Progress: Spring 2022

Spring 2022

A Publication for Alumni and Parents

: s p i h s r e n t r a P

Woven into the Fabric of Saint Francis High School

DEAR FRIENDS OF SAINT FRANCIS, In a high school classroom, students always want to know, “Will we ever use this in the real world?” It’s a fair question that keeps educators focused on formation that is relevant both now and in the future.

From its beginning, Holy Cross education had Blessed Basil Moreau’s encouragement of creative, innovative education that “will change with the times,” and a public commitment that “we do not want our students to be deprived of anything they should know.” For Saint Francis today, that means establishing new partnerships with the broader community that expand the knowledge, awareness and aspirations of our students while providing connections that will be resources for many years to come.

Saint Francis is located in the heart of Silicon Valley, and we are fortunate to have access to some of the most talented innovators, creators and leaders in the world, right on our doorstep. Our school’s partnerships are more than drop-in visits or presentations; these are extended engagements where our partners and students together participate in collaborative problem solving, test new ideas and technologies, and envision an exciting future.

Importantly, these partnerships do far more than serve our students. These are relationships that inspire businesses, organizations and faith communities by sharing our school’s spirit and mission. Stepping on campus you are immediately lifted up by the creative, joyful energy permeating everything that happens at Saint Francis. Our Lancers, who are being formed as visionary leaders of impact, start making their mark today as they build each of these partnerships.

SFHSLancers

SFHSLancers

sfhslancers

Saint Francis Lancers

Saint Francis High School

We look forward to sharing more of these stories as our network of partnerships grows and hope that you will help us by making connections and extending invitations to those who share our passion for Holy Cross education!

Gratefully,

Jason D. Curtis President

... Union, then, is a powerful lever with which we could move, direct, and sanctify the whole world.

[Circular Letter 14].

Blessed Basil Moreau, Founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross

Contents PARTNERSHIPS

Publisher Jason D. Curtis Executive Editors Paul Lanning, EdD, CFRE Jamie Ceccato Perkins ’97 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 Amelia Avila ’24 Abhijit Nambiar ’24 Now and Forever Photography Carla Duharte Razura Michele Tjin Reshaan Tolani ’24 E. Spencer Toy Sophia Tran ’24 Brady Wilson ’22 Progress is published by the Institutional Advancement Department for the alumni, parents and friends of Saint Francis High School.

Email us: progress@sfhs.com

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NEWS: Student and alumni highlights and profiles

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#LANCERLIFE: A look at campus life from the student POV

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PARTNERSHIPS, SAINT FRANCIS-STYLE: A deep dive into Holy Cross-inspired partnerships on and off campus

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PAUL LANNING: Springing

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ALUMNI IMPACT:

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ALUMNI: Letter from Greg

ALUMNI

23 FROM THE ARCHIVES

Forward

Craig Beles ’67

Calcagno ’83, upcoming events, class news, In Memory and Little Lancers

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LANCERS IN THE NEWS Greg Calcagno ’83 Named State Coach of the Year

Calcagno’s 80-30 Lancer record to date (.727 winning record)

Coach Greg Calcagno’s prestigious honor caps a celebrated 2021 varsity football season and equally storied history with Lancer football. Last fall’s impressive 11-1 season, following the cancellation of the 2020 fall season and spring 2021’s disappointing five-game season, included a 31-28 win against De La Salle of Concord, ending that school’s unbeaten streak of 308 games against Northern California opponents. Coach Calcagno’s Lancers won the West Catholic Athletic League title (beating defending champ Serra of San Mateo, 44-21) and were ranked No. 1 in Northern California before a narrow loss to Serra in a rematch for the California Interscholastic Federation Central Coast Section Division I championship.

Greg Calcagno and his father, who was State Coach of the Year in 1983, are the first father-son pair to receive the prestigious honor.

Coach Calcagno grew up on the Lancer football sidelines as a ball boy for the teams led by his father, legendary coach Ron Calcagno. He was starting quarterback as a junior and senior; as senior captain in 1982, he led the first-ever undefeated Lancer football team and earned All-WCAL and All-CCS honors.

Continuing his family’s football traditions at Santa Clara University, Coach Calcagno was a three-year captain of the team and became the Broncos’ all-time leading passer. He wore No. 16, as did his dad and uncle Ray when they were Santa Clara quarterbacks. With his BS in finance and MBA from San Jose State University, he worked for 20 years in finance before returning to his alma mater in 2008 as alumni director and assistant JV football coach. In 2013, he took the helm as varsity football coach and coached his son Patrick ’17. His “kids first, winning second” approach consistently brings out the best in his players on the field and in the classroom. “An incredible Holy Cross educator, Greg prepares and pushes his players to be their best, to play with pride and poise, and to carry on the traditions that have been set down before them,” says Director of Athletics Michael Pilawski. “Off the field, he works closely with his players to make sure they are successful in the classroom and supported in their personal lives.”

“He has a really good coaching staff. When you are responsible for 150+ kids, you better have good people with you and people who don’t mind working hard.” — Former Coach Ron Calcagno 3

PROGRESS Spring 2022

1 state championship, 2018

Completed 131 of 233 passes (56 percent) as Lancer quarterback

27 family members have attended Saint Francis

Mary Reilly’s Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France Last September, Religious Studies teacher Mary Reilly felt as if she was called by Mary when the Western Association of the Order of Malta invited her to join the pilgrimage to Lourdes, a shrine in France where the faithful seek healing.

“I’ve always felt very connected with Mary,” says Ms. Reilly, who has the genetic condition spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA). What made her trip particularly meaningful was enjoying Lourdes with her mother, Maureen Reilly. They drank and washed themselves with the holy water and attended Mass every day. The trip included plenty of Lancer representatives, from Fr. Steve Kim, who served as a chaplain, to Lancer parents Duke Powers and Ken Hurley ’75, Knights of the Order of Malta who volunteered on the pilgrimage, as well as familiar faces from Ms. Reilly’s undergraduate days. Each connection was a reminder of the strength she draws from her family and her Saint Francis community.

“I tell my students God shows up for me through people,” she says. “I was feeling very held on the trip.” She made deep connections with the six malades who traveled with her from the South Bay, including Christina “Tina” Bulanti Welsh ’85, a mom from Saint Francis who has since passed away. “These six women had a huge impact on me, and that was a true gift of the trip. I experienced God through them in particular.”

She continues to reflect about providence and how this pilgrimage is shaping her faith journey: “I’m happy that I live the life that I do. I wasn’t looking for physical healing but spiritual healing and the gifts of Lourdes. The miracles continue to unfold.”

Above: Mary Reilly with her mother, Maureen, in light blue.

Left: Students made a poster for Ms. Reilly when she returned to school.

Hector Camacho Elected Vice President of California County Boards of Education In December 2021, Hector Camacho, Saint Francis’ director of school culture and belonging, was elected to a one-year term as vice president of the California County Boards of Education, which represents the state’s 58 county boards of education. Currently, he serves on the San Mateo County Board of Education. Mr. Camacho joined Saint Francis in 2013 as a guidance counselor and has taught U.S. government and economics courses, as well as Designing Systems for Gender Equity.

A Cappella Exchange with Bellarmine Clarissa Chen ’22 has discovered resonating harmonies with Saint Francis’ rival, Bellarmine. Last spring Clarissa organized Acaparty, an a cappella festival featuring many high school groups, including Guacapella, the Saint Francis a cappella group, and Bellarmine’s Fortissibros. In December 2021, she invited Bellarmine to participate in Saint Francis’ first a cappella exchange in Mountain View. The groups performed for each other and enjoyed impromptu Christmas carols. At the event, Guacapella learned that the group advanced to the quarterfinals of the International Championship of High School A Cappella.

“We wanted to elevate each other’s programs by coming together, learning from each other, and feeding off of each other’s excitement for a cappella,” says Clarissa.

“Through this historic event, we collaborated and shared our experiences, which was awesome and beautiful.”

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Strength and Conditioning Program Earns Second Strength of America Award The Saint Francis strength and conditioning program has earned its second national Strength of America Award – the gold standard in high school strength and conditioning to improve sports performance for athletes. This honor, which is a three-year certification, recognizes excellence in supervision education, program and facilities.

Shortstop

JESSICA OAKLAND

Jessica Oakland ’22 Athlete of the Year The 2021 softball team with shortstop Jessica Oakland ’22 rewrote the definition of a dream season. With a perfect 26-0 record, the Lancers won the CCS Open Division Championship – sweet victory given that the pandemic wiped out the 2020 season – and Jessica snagged nearly every ball and honor possible.

Hitting .612 with her 19 home runs, a state record, 50 runs, 52 hits and 55 runs batted in, Jessica dominated home plate during her 95 appearances, striking out only five times.

As a testament to her joy in competing and her athletic prowess, hours after helping her team win the CCS softball title, Jessica hit the court to help the Saint Francis basketball team win the CCS semifinal.

Saint Francis is in a select company. Only 40 schools nationwide and just two in Northern California received the award. Additionally, Saint Francis is one of four awardees that have two full-time certified strength coaches Sophomore Jason Borzello in Advanced Strength class running the program. Coaches Andrew Wun is set up and about to perform a dead lift. and Jake Siebert lead the program at Saint Francis that supports Lancer athletic teams and the Health and Fitness Department.

“Strength and conditioning is very prominent at the college level, and it’s growing at the high school level,” says Coach Wun, who serves as the Northern California director of the National High School Strength and Conditioning Association. “This recognition elevates our profession and confirms we’re doing the right things.” Since winning the Strength of America Award in 2017, numerous schools and publications have sought Coach Wun’s innovative expertise in the field.

Velocity-based training, one such innovation at Saint Francis, is helping athletes improve their performance with a device attached to a barbell that tracks the speed of the bar. Results are displayed on an iPad attached to the rack station, providing immediate personalized feedback on the appropriate amount of weight to use.

“The athletes see their performance every single rep so it helps with their intent,” says Coach Wun. “With it, we’re training much more efficiently and smarter now.”

Jessica was named to the MaxPreps AllAmerican First Team and earned honors as Cal-Hi Sports State Junior Player of the Year, SBLive’s CCS Female Athlete of the Year and Mercury News and San Francisco Chronicle Player of the Year. Coached by her dad, Mike Oakland, she and her teammates are poised for another incredible season this spring. This fall, she’s playing for Big Ten Conference powerhouse the University of Minnesota.

Senior Lanton “Tony” Tuiileila is at the top of a dead lift and checking the bar velocity before lowering the bar.

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profile LANCER

Dennis Kurmann ’22

Creator, Blogger and Chef, Skeptic’s Plate https://sites.google.com/sfhs.com/skepticfood/home Member Animal Welfare Club Photography Club

“Be mindful of how food fuels you, what had to go down until it got to be on your plate, and if those things bother you, then choose something different at your next meal.”

When did you first become interested in plant-based food?

My family has been transitioning from a typical omnivorous eating pattern to more plant forward these past few years. I started cooking in late 2019, and the upcoming pandemic giving me time to pursue the interest. In May 2021, I challenged my family to a month of vegetarian eating. We educated ourselves about the issues and implications of the animal agriculture industry. By August 2021, I chose to exclusively eat plants or what’s recognized as a vegan diet.

Did you plan to write a food blog for Independent Inquiry class?

I was doing some brainstorming last summer and had the idea of a food blog. I was amused by the concept of having something I love doing come together in a class setting. For the class’ first six-week exploration phase, I submitted weekly articles. After that, I created a website, did research, and am now writing articles for my blog with personalized guidance from Mrs. Shortal [Independent Inquiry teacher]. The small class size has allowed us to watch one another’s projects develop, creates a cycle of observing and gets us excited about new topics.

How does your blog combine your animal welfare advocacy and love of cooking?

Since a sophomore-year research project, Mahatma Gandhi’s wisdom has stuck with me: “Live simply so that others may simply live.” The line is indeed up for various interpretations, but I think I have applied this teaching to how I eat. As for how omnivorous cooking compares with plant-based cooking, the latter undeniably requires more creativity. It’s easy to grill a steak and call it a day, but skillfully preparing a tempeh dish is more challenging. I’m up for that challenge because it’s one that has a reason behind it. I don’t only care about the environmental and ethical benefits though; the health implications are just as impressive. The claim that vegan eating can be very healthy, and even restorative if done right by eating a diverse array of whole foods has been thoroughly and repeatedly confirmed and adopted by the nutrition science community. I look forward to exploring more of how ingredients can be engineered to craft sustainable alternatives during my food science undergraduate studies in college. Finding where academic interests coincide with passion is a beautiful thing.

Dennis’ Briam Recipe Scan the QR code for Dennis’ take on Briam.

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#LANCERLIFE Saint Francis High School from the yearbook’s perspective.

ONE

1. Outdoor Interfaith Prayer Service by Reshaan Tolani ’24.

2. Stage lights by Sophia Tran ’24.

3. French class by Amelia Avila ’24.

4. Lancer robotics by Abhijit Nambiar ’24.

5. A fall day on campus by Brady Wilson ’22.

THREE TWO

FIVE FOUR 7

PROGRESS Spring 2022

My Pen Collection

“My MVP pen of choice is a Pilot G2.

I like to take notes by hand versus typing notes on my laptop. Writing in pen is a lot more exciting. And always in black. It’s classic and gets the job done. I take the most notes for AP Government class, which has given me a new framework to look at politics and society in an analytical way.”

WHAT’S IN MY

Backpack?

My MacBook

Katelyn Mihalko ’22 has always been a storyteller. She’s danced

since childhood, adding photography and filmmaking at Saint Francis and attending an online UCLA film program last summer. As co-director of TEDxSaintFrancisHS, the school-sponsored, student-run TED event, Katelyn oversees the six-month, 20-hour-a-week production schedule and relishes her role of helping others discover the beauty of their story.

“I use my laptop to edit my photos, films and TED talks. For Independent Inquiry class, I created a photo and film series about depression and teens. I wanted to show mental health experiences in a way that’s compassionate. I talked to a lot of people and did a lot of listening. My hope was to put these ideas into something that will resonate in some way.”

My Film Inspiration

“My favorite director is Chloé Zhao, who did ‘Eternals,’ ‘The Rider’ and ‘Nomadland.’

Stylistically, I love her work.

It’s a lot of natural light and great imagery, but it’s also because she’s an AsianAmerican woman, and I don’t see that a lot in film.”

Books

“I’ve really liked the books we’ve read for AP English and AP Literature. I have quite a long book list of things I want to read, but right now, I am enjoying All About Love by bell hooks. It’s about how we culturally view love in different ways.”

Katelyn, second from left

My Dance Mementos

“I’ve been dancing since I was 4 years old. Last Thanksgiving, I was the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Pacific Ballet Academy’s ‘Nutcracker.’ It was poetic that it was my final year [with the studio]. We couldn’t perform in 2020, so having it in my senior year was a special experience. I got to fulfill my childhood dream. I’ve probably danced in ‘The Nutcracker’ at least 50 times.”

My Canon Rebel

“I’m on the board of Lancer Productions, our film production club. Four of us do a lot of filming for the school — rallies, welcome videos for new students and school events. Last year we created a video of the football team against rival Bellarmine. I was on the sidelines filming. I’m not very sports inclined, but it was interesting to use the creative arts in that experience.”

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s i c n a r F t n i a S

{part·ner·shipS} /ˈpärtnərˌSHip/noun

R

1. the state of being a partner or partners 2. an association of two or more people as partners

“Intentional connections among students, er ad ro b e th d an ni m u al s, nt re pa , rs to educa community to inspire transformation.”

P

artnerships are hardly new for Saint Francis High School. Since its founding in 1955, the school has reached out to the community in Mountain View and beyond to connect leaders and innovators with our students and educators.

Today, the world beyond our campus has much to discover on campus.

Our programs, facilities and events are magnets that draw the brightest minds and joyful hearts to the school. “When people interact with our students or spend time on our campus, they’re always better for it — as are we,” says Jason D. Curtis, president. He is leading the charge to deepen and expand existing partnerships and develop new ones.

By bringing others to campus and sending our students into the community, everyone is transformed.

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: e l i f o r P p i h s r e n Part

Santa Clara University

“It has always been my philosophy that people should know why they’re getting a college degree.

If you’re able to tap into high school students’ curiosity and allow them to describe for themselves why they want to go after a problem that’s bigger than themselves, they are better prepared to gain the most from their college experience.

This is what Santa Clara likes to do — we want to create stronger communities. It’s part of our Jesuit mission.”

Prashanth Asuri Associate Professor of Bioengineering and Director of BioInnovation and Design Lab Santa Clara University

The design and programming subteams of the VR project cross-collaborate.

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S

aint Francis is the first high school to partner with the BioInnovation and Design Lab at Santa Clara University. This partnership establishes opportunities for high school students to learn about real-world issues and provides Santa Clara student and faculty researchers with new perspectives. In each of these projects, Saint Francis students are mentored by university experts: Infectious Disease Forecasting (Machine Learning): For this pilot project, Saint Francis students predicted future trends in infectious diseases by looking at newly created data models and utilizing publicly available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and Google Trends. They furthered their knowledge in machine learning and data analysis and provided feedback and insights.

Biofeedback in Immersive Environments (Virtual Reality): With the goal of exploring the signals our body makes and how to transform them into interactive sights and sounds, an interdisciplinary team of students built a pulse sensor and designed a biofeedback virtual reality (VR) application to combine the two. Once the app is ready to launch and the VR headset goes on, the player’s pulse will be reflected in the experience, turning the “lub-dub” of the heart into mesmerizing 3D images. The Saint Francis team will present its VR experience at an on-campus event in May open to the public.

Health Care Innovation Mentorship Program: Saint Francis students interested in learning about health care challenges attend webinars on emerging technologies, are mentored by the director of the Santa Clara BioInnovation and Design Lab and write a reflection paper. In May, students will participate as teams in a rapidprototyping health care challenge to design and present potential solutions to an important health care issue or problem of their choice.

Project sponsor Dr. Julia Scott of Santa Clara University (far left) shows the electrical components that will transform the user’s heartbeat images in the VR app.

The electronics subteam learns how to connect the pulse sensor to an Arduino microcontroller.

“Partnerships are powerful and at the core of educational innovation.

They provide our students with an opportunity to experience and tackle the real-world challenges we are facing as a global community, whether it deals with infectious diseases, better health care or learning a tool set to apply to any industry. Our students are guided, supported and inspired by individuals and teams from our partner organizations, who, themselves, are working to make that positive change in the interweb of our society. These strong engagements lay the groundwork, so our students may proactively utilize the diverse knowledge they have gained from their classes, clubs and Saint Francis experience, and apply it to these unique experiential learning opportunities.”

Shraddha Chaplot Innovation Lead Saint Francis High School

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le: Zoom i f o r P p i h s r e n t r Pa W

hen Eric Yuan, CEO of Zoom, was a new Lancer parent (Roy ’19) in 2017, he was eager to get involved and make an impact. He asked Larry Steinke, school technology director, whether Saint Francis would benefit from using Zoom. The partnership began when he assigned his team to spec out an area to be installed as a Zoom meeting room.

When the pandemic hit, and every school in the country had to pivot overnight to remote learning, Saint Francis, an early adopter of the platform, already had the infrastructure in place. Students, educators and devices could be online at all times.

As the pandemic wore on, Saint Francis used Zoom to bring the community together with online rallies, club meetings and hackathons.

The athletics, counseling and admissions offices

“One of the most important elements of a Holy Cross education is recognizing that we are part of a larger network and community. We stress with our students that they are part of a global family that is united by our common mission and values. To truly be transformational leaders of impact in the future, our students need to understand their connection to these communities and their responsibility to make positive contributions that better our society. The partnerships we are forging, whether with nonprofits, higher education or corporations, provide us with the unique opportunity to expand the lens of our students while helping them to draw connections between their Holy Cross roots and the world around them.”

Katie Teekell ’00 Principal Saint Francis High School

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PROGRESS Spring 2022

connected with students, parents and prospective families without missing a beat, and parent and alumni events easily pivoted online. By spring 2021 — when classes resumed on campus in a hybrid learning format — laptops, projectors, Apple TVs and Zoom all worked together in real time to send video streams in multiple directions.

With Zoom, there are increased ways for Saint Francis to impact members of the Lancer community: • The school has demonstrated there are alternatives to traditional events and milestones.

• This year, students who were sick with COVID-19 could join their classes via Zoom.

• Parents can visit a counselor with a Zoom call to discuss college opportunities.

A Spanish class says thanks to now-retired teacher Sofia Blanc last year.

update

Adobe Partnership

A band performance

Behind the scenes at the 2021 virtual Lancer Auction

A remote speaker addressing students in class

In fall 2020, Saint Francis became the only high school in the country to partner with Adobe. The pioneering partnership gives every student and educator access to the full suite of Adobe software. These creative tools represent new avenues students can use to share their passions and who they are with the world.

What’s been accomplished?

• 500 webpages, recordings and movies created by students • 20 classes outside of the Visual Performing Arts Department (such as Spanish, Chemistry, Design Thinking and Independent Inquiry) have created projects with Adobe tools • Two classes of freshmen have undergone Adobe training during their orientation weeks • All educators received training during professional development What’s next?

We’re building partnerships with universities who are Adobe Creative Campuses to provide Saint Francis students the opportunity to collaborate with university students.

Filming a liturgy

Physics teacher Chihiro Ikezi holding a virtual lecture Spring 2022 PROGRESS

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le: Cisco

fi o r P p i h s r e n t r a P

S

ince the 1990s, Cisco has allowed Saint Francis to grow in its ability to allow students and educators to access and transfer information no matter where they are. Saint Francis was among the first schools in the area to deliver internet access in each classroom. Through the work of Cisco employee Cerafin Castillo ’81, on-site experts Marge and Tom Smith and the leadership of then-President Jim Bowler, Saint Francis built a fiber network connected by Cisco catalyst switches and firewalls, supporting internet access to every classroom, as well as student labs and computers in the library.

About 20 years later, other areas of the school’s network infrastructure needed modernization. Parents and Cisco employees Tim Pietro ’93 and Randy Jewell shepherded fellow Saint Francis-Cisco parents participating in the Cisco Employee Product Donation Program to donate products by purchasing them as donations. The result is hundreds of thousands of dollars in donated network equipment, phones and wireless access points facilitating countless, robust intellectual experiences over the wireless network. The 1:1 iPad program means there are over 1,000 devices using the network every day.

The school’s partnership with Cisco includes wireless broadcasting, live video conferences, live streamed athletics contests, hackathons, webinars and auctions — each accommodating hundreds of visitors or devices — and hybrid learning during the pandemic. Over the years, the school has worked with Lenovo, Microsoft, HPE/Aruba, Recurrent, Kensington, Palo Alto Networks, SP Controls and others.

“Partnerships are woven into the fabric of our technology programs. They provide rich opportunities to work with outside communities and better meet our mission. Our team approach to working with Cisco includes several dozen Cisco parents over the years, transforming our entire infrastructure.”

Larry Steinke Technology Director Saint Francis High School

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While the partnership has allowed Saint Francis to stay on the cutting edge, the generosity of donors is amplified through the further donations of surplus equipment to schools less technologically advanced. The school shares its blessings by repurposing “not quite new” technology to numerous local Catholic schools. During the pandemic, this included building outdoor wireless network spaces to address access issues for underserved students at: St. Leo the Great Catholic Church St. Leo the Great School St. Nicholas Catholic School

le: i f o r P p i h s r e n t r Pa

Civic Organizations u Each year, one Saint Francis educator attends Leadership Mountain View (LMV), a program that inspires civic leaders to be more active and informed in the community. “I have been delighted to widen my perspective through the lens of other community members,” says Elisa Capriles Cauchi ’88, Saint Francis’ human resources director, who is attending this year. “There are unlimited opportunities to give back through connections made in LMV that fill the soul, and we all need to make time to do what makes our souls happy.”

Elisa Capriles Cauchi ’88

t p Last year, service learning trips were canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

For 2021-22, Campus Ministry has re-imagined these experiences with new community partners to combat local food insecurity, which has nearly doubled since the pandemic began. On Tuesdays, one of the Religious Studies classes sorts food donations and packs grocery boxes at Second Harvest Food Bank. On Fridays, another class distributes these grocery boxes at a Catholic Charities drive-thru food distribution hosted by St. Lucy’s Parish. “These experiences put our students on the front lines of one of our region’s most serious justice issues and answers the Holy Cross call to meet the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors,” says Phil Pompei ’08, associate campus minister for community service and outreach.

Paul Schwarzbart, speaker during spring 2021; Fanny Krieger, speaker during fall 2020

p Each semester, Religious Studies teacher James McGarry, who founded the Helen and Joe Farkas Center for the Study of the Holocaust in Catholic Schools, invites Holocaust survivors and survivors of other genocides to speak to his students. After each presentation, students write letters of appreciation, which are cherished by the speakers. “There is no more powerful learning than encountering the testimony of a survivor of any human rights atrocity,” Mr. McGarry says. “They are a witness and upon meeting and hearing them, you become a witness.”

p Each year, Saint Francis’ Girls Who Code Club invites engineers from high-tech companies to serve as judges, mentors and panelists during the club’s daylong hackathon, where students collaborate to create software. Tech mentors provide invaluable guidance to students on a variety of topics, including debugging code, presentation skills, life advice and industry career insights. At the 2021 Women In Tech Zoom panel during the hackathon, Meta employees shared their inspiring stories, struggles and triumphs and offered insights into the experience of women in STEM careers.

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Alumni

Eric Stuart ’96, Damesha Craig ’97, Charles Tharp ’97, Ramee Brown Serwanga ’95 Saint Francis Partnership: Founded Saint Francis Black Alumni Association Began Working with School: 2020

We all agreed that we needed to support the existing Black students and staff and those to come. We focus on ways to inform the administration and encourage existing and future Black Lancers with our lived experiences, resources and collaborative efforts. That kind of support network wasn’t present when we were there, so we decided to start the first Saint Francis Black Alumni Association (SFBAA).

We all know the value of mentorship and leadership and the power of support delivered by people who personally understand your path. We know the value of students seeing alumni who look like them and can relate to their needs or parts of their stories.

In our efforts to support and lift our Black students, all the Saint Francis community benefits.

SFBAA provides an important connection among Black students, the administration and the community. We see our collaboration with the Black Student Union (BSU), Greg Calcagno ’83 and the Saint Francis administration as invaluable. The SFBAA has raised money for scholarships, participated in the BSU Career Panel and the inaugural Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Symposium, and had Black alumni highlighted in the Alumni Speaker Series.

In May, the SFBAA will attend the BSU Rites of Passage ceremony and award scholarships to current students in need. We provided $5,000 in five scholarships last year, and 2022 will be our second year. We plan to continue supporting more in-person events and continue to support the administration in their commitment to racial diversity in all areas on campus, better cultural awareness and equitable practices at all levels of campus administration and life.

Contact stfrancisbaa@gmail.com for more information.

From left: Charles Tharp ’97, Ramee Brown Serwanga ’95, Eric Stuart ’96, Damesha Craig ’97

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Joan Escover ’82 Owner and president of JP Graphics Saint Francis Partnership: Prints invitations, Christmas cards, print collateral and other material for many departments Began Working with School: 2004 Parent of Nathan Chang ’09, Chris Chang ’11, Kevin Chang ’13 and Dominic Chang ’17 I love making invitations so special that everyone wants to go and the event sells out. I am passionate about changing the dialogue from viewing print as a 10-cent piece of paper to looking at it as a form of communication.

One of my favorite projects is the Christmas cards. One year, the art was a student drawing, and I had a lot of fun making it look like stained glass.

Saint Francis helped me raise my boys to be very fine men. There’s no way I could have done it myself. I am proud of the amazing families I have met along the way and watching this school grow from the simple campus when I went there to this state-of-the-art facility.

Scan this QR code to view SFHS cards printed by Joan Escover.

Adam Wegener ’04 Founder, Trash Amps , a company that recycles materials and transforms them into Bluetooth speakers and guitar amplifiers Saint Francis Partnership: Working with Design Thinking class to challenge students to create their own speaker with recycled materials Began Working with School: 2022 I was impressed with the students’ creativity and their ability to use technology to communicate their ideas effectively. I got to see the students’ personalities, and they were goofy, funny and clever.

Upcycling is a newer concept. Maybe this experience will lay the groundwork for an idea they’ll come up with later in their career that changes the world in a meaningful way. Seeing the seed that I planted grow in each of the students in the future is exciting to me.

I’ve learned that an important part of being a good inventor is not jumping to the conclusion that your idea is the best idea. I’ve shared that with the students.

A lot of the ideas they explored, I hadn’t thought of before. They are sparking new ideas in my head in the same way that I’m hopefully sparking ideas in theirs.

Students pitch their prototype for an upcycled Bluetooth speaker to Adam Wegener.

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Springing Forward What an exciting time of year — this year especially. As I write this, the clocks have just sprung forward, as has the excitement on campus. A phenomenal new building is rising from the ground, and it won’t be too much longer before we start to see the finishing touches appear on the Innovation Center as we all eagerly anticipate its completion this December, and a grand opening next January.

At the same time, we welcomed the return of two beloved events at Saint Francis — the Captain Matthew Manoukian ’01 Memorial Crab Feed and the Lancer Auction — as we hopefully emerge from the pandemic that has disrupted our lives these past couple of years. This spring, this sense of renewal, of optimism and growth, echoes the resurrection of Jesus that we celebrate on Easter each year.

As we do so, we are mindful too of the troubles in our world, and we pray for peace and healing for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine and around the world who are impacted by war, poverty and illness. We strive in the tradition of Holy Cross to prepare our students to tackle these challenges as they matriculate toward college and ultimately to careers of service to their communities.

We strive in the tradition of Holy Cross to prepare our students to tackle challenges to serve their communities.

As the Innovation Center takes shape, so too do plans for the activities and programs that it will make possible. A permanent home for our robotics program. A black box theater that will enhance students’ experiences in visual and performing arts and closely tie the STEM disciplines with the arts. A rooftop garden that will serve as a living laboratory for students in life sciences. And so much more.

We hope you enjoy reading in this issue about so many of the partnerships and innovators who are helping make these dreams a reality at Saint Francis. And we look forward to welcoming you to campus to see firsthand what the future holds. Happy spring to you and go Lancers!

Sincerely,

Paul Lanning, EdD, CFRE Executive Director, Institutional Advancement

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Beam us up, Lancers!

On Feb. 7, the Innovation Center, the first building project of the Light the Way campaign, crossed a major milestone. Ahead of schedule, crews completed the steel framing.

To celebrate, students, educators, Light the Way supporters and construction crew members signed the final beams to be installed. Also signing their names as a visual reminder of the legacies we leave behind are Br. Michael Winslow, C.S.C., Br. Thomas Dziekan, C.S.C., Br. Donald Blauvelt, C.S.C. and Bishop Oscar Cantú.

Visit lighttheway.sfhs.com to learn more about the Light the Way campaign.

Spring 2022 PROGRESS

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Lancer

INVENTORY Sustainable Construction

2,464 feet of

Redwood salvaged from

the trellis in the Quad

18 Picnic Tables

from

300 building moved to 600 building classrooms

2

relocated from

the Quad • 6 moved to the back patio • 9 relocated to the barbecue area • 3 placed near hospital field portables

100%

300 Building LED Bulbs

5

Sets of White Boards

Concrete Reliefs from

300 Building saved

of

Cafeteria Tables & Chairs

Malcolm Center &

300 Building

saved and repurposed around campus

8,500 sq. feet of

Pavers reclaimed from

the Quad

• 3,500 sq. ft. moved and Installed in the back patio behind the Chapel & Educators Center • 3,500 sq. ft. moved and installed in the barbecue pit area of the football stadium • 1,500 sq. ft. stored for future use

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donated to St. Anthony Padua Dining Hall

1

Pallet of Red Bricks from

300 Building

saved to be repurposed

After the demolition of the 300 Building and Malcolm Center, a number of items and materials were repurposed to other areas on campus.

ALUMNI IMPACT:

Craig Beles ’67 C

raig Beles’ life flashed before his eyes on March 29, 2021, as his Piper Cherokee 180 aircraft stalled 8,000 feet over the forests of Mount St. Helens.

There was quite a lot to flash. Craig, 70, is a former assistant attorney general, trial attorney, mediator and arbitrator who founded The Beles Group, Counselors at Law in Seattle. He taught law at Gonzaga University School of Law and has earned two Fulbright awards.

On Vashon Island, Washington, he’s an emergency responder, past president of the community council and arts center and host of the “Voice of Vashon” KVSH 101.9 FM. That day, after losing power in the plane’s single engine, pilot Truman O’Brien—Craig and O’Brien, an Alaskan Airline pilot, own Treetop Flyers, LLC—put the plane into a glide and scanned the forest for a landing spot. He maneuvered the plane away from the surrounding ridges and put it into the trees about 100 feet from the ground.

“As the trees started coming up below us, I thought, ‘Well, this could be it,’” recalls Craig, who was co-pilot that day. “We ended up hanging upside down from our seatbelts miles from anywhere.” Both walked away with minor injuries and were rescued by helicopter six hours later.

Post-crash, Craig is more appreciative of his life and mantra of giving back. He’s deeply proud of the eight years spent teaching criminal procedure and torts at Gonzaga. “I was fortunate to have mentors in my life who believed in me when I was headed toward failure, so I believed I could help change my students’ trajectories when they stumbled,” he adds. “I told them not to succumb to the [lawyer] clichés and many opportunities they would have to cheat. Law is an honorable profession in which you have the power to make positive contributions to society and your clients’ well-being.”

In his first two years of high school in Ohio, Craig’s focus on sports and social life meant poor grades when he transferred to Saint Francis as a junior. Once a Lancer, he excelled academically and participated in student government and the Glee Club. He chose a law career after transferring from pre-med at UC Santa Barbara to

Craig Beles ’67

psychology at UC Santa Cruz.

“I thought law would give me an opportunity to effect change in the world, which is what Saint Francis fosters in its students,” says Craig, who graduated second in his law class of 200.

Disappointed that most of his legal education focused on resolving conflict only through litigation, he turned to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to help clients resolve their conflicts outside of a courtroom. He then earned his LLM in International Practice from UC Berkeley Law School and opened his own firm specializing in cross-border ADR in 1990. A “slow day in the office” in 2008 inspired his Fulbright Scholarship application, which landed him in the Czech Republic for six months teaching international conflict resolution.

Five years later, he was named a Fulbright Specialist in Peace and International Conflict Resolution to assist Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, in developing a culture of ADR. He’s been named a Washington “Super Lawyer” since 2017 and recognized by the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals as one of the country’s top arbitrators and mediators.

His sense of adventure includes buying a bright orange 1969 Plymouth Road Runner several years ago—identical to the one he won at a 1969 Saint Francis raffle with a borrowed dollar. Craig sold that first car to his brother because he couldn’t afford the insurance. Recently, he sold his “do-over” car to a collector to focus on airplanes.

Craig, who is earning his instrument rating, says the crash has made him a better pilot. It also underscored his second mantra echoed in the words Br. Eagan wrote in the 1967 Lancer yearbook: “You dare not be timid or afraid. . . . You must be adventurous—willing to seek new fields to conquer. . . . Give me men to match my mountains.”

Words Craig clearly took to heart.

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FROM THE ALUMNI DIRECTOR

Dear Alumni, When you received your Saint Francis High School acceptance letter, you were instantly welcomed into the Lancer family. Graduation did not diminish your bonds with your fellow Lancers or your importance in the Lancer family.

Strong family bonds can be seen in the partnerships among our alumni, students and educators, including several examples highlighted in this magazine. We are grateful when alumni partner with us to benefit Lancer students, such as alumni recently giving their time to the Aviation Club, Career Club and Black Student Union. We also appreciate when you support teachers by providing access to innovative tools, information and materials.

SAVE THE DATE

Founders Day May 3 Grand Reunion Weekend Aug. 26-28

Alumni returning to help students or teachers often mention how Saint Francis educators impacted their lives. During the second Founders Day on May 3, you will have an opportunity to join in and pay tribute and share stories about your favorite Lancer educators.

Like with all families, it’s fun to reminisce, it’s meaningful to look forward to continued camaraderie and collaboration, and it’s important to periodically stop to say how grateful we are for each other.

With appreciation for our wonderful alumni, we are happy to host the 2022 Grand Reunion Weekend Aug. 26 to 28 and offer alumni chances to reconnect with your former educators and classmates. The SF Kick-off Barbecue is open to all Saint Francis families and all Saint Francis and Holy Cross alumni.

Beginning with the 10-year reunion for the Class of 2012, the Grand Reunion honors SF and HC classes

ending in “2” and “7.” And the second annual Golden Grads Mass and Brunch celebrates alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago from Saint Francis or Holy Cross high schools. We hope to see you during Reunion Weekend! For more information, visit sfhs.com/reunion.

As Lancer family members, we share traditions, Holy Cross values and genuine care and concern for each other. Just as importantly, we share fun times and laughter. We are looking forward to spending more family time together in the coming year!

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

United Airlines captain Andrea Isaac Connell ’78 speaks to the Aviation Club.

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Class Notes

Stay Connected, Lancers!

Visit sfhs.com/alumniconnect to: • Update your contact info to learn about SFHS alumni activities and opportunities • Submit Class Notes and share your latest news

Left: Holy Cross Crusaders Above: Gerri Ferrara Beasley ’61 and Dottie Gobert Ornduff ‘61

Holy Cross High School alumni gathered at Saint Francis for a Mass & Brunch in their honor.

While reconnecting, the Crusaders shared photos, memorabilia and fond memories. Former Holy Cross student president Gerri Ferrara Beasley ’61 helped organize the event and shared her commitment to Holy Cross education and to preserving the Holy Cross legacy.

Mike Luddy ’61 retired from a career in the San Mateo County Law Enforcement Agency and in corporate security services with the International Security Services Inc. Mike resides in Discovery Bay with his wife, Sharon.

Michael McEnroe ’64 retired from a career as an attorney. He lives in Sacramento with his wife, Amy.

Tim Fitzmaurice ’67 teaches in the humanities division of UC Santa Cruz and facilitates creative writing workshops at the Salinas Valley State Prison. Tim is a former Santa Cruz mayor and City Council member and lives with his wife, Laurie, in Santa Cruz.

Dr. Jon Charles Malachowski ’70 is retired from patient care and enjoys living close to nature and the sea in

Holy Cross Impact: Amy Puccetti Randazzo ’94 “Being back on campus has been fantastic. Even though it has evolved tremendously since my years here, it still feels like home.

I am very much enjoying watching my son Jake ’22 experience the community of Saint Francis the way I did, although in his own way. It is so welcoming to run into other alumni parents and chat about what the school was like years ago, while enjoying the spirit and life of the school through your children’s eyes. My husband Bubba also has jumped in feet first and doing it together has been extremely rewarding. We hope to be part of the school for many years to come and watch our daughters share in the Lancer pride that rings throughout.”

Morro Bay. After high school, Jon attended Foothill College, Stanford Medical Center, UC Davis and Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. Jon worked for Providence Medical Associates as a family medicine and urgent care physician.

Prior to that, he was a physician and partner with The Portland Clinic in Oregon, a professor at the Oregon Health & Science University, a researcher and a lobbyist. Jon raised two sons and has a grandson. He enjoys meditating, reading, hiking, kayaking, writing, playing the harmonica, martial arts, photography and art. Jon creates art from simple photographs.

Pat McCrone Kersting HC ’72 retired to Michigan to live near her grandchildren. Pat continues to quilt and enjoys exploring her new community.

Amy and husband Bubba

Mark Schmitz ’78 and his wife, Wendy, became grandparents in 2021. One daughter welcomed baby Landon in February 2021 and another daughter welcomed baby Margaux in July 2021.

Continued on next page Spring 2022 PROGRESS

24

Class Notes

Chris Maune ’95 (right)

Justin O’Neill ’02 (right)

Wash. Kat’s research was recently published in the book Commutative Algebra: 150 Years with Roger and Sylvia Wiegand in honor of her PhD advisor, Roger, and his wife, Sylvia.

This semester she is living abroad and teaching at the Gonzaga in Florence program.

Coldwell Banker Lancer alumni

Alejandro Lira ’95 is a full-time, tenured high school social science teacher at Mills High School in Millbrae. Alejandro has taught in Summer at Saint Francis programs and worked in the Lancer library.

Chris Maune ’95 is a proprietor of Alamitos Vineyards, the only vineyard estate in San Jose.

Alamitos produces syrah, sauvignon blanc and touriga nacional, a unique Portuguese varietal used to make rosé. Nestled in the San Jose countryside, the winery (AlamitosVineyards.com) offers wine tasting and event space. With a track record as a tech entrepreneur, Chris brought experience building companies when he purchased the estate with his partner Shaun Coleman in 2014.

Sean St. Cin ’96, Alex Eng ’96, Nicholle Grubinskas Mantia ’14, Ronnie Cope ’11 and Joey Cope ’13 posed for a Lancers alumni photo

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PROGRESS Spring 2022

during their Coldwell Banker, Los Gatos holiday party.

Brien Noonan ’97 was awarded a $2,500 grant from the Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl’s “Wishes for Teachers” program. Grant funds will be used to establish a recording studio for students creating podcasts. Brien is an English and digital literacy teacher at Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center, South Mountain High School in Phoenix.

Justin O’Neill ’02 married John Rodney on July 24, 2021, in Winters, Calif. David Cates ’02 did a reading during the ceremony and Teresa Filice ’02 was in the “grooms’ crew.” Justin and John live in Los Angeles.

Katharine “Kat” Shultis ’03 was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor of mathematics at Gonzaga University in Spokane,

Audrey Yau ’05 is the educational affairs program director and a lecturer in the Stanford University School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences. Audrey develops curriculum, teaches classes and hosts co-curricular educational programs.

Anaseini Katoa ’07

Actress Anaseini Katoa ’07 is heading to Broadway to be a part of Lincoln Center Theater’s production of Thornton Wilder’s “The Skin of Our Teeth.” Previously she was featured in the film “Better Nate Than Ever.”

Rob Welsh ’07 married Alexandra Casas in Pleasanton in May 2021.

They now reside in San Jose.

Eric Anderberg ’08 married Emily Boffeli in Des Moines, Iowa, in August 2021. The couple lives in Santa Monica.

Continued on page 27

Eric Anderberg ’08

In Memory Pete Fullerton, who dedicated his life to ministering to the poor and those in need, died on Sept. 28, 2021. The husband of Sue Fullerton, former administrative assistant of Campus Ministry, Pete was a well-known singer and musician with the folk rock band “We Five” before he turned away from a life of wealth and fame to live a life devoted to God’s work.

Intentionally leading a simple life, he became involved in 1972 with a charitable project that later became known as Truck of Love, a nonprofit organization that Pete and Sue took over and which is still in operation today. With Truck of Love, Pete and Sue served the unhoused people in the Bay Area and led trips to Mexico to help those living in extremely poor communities and dangerous conditions. Over many summers, Pete, Sue and Truck of Love took many Saint Francis students to the Tohono O’odham Nation in Arizona for an immersion experience, running a summer camp for the children living at the reservation.

For many years at Saint Francis, Pete shared his love of music by leading music at liturgies and singing at senior retreats. In 2009, the Fullertons left Saint Francis and California to move to Rock Hill, S.C. Pete’s desire to help the needy remained ever-present, serving those on the margins of society by supplying food, clothing, water, medical assistance, car repairs and more. More recently, he and Sue wanted to provide housing for single women and had begun plans to open a women’s shelter in their community, which is scheduled to open later in 2022.

Bill Babowal ’61, husband of Phuong, father of Matthew ’90 and Allison ’93 Pat Billiet, mother of Angela ’78 (RIP), Lisa ’78, Julia, Phil ’81 and Michelle ’85, Kathy Essoyan ’84 (RIP) and Nancy Guyette ’89; grandmother of Jennifer ’07, Jessica ’11 and Blake ’13 James “Jim” Brown ’59 Manuel Cardoza Jr. ’84, son of Fern, father of Ashley, sister of Debra Cardoza Butelo ’78 and Sandra Cardoza Werner ’80 Marian Cauchi, mother of Ron, motherin-law of Elisa Capriles Cauchi ’88, grandmother of Nicholas ’19, Paul ’21 and Vincent ’23 Veronica Lenox Cotariu, mother of Kathryn Cotariu Taverney ’69 HC, Cidnejean Cotariu Rector ’71 HC, Kristine Cotariu Harper ’72 HC, Steve ’75, Tim ’78 and Brian ’81 Michelle Rousseau Coulter ’85, daughter of Norman and Jean Rousseau, sister of Peter, Suzanne Rousseau O’Leary ’80, Dave ’81, Mark ’82

John Cranston, wife of Patricia, father of John ’81, Riley ’83, Kate “Catherine” ’84 and Jason ’93, grandfather of Maxwell ’18, Miles ’19 and Margaret “Maggie” Melbye ’21 Edward Greene, husband of Dayna, father of Ryan ’22 Margaret “Peggy” Hallada, wife of Robert, mother of Craig ’90, Catherine Hallada Nohr ’97 and Kristy Hallada Rosenbaum Mary Hansen, mother of Stephen ’87, Matthew ’88, Kristine Hansen-Latson ’90 and Nickolas

Sr. Katherine Kase, C.S.C., who was the first Campus Ministry director at Saint Francis, died on Sept. 3, 2021.

She arrived at Saint Francis in 1976 and served until the mid-1980s. Her legacy includes the creation of the office of Campus Ministry at a time when few such programs existed. She founded the service program, whose principles still govern the program today, and the Senior Silent Directed Retreat, which has evolved to the Holy Cross Retreat and is an experience students continue to seek out. Sr. Katherine also led the Religious Studies Department and worked hard to make the curriculum more focused and relevant, removing courses that had little to do with Religious Studies. Asking the teachers in the department to continue their education in theology, Sr. Katherine regularly distributed pertinent periodicals and newspapers to them and made funds available to help them pursue advanced degrees in theology or spirituality.

Sr. Katherine is remembered as a role model who mentored young administrators, teaching them to speak up with honesty. Armed with a dry sense of humor, she influenced young teachers and demonstrated what it meant to be an educator at Saint Francis.

She loved Saint Francis but believed that there was a time to move on and allow others to develop a community further. After Saint Francis, she served as principal and president at several schools on the East Coast and shepherded communities of Holy Cross Sisters.

Tim Lippert, husband of Joni, father of William, Henry and Emily ’17 Brad Lyman, husband of Linley “Twinkie,” father of Chase ’00, Colby Lyman Moore ’03, Carter ’09 Margaret “Peggy” McCarthy, mother of Christine ’93, Carolyn ’96 and Joey ’98, mother-in-law of Megan Ottoboni McCarthy ’03 Julie McMullan, mother of Maren ’03, Bryn McMullan Baker ’06, Molly ’09, Beaux Blackwood ’07, partner of Kevin Grady and his daughters Kerry Balestrieri and Erin Grady

Lori Harvey ’78, sister of Julie Harvey Valeriote ’79, Katie Harvey Clapp ’81 and Kim Harvey Pardo ’83

Steve McSharry ’61

Devendra Joshi, husband of Reema, father of Deepankar ’19 and Deepali ’22

Georgine Premo, mother of Nicole Premo Mesler ’79 and Michelle Premo Walsh ’83

Kenneth Kelly ’65, brother of Br. Richard Kelly ’67, Stephen and Gayle Bailey Kelly ’69, Patricia Kelly Londre ’77, Jean Kelly Graham ’78 and Suzanne Kelly Noonan ’80 (RIP) Jeraldine Lange ’61 HC John Lewis, husband of Carolyn, father of Jim and father-in-law of Susan, grandfather of Sarah ’13 and Ben ’15

Linda Patterson Mitchell ’78

Tim O’Connor ’86, son of Tom O’Connor, brother of Tom ’81, Carrie O’Connor Bacci ’83 , Christie O’Connor Ricci ’85 and Cathleen O’Connor Kerr ’89, father-in-law of Ted Bacci ’83

Rich Saso, husband of Kristi, father of Shelby Saso Zamudio ’07 and Andrew, brother of Mike and brother-in-law of Alison Stice Saso ’89 William “Bill” Scharrenberg, husband of Mary, father of Ann Scharrenberg Calcagno ’84, Will ’83, Eric ’86, Mark ’87, Matt ’95, Elizabeth Scharrenberg Kranz, Anastasia ’10 and Sergei ’12, fatherin-law of Greg Calcagno ’83 and Heidi Schmuck Scharrenberg ’95, grandfather of Michael ’07, David ’08, Robert ’10, Katherine ’13 and Patrick ’17 Calcagno, Ella ’22 and Andrew ’24, Thomas ’23 and Theodore ’25 Joan Cornelius Smith ’76, wife of Bruce Smith Judy Karl Stammerjohan ’61 HC, wife of Bob, mother of Sheryl and David, sister of Barbara Kovacich ’63 HC and Kathryn Karl ’66 HC Elizabeth Sarah Teu-Tupa, wife of​ Siosifa, mother of Solomon Tupa ’23 Christina “Tina” Bulanti Welsh ’85, wife of Jim, mother of Jake, Lily ’18, Shannon, John Henry ’24

Agostino Nicodemo Paoletti, husband of Gayle Wilbert-Paoletti ’63 HC John Rooke ’80, husband of Elizabeth

Spring 2022 PROGRESS

26

Class Notes

Amy Sauceda ’08

Janelle Pace ’09

Haley Frizzell Blaylock ’14

Nolan Steinebel ’19 and Caitlin Stevenson ’18

Amy Sauceda ’08 married Nick Matalone in La Quinta, Calif., and honeymooned in Maui for two weeks. Her wedding party included her sister Sara Sauceda ’12, Stephanie Descalso ’08, Katie Ring ’08 and Morgan Zan ’08. The couple lives in San Francisco where Amy is a technical recruiter at Sumo Logic.

The 2011 Lancer field hockey team reunited exactly one decade after their CCS championship. The field hockey alumni met on Nov. 19, 2021, at The Old Pro in Palo Alto to celebrate their Nov. 19, 2011, victory. The reunion included (back row) Amanda Delfino ’13, Kelly Behlen ’12, Katie Garrity ’12, Lizzy Stelling ’12 (front row) Bridget Denzel ’14, Hannah Rogers ’12, coach Kathy Lincoln and Katherine Calcagno ’13.

Janelle Pace ’09 married Vladimir Vakulenko in July 2021 at the La Playa Carmel. Janelle’s siblings, Matthew Pace ’04, Mario Pace ’18 and Jillian Pace ’20, attended the wedding. Janelle and Vladimir live in San Francisco.

Lancer Field Hockey ‘11 Reunion

Holy Cross Impact: Garrett Moore ’89 “My years at Saint Francis set up a foundation of community, surrounded by religion, athletics, social and business alike.

Saint Francis taught many of us how to build a strong network of great friends that have become even better friends today.

These friendships are bigger than just us. I still have the opportunity to work and partner in business with many of these individuals today. It is an amazing, intangible asset that really has to be lived to be understood.

“It’s an honor to help a student through the 40 Lancers program. Giving was instilled in us while at Saint Francis.

Continuing this tradition gives others a chance to attend, which makes me proud. Helping a student build some of the bonds, friends and partnerships that I built is an opportunity that just can’t be overlooked. Even better, these friendships will last a lifetime.”

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PROGRESS Spring 2022

Ali Hager ’10 was named Community Wildfire Resilience Director as part of the Aspen Fire Prevention District’s newly formed Wildlife Community Action Fund.

Ali will coordinate, implement and raise funds for wildland fire mitigation plans within the district and surrounding wildland urban interface areas.

Adriana Romero Simmons ’10 graduated from Central Methodist University in Missouri. Adriana is married to her college sweetheart, Daniel Simmons, and works for Amazon as a senior project manager. They live in Redwood City and recently welcomed a baby boy, Benjamin.

Maeve Curley Burns ’11 married Michael Burns in Asheville, N.C., in February 2020. Maeve and Michael purchased a house in Raleigh, where they live with their pug, Vinny.

On May 14, 2021, Haley Frizzell Blaylock ’14 married Bryan Blaylock on a family ranch in Mount Hamilton, followed by a backyard reception. The couple honeymooned in Northern California on the Lost Coast and in Mendocino. Lancers in attendance included Emma Crawford ’14, Riley Frizzell ’08, Tracey Devereux Frizzell ’05 and James Frizzell ’62. Haley works for the Franklin-McKinley School District and is completing a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling through the University of Alabama.

Caitlin Stevenson ’18 said yes to her longtime boyfriend, Nolan Steinebel ’19. Nolan chose the Saint Francis football field, where the two Lancers first met, as the backdrop for his marriage proposal.

Linzey Allard ’21 is a freshman at Davis & Elkins College in West Virginia. Linzey plays softball for the Senators and hit her first college home run in February during a game against Florida Southern College.

Katelyn, daughter of Matthew and Rachel Boskovic h ’08 Lusich, granddaug hter of Pete Boskovich ’71

Charlotte, daughter of Michael and Christina Ginger ’07 Bedolla

elius Charlotte and Leo, children of Corn Patrick ’08 and Brittany Carey

Little Lancers

Alumni, if you are the proud parent of a Little Lancer, please email LittleLancer@sfhs.com to receive a Lancer gift for your baby. Please include your address and the names of all family members.

Carson, son of Jake and Aund rea Cozzo ’05 Mag ee

Kai, son of Antho

ny ’94 and Koa Jo

hnson

Sullivan hter of David Cettie, daug llivan ’07, Su yle w ro C and Meaghan Dixon ’81 ter of Kathy granddaugh y ’81 Mike Crowle Crowley and

Ayla, daughter of Mikey and Nika Polisso, niece of Phil ’08 and Sami Pompei

n of Jam Alistair, so p or Th eLe

es and Denis

e Minton ’04 Madeleine and Ev an, children of Matt Wilcox an d Libby GilpinWilcox ’99

Spring 2022 PROGRESS

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from the archives

Our First Partners:

HOSPITAL PHOTOS CREDIT MOUNTAIN VIEW PUBLIC LIBRARY HISTORICAL COLLECTION

El Camino Hospital and Villa Siena Senior Living Community

Some of the earliest Saint Francis partners were close neighbors El Camino Hospital and Villa Siena Senior Living Community.

The ways in which they’ve supported the school and its mission have laid the foundation for other partnerships.

El Camino Health’s Old Main Hospital on the Mountain View campus, January 1962

El Camino Hospital From Saint Francis’ earliest days, El Camino Hospital has given the school space to grow.

The school’s portable classroom village and the south half of the 600-space parking lot closest to South Drive are on land owned by El Camino. The long-standing agreements to use these spaces have enabled Saint Francis to grow its campus and enrollment. For large school events like graduation and football games, the hospital kindly allows students, families and guests to use its parking lot. As both institutions grow, the partnership continues with agreements to allow El Camino’s construction vehicles to use the school parking lots in the summer and early fall, while the hospital allows the school’s construction vehicles to enter and exit through their site on North Drive.

Nurses and a member of the El Camino Hospital Auxiliary inside the cardiac care ward at the Mountain View campus, November 1965.

Villa Siena Senior Living Community As faith-based communities, Villa Siena and Saint Francis share common bonds and a shared sense of purpose. Villa Siena’s numerous service opportunities for Saint Francis students have enriched both giver and receiver. Student volunteers have helped to transport residents in their wheelchairs in the facility, participated in activities like arts and crafts and even danced with residents during Valentine’s Day dances.

Residents and their families attend an outdoor Mass at Villa Siena in the late 1960s.

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HOLY CROSS EDUCATOR Cassandra Jackson balances students’ futures with a commitment to bettering today as guidance and college counselor, assistant director of Holy Cross Achievers Program and Black Student Union moderator WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT GUIDANCE AND COLLEGE COUNSELING AT SAINT FRANCIS? We are very intentional with our counseling curriculum. I meet with each student several times through one-on-one meetings and workshops from their sophomore to senior year. Our caseload is manageable compared to other counselors, which allows us to have an integrated approach to address the needs of the whole student. We provide emotional support, academic advising and college counseling.

HAS THE PANDEMIC AFFECTED COLLEGE AND GUIDANCE COUNSELING? About 75 percent of colleges and universities remain test-optional.

More students are applying to their “reach” schools and applying to more schools because SAT and ACT scores are optional. In guidance counseling, it has been hard to counsel students remotely.

Additionally, we’re dealing with students’ adjustments to social and emotional issues related to isolation due to the pandemic. Some thrived [in remote learning], but others had difficulty connecting with friends and may have dealt with depression and anxiety. To help them process and encourage re-establishing friend networks, we hosted COVID-related workshops. This spring, I co-piloted BLISS [Be Less In Stress Support group] as an avenue for students to share and learn positive coping strategies to deal with stress. For 30 minutes weekly for five weeks, we met for mindfulness practice and provided a safe space for discussions.

WHAT MAKES THE BLACK STUDENT UNION (BSU) A MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE? My role as the moderator is to reaffirm to students that as people from the African diaspora, we are resilient as our ancestors; promote

Black excellence; and remind them that they belong and have a place at Saint Francis. I collaborated with our Saint Francis Black Alumni Association (SFBAA) to host workshops and provide support to BSU students. In January 2021, our BSU coordinated with two other BSUs — Bishop O’Dowd and Moreau Catholic — to co-host the firstever Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Catholic Schools BSU Leadership Symposium. Despite being held on Zoom, we had 11 schools in the Bay Area attend. Students felt supported and heard and were excited to engage with students who shared similar experiences. This year, we continue to concentrate on building community. We hosted a football tailgate party for BSU students and their families, led a prayer service at the flagpole in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, hosted several workshops for Black History Month, visited the Museum of the African Diaspora and this May I will host the second Kente Cloth Stole Ceremony for seniors.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE HOLY CROSS ACHIEVERS (HCA) PROGRAM? As a first-generation college student, I know firsthand some of the challenges that students in HCA face. It’s a full-circle experience from my own upbringing from college to graduate school to be able to support them academically, socially and emotionally. I want our students to dream big, reach their goals and be fully integrated in the Saint Francis community.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE A HOLY CROSS EDUCATOR? It means that I can integrate my faith in Christ and fully educate students in hearts and minds to truly be who they were meant to be.

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SaintFrancis FrancisHigh HighSchool School Saint Institutional Advancement Institutional Advancement 1885 Miramonte Ave 1885 Miramonte Ave. Mountain View CA 94040-4098 Mountain View, CA 94040-4098

Lancer Gallery

1

1. Isaid Pina ’23 2. Christine Nguyen ’23 3. Astrid Mocker ’22

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4

4. Alyssa Liao ’22 5. Caitlin Chan ’22 6. Matthew Brigido ’23

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