
17 minute read
LANCER FOR LIFE: Stories on how Saint Francis has transformed students, alumni and parents
BLESSED BASIL MOREAU, FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF HOLY CROSS, CIRCULAR LETTER 65
Lancer FOR LIFE

Engagement is a word tossed around a lot in the Bay Area. Social media and tech firms talk about engaging users, one of the key metrics for a digital world designed to skim the surface.
At Saint Francis High School, our definition of engagement goes much deeper. The Brothers who founded our school embraced the Blessed Basil Moreau’s measure of mission – the formation of young people. They knew, as our Holy Cross educators know today, that formation is not a singular, “one-and-done” activity. It comes from big moments and everyday experiences, in class, on campus walkways and out in the world. And it transforms everyone in our Lancer community, today and for life.





Q+A
QWhy is engagement important to us as a community?
AEngagement is different from participation and involvement. Engagement is a place where people’s hearts and minds are changed. It’s easier to form young people if everyone around them is being formed as well. If they are surrounded by educators who are constantly learning and want to have experiences of grace, then students are much more likely willing to be formed. How much more likely would they be if we also engaged our parents? We have a simple ministry: We form people who come to us, and not only have our students come to our door, but also our educators and our parents.
QWhat does it mean to be formed?
AIf I think about the feelings our students have for an experience they have, whether it’s senior retreat or their athletics, there is something that will stick with them forever, something they will always want to get back to. I’m not talking about a win or a loss. There are moments of grace where we understand there’s a fundamental truth and we are different because of the experience. As adults, we all
can think back to those times where it wasn’t merely a good moment, it was really a true moment, where we found or discovered a truth. I see that truth in our alumni. It’s clear that they have been formed and Jason Curtis transformed by their time here.
President QWhat does a community that’s engaged look like? The Rules of Engagement ATo have engagement you need two things. First is that people need to trust that we truly love them. As an educator, I want to convey to my students that they’re known and loved by me, and parents need to trust that we care about their formation. Second is that people need to believe that other people also care about their formation, whether that’s classmates, teammates or other parents. That’s why you get to know other people. At our parent events, we all meet each other to find out what others value. That’s where people start to fundamentally get formed because they’ve opened up about something they’re passionate about. In schools if we don’t allow educators to really be their full selves, they can’t share what they’re truly passionate about, and I think they’re less effective as educators. Similarly we limit parents when we only see them as parents and not as adults who are seeking more formation. So for adults, we’re focusing on what’s important to them and finding a way to make that happen.
Lancer FOR LIFE

Making a Dramatic Difference:
MARY JO CARROLL, RETIRED TEACHER

Mrs. Carroll having fun during the 2013 production of “Legally Blonde”
As a little girl, Mary Jo Carroll loved playing teacher to her dolls. When she became a real teacher, she inspired thousands of students during her 60-year career – 33 years at Saint Francis teaching English and Religious Studies – before retiring in 2021. When the pandemic eliminated her plans for numerous volunteer possibilities, Mrs. Carroll returned to one of the places she loved most: backstage during Saint Francis’ drama productions.
Since 1988, Mrs. Carroll has assisted with rehearsals and costuming for school drama productions, helping drama director Laura Rose. Last year, principal Katie Teekell ’00 tapped Mrs. Carroll to assist with her freshman advisory classes, knowing that new students would greatly benefit from Mrs. Carroll’s friendly personality and long Lancer history.
Though unplanned, it’s been the perfect retirement activity for Mrs. Carroll. She loves the ongoing connections with students, hearing “Hi, Mrs. Carroll!” from across the yard (she also receives the same greeting wherever she goes, jokes her husband Don), and eating lunch with colleagues. “Being here again gives me the opportunity to still say, ‘Thank you, God, that I’m here,’” Mrs. Carroll says. “To be part of the students’ maturation process and formation, there’s nothing like it,” she says. “To watch how my colleagues enriched the lives of their students and brought forth the good qualities was so great. You can see why I missed being at Saint Francis.”
She credits her Lancer mentors from Ms. Rose, who taught her how to work with students during auditions, and administrators and department chairs, especially retired English teacher Len Christensen who helped her get acclimated to full-time teaching. The Brothers who worked and lived on campus showed her the ways of Holy Cross. “They shared their knowledge and expertise and their humility with which they lived their lives,” she adds.
To be sure, retired life has its perks. There’s no 5:30 a.m. wakeup call; she can stay up late; and she can meet friends for weekday lunch. Her continuing role at Saint Francis, whether answering freshmen’s questions or advising on the next theater production, has its perks, too. “I absolutely love it,” she says. “I had such a marvelous experience at Saint Francis, and I’m so grateful for it. I’m hoping that it lasts as long as it possibly can for me.”
Lancer Roundup:
Taught English and Religious Students from 1988 until 2021 Assisted with more than 60 Saint Francis drama productions to date Parent of Mary ’88 and longtime Saint Francis teacher Don Carroll Favorite productions: • The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee 2012 • “Fiddler on the Roof” 2016 • “The Miracle Worker” 2017 Favorite Saint Francis moment: Sitting in an English Department meeting, listening to her colleague and son Don Carroll speak: “I remember really liking what I heard from him, being impressed with what he had to say, and being proud of him.”
Paying It Forward:
MARIO GOSALVEZ ’01, FOUNDER, 40 LANCERS PROGRAM
“Success in life is largely predicated on opportunity. This was a way to pay forward all the doors that have been opened for me and many others in the Lancer alumni community. In developing the 40 Lancers program, I wanted to play a small role in providing the same for others.
“The success of this program has shown me that we can all find ways to make an impact on this community. I’ve been inspired by my fellow Alumni Council members who immediately stepped up to get the program off the ground and the friends and family who also jumped at the opportunity six years ago. Seeing our first two beneficiaries graduate and thrive in college has been especially rewarding and motivates us to continue the momentum. We are currently on our way to sponsoring our third student.”
Lancer Roundup:
Executive Vice President, Filice Insurance Agency Member, Saint Francis Alumni Council, 2016-current

Dr. Will Straw on the Lancer sidelines
Lancer Roundup:
Parent of Kate ’93, Erin ’98, Colleen (RIP) and Bill Jr. Team doctor, San Francisco Giants from 1986-1998 President, Major League Baseball Team Physicians Association, 1996 Team doctor, San Jose Sharks from 1991-1999
Best Seat in the House:
DR. WILL STRAW, VOLUNTEER TEAM DOCTOR
“I began volunteering in 1982 because of Richard Carr, a physical therapist I met at Palo Alto Medical Clinic who had kids at Saint Francis. He was a benefactor and served on the Board of Directors. He was looking out for Saint Francis and thought that I’d be a good person to serve the athletic department as a volunteer team physician.
“I started with just boys basketball, then girls basketball and then I started covering football, and I’ve been doing that ever since. On the sidelines you have the best seat in the house.
“At a girls basketball game, one of the Lancers tripped and hit her head on the floor toward the end of the second quarter. She had a big laceration on her forehead, and there was blood everywhere. We took her to the training room with her parents, and I stitched her up. In the middle of the third quarter, she went back in the game. To the surprise of everybody, she was the leading scorer in the game despite the injury. People have always been appreciative of what I do. No one has ever questioned if I said somebody shouldn’t go back in the game.
“Most schools in our league have a team doctor, but not all. Some high schools don’t have athletic trainers, so our athletic trainers and I would cover both teams and help out whenever needed. So we’re very lucky at Saint Francis to now have two athletic trainers and a team doctor and great facilities.
“Our student trainers, especially in football, are always eager and willing to learn. They ask me questions about medical things, and I let them help me with cutting the stitches, little things to pique their interest in medicine.”
“I am a Lancer for life because the foundation that the Brothers and my educators provided for me as a high school student laid the groundwork for my own vocation. No matter where my path led after graduation, I consistently felt a pull back to this campus and community. To now have the opportunity to help create that same sense of welcome and belonging for our current students, educators and families is truly a blessing.”
PRINCIPAL KATIE TEEKELL ’00
Keeping It in the Family:
JJ MONTALVO ’26
Lancer Roundup:
Freshman football team Member of BRIC Brothers “I am the 24th Montalvo family member to attend Saint Francis. I’m not going to be the last. I have a younger sister in the fifth grade at Saint Simon.
“My family has taken the mantra of ‘Pride and Poise’ from Saint Francis football and carried it to the local community, specifically in Sunnyvale Pop Warner and Little League. We’re a very big family, and one thing that stands out to me is how many of my family members are involved in the community and giving back. Whether it’s through coaching youth sports or running youth organizations, my family has taught me the value of a solid education, working hard to achieve good grades and to always be a person of great character – a lot of which they learned at Saint Francis.”
Digital Do-Gooder:
MARY ARNONE, PARENT
“My children are no longer students, so my primary reason to follow Saint Francis social media accounts now is to foster encouragement. I have been told that I am an encouraging person. Kids and youth need encouragement because about 95 percent of the world tells them that they’re not ‘good enough.’
“I am convinced social media and the world in general aren’t kind to our teenagers. Sometimes even our parenting can be overbearing and echoes a sense of not measuring up, and I say this as a parent who has done this very thing. Online, I try to point out things that are good. I leave comments for the Saint Francis accounts when I see the talent of the students on display. I am, quite frankly, moved by some of the stories and photos I see. I think students and staff should hear that they are valued by God and that their gifts flow from Him. They have things that are valuable to offer the school community.” Lancer Roundup: Parent of JaneAnne ’18 and Anthony ’22

Lancer FOR LIFE

Encouraging Innovation:
Avery Lu with Saint Francis students
Lancer Roundup:
Parent of Sophia Lu ’24 Tech professional with 10+ years of working as an entrepreneur and training other entrepreneurs LancerHacks keynote speaker, 2020 Lancer Tank judge, 2022 Volunteer mentor with entrepreneur class, 2022
AVERY LU, LANCERHACKS, LANCER TANK AND ENTREPRENEUR CLASS VOLUNTEER
“Today’s teenagers and college students have access to more knowledge, experience and tools than ever before. With the proper guidance of the older generation, they have a better opportunity to tackle the big issues they care about. Young people want to solve problems and are optimistic about improving things. That’s why I enjoy working with them. Classes like Entrepreneurship provide a healthy and safe environment for teenagers to explore and experiment with solutions, thus serving as a catalyst to seeing projects come to life and be implemented to solve real-world problems relevant to industry and society. This fulfills the promise of a Holy Cross education. “When we attended the Saint Francis Open House when my daughter Sophia Lu was considering several private high schools, I came upon a booth for the Design Thinking and Social Justice class and met Fr. Steve Kim. I chatted with him and shared with him my background as a tech professional, entrepreneur and mentor to startups. Fr. Kim invited me to Lancer Tank in December 2019, and the following month, he introduced me to the student director of the 2020 LancerHacks hackathon who was in need of a keynote speaker to talk about the social impact of creating companies. At the event, I was happy to share my experience as an entrepreneur starting my first venture, Palo Alto Scientific, an AI sports analytic startup focusing on helping runners avoid pain and injury, as well as improve their performance.”

Lancer Roundup:
Co-director TEDx, junior-senior years Member of SF Family Club, junior-senior years Tennis, freshman-junior years Freshman, University of Oregon, majoring in psychology and business, minoring in creative writing
Learning to Lead, Lancer-Style:
HALEY FLAHAVAN ’22, LEADER OF STUDENT AMBASSADOR GROUP FOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
“The goal of the student ambassador group is to draw student connections to the Board of Directors. I was really excited to get to know the board and for them to get to know me and see the impact they’re having. The other goal is to teach leadership skills so students can personalize their own leadership style.
“When Holy Cross educators from around the world visited Saint Francis, Mr. Curtis told me I had an hour to do whatever I wanted with them. I’ve never had that great a responsibility before. He said that the educators would need a tour of the campus but told me not to do a standard tour. I asked student leaders to take the educators to their two favorite spots on campus, and in the end, they all got a feel for what was meaningful to the students. “Serving as a student ambassador made me realize that there are so many people with leadership potential; you just have to look for them. Some of the people that impressed me the most were people from TEDx. They don’t have the center-of-the-room personality, but they’ll say what’s meaningful to them. A lot of times leadership is categorized by the biggest, loudest or most charismatic personality, but often what people remember are the conversations they have.
“For my freshman year in college, I’m going to feel it out, but I assume I will be taking on some leadership roles. I feel I have the confidence
to be a strong leader now so I’ve looked into research opportunities, and I honestly want
to lead tours. I think I would have so much fun doing that. Every college tour I went on, I thought, ‘I’m going to be you in a year.’”

Returning Home:
COURTNEY OGREN ’16, ENGLISH TEACHER
“When I graduated college in May 2020, my internships were canceled. I’d never thought I would be a teacher, but I love Saint Francis and I applied to be a Holy Cross intern. This has always been my happy place, and I had such a great experience here. I was the first girl to play on the football team, and the coaches didn’t even bat an eye. My brother also had a great experience. My parents love the school and continue to support it, so it just felt right to come back.
“During hybrid classes, I was a co-teacher to Mary Jo Carroll. She was not only a mentor teacher, but such a great person to follow. She taught from the heart. She advocated for me to pursue a credential program. She saw how I interacted with the students and the relationships I was developing, and she was my witness.
“I’m getting a Catholic master’s in teaching and a teaching credential in math. I am so grateful to be back. I love what it’s given me. And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay it, but I say to my students that I hope they have just as good or more of an amazing experience than I did.”
Lancer Roundup:
English 1 teacher and freshman advisor Head JV girls soccer coach Co-moderator of the Yoga Club
Grounded in Community
The Bay tree is where connections are first made at Saint Francis, even before students start their high school journey. It is a climbing structure for the youngest fans, a gathering place for families and an emblem of pride for all Lancers. The Bay tree was here long before us and will outlast all of us — it is an enduring emblem of strength and community rooted in every Lancer.






saint francis high school
LANCER FAMILY CONNECTION

Embracing the idea of a global community is rooted in Holy Cross education. As we kicked off the 2022-23 school year with new and returning families, we are excited to come together as one and launch Lancer Family Connection.
As a Holy Cross school, we embody the BRIC (Bring hope, Respect others, Inspire integrity, Celebrate family) values as they shape who we are and how we create possibilities for the future. Lancer Family Connection is developed from the leadership work of Lancer parents over the past several years. The purpose is to ensure that every family is fully engaged in our school community— that’s the lens through which we view our connections and will frame parent and alumni involvement opportunities going forward.
WHAT’S THE LANCER FAMILY CONNECTION?
Lancer Family Connection was created to provide a leadership and support structure that would allow and encourage every parent at Saint Francis the opportunity to engage in our mission. Lancer Family Connection is committed to an experience that allows us to: • Lead and share the vision that every parent in our community will be engaged in our
Holy Cross mission of formation. • Create a welcoming environment for all parents at Saint Francis in every connection to the school. • Share management resources among groups (volunteers, event organizers, team and activity parent leaders, ambassadors and more). • Establish a new model for parent engagement that will become the blueprint for high schools across the country. • Provide inspirational experiences for every member of our community that creates a possibility for personal transformation. • It’s how we share our Holy Cross family formation and realize the mission of Saint
Francis High School.
CONNECT TODAY
Current families can join our new Schoology Parent Groups, an online forum to encourage parent connections, engagement and updates. To get started, log on to Schoology and visit the Schoology Parent Groups Page. You also can connect to it through the parent dashboard.
Questions?
Aurea DeFranco ’84 Parent Engagement
aureadefranco@sfhs.com
650-968-1213, ext. 282
sfhs.com/lancerfamily
