The Counselor Magazine | 2022

COUNSELOR The

OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL HIGH SCHOOL A Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School OLGCHS.org : 2022

COOKING

UP SUCCESS Falcons in the kitchen

Chef Danny Lledό ’96

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A Legacy That Will Last

8

Conversation with Hank Deily ’72

14 10

All the Rage

16

Cooking Up Success

22

Alumni in the Arts

The Power of the Pen

2022 THE COUNSELOR

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BOARD CHAIR'S LETTER

DEAR FELLOW FALCONS We hope you enjoy the feature in this issue looking back at how GC has grown thanks to Paul’s leadership.

After serving as President of Our Lady of Counsel High School since 2011, Dr. Paul Barker announced in March 2022 that he will retire in June 2023, following the 2022-2023 academic year. The Board of Directors is grateful for Paul’s service to the school and fully supports him as he finishes his distinguished career.

Over the next year, beginning with this issue of the Counselor, we will recognize, celebrate and thank Paul for all he has done for our community, and for many of us individually. Under Paul’s leadership, we have seen the growth of Good Counsel’s endowment, built a beautiful Performing Arts Center, diversified the student body, become a leading educator in STEM, and established a Global Studies program. I hope you enjoy the feature in this issue looking back at how GC has grown thanks to Paul’s leadership.

For me personally, it has been a tremendous honor to work with Paul, especially in my current role of Board Chair. He has my utmost respect and I have a great appreciation for his leadership and dedication to GC during his tenure.

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With the counsel of Partners in Mission, a search firm based in Boston, MA, the school is in the midst of a national search to attract the best qualified candidate to succeed Paul as President. The search committee, chaired by Bill Riley ’68, represents all major constituencies within the GC community, and will continue to vet qualified candidates for this important role throughout the fall.

Our desire is to announce Good Counsel’s fourth president before the end of 2022, with the new head set to begin work on July 1, 2023 to usher GC into its next chapter.

I look forward to spending the 2022-23 school year with fellow alumni and friends as we celebrate Paul’s accomplishments to advance Good Counsel and introduce you to GC’s next leader.

Sincerely,

Philip J. Mantua ’76 Board Chair

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 2022-2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR | Philip J. Mantua ’76 PRESIDENT | Paul G. Barker, Ed.D. Ralph Boyd, Jr. Patrick Caulfield Trista Colbert Nancy Hueppchen, M.D., M.S. Eileen Haase, Ph.D. Edward Hardiman, Ph. D. Margaret Kim Rev. Robert Lawton, S.J., Ph.D., ’65 Roger Mason, Jr. ’99 Dan Murphy ’84 Rebecca Neff Robert Ramin William Riley, Jr. ’68 Michelle Rubie-Smith Stephanie Saturni Lori Scialabba, JD Maggie Lynch Selwood ’01 Jennifer Smith Craig Vincent ’12 EDITOR Jane Bornhorst GRAPHIC DESIGN Lori Fields PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTOR Joey Cabigas ’82 ADVANCEMENT OFFICE: Chief Advancement Officer Julie Potter Director of Alumni Engagement Catie Brown ’13 Director of Advancement Savannah Renehan Director of Annual Giving Jessica Sardella Director of Advancement Services Karin Boteler Events Manager Kendall Thomas President’s Assistant Jeanette McCarthy MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE: Chief Communications and Enrollment Management Officer Cheryl Plainte Assistant Director of Creative Strategies Erica Tituana Digital Content and Social Media Coordinator Paul Kennedy Submit comments, contributions and address updates to cbrown@olgchs.org.

FEATURES

SPECIAL

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6

8

A Legacy That Will Last

Celebrating President Paul Barker

Conversation with Hank Deily ’72

2022 winner of the Brother Robert Arrowsmith ’63 Distinguished Alumnus Award

10 All the Rage

Alumni setting trends in fashion

16 Cooking Up Success Falcons in the culinary space

20 Moving Onward

Departing faculty share fond memories of Good Counsel

22 The Power of the Pen

Alumni authors promote positivity, kindness and bravery

50 Years of Camp Good Counsel

Remembering the unforgettable summer experience

18 From Good Counsel with Love Happy couples who started here

25 Humility and Ambition

Brother Mark Award winner Jiexi Lin ’22 looks to the future

ADVANCEMENT 24 A Smart Way to Give

Ron Lara ’62 plans for his future and GC’s

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

2022 THE COUNSELOR

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FEATURE

A

Legacy That Will Last

Celebrating the many contributions of President Paul Barker, Ed.D Kind eyes, thoughtful words and plenty of great ideas.

These striking qualities of Dr. Paul Barker and the dedication with which he improves anything he encounters have benefitted Our Lady of Good Counsel High School for 12 years.

When he retires this spring, Dr. Barker will leave behind much more than a vacant position at the head of the school. He has made an indelible impression that will last throughout the school’s future.

Barker has grown Good Counsel’s endowment, spearheaded the fundraising for and construction of the magnificent Performing Arts Center in 2016, helped diversify the student body and built up the Global Program, band and the STEM program to meet the demands of the 21st Century.

“Dr. Barker’s open and inclusive approach, his eloquent speaking, his insistence of productive communication regardless of how difficult the challenge and his commitment to students’ well-being have enabled him to enrich and improve the school during his tenure and well into the future,” says Rita O’Donnell, past chair of the Good Counsel Board of Directors.

Former Board Chair Hank Deily ’72 adds, “Paul is patient, he is a great leader and gets tremendous respect from people he has contact with. He’s very smart, very wise and he makes good decisions.

Good Counsel has been lucky to have him.”

Barker says he has felt a huge sense of responsibility during his time leading the school, especially during the pandemic. “I'm charged with being the head of a school that is impressive on every front,” he says. “I feel very fortunate because it’s a fantastic place.”

Barker emphasizes the unique mission and influence of the Xaverian Brothers. “The Brothers are special men. Their values, which we talk to the kids about all the time, are what our world needs,” he says.

Before serving as president at Good Counsel, he was principal of the John Carroll School in Maryland and staff development director at St. Edward High School in Ohio. He also taught English in the U.S. and in New Zealand, his native country.

But, he says, “Serving as president here has been the peak of my experience in Catholic education.”

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FEATURE

THE PEOPLE Barker says the faculty and staff helped make his experience at Good Counsel wonderful.

“When the job gets done well, people talk about how wonderful Good Counsel is, and people want to come here because of the quality. This quality comes from some very talented colleagues,” he says.

Part of that talent lies within his leadership team, which he credits with making things run as they should. “Having a great chief financial officer, advancement director, principal – these things matter. If those parts don’t work, you have a problem.”

Deily points out that Barker handpicked the stellar leadership team when he first joined GC. “His staff was about as good a staff as you could get,” Deily says. “They were firstrate and they worked well together.”

Another group that continually impresses Barker is the students. “They are absolutely remarkable,” he says.” It’s not easy being a teenager, especially these last couple of years, but our students are so impressive. I am blown away by their modesty and their kindness, by all of these kids who have plenty of stress. They have to work hard to be good at what they do – academics, sports, arts. I have been lucky to be surrounded by great people.”

Barker is no stranger to collaboration.

Currently serving as a commissioner of the AIMS Accreditation Commission, he has chaired accreditation teams and served as a case study facilitator for the Mid-Career Doctorate in Educational Leadership program at University of Pennsylvania.

During his tenure at Good Counsel, he has worked to ensure the school will

"Serving as president here has been the peak of my experience in Catholic education."

— Paul Barker Ed.D continue in excellence for a long time.

In close collaboration with the chief financial officer, he prioritized strategic and financial planning, and succeeded in growing the school’s endowment from very little in 2011 to over $9.6 million today.

THE MEMORIES It isn’t all about facts and figures for Barker. He fondly recalls days like the one when he launched the Capital Campaign for the Performing Arts Center. Every student was given a yellow t-shirt to wear in support of the fine arts. Barker started making an intentionally dull speech. Just when the students were losing interest, a group of about 20 teachers jumped up and started dancing a Haka – a traditional New Zealand war dance that represents a group’s pride, strength and unity.

“The kids went nuts! It was funny and fierce,” Barker says.

Another time, in 2011 when Barker was new to the school, an earthquake hit the DC-area. “I had grown up with dozens of

them, but seeing people around me not knowing what to do…that was memorable.”

“Not long after, we had a genuine fire alarm because of something going on in an elevator shaft, so the whole school went outside,” Barker recalls. “It was a beautiful fall morning. Suddenly, a weather system came through and a monsoon fell over the entire community. We had to close the school!”

With reverence, Barker relates how grand it is to celebrate graduation at the Basilica each year. “I really enjoy being up there and having the opportunity to speak to the graduates and their families. It’s a great way to commemorate four years,” he says. “I’m proud of the fact that I initiated the bookend of graduation, which is convocation.

(Continued on page 42)

2022 THE COUNSELOR

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FEATURE

Years of

Camp Good Counsel Each summer, dozens of GC students volunteer to work one-on-one with children from underserved communities at Camp Good Counsel. Swimming, crafts, sports, art, field trips, music and more make up four weeks of unforgettable experiences for the volunteers and campers. Founded in the 1970s as a way to help adults with mental disabilities, the camp has evolved to become what it is fun-filled opportunity for growth and memory building for everyone involved. Children in the camp are referred to Good Counsel by elementary school counselors. This summer marked the camp’s 50th year.

▲ Camp director Joey Cabigas '82 (far right) with camp volunteers

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FEATURE

▲ Camp counselors in 1985

2022 THE COUNSELOR

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FEATURE

A CONVERSATION WITH…

RICHARD "HANK" DEILY ’72 2022 recipient of the Brother Robert Arrowsmith ’63 Distinguished Alumnus Award

Location:

This interview was conducted in the spring of 2022.

Wheaton, Maryland

PB: How did you end up at Good Counsel?

Hank: It was never in doubt.

Tom Kolar (legendary GC History and Social Studies teacher and coach for more than 50 years) lived two doors down from us.

He was so influential. Although he had attended St. John’s as a student, his decision to teach at Good Counsel set in motion a whole stream of us from St. Camillus to GC.

By Dr. Paul Barker

Dr. Barker sat down with the 2022 recipient of the Brother Robert Arrowsmith ’63 Distinguished Alumnus Award, Richard “Hank” Deily ’72.

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PB: What were the Xaverian Brothers like?

Hank: I really liked Brother Emeric. He was my Algebra teacher. On the first day of school in freshman year, Brother asked each student to state his name. When it was my turn, I stood and said “Richard, call me Hank, Deily.” And so he always called me “Richard, call me Hank.”

Principal Brother Bonaventure had some almost radical beliefs; he thought athletics should be intramural, not interscholastic.

We did not agree! Freshman and sophomore year, we had classes in the same classroom pretty much all day and the teachers came to us. Brother Bonaventure introduced a modular schedule.

Twenty-minute mods combined for classes of different durations.

There was a lot of movement.

Seniors could even leave campus.

PB: What GC teachers were most influential and why?

Hank: As a senior, I took a creative writing class with Barry Trick. Our final assignment was to write a short story. Mr. Trick liked mine. Years later, just before a board meeting around the time

FEATURE

the school was getting ready to move to Olney, then Advancement Manager Debbie McKinney approached me and said, “Barry Trick wants you to have this.” She handed me that story. He had kept it all those years.

And I still have it today.

I remember having football coach Bob Lukomski for modern European history. It was my favorite class. I learned things that help explain some of the things we see in the world today.

PB: Any especially memorable educational experiences?

Hank: Through taking Larry Grabenstein’s economics class, I was invited to a week-long Classroom for Young Americans program.

I was with about 200 students from across the country. We stayed at the old Shoreham Hotel. By the end of the week, I had eaten lunch with Congressman Gilbert Gude (of Gude Drive fame); been addressed by Senator Tom Eagleton who was, for a time, George McGovern’s running mate; met the Chair of the Joint Chiefs; seen the Changing of the Guard at Arlington Cemetery and we even had a surprise visit from comedian Bob Hope.

PB: How about athletic memories?

Hank: I was the receiver on one of the wildest plays in Good Counsel football history. I had returned to the field only a couple of weeks after being hospitalized for four days with bruised kidneys and a concussion, courtesy of our game against DeMatha. This was way before there were concussion protocols. I went into the game late against Gonzaga. On my first play, a pass up the middle was tipped into my hands, and I ran in an 87-yard touchdown, securing an upset come-from-behind victory.

I decided not to play basketball my senior year. I was a point guard who couldn’t dribble or shoot, and I told Coach Bob Bombard that the game had passed me by. I didn’t want to be like the 13th man on a 12-man team. It was a lot of fun to watch though.

The 1972 baseball team was special. I was a senior and Coach Kolar pulled me aside

▲ Deily (front row second from the left) with the 1972 baseball team and said, “Hank, you’re not going to start.”

Just being part of the team that won the WMAC was a blast.

PB: You served two full terms on the Board of Directors, 18 years.

What motivated you to serve so long, so generously?

Hank: After graduation, I had been away from Good Counsel for a while. I wasn’t on the Board when the school went co-ed in ’88. I got re-engaged as a member of an advisory group of accountants for business manager Tim McNiff (who went on to become superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of New York). It was in the early 1990s that President Mike Murphy invited me to the Board. It wasn’t a hard decision to serve. It was thrilling to be involved with decisions for the move and, years later, for construction of the Performing Arts Center.

PB: You were on the Board and Chair of the Finance Committee during the time we planned and ultimately moved the school from Wheaton to Olney. Any special memories?

Hank: Getting it done was very complicated and really just short of a miracle. We were trying to figure out how to finance the move.

I had met with so many bankers that the last thing I wanted to do was meet with another. Ultimately, though, a connection made on my first day at Good Counsel in

1968 made the difference. John Coan ’72 sat in front of me then. He went on to become an investment banker. John made the introduction that led me to lunch with Kevin Quinn of Wye Capital. Kevin was tremendous. He had confidence in us and with his help, we ended up with a series of bonds through the Maryland Development Authority and offered to the public in $25,000 increments. That $33 million issue was oversubscribed.

When I went to Good Counsel, I thought we had an institutional inferiority complex when comparing ourselves to Prep, Gonzaga, St. John’s. We had a nondescript building. The change in physical structure has had much to say about our school. Our inferiority complex is gone.

PB: You’re receiving this award 50 years after you graduated from GC. Our graduates head into a very different world than you did 50 years ago. Any message to inspire our young men and women?

Hank: Be ready to serve. There is something and someone out there that needs your talents.

And you don’t need to commit to a single path for the rest of your life too early. Keep your mind open. You never know when you might say, “Now, this is for me,” and change horses in midstream.

2022 THE COUNSELOR

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Zachary Lanciano ’09

designed by

Frank Borsas ’80

designed by

Alumni Setting Trends In Fashion

ALL THE RAGE Nechanicky Brothers

designed by

Kara Emig ’15

designed by

Bruce ’03, Tyler ’09 and Keith Nechanicky ’98

FEATURE L.A. for about 5 years.” During that time, he worked for companies that showed at New York Fashion Week, where his work went down the runway.

Today, Lanciano is VP of Design for a new L.A. company, Derek Lam 10 Crosby. “I am leading their women’s denim design business. It’s really exciting,” he says.

Lanciano’s denim designs include creative seamwork, built-in belts, flounces and bell sleeves on jackets, and sometimes, intricate beadwork.

Lifestyle into Style

The best part of his job is catching a glimpse of someone out in the world wearing one of his designs, he says. “That gives me an overwhelming sense of joy.”

Dreaming of Denim

In his work, Lanciano strives to be ecoconscious. “The conversation about that is happening in every design meeting room.

The only way for clothing companies to be sustainable is to make less product and be more thoughtful about what they are putting out,” he says.

Zachary Lanciano ’09 has always had a calling to fashion. “I knew since Project Runway was on TV,” he says. So he was ecstatic when he was accepted into the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.

While attending the Institute, Lanciano took on internships and started knocking on doors.

“I hustled and was able to create a career for myself,” he says. He also credits the fact that he had mentors vouching for him along the way.

Zachary Lanciano ’09

“It’s a wild industry and definitely a very competitive, tough one to break into. I have been very lucky to have the opportunities I have had,” he says.

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“I love hats, but my passion has always been clothing, so I started by screen printing our logo on blank t-shirts. In the meantime, I began learning as much as I could about how to design and develop, cut and sew garments,” Bruce says. “After a lot of trial and error, I finally designed and developed my first pair of performance shorts dubbed ‘The Slashies,’ great for hiking, running, swimming—just living.” From then on, he was hooked, and Schmee athleisurewear was born.

The whole concept behind ‘Schmee,’ an expression the brothers often use, is following your passions and doing what you love. “For me, sports and outdoor adventures is how I live my Schmee. So naturally I wanted to make clothing that lived with me, not just on me,” says Bruce, a Naval officer.

Tyler says, “For us Nechanicky brothers it’s simple: Our path is life and how we envision it.

So we created Schmee clothing as a reminder to ourselves to never stop following our passion and to inspire others to do the same.”

Part of the brothers’ inspiration comes from the fact that fabric-making has evolved tremendously, Bruce says. Gone are the days of stiff, uncomfortable polo shirts being the only option. “I literally wear my Schmee golf polo to bed,” he says. “The capabilities of fibers and yarns these days can produce such amazing garments. With the push for sustainability and closed loop manufacturing, we are beginning to see some incredible new developments.”

People should not think of clothing as being disposable, he adds; fast fashion is a huge problem because of the waste it creates.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll see a lot of change unless it’s regulated. It’s fairly unregulated right now,” Lanciano says.

“A traditional pair of jeans takes 50 gallons of water to be developed. New technology out there only uses a cup of water to achieve the same effect,” he says. There are also mills that remove microplastics. “The technology is there; it just needs to be funded. I encourage everyone to be more conscious and research the brands that are making up their wardrobe.”

The terms living, dreaming and thriving embody the Schmee lifestyle, according to the athleisure clothing and gear company’s founders, brothers Bruce ’03, Tyler ’09 and Keith Nechanicky ’98.

After college, Lanciano started making a name for himself as a denim designer at large companies like True Religion, Sovereign Code and 7 for All Mankind. Soon, he landed a design position with Jonathan Simkhai, a major fashion house.

What began as a simple hat adorned with a uniquely colored American flag, which Tyler made for the Navy lacrosse team, has grown into a dynamic menswear company.

After he and Bruce graduated from the Naval Academy, they trademarked the “Patriot Hat,” which quickly grew in popularity. A portion of the proceeds from every hat sale were donated to military charities.

“Any time I felt stuck where I was, I put feelers out for something new. It has gone well for me,” Lanciano says. “I started working for companies in New York and flew back and forth between New York and

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Fabric can be made not only from recycled clothing, but also from recycled fish nets, palm trees, pineapples and even coffee grounds. “I work closely with Noble Biomaterials, who engineered the x-static nylon you find in most of Lululemon’s performance garments, and they are currently working on plant-based fibers that would allow your clothing to be biodegradable,” Bruce says.

The industry is constantly evolving and changing for the better, he says. “The future of garment manufacturing is quite exciting.”

For Bruce, the best part of working in clothing design is the process. “It all starts with an idea, and I slowly watch my idea grow from a hand-drawn sketch to an actual article of clothing that I want to wear every day.”

Bruce ’03, Tyler ’09 and Keith Nechanicky ’98

FEATURE L.A. for about 5 years.” During that time, he worked for companies that showed at New York Fashion Week, where his work went down the runway.

Today, Lanciano is VP of Design for a new L.A. company, Derek Lam 10 Crosby. “I am leading their women’s denim design business. It’s really exciting,” he says.

Lanciano’s denim designs include creative seamwork, built-in belts, flounces and bell sleeves on jackets, and sometimes, intricate beadwork.

Lifestyle into Style

The best part of his job is catching a glimpse of someone out in the world wearing one of his designs, he says. “That gives me an overwhelming sense of joy.”

Dreaming of Denim

In his work, Lanciano strives to be ecoconscious. “The conversation about that is happening in every design meeting room.

The only way for clothing companies to be sustainable is to make less product and be more thoughtful about what they are putting out,” he says.

Zachary Lanciano ’09 has always had a calling to fashion. “I knew since Project Runway was on TV,” he says. So he was ecstatic when he was accepted into the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.

While attending the Institute, Lanciano took on internships and started knocking on doors.

“I hustled and was able to create a career for myself,” he says. He also credits the fact that he had mentors vouching for him along the way.

Zachary Lanciano ’09

“It’s a wild industry and definitely a very competitive, tough one to break into. I have been very lucky to have the opportunities I have had,” he says.

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THE COUNSELOR 2022

“I love hats, but my passion has always been clothing, so I started by screen printing our logo on blank t-shirts. In the meantime, I began learning as much as I could about how to design and develop, cut and sew garments,” Bruce says. “After a lot of trial and error, I finally designed and developed my first pair of performance shorts dubbed ‘The Slashies,’ great for hiking, running, swimming—just living.” From then on, he was hooked, and Schmee athleisurewear was born.

The whole concept behind ‘Schmee,’ an expression the brothers often use, is following your passions and doing what you love. “For me, sports and outdoor adventures is how I live my Schmee. So naturally I wanted to make clothing that lived with me, not just on me,” says Bruce, a Naval officer.

Tyler says, “For us Nechanicky brothers it’s simple: Our path is life and how we envision it.

So we created Schmee clothing as a reminder to ourselves to never stop following our passion and to inspire others to do the same.”

Part of the brothers’ inspiration comes from the fact that fabric-making has evolved tremendously, Bruce says. Gone are the days of stiff, uncomfortable polo shirts being the only option. “I literally wear my Schmee golf polo to bed,” he says. “The capabilities of fibers and yarns these days can produce such amazing garments. With the push for sustainability and closed loop manufacturing, we are beginning to see some incredible new developments.”

People should not think of clothing as being disposable, he adds; fast fashion is a huge problem because of the waste it creates.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll see a lot of change unless it’s regulated. It’s fairly unregulated right now,” Lanciano says.

“A traditional pair of jeans takes 50 gallons of water to be developed. New technology out there only uses a cup of water to achieve the same effect,” he says. There are also mills that remove microplastics. “The technology is there; it just needs to be funded. I encourage everyone to be more conscious and research the brands that are making up their wardrobe.”

The terms living, dreaming and thriving embody the Schmee lifestyle, according to the athleisure clothing and gear company’s founders, brothers Bruce ’03, Tyler ’09 and Keith Nechanicky ’98.

After college, Lanciano started making a name for himself as a denim designer at large companies like True Religion, Sovereign Code and 7 for All Mankind. Soon, he landed a design position with Jonathan Simkhai, a major fashion house.

What began as a simple hat adorned with a uniquely colored American flag, which Tyler made for the Navy lacrosse team, has grown into a dynamic menswear company.

After he and Bruce graduated from the Naval Academy, they trademarked the “Patriot Hat,” which quickly grew in popularity. A portion of the proceeds from every hat sale were donated to military charities.

“Any time I felt stuck where I was, I put feelers out for something new. It has gone well for me,” Lanciano says. “I started working for companies in New York and flew back and forth between New York and

12

Fabric can be made not only from recycled clothing, but also from recycled fish nets, palm trees, pineapples and even coffee grounds. “I work closely with Noble Biomaterials, who engineered the x-static nylon you find in most of Lululemon’s performance garments, and they are currently working on plant-based fibers that would allow your clothing to be biodegradable,” Bruce says.

The industry is constantly evolving and changing for the better, he says. “The future of garment manufacturing is quite exciting.”

For Bruce, the best part of working in clothing design is the process. “It all starts with an idea, and I slowly watch my idea grow from a hand-drawn sketch to an actual article of clothing that I want to wear every day.”

A Flurry of Success At just 25 years old, Kara Emig ’15 has designed clothes for runways at New York Fashion Week, created a dress that appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine and has been featured in the New York Times.

After studying at the renowned Pratt Institute for Design, where she studied garment-making, design, art history, figure sketching and more, Emig was recruited to work with Kerby Jean-Raymond, an exciting, forward-thinking designer based out of New York. He founded men’s label Pyer Moss and was the first Black American designer to show at Paris Fashion Week.

Emig was well-equipped to help design for the show; she had studied in London for six weeks the summer before her junior year of college with Central Saint Martins – University of the Arts London. The program in fashion/ apparel design involved visiting museums and markets, where students gained influence from architecture, brickwork and other sights.

“The European way of design is very open,” Emig says. “That was really interesting, and I felt like it really helped launch the second half of my education.”

“It was interesting to see the different ways in which individual fashion schools teach,” she adds. Pratt focused on both commercial and conceptual fashion. Saint Martins was conceptual, avant-garde, not as marketable.

“I was lucky to get that perspective and have different influences.”

At Pratt, Emig and the other students created a 10-look collection for their senior thesis

projects. Once a week in a thesis class, Emig presented her ideas and work to two professors, one focused on design and one on patterning, or the creation of a template for how a garment is to be constructed.

on each garment to give to the factory—a set of production instructions, Emig says.

Next came Pyer Moss’s first couture show during Paris Couture Week; the show was put on in New York due to the pandemic. Again, Emig’s work was featured. The event was held at the historic mansion of Madam C.J. Walker, an African American entrepreneur and activist and the first female self-made millionaire.

“That was really special,” Emig says.

Frank Borsas ’80

Kara Emig ’15

FEATURE

Thoughtful Creation “I’m enjoying being creative in a new way.”

“We would present big boards with sketches and fabric swatches pinned up,” Emig says. The first semester, the students made muslin garments under a tight weekly schedule. Models came once a week to try on the newly sewn pieces.

She has also designed for Reebok, creating sportswear and outerwear. “It’s fun to switch. To scale from designing a t-shirt to a big, elaborate design. Exploring how you adapt to a concept, and where your abilities lie,” Emig says.

Emig’s collection was inspired by musician Freddy Mercury’s style, the rock music of the 70s and 80s and Victorian fashion. “I used Freddy’s vision of himself as a queen, drawing comparisons and overlap between his fashion and Victorian,” she says. Emig calls her collection playful and outrageous.

When a dress she had designed appeared on a Vogue cover in 2019, it was surreal, she says. “You’re in a flurry to make, make, make these things, then they’re going down the runway, then one is on the cover of Vogue, and your parents are buying five newsstands’ worth of New York Times,” Emig laughs about her successes. “But what is most important to me is the feeling of accomplishment when it’s all done.”

At the end of the semester, Emig presented six of her looks for a critique panel. During the session, she was required to explain where her inspiration came from, walk the panel through her design process and show each look. “They looked at everything very closely - the seams, the threads…it was nervewracking,” she says.

It turns out she needn’t have worried. “My collection made it into the senior fashion show in Tribeca. We honored the creative director at Pyer Moss, Kerby Jean-Raymond. He saw my collection at the show, and someone from the company reached out shortly after to ask about hiring me,” Emig says.

“Jean-Raymond designs for women of all shapes and sizes,” Emig says.

She started working for the label in June of 2019. “I jumped right in and helped design our Collection 3 runway showcase for New York Fashion Week. I learned how to design work with a creative director, adapt my design perspective to someone else’s aesthetic, make technical sketches on Adobe Illustrator, and put together tech packs,” which are essentially book reports

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He also appreciates that he has plenty of time to go to Greece, where he has his second home, rebuilt from his family’s original home on Lefkada Island. In fact, his 88 year-old mother recently visited him there.

Fashion consultant Frank Borsas ’80, former president of the Aidan Mattox label, has worked in merchandising and as a design director. He has been a major factor in the fashion industry for 30 years. His clothing has been sold at Neiman Marcus, Dillards, Anthropologie, Amazon and more.

Today, Borsas works primarily with luxury women’s online brand Mirror Palais. The business takes custom orders and everything is pre-arranged so there is very little waste, he says. “We buy vintage and overstock fabrics to use so they get reused.”

“I want to open my own shop in Greece and do both,” Borsas says. The shop, called Nest, will include handmade items from artisans. He envisions an authentic but modern Greek aesthetic. He has purchased a store located across from his grandfather’s old tailor shop.

Borsas says he used to spend much of his time traveling to places like China and India, sourcing product and design, or in factories. “Take someone who’s energetic and willing to learn, throw them out into the world, and they’re going to do well,” he says.

However, jet setting is no longer in his blood. “I just turned 60 so I don’t want to spend a third of my life traveling. I’m ready for a quieter life,” he says.

“Fashion can be so wasteful and polluting,” Borsas says. “We try to make stuff that’s going to be in your closet for a long time and can be passed on to someone. It is made thoughtfully.”

“I’m loving the second opportunity to be a teacher and mentor and watch young kids do their stuff, guide them along their way, correct them when they’re about to mess up,” Borsas says. “I never thought I’d do that. I was always the creative with the messy desk. Now I’m all about organization. I feel like I’m getting a second chance to do something new.”

The company was started by young people, whom Borsas is mentoring and coaching.

They had the design chops – the creative director has dressed Kim Kardashian – but not the business acumen. That’s where Borsas comes in.

He still feels passionately about fashion and believes it matters. “We express ourselves with our appearance. We say so much without speaking, just with the way we look. It’s important and part of everyone’s self-identity.”

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A Flurry of Success At just 25 years old, Kara Emig ’15 has designed clothes for runways at New York Fashion Week, created a dress that appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine and has been featured in the New York Times.

After studying at the renowned Pratt Institute for Design, where she studied garment-making, design, art history, figure sketching and more, Emig was recruited to work with Kerby Jean-Raymond, an exciting, forward-thinking designer based out of New York. He founded men’s label Pyer Moss and was the first Black American designer to show at Paris Fashion Week.

Emig was well-equipped to help design for the show; she had studied in London for six weeks the summer before her junior year of college with Central Saint Martins – University of the Arts London. The program in fashion/ apparel design involved visiting museums and markets, where students gained influence from architecture, brickwork and other sights.

“The European way of design is very open,” Emig says. “That was really interesting, and I felt like it really helped launch the second half of my education.”

“It was interesting to see the different ways in which individual fashion schools teach,” she adds. Pratt focused on both commercial and conceptual fashion. Saint Martins was conceptual, avant-garde, not as marketable.

“I was lucky to get that perspective and have different influences.”

At Pratt, Emig and the other students created a 10-look collection for their senior thesis

projects. Once a week in a thesis class, Emig presented her ideas and work to two professors, one focused on design and one on patterning, or the creation of a template for how a garment is to be constructed.

on each garment to give to the factory—a set of production instructions, Emig says.

Next came Pyer Moss’s first couture show during Paris Couture Week; the show was put on in New York due to the pandemic. Again, Emig’s work was featured. The event was held at the historic mansion of Madam C.J. Walker, an African American entrepreneur and activist and the first female self-made millionaire.

“That was really special,” Emig says.

Frank Borsas ’80

Kara Emig ’15

FEATURE

Thoughtful Creation “I’m enjoying being creative in a new way.”

“We would present big boards with sketches and fabric swatches pinned up,” Emig says. The first semester, the students made muslin garments under a tight weekly schedule. Models came once a week to try on the newly sewn pieces.

She has also designed for Reebok, creating sportswear and outerwear. “It’s fun to switch. To scale from designing a t-shirt to a big, elaborate design. Exploring how you adapt to a concept, and where your abilities lie,” Emig says.

Emig’s collection was inspired by musician Freddy Mercury’s style, the rock music of the 70s and 80s and Victorian fashion. “I used Freddy’s vision of himself as a queen, drawing comparisons and overlap between his fashion and Victorian,” she says. Emig calls her collection playful and outrageous.

When a dress she had designed appeared on a Vogue cover in 2019, it was surreal, she says. “You’re in a flurry to make, make, make these things, then they’re going down the runway, then one is on the cover of Vogue, and your parents are buying five newsstands’ worth of New York Times,” Emig laughs about her successes. “But what is most important to me is the feeling of accomplishment when it’s all done.”

At the end of the semester, Emig presented six of her looks for a critique panel. During the session, she was required to explain where her inspiration came from, walk the panel through her design process and show each look. “They looked at everything very closely - the seams, the threads…it was nervewracking,” she says.

It turns out she needn’t have worried. “My collection made it into the senior fashion show in Tribeca. We honored the creative director at Pyer Moss, Kerby Jean-Raymond. He saw my collection at the show, and someone from the company reached out shortly after to ask about hiring me,” Emig says.

“Jean-Raymond designs for women of all shapes and sizes,” Emig says.

She started working for the label in June of 2019. “I jumped right in and helped design our Collection 3 runway showcase for New York Fashion Week. I learned how to design work with a creative director, adapt my design perspective to someone else’s aesthetic, make technical sketches on Adobe Illustrator, and put together tech packs,” which are essentially book reports

13

He also appreciates that he has plenty of time to go to Greece, where he has his second home, rebuilt from his family’s original home on Lefkada Island. In fact, his 88 year-old mother recently visited him there.

Fashion consultant Frank Borsas ’80, former president of the Aidan Mattox label, has worked in merchandising and as a design director. He has been a major factor in the fashion industry for 30 years. His clothing has been sold at Neiman Marcus, Dillards, Anthropologie, Amazon and more.

Today, Borsas works primarily with luxury women’s online brand Mirror Palais. The business takes custom orders and everything is pre-arranged so there is very little waste, he says. “We buy vintage and overstock fabrics to use so they get reused.”

“I want to open my own shop in Greece and do both,” Borsas says. The shop, called Nest, will include handmade items from artisans. He envisions an authentic but modern Greek aesthetic. He has purchased a store located across from his grandfather’s old tailor shop.

Borsas says he used to spend much of his time traveling to places like China and India, sourcing product and design, or in factories. “Take someone who’s energetic and willing to learn, throw them out into the world, and they’re going to do well,” he says.

However, jet setting is no longer in his blood. “I just turned 60 so I don’t want to spend a third of my life traveling. I’m ready for a quieter life,” he says.

“Fashion can be so wasteful and polluting,” Borsas says. “We try to make stuff that’s going to be in your closet for a long time and can be passed on to someone. It is made thoughtfully.”

“I’m loving the second opportunity to be a teacher and mentor and watch young kids do their stuff, guide them along their way, correct them when they’re about to mess up,” Borsas says. “I never thought I’d do that. I was always the creative with the messy desk. Now I’m all about organization. I feel like I’m getting a second chance to do something new.”

The company was started by young people, whom Borsas is mentoring and coaching.

They had the design chops – the creative director has dressed Kim Kardashian – but not the business acumen. That’s where Borsas comes in.

He still feels passionately about fashion and believes it matters. “We express ourselves with our appearance. We say so much without speaking, just with the way we look. It’s important and part of everyone’s self-identity.”

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Zachary Lanciano ’09

designed by

Frank Borsas ’80

designed by

Alumni Setting Trends In Fashion

ALL THE RAGE Nechanicky Brothers

designed by

Kara Emig ’15

designed by

FEATURE

Cooking Up

Success Falcons in the Culinary Space

▲ A Chef Danny Lledó dish

Food has always brought people together, from holiday feasts to picnics to a simple meal shared with friends.

Across the country, alumni from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School are using food to reach out and find delicious common ground.

▲ Danny Lledό ’96 is a Michelin Star chef in Washington, D.C. Lledό finds inspiration in his Portuguese and Valencian heritage to create memorable culinary experiences at Slate Wine Bar and Xiquet by Danny Lledó, which has held a Star in the Michelin Guide since 2021 and earned the Guide’s Sommelier of The Year Award in 2022. Lledό was recognized as a Chef Ambassador for the Valencian Community for his commitment to the region’s cuisine and products.

▲ A meal at Xiquet by Danny Lledó

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“My love for cooking comes from times spent cooking with my father, who had a career as a renowned chef himself. I have wonderful memories of him teaching me how to do everything his way; cutting an onion, making a sauce, cutting meat,” Lledó says.

“Those are the moments that have influenced my life and career.”

What he finds most fulfilling about his work is seeing a guest’s reaction when they taste the dishes he has created. “I’m lucky to see that firsthand from my glass-enclosed kitchen at Xiquet.

Hearing their reaction, especially if it brings back memories for them - there’s nothing like that.

That’s what keeps a chef going,” he says.

At Slate, Lledό specializes in small plates that pair well with wines.

To achieve a high level of quality, he emphasizes execution with his cooking team. “The fundamentals are the most important thing. You can put 15 different ingredients on a plate, but if the star of the dish isn’t cooked correctly, the guest won’t leave happy,” he says.

A unique method he and his team employs is using wood fire to provide another ingredient to dishes, he says. “We actually use a variety of methods for cooking with fire in our kitchen at Xiquet: direct flame, grill or plancha for meat and fish and a Green Egg smoker to provide tenderness and applewood smoke flavor to duck and pork.

During service, we use the smoker with vegetable charcoal to cook the turbot fish dish with

FEATURE a skewer. When using wood fire or charcoal or smoking, it provides a complexity of flavor, gives tenderness to meats and creates structural integrity of the proteins.”

Lledó’s ongoing inspiration comes from his love for cooking.

“When you’re happy, you’re able to be creative and open yourself up to new ideas,” he says. “I find inspiration in nature, travel, other fine dining restaurants, even backyard barbeques with friends. You never know what will spark something 10 steps removed. When you’re in the right state of mind, you can find inspiration all around you.”

For food blogger Charlie DeSando ’74, cooking has always been a family affair. He grew up in a house with parents who were excellent cooks, spent time in his father’s D.C. restaurants— Randy’s, The Channel House and DeSando’s—worked in other kitchens as a young adult and became the primary cook in his own household after his sons were born.

DeSando’s blog, “Cooking Secrets for Men,” started out as a hobby to fill his free time. He honed his recipes and writing over time. “My experience became a lot more fun when my content became a lot better,” he says. Recently, the blog was ranked 18th out of the top 30 men’s cooking websites based on Internet traffic and social media response.

“Cooking Secrets for Men is a place for men and other cooks to learn shortcuts and secrets to everyday cooking. More than half of our subscribers are women, it’s not just for men,” says DeSando, who is a former championship-winning Good Counsel swim team coach.

Today, he also makes cooking videos for his YouTube channel, which has more than 1,500 subscribers, and a presence on other major social media platforms. He even collaborates with other YouTubers on challenges like creating a burger recipe based on each cook’s geographical area. DeSando lives in Milwaukee, so he made a Wisconsin Stuffed Cheeseburger using local cheese.

“The most creative thing I do in life is to cook. I’ve become very good at looking in the fridge, seeing what’s there and just making a meal out of it,” DeSando says. That is the point of his blog and cooking videos.

“I found 77% of chefs are men, but most men don’t like to cook other than to grill a steak or burger. Why is that? My theory is they feel like they have to be perfect or make a great meal, and it doesn’t have to be that difficult,” he says. In a recent recipe for a curry chicken salad, for example, he tells readers to use a rotisserie chicken.

“The tips and shortcuts I put in are built in for people to make easy, quick weeknight meals.

You want to put something forward that someone will think, ‘I can do that.’”

“I have a love of eating and I have developed a love of cooking,” says Bart DeCoursy ’90, who opened the well-known Brooklyn restaurant, Sidecar, with his brother, John, in 2007. John served as executive chef, and Bart worked in the front of the house.

The bar and grill quickly gained popularity and was featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” in 2012. Their menu featured

▲ Charlie DeSando

▲ Bart DeCoursy with GC alumni and staff at Sidecar popular items such as fried chicken, duck poutine and a Cuban sandwich.

create a space where people will remember it as a good time,” DeCoursy says.

“John and I would discuss the menu together,” Bart says.

“Our mother was a very good cook when we were kids.” He remembers watching over her shoulder while she made dinner; his interest in food grew from there.

Changes in neighborhood dynamics and the seasonal exodus of New Yorkers each summer caused Sidecar to close in early 2022. The pandemic didn’t help, either.

“The food we made at Sidecar was unpretentious but done with strict technique and adherence to the recipes,” he says. “The food was fairly complex to make, but easy to enjoy."

He has enjoyed putting together gatherings for people since high school. “And I enjoy sitting down to a really nice meal. I really like creating the atmosphere, and I like the idea that I can

“Good Counsel came up for a basketball game and held a happy hour at Sidecar in December of 2021” he says. “It was a lot of fun.

I was really tickled we got to do that before we closed.”

Earlier this year, DeCoursy transitioned his efforts by opening Rullos, a bar that offers tamales, pulled pork and a grandfathered Sidecar dish, oysters on the half shell. “It’s a little tip of the cap to the place,” he says.

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FEATURE

from GOOD COUNSEL

with

Kelly and Michael Hass ’05 met in their freshmen religion class at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, taught

by Kathryn Heetderks. “In April of our sophomore year, we went out on our first date to the movies and Starbucks in Olney, and the rest was history.”

They loved attending school dances, sporting events and pep rallies together.

“Our high school relationship was the beginning of a beautiful life together, and so much happiness! It set the foundation for our relationship, which grew and matured throughout college and early adulthood. We felt very lucky to have found one another and have been surrounded by great friends at Good Counsel.”

Kevin and Lauren Eckert ’06 with their daughters

Today, the couple has three daughters, Hannah, 6, Jojo, 4, and Emma, 1. They are also expecting another little girl in September.

“We enjoy being outdoors as much as possible with our kids, especially soaking up the sun at the beach and the pool in the summertime.”

Lauren and Kevin Eckert ’06 met at the beginning of their junior year of high school.

“A mutual friend of ours introduced us and we immediately became friends.” The two students started dating later that year shortly after their senior retreat.

“We were both fall sport athletes, so we enjoyed seeing each other after practices.”

One of the couple’s favorite high school memories is a snowball fight started by a classmate outside of their English class junior year. The couple also went to senior prom together.

The Eckerts now are married with two daughters—Kiley, 3, and Sophia, 1.5. “We also have an 8-year-old golden retriever, Dempsey. This summer, we celebrated our 10-year anniversary.”

Kelly and Michael Hass ’05 and family

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fall of 1973, when she was part of a consortium that allowed students from all-girls schools to attend classes their schools did not offer. She attended Ursuline Academy in Bethesda.

“She was one of only two girls who attended Good Counsel that year. We met in class and dated during the summer following graduation in spring 1974,” Doherty says.

However, the two attended separate, farflung colleges, and Margaret joined the Peace Corps after graduating and ended up in Cameroon in West Central Africa.

“After a seven-year hiatus, we started seeing each other again when she returned. We eventually got married in October 1988 and have a child together, Alice Leonard Doherty, who is currently studying Religion and Theater Arts at the University of Iowa,” he says.

“We both attended the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., but at different times. I graduated in 1985 and she graduated in 1990.”

“Good Counsel played an important part in our lives by bringing us together and we look back fondly on our time there, the many friends we made and the wonderful teachers and coaches who had a major impact on our lives.”

Katie and Nick Fullenkamp ’98 didn’t meet until the fall of their senior year at GC. “We were both in Mrs. Nichols’ AP Chemistry class and sat next to one another. Mrs. Nichols soon caught on that we had some ‘chemistry’ and would call us out in front of the class as the ‘lovebirds.’ We began dating mid-September.”

James Doherty ’74 met his wife, Margaret, in Barry Trick's AP English class in the

Katie and Nick were both asked to be Junior Retreat leaders that year. “The

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Nick and Katie Fullenkamp ’98 at prom

preparation for that brought us closer, and I asked Nick to the Sadie Hawkins dance,” Katie says. “We continued to date throughout our senior year, finishing with Prom and many wonderful memories together.”

Senior Prom is one of the couple’s favorite memories. “It culminated our year of meeting and dating and was such a fun night celebrating our last year with our friends. We also knew we were both headed to James Madison University in the fall, so it was a special time together.”

The family enjoys attending GC’s camps, alumni activities and football, soccer and lacrosse games. “It is very special being able to take our children to the place where we met and fell in love.”

Melissa ’01 and Charles Boyle ’00 are the Fullenkamps’ in-laws. (Melissa and Nick are brother and sister.) They met in the freshman hallway in September of 1997 and started dating in February of 1998. “I was a freshman and Charles was a sophomore,” Melissa says.

Their favorite memories are of cheering each other on in our sports and tearing up the dance floor at dances and prom.

“Charles always said he first fell in love with me after seeing me block an opposing player’s shot during one of my JV basketball games freshman year, and I remember him cheering so loudly when I did it,” Melissa says.

Jen and Joey Cabigas ’82

The wedding of Elizabeth and Justin Cassidy ’14

These days, they are busy with their four children, Charles, 10, Shannon, 8, Delaney, 5, and Brendan, 4.

The couple says they often tell the story of their “amazing experience” at GC. “We have so many special memories and friends from our time there. We are thankful for our time at GC and how it shaped our lives.”

Jen and Joey Cabigas ’82 met while working at Good Counsel. Both are faculty members Jen teaches religion and Joey teaches science.

“Jen and I met at the Wheaton campus when I was directing Camp GC and she was hired as an administrator in July of 2000,” says Joey, who started working at the camp as a counselor when he was a sophomore in high school. He has been the camp director for more than 20 years.

“On one of the theme days of camp, I was wearing a long dress and was on roller blades when I was first introduced to Jen. We sort of hit it off from there, but I frequently greeted Jen from the 2nd floor as she ate lunch in the senior courtyard during camp, as I was too shy to say anything closer.”

“We were engaged by the spring of 2001 to the surprise of our colleagues, who had no idea that Jen and I were dating!” The two were married on August 4, 2001, which is also Joey’s birthday.

“Our daughter, Soledad, has just completed her freshman year at GC, and she has looked forward to being a Falcon since she was little!”

Between the two of them, Jen and Joey have taught more than 5,000 students at GC. They believe that the relationships teachers build with their students are a crucial part of education.

Elizabeth and Justin Cassidy ’14 met during their sophomore year of high school in Gary Fookes’ self-defense karate class.

“We were put together as sparring partners.

We started to joke around together and became quick friends.” The couple started dating in February 2012.

“Something we will always remember about meeting each other is that the day before we met in 2011 was the day that the DMV area experienced the earthquake and the school had sent everyone outside.

I think that was a sign that something really big was going to happen for us that year, but we didn’t know that it would be meeting our future spouse.”

In 2013, the two went on the annual band trip to Nashville. “It helped foster a love for travel and adventure that we have carried with us to this day.” Since then, the couple has traveled together to Mexico, Ireland, Belgium, France and have future plans to visit Nicaragua, Japan, Iceland and more.

In October 2021, the couple got married.

Several GC alumni were in their wedding party, including Connor Reich, Laura Lucas, Michelle Kolberg and Paige Padmore, all Class of 2014.

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FEATURE

MOVING

ONWARD

Departing Faculty Share Fond Memories of Good Counsel “Engineering is very much like art. You have an idea and a vision, and you make it come about,” says Bill Jones, who directed the STEM program at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School for the past eight years. Jones retired in the spring of 2022, but not without making his mark on the school and the lives of over 100 graduates of the program.

▲ Bill Jones and STEM alumni at his retirement celebration

“Engineering is very much like art.

You have an idea and a vision, and you make it come about."

— Bill Jones

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THE COUNSELOR 2022

Jones started teaching science at Good Counsel in 2006. He became STEM Director in 2014 and under his leadership, the program’s graduates have been accepted into prestigious engineering programs at universities like Johns Hopkins, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the California Institute of Technology, Virginia Tech, the Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Maryland.

The STEM program at GC introduces students to engineering concepts through a nationally recognized, hands-on, project-based curriculum called Project Lead the Way. For the fifth consecutive year, GC has been recognized as a Distinguished

Project Lead the Way School—a distinction given to only 3% of qualified schools nationally.

To commemorate Jones’s service, alumni, parents and friends joined together to endow a scholarship in his name to provide annual financial assistance to a deserving incoming STEM student. Recipients will be awarded beginning in the 2023-24 academic year.

Students are admitted into the STEM Program prior to freshman year. This year, 60 students were accepted into the program, which previously only accepted 40 per year. The program has grown significantly under Jones’s leadership.

Classes emphasize real-world applications and exposes students to career paths by partnering with local engineering companies. Each STEM class has the opportunity to see engineering in action outside of the school building.

Jones attributes the program’s success to former science chair, Rick Miller. "Rick had the original vision for the GC STEM program,"

FEATURE

he says. “Through his efforts, plans for the physical remodeling of our labs to create two STEM labs and the implementation of the course sequence were created.”

Under Jones’s leadership, the program continues its elite status, as one of only two schools in Maryland to receive the PLTW distinction each of the past four years. Adorning the walls in the STEM lab are the names of every graduate since the program began. Alumni of the program have earned academic scholarships totaling more than $5.5 million.

Each spring, he says, Jones loved watching seniors present their end-ofyear project to an engineering panel; their sense of achievement was palpable.

“It’s like being a parent on Christmas morning – you see on their faces the pleasure from what they discovered,” he says. “And when undergraduates would say, ‘Mr. Jones, we love this,’ it made me feel good.”

Interactions and relationships with students and faculty are what he will miss most. “It is a family here at GC. I’ve been blessed be part of it.”

Jones has also enjoyed helping the STEM students gain acceptance into the colleges of their choice. “I am proud of how the program has evolved and how it provides for the students.”

During retirement, Jones plans to enjoy his favorite hobbies – playing volleyball and the guitar – as well as promoting a three-book children’s series he has written. They can be found at Barnes and Noble; the first book is called, “The Storied Adventures of Mr. Spiffos.” It contains short stories about human nature written in a poetic style.

After all, teaching young people important life lessons is what Jones has been doing for 40 years.

Setting the Stage for Greatness For the past six years, Chris Townsend has served as the mentor for the scenery crew of the Good Counsel Theatre Company, bringing drama productions to life through set design, lighting and artistic talents. He also taught theatre at Good Counsel for five years, until 2022.

Townsend loves when students succeed and grow under his instruction. “Even students who have participated in theatre in the past usually have little or no training in production. When I teach, they sometimes have a ‘lightbulb moment,’ when they suddenly get it,” he says.

“I also appreciate when students come back to me to talk about using the skills they picked up in my classes in their real lives.

Through the years, Townsend used a creative approach to design, such as the minimalist set he created for “Titanic,” using mostly projections to create the setting. This included the infamous iceberg, which suddenly appeared as the titular ship struck it.

Townsend’s favorite set design at GC was for the musical that never happened, “Catch Me If You Can.” “On Friday we had a dress rehearsal, and everyone was ecstatic; our production was so special. On Saturday, we had a big crew call and finished the scenery. On Monday, the school shut down because of COVID and we never got to perform for an audience,” he says.

A New Direction Counselor Todd Handleman has left Good Counsel after 13 years of providing personal counseling services to students.

In his role, he helped students address school-related concerns such as grades, interpersonal problems with family or friends, emotional problems and societal pressures. Students are assigned to one counselor for the duration of their time at the school.

“It is nice to reflect with them about what has happened since they walked through the doors as freshmen,” Handleman says.

“Our counseling relationship can start off with something negative, but to be there to share in their successes as well is great.”

“The last couple of years since COVID hit, it’s been so hard,” he says. “You see the kids have more serious things occurring than in the past. It has been really rewarding working with other counselors, teachers, administrators, seeing how everybody seemed to adapt organically throughout the pandemic and how we care for the kids.”

“We’ve all learned on the fly to work fluidly to support the students in the way we haven’t had to in the past. It has been very rewarding to see that evolve organically based on need, and how successful it has been.”

Handleman has joined a private psychotherapy practice, but he says he will miss working with the young people at GC.

His other favorite was the school’s recent show, “Ragtime.” “It was a production where all the elements combined to be more than the sum of the parts. Best theatre you can get at a high school level,” Townsend says.

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FEATURE

Power of the Pen

Alumni

Authors

Promote Positivity, Kindness and Bravery Dhonielle Clayton ’01 is co-author of the bestselling novel “Tiny Pretty Things,” and its sequel, “Shiny Broken Pieces,” with Sona Charaipotra.

The books were made into a Netflix drama series. They follow three friends through dance school at New York's American Ballet Company.

Clayton has written and co-written several other novels as well, including bestseller “Blackout” and the "Belles" series.

To help support diverse authors, she started a non-profit, We Need Diverse Books. In addition, Clayton founded Cake Creative, an entertainment company that she runs in New York City. It is dedicated to bold and diverse storytelling across books, podcasts, film and television.

think we identify unicorns as beings who love themselves. I asked, ‘How will I know when I’m a unicorn?’ …which was to say, ‘How will I know when I love myself?’ and the idea was right there.”

Kelley, who has a BA in journalism and an MA in strategic communications, loves to tell stories. She decided to write a children’s book with a message of positivity.

“There are so many images and messages coming at people through the media about not being good enough. The message is: Get these clothes, lose that weight, get Botox, wear this makeup, and then you will be loved,” Kelley says.

She hopes to dispel that notion.

“I know we are moving in the right direction with body positivity campaigns and more diversity coming through in entertainment, so I wanted to be a part of that shift,” Kelley says.

She hopes her book will help children decide for themselves that they are worthwhile, even if they aren’t getting that message from the outside world.

Kelley has other ideas for future books in the works. For now, she is happy to be helping to boost young people’s self-image.

Christiana Kelley ’00 is author of the children’s book “How Will I Know When I’m a Unicorn?” During a journey of self-healing, Kelley had an epiphany: She wanted to teach youngsters to love themselves. “I happened to be wearing unicorn leggings that day. I

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Jiexi Lin ’22, came to the U.S. from China to study at GC as an international student. She loved her classes and enjoyed interacting with the students,

who made her feel welcome. Lin was even voted “friendliest” out of the senior class and received the Brother Mark Award (see page 25).

She was also chosen to give the senior awards ceremony keynote speech, in which she called the GC community “compassionate and competitive.” Being from China, Lin said she didn’t know anyone and had a bit of a language barrier, “but everyone had my back.”

“At first I had no confidence in writing in English because it wasn’t my mother tongue,” Lin says. But she quickly gained reading and writing skills in an English class at GC. “Writing has been my habit for years. It’s a kind of self-expression, I can talk to my diaries,” she says.

The class also inspired her to read western poetry. “I was fascinated by it,” Lin says.

Most students in China aren’t exposed to western poems, in large part because translations don’t exist.

In 2019, she decided to translate a collection of western poems into Chinese. The result was her book, “A Selection of Interesting Poems,” by poets ranging from Langston Hughes to Amanda Gorman.

One of Lin’s favorite lines is from Gorman’s poem, “The Hill We Climb.” She declares, “We are striving to forge our union with purpose. To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.”

The line is fitting for Lin, who loves the diversity she has encountered in the U.S.

FEATURE

“It feels like a dream that I’m able to study here, with all kinds of cool people, diverse and inclusive people. It has been a truly dynamic experience,” she says.

Throughout this pandemic, society has become more divided, especially America and China, Lin says. “Through all the pain, we need something that can heal us together.” The Constitution says we are all equal, we are all brothers and sisters, she points out. Lin feels Gorman’s poem perfectly exemplified this.

“I wanted to carefully translate into Chinese this and other poems for people in China and Asia. I think as global citizens, we have this obligation to bring peace, prosperity and goodwill to all people,” she says. “We need to help each other and come together to help make a better tomorrow for not only ourselves, but also future generations that come after us.”

Rachel Johannes ’13 has written an adult fantasy novel called “Behold the Sins” under the pen name Rachel Serrin. It is the first book in what will be a four-book series, she says.

The book takes the reader on a perilous journey through a portal to seven worlds cursed by the seven deadly sins.

The protagonist is on a search for her brother, who entered the portal and never returned. Romance and adventure are the major themes.

Inspired initially by a creative writing class she took at GC, Johannes started writing the book after receiving a dual degree in

journalism and international politics from Pennsylvania State University.

“I always enjoyed literature classes. I love to read,” she says. “I remember going to the library at Good Counsel and seeing all of the young adult books there and trying to decide which one to read next.”

The class helped her push the boundaries of her imagination, she says. “I was excited to see what I was capable of doing.”

Johannes loves to travel, which she said helps with world building. Currently, she is working on the second book, which she will publish in December.

The first book is available on Kindle Unlimited, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Woods” and “Greenwood Lake,” and have some characters in common, but each one stands alone. They evolved from bedtime stories Silk would tell his own kids, Robby, Cassidy and Reese.

To maintain control of his content, Silk started his own publishing company. For the illustrations in the most recent book, he was able to recruit illustrator Patricia M. Hung, who has designed characters for shows like “Super Monsters” on Netflix and “Elena of Avalor” on Disney Junior.

During his time at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, Silk played football and excelled in sports in general. “I always enjoyed writing and reading good books, too. Andy Collins ’82 encouraged me; he said I had a knack for writing. I didn’t think much about it until after college.”

His wife, Katie, who works in the Good Counsel admissions office, encouraged him to write. He started a blog in 2010 called the “Philosophical Photographer,” in which he posted his original photographs and wrote about them. Eventually, he decided to write his first book.

Robby Silk ’03 is also a children’s book author. He created and wrote a three-book series called “The Adventures of RJ Mouse,” including “The Lost Castle,” “The Forgotten Voice” and most recently, “The Lonely King.” In the series, the title character and his friends have mystical adventures and learn life lessons along the way.

Silk’s whimsical books use rhyme to tell tales about the mouse (named for Silk’s eldest son, Robby James), who embodies courage, kindness and selflessness. The stories aren’t sugarcoated, however, Silk is quick to point out, but incorporate fantasy with a somewhat serious tone. The fictitious vignettes are given authenticity

by Silk’s prose.

“After the first one came out, I saw that there is a bit of a fan base for this,” Silk says. “I jumped right into the next book.” He soon created another character based on his daughter, Cassidy.

Silk has started writing a middle grade novel for 10–12-year-olds, which he hopes will be out next year. His current books can be found on Amazon and other websites.

“You want to raise your kids to be good people. You want to teach them important things in life. A central focus in my stories is me wanting to pass down my thoughts about being helpful, courageous and a kind person,” he says.

The stories exist in a unique universe filled with locally-inspired locations like “Olney

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SCHOLARSHIP

A SMART WAY to

GIVE “Good Counsel really helped me when I was a kid,” says Ron Lara ’62. He struggled with academics in middle school, especially math. However, he was accepted into the first group of students to enter Our Lady of Good Counsel High School.

“One of the brothers took me aside and helped me to improve in math,” says Lara, who is grateful for the path this eventually led him down. He discovered he was actually quite adept in the subject, and after college, Lara even became a financial planner.

Recently, he used his expertise in the field to make a strategic planned gift to GC. It wasn’t purely an altruistic decision, he says.

“I also get all of the income and short-term gains for $1.2 million in stocks for the rest of my life.

Then, after I’m gone, GC gets a percentage of it.”

— Ron Lara ’62 “The main reason why I did this was to make money. I was selling my office building in Frisco, Colorado. Because I had the building for over 15 years, I had depreciated it. The capital gains tax is 25%. Plus then you have your state tax,” he explains. After local taxes, he would have experienced a deep cut into his profit on the sale.

Lara also had a substantial tax holding which, if he sold, would also have been heavily taxed.

Instead, Lara, whose specialty is in charitable trusts, transferred his holdings into an LLC. Then he donated the property and stocks into a charitable trust called a pooled income fund, which he donated to GC in his estate plan.

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THE COUNSELOR 2022

In total, he says he enjoyed about $500k in tax savings.

“I also get all of the income and short-term gains for $1.2 million in stocks for the rest of my life. Then, after I’m gone, GC gets a percentage of it,” he says.

Lara is happy he is able to give back to his alma mater, which helped him succeed early in life. He encourages other alumni who are selling their businesses to consider using a pooled income fund to give back to the school. It is a little-known option for charitable giving, even among financial experts, he says.

“If an alum is selling their business, they can do this and benefit the school,” Lara says. It will continue to benefit you, your spouse and even your children later, he adds. One can even designate art or other valuables as part of the fund.

“By putting the money in now, it benefits people tremendously over their lifetime, especially if they’re in a high tax bracket.

There are alumni who can really use this, especially if they are selling rental real estate that has depreciated,” he says. “It is very beneficial.”

Please consult your tax advisor for details.

BROTHER MARK AWARD

Humility and Ambition

Brother Mark Award Winner Jiexi Lin Looks to the Future

Admired by her classmates from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School’s Class of 2022, Jiexi Lin ’22 is perpetually busy, working to improve the world as she learns about it.

At Good Counsel, she was involved with the Global Buddies club, which pairs international students attending GC with American students to help with the transition from a foreign high school. Lin, who is from China, came to the U.S. in her sophomore year to study at GC. Lin was well liked by her classmates; she was voted “friendliest student,” according to the 2022 yearbook. Also, she won a speech contest that gave her the honor of speaking at the end-of-year senior awards assembly during her last week of high school.

But the biggest honor she received was at graduation, when she was honored with the Brother Mark Award. Named for the school’s founding principal, it is given each year to an outstanding senior who has given the most of herself or himself to make Good Counsel an exceptional school.

“When my name was called as the award winner during the ceremony, I could not believe it. Each of the students in the Class of 2022 is special in some way,” Lin says.

“I am really sincerely honored by this award,” Lin says. “I want to say a big thank you to my GC community. It feels like a school filled with possibilities, and I am grateful for my three years there.”

She is especially thankful to her friends, family, host family, teachers and the GC community. “Without the support of this group, I wouldn’t be who I am today,” she says.

In the fall, Lin is headed to the College of William & Mary, where she will have a double major of international relations and economics. With the knowledge she gains, she hopes to work to promote peace throughout the world.

During the summer of 2022, she took a course at the college to get a jumpstart on her secondary education. She also traveled to see more of the U.S. “I have been in America for three years, but have only seen D.C., Maryland and Virginia,” Lin said shortly after graduation. “I want to explore more, maybe take a car trip to Pennsylvania with my host parents to learn more about America and its culture.”

Bria Bourgeois, Lin’s college counselor at GC, says Lin truly embodies the meaning of the Brother Mark Award.

“Her passion for helping others speaks measures,” Bourgeois says. “From the first day that I met her, I knew that she was one day going to make a huge difference in this world. As I got to know her, I understood her desire to help people. In her senior year, I watched her blossom into a young woman who is confident and ready to take on everything life has coming her way. I am so thankful that I was able to meet her on her way to greatness.”

Lin says she is grateful for the friends she has made at GC and for all of her classmates, because she feels each of them also deserves to win the award. “They are unique and have special qualities. I am grateful for their presence.”

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EVENTS RECAP

GRAND CELEBRATION

Together We Can Weather Any Storm Over 400 alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends celebrated an evening of philanthropy with the 34th Annual Grand Celebration on Saturday, April 30. Over $127,000 was raised during the live appeal in support of building the school’s endowment and the net profit from the evening was nearly $200,000.

Also featured during the evening were the 2022 Visionary Award Recipients, celebrating seven distinguished members of our community. We are grateful to Richard “Hank” Deily ’72, our Brother Robert Arrowsmith ’63 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year; Judy Hewitt, our 1958 Cornerstone Award recipient; Russ ’79 and Paula Hamill, the Our Lady Award recipients, Rich Seel, the Magnificat Award recipient and Top Dog Services with Todd ’89 and Kyle ’92 Dickerson, the Concordia Award recipients.

▲ 2022 Visionary Award Recipients

TOM KOLAR †

Celebration Of Life Alumni, family and friends gathered in May 2022 to celebrate the life and legacy of Tom Kolar, a beloved member of Good Counsel’s faculty for 53 years.

Tom passed away on March 27, 2021.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 29, 2023 and plan to join us for what promises to be an unforgettable 35th Annual Grand Celebration, where we will celebrate the legacy of Dr. Paul Barker, president, with a Night at the Derby.

▲ Kolar family

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THE COUNSELOR 2022

EVENTS RECAP

REUNION Weekend

Following the postponement of reunions in 2020, the November 2021 Reunion Weekend welcomed back alumni from the Classes of 0, 1, 5 and 6 for double the fun. Over 330 Falcon alumni participated in reunion activities including the football game on Friday event, the alumni basketball game on Saturday morning, the Alumni of Color Luncheon, and Saturday evening’s reunion celebrations. In addition, on Friday evening we welcomed the newest inductees into the Good Counsel Athletic Hall of Fame: Julie Weiss Childers ’96, Steve Ghent, Akeem Hebron ’06, Becky West ’09, the 1998 Girls Soccer Team and James Gist ’04.

Classes ending in 2 and 7 are encouraged to join us for Reunion Weekend 2022 October 14 & 15; for more information visit www.olgchs.org/reunions.

CLASS OF 2022 LEGACIES Steve Garland ’74 and Elizabeth Garland ’22, Suzanne Crowell ’95 and Kicky Crowell ’22, John Bork ’87 and John Bork ’22, Jim Owen ’77 and Jacob Owen ’22, Marc Sauro ’89 and Isabella Sauro ’22, Tom Shioutakon ’91 and Emily Shioutakon ’22, Tom Brennan ’85 and Kayla Brennan ’22, Tom ’93 & Amy ’92 Campbell and Brady Campbell ’22, Steve Howes ’91 and Michael Howes ’22, Dan Fitzgerald ’78 and Kelly Fitzgerald ’22, Mark ’93 & Andrea ’93 Stancik and Will Stancik ’22, Amy Boldt ’00 and Gabe Koenig ’22, Chris Mantua ’92 and Sean Mantua ’22, Chris ’90 & Ellen ’92 DeLisi and Nick DeLisi ’22, Chris Pautler ’91, Thomas Pautler ’22, and Emily Pautler ’22

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EVENTS RECAP

SOCIETY CELEBRATION The Annual Society Celebration celebrates those donors who give $1,000 or more in support of the school, whether through the Fund for Good Counsel, the Community Partners program, for scholarships or other restricted areas of need. Over 150 attended the 2021 celebration on December 9, 2021 and enjoyed a program featuring the talents of GC students in the arts.

39th Annual Steve Dean

GOLF CLASSIC

Nets Nearly $50,000 Marking a third consecutive sellout, the Steve Dean Golf Classic brought together generous sponsors, community partners, alumni and friends to Manor Country Club on Monday, September 13, 2022.

This year, the $5,000 scholarship was awarded to Troy Sutton ’23. The fund was created 39 years ago in honor of Steve Dean ’67, who passed away in 1976 due to complications related to cerebral palsy. Sutton embodies Steve’s love of Good Counsel through his involvement in academic, social and athletic programs.

The 40th Annual Steve Dean Golf Classic is planned for Monday, September 19, at Manor Country Club.

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SAVE THE DATE The next Society Celebration, for donors who give annually $1,000 or more, is scheduled for December 1, 2022.

GIVING SOCIETY

Launching the

Good Counsel deeply values its supporters for their generous contributions and unwavering dedication. Launching this fall is the Good Counsel Giving Society, providing a number of ways to recognize a donor’s support.

Contributions to Good Counsel provide vital operating funds to ensure that Good Counsel’s immediate and greatest needs are met each year to sustain the excellence of the school and the student experience.

Together, these gifts address expenses not covered by tuition, allowing Good Counsel to make a bold and meaningful commitment to our students and faculty. A commitment that we simply couldn't fulfill otherwise. Support from alumni, parents and friends is recognized by several giving circles:

›››

The 1958 Legacy Circle

honors alumni, parents and friends who have included Good Counsel in their estate plans or have made some other type of planned gift to Good Counsel.

Benefits: Members of the 1958 Legacy Circle are recognized in the school’s Annual Report of Donors, receive a special pin, and are invited to the Society Celebration, an annual donor recognition dinner.

The Xaverian Brothers Circle

recognizes those individuals whose lifetime philanthropic impact demonstrates how “in harmony small things grow.” This circle recognizes those who have provided cumulative gifts exceeding $50,000, pledged or paid, to Good Counsel.

Benefits: Members of the Xaverian Brothers Circle are recognized in the school’s Annual Report of Donors, receive a special pin and card for lifetime access to selected Good Counsel events, and are invited to the Society Celebration, an annual donor recognition dinner.

The Saint Francis Xavier Circle

recognizes those individuals who make an annual leadership gift of $1,000 or more to the school.

Benefits: Members of the SFX Circle are recognized in the school’s Annual Report of Donors, are invited to the Society Celebration, and receive an annual donor card that provides access to selected Good Counsel events.

The Ryken Loyalty Circle

honors donors who have supported Good Counsel for five or more consecutive years, regardless of giving amount.

Benefits: Members of the Ryken Loyalty Circle are recognized in the school’s Annual Report of Donors and are invited to the Society Celebration, an annual donor recognition dinner.

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2021-2022 COMMUNITY PARTNERS

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.

DIAMOND FALCON $20,000

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

YOUR

BLUE & GOLD BENEFITS Your Blue & Gold benefits go on all year!

Exclusive to Good Counsel parents, alumni, and supporters

Mention your Blue & Gold membership at participating locations and SAVE!

Enjoy annual discounts at a number of local Community Partner organizations Does not expire

How it works: Visit www.olgchs.org/blueandgoldcard regularly for the up-to-date list of annual deals from our Community Partners.

Share the GC love by prioritizing business with our Community Partners whenever possible!

If you have a business or organization that you think would be a good fit for our Community Partner program, please contact Savannah Renehan, Director of Advancement, at srenehan@olgchs.org or (240) 283-3384 for more information.

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Thank you for supporting our students by patronizing our Community Partners!

2021-2022 COMMUNITY PARTNERS

PLATINUM FALCONS $10,000

George Glekas ’91 & Family

The Saiz Family

Rockville-Olney, Silver Spring North, Laurel, and Greenbelt NE Beltsville E The Gutierrez Family The Dickerson Family

The Celtniek Family

GOLD FALCONS $5,000

Michael J. McCartin, CPCU & Family

The Potter Family

Steve E. Richter ’75

Phil Mantua ’76 The Worch Family

BLUE FALCONS $2,500

The Shioutakon Family

The Lanning Family

Marty Murphy

The Schilling Family

Rockville and Prince George's The Entwistle Family

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

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GOOD COUNSEL BY THE NUMBERS

BY THE NUMBERS

CLASS OF 2022

PROFILE

317

63

Graduates

percent

attending

128

colleges and universities in

34

53 percent

will be attending US News and World Report Top 100 National Universities and Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges

received four-year academic scholarship offers totaling

$38.9 million

states, D.C. and the UK

34%

Attending private schools

48%

Accepted into Honors Programs across 29 colleges and universities

35 Students

in the International Baccalaureate Program earned academic scholarships totaling

$7.3 million

Ryken Studies Program

students earned academic scholarships totaling

$4.8 million

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29 Students

in the STEM Program offered 78 scholarships totaling

$5 Million

Contributed 30,000 collective community service hours

1

ONE

6

SIX

National Merit Finalist National African American Recognition Program Scholars

CLASS NOTES

CLASS NOTES 2021 Bez Mbeng just completed his first year as the starting point guard for the Yale University basketball team. He led his team to the Ivy League Tournament championship with 13 points, 11 rebounds and three steals, which gave them the automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament.

2020 BEZ MBENG ’21

JONATHAN CROCKER ’20

Jonathan Crocker and the University of Tampa Men’s Lacrosse team won the program's first NCAA Division II National Championship over Memorial Day Weekend.

Ian Coursey was cast as the understudy for Connor Murphy and Jared Kleinman on the national tour of the musical “Dear Evan Hansen.” The show runs at the Kennedy Center from August 30 - September 25, 2022.

Jessica Tomasetti helped lead the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.

JESSICA TOMASETTI ’20

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CLASS NOTES

2019

2018

2014

Gabriela Winter was recognized as Student of the Year at the University of Maryland Alumni Association’s annual Volunteer Leadership Conference. This year, she graduated from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland with a Bachelor's in Supply Chain Management and Marketing.

2017 ▲

Allie Battista and the Middlebury Women’s Lacrosse team won the 2022 Division III NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship over Memorial Day Weekend.

Chad Frick, former president of Epsilon Upsilon Chapter at Clemson University, was featured on the “Anthony Bradley Show” podcast. Frick talked about what it means to be a member of Alpha Sigma Chi fraternity and to better the world through better men. He defined Alpha Sig as a “masterclass of leadership.”

Quintin Hernandez graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering and materials science and engineering. He plans to work in the pharmaceutical or semiconductor industry and pursue a doctoral degree.

▲ Imani Dorsey was added to the United States Women’s National Soccer Team roster for the team’s trip to Australia. This is Imani’s second call-up for a full team event. She had her first cap (appearance) for the USWNT on November 29.

Sean James is working toward a Master of Education degree at the University of Notre Dame through the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program. He teaches middle school social studies and religion in Detroit, Mich., for his placement in the ACE program.

▲ Josh Paschal had a record year. He was named the 2021 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year and was drafted by the Detroit Lions. ▲ Bridgette Kim was selected for the National Security Scholars Program 2021 Cohort, which includes a top secret security clearance, a summer 2021 internship at the IT security firm Leidos and a scholarship award.

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2016 Xavier Fangmeyer moved to Ohio, where he works for Archer Daniels Midland, a global food processing company.

▲ Kyle Snyder won the Silver medal in Men’s 97kg Freestyle Wrestling at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

CLASS NOTES

2013

In May 2022, Jimmy Stubbs completed his MFA in Set Design from the Yale School of Drama, recently renamed the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale.

2011

2012

▲ Anthony Cangelosi, who serves as assistant director of youth programs, launched USA Baseball’s first-ever USA Baseball Homegrown Clinic held in Portland, Ore., on October 9, 2021. This initiative allows youth from across the country to meet, learn from and play on the same field with USA Baseball national team athletes and Major League Baseball players, free of cost.

▲ Stefon Diggs was selected for his second consecutive Pro Bowl following the 2021-22 season and was featured on the August 2022 cover of Sports Illustrated with his brother, Trevon.

▲ Blake Countess and the Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022, making him Good Counsel’s third alumni Super Bowl winner.

2010 Kristi Oristian finished her Doctorate Degree (PhD) in Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke University School of Medicine, and started a new position in the Duke Department of Radiation OncologyCancer Biology studying adolescent and young adult sarcomas.

2006 ◀

▲ Margaret “Midge” Purce made her 18th appearance for the U.S. Women's National Team in soccer this summer. Midge and her USWNT teammates secured a spot in the 2024 Olympics after beating Canada on July 18, 2022. She has scored 4 goals and 3 assists as a member of the USWNT.

▲ Shannon (Barton) Tyree began a new job as director of football administration at Montana State University. She was previously the summer housing and event coordinator there.

Janelle Neubauer began in July 2021 as pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and now serves as the chaplain at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Penn.

She and her fiance, Simphiwe Hlophe, are planning their wedding.

Sarah Ruddle moved to the Denver area.

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CLASS NOTES

Good Counsel

Weddings

▲ ELIZABETH (GITTINGS) HENDERSON ’14 got married in November of 2021.

Pictured with her father and GC teacher, Patrick Gittings.

◀ JUSTIN CASSIDY ’14 and ELIZABETH (MENDOZA) CASSIDY ’14 were married on October 2 at Our Lady of Mercy Church and Silo Falls in Brookeville. Many of their fellow Falcons joined in celebrating their special day. Justin and Liz met at GC and say it will forever hold a special place in their marriage.

▼ STEPHANIE (GUIDARA) DURKIN ’08 recently married GC teacher, Matt Durkin surrounded by many GC alums.

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CLASS NOTES

RICK SAWAY ’11 and KELSEY (DALY) SAWAY ’13 got married on September 25 surrounded by many Good Counsel classmates and friends.

MOLLY SCRIVENS ’04 got married in October 2021.

TYLER POST ’13 and Geanna got engaged in May 2021. Their wedding is planned for June 2023.

KRISTI ORISTIAN ’10 got married in May 2022.

MEGHAN MCTAVISH ’09 and JAMES SWEET ’08 got married June 9, 2021 at St. Luke's Catholic Church in Ocean City, Md.

MICHAEL MCTAVISH ’00 and MARY SWARTHOUT ’08 were married on February 29, 2020, which happened to be Leap Day. They now reside in Colorado.

BOB GOLEY ’67 married Diane Reimert in June 2022.

MICHAEL DUNLOW ’10 and LAURA LEE (FANGMEYER) DUNLOW ’10 were married at a beautiful historic church on Kent Island and celebrated at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club on October 5, 2019. Over 40 Good Counsel alumni were in attendance including members of the wedding party, family, and friends. They moved back home to Maryland from Houston, Texas in March of 2021 and bought a home in Frederick where they live with their newborn daughter Harper Grace, born December 18th, 2021. Laura Lee is a PA at University of Maryland Medical Center in the Greenbaum Cancer Center in Baltimore, and Michael works remotely as a Data Analyst for Rosen oil and gas company in Texas. After a fiveyear adventure in Texas, they are happy to be back home in Maryland.

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CLASS NOTES

2005

2001 ◀

▲ Ola Shokunbi is set to write the film adaptation of “Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun” for Netflix. The project is produced by Will Smith, Jon Mone and David Oyelowo.

▲ Congratulations to Matt Sinkiat and Lorelie Diestro on the birth of their second son, Luke Noel Sinkiat, on February 18 in Olney, Md.

Chris Prangley's first nonfiction book, "The Tech Sales Warrior," published on March 8, 2022, quickly hit as a #1 best seller on Amazon in three categories including Sales and Selling Techniques. The book focuses on empowering sales professionals in IT to lead a more productive and impactful life. In the acknowledgments section, Chris highlighted some of his former GC teachers who had a big impact on his life. The book is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart and more.

The Class of 2005 at their reunion in November

2004 ◀

Fr. Kevin Fields, a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, was appointed Parochial Vicar of St. Elizabeth Parish in Rockville, Md.

▲ AJ Willingham won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Media for her reporting on police protest responses. AJ is a senior writer at CNN.com.

The Class of 2001 at their reunion in November

2002

▲ The Brian Rice Foundation hosted its 1st Annual Brian Rice ’02 Memorial Golf Tournament on September 7, 2021. Participants and friends made donations with the goal to establish a scholarship in his name.

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CLASS NOTES

1996

2000

1995 ◀

The Class of 2000 at their reunion in November

1997 ◀

Drew Maurano was honored with the George Washington University President’s Medal for his 16 years with the GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences. He has treated thousands of patients and is a valued teacher for GW residents and students from many disciplines. He developed, and currently directs, the Department of Emergency Medicine’s Operational and Event Medicine program. Drew provided invaluable leadership for the MFA and GW COVID-19 response teams, which have provided testing and emergency medical care for the duration of the pandemic, and he was integral in forming a vaccination partnership with the D.C. government, leading to the vaccination of over 45,000 individuals.

Rudy Cline-Thomas and his partners, Andre Iguodal and Evan Turner, have launched Point Forward, a candid, unconventional, witty podcast where sports and culture meet. Each week, hosts Andre and Evan analyze everything from sports headlines, cultural moments and tech innovations to book reviews and political insights. Guests include well-known athletes, authors, musicians and entrepreneurs.

▲ Dr. Rowena Leong Milburn received the

Vice President Award at Sibley Memorial Hospital/Johns Hopkins Medicine for Nurses Week 2022. Rowena has a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in Pediatric Acute Care and a Master of Science degree in Nursing Education. She serves as a leader, mentor, educator and staff nurse at the hospital. Aside from being a Registered Nurse IV, she is the co-chairwoman of the Evidence-based Practice and Research Council and a nurse principal investigator.

She is a published author in the “Journal for Nurses in Professional Development.”

She has also served as an adjunct clinical nursing faculty at Georgetown University and Montgomery College.

The Class of 1995 at their reunion in November

1992 ◀ Capitals reporter, Tarik El-Bashir, was hired by Turner Sports to contribute to its NHL broadcast team.

1991

The Class of 1991 at their reunion in November

The Class of 1996 at their reunion in November

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CLASS NOTES

1990

1989

The Class of 1981 at their reunion in November

1980

▲ Ursula Costa Golladay has been a teacher in the Maryland Public School System for 15 years and an assistant principal for eight. She was recently appointed principal at Bond Mill Elementary School.

Dr. Edward Owusu has served in education for 28 years and this year, celebrates his 13th year as principal, currently at Clarksburg High School in Montgomery County, Md.

1977

1984 David Peake returned last school year to Our Lady of Good Counsel High School as a social studies teacher after 31 years teaching both social studies and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) in Montgomery County Public Schools.

◀

Larry Rubama received third place from the Virginia Press Association for the sports writing column category.

He writes for “The Virginian-Pilot.”

The Class of 1990 at their reunion in November

The Class of 1980 at their reunion in November

Kevin Blackistone produced the film, "Imagining the Indian: The Fight Against Native American Mascoting," which aired at the DC Film Festival in the spring of 2022.

1976

1981 Mike Murtaugh started a new position as director of business development, MidAtlantic for CLARK Construction, one of the most experienced and respected building and civil construction firms in the U.S.

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Class of 1976 alumni at their annual Christmas party

CLASS NOTES

1975

1970

1965 John Brewer retired and is living in Ellicott City, Md. He celebrated 50 years of marriage to his wife, Meg, and has 11 grandchildren.

The Class of 1975 at their reunion in November

1973

▲ ▲ The Class of 1970 had a Golf Outing with 12 members of their class: Pat McGinley, Mike Flott, Rusty Russell, Jim Horton, Buddy Riley, Mike Graninger, Joseph Michael Hoyle, Brian Giovanni, Rich Sartin, Marty McGuire, Mark McKenna and Chris Leber.

John Fournelle retired in early 2020 after nearly 28 years as an academic staff member, running the electron microprobe/ scanning electron microscopy lab in the Geoscience Dept at University of Wisconsin-Madison. He continues to support struggling youth as board president of Horizon High School, Wisconsin's only recovery high school. He enjoys spending time with his four grandchildren.

1962 ▲ Gery Brownholtz retired after a 36-year career as a Certified Public Accountant working primarily in financial reporting. He and his wife, Ann, live on the Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis and enjoy spending time with their four children and one grandchild.

James Kelly retired to Bethany Beach after practicing law for 36 years, both in private practice and as corporate counsel.

1971

The Class of 1971 at their reunion in November

The Class of 1970 at their reunion in November

1967 Mike Mescher qualified to join the Marine Corps Runners' Club by completing his fifth Marine Corps Marathon in November 2021.

1966

The Class of 1962 recently had an informal get together over crabs and beer. The group was organized by Jim Peretta and hosted by Dick Johnson at his Buckeystown Pub in Frederick, Md. Seated left-right are: Greg Curtin, Bill Bullough, Dick Johnson, and Will Rinaldi. Standing are: Brother Bill Griffin CFX, Brother Mike McCarthy CFX, Jim Peretta, Bob Carlsen, Howard Fry, Frank Hardesty, and Bob Marchone.

The Class of 1966 at their reunion in November

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EVENTS (Continued from page 5 ) We have a mass, the faculty wear academic dress, and it’s a nice, ceremonial way of bringing people into the community.”

THE PAC

Join over 600 fellow alumni on GC Connect, our exclusive and free mentoring and career platform.

Post a job opening, find a new opportunity, or just engage with others for advice and professional networking.

JOIN TODAY #foreverafalcon

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THE COUNSELOR 2022

The impressive space known in the Good Counsel community as “The PAC” hosts thousands of visitors each year who come to enjoy captivating performances put on by GC students and even younger students from the area.

“My signature achievement as far as bricks and mortar is the Performing Arts Center,” Barker acknowledges.

“It will outlive us.”

Building the center was crucial, he says. Aside from the logistical need for such a space, its presence sends a message to the school community and to the world at large that Good Counsel values the arts. “It was hard to tell our artist students how wonderful they were without having a space for their work,” Barker says.

The Board of Directors and Barker wanted to create better balance.

“We had fabulous sports facilities on campus, but our first-rate drama program had to go off campus for their performances,” Deily says.

Barker stepped up.

“Paul was really a leader in helping us secure the capital campaign funding we needed in order to make it happen,” Deily says.

The project also provided a boost for faculty. “To hear the teachers like Stan Spottswood ’81 and Rich Slocum, all the years they had been in the fine and performing arts and having to make do with a lack of space, and the emotion they expressed after it was built was wonderful,” Barker says. “Stan always talks about the facility at his concerts. He takes pride in being part of making that happen.”

THE FUTURE In Barker’s mind, GC is clearly a school of distinction. “I hope our reputation continues to grow,” he says. “I think the school merits being a school of choice. Historically, Good Counsel has shown it is willing to take risks to try to be better.” It was one of the first high schools in the area to adopt a block schedule, he points out, and it has the oldest International Baccalaureate program of any Catholic school in the DC-Metro Area.

“Twenty years from now, who knows where we will be? The school continues to plan strategically, always thinking about how we might change for students to be successful beyond Good Counsel. I think the sky's the limit for us,” Barker says. He also hopes the school will continue to focus on the Xaverian tradition. “The Brothers’ sense of community and the five values are truly important.”

Barker is confident that Good Counsel’s successes will continue to grow. “We’ve always been bold. You see it in our academics. The STEM program that we started about nine years ago has been recognized as being in the top 2% or 3% in the country. A good direction would be to grow that as the facility evolves,” he says.

Another undertaking Barker hopes the school will consider is increasing its footprint to keep up with enrollment, possibly with additional space on upper floors.

Barker is ready to hand those plans over to someone else. He and his wife, Carol, plan to spend some time in New Zealand, where their son, Zach, and his wife, Maddie, and granddaughter Evie live. “Grandbabies are a big draw.”

As for what’s next, Barker says, “I think I have skills that would be useful in a number of volunteer settings. I will see where I can help.”

SPOTLIGHT

STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY

MEET THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice

Limnyuy Konglim ’01 believes it is Providence that brought her back to Our Lady of Good Counsel, where she is serving as the high school’s new executive director of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.

A Catholic first-generation African immigrant, Konglim has traveled the world and experienced the richness of different faiths and cultures, all while working toward humanitarian advocacy.

Part of Good Counsel’s strategic plan, which was adopted in 2019 and maps out the board of directors’ vision for the school through 2024, focuses on the importance of ensuring GC is an equitable community for all students.

“Four of the best years of my life were spent at Good Counsel and my continued commitment to the vision and mission of GC led me to this role,” Konglim says.

“Community engagement is at the core of what I do,” she says, adding that she can’t wait to connect with the GC community and build relationships within it.

Konglim brings a wide breadth of knowledge and insight to GC. During her humanitarian advocacy work, she traveled to sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

Most recently, she oversaw programming and grants at Save the Children for refugees, children and communities affected by conflict and crises. She has also worked for the International Catholic Migration Commission and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, where she developed policies and programs to serve refugees and survivors of human trafficking. While at the U.S. Agency for International Development she oversaw funding for organizations implementing humanitarian work globally.

Konglim’s interest in international affairs began at home. “My family is Cameroonian. I was born in the U.S., but my mom immigrated here in the early ‘80s.

All of my relatives are still in Cameroon,” she says.

Her work was satisfying, but she was frustrated by the lack of diversity in leadership positions within the profession.

“After I entered the field, I realized the majority of the leaders in it didn’t hail from the communities where we did our work.

It wasn’t uncommon for me to be the only person of color in a meeting discussing global policy issues,” she says.

Konglim decided to refocus on building inclusion. She also wanted to reconnect with young people after a rewarding experiencing mentoring in a Ugandan youth center in 2007. “I did tutoring and helped with computer literacy. I loved it and it reinforced my commitment to this line of work,” she says.

“As I advanced in my career, especially when everything went remote, I was having no engagement with communities I came into the field to work with. I started volunteering at my son’s school, Saint Pius X in Bowie, and I loved it,” Konglim says.

“I remembered the importance and influence I could have working directly with communities,” she adds.

Konglim plans to take stock of GC and what the community is like now. “What does it mean for students? What is it missing for some students? Does it exemplify what everyone wants it to be, and why they chose GC?”

She also has a track record of increasing diversity through hiring, promotion and retention. At Save the Children, she sought to increase diversity of leadership on her team, as well as cultivate a more welcoming environment for all team members.

“Several team members are from countries where we implement programs. We were even able to hire two resettled Afghan refugees,” she says.

“Here at GC, I want to recruit faculty and staff that are more reflective of the students.”

In addition, Konglim will bring her advocacy and fundraising experience to the table.

“I am excited by the opportunity to work closely with the GC community to continue to shape and influence how we think critically about cultural diversity from a pedagogical lens. I am also keen to explore new and innovative ways to create space for social understanding and welcoming of one another,” she says.

“Welcoming and enriching community absolutely extends beyond the classroom.

And it is truly by recognizing, understanding and welcoming the uniqueness of others that we are able to build diverse and supportive communities.”

2022 THE COUNSELOR

43

SAVE THE DATE

save the date Upcoming Events

2022-2023

admissions deadlines and activities

2022

2022

September 6–8 Founder's Day Campaign

September 12– November 30

8th Grade Shadow Visits

September 23

Sibling & Legacy Day

September 19

40th Annual Steve Dean Golf Classic

September 23

Legacy Admissions Breakfast

September 27

Parent Information Night

September 23

Falcon Fest and Homecoming Football Game

October 23

Open House

October 14 & 15

Reunion Weekend (Classes Ending in 2 and 7)

Month of October

Virtual Coffee & Conversations

November 22

Campus Tours led by the Parents Association

December 2

Application and need-based financial aid (FACTS) application deadline

December 3

HSPT Exam

November 1

Alumni Memorial Mass

November 18

Grandparents' Day

December 1

Good Counsel Giving Society Celebration (by invitation)

December 4

Cookies and Cocoa with Santa

2023 January 3

Young Alumni Career Fair (with Gonzaga)

February 9

Good Counsel Business Networking Happy Hour

March 15

Day of Giving

March 30

Celebration of Scholarships

April 13

Alumni of Color & Friends Happy Hour

April 26

Distinguished Alumnus Mass

April 29

35th Annual Grand Celebration

May 25

Graduation

June 1

Reunion One

44

THE COUNSELOR 2022

2023

January 7

Interviews

February 16

Admissions Decisions Mailed

February 17

Admissions Decisions Emailed

March 7

Accepted Students Event

March 10

Freshman Registration

March 15

Enrolled Student Placement Tests

For more information on our alumni events

IN MEMORIAM

We remember the following Falcons that have passed away.

May their spirits soar high.

Tiffany Ahianor ’20

Donald Kayhoe ’71

Thomas Balzer ’74

Conor Kehoe

Robert Bloomfield ’69

Kevin Keller ’90

Tom Boyle ’65

Soterios Koutris ’82

John Condon ’89

James McAleer

Cliff Czarniak ’66

Rose Mary McAleer

Mike Daly ’74

Wayne Miller ’91

Ronald Dean ’63

Stafford Nibley ’14

Denis Doyle ’62

Dave O’Connor ’75

David Draper ’66

Anthony Ossi ’67

John Favret ’81

Olivia Peters ’10

Wayne Fleit ’71

Terry Roddy ’76

Joseph Fortunak ’09

Michael Roelands ’72

Paul Fox ’80

Stephen Sabados ’87

Michael Frick ’78

John Schmelzer ’84

Mike Gentile ’75

Nina Sherrard ’14

Eugene Harper ’62

James Swandic ’63

Ron Iekel ’94

Stylianos Tsioros ’83

Chris Jodrie ’91

Spencer Wilson ’13

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list based on notifications received of alumni who passed between June 2021 - June 2022.

A Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School 17301 Old Vic Boulevard | Olney, Maryland 20832 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

COMMENCEMENT 2022 Falcons Forever

Kara Emig ’15