Task Force Initiatives

“As I heard the cheers, shrieks, screams, and gasps from the Student Activity Center during the last day of Spirit Week, I thought – wow! – like for real WOW! I get to be a small part of creating this space for these amazing humans. A space where we go above and beyond to KNOW them, to help them realize their unique gifts and potential and to empower them to be active creators of who they will be as adults.”

As we close out this school year (and this chapter in history but I am not going to speak the C-word), I remain in awe that all of us in the Development Department get the opportunity to be part of this community and mission. When a student comes over to the Advancement Office to share a success or breakthrough, we all celebrate. We are not their teachers or counselors, but we are all their champions and advocates, and we will continue to do all that we can to provide for the overall health of this community. To that end we have done a lot in 2021-22!

From our monthly Providence Pub Nights to our farewell (until 2026) Gala, we hosted or supported over 20 events with a determination to rebuild the sense of camaraderie and community that had stalled in the last few years. We supported our two parent volunteer groups, the Mothers’ Guild and the Parent Board, as they also worked to redefine and augment their support of the school and students. We continued to expand our alumni relations program by adding a closed social network called Graduway that I can best describe as a mash up between Facebook and LinkedIn. This new platform will allow us to share content that is relevant to alumni based on where they are in life while offering access to mentors and other professional opportunities – generations of Pioneers coming together to support each other! We saw growth in our fundraising efforts through more parents giving to the Providence Fund, to the largest amount raised at a Gala in recent years, to being invited to apply to a local foundation for the largest non-capital grant ever (fingers crossed!), to being awarded enhancement funding from the State and more. At the core of our fundraising work is the commitment to “ease the way” of all our Pioneers, whether that means providing financial assistance for tuition, support to cover uniform costs, new lunch tables in the quad or enhanced equipment and materials – we are here to remove any obstacles that get in their way as they explore who they are, how they want to be of service to the world and what’s after Providence.

My profound thanks to all our parent volunteers, our donors, my colleagues and to our students who give me energy every day. A special thanks to the members of the development team – Susan Yee, Assistant Director, Erin Griffith, Assistant Director, Sheridan Vititoe, Alumni Coordinator and Lisa Mallory, Development Coordinator. You four are nothing short of incredible and the commitment you bring to each other, and the mission is amazing. I am so grateful to work alongside each one of you.

As I concluded last year’s letter, please remember I am here to chat anytime about ideas, concerns, or celebrations. Enjoy your summer!

Anja Kloch Director of Development Inspired by the love of Christ, Mother Emilie Gamelin, foundress of the Sisters of Providence, felt called to serve those in need and people living near her were so grateful for her help that they referred to her work as “Providence.” Her legacy lives on at Providence High School.

Pictured Left to Right: Mrs. Anja Kloch, Director of Development; Mrs. Sheridan Vititoe ‘12, Alumni Coordinator; Mrs. Lisa Mallory, Development Assistant; Mrs. Susan Yee, Assistant Director of Development, Annual Fund and Family Engagement; Mrs. Erin Griffith, Assistant Director of Development, Data and Analysis.

1960s1960s

Barbara Atkins ‘62 - became a proud grandmother to twin boys, Royce and Vance Atkins. Barbara shares, “They are big! They are healthy! They are beautiful!” Congrats to you and your beautiful family, Barbara!

1990s Sal Eliazo ‘98 - is a successful Sr. Freelance Designer at Nickelodeon. He has worked as a freelance graphic designer for almost 17 years. “As far as my career as a designer, I’ve had many different roles in design, but they led me to Branding Design. Brand presence is what I create.” Previously, he worked for Food Network which subsequently resulted in a move to NYC, which then led to Nickelodeon. “My interest in art and design was actually born at PHS! Our art teacher, Sister Felma taught me to focus and put meaning behind everything, and to pay attention to the Christina Ashjian ‘03 Congratulations on her recent engagement to her fiancé, Hovig Garabedian. Christina is an Accreditation and Medication Safety Specialist at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center and a proud PHS Board member. Best wishes, Christina! small details, because it makes a difference in the bigger picture; something which I still apply to my work. There was also a Career Day my Junior year at PHS. I did not have a clear vision of what I wanted to do, but that Career Day, my classmate’s mom came to talk about her role at Warner Bros. She told us she was a Graphic Designer. I had no idea what that was, but I was always interested in art. She spoke about all the things she does as a designer, which I loved! Because of that one Career Day at PHS, I was able to convince my parents what I wanted to do and pursue this career and life. PHS definitely shaped my trajectory and who I am now.” 2000s Diana Pearre ‘05 - When asked about her fulfilling career in healthcare Diana Pearre writes, “I love being a gynecologic oncologist. I started my health career as a PHS volunteer at our neighboring Providence hospital. I gained insight in the breadth of careers in medicine. That is where I initially felt drawn to women’s health and followed this career path to where it has taken me, as a physician focusing on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of gynecologic cancers.” Sedda Antekelian ‘05 - is a Learning and Development Specialist at USC Shoah Foundation where she develops resources for educators using audiovisual testimony of genocide survivors and leads professional development trainings for educators around the world. She shared, “PHS strengthened my values of compassion, justice and excellence. My experience connected me to life-long friends, widened my perspective and inspired my passion for leadership.” Sedda is currently a candidate in the Global Executive Doctor of Education program at the USC Rossier School of Education. Amala Raj Swenson ‘06 - is the principal interior designer and owner of Amala Raj Interiors, an award winning residential and commercial design/build firm that specializes in multi-milliondollar luxury homes throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Apartment Therapy, Home and Garden, Coastal Homes & Estates, ABC’s The List and more. She writes, “I credit my career trajectory to teachers like Ms. Martin and Mr. Bullock who always encouraged me to be my best self. Their belief in me curated the self confidence in myself to become a successful entrepreneur. (Also, math classes - there is so much geometry in interior design!)”

1990s Barbara Atkins ‘62 2000s Tessie Navarro ‘08 - writes, “I’ve always known I wanted to work in the entertainment industry and aspired to one day work at The Walt Disney Company — going to PHS and being surrounded by the studios, how could you not? I now work Christina Ashijan ‘03 on the Social Media and Partnerships team at Freeform, leading social efforts for Freeform originals. I’m grateful for my time at PHS and the Media Focus Program where I not only cultivated my creativity and love for storytelling, but also met some lifetime friends.”

Sedda Antekelian ‘05 Pateel Tavidian and Michael Ashjian ‘07 - are expecting a bundle of joy this September! Pateel and Michael began dating their Senior year and wed in 2018. Congratulations to the Tavidian/ Ashjian family!

Pateel Tavidian and Michael Ashijan ‘07