Progress: Spring 2021

Spring 2021

A Publication for Alumni and Parents

Under

CONSTRUCTION: Building Community

COMING SOON:

THE NEW INNOVATION CENTER AND DINING COMMONS!

DEAR FRIENDS OF SAINT FRANCIS, As I walked our campus at the end of our first hybrid schedule day, I was delighted to see that the chairs on the Quad, which had been carefully lined up to start the day, had been rearranged and turned toward each other (but still six feet apart!). It was a simple, poignant reminder that our students had taken the opportunity of being back on campus to do the most important thing: connect with each other and take joy, as Pope Francis reminds us, in the grace of “encounter.” It was a hopeful and much-needed reminder that throughout the challenges of the pandemic, our school family knows we are at our best when caring for each other.

The uncertainties of the past year also have reinforced the importance of the Holy Cross charism of hope and our reliance upon an inspiring legacy of innovation. Whether creating ways to engage with students, developing programming in entirely new ways or preparing the campus for our community’s safe return, we continue to embrace possibilities. Our school has embodied perseverance and strength, and we have focused on the blessings we have received in the midst of challenges.

Even though we have had to limit some of our activities on campus this year, it has not been quiet at Saint Francis. We have been busy preparing for the next phase of our campus development. In this issue of Progress, you will discover how our new facilities will provide remarkable opportunities for innovation and collaboration. We are excited about what these new buildings will mean to our Lancer family, and how these spaces will be animated and transformed by our students, educators and community.

These opportunities — for student exploration and achievement, for connections within and beyond Saint Francis, and for deepening the bonds of community — are limitless. The stories within these pages celebrate the everyday embodiment of Holy Cross values, and we can’t wait to see the stories that have yet to be written.

twitter.com/ SFHSLancers

facebook.com/ SFHSLancers

instagram.com/ sfhslancers

YouTube Saint Francis Lancers

LinkedIn Saint Francis High School

Follow dozens of Saint Francis clubs, teams and departments on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Visit sfhs.com/letsconnect for the complete list.

Welcome home, Lancers!

In gratitude,

Jason D. Curtis President

With eyes of faith, consider the greatness of your mission and the wonderful amount of good you can accomplish.

Blessed Basil Moreau, Founder of the Congregation of the Holy Cross

Contents NEWS

Publisher

Jason D. Curtis Executive Editor

Paul Lanning, EdD, CFRE Creative Director

Carol Patane

Editorial Staff

Michele Tjin Kalix Marketing/Sarah Achenbach Design

Kalix Marketing/Jason Quick Alumni Copy Editor

Michele Quinn ’83 Support Staff

Nikoa Johnson Bernard Nemis Diane Wilson Contributing Photographers

Now and Forever Photography Taylor Ortiz ’21 Carla Duharte Razura Elise Yang ’21 Progress is published by the Institutional Advancement Department for the alumni, parents and friends of Saint Francis High School.

Email us: progress@sfhs.com

After the fall season was eliminated, Lancer football is back again this spring.

3 3 5 9 17 19 21 22 23

NEWS: Student highlights and profiles

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

CELEBRATING ALUMNI AUTHORS

UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Building Community

PLANNED GIVING: The Gift of Flexibility

EDUCATOR RETIREES

9 FROM THE ARCHIVES

RENEWING OUR HOPE: Paul Lanning

ALUMNI IMPACT: SJSU head football coach Brent Brennan ’91

ALUMNI: Letter from Greg Calcagno,

29

Virtual Alumni Speaker Series, Class Notes, In Memory and Little Lancers Spring 2021 PROGRESS

2

Lancers in the NEWS

Seniors Named 2021 YoungArts Finalists Seniors Kelly Lu ’21 and Arya Pratap ’21 are among 150 students selected from 8,000 applications nationwide for the prestigious National YoungArts Foundation annual visual, literary and performing arts competition. Kelly’s Design Arts honor recognizes her graphic design talent, a self-taught artistic skill. “Design is engineering and storytelling, requiring empathy with and awareness of the end user, whether that user is an established firm asking for a rebrand or a child interacting with your app,” she says.

Arya’s World Dance honor is in Indian Classical Dance or Bharatanatyam, a 2,000-yearold divine art form she’s performed since age 4. She uses dance and her current virtual performances to tell stories and to foster change on issues including domestic abuse, social-economic inequality and global warming. “Hearing people say that my dance empowers them to share their own narratives of injustice fills me with an unmatched sense of purpose and confidence to continue experimenting with my art,” she says.

3

Riley Simonsen ’22

Kaushik Tota ’21

2020 Los Altan of the Year

Youth Game Changer Award

Junior Riley Simonsen was named Los Altan of the Year by the Los Altos Town Crier for her impressive community service. As a result of the newspaper article, Riley also was recognized by U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo. In 2020, Riley joined Los Altos’s Teen Advisory Council, part of the Community Health Awareness Council, and co-created the council’s new buddy program matching teen mentors with elementary school students. Riley also serves on the teen advisory group for Lyftly, a Los Gatos-based company that administers mental health and emotional support through an app. She volunteers with San Jose’s Hope Services to assist people with developmental disabilities and mental health needs, and is a teen docent at the Los Altos History Museum. At Saint Francis, Riley is involved with the Family Club, Student Council and California Scholarship Federation. An avid soccer player, she hopes to study nursing.

In December 2020 at the inaugural, virtual Clean Energy Hall of Fame ceremony, the California Energy Commission honored Kaushik Tota ’21 as the Youth Game Changer Award Winner. In 2018, he founded the Climate Youth Ambassador Program (climateyouthambassadors.org) to collaborate and lead Bay Area teens in solving the climate crisis. During the pandemic, Kaushik’s nonprofit held 11 virtual events, reaching 700-plus students at elementary and middle schools. The nonprofit won the 2020 Our Planet, Our Purpose: STEM for Changemaking Challenge by Ashoka national award recognizing organizations using STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) to promote sustainability in their community. “I believe that awareness is fundamental in spurring on widespread adoption and advocacy for progressive climate policies at a local, nationwide and global scale,” says Kaushik, who is a member of the Science Bowl, Quiz Bowl, Science Olympiad and robotics teams.

PROGRESS Spring 2021

LANCER

profile Soana Leaea ’21 Varsity volleyball team position: middle Member Athletic Director’s Council Co-head Polynesian Club Member Encore Volleyball (Redwood City club team)

“The way that Saint Francis educates our heart and mind has taught me to be a better person overall and to help others as well as being a good student and athlete.”

What has this past year meant to you as an athlete and leader?

No Lancer team has been able to play or practice during COVID-19. It’s been weird to steer around the pandemic and figure out how to keep going and stay active. Our volleyball team keeps in contact and we do team Zooms. I grew up playing basketball, but I felt that volleyball has more camaraderie than the other sports. The bond we have as teammates is important to me.

I’ve definitely learned to appreciate that resource during this past year. It’s been weird for recruiting, too. I tried to have a recruiting visit last summer, but it was canceled, so I’ve talked to coaches on Zoom.

[Soana will be playing for the University of California, Irvine.]

How are you leading on the Athletic Director’s Council?

The council has one student from every Saint Francis team, men’s and women’s. It’s juniors and seniors. We talk about issues that affect the athletic department and serve as advocates. I hope to be a doctor, so it’s helping me learn to be a better listener and advocate. Our teacher-coaches, especially Coach [Michael] Rubin [volleyball coach], are always there for us. That’s what we need, especially during the pandemic when we can’t be together in person.

You co-lead the new Polynesian Club, one of nine self-identified affinity groups for Saint Francis students of color created last fall.

Talk about the club’s impact.

The Polynesian Club and the other affinity groups were needed because, as a whole school, they help everyone understand each other’s culture and traditions. It brings us together a lot more. The way that Saint Francis educates our heart and mind has taught me to be a better person overall and to help others as well as being a good student and athlete. Lanuola Saulala ’22 leads the club with me. Our club hasn’t met in person yet, but we are having Zoom meetings and designing different types of gear for our club.

Spring 2021 PROGRESS

4

Celebrating Lancer Authors Angeline Truong ’17 Champion of Stories and Health Equity Author After the Rain

A

ngeline Truong never expected to publish a book, let alone see her name listed on the Amazon Bestsellers list for Asian-American literature next to authors she admires.

Her debut novel, After the Rain, published in December 2020, is a coming-of-age story that follows Lily, a Vietnamese girl from a refugee family, from childhood through college as she tries to understand her identity and her relationship to her family.

“I wanted to write a novel that gave kids heroines who are people of color, who have families that remind them of their own families,” Angeline says. Themes of motherhood, family and the refugee experience often are represented in her writing, and Angeline’s personal family history as Vietnamese refugees has deeply influenced her work and other pursuits.

This spring, Angeline graduates from Stanford University, with a concurrent bachelor’s in human biology, concentrating on the social and cultural determinants of mental health, and a master’s in community health and prevention research. She hopes to attend medical school and follow her interests in communitybased research and access to culturally competent health care.

Eventually, she would like to combine her experience as a doctor and a writer to treat patients.

Her next project — a partnership with the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma — is combining her passions as she collects the stories of births, marriages, children and life as told by women who escaped from the Khmer Rouge for her next book. She’s also gathering the stories of how the pandemic has affected the care and treatment of torture survivors to create a caretaker’s guide for future pandemics and crises.

“I want to use storytelling and patient-focused narratives to inform healing from trauma in a culturally informed way,” she says. “I think it’s a very different and innovative framework for treating traumatized people and refugees.”

Angeline’s holistic approach to medicine parallels the interdisciplinary education she received at Saint Francis. Swimming varsity for four years taught her discipline, and biology and chemistry classes with teachers Linda Segal and Jennifer Thomas laid the foundation for her interest in science. She remembers specific passages discussed in AP English Language with Meighan Wilson Friedsam ’97 and continues to exchange book recommendations

5

PROGRESS Spring 2021

“I wanted to write a novel that gave kids heroines who are people of color, who have families that remind them of their own families.” with Len Christensen, her AP English Literature teacher. It was an emotional reading of her original poem in Anthony Kunkel’s Creative Writing class, though, that emboldened her as a writer: “Writing is inherently a confessional practice. You’re writing love letters to your community, to your family, to strangers, and you’re baring your soul for everyone to see. That is terrifying.”

By working to improve medical care for those who are vulnerable, she hopes that her storytelling will help her serve a community that is dear to her heart. “I saw that there was a space [of unwritten stories] that I wanted to break into, and I just did it,” she said. “It was empowering to know that I could do something like that, and I feel like I can do similar things in other arenas.”

Amanda Tyler ’91 Co-Author with the Hon. Ruth Bader Ginsburg Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue: A Life’s Work Fighting for a More Perfect Union Shannon Cecil Turner Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley School of Law

T

he opportunity and inspiration of a lifetime came calling for Amanda Tyler following her graduation from Harvard Law School. From 1999 to 2000, she clerked for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Before joining the Berkeley Law faculty in 2012, Amanda taught at George Washington University Law School and was a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, New York University School of Law and University of Virginia School of Law. “Over the years, at my invitation, the justice would visit the law schools where I taught to talk to my students,” Amanda says.

Reflecting their relationship and Justice Ginsburg’s welcoming personality, these were conversations between the two held before a rapt audience.

The last of Justice Ginsburg’s two Berkeley visits was in October 2019 for the inaugural Herma Hill Kay Memorial Lecture. This conversation is the basis for the recently published Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue: A Life’s Work Fighting for a More Perfect Union, completed just prior to Justice Ginsburg’s death in September 2020.

“I am immensely grateful that I had the chance to interview her and then visit her during an overnight trip to Washington, D.C., in January 2020” — the last time she saw Justice Ginsburg before

the pandemic curtailed travel. “She was a spectacular writer and a teacher at heart. I would send her triple-spaced drafts of portions of the book that came back completely covered in pencil edits, just like my drafts 20 years ago for her.”

The book covers the measure of Justice Ginsburg’s career and favorite opinions, as well as her candid thoughts about her life, marriage, and her and her husband Marty’s battles with cancer.

The title was inspired by Deuteronomy 16:20, one of the Torah’s central declarations and one of Justice Ginsburg’s core ideals.

“She was an incredibly kind and caring person,” says Amanda, who also wrote Habeas Corpus in Wartime: From the Tower of London to Guantanamo Bay (2017). When a former Ginsburg law clerk had a child, Justice Ginsburg sent a gift of her own design: a baby T-shirt emblazoned with “RBG Grandclerk.” Amanda cherishes the T-shirts she received when her children were born.

With the book’s publication, Justice Ginsburg was able to celebrate the life’s work of another friend: Herma Hill Kay, Berkeley law professor and former dean, pioneer in the fight against sex-based discrimination and, at the time of Hill Kay’s death in 2017, author of an unpublished manuscript on the first female law professors in the U.S. “No publisher would take it, until the justice offered the books as a two-fer,” Amanda recalls.

“Justice Ginsburg had a superhuman drive to contribute and to try to make the world a better place,” Amanda reflects. “That very much dovetails with what I was taught at Saint Francis.” Amanda was a highly competitive soccer player and cross country runner at Saint Francis. At Stanford, she played on the university soccer team and through the Stanford in Washington Program worked at the United States Department of Justice.

“As her clerks, we knew how amazing she was, but the rest of the world didn’t,” Amanda adds. “Now the world does.”

Spring 2021 PROGRESS

6

“Into the Woods” Playbill

“One of my favorite shows is ‘Into the Woods.’ I played the baker in Starting Arts in San Jose’s virtual production this March. I love the plot and music. [Stephen] Sondheim is very tricky to learn, but it gives all the fairy tales we know a grown-up lens.”

ASB as Harry Potter characters (from left): Valentina Paredes ’21, Shyna Ballal ’21, Sydney Dunne ’21, Nick Weitzel ’21, Maria Serrano ’21, Jack Whitlow ’21

Halloween Photo

“I am one of six elected seniors on the Associated Student Body [ASB] and was on Student Council as a sophomore and junior. ASB plans school events like our Haunted Halloween Drive-Through and has created announcement videos to post on @sflancerland. I love being the voice of my peers and carrying out events that make them feel welcomed.”

WHAT’S IN MY

Remote Learning Space?

Since his first role in the San Jose Children’s Musical Theater production of “Seussical,” Jack Whitlow ’21 has been a fixture in regional theater and on the Saint Francis stage. This spring, Jack was selected to direct “Bright Star Concert Version” by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell — the school’s first-ever virtual student-run musical. He plans to major in theater education. (At left he is pictured in Saint Francis’ 2020 spring musical “Mamma Mia!,” which was canceled due to the pandemic.)

The Glass Castle

by Jeannette Walls

“This is my favorite book that we’ve read in Culture and Voice with Mrs. Yang this year. We’re reading books by authors who are underrepresented and marginalized. I love looking at life through different perspectives and getting the chance to move outside my comfort zone.”

Angel on my Desk

Zoom Cast Photo

“We’re doing everything virtually for the 2021 winter student-directed musical from staging to singing. I have a wonderful team of seniors helping me with artistic and technological issues like slow Wi-Fi and not having enough space remotely to dance. Doing a virtual musical is certainly unique, but I’m learning a lot. The arts are still something you can do virtually and are a huge outlet of joy and happiness right now.”

7

PROGRESS Spring 2021

“Mrs. Mary Jo Carroll gave me this angel when I was a sophomore for helping her design costumes for the shows.

She teaches Religious Studies and is the staff person for costumes. I was trying to find a way to be involved with theater beyond the stage, and a friend suggested I be an assistant costume designer. We created a bond, and I keep this angel on my desk.”

Service and Faith

For fall 2019 and winter 2020, many socially distant activities were held on campus including class Masses held in the Quad.

Student-Led Community Outreach As individuals, clubs, teams or classes, students continue to embrace the ideals of service to others. The depth and breadth of community outreach projects directly support those hardest hit by the pandemic in the Bay Area.

In the fall, students organized a hygiene drive for San Jose’s Sacred Heart Community Services, collecting travel-size shampoo, body wash, lotion, toothpaste and floss.

In December, Buon Appetito, the new Italian cooking club formed last fall and led by junior Miriam Gemelli, served home-cooked Italian meals to immigrant families of Lantern, a San Francisco nonprofit. The club coordinated meal delivery with the Columbia Association and the Associazione Nazionale Carabinieri, two nonprofit organizations that celebrate Italian heritage. Miriam and her family also delivered meals to 10 families themselves: “Seeing the smiles on the families’ faces upon handing them our gifts was a heartwarming experience,” she said.

In the fall, parents and students took part in the Family Day of Service, organized by parent Michele Barnett Gaskill and benefiting Hope’s Corner, which offers free breakfast and a bag lunch to those facing food insecurity.

Participants decorated grocery bags that later were distributed with food to homeless and low-income families in the community.

Juniors Rohan Rao, Shlok Shah, Mihir Mathur and Krishna Mani organized a fall 2020 jazz concert for elderly residents who live in their neighborhood. Since the seniors are isolated, the students decided to take the show to them, setting up the concert in front of their house in a safe, socially distanced manner. The student musicians created their own set list and met for multiple practice sessions held outdoors.

Spring 2021 PROGRESS

8

OUR CAMPUS INSPIRES US — STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PARENTS, COMPANIES AND VISITORS — TO DO MORE OF WHAT WE LOVE AND TO IMAGINE NEW POSSIBILITIES. JASON D. CURTIS, PRESIDENT

Note: These renderings of the Innovation Center and Dining Commons are artistic representations of the planned project and are subject to change.

9

PROGRESS Spring 2021

C

hances are, what you love most about the Saint Francis campus has little to do with how the hallways are designed or the placement of the stairwells. It’s all about the spirit of place and how you feel when immersed in a space. These emotions are part of the architecture of the Lancer family.

The past year has rekindled our passion for our 25-acre campus. Absence truly did make the heart grow fonder.

Before and during the pandemic, however, the school administrators and Board of Directors were busy with exciting plans to enhance this special place. This June, construction is expected to begin on the new additions to our campus — the Innovation Center and Dining Commons.

Under

These new facilities mean much more than updated spaces.

“They will push us to be more, to enhance our holistic view of Holy Cross education,” says President Jason D. Curtis. The real excitement lies in the unknown, of the innovations and emotional connections yet to come. “We can’t imagine all the opportunities that will take place in our facilities, but they will become an integral part of who we are,” Mr. Curtis adds.

CONSTRUCTION: Building Community Spring 2021 PROGRESS

10

Innovative Thoughts Shraddha Chaplot, innovation coordinator and Design Thinking teacher at Saint Francis, is passionate about empowering others to use technology in meaningful ways and about the opportunities for creative expression in the new Innovation Center.

We are all capable of being creative, yet sometimes we need “tools” to ignite our magic.

Students are hungry to learn about real-world technologies and trends right now to prepare them for the future where creativity will be our most valued asset.

The Innovation Center should be a space where someone’s level of expertise is not an issue.

Beginners, experts, curious cats — we’ve got you covered. This is where we can connect people and interests that are not traditionally connected to see things we haven’t even imagined yet.

I’m a matchmaker of real-world needs and high school education. In the new building, our partners will get a smorgasbord of topics and classes. A startup or nonprofit can get input or help teenagers like a local theater getting help with its LED/robotic costumes. My vision is to partner with our educators to provide every student with at least one real-world experience to work with a community partner [locally or globally] to tackle a societal challenge. Students learn life-changing skills and get exposed to how a society works, how every human is vital for innovation and change.

I deeply believe in our school’s ability to be THE pioneer in transforming what education is for high school students. It’s beyond just talk. If you have some cool tech, a fun idea for partnering with our classes, or anything, email me at shraddhachaplot@sfhs.com.

11

PROGRESS Spring 2021

Highlights of the Innovation Center • Lobby designed to mimic collegiate and corporate collaborative spaces

• Glass cube seating for small group collaboration • Fully integrated rooftop garden area with a great view of Mountain View for visual engagement with the larger community • Accordion door in the Innovation Lab that opens for presentations • 29 classrooms and labs with flexible seating to accommodate varied learning styles and purposes • Black-box Theater for performances and events with 150-200 seats, depending on configuration • Maker Space with distinct areas for woodworking, welding, painting and finishing • Projected completion date: July 2022

“WITH ALL THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF HIGH SCHOOL AND DIGITAL INPUT, IT’S IMPORTANT TO GIVE STUDENTS SPACES TO CONCENTRATE AND NOT FEEL ISOLATED.” JIMMY MACIAS, HMC ARCHITECTS

Community Builders: On-Campus Retreats The new Innovation Center’s construction will give Saint Francis an opportunity to think creatively about how to use campus space — thinking necessitated by the pandemic. This school year, Campus Ministry reimagined the senior retreat so that it is held on campus safely while adhering to social distancing rules and keeping the spirit of the experience intact.

Liz Franco ’93, associate campus minister for retreats, organizes this silent retreat for seniors to step back from their daily routines. But when students have been in quarantine and already removed from what’s normal, it soon became clear that the goal of the 2020-21 retreat had to be different. “They needed connection time,” says Mrs. Franco. “If they’ve been at home by themselves, how do I reimagine them being together and talking?”

The retreat is normally an overnight experience at El Retiro Jesuit Center in Los Altos, which was no longer available. Because of the unpredictable nature of the pandemic, it took Mrs. Franco several months to create a workable, on-campus model. Still held several times a year — there have been four retreats so far this academic year — it remains a two-day event, though not overnight. Mrs. Franco has creatively used all corners of campus to host students: the library; the lobby of the Performing Arts Center; seemingly every conference

space; and spaces where students don’t normally congregate, like hosting a teacher-led yoga session in front of the Educators Center.

“I kept coming up with an idea, and then everything would change again [because of new health regulations], and it was frustrating,” Mrs. Franco says. “When we did the first retreat, it felt good, and I was proud of our team.”

One of her favorite aspects of the senior retreat is to see the student leaders in action as they give witness talks and lead small group discussions. “I train them beforehand, but they’re the heart and soul of the program,” she says. “It’s powerful for students to see their peers do this type of ministry.” Despite the change in scenery, Mrs. Franco was careful to keep the core of the experience the same: the opportunity for students to be in community, take risks and be vulnerable, and to tell their stories and feel heard by their peers. Very often, a spark is ignited at retreat, and friendships continue long after.

“The kindness and compassion exchanged on retreat, God is in the midst of all of that,” she says. “I tell them that the exchange of friendship, love, connection and prayer that they felt can happen anytime they want it to happen. They don’t have to be on retreat to experience it. Life’s reality should be this.”

Spring 2021 PROGRESS

12

ask The architects For the past 12 years, HMC Architects has designed Saint Francis’ new buildings, renovated the Alumni Gym and other facilities and overseen the campus master plan, each project in design partnership with the school community. Arturo Levenfeld, managing principal, and Jimmy Macias, senior project designer, share their innovative approach to crafting a campus centered on collaborative connections, today and tomorrow.

Q: How do you design to foster collaboration while focusing on current and future use?

Mr. Levenfeld: Students react to spaces differently than adults. Flexibility and connectivity are key. What are students going to be doing after classes in the space? Prior to creating the design specificity, we toured the Adobe facility in San Jose. Workspaces are changing as companies change how they engage the creativity of new people entering the profession. When designing a high school, we design for adults and treat students as young professionals. We need to prepare them for the same collaborative opportunities outside of a classroom. We were inspired by Adobe’s collaborative food space. It’s open all day, has a multicultural cuisine approach and lots of meetings. That’s what we’ve done with the Dining Commons.

Mr. Macias: We look 10 to 20 years ahead when designing for education and technology.

In designing the Robotics Center [in the Innovation Center], we need to consider flights of mechanics and how the entire community will get engaged in the activities. We blended the lines between indoor and outdoor to achieve connectivity. We use large doors that open into the outdoor areas throughout the new spaces.

Q: How do you honor the architectural vernacular of the Saint Francis campus?

Mr. Levenfeld: When we first started designing for the school, the buildings were all brick with sloped roofs. We’ve been transitioning to two-story buildings but have kept every first floor the same red brick as the older buildings. Windows are a very important component to connect the exterior views. We’ve also introduced aluminum panels, which a lot of colleges on the West Coast use.

Mr. Macias: When we create a new space, we search for movements and a sense of timelessness. Not knowing what the future calls for, our goal is to achieve clarity while letting the program’s activity inspire the aesthetics. We also wanted to make sure we are deeply seated in nature. We have designed around the campus’ historic trees, and our selection of plants and ground covers are wellintegrated and sustainable.

13

PROGRESS Spring 2021

“IT’S NOT JUST A CAFETERIA. IT’S A MULTI-FUNCTIONAL SPACE FOR MEETINGS, COLLABORATION, PERFORMANCES AND MORE.” ARTURO LEVENFELD, HMC ARCHITECTS

Winston Wint’s Famous Lancer Chocolate Chip Cookies

Highlights of the Dining Commons • Mezzanine space for meetings,

performances and other events • Doors that open up onto the Quad for indoor/outdoor use • Flexible furniture throughout to allow for various uses • Unlike the current Malcolm Center, which closes at 3 p.m., the Dining Commons will be the last building locked to accommodate evening activities and meetings.

• Outdoor cafe • Projected completion date: Summer 2023

½ C Butter ½ C Cocoa butter 1 tsp Soy blend margarine 1 tbsp Soybean oil ½ C White sugar ½ C Brown sugar 2 tbsp Vanilla extract ½ tsp Sea salt 4 Eggs

1 tsp 1 tbsp 2 C 3 C ¼ C 1 tsp ½ C 2 C

Baking powder Baking soda Water Enriched wheat flour Molasses Guar gum Nonfat milk powder Chocolate chips

Directions Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2: Cream together the soft butter, cocoa butter, soy blend margarine, soybean oil, white sugar and brown sugar, vanilla extract and sea salt until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in. Dissolve baking powder and baking soda in hot water. Stir in flour, molasses, guar gum, milk powder and chocolate chips. Roll 2-3 tablespoons depending on how large you like your cookies.

Step 3: Bake approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn brown. Let them sit on the baking sheet/pan for about two minutes.

Get to know Winston Wint, Saint Francis hospitality manager, on page 30.

Community Builders: Club Collaborations

With large glass windows and a built-in openness, the Innovation Center is designed to invite student collaborations. Students aren’t waiting for a new building, though, to join forces creatively. During the 2021 Black History Month, the Black Student Union (BSU) and Speak Love, a new club created to foster inclusion and fight hate speech on campus, collaborated to bring awareness of Black voices to the school community.

On every Gold Day in the emailed student announcements and on social media, club members highlighted one Black individual or historical event. “The BSU and Speak Love selected individuals who we thought were a good fit, so we had several pioneers and those who were the first in their own right,” says junior Sahana Chandramohan, a board member of Speak Love. Those highlighted included Bernard Harris, the first Black astronaut to complete a spacewalk, and Madam C.J. Walker, the first self-made Black female millionaire, philanthropist and activist.

“We wanted Black students at Saint Francis to have their voices be heard,” says junior Jewel Merriman, BSU board member, of the decision to include on-campus voices as well. “Because as much as we can educate and share information, the most valuable information comes from voices of color speaking to their own experiences.”

Film Club screened movies highlighting Black individuals and culture, and the BSU encouraged its members to submit traditions or recipes representing various Black cultures that were posted on the school library’s social media. “It was great to create more diversity and share our personal ties to African culture,” says Jewel, who shared her family’s Caribbean recipes.

The collaboration successfully fostered partnerships with different student groups and spreading their message across various platforms.

Speak Love plans to apply this model to additional awareness months to amplify individuals and events in those communities.

Spring 2021 PROGRESS

14

Jacob Family Foundation and McKiernan Family Dance Studio Photo courtesy of Adarsh Gupta ’23

My Corner of Campus ROSALYN MOORHOUSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES TEACHER

FAVORITE SPOT: Looking out of Cassin Family Library “I feel peace and gratitude here.

I’m able to take in a deep breath, appreciate our campus and think of the many hands that work hard to make our campus so beautiful and vibrant. Although I would like to find less noisy alternatives to the leaf blower, I am grateful for the ways our natural environment positively impacts our learning and working.”

ADARSH GUPTA ’23 FAVORITE SPOT: Jacob Family Foundation and McKiernan Family Dance Studio “As the captain of both the Saint Francis Bollywood Dance Team and Martial Arts Club, the dance studio has become a place to bond as a team, pursue our passions and make lifelong friendships. The memories made there are priceless. I can’t wait to return to the studio after the pandemic and feel our feet thumping, hearts beating and faces smiling!”

KENNEDY ADKISON ’21 FAVORITE SPOT: The Flagpole “When we gather for a Wednesday Flagpole Prayer Service in November when daylight saving has not occurred, the sun rises over Alumni Gym and illuminates the Quad with early morning sunlight and a grace that is only seen once a year. This spot is not only extremely beautiful, but it also serves as a great time and place to reflect on the many blessings that have been bestowed upon me.”

Cassin Family Library Photo by Elise Yang ’21

15

PROGRESS Spring 2021

The Flagpole Photo by Taylor Ortiz ’21

Quad Photo by Elise Yang ’21

The Bay tree Photo by Elise Yang ’21

KATIE TEEKELL ’00 PRINCIPAL

FAVORITE SPOT: The Bay tree

RAY HISATAKE

DEAN OF STUDENTS

“For me, the Bay tree is a living symbol of both our Holy Cross roots and the beauty that comes from the growth we see in each generation of students.

Whether it’s watching my own children climb the tree, standing under its shade to watch our Lancer athletes play or the band perform, or simply finding a quiet moment to pray and find peace, the Bay tree has always been a sacred space for me.”

FAVORITE SPOT: Quad “Being in the Quad to witness students collaborating, fellowshipping and creating is an amazing feeling and something I look forward to every day as a Holy Cross educator. I get to watch, listen and support the growth of our students in the Quad until they gather for the last time on graduation day.”

JENNIFER OSWOLD TIBBILS ’93 FAVORITE SPOT: Bleachers at Calcagno Stadium “I have spent hours and hours sitting in the bleachers at Calcagno Stadium, both as a student and as a parent, watching Lancers compete. Saint Francis athletics bring out the best in the students as they work together to be the best versions of themselves, but they also bring the rest of the community together as they celebrate the wins and console each other through the losses. Some of the proudest moments of my life have taken place in those stands.”

Bleachers at Calcagno Stadium Photo by Elise Yang ’21

BILL BEASLEY ’82 FAVORITE SPOT: Room 300 “I was privileged to experience the unique and effective style of teacher Roger Johnson in Room 300. I was one of several stunned freshmen who found themselves among a mostly junior class of Algebra II students. We thoroughly enjoyed the attention we received whenever one of our upperclassmen was reminded that the freshmen were able to understand a concept that they didn’t seem to understand. Mr. Johnson taught me the value of breaking down large concepts or bodies of knowledge into smaller digestible pieces and that lesson has served me well for many years.”

Room 300 Photo by Elise Yang ’21

Spring 2021 PROGRESS

16

PLANNED GIVING

The Gift of Flexibility Planning for your future and for the future of Saint Francis High School just got simpler. The new user-friendly planned giving portal (sfhsgiftlegacy.com) helps alumni, parents and friends make meaningful legacy gifts that benefit Saint Francis and the donor’s philanthropic objectives with his or her overall estate and financial plan.

The portal provides information about the many ways to include Saint Francis in your estate or financial planning through one or more planned gifts, from a simple, outright bequest to a charitable remainder trust, which Frank Isola and Margo Mynderse-Isola ’67 HC recently established. The information is not intended to supplant the professional advice of your tax accountant and/ or attorney, but sfhsgiftlegacy.com can help you further your planned giving conversations — and help the benefits of a Saint Francis experience extend into the world.

Planned giving options: BEQUEST:

Designate Saint Francis High School as the beneficiary of your asset by will, trust or beneficiary designation form.

CHARITABLE LEAD TRUST:

Fund a trust that makes gifts to Saint Francis for a number of years. Your family receives the trust remainder at substantial tax savings.

IRA ROLLOVER:

Make an IRA rollover gift this year and in future years.

SALE AND UNITRUST:

Give a portion of your property to fund a charitable remainder trust that benefits Saint Francis.

When the property sells, you receive cash and income for life.

BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION GIFTS:

CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST:

GIVE IT TWICE TRUST:

LIFE ESTATE RESERVED:

Designate the school as a beneficiary of a retirement, investment or bank account or your life insurance policy.

Provide your children with a stream of income while making a gift to Saint Francis.

Transfer your cash or appreciated property to the school to fund a charitable remainder trust. The trust sells your property tax free and provides you with income for life or a term of years.

Give your property to Saint Francis but retain the right to use the property during your life.

For details, visit sfhsgiftlegacy.com or contact Mike Speckman, director of endowment and planned giving, at mikespeckman@sfhs.com.

17

PROGRESS Spring 2021

A LASTING LEGACY: Frank Isola and Margo Mynderse-Isola ’67 HC

W

hen Frank Isola and Margo MynderseIsola ’67 HC reflect on their children’s experiences at Saint Francis, they are incredibly grateful for the opportunities Chris ’99 and Lisa ’02 received. Chris and Lisa were challenged academically and grew as individuals through their co-curricular activities, Chris with football and basketball and Lisa with drama.

In fact, the Isola family loved being a part of the Saint Francis community and participated in the life of the school long before their children were old enough for high school.

“We used to live on Covington Road, right around the corner,” Margo says. “Chris was one of those kids who played under the great big tree at football games with his friends.”

Once Chris and Lisa were students at Saint Francis, the family served the school in many ways. Frank sat on the Board of Directors from 1998 to 2004 and cooked barbecue on Friday nights during the football season. Margo was the Lancer Auction chair from 1996 to 2002, taking the fundraiser that was normally hosted on campus and expanding it to the San Jose Convention Center. They volunteered their home for the 1995 Christmas at Our House home tour, the school holiday fundraiser.

In gratitude for their children’s education and their family’s experiences, Frank and Margo in 2018 established a charitable remainder trust (CRT), a vehicle for planned giving, with the intent of benefiting future

Lancers and the school’s endowment fund, which supports tuition assistance. Planned gifts help donors meet their financial and charitable goals while supporting the school’s endowment. A CRT is a trust that generates income for the donor, and after the terms of the trust the remainder of the assets are donated to Saint Francis.

“This is a win-win,” says Frank. “The trust will grow from year to year, and we get an annuity for our lifetime. We create a means of contributing to the school, which we’ve always thought of highly.”

Frank had considered a planned giving program at Saint Francis when he was serving on the Board of Directors. At that time, he had established a CRT with the University of California, Berkeley, his alma mater. However, there was no such mechanism at Saint Francis, and he knew that having a planned gift program was something the school could benefit from.

As one of the earliest to consider CRTs and planned giving for Saint Francis, Frank and Margo’s gift represents efforts to expand on the work of others committed to expanding the school’s resources. Frank recalled his connection with the group of early Saint Francis parents who created the Foundation Board, and subsequently, the Endowment Fund, and he remembered his time on the Board of Directors when it established the EDGE Fund and Endowment Fund to support employee retention.

Now retired, Frank was the president of Franklin Templeton Investor Services, while Margo was a nurse and ran outpatient surgery centers. They continue to maintain relationships with Saint Francis families they knew from their children’s time as Lancers.

Most of all, they remain supporters of Saint Francis’s mission of providing a Holy Cross education to students of diverse financial backgrounds, and they are proud of their commitment to invest in the school’s future.

Spring 2021 PROGRESS

18

Educator

Retirees

Years at Saint Francis:

26

19

Years at Saint Francis:

Mary Jo Carroll

“I have many favorite memories but one that has made an impact in our Saint Francis community is the establishment of the International Showcase.

It started as an idea from my club board members 18 years ago. Little by little, it developed into a two-day event at the Performing Arts Center. The International Showcase gave an opportunity to our diverse student body to display and share their artistic skills and culture to our entire Saint Francis community.”

“Throughout my 58 years in education, I’ve experienced many changes in trends, focus, methodology and technology.

But the basic tenet of education remains: students + teacher + caring environment = learning.

Our gifts and talents as educators enlighten and enable students, and theirs do the same for us. What an awesome and beautiful responsibility we have toward those who have been entrusted to us. I have learned from my fellow educators as models and advisors, by word and deed, and I am so grateful.”

PROGRESS Spring 2021

Years at Saint Francis:

33

Sofia Blanc

Spanish teacher, World Languages department chair, moderator for International Club and senior class

I

n June 2021, eight Saint Francis educators will retire.

We thank these incredible men and women for the 258 collective years of selfless service they have given to the Saint Francis High School family, embodying the Holy Cross mission and shaping hundreds of lives.

Religious Studies and English teacher, drama assistant

Years at Saint Francis:

43

Sal Chavez

Mission outreach, Religious Studies teacher and department chair, soccer coach “My job was living out my faith every day in a number of different ways. Before I arrived, I was actually looking for a position to support students of color in San Francisco, but I realized that I could do this at SFHS: to help attract students of color to campus in my small way and to help students who are not of color widen their understanding of the world and appreciate other communities.”

23

Olivia Ciampa

Spanish teacher, yearbook moderator, lunch prefect “These past 23 years have been the most rewarding years professionally and socially.

Everyone has been key to my development as an educator, colleagues as well as students.

The time literally flew by. I am very grateful.”

“It has been an honor to work alongside such dedicated Holy Cross educators, who have carried forth the vision of the Brothers with humility, dedication and great love. Their impact spans generations of Lancers and is deeply felt by our students, educators, alumni and families.”

— PRINCIPAL KATIE TEEKELL ’00

Years at Saint Francis:

Years at Saint Francis:

25

Tom Johantgen Visual Performing Arts teacher, water polo and swimming coach

“One of my favorite memories is when then-President Kevin Makley sent me an email he had received from a graduate who had just passed the final test to be a licensed architect and wanted to tell the president about his math teacher [yes, I did teach math for one year] who helped him through a rough patch in school. He outlined the story the way he remembered it and said what a difference it made for him. I remember the student but do not remember the story he told.

It made me realize the way we impact the students as teachers will never be known to anyone, including us, but we are making a difference in their lives.”

Years at Saint Francis:

31

Debbie Gosalvez Executive assistant to the principal, academic administrative assistant, registrar and substitute coordinator

“My advice to educators is to always keep the mission and values of Holy Cross your first priority. I was blessed that my children Gina ’98 and Mario ’01 had such caring teachers.

In my work at Saint Francis I have always tried to remember our students are someone’s precious children and always treat them in the way I would want my own children to be treated.”

39

Tim Houlihan

Director of Planning and Facilities, Capital Campaign Director, Development Director, Athletics Director “I’ll always be grateful to the Brothers of Holy Cross for giving me the opportunity to be part of their community. For 39 years, I had the chance to come to a place that I love and collaborate with people who are not only talented and caring colleagues but also my very good friends. I have had the great pleasure of watching my own three kids experience Saint Francis, and I can speak with admiration of the dedication and commitment of our phenomenal teachers and staff.”

Years at Saint Francis:

38

Sherrie Tasnady

Guidance and College Counselor, Stock Market Club moderator, English teacher “The camaraderie of the faculty will always bring a smile to my face. Those unforgettable times when authentic personalities emerge while everyone is sharing ideas present moments of fun and appreciation for all the great minds that are a part of this community. Most of all, I will remember the spontaneous moments in Sobrato, the Quad or during a rally when something unexpected gave me pure joy and the knowledge that I chose the perfect career.”

Spring 2021 PROGRESS

20

Renewing Our Hope “Hope springs eternal” may sound cliché, and given its place in the English language as one of our most wellworn phrases, perhaps it is. But after a long, arduous year of the pandemic, social unrest and political strife, this spring “hope springs eternal” has never sounded more apropos.

Alexander Pope coined the phrase in his seminal work of poetry, An Essay on Man, in 1732. In 2021, we all can see glimmers of hope this spring, as temperatures start to warm and flowers begin to bloom. Maybe we can appreciate these things a bit more fully now that we also are beginning to see students back on campus, vaccines being distributed and businesses reopening after what indeed has been the longest of winters.

As we think about what is next at Saint Francis, we also pause to reflect on the sacrifices and struggles we’ve all borne witness to this past year. We give thanks to the front-line workers across the spectrum, from health care to education to public safety to food service and more, as they have been so critical in our ability as a community and as a society to weather these many months of relative isolation.

But as spring takes hold, so does our renewed sense of hope. We’re excited by plans for the not-so-distant future at Saint Francis, as we think about all that will be possible in the creative, collaborative new spaces planned for our campus. We’re overjoyed at the sight of our students and educators returning to school, at least in limited fashion. And we are filled with hope for what is to come as we think about sending off this year’s senior class into a world that needs their ingenuity, compassion and leadership, and likewise as we imagine what the next year on our campus might hold as we

21

PROGRESS Spring 2021

long for a full return to the classrooms, theaters and athletic fields that have remained vacant for so long.

As you read this issue of Progress and learn about some of our alumni who are positively impacting the communities they serve, in keeping with the tenets of Holy Cross, and about educators who likewise are striving to make a difference for our students, we hope you’ll agree that Saint Francis is a place where hope indeed does spring eternal. Perhaps at no time

We’re excited by plans for the not-sodistant future at Saint Francis, as we think about all that will be possible in the creative, collaborative new spaces planned for our campus. in recent memory has that been more important than right now, nearly 300 years after the phrase was first put to paper by one Alexander Pope.

Whether you are an alumnus, a current student, a parent or grandparent, or an educator, you are an integral part of the Saint Francis family, and your support of Saint Francis lends hope for our collective future as a community. Thank you!

Paul Lanning, EdD, CFRE Executive Director, Institutional Advancement

ALUMNI IMPACT:

Brent Brennan ’91

Head football coach, San Jose State University

I

n early 2020, Brent Brennan ’91 didn’t expect a nearperfect season (7-1) for his San Jose State University (SJSU) Spartans or that they’d win the Mountain West football championship, SJSU’s first football title in 29 years.

Being the 2020 Lombardi Foundation National Coach of the Year certainly didn’t cross his mind.

He was hopeful entering his fourth year as SJSU head football coach.

The 2019 season (5-7) included several close games, but his first two seasons with SJSU had been dismal. In 2018, the team finished 1-11 for SJSU’s worst season in more than 80 years.

“The climate of college football has unrealistic expectations,” says Brent, who was a Lancer wide receiver and a walk-on player for the UCLA Bruins. “I had been an assistant coach at SJSU for six years, so I had an idea of what was missing. But when you’re losing games, the hardest part is keeping players and coaches moving and looking forward.”

Before the pandemic sent his players and coaches home for five months, his “We’re closer than you think” team mantra was beginning to get some traction. “I believed in the kids and believed in the process,” he says. “It’s never just about football. We are a family. Coaching and teaching are ways to move toward the greater good. I learned that from Saint Francis’ Holy Cross mission.”

His approach was honed by his Saint Francis coaches: retired football coaches Ron Calcagno, who remains a mentor, and Mike Mitchell and basketball coaches Bill Delaney ’67 and Steve Filios. “They knew a lot about us,” he recalls. “They would see us in class and at lunch and would talk about school and life.”

Brent Brennan ’91

The mountain got steeper when the season was pushed back before starting on Sept. 24. “Santa Clara County wasn’t allowing any sports practices or games, so Mary Papazian, SJSU president, negotiated with Humboldt State University for us to live and practice there for two weeks before our first game,” Brent explains.

Soon, the Spartans’ mountain-climbing agility started paying off. The team won every regular-season game to clinch the conference title. (“Home” games were played in Hawaii and Las Vegas.) The team’s only loss was to Ball State in the postseason Arizona Bowl.

In addition to National Coach of the Year honors, Brent is the 2020 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year and American Football Coaches Association Region 5 Coach of the Year. He is widely recognized for the devotion he has to his players’ character development. In 2016, he founded the SJSU Beyond Football program to inspire achievement and share values and social responsibility.

“Saint Francis planted the seed for our program,” Brent says. “We talk with players about treating women and each other with respect, and we get the team involved in meaningful service on campus and in the community.” Pre-COVID, the Spartans regularly read to and mentored students at a local elementary school.

By March 2020, with the season in jeopardy, Brent changed his mantra for the team. During shutdown, he hiked the Santa Cruz Mountains with his kids, singing “Climb Every Mountain” from “The Sound of Music” to them. During the team’s weekly Zooms and for daily check-ins on a team Facebook page, he told his players, “We’re climbing a mountain.”

Humble about the team effort it took to reach the mountaintop, Brent quickly credits family, friends, players, coaches and the City of San Jose, which started sporting Spartans’ gear as the team began winning. “Our success brought together our community especially when they needed it most,” he adds. “People started telling us how good we were, but my players would reply, ‘No, we’re still climbing mountains.’”

Last summer, the words reverberated as he and his staff led the team on issues of social injustice. And he repeated the mantra in July when the Spartans quarantined on campus in preparation for the fall season.

“This is an incredible lesson for young people and all of us — as long as you keep believing and moving forward, you will find a way,” says Brent.

“We never gave up.”

Spring 2021 PROGRESS

22

FROM THE ALUMNI DIRECTOR

Dear Alumni, If you gave career advice to young Lancers, what would you say?

During our Virtual Alumni Speaker Series, our presenters consistently spoke about cultivating relationships and using your Lancer connections. Many shared how they have benefited personally and professionally from the bonds formed at Saint Francis.

Matt McCormick’s ’83 recalled caring SFHS teachers and friends who “had his back.”

These Lancers are now important parts of his vast network of mentors and business associates. Just as his SFHS teachers did for him, Mark O’Brien ’89 takes a personal interest in clients and colleagues and diligently keeps in contact. Relationship building, including many based on his Lancer affinity, is integral to Mark’s success as a sports agent.

The venture capital presentation by Isaiah Lott ’11 was really a clinic about the value of building relationships by treating people kindly and finding commonality. His network began by sharing entrepreneur ideas with friends at a Saint Francis lunch table, and he feels lucky to have the Lancer network opening doors to business opportunities. At Saint Francis, Alex Harr ’15 learned the importance of community while on teams, at retreats and in clubs. The ability to connect and communicate with co-workers has helped him get hired and succeed in product design.

Celebrate our storied SFHS history with your fellow Lancers on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, during the inaugural Founders Day.

#FoundersDaySFHS foundersday.sfhs.com

The SFHS Alumni Association offers all alumni opportunities to build community and connect to your alma mater and each other. Expand your reach by engaging with over 2,800 Lancers on our Saint Francis Alumni LinkedIn Group. Get the latest Lancer news and share your reactions on our social media channels. Get ready to reconnect at reunions and SFHS events virtually and in person, hopefully in the not-too-distant future.

Hearing alumni credit their Saint Francis education and network for influencing their success and seeing alumni help young Lancers with career guidance fills us with Lancer pride. When you get a group of Lancers together, you’ll often see personal and professional connections, fun and laughter, and a willingness to help others. Thank you for staying connected and for being there for each other.

Join us in helping young Lancers by tapping into your Lancer network during our inaugural Founders Day of Giving on May 4. The event unites classmates, teammates and generations of Lancers in a collaborative effort to help students in need. When you hear from your personal Lancer contacts, please consider answering their invitation to, once again, join forces to make a positive impact on students who need the Lancer community more than ever. Details to follow.

We are extremely grateful for how you honor two important Lancer traditions: staying connected to Saint Francis and bringing hope to our students.

Our tradition continues … Go Lancers!

Greg Calcagno ’83 Alumni Director gregcalcagno@sfhs.com Twitter: @SFHSalumni Facebook: Saint Francis High School (Mountain View) Alumni Instagram: @sfhs_lancers_alumni LinkedIn: Saint Francis High School Alumni SFHS.com/alumni/giving

23

PROGRESS Spring 2021

Virtual Alumni Speaker Series IN 2020, THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BEGAN HOSTING ITS POPULAR ALUMNI SPEAKER SERIES THROUGH ZOOM. THANKS TO THE ALUMNI TO DATE WHO’VE SHARED THEIR CAREER EXPERIENCES WITH OUR STUDENTS AND ALUMNI. CHECK OUT THE 2020-21 SESSIONS AT SFHS.COM/ALUMNISPEAKERS OR THE SFHS ALUMNI CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE.

Our lineup includes:

Kevin Avery

Matt McCormick ’83

real estate agent, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury

comedian, writer and producer “The Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” and “The Great North”

Alex Harr ’15

product design and artificial intelligence, Panda AI

Mark O’Brien ’89

Dr. Jeff Bui ’87

Isaiah Lott ’11

Elisa Worland ’03

physician/orthopedic surgeon, Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center

venture capital, Andreessen Horowitz

sports agent, Creative Artists Agency

Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay Health and human science educator, Purdue University

Spring 2021 PROGRESS

24

Class Notes

Please share your latest news. Visit sfhs.com/alumniconnect to submit Class Notes and update contact preferences.

trainer and physical therapist, Rufi was the sports medicine physical therapist for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and for the 2000 Summer Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Rufi is also the inventor of Rufipacks, sports medicine bags used during the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.

Holy Cross Impact: Kelly Walsh ’84

Alumni Council member, parent of Bailey Ghashghai ’19 and Brody Ghashghai ’22 “My decision to attend Saint Francis provided a foundation for how to live life. I remember on graduation night thinking that if I ever had kids I would want them to come to Saint Francis.

Fortunately this came to fruition, and my two children have been able to attend Saint Francis.

“It’s hard to describe one particular thing that made it so meaningful to me. It’s the overall experience of four years in such a supportive environment during the challenging teenage years, my fellow classmates who became lifelong friends and the teachers and coaches who gave of themselves tirelessly. The Lancer

Retired from her 35-year career as a makeup artist, Michelle Yaley-Myers ’73 enjoys living two blocks from Balboa Park and 10 minutes from her daughter, Melissa Skrabo Munster ’96. Melissa and her husband have two children.

Michelle’s son Matthew Skrabo ’99 is a real estate agent living in Palo Alto with his wife and two children.

Michelle hopes to soon visit her son Patrick Himwitta Myers, who resides in Texas. Sober for more than three decades, Michelle volunteers to help women and youth with recovery issues and to help homeless people while volunteering at Father Joe’s Villages. Michelle would love to hear from her classmates.

Pepe Hinojosa ’74 lives in Los Altos with his wife, Sue. Their four daughters, Angela Hope Bents ’99, Jessie Hinojosa ’12, Jackie Hinojosa ’13 and Jodi Hinojosa ’14, have four-year college degrees, and one

25

PROGRESS Spring 2021

spirit was always evident, and support for one another was palpable. One of the greatest lessons I learned was the value of service and the importance of giving back to those who are less fortunate and doing my best to be a solid citizen of our nation and world. I will always be part of the Saint Francis family and for that I am eternally grateful. Go Lancers!”

also received a master’s in sports management. Pepe sells security software to large Silicon Valley companies. Serving on the SFHS Endowment Fundraising Committee and the SFHS Alumni Council, Pepe maintains strong ties to Saint Francis and enjoys connecting with many classmates through Lancer events.

Gary Massard ’79 is the vice president of operations for SIHO Insurance Services in Columbus, Ind. Gary and his wife, Tracy, have two children and two grandchildren.

Jennifer Kretschmer ’89

Sam Stapleton ’93, right

Rufi Alday ’83 serves Mountain View and the greater Silicon Valley as a real estate broker, partnering with his Lancer classmate Matt McCormick ’83. A certified athletic

Monica Smethurst Horton ’84 and her husband, Dereck, are resettling in Harrodsburg, Ky., after losing their home during the 2018 Paradise Camp Fire. Although she misses California, Monica enjoys living in beautiful and green central Kentucky. She looks forward to opportunities to return to California to visit family, friends and their vacation cabin in Shasta County near Mount Lassen.

Jennifer Kretschmer ’89 is on the board of directors for the American Institute of Architects, California and is president of the American Institute of Architects, Silicon Valley. J. Kretschmer, Architect, her agency in Los Gatos, specializes in residential architecture projects. As principal architect, Jennifer helps homeowners realize their vision and dreams. Jennifer is married and the mother of two children.

In Memory Sam Stapleton ’93 was a twoday champion on “Jeopardy!,” the television game show. A portion of his winnings came from successfully wagering and “asking” six of his seven Daily Double attempts. NBC Sports covered his appearance, including a Battle of the Bay angle that featured Sam, an avid San Francisco Giants fan, facing an Oakland A’s enthusiast. Sam and his wife have two children and live in Los Gatos. As the proprietor of Stapleton Education Consulting Services, Sam provides college admission counseling services to Bay Area young adults.

Tori Burns Humphrey ’97 is the cofounder and president of Dreams33 (www.dreams33.org), a charitable organization whose mission is to ensure a college education for youth in the foster care system. Tori was compelled to launch Dreams33 after reading about the low rates of college attendance and graduation for foster care youth. Dreams33 strives to make a positive college experience for foster youth by assisting with tuition or other academic or vocational-related expenses. Tori and her husband, Steve, have two children and live in Woodside.

Santa Clara University honored Dr. Allia Homayoun Griffin ’03 with the Family Foundation Award for Curriculum Innovation for her work in developing new courses and engaging students in significant ways. Allia is a lecturer in the Department of Ethnic Studies at Santa Clara.

Nick Dzigurski ’11 earned a degree in industrial design from California College of the Arts and is a product designer for endoscopic technology at Stryker Medical. Prior to his current position, Nick was the lead industrial designer for Mighty Studios.

Continued on p.27

Sally Leitch Holden passed away on Oct. 29, 2020, following a brief illness. The epitome of a Holy Cross educator, Mrs. Holden dedicated her life to teaching, mentoring and counseling young adults. She joined Saint Francis in 1995 as a counselor. She had the gift of connecting with students, who sensed her authenticity immediately, making it easy for them to trust and confide in her. For her last six years at Saint Francis, Mrs. Holden was a freshman counselor and helped the newest Lancers make the adjustment to high school. Many upperclassmen returned to share with her how her support helped them to grow and develop at Saint Francis.

For the past 24 years, she also served as a college counselor, a social studies teacher and English teacher. She was also the moderator for Chess Club, Interact Club and Women’s Club and Teen Awareness Program (TAP) and was particularly proud of TAP students’ efforts in fostering diversity, equity and inclusion. She earned a B.A. in English from Cedar Crest College and a M.A. in psychology from Seton Hall University.

Reeve Albino, stepson of Rachel Safier (educator) Victor Barber ’73 Robert Brady ’69 Donald Callejon (former SFHS Board member), father of Donna ‘80 Valerie Carrie, wife of Rick ’87; mother of Caroline and Catherine

John Hall ’74, husband of Deborah; son of Caroline and the late Theodore; brother of Teresa Baenziger, Dennis ’73 and Susan Mills ’75 Jenny Harriman ’12, daughter of John and Barbara; sister of Christopher ’14 Jonathan “Jon” Hess ’98, son of Joe and Virginia; brother of Mary Hess Eliason ’96

Trudy Dettlé, mother of Sylvan Adams (educator)

Robert Isola (provided lighting for football fields and basketball gym at Saint Francis), husband of Jacqueline; father of Lisa Isola Abbatelli ’79, Dan Abbatelli ’78, Ken, Megan, Kevin ’86, Eileen Caetano Isola ’87, Kurt Isola ’87 and Jennifer

John Doiron, father of Robert ’81 and Geoffrey ’84

Erika Johansen ’82, daughter of Nancy Johansen; sister of Lisa Johansen Fox ’84

Art Dugoni, father of Steve ’71, Michael ’72, Mary Dugoni Rouleau ’74 and Diane Dugoni Harris ’75, Russell, Arthur, James; grandfather of Bertrand Rouleau ’02, Elizabeth Rouleau ’06, Joseph Descalso ’11 and Mary Descalso ’15

Maureen Kenney, mother of Jason ’99 and Allison Kenney Jones ’98

Sue Lenihan Chen ’74, wife of Jess; mother of Kelly and Maureen; sister of Jim, Linda Lenihan Noverr ’72, Tim and Colleen

Gregory Duke, husband of Joan Brumleve; father of Lesly ’19, Marco ’20 and Juan ’21 Ted Faravelli ’76, husband of Ella; father of Ted and Santino; son of Ted and Carol; brother of Felicia Faravelli Soares ’78 and Laura FaravelliMcCauley ’79 Adolph “Floyd” Gonella, husband of Margaret Taylor ’61 HC; father of Michelle, Michael, Steven; grandfather of Nick and Alex Claudette Goth (former SFHS teaching assistant and assistant to the principal), wife of Gary; mother of Tim and Shelli Goth Quinn ’84, Joel and Chanda Goth Mullen ’86; stepmother of Dianne Francis; grandmother of Toby and Noah Heinemann Leslie Gross, wife of Michael ’97

Douglas Knapp, husband to Rebecca; father of Miles ’24 Robert Lewis ’66, husband of Claudette; father of Jeremy, Melanie Lewis Ridley ’95, Andrew, Keith; brother of Patti Lewis Maxwell ’75 Ed Meyers ’85, husband of Valerie; father of Alexandria and Ashley; brother of Anita ’88 Teresa Montalvo ’92, daughter of Robert and Leticia; sister of Bobby Jr. ’78, Steve ’79, Greg ’81, Maria ’83, Clara Montalvo Payne ’84, Ray ’87 and Juan ’97 Marianne “Chickie” Langholff Morrisey, mother of Mary Anne Delaney; mother-in-law of William Delaney ’67 (retired educator); grandmother of Shannon O’Brien Ross ’90 and Megan O’Brien ’95 James “Jim” O’Malley, husband of Lucille; father of Jim ’73, Erin ’76, Sean ’77, Siobhan Paul ’80; grandfather of Jeffery Pratt ’03, Julianna Pratt ’06, Katie Paul Rymer ’00, Meghan Paul ’03 and Patrick Paul ’06

Marjorie “Marge” O’Rourke, mother of George and Kathleen O’Rourke Walker ’66 HC, Michael ’68, Kevin ’73 and Lynn, Tim ’77 and Janet Sevely O’Rourke ’77; mother-in-law of Barbara; grandmother of Kelly ’04, Meaghan ’13, Sean ’13 and Claire ’15 Daniel Perkins ’20, son of Ellen Sanders-Perkins and Drew Perkins, brother of Leah Perkins ’22, William Sanders ’10 and Karl Sanders ’08 Robert Peters, father of Carrie Peters Lorton ’87; grandfather of Katherine Lorton ’21 Eugene Premo, husband of Georgine; father of Nicole Premo Mesler ’79 and Michelle Premo Walsh ’83 Anthony Ragonesi ’64, husband of Julianne Bob “Bobby” Rose, father of Laura Rose (educator); grandfather of Ashley Mufich ’15 Dorothy June Sell, mother of Sherrie Sell Tasnady (educator) Tom Smith (former educator), husband of Marge; father of Mark, Jennifer Smith Morton ’89 and Kathryn Smith Heilmann ’84 Adrienne Steinke, mother of Larry Steinke (director of technology); grandmother of Thomas ’12, Megan ’15 and Rachel ’18 Jennifer Trimble ’93 Suzanne Whealan ’82, daughter of Fran; sister of Richard ’82 and Carolyn Whealan-Andersson ’87 Susan Williams, mother of Stephanie Houlihan; mother-in-law of Tim Houlihan (director of facilities); grandmother of Brian Houlihan ’05, Kelsey Ford ’07 and Matthew Houlihan ’09

Spring 2021 PROGRESS

26

Class Notes Morgan Healy ’12 was awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in education at the University of Cambridge in England.

Her dissertation reflects her passion for early education, particularly for the youngest and most vulnerable children in developing countries.

Morgan is designing a play-based parenting intervention to develop executive functions, promoting learning and positive behaviors, for very young children. Previously as a Fulbright Scholar in Brazil, Morgan taught, conducted research and contributed to a common core curriculum assessment. Morgan has a B.A. in history and secondary education from Boston College and an M.A. in international education policy from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

The Metropolitan Opera National Council bestowed the Boston District Encouragement Award to Nicola Santoro ’12. The soprano was honored for her performance in the Metropolitan Opera’s international competition for classical singers. The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, a program designed to discover promising young opera singers and assist in their development, was held virtually via livestream in December 2020.

Holy Cross Impact: Jenny Mickwee Reynolds ’96 Alumni Council member

“The impact that Saint Francis has had on my life extends way beyond four years. Saint Francis is where I made lifelong friends, learned invaluable lessons about kindness and responsibility and created lasting memories that are still shared among my friends today. It was also where my husband, Eli Reynolds ’93, attended, and while it wasn’t until years later that we were introduced, it was the Saint Francis community that brought us together.

Hali Dzigurski ’13 earned a B.A. in animal science from UC Davis and a master’s degree in orthotics and prosthetics from the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Hali is a resident in orthotics at the University of Michigan Orthotics and Prosthetics Center in Ann Arbor.

Jodi Hinojosa ’14 graduated from the U.S. Naval Aviation School and received her wings within an elite class of five graduates. Her parents, Pepe ’74 and Sue Hinojosa, attended the winging ceremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Fla. Jodi is a commissioned officer currently training in Norfolk, Va., on the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft.

Nick Meyer ’15 is a master’s candidate in economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Nick earned a B.S. in economics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and worked as an analyst in Washington, D.C., before relocating to England.

Pepe ’74, Jodi ’14 and Sue Hinojosa

Aiden Geise ’19 launched the Last Minute Clothing Brand during his freshman year at Saint Francis. Not finding brands that reflected his personal aesthetic, Aiden used his passion for clothing and for design to form his own brand. His signature hoodies were particularly popular with his fellow Lancers. The brand name derives from his penchant for producing his best ideas at the last minute. While studying strategic advertising at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Aiden continues to expand his collection. View his recent designs on Instagram @Lastminuteclothingbrand.

Nicola Santoro ’12

27

PROGRESS Spring 2021

“Now, as my own kids explore the possibility of attending Saint Francis, I am so grateful to be able to share my experiences with them. I hope they too will have the opportunity to learn, grow and make their own enduring friendships at Saint Francis, the way Eli and I did.”

Aiden Geise ’19

Skylar Elise, daughter of Michael and Cassidy Willingham Ozowara ’02

Wilson John, son of Cameron and Edie Richardson Horstman ’08

Ellie, daughter of David Beardsley and Kimberly Brosseau ’91

Nellie, daughter of Brian Browne ’02 and Am elia Carey

Little Lancers

If you are the proud parent of a Little Lancer, please email LittleLancer@sfhs.com to receive a Lancer onesie for your baby. Please include your address, size preference (6-month, 12-month, 18or 24-month or 3T) and the names of all family members.

Megan McIntosh Cruz, son of Ryan and Jay McIntosh ’81 and of son nd gra Klasila ’06, grandson of William atBetsy Beasley ’83, gre asley ’61 HC and Gerri Ferrara Be

Kohana, daug hter of Aaron ’07 and Kim Masunaga Komisarek ’07

ter and Robert, son of Pe es ’09 av Gr Elyse Prevot

Sean ’05 Jolene, daughter of and Lilly Gilley of James, son

Sam ’95 and

Kate Yazdan

i

Brady Lee, son of Brandon ’04 and Dominique Reynaga Voelker ’04

James (left), Luke (center) and Steven (right), sons of Nick and Sarah Boskovich Villalobos ’02 and grandsons of Pete Boskovich ’71

Weston, son of Perry and Sarah Uibe Jenkins ’02

l

Spring 2021 PROGRESS

28

from the archives

Packing the Thanksgiving food boxes, 2009 Night of Acoustics in front of Malcolm, 2016

Lunchtime, 2017

Construction, 1963

Breaking Bread Together: Malcolm Center This year, to make room for new campus construction, the Malcolm Center and the rest of Dujarie Hall (300 Building) will be razed. Since opening its doors in 1963, the Malcolm Center has ably served Saint Francis, from daily meals in the school cafeteria to performance and presentation spaces. Thousands of students, parents, educators and alumni have gathered for meetings there or to hang out.

In the last issue of Progress, we misidentified our beloved Bay Laurel tree as the Mediterranean Bay Laurel, (Laurus nobilis). A reader shared, “My unconfirmed belief is that it is actually a California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia California). One is introduced, the other is native to California. It may be a semantic point but as members of different genera they are more cousins than siblings.” We regret our error.

Art students in front of their mural, 2016

Members of the 1993 football team posing together at the 2014 Hall of Fame ceremony Taking time off from teaching Latin, Brother Marcel Doleac, dean of men, prefects the cafeteria for two lunch periods, 1967

29

PROGRESS Spring 2021

HOLY CROSS EDUCATOR Hospitality manager Winston Wint dishes up love for the Lancer community

YOU HAVE A MASTER’S DEGREE IN FINANCE. HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN FOOD SERVICE? I had worked in finance for a couple companies in the Bay Area, ran my own catering and restaurant company for 10 years and was an adjunct business professor at Skyline College. When the economy got bad in 2012, I joined Epicurean, the food service company that serves Saint Francis. Epicurean asked me to be interim general manager in charge of Saint Francis, and I fell in love with the school. I met so many wonderful people that I said I’d take less money if I could stay here.

DESCRIBE YOUR EARLY INTERACTIONS WITH OUR HOLY CROSS COMMUNITY. I don’t know if it was because of my Jamaican accent, but the students were drawn to me and involved me in their activities from day one. About five years ago the students asked me to talk about my life at an assembly. That was one of my greatest experiences here. The love and respect I receive from the students, faculty and staff is immeasurable. The mission of ‘creating people of integrity who discover their God-given talents, respect the dignity of every person, celebrate family and bring hope to others,’ is something I value.

HOW HAS YOUR SAINT FRANCIS CONNECTION DEEPENED OVER THE YEARS? I coached JV boys soccer for three years and enjoyed every minute. My daughter Gabrielle graduated last year. She’s from Jamaica, too, and the community opened up their arms to her and treated her like she was here from day one. That’s something we really appreciate.

WHAT’S YOUR NEW ROLE? I’m the hospitality manager in charge of the food service program from daily meals to concessions and catering. I like the fact that each day that I come to work, I can put a smile on somebody’s face. Cooking brings the community together. My mission is to create a Lancer team that understands the value and mission of Saint Francis, while creating amazing meals.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DISH? I like to cook Caribbean food. When that’s on the Saint Francis menu, I am in the kitchen, but I try to step back and let the chef run the kitchen. At home I make curry goat with white rice and vegetables, fried plantains and a lot of curry chicken and oxtail.

My favorite food is sushi, and I want to learn how to prepare it.

Spring 2021 PROGRESS

30

PROGRESS

Saint Francis High School Institutional Advancement 1885 Miramonte Ave Mountain View CA 94040-4098

Shining a light

The Photography Club asked students to experiment with lighting and capture their most creative work for the club’s January photo contest.

2

1. Gabriella Honda ’23 2. Chloe den Hartog ’22 3. Hannah Morrisroe ’23 4. Julia Sochava ’23 5. Pujita Tangirala ’22 6. Anyes Moran ’23

3

1

5 4

6