corporate communications.

NICOLE ENABOSI After finishing her first professional season with the Slovakian team MBK Ružomberok in the spring, the

si ’1 5

Enabosi missed playing with Nigeria in the 2018 FIBA World Cup in Spain due to injury. She was named the 2018 Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year when she played for the University of Delaware. The 6’0” forward was a leading scorer for GC during her senior year.

Prior to graduating from GC in 2013, Conger broke the oldest national high school record in the books in the 500y (yard) free by more than two seconds (4:13.87). As a junior at the University of Texas, Conger won three NCAA championships on relay teams (400y medley, 200 free, 800 free). The next year (2017), he became an individual

She was named MVP for the season in Slovakia thanks to her stats; she scored 435 points shooting 65% from the field for the season.

’

At Harvard University in 2013, Purce became the first freshman women’s soccer player in Ivy League history to be honored as Rookie and Player of the Year. She helped lead the Crimson to three conference championships and ranks third in school history with 42 career goals and fifth in points (96).

During her four seasons (2009-12) with the Falcons,

2015 Good Counsel graduate fought to go to the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games with the D’Tigress of Nigeria this summer, but didn’t make the final roster. Enabosi started playing with the squad in May, and told ojbsport.com at the time that she was elated to be part of such a talented team. The sports site called Enabosi “a rare gem on the path to greatness.”

national champion in the 200y butterfly in an NCAA- and Americanrecord 1:37.35.

Midge P

e urc

2021

Chris McManes (mick-maynz) is an award-winning sports writer from Hyattsville, Md.

THE COUNSELOR

◀ Natural State Beer Co.

its annual “Oaktoberfest” featuring a traditionally-made Oktoberfest beer that takes three months to make. The event will include activities for kids, German food specials and an Oom-pah band. “We’ll get very festive,” Hilton says. His nephew, Brady Campbell ’22, plays football at GC and works at Lone Oak with about six other GC students and some alumni, in the kitchen and in other capacities, says Hilton, who coached GC’s junior varsity golf team from 2005-07.

FALCONS ON TAP Alumni with a Flair for Brewing Craft Beer

The production of craft beer in the U.S. doubled between 2011-16, with brewpubs and beer farms gaining immense popularity. Several alumni are involved in the brewing of craft beers, some right down the road from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney. Kevin Hilton ’01 is the brew master at Lone Oak Farm Brewing Company in Olney. After having worked as a brewer in D.C. and in Georgia at the beginning of his career, Hilton started looking for an opportunity closer to home.

“I enjoy the artistic and scientific nature of brewing. It’s a bit of both worlds. You get to be creative, but you have to go about it scientifically,” he says. “It’s really fulfilling to be able to create something and have people enjoy it.”

“At first there weren’t a lot of craft breweries in Maryland, but in the two-and-a-half years I was gone, the industry exploded,” he says.

Lone Oak has 24 total taps, with six regular beers. Another 18 change with the seasons. “There’s a lot of room to play around,” Hilton says.

“I heard about Lone Oak opening and it just happened to be in Olney where Good Counsel is, and everything ended up working out,” Hilton says. “I got to come home and brew beer.” One of the owners of Lone Oak, Chris Miller, attended GC for two years, but he and Hilton had never met. “We discussed the vision of Lone Oak and what they were looking for,” Hilton says. Soon, he was hired on as brew master.

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In addition to craft beer, the brewery produces and offers hard seltzers, alcoholic sodas and frozen alcoholic drinks that are popular in the summer. The brewery runs from the farm and is geared toward families. “We are using a lot more local ingredients this year,” Hilton says, including fruit from nearby Butler’s Orchard. In late September, Lone Oak will host

Artist Matt Corrado ’01 (see page 20) designed Lone Oak’s beer labels and created artwork for the brewery. Hilton enjoys seeing GC alumni at the Lone Oak. “We appreciate their support,” he says. At Natural State Beer Co. in Northwest Arkansas, Will Sonneman ’01 loves the chemical engineering involved in brewing. “The microbiology aspect of it and dealing with the yeast is fascinating,” he says. “The stainless steel, pumping systems, compressed air and use of numerous types of energy – you can lose yourself in it. The end result is delicious beer.” For Sonneman, a typical day starts with big bags of malted barley. “Our specialty grains are sourced from Heidelberg, Germany,” he says. “We grind them down so the barley is broken open. That enables the starches inside to make contact with water and turn themselves into sugar-like solution.” Next, water is added and then taken out, leaving a sugary substance behind. “We boil it for an hour and a half, draw it through a series of pipes and manifolds using pumps throughout the brewery to do various tasks. Then we put it in casks for fermenting with the real star, yeast. Then the sugar becomes alcohol,” Sonneman explains. It takes about eight days to make the beer using this process, and the fermentation takes another eight weeks. “We have 12 beers on tap at any given time, and all of them are house-made.

FEATURE

They rotate seasonally,” he says. Sonneman, who originally went to culinary school, is inspired by food to make new beer flavors. “It’s much more palate dynamic than wine when paired with food. I love the process – the sights and the smells. I remember the first day of culinary school, when onion and garlic hit the pan and became fragrant. It’s the same with brewing, when grain hits the heat—it smells so good.” Back in Olney, GC alumni from the Muth family work to create many flavors at Brookeville Beer Farm. Rachel Muth ’16 and her brothers, Philip Muth ’13, Jack Muth ’14, and Marshall Muth ’18 work there. The farm was founded by their father in the summer of 2016. The farm’s crops go into the brewery, and an adjacent tasting room and outdoor space provide ample gathering space. The brewery houses a ten-barrel system with four bright tanks and eight conical fermenters. The excess brewing ingredients are turned into compost for the farm. Rachel Muth loves working at her family’s business. “It doesn’t feel like work,” she says. “At the end of the day, someone’s always going to be there to make you laugh, so it’s very fun.” Muth makes pizza at Brookeville in a large brick oven, and is the resident artist. She painted the outdoor shed where bands play and recently designed labels for a new can size.

From Schoolteacher to Sommelier Brookeville Beer can ▶ labels designed by Rachel Muth

Several other alumni work at Brookeville, including Ronald “Gavin” Rickert ’16, pizza cook, and Natalie Martinez ’17, server. Other alumni work there periodically. Many customers are Rachel’s old classmates and teachers. She loves reconnecting with the GC community. “A lot of people in the area want to support us, which is really nice,” she says. Joe Hospital ’72, founded the Dogfish Head Alehouse in cooperation with the Delaware brewery of the same name in 2005. Today, it has three locations. Under an exclusive license agreement with Dogfish Head Ale, the Alehouse serves up its brews along with food. “At one point the Rehoboth Dogfish Head Brewpub was the smallest brewery in the country,” Hospital says. “I thought the beer was pretty fantastic.” So Hospital approached Dogfish about a working relationship so he could help sell the beer in restaurants. The Alehouse does frequent fundraisers for local charities, including serving beer and lunch at the Steve Dean Golf Tournament in the past.

Photo credit: Tom Hilton ’64 Olney Winery

Joe McCall ’79, former GC history teacher and boys’ varsity basketball coach, is president and owner of Olney Winery. The unique, nationally recognized wine producer sources its grapes from around the world. Named the Olney Business Partner of the Year in 2014 by the chamber of commerce, it is a small, family-owned business. McCall says his sister came up with the idea in 2012. “It was great timing, when the craft wine and alcohol industry was really starting to take off,” he says. At first, Olney Winery was a simple tasting room where the wine was made on site. “We started attending festivals around the state, and then started wholesaling.” The winery’s 10th anniversary is this year. Its wines are sold in about 800 stores.

“The core of our customer base is very aware of the craft beer movement,” Hospital says. “They appreciate that Dogfish has a lot of variety in their styles, so we can offer a lot of types of beer.”

“We’re a different concept because we’re a winery but not a vineyard. In some ways it’s an advantage because we can make any wine we want; we’re not limited by what we grow,” McCall says.

The restaurants are family friendly, he says. “It’s a dining experience augmented with great craft beer. The kitchens are all scratch cooking. We think that complements the brewer’s mentality. It has been a great success for us.”

To commemorate GC, he says, he added “X Bros” to the Pinot Noir label in honor of the Xaverian Brothers.

2021

THE COUNSELOR

GOOD COUNSEL BY THE NUMBERS

BY THE NUMBERS

CLASS OF 2021

49%

attending US News Top 100 National Universities and Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges

PROFILE

40%

attending private colleges

in the 25 students STEM program offered

totaling 95 scholarships $4.4 million

or university

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co l

Attending 130 colleges and universities in 29 states, the District of Columbia, Hong Kong, Canada and United Kingdom

73% attending college out of state

27% attending a Maryland college 2021

ed )

GRADUATES 49% accepted

$34.3 million

scholarships totaling

rsity (report

319

ance to a four-y t p ea cce r

62% received four-year academic

attending Ivy League Universities

or e g le

e univ

into Honors Programs across 28 colleges and universities

GOOD COUNSEL BY THE NUMBERS

in the 32 students International

Baccalaureate Program awarded academic scholarships totaling

9 55

$5.7 million

National Merit Commended Students Ryken Program students earned academic scholarships totaling

$3.3 million

31 NCAA

student athletes received scholarship offers totaling

$2.6 million Contributed

30,000

community service hours

National Merit Finalists

National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholars

Class of 2013-16 alumni graduated college faster than the national average

36%

Class of 2021 graduates are attending one of the following US NEWS Top 100 National Universities and Top 50 Liberal Arts Schools Princeton University

University of Georgia

Yale University

Lehigh University

United States Naval Academy

Northeastern University

University of Pennsylvania

University of Miami

Johns Hopkins University

Ohio State University

Northwestern University

Purdue University

Duke University

Villanova University

Cornell University

Florida State University

University of Notre Dame

Syracuse University

University of California - Los Angeles

University of Maryland - College Park

Wesleyan University

University of Pittsburgh

Emory University

Pennsylvania State University

Bates College

Loyola Marymount University

University of California - Berkeley

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Georgetown University

Clemson University

University of Southern California

Virginia Tech

Carnegie Mellon University

America University

University of Virginia

Baylor University

New York University

Howard University

Bucknell University

North Carolina State University

Georgia Institute of Technology

Elon University

University of California - San Diego

Marquette University

Oberlin College

University of Arizona

Skidmore College

University of Delaware

University of California - Davis

Miami University - Oxford

Boston University

Temple University

University of Madison - Wisconsin

Drexel University

Dickinson College

ACADEMICS AT GOOD COUNSEL

13:1 19 89% 1:1

Student/Faculty Ratio Average Class Size of Faculty hold Master’s or Advanced Degrees iPad Program

2021

THE COUNSELOR

FEATURE

A CONVERSATION WITH…

DR. SUZIE MILLER ’95 2021 recipient of the Brother Robert Arrowsmith ’63 Distinguished Alumna Award

Location:

This interview was conducted in the spring of 2021.

Melbourne, Austrialia

PB: How did you end up in Melbourne? What has it been like to live there during the pandemic? SM: My husband, Adam, is a health policy professor at the University of Melbourne. We live in Camberwell, a beautiful leafy, hilly suburb. We had lived in Sydney previously, and now find we prefer the diversity of Melbourne. Our children, Owen and Isla, attend a bilingual English/ French school. By Dr. Paul Barker

Dr. Barker Zoomed with this year’s recipient of the Brother Robert Arrowsmith ’63 Distinguished Alumna Award. Dr. Suzie Miller lives in Melbourne, Australia, and is the first female recipient of this award.

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We appreciate the way Australia is caring for its people during the pandemic. The public health response has been strong; a single case of COVID seems enough to trip the circuit breaker and close down interstate borders. Here, people are wearing masks on public transportation, but the virus is reasonably under control which means school and social events have generally been maskless.

PB: You have traveled to all seven continents. When you think of all your global travel experiences, what is most special? SM: It has to be Antarctica. It’s so hard to get to. I was the medical director for Racing the Planet. This involved ultradistance running in some very tough and remote places. As part of the race, I had already been to three deserts: the Atacama in Chile, the Gobi in Mongolia, and the Sahara. On the way south from Chile, during the sea voyage across the Drake Passage (from Cape of Good Hope to Antarctica), the boat rolled so much that you could not keep food on the

table. Once there, you got to see what the world looks like when humans don’t intervene. The colors – white, black, and blue – and the sheer scale are extraordinary.

PB: Good Counsel students (in normal times) have many opportunities to travel internationally – what would you say to a student wondering whether it’s worth it? SM: Go! Growing up, we did not travel internationally as a family. When I was at GC, I was inspired to think about the wider world by my English teacher, Mrs. Guilermo. I made a pact with myself that I would travel. I went to the UK. I picked up a job at the Cambridge Folk Festival making £10 an hour and that funded my travels around Europe. I had a life-changing opportunity to go to Harvard, but I think I learned more in three months traveling on my own through Europe than I did in a year at Harvard. If I could be queen of the world, I think I would make everyone go somewhere abroad for a year. That exposure would make us all kinder and more tolerant.

PB: You mentioned Harvard. Your college pedigree is the envy of many – Harvard and Stanford. What would you say to today’s Falcons who have similar aspirations? SM: Don’t get hung up on getting into a name school. Wherever you go, the key is the community of people and where you’re going to thrive.

I do think we need more liberal arts education. Being able to read, think and speak critically are the most critical skills to gain as an undergraduate.

PB: What drew you to a career in medicine and emergency medicine in particular? SM: I had a pet beagle, Snickers, who was always sick. As a 7 year old I was completely fascinated by what the vet did. I was going to be a vet. Then, when I was 16, I was on the basketball court in Ogden, Utah, with my GC and AAU teammate Kari (Gaskins) McDonough ’95 when she tore her ACL during a game. Seeing all that pain and then seeing how Kari came back from it flipped my interest to human medicine, and I was going to be an orthopedic surgeon. That lasted until I was asked to cut off someone’s leg! I tried plastic surgery, ENT and pediatric cardiology. I liked everything. That’s when I figured out that I would get to do a bit of everything in emergency medicine.

PB: How do you look at the role sports have played in your life? People can google you and find your Harvard basketball heroics. You played in the controversial 1995 Valentine’s Day game versus Seton and the City Title victory over Coolidge at Cole Field House. What are some of your GC athletics memories? SM: Before I was even enrolled at GC, I remember going into the gym in Wheaton. That

If I could be queen of the world, I think I would make everyone go somewhere abroad for a year. That exposure would make us all kinder and more tolerant.

musty smell, that squeaky floor. I just loved it. I also loved that we were able to wear our jerseys on game days. I came in with Kari and Corey (Hewitt) Weible ’95. Our arrival was not without controversy. A lot of people thought we needed to wait our turn, but we weren’t ready to do that. We loved our coach and then she got fired. Then we had Coach Eastman, such a calm, sweet, wonderful man. He died of pancreatic cancer. And in senior year, when we won the league and the City Championship, we had Coach Billy Langloh. I remember he wore shorts and flip flops. Because he was trying to give up smoking, he always had a lollipop in his mouth. I also love that GC was a place where I could play three sports without trouble. We had a good volleyball team. And track Mr. Arnold made me almost want to vomit every day. I was definitely the slow poke, but he coached us to a record in the 4 x 200-meter relay.

Laura Prangley

Phylicia Pearl Mpasi

PB: You’re the first woman to receive the Br. Bob Arrowsmith ’63 Distinguished Alumnus Award. Our graduates head into a very different world than you did 26 years ago. Any message to inspire our young women? SM: At GC, I got a level of education such that I didn’t think Harvard was terribly hard. Don’t worry about being a woman, just be the best human. The world is still very much tilted towards men. It’s the men who need to change and be more understanding and supportive so that young women can be all they can be.

2021

THE COUNSELOR

Byron Jackson

Matt Corrado

table. Once there, you got to see what the world looks like when humans don’t intervene. The colors – white, black, and blue – and the sheer scale are extraordinary.

I do think we need more liberal arts education. Being able to read, think and speak critically are the most critical skills to gain as an undergraduate.

If I could be queen of the world, I think I would make everyone go somewhere abroad for a year. That exposure would make us all kinder and more tolerant.

Laura Prangley

Phylicia Pearl Mpasi

2021

THE COUNSELOR

Byron Jackson

Matt Corrado

FEATURE for building the business with Freddie,” Corrado says. Today, he is living his dream, putting his creativity into projects related to sports, another of his passions. He painted murals around D.C. for the Washington Capitals’ “All Caps” campaign ahead of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs and for the Ravens. His mural is on a moveable wall at the NFL stadium and has become a popular selfie spot for fans.

Katie Mariko Murray

I N M ALUE ARTS

Matt Corrado created a piece of artwork for GC, featured on our back cover.

Matt

IN TH

Inspired by comic books, cartoons, hip hop, skateboarding and graffiti, Matt Corrado ’01 has spun his passion for graphic art into a widely acclaimed business with clients that include the Washington Capitals, Baltimore Ravens, Angry Orchard and private art collectors.

nd film, a ts r a l a u is v d acting to n a y d e m o c dazzling From re a i n m lu a l e Couns creative Good where. y r e v e s e c n ie aud

Nicole Emanuele

CORRADO

Corrado’s work was recently featured on the national stage when he designed a golf bag for PGA player Jordan Spieth and appeared in a television commercial for the Pebble Beach Pro-Am Tournament. The project was part of a promotion for AT&T, Spieth’s sponsor. “It was unique for golf. The bags are usually pretty straightforward, and this one really stood out,” says Corrado, whose art is colorful and eye-catching.

Larry Langton

Corrado always loved art and wanted to be an artist. “I knew from the time when I could first hold a crayon, when I was about five years old. I didn’t really know how to do it, but I figured I’d keep making things and see where it went,” he says. At Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, he enjoyed art classes and illustrated posters and flyers for the school newspaper.

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2021

Visual Artist

“Teachers would ask me to do things like that because they knew I had that ability,” Corrado says. “I even did a commissioned illustration of the school – a pen and ink drawing – that the school used for marketing. That was when I knew I could turn this into a career.” After studying illustration in college, Corrado returned to the D.C. area and took on design jobs doing illustration and graphic design for various clients. Eventually, he reconnected with Good Counsel classmate Freddie Carlini ’01, who had a background in digital media and web development. “We were in a band together and kept in touch,” Corrado says. The two started working together and eventually formed Bright Light Media, a graphic design and digital media company in Kensington, Md. The two are co-creative directors. Many clients have been GC alumni or referrals from alumni, especially when the studio first opened, he says. “That network has been a strong base

In the fall of 2020, Corrado painted a mural at Angry Orchard’s cider house in Walden, N.Y. “It’s on their iconic barn. It brings some Brooklyn flavor and city vibes up to the orchard. You don’t expect a graffiti art popup mural to be on the side of an old barn,” Corrado says. He loves putting his art anywhere – on objects like basketballs and chairs, or on walls and canvas. “I always loved drawing and painting, especially pop art,” Corrado says. He splits his time between creating fine art, commissions and murals, and sometimes digital media, photography and illustrations. This year, Corrado also visited GC to speak to students in art classes and share his work, at the request of fine arts teacher Nick Clulow. “With the arts, there are so many kids who are interested in it – any kind of art, visual, theater, music – but it’s not always easy to see how there’s a career path. Any time I can share my story and help them understand how they can turn that into a career, it’s really worthwhile,” he says. Corrado always had an entrepreneurial mentality. “Six or seven years ago, I started to draw and paint more to consciously develop the style I work in now. It’s a very pop art, graphic style with repeated elements like colors, drips and patterns,” he says. “I made more of a conscious effort to develop my own style that people could recognize. I wanted people to see my work and know it was me.”

Laura

PRANGLEY

Comedian and Producer

For a comedian who has written jokes for “Saturday Night Live” and appeared on Comedy Central’s “Inside Amy Schumer,” Laura Prangley ’04 is very down to earth.

nature of her beginnings at open mic nights. “Especially at Conde Nast, I’d work with a lot of celebrities, and they’re just regular people,” she says.

Prangley, a successful comedian, writer, producer and performer, has many entertainment credits to her name. She first fell in love with standup comedy when her parents took her to a standup show at the DC Improv for her 16th birthday. She immediately enrolled in improv classes at the club and started performing when she was 17.

Prangley has been seen in Tru TV’s “Friends of the People,” Comedy Central’s “Inside Amy Schumer,” SELF Magazine’s “Girl vs. Sweat” and Yahoo’s “Mansome.” She has performed standup on “The Truth About Money” PBS special and at various comedy festivals. While in New York, she also wrote jokes for “Saturday Night Live’s” Weekend Update.

The night before she graduated from Good Counsel High School, Prangley performed at the Improv. At least 30 members of the audience were teachers and friends from Good Counsel, she says. “Such support is really rare,” she says. “The support was the main thing. I felt like I could really grow at the school.” After high school, Prangley studied film at Virginia Tech and spent summers interning with the comedy group Upright Citizens Brigade. She moved to New York City in 2008 and created a variety of shows, including “Uncorked Comedy,” “A Punchline Grows in Brooklyn,” “Too Soon” and “Hokies of Comedy.” In 2012 she founded By The Bay Productions. The company focused on developing, shooting, editing and pitching TV concepts. This led her to Conde Nast Entertainment where she developed and produced video content for top brands such as Allure, Teen Vogue, Vanity Fair, Wired and Vogue. “It’s been a ride,” she says. But even when working with huge celebrities, Prangley keeps her cool thanks to the humbling

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2021

At the same time, she was working as a receptionist answering phones to support herself for two years. Prangley warns that there are no shortcuts in the entertainment business. “You have to spend years working hard and working your way up. The creative process takes a long time. In the beginning, not making much money can be frustrating.” During those early years, Prangley was working even when she wasn’t at work. “I was reading scripts, meeting people, watching films, and seeing shows every night. You have to put your ego aside. That goes back to working hard, starting at the bottom,” she says.

Byron Preston Jackson ’02 is an actor living in L.A. who recently starred in an episode of “Wild West Chronicles” on the INSP cable and digital network. He played Bass Reeves, the first African American deputy U.S. Marshal in the American western frontier in the 19th century. Reeves was born into slavery, escaped and eventually became a respected law enforcement officer who arrested more than 3,000 dangerous criminals during his career. “People are just starting to understand he was the inspiration for the Lone Ranger,” Jackson says. Because Reeves was a real historical figure, Jackson wanted to perfect his performance through research and reflection. “I wanted to ground the performance in reality,” he says. “I tried to take what I know about my grandfathers, especially my grandfather on my dad’s side, who was the son of a sharecropper, and put that into the role. I wanted to take those resources and do Bass Reeves justice,” Jackson says. Reeves had to navigate the difficult climate that former slaves faced, he adds. “He was illiterate, but he learned by watching and

looking. His experience as a runaway slave gave him survival tactics like tracking and shooting, which he used as a marshal.” Filming the show was exciting, Jackson says, because he had to ride a horse for the first time, act out a gun fight and film a scene in which Bass punches out criminal Jim Webb. Drones filmed much of the outdoor footage. The fight scene was informed in part by Jackson’s background in martial arts. Before acting, he taught at multiple schools of martial arts. Growing up, he loved action and science fiction movies and idolized actors like Wesley Snipes, Will Smith and Bruce Lee. “How could you not love the amazing Bruce Lee?” Jackson laughs, adding that Lee inspired him to study martial arts when he was young. Before and during the pandemic, Jackson also starred in many commercials, including one for Hilton that ran during March Madness in 2016. An old classmate from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School called him to tell him he was on TV. “That was pretty cool,” Jackson says. He has also appeared in a music video for the group The Plot in You, for the song “Feel

Nothing” and in the short film “Conduits: The Roddey Transmissions.” Although he had steady commercial work after his move to California in 2015, Jackson made a big push to do theatrical work, with the help of his manager. Then the pandemic happened. He was happy to audition for and book the part of Bass Reeves, especially because he and his fellow actors worried that auditions would disappear. He did his line read for the part virtually using a tripod camera while on the set of a commercial he was filming. “Because it was my first production, I was a little critical of myself. But I was pleasantly surprised by how it turned out,” he says. Jackson says playing Reeves was inspiring. “Escaping that horrible situation, being able to go find another community to be able to fit in, gives you a little bit of hope.” “There are many unsung heroes like that throughout history,” he says. “I think now more than ever, that’s the moral. We all need to push for what we know is right and wrong.” Jackson says he learned those morals in part at Good Counsel. “I look back at those years as definitely the best time of my life. The school was more diverse than I was expecting it to be, which was wonderful,” he says. “It was a good vibe. You could be in anyone else’s clique. You could sit at any table at lunch.”

Today, Prangley lives in L.A. with her husband, Adam Abramson, who works on “The Late Late Show with James Cordon,” and her 1-year-old son, Archer.

Jackson says his experiences at sophomore and junior retreats helped shape his sense of empathy, which in turn helps his acting. “You hear others’ stories and you relate them to you, if you’re open,” he says.

Since 2020, she has been working as a creative consultant on multiple projects and pitching ideas to streaming services like Netflix. She also creates her own content and works in many areas, developing podcasts, working with a friend on a film that is in early development, and in the home renovation and gardening spaces. “I probably have 30 projects going, but it’s going to take the one that gets made for my family to understand what I do,” she laughs.

“To me, those experiences echo through time.”

Byron Preston 16

JACKSON

Actor

Laura

PRANGLEY

Comedian and Producer

For a comedian who has written jokes for “Saturday Night Live” and appeared on Comedy Central’s “Inside Amy Schumer,” Laura Prangley ’04 is very down to earth.

nature of her beginnings at open mic nights. “Especially at Conde Nast, I’d work with a lot of celebrities, and they’re just regular people,” she says.

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2021

Today, Prangley lives in L.A. with her husband, Adam Abramson, who works on “The Late Late Show with James Cordon,” and her 1-year-old son, Archer.

“To me, those experiences echo through time.”

Byron Preston 16

JACKSON

Actor

Katie Mariko New York City and regional theater actress Katie Mariko Murray ’10 has starred in musicals like “Hairspray,” “Into the Woods,” “Mamma Mia!” and “The King and I.” She produced and sang in a music video, acted in the short film “Double Exposure” and during the pandemic, was featured as just one of 12 esteemed actors in the virtual Signature Theatre production “Simply Sondheim.” Murray made her first forays into acting in a middle school production playing the role of Cinderella, and at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in the drama program. “At Good Counsel, I did two Sondheim shows, ‘Into the Woods’ and ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,’” Murray says. The summer after her junior year, she took part in Montgomery College’s Summer Dinner Theatre. “It was semi-professional in an educational atmosphere,” Murray says. There, she met college students who were studying musical theater. “A lightbulb went off and I realized there was an avenue to keep pursuing this.” Murray studied theater at Pennsylvania State University in a 25-year-old program. “They have so many connections, which is what my business is all about. I’ve booked countless jobs because of weird connections,” Murray says. After college, Murray moved to New York City and found an agent, who began setting her up with auditions for a wide range of work: Broadway shows, television shows, commercial work and regional theater work. “Because of my connections to D.C., I had been involved with Signature Theater in college. That helped me get a leg up in my professional career,” Murray says. “Signature Theater has given me many opportunities throughout the years. I cherish it so much.”

MURRAY Theater Actor, Singer, and Dancer

For actors, things can turn on a dime, Murray adds. “When I beat myself up about not getting work, I tell myself things could turn around tomorrow. It takes a flexible philosophy.” Murray says she loves having a nomadic life and spontaneous adventures. “It’s allowed me to dream big and imagine that more is possible for me,” Murray says. “You get jaded when you can’t see the possibility any more.” “Especially during the pandemic, there was no stability for me,” she says. Murray says it was humbling to see theater work and her identity disappear in 2020. “I had to redefine myself and relearn confidence. I started meditating and exploring nature and just breathing. It became so healing. I think I will take that sentiment back into the theater,” she says.

Emanuele was part of the film club at GC, led by Father Gross and Mr. Colin, which included talents like comedian Laura Prangley ’04 (see page 15) and Drexel University film professor Nicholas Natalicchio ’05.

Emanuele is development lead for YouTube Originals – original series, movies and events from YouTube. She also creates her own films under White Horse, the production company she founded with writer-director Devyn Waitt in 2010. There, she independently produced the Driver film, “Not Waving But Drowning,” directed by Waitt, when she was just 25. The picture also starred a young Reinhart, who went on to star in the hit TV show “Riverdale.”

“It was really special to have this community of people that were interested in film at GC who all came together to inspire the journey,” Emanuele says.

“It has been really incredible to see Lili blossom and find such success,” Emanuele says. “We worked with her in her early teens and she was so committed already. She and her mother drove hours to audition with us!”

With Signature, Murray has starred in shows like “West Side Story,” “Camille Claudel” and “Passion.” She also started taking replacement gigs on Broadway. “You walk into a show that’s already running. It’s crazy and exciting. I think actors don’t get enough credit for that – there’s no incubation period; they just jump in,” she says.

A film director, writer and producer, Nicole Emanuele ’04 has scores of projects under her belt and has worked with plenty of household names, including Adam Driver and Lili Reinhart. This year, she is working on a documentary with Alicia Keyes.

Murray also took up painting and collaborated with her brother on a music video in which she covered Audrey Cefaly’s song “Salt Lake” at Cefaly’s request. “Her song was about the pandemic and it really moved me,” Murray says. “My brother helped me film it. I learned how to edit it together and I played the piano and sang. It made me feel more expansive as an artist,” she says. An opportunity she had in early 2021 was appearing as part of the cast for Signature Theatre’s virtual production of “Simply Sondheim,” featuring classic songs from the masterful composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. “It was a really beautiful way of showing his work in a black box sense. There were no sets and no costumes. We had to create the atmosphere using just our talent,” Murray says. The production schedule was intense, with just two weeks of rehearsals and one day of shooting. Actors were under a lot of pressure, she says. (Continued » p. 32)

It was also amazing to work with Adam Driver, she says, adding that he brings a unique energy to all of his work. Emanuele knew from a young age that she wanted to work in film. She credits her inspiration to her cousin and fellow Our Lady of Good Counsel High School alumnus, Larry Langton ’98. “Larry is an incredibly positive and awesome person. He’s a wonderful filmmaker and a great cinematographer.” Langton and Emanuele recently made the short film “Wingmen” about young female fighter pilots, inspired by Emanuele’s sister Francesca Emanuele ’11, who attended the U.S. Naval Academy.

After graduation, she studied motion picture, television, and recording arts in a small cohort of students at Florida State. Then Emanuele moved to New York City with Prangley and worked at Cinetic Media, where she learned the ropes of film production. Cinetic is known in recent years for Academy Award winners like “Free Solo” and “Green Book.” Next, she moved on to making her own films. After making “Not Waving But Drowning,” Emanuele began working at YouTube producing and overseeing the creation of original content.

“I develop series and movies,” she says. “The thing I’m proudest of is ‘On Becoming a God in Central Florida,’” she says. The dark comedy television series about a pyramid scheme organization starred Kirsten Dunst. Production stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it received many accolades, and Dunst was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Emanuele was also involved when YouTube produced the smash hit comedy series “Cobra Kai.” “It was the best pitch I’ve ever seen,” she says. The show was later sold to Netflix. Yet another project, “Step Up Highwater,” was YouTube’s first big budget drama series. “It was my job to figure out how that was going to happen,” she says. Emanuele has produced dozens of documentary shows and movies for YouTube. “Life in a Day 2020” was a compilation of video footage captured by people from 160 countries showcasing real moments from their lives during the pandemic. “To have this opportunity to look into people’s lives was really special,” she says. (Continued » p. 32)

Nicole

EMANUELE

Filmmaker

When Emanuele was at Good Counsel, Langton helped her with a film project for Father Gross’s class based on the C.S. Lewis book “Prince Caspian.” “Father Gross loved it and gave it a 100%. It’s still my best project to date,” she says. “This led to me working with Larry on his thesis film for Temple and many years of collaboration.”

MURRAY Theater Actor, Singer, and Dancer

“It was really special to have this community of people that were interested in film at GC who all came together to inspire the journey,” Emanuele says.

Nicole

EMANUELE

Filmmaker

FEATURE Today, he is living his dream, putting his creativity into projects related to sports, another of his passions. He painted murals around D.C. for the Washington Capitals’ “All Caps” campaign ahead of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs and for the Ravens. His mural is on a moveable wall at the NFL stadium and has become a popular selfie spot for fans.

Katie Mariko Murray

In the fall of 2020, Corrado painted a mural at Angry Orchard’s cider house in Walden, N.Y.

I N M ALUE ARTS

Matt Corrado created a piece of artwork for GC, featured on our back cover.

Matt

IN TH

film, d n a ts r a l a u ting to vis c a d n a y d e m azzling d From co re a i n m lu a Counsel d o o G e v ti a re c r ywhere. e v e s e c n ie d u a

Nicole Emanuele

CORRADO

Larry Langton

20 OLGCHS 2021 Gate PRINT.indd 20

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Visual Artist

“Teachers would ask me to do things like that because they knew I had that ability,” Corrado says. “I even did a commissioned illustration of the school – a pen and ink drawing – that the school used for marketing. That was when I knew I could turn this into a career.” After studying illustration in college, Corrado returned to the D.C. area and took on design jobs doing illustration and graphic design for various clients. Eventually, he reconnected with Good Counsel classmate Freddie Carlini ’01, who had a background in digital media and web development. “We were in a band together and kept in touch,” Corrado says. The two started working together and eventually formed Bright Light Media, a graphic design and digital media company in Kensington, Md. The two are cocreative directors. Many clients have been GC alumni or referrals from alumni, especially when the studio first opened, he says.

“It’s on their iconic barn. It brings some Brooklyn flavor and city vibes up to the orchard. You don’t expect a graffiti art popup mural to be on the side of an old barn,” Corrado says. He loves putting his art anywhere – on objects like basketballs and chairs, or on walls and canvas. “I always loved drawing and painting, especially pop art,” Corrado says. He splits his time between creating fine art, commissions and murals, and sometimes digital media, photography and illustrations. This year, Corrado also visited GC to speak to students in art classes and share his work, at the request of fine arts teacher Nick Clulow. “With the arts, there are so many kids who are interested in it – any kind of art, visual, theater, music – but it’s not always easy to see how there’s a career path. Any time I can share my story and help them understand how they can turn that into a career, it’s really worthwhile,” he says. Corrado always had an entrepreneurial mentality. “Six or seven years ago, I started to draw and paint more to consciously develop the style I work in now. It’s a very pop art, graphic style with repeated elements like colors, drips and patterns,” he says. “I made more of a conscious effort to develop my own style that people could recognize. I wanted people to see my work and know it was me.”

“That network has been a strong base for building the business with Freddie,” Corrado says.

2021

7/23/21 1:41 PM

FEATURE “People will see me on TV very soon,” Phylicia Pearl Mpasi ’11 predicts. She oozes confidence, which isn’t surprising, considering she was cast in “The Lion King” on Broadway during her first major audition while she was still in college. The years leading up to that victory, however, required hard work and resilience. Mpasi studied musical theatre at Elon University in a conservatory style program, which involved a rigorous schedule dividing students’ days in half. Fifty percent of students’ time was spent dancing, acting, singing and studying musical theater history, and the other half was dedicated to general education. On top of that, Mpasi held a job to help pay her bills and constantly went to see shows in the area as assigned by her professors. The theater scene in North Carolina is robust, and alumni often returned to perform in shows. As if all of that wasn’t enough, she was constantly auditioning. “I wasn’t getting cast in many shows at first,” she says. “The only time I was really immersed in theater was in class or going to practice with

Phylicia Pearl

Mpasi

Broadway Star and Writer

friends and preparing for auditions.” After being immersed in that world for three years, Mpasi lost steam.

every night, and I loved that,” The swing actor also gets to “save the day,” she laughs.

“I reached a breaking point where I wasn’t fulfilled. I took a summer internship in L.A. at Oops Donuts Productions within Disney/ABC,” she says. There, she read many scripts and plays and even wrote her own script. “I declared I was going to leave musical theater,” she says. “But when I went back to school for senior year, I had a mental shift. During my first few years at Elon, I felt like I always had to be ‘on.’ I came back with the mindset that I just wanted to do my best and try to get as many A’s as possible, and finish school.”

Mpasi has also played the roles of Shenzi, the hyena, and Sarabi, mother of Simba and queen of the Pride Lands.

Then came the transformative moment in Mpasi’s career. “For our senior thesis project, they flew down a casting director and an agent from New York to audition us,” she says. After her audition, she had secured an agent and the casting director said he wanted to cast her in “The Lion King” on Broadway. “I thought he was kidding,” Mpasi laughs. “A few months later, I heard from my agent that they were serious,” she says. “It had been my dream, but I had let it go, which resulted in me having more fun with my craft.” For five years, Mpasi acted as the “swing” in “The Lion King,” meaning she knew the entire show by heart and filled in as understudy as needed. “I really enjoy all of the roles,” she says. “Most people don’t get to see the stage from a different perspective

“When I play Shenzi, I have a full puppet in front of my face, so I really rely on my acting training and workouts. The pinnacle of all training goes into ‘The Lion King,’” Mpasi says. “The role of Sarabi fell into my lap because I knew the lines. I’m 5’2” so it’s kind of funny to be next to the king, who is 6’5” tall,” she says. “I get to stand on top of Pride Rock – the view is incredible!” Touring the world has been amazing for Mpasi, daughter of immigrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has discovered places she loves such as Albuquerque, N.M., where she says she probably wouldn’t have traveled if it hadn’t been for the show. Most importantly, she was living her dream. “I had wanted to be an actor since I was young,” she says. Her family didn’t know anyone in their community who worked in the arts, but she received her start at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School. She received help when she was awarded a scholarship to Good Counsel, where she ended up taking theater classes. “Shelly Diaz at GC invested in me,” Mpasi says of her theater teacher. (Continued » p. 32)

2021

THE COUNSELOR

SCHOLARSHIP

After Tragedy,

A Legacy of Hope Twenty years ago, more than a thousand people gathered in a gymnasium to celebrate the life of a young woman – an athlete, a giver, a friend. Caitlyn (Katie) O’Bannon Fitzgerald ’00 had lost her life in a car accident at the age of 19.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can endow a scholarship to support future Falcons, please contact Savannah Renehan, director of advancement, at srenehan@olgchs.org or 240-283-3384.

In the midst of their grief, Katie’s sisters decided to create something long lasting that would help others the way she always had. The sisters – Liz Matan, Molly Nagel and Meagan Romero – and Katie’s friend Katie Kimmel ’00 embarked upon a campaign to name a scholarship at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in her honor. “After she died, we learned how impactful she was,” Matan says. “So many people sent us notes saying Katie was friends with them or had been kind to them.” The letters came from all walks of life, she says—members of the school band, computer students, athletes and drama kids sent messages. And many of the notes were from friends Katie had made at Junior Retreat, where she had been a phenomenal listener and friend.

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“Katie had so many connections at Good Counsel, we wanted to keep her legacy going,” Nagel adds. “Everyone loved her.” “She made time for everyone. She was just one of those kids,” Matan says. And so the Fitzgerald family used their time to write countless letters inviting friends, alumni and others to participate in a basketball tournament that would raise funds for the endowment. “Katie was all in when she was at Good Counsel; she was a multi-sport athlete. The school fostered that. Wherever the sports were, she was there,” Matan says. Basketball was Katie’s favorite sport. “So we held an annual tournament for five years starting the year after she died; a fouron-four basketball tournament. We sent out letters to anyone and everyone, and Good Counsel helped us,” Nagel says. The sisters were young at the time; Romero was just 14, and they were determined to honor Katie. Many local businesses offered to help, Matan says. Potomac Pizza provided food for hundreds

of people and others made donations. The tournament was held in the school’s gymnasium, and it grew each year. “It was a great way to come back to Good Counsel and honor her. People had a great time,” Romero says. Talented alumni basketball players, including some who had played in the NBA, took part in the tournament, and others came to see them play. “It was all about keeping her memory and legacy alive, and it was a great way to do that,” Nagel says. “We didn’t know how generous people would be. It was wonderful.” Each year, Katie’s scholarship recognizes two students who, like she did, exemplify enthusiasm for life and interest in extracurricular activities. Also, the student must demonstrate financial need. The student winners are selected by a group of teachers. “They know the students best,” Matan says. One of the 2021 recipients, Evan Fosten ’23, played against Matan’s son in a lacrosse game one weekend last spring.

SCHOLARSHIP

She recognized him from having met him during the school’s virtual Celebration of Scholarships. “He’s a heck of a kid,” she says. Fosten plays lacrosse and football and came in as a junior varsity football player his freshman year. He played varsity his sophomore year as a centerback and a wide receiver. Fosten says he enjoys his history and religion courses at Good Counsel. “Next year I’m looking forward to taking some introduction to economics courses and athletic training courses,” he says. In college, he plans to study engineering or sports medicine.

He is grateful for the opportunities the scholarship presents for his education. “My mom and I made an agreement that if I were to go to Good Counsel, she’d cover my tuition for the first two years. After that, I needed to find a grant or scholarship to help out. She’s a single parent,” Fosten says. “This has been so important to us because I can help out my mom. Five thousand dollars is a lot of money. It makes things much easier on our family.” Yvonne Harrison ’22 is the other winner of the scholarship this year. She is a member of the International Baccalaureate Program at Good Counsel.

“I love it. It’s hard work but very rewarding, and it’s really preparing me for college. I know I’ll be able to handle the workload,” Harrison says. She is interested in acting and drama and wants to continue to pursue that in college. “I also want to study psychology because I’m interested in forensic psychology,” Harrison says. She hopes to help families that have been victims of violent crimes. Harrison loves the theatre program at Good Counsel and dedicates a lot of her time to that. She is also involved in the St. Mary’s Scholars program, is a member of the National

Honor Society and is on the majorettes team. “Being able to continue my education at Good Counsel with this scholarship has been a great opportunity. I haven’t had a scholarship previous to this one, so this really helps a lot,” Harrison says. Katie’s sisters and their father, Jim Fitzgerald, are thrilled that the endowed scholarship continues to help students in her name. “We’re glad to be able to continue her legacy this way, especially for students in need,” Nagel says. “Katie was such a generous person. Her memory is very special, and she deserves it.” ▼ 2021 awardees Yvonne Harrison & Evan F osten pictured with Katie’s sisters Molly Nagel and Liz Matan

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FEATURE

A Foundation for

JUSTICE Five Good Counsel Alumni Serve as Judges in Montgomery County, Md.

It is a remarkable story of friendship, connections, a shared beginning at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School and a common vision for what is just and important. Five Good Counsel alumni are judges in Montgomery County, Md. Three have offices on the same floor of the county courthouse, and the other two work across the street in the District Court. Two also served together in the state’s attorney’s office. The judges share an appreciation for the foundational lessons they learned at GC, as well as lasting comradery and a commitment to the law.

A Shared Experience District Court Judge Victor Del Pino ’94, who is on the Good Counsel Board of Directors, says the school prepared him for the realities of life and for college, where he played basketball. He notes he was better prepared for the rigors of university academia than his teammates. GC also prepared Del Pino for his years as an attorney both in private practice and as a county prosecutor, he says. “Good Counsel taught me empathy and compassion for other people,” Del Pino says. “Homeroom at Good Counsel is called ‘Community.’ It’s literally getting to know others and being part of a community. I’ve taken that with me throughout college, law and now as a judge,” he says. “You have to educate yourself about other people.” Del Pino was the first Latino appointed to run the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office’s gang prosecution unit, where he worked for more than three years.

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His keen awareness of the adversity faced by many others was a crucial aspect of his work in that role. Judge Carlos Acosta ’81, also a district court judge and a member of the county’s Equal Justice Committee, says GC imparted crucial skills to students, like grit. “Faith also permeated everything that was taught, from the classroom to athletics,” he says. “At Good Counsel, the discussions and experiences we had always promulgated us to do the right things for the right reasons. Our teachers took delight in finding teachable moments,” Acosta says. Circuit Court Judge John Maloney ’81 adds, “Good Counsel prepared us to be active in the real world, not just spectators. I’m very impressed with what I see so many Good Counsel alumni doing, being involved in important matters for our society. I think the school inspired us to roll up our sleeves to get involved in things. I feel very blessed and proud of the education I received there,” he says.

FEATURE

“Good Counsel taught me empathy and compassion for other people. Homeroom at Good Counsel is called ‘Community.’ It’s literally getting to know others and being part of a community. I’ve taken that with me throughout college, law and now as a judge.” — Judge Victor Del Pino ’94

▲ From left to right: Judges Michael McAuliffe, John Maloney, Carlos Acosta, James Bonifant and Victor Del Pino.

Judge James Bonifant ’74, also a circuit court judge, says he is grateful for the feeling of community he gets from serving with other GC alumni on the bench. “Judge Maloney and I became good friends over a difficult case we were both involved in. We rely on each other,” he says. “I maintain a lot of good friendships from the school,” he adds. Judge Michael McAuliffe ’79, who was a trial lawyer for 30 years before seeking a seat on the bench in 2019, agrees. “Good Counsel provided a foundation that I use every day, both in my faith and in my work,” he says, crediting much of that to his mentors the late Tom Kolar, social studies teacher and assistant football coach;

former Good Counsel President Art Raimo and John McCarthy, who taught economics and coached sports at GC, and is the Montgomery County state’s attorney today. “I’m very active with St. Jude’s Church in Aspen Hill and I see a lot of Good Counsel kids volunteering there. It makes me proud,” McAuliffe adds. “I think Good Counsel had an absolutely tremendous impact on me in all the best possible ways.” GC seems to have a knack for producing alumni with a passion for the law. Andy Battista ’78, another alumnus who is a Maryland judge, sits on the circuit court in Baltimore County.

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FEATURE

“You take care of people in their worst moments. I represented people who had killed people in the worst moment of their life, but that wasn’t their whole life.” — Judge Michael McAuliffe ’79

Seeking Justice During his three-decade career as an attorney, McAuliffe dealt with many emotionally wrenching cases. “It can be very hard, but you do your job,” he says. “You take care of people in their worst moments. I represented people who had killed people in the worst moment of their life, but that wasn’t their whole life.” McAuliffe says the work was fulfilling because he was ensuring someone was there to help defendants during the worst time of their lives. “Even if you didn’t like the outcome of the trial, that client knew you fought for them. At their lowest point, someone was there to help them,” he says. Bonifant says Montgomery County residents are fortunate to have a great state’s attorney’s office and an equally outstanding public defender’s office. “Both the prosecutors and the defense attorneys worry about the defendants. When we sentence people, there is such an interest in rehabilitation, which makes sense. It leads to a safer community,” he says. The state’s attorney, McCarthy, hired Maloney to serve as the deputy state’s attorney from 200715. He had been Maloney’s history teacher in school. “God Bless Good Counsel High School!” Maloney laughs. “Throughout my career, I have focused on seeking justice,” he says. Maloney spent many years prosecuting crimes in Prince George’s County. “I wanted to bring people to justice for harming families deeply,” he says. “It’s challenging work, but I find it very rewarding. I feel satisfied that people were held accountable.”

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“Most prosecutors back then stayed for about two years and then went into private practice, but I loved it and stayed for 25 years,” Maloney says. As a judge, he says, he is more of a generalist. “On any given day I could get a family case, a criminal case, an injunction, guardianship or a drug court case.” He finds the diversity interesting. Del Pino says he enjoys the opportunities he has to make things right. “Ultimately the ability to represent or defend people, or now as a judge make rulings based on what the law is, or what’s right or just, that’s why I got interested in law and why I enjoy it so much,” he says. He also wanted to help the community by showing the many Latino people in the county that the court was diverse, that it’s possible for people from their background to attain judgeship and that there is a level of fairness in the court. For Bonifant, doing something meaningful with his life has always been his main goal. “What we do affects so many lives,” he says. “Being a judge is the greatest job in the world. I look forward to coming into work every day.” The five judges consider each other friends, often get together with other GC alumni and appreciate those lasting relationships. In May, they gathered on the Montgomery County Courthouse steps for the photo featured with this story. Laughter and jokes abounded, as did conversation about the day and what was going on in each other’s lives. When it was time to pose for the camera, the Falcons stood shoulder to shoulder, proud of a lifetime of achievement and their place in the community.

BROTHER MARK AWARD

Brother Mark Award Winner Josie Baur Wants to Impart Her Blessings on Others When she found out she had won Our Lady of Good Counsel High School’s most prestigious prize, the Brother Mark Award, Josie Baur ’21 felt profoundly blessed. “I knew I had been nominated, but I wasn’t prepared at all to receive it. It is a real blessing,” she says. “I am so grateful to be recognized in that manner for the last four years. It definitely felt like all of my hard work had paid off.” The Brother Mark Award, named for GC's founding principal, Brother Mark McCarthy, is awarded each year to the outstanding senior who has given the most of himself or herself to make Good Counsel an exceptional school. Baur, an International Baccalaureate diploma recipient, was involved in a plethora of activities at Good Counsel. She played tuba in the marching band and wind ensemble, played varsity lacrosse for four years, led retreats through Campus Ministry, participated in the Black Student Association. She was also a member of the nutrition club, the Spectrum Club, student government, the National Honor Society and St. Mary’s Scholars. To call her an overachiever would be putting it mildly. Bauer committed to attend and play lacrosse at the U.S. Naval Academy after her junior year of high school. She gained national attention during her time as an attacker on the GC team, which finished the 2021 season ranked in the top 20 nationally and in the top 10 for the region.

Baur knew she wanted to play for a top 30 Division I team in college, and the Naval Academy fit the bill. “The Academy itself fits my personality – driven, motivated and disciplined,” she says. “Also, serving my country is something I’ve always thought was honorable and was something I am qualified to do.” In late June, Baur headed to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, where she plans to study chemistry. Eventually, she wants to pursue medicine and focus on orthopedics. “Medicine perfectly combines my desire to help people and my passion for human anatomy. Both of my parents are in medicine (my mom is a nurse, and my dad is a physical therapist), so I’ve grown up in the environment and have learned some of the ins and outs,” Baur says. “COVID also influenced this desire, especially after seeing how necessary qualified medical personnel are.” Baur plans to visit GC often during her college years, especially to see her younger brother, William, play in the band as a sophomore and beyond. She says she will also come back for football games and other events. Her relationship with the school will always be strong, she says. “I definitely hope to be involved as a big supporter.”

"…serving my country is something I’ve always thought was honorable and was something I am qualified to do."

Baur says, “My time at GC was the best four years I could have ever asked for.”

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EVENTS RECAP

38TH ANNUAL

SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER SOCIETY

GOES VIRTUAL

38TH ANNUAL STEVE DEAN

GOLF CLASSIC Raises OVER $15K for Scholarship Support

In what was the school’s only in-person fundraising event of the 2020-21 school year, generous sponsors, community partners and participants of the 38th Annual Steve Dean Classic came together on Monday, September 21, to raise over $15,000 for the Steve Dean ’67 Endowed Memorial Scholarship Fund. The tournament sold out in record time with 192 golfers participating.

This year, the $5,000 scholarship was awarded to Ayomide Idowu ’22. The fund was created 38 years ago in honor of Steve Dean ’67, who passed away in 1976 due to complications related to cerebral palsy. Ayomide embodies Steve’s love of Good Counsel through his involvement in academic, social and athletic programs. The 39th Annual Steve Dean Golf Classic is planned for Monday, September 13, at Manor Country Club.

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The annual Saint Francis Xavier Dinner is always a celebration of those faithful donors who give $1,000 to the school, whether through the Fund for Good Counsel, the Community Partners program, for scholarships or other restricted areas of need. This year, due to the inability to host in-person gatherings, the dinner was reinvented and reimagined with donors invited to a virtual Wine, Whiskey and Winter Spritzer Appreciation Event.

Over 100 attended the virtual celebration and members of the Advancement team personally hand delivered a special thankyou gift box for the evening containing the contents needed for wine, whiskey and winter spritzer tasting. Current parents Aimee Loebs-Davis and her husband, Jeff Davis, owners of Tasting Consulting, LLC, joined Master Distiller Jeff Duckhorn to help host breakout rooms where donors got to sample the gifts they were provided and learn about pairings of the drinks with food. Donors heard from President Paul Barker about the importance of philanthropy during the trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

SAVE THE DATE The 2021 SFX Appreciation Dinner is scheduled for Thursday, December 9, 2021.

EVENTS RECAP

Cardinal Gregory Visits Campus Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the Archbishop of Washington, visited campus to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel in April. He toured the school and conducted a virtual mass alongside Father Lavin before visiting the Grotto with Dr. Barker and talking with some students in class.

HYBRID AFFAIR Vic the Falcon and GC Parent Denny Goforth

Where in the World was the Grand Celebration? For the first time in its 33year history, the Grand Celebration took place as a hybrid event on Saturday, May 15, with small in-person celebrations coming together for an hour-long gala celebration. Over 500 parents, alumni, faculty and staff, and friends gathered virtually at home or at small watch parties across the country to support Good Counsel’s evening of philanthropy. Over $100,000 was raised during the live appeal in support of building the school’s endowment. The net profit from this year’s event was $175,000. Also featured during the evening were the 2021 Visionary Award Winners, celebrating five distinguished members of our community: Dr. Suzanne Miller ’95, Saverio Fato ’84, Kevin McCormack ’86, Loren Bass and Karl Celtnieks.

Falcon pride continues to pass from generation to generation at Good Counsel. The Class of 2021 included 25 students who are Good Counsel legacies and they celebrated at graduation with the annual Legacy Photo.

Grand Celebration Chair Vivian Diokno ’96 and the committee of dedicated volunteers made the event a success.

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2020-2021 COMMUNITY PARTNERS

DIAMOND FALCONS $20,000 Our Lady of Good Counsel High School’s Community Partners Program offers a comprehensive way for local and affiliated businesses to support our students and our school community. The membership fees build the school’s endowment, securing the future of Good Counsel and establishing an enduring legacy that will benefit students in perpetuity. The Community Partners Program offers four sponsorship levels that deliver broad-based marketing and networking opportunities for alumni, current parents, past parents and local businesses. Our partners are integral members of the Good Counsel community. If you are interested in joining the program, please contact Savannah Renehan at srenehan@olgchs.org.

The Celtniek Family In September 1996, Karl Celtnieks and the late Dan Plante founded Capitol Drywall, Inc. Since then, Capitol Drywall has maintained the best reputation in the business for consistently delivering unparalleled quality. Capitol Drywall’s highly trained employees are dedicated, experienced and committed to safety. In 1999, Dan and Karl established Selective Demolition and Hauling, which have evolved into two separate entities: Selective Demolition, LLC and Selective Hauling, LLC. Both have emerged as the premier contractor in their respective area of expertise. In 2002, Dan and Karl’s property management company, Capital Select Properties, LLC, finished work on a 21,000-square-foot building located in Gaithersburg, Md. The building is home to Capitol Drywall, Potomac Surfaces, Capitol Select Companies, and Capital Select Properties. As parent of a 2022 Falcon, Karl Celtnieks embraced supporting the Good Counsel community from the first day his daughter stepped foot on campus. As a Good Counsel

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Diamond and Platinum community partner, Karl generously supports initiatives including the Day of Giving, Founders Day, student community services trips, and regularly sponsors school signature events including the Steve Dean Golf Tournament and the Grand Celebration. In addition to his generous support of the volleyball program, he recently donated the construction of outdoor storage facilities for the athletics department. When Karl reflects about the importance of philanthropy, he says “To me, giving to Good Counsel is more than just a donation, it is an investment in my child and all the students who someday will be our future. In this small way, we are all helping to fortify the foundation on which they will build their lives, and will always be able to look back on these years as the beginning of their success.”

Karl Celtnieks and President Paul Barker with the 2021 Concordia Award

2020-2021 COMMUNITY PARTNERS

PLATINUM FALCONS $10,000

George Glekas ’91 & Family

The Saiz Family

The Dickerson Family

The Celtnieks Family

GOLD FALCONS $5,000

Steve E. Richter ’75 The Potter Family

Phil Mantua ’76

The Worch Family

BLUE FALCONS $2,500

The Lanning Family

The Shioutakon Family

Rockville and Prince George's The Entwistle Family

Fairfax, Reston, Potomac, Kensington & Olney Kristi Weaver ’96 & Dave Eynon ’97

Marty Murphy

Rockville-Olney, Silver Spring North, Laurel, and Greenbelt NE Beltsville E

Michael J. McCartin, CPCU & Family

The Schilling Family

The Gutierrez Family

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MARIKO MURRAY

(continued from page 17) “There was a 16-piece orchestra playing, so if you flubbed a word, that affected the entire room. The orchestra had to reset; the crew had to reset,” she says. Murray never expected to act in a virtual show, but she says it is important to stay open to career changes. “I’m mainly a theater actor, but during this

EMANUELE (continued from page 18) This summer, Emanuele focused on a documentary about hip hop jewelry with hip hop group Migos, from Georgia. The most recent film she produced on her own was “Sisters,” a short comedy released in 2021. It was written by and stars Beth Hoyt, who has appeared on “Better Call Saul”

MPASI (continued from page 21) Mpasi’s classmate, Kaya Harrison née Simonson ’11, fine arts teacher, took her to her first real audition. “I sang ‘The Wizard and I’ from ‘Wicked,’ the show that made me want to do Broadway,” Mpasi says. “When I finished singing, Kaya was crying and she told me I was gifted and I had to keep singing. She is really the first person who didn’t have to take an interest in me, but did, and I’ll always be grateful.” The summer after her junior year at Good Counsel, Mpasi enrolled in the Broadway Theatre Project, an intensive training program for high school and college-aged students. “That’s where I met people from Elon, and I realized I wanted to go there,” Mpasi says. She is grateful to have found this path. Theater has helped her become comfortable with integrating her racial identity into her work. As a teen, Mpasi hesitated to identify with being Congolese because of negative stereotypes about Africa portrayed by American media.

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time I’ve been putting myself on tape a lot to audition,” Murray says. “You just roll with it. It’s made me more interested in the medium of film.” Murray enjoys the thrill of telling someone else’s story and seeing the world through another person’s eyes. “Acting is really what life is, which is trying to understand other human beings and to do the best you can.”

Japanese, and her father is Scotch Irish. “Both of my grandfathers served in World War II but on different sides,” she says. “In acting you’re usually telling someone else’s story,” Murray says. “You begin to understand you cannot possibly know someone else’s whole experience, but there are other ways in. I think the most potent one is through story.”

She says she gets that empathy and also fortitude from her family. Her mother is

and “Brooklyn 99,” and Shoniqua Shondai. “Sisters” was curated by the Museum of Modern Art in New York and featured in their Virtual Cinema collection. Emanuele enjoys the flexibility offered by directing, writing and producing. “I like doing my own projects, but it’s also great to support other artists and other storytellers,” she says.

She once played the baker’s wife in “Into the Woods,” a role she was hesitant to take on because it isn’t normally played by a black person. “But the director told me not to put myself in a box,” Mpasi says. That was a valuable lesson she carries with her today. During the pandemic when the theater industry shut down, Mpasi began focusing on a new passion. “I really enjoy writing. When you audition for an acting role, they need someone of a certain height or someone who can leave tomorrow. With writing, I am in control,” she says. She wants to use that power to showcase the strength of African Americans. “In the pandemic, I started a YouTube show, ‘By Phylicia,’ with a friend.” She received positive feedback, especially on an episode that focused on race, called “Dear White People.” Mpasi soon won a writing fellowship and has been meeting with production companies about her work.

She wrote a short script called “The Swing,” based on her Broadway experience of having to seamlessly enter a show. “I also wrote a pilot that I’ll be pitching to production companies soon,” she says. “This pandemic showed me there’s no rhyme or reason to anything. I decided I really wanted to put myself out there through my writing.” Mpasi adds, “I want to showcase Black and African joy and positivity.” In her work, she has depicted first- and second-generation Americans balancing having to assimilate while holding onto their own culture. This is something she wants people to recognize is a challenge for many. She also encourages people to invest in the arts. “Immersion into the arts can open someone’s eyes to a world they wouldn’t be able to experience otherwise and builds a connection to people they wouldn’t have met,” she says. “The arts build empathy, and the world could use a lot more of it.”

CLASS NOTES

CLASS NOTES 2020

MONTELL COOPER was honored by the Virginia Sports Information Directors as the Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Year. He plays for Marymount University.

CHLOE CHAPMAN

2019 ALEXIA AYUK wrote an article that was published in the “Catholic Standard” about faith-based activism in today’s world. She is studying at University of Maryland.

CHLOE CHAPMAN was recently recognized by the Atlanta Sports Awards as its Top College Athlete. Chloe is a dual threat, as she was named to the Southeastern Conference put (SEC) All-Freshman team in women’s soccer and contributed to the women’s basketball team by moving into the starting lineup by the end of her first year.

Join Good Counsel Connect, our interactive virtual networking and mentoring platform, and connect with fellow Falcons across the globe. #foreverafalcon

» Connect.olgchs.org

HEATHER HINZ

HEATHER HINZ was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week in women’s soccer for the University of South Carolina.

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CLASS NOTES

2018 KAT CLOSE was one of 10 students awarded the Adobe Design Circle Scholarship from a pool of 1,000 applicants. She will receive a substantial scholarship as well as mentoring from industry leaders and access to various internships, opportunities and resources. She is attending the University of Maryland, College Park.

KAT CLOSE

2017 TAYLOR MCDANIELS was selected to receive $22,500 as the Atlantic Coast Conference's (ACC) Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway grand prize. The ACC, in partnership with the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation, honors 15 recipient student-athletes who are pursuing careers in education after the conclusion of their playing careers.

JOSHUA PASCHAL was named a semi-finalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, which recognizes the top leaders in college football. TAYLOR MCDANIELS

LINDSAY PULLIAM was the 27th selection in the WNBA draft by the Atlanta Dream. She has graduated from Northwestern University.

LINDSEY PULLIAM JOSHUA PASCHAL

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CLASS NOTES

2015 UCHE EKE will compete as a member of the Nigerian gymnastics team at the Summer Games in Tokyo after earning the all-around Bronze medal at the 2021 Cairo African Games in late May.

NICOLE ENABOSI was named MVP after her first professional season with MBK Ruzomberok, when the team finished as Slovakian Champions. She also played with the Nigerian National Team and participated in the Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament for one of the final roster spots for the Nigerian women’s basketball team in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games.

UCHE EKE

NICOLE ENABOSI LANDON HAMMERLEY is the founder and owner of Karnage Clan, a professional gaming entertainment organization that has put multiple gaming kiosks in children’s hospitals for their use while hospitalized.

2014 SAM MUSTIPHER

LANDON HAMMERLY

SAM MUSTIPHER played in his first NFL game in the Chicago Bears Week 6 win vs the Carolina Panthers during the 2020 NFL season.

DOMINIQUE POPE was featured in an alumni Black History Month sports spotlight by the United States Merchant Marine Academy for being awarded most outstanding female first-class student athlete throughout her four-year career.

KYLE SNYDER

KYLE SNYDER qualified to defend his Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games.

DOMINIQUE POPE

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CLASS NOTES

KENDALL FULLER

JACK CONGER

2013 JACK CONGER qualified in five events for the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials but failed to make the team.

KENDALL FULLER tied for the NFL lead in interceptions as reported in the “Washington Post,” which called attention to his versatility on the field. He plays for the Washington Football team. BRENDAN HUGHES

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MIDGE PURCE was named to the roster of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team first training camp, was elected as a member of the Board of Overseers and Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) Directors and received the Community Champion Award from the Sky Blue FC, New York and New Jersey’s Women’s Pro Soccer Team.

2010 MEREDITH BRAGG was featured in the “Wake Forest Deacon Spotlight," which highlighted her work with the Dow Jones in New York, N.Y.

2007 BRENDAN HUGHES recently published a non-fiction book that takes the reader on a unique journey around the world in a discussion about various economies called “The Wandering Investor.”

CLASS NOTES

WELCOME

BABY

OLA SHOKUNBI

2005 OLA SHOKUNBI has written a science fiction film, “Satellite,” which will be made by Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company.

2004 MARY ALOUETTE (KAVALAUSKAS) decided to pursue a dream of creating a solo month-long artist retreat in Cuba. The result was “Cuba Diaries,” an album written in Havana and recorded with a 6-piece Cuban jazz band.

2002 BYRON JACKSON debuted in his first theatrical role as Bass Reeves, the first African American U.S. Marshall in the television series “Wild West Chronicles” on INSP.

▲ PETER DERRY ’95 and his wife, Cecilia, celebrated the first birthday of their daughter, Marley Luna Derry, on July 23, 2021.

Congratulations to ONNIE ONWUEMENE ’99 and his wife, Christine Dahnke-Onwuemene, on the birth of their daughter, Liliana Adanna, born January 18, 2021, weighing 7 lbs. 9 oz.

BYRON JACKSON

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CLASS NOTES

CHRISTIANA COLEMAN KELLEY

2001 MATT CORRADO was featured on NBC4 Washington for his artistic work and craftsmanship on Jordan Spieth’s golf bag used in the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am Golf Tournament.

2000 CHRISTIANA COLEMAN KELLEY published a children’s book, “How Will I Know When I’m a Unicorn?” highlighting the important life lesson of loving and accepting yourself.

HASINA OUTTZ received the Jo Rae Wright Early Investigator Award for excellence in science from the American Thoracic Society. MATT CORRADO

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CLASS NOTES

GOOD COUNSEL

Weddings

▲ JIMMY BITONTI ’08 and KATELYN MCALEER ’10 were married on July 7, 2019 in Olney, Md. Katelyn’s

CECILIA MAJORS ’05 became engaged to Paul ▲ Newman at the Tudor Place Historic House and Garden in Washington, D.C., on September 25, 2020.

JUSTIN CASSIDY ’18 and ELIZABETH MENDOZA ’18 got engaged on August 22, 2020. They met at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School as sophomores in their self-defense and martial arts gym class, and received the title of cutest couple in the 2018 senior superlatives.

father, Robert McAleer ’78, walked her down the aisle. They were surrounded by immediate family, which included Katelyn's siblings Bobby ’02, Megan ’05, Joe ’13 and Tommy ’15, along with Jimmy's siblings Jessica ’02, Katie ’04, Lindsay and Mike Burch ’05, and Michael ’10. The ceremony was officiated by Father Lee Fangmeyer ’79. Among their wedding guests, nearly 70 were Good Counsel alumni from classes 1970-2015.

◀ DAVID ELIE ’07 and MEGHAN (TOBIN) ELIE ’07 got married October 10, 2020 in Bethany Beach, Del.

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CLASS NOTES

1999 ROGER MASON was a guest on the SportTechie podcast and shared his experiences in basketball and business that led to his current venture as the CEO of Vaunt.

ROGER MASON

CHARLIE DESANDO

1998

JENNINFER KASMAN

JENNIFER KASMAN (LEE) recently published her first book, where she imagines a version of a near future America in "Anna and the American Puzzle."

1997 MITRA TAHERI was honored by The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society (TMS) as a 2021 Brimacombe Medalist for sustained excellence and achievement in business, technology, education, public policy or science related to materials science and engineering.

MITRA TAHERI

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CLASS NOTES

1996 JAMES BULLOUGH continues his work worldwide as an oil painter and muralist based in Berlin, Germany. He also hosts VantagePoint, a monthly podcast.

COLLEEN MICHAEL (MURPHY) and her sister Lindsay Guyer (Murphy) ’00 recently launched a photography company, Sister Shots Photography, LLC, specializing in outdoor family, children and special occasion photos.

CHEF DANNY LLEDÓ received a Michelin star for his restaurant Xiquet in Glover Park known for its paellas.

1990 JAMES BULLOUGH

MATTHEW DAVIS and Annie Davis ’98 are celebrating the one-year anniversary of their business, Davis Wealth Management, LLC., based in Olney, Md.

SAFA FARZIN, M.D., has been named vice president for medical affairs and staff development for Penn State Health Medical Group.

1985 DANNY LLEDÓ

MATT BURKE retired this year after 29 years of service with the United States Marshals Service (USMS). Matt spent most of his career working in the D.C. metro area and spent the majority of his career in investigative operations and fugitive apprehension.

DR. SAFA FARZIN

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CLASS NOTES

1976

1969

Captain ROLANDO KING, U.S. Navy call sign "SKY," recently retired from Delta Air Lines after 32 years of commercial flying and eight years of Naval Aviation. The majority of his airline service was with Northwest Airlines. He lives near the twin cities of Minnesota, but plans to winter in Kauai, Hawaii.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums General Counsel JACK KEENEY was elected to the board of directors of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.

1973 JUDGE MICHAEL MCAULIFFE

1981 The REV. DOMINIQUE PERIDANS is the Rector of the Church of the Ascension and St. Agnes in Washington, D.C.

JOHN DEERIN and his wife, Carol, moved to Charleston, S.C. following retirement.

1971 MICHAEL DUNI and his wife, Suzanne, are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary this year.

1980

FREDERICK (RICK) ELLROD had his science fiction romantic comedy novella "Time Signature" published by Wild Rose Press on May 10, 2021.

JOHN BALLMAN and his wife, Deb, sold their business in August 2019 to ADT, completed their contractual obligations and are looking forward to their future lives together as a retired couple.

1979 JUDGE MICHAEL MCAULIFFE ran for and was elected to a full 15-year term as Circuit Court judge for Montgomery County, Md., in the November 2020 election.

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1970 MICHAEL BAUM retired in January 2019 after working for 40 years as a mechanical engineer. Baum and his wife, Sally, are travelling the country in their RV with motorcycles in tow touring Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Canyon and many more national landmarks.

1967 ROBERT GOLEY lost his wife, Judy, in July 2020 after 34 years of marriage. She had been fighting lung cancer for over three years.

CARL OEHMANN and his wife, Katharine, have relocated to Florida to enjoy the sunshine.

1965 JOHN BREWER has retired and lives in Ellicott City with Megan, his wife of 51 years. The couple have four children and 11 grandchildren.

1964 JOSEPH GIACOFCI works as a contractor with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), supporting the USAF on-site at the U.S. Pentagon.

SUBMIT Submissions for Class Notes can be made at www.olgchs.org/alumni

WHAT WILL YOUR LEGACY BE? Make your mark today. When you add a BEQUEST to your living will or trust, you can continue your legacy by leaving a gift to Our Lady of Good Counsel High School.

Join the 1958 Legacy Society by naming Our Lady of Good Counsel High School as a beneficiary of your will, trust, life insurance policy, retirement plan or other planned giving option.

olgchs.giftlegacy.com 2021

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REMEMBRANCE

TOM KOLAR†

We lost a beloved member of the Good Counsel community when the legendary Tom Kolar passed away Sunday, March 27 at the age of 78. Tom was a faculty member for over 50 years and inspired generations of Falcons as a teacher, coach and mentor.

To help honor Tom’s legacy, members of the Class of 1976 endowed a scholarship in Tom’s name to provide financial support for future Falcon students. To give to the scholarship visit www.olgchs.org/kolar

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2021

SAVE THE DATE

Upcoming Events 2021-2022

SAVE THE DATE Upcoming Events 2021-2022

Founders’ Day

Cookies and Cocoa with Santa

Steve Dean Golf Classic

SFX Dinner

Legacy Admissions Breakfast

Young Alumni Career Fair (w/Gonzaga)

Falcon Fest Tailgate

Community Partners/Alumni Business Networking Reception

Alumni Memorial Mass

Day of Giving

September 8-10, 2021 September 13, 2021 October 22, 2021 October 22, 2021 November 1, 2021 Reunion Weekend

November 5, 2021

• Athletics Hall of Fame Induction and Reception

November 6, 2021 • Alumni Basketball Game

• Alumni of Color Luncheon • Golden Falcon Induction and Legacy Society Celebration • Reunions for Classes Ending in 0, 1, 5 and 6

Grandparents’ Day

November 19, 2021

December 5, 2021 December 9, 2021 January 6, 2022

January 20, 2022 March 16, 2022

Celebration of Scholarships

April 21, 2022

Distinguished Alumnus Award and Feast of Our Lady Mass

April 26, 2022

Grand Celebration

April 30, 2022

50th Class Participation in Graduation and Luncheon

May 26, 2022

To provide the best experience possible for alumni, friends and supporters, many events will be offered with both an in-person and virtual attendance option. We will continue to monitor guidelines for large gatherings imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and will update dates and event formats as needed.

GOOD COUNSEL’S Community Partners Please find in this issue your Blue & Gold Card, which provides you with access to exclusive annual discounts and offers at a number of Community Partner businesses, including:

›› Blake & Sons Moving and Storage 20% discount on packing materials and one month free storage.

›› Gaithersburg Garage Door, Inc. $25 off a Full Tune-up (usual cost excluding parts $125) * Limitations: Offer valid only for service areas of Montgomery County, Howard County, Northwest D.C., and Northern Virginia. Excludes parts.

›› GPN Title, Inc.

Offers $250 off settlement costs with mention of Good Counsel Blue & Gold Card.

›› J&G Landscape Design

Offers complimentary landscape consultation and 50% off design services to the Good Counsel community.

›› Playa Bowls Olney Offers a 10% discount.

›› UNEEDA Plumbing

Offers a 10% discount on all services to the Good Counsel community.

›› Victor O’Neill Studios

Donates a portion of all Good Counsel proceeds back to the school.

Thank you in advance for supporting our students by patronizing our Community Partners! Please note that deals are regularly updated/added on our website. For a complete list of Community Partner promotions, please visit www.olgchs.org/blueandgoldcard.

CONTENTS

IN MEMORIAM

We remember the following Falcons that have passed away.

Art by Good Counsel’s own Matt Corrado ’01

May their spirit soar high. Brian Arvedlund ’92

Timothy Marx ’72

Tom Boyle ’65

Robert Mascari ’83

Tatiana Carrier (Evereklian) ’01

Jeffrey McLaughlin ’74

Michael Cherry ’71

Kevin McLaughlin ’75

Chris Courtemanche ’92

Steve Monaghan ’71

William Ferguson ’62

John Nalls ’83

Michael Grygier ’77

James Nock ’62

Omari Isreal ’03

Joe Ossi ’67

Michael Jerolaman ’68

Mary Jane Ryan ’92

Robert Kennedy ’72

Gary Sandman ’69

Kevin Kidwell ’74

William Strasser ’80

James Lenahan ’84

John Termini ’63

Matthew Loudon ’18

George Ware ’68

William T. Marcoux, Jr. ’74

Saying Goodbye to Greats

Former Falcon Athletes Shine

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list based on notifications received of alumni who passed between September 2020-July 2021.

2021

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COUNSELOR The

17301 Old Vic Boulevard | Olney, Maryland 20832

The Counselor 2021

A Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School

OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL HIGH SCHOOL A Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School : OLGCHS.org : 2021

ART BY MATT CORRADO ’01

Alumni Shine in Arts and Entertainment Katie Mariko Murray ’10, singer and actress