Sister
Gold
Sister Teresa Piro, DC, Student Life Center
A Message from Dr. Skrade
Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve. A simple yet profound mission credo for our community at Sacred Heart Cathedral. This year our school theme is balance, and that’s what we’re all about every day and in every setting. Pope Francis has reflected on balance often and the need for intentionality.
It is no surprise that the incoming Class of 2028 and their families chose Sacred Heart Cathedral. They not only sought the finest education in the Bay Area but also for the inclusive community of faith, a place where students’ views and opinions are valued and nurtured.
The beginning of a school year is a balance of activities on and off campus. This January, the Bruce-Mahoney basketball games will be a back-to-back experience at the Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors and Golden State Valkyries. The Bruce-Mahoney games, which attract thousands of SHC community members, witnessed our volleyball and football teams compete against Saint Ignatius for the coveted trophy while displaying the best in competition and sportsmanship. Juniors and seniors continued to meet with representatives from leading universities during campus college fairs. The Visual and Performing Arts Department worked tirelessly to bring the Fall Play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Winter Concert and Chorus performances to the bright lights of the Sister Caroline Collins, DC, Theater.
This balance that we strive for here at SHC for our students and families is a result of our many supporters who seek to advance SHC’s mission to provide the very best. This fall we dedicated the theater lobby in honor of Claire Spencer, whose deep appreciation and love for the arts, has led her to champion student success. Linda and Tom Coates ’72 , a proud Sacred Heart alum, have humbly invested in our SHC Community and its future for many years, and we recently renamed the Pavilion the Coates Family Pavilion. I invite you to read the feature story in this magazine on Tom so that you can understand why supporters like him have a sense of obligation to help future generations of SHC students.
On the topic of generations of SHC students, our Piro Program, developed in honor of Sister Teresa Piro, DC, has transformed the lives of its scholars by providing academic, social and emotional support and significant tuition assistance. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, we plan to recognize the accomplishments of this program and its scholars throughout the year.
As always, it is such a blessing to share this issue of the SHC Magazine with you, and we hope after you have read the stories and learned about the individuals and programs featured that you are inspired to create a similar balance in your life.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever!
Melinda Lawlor Skrade, PhD President
magazine
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING
Marcus Tolero ’98
Director of Communications
Mark Pardini ’88
Creative Director
Giselle Palacios-Delmundo ’94
Communications & Marketing Graphic Designer
Lucie Duffort
Communications & Marketing Associate
Thai Chu
Photography Manager
CONTRIBUTORS
Stephanie Aclan ’25; Victoria Ball ’16, Isabella Cerri ’16; Andy Chan; Thai Chu; Club Soda Productions; Hannah Donkin; Lucie Duffort; Vadim Dym; Mona Fowler; Luka More ’26; Brian Ong; Orange Photography; Giselle Palacios-Delmundo ’94; Mark Pardini ’88; Prestige Photography; Sergio Sazo ’18; Charlie Strella ’19; Marcus Tolero ’98; Catherine Tsang ’25; Jason Wang; Lauren Wild ’99
FRONT COVER: Thai Chu
BACK COVER: Kouya Hinoki ’26
SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL MAGAZINE is a publication of the SHC Office of Communications & Marketing and is published for alumni, faculty, staff, parents, students, investors, parents of alumni and friends.
SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL PREPARATORY 1055 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94109 415.775.6626 • ocm@shcp.edu
Do you receive more than one copy of the magazine? Do you need another copy? Please contact the SHC Office of Advancement at advancement@shcp.edu or 415.775.6626 ext. 564.
welcomes
SHC is thrilled to welcome new members of our faculty and staff this academic year.
Bob Bailey Instructional Coach
Edward Chow, SJ Instructor of Social Studies
Kathleen Esling ’09 Instructor of English
Nicole Gonzalez Sullivan ’05 Instructor of Social Studies
Leiana Hren Instructor of ASL
Leland Jones Instructor of Social Studies
Veerpal Kaur Instructor of Science
Lope Lesigues, PhD Instructor of Theology
Justin Marquez ’14 Transportation Coordinator
Shawn McGuire ’05 Associate Director of Alumni & Parent Engagement
Ivette Mendoza Instructor of English
Br. John Montgomery, FSC Instructor of Theology, Director of Gallagher Program
Ian Murphy ’16 Registrar
Karim QuesadaKhoury Assistant Librarian
Cameron
Kirstin
Allison Yee College Advisor
Jason
Weihl Instructor of Science
Zachos Instructor of Theology
Vaca Instructor of Mathematics
Juviel Vinluan School Counselor
Anne Norland Director of Drama
class of 2028 ON CAMPUS
JAMILA BULLOCK
I chose Sacred Heart Cathedral because I knew about the amazing community. It is a magical place that has helped many people and will continue to help others. SHC makes students feel at home and learning here is fun. This school will help me to learn how to help others and myself in the process. My brother, Samir Hooker ’21, went here and was the salutatorian for his class. The number of good things he told me about this school was enough for a then six-year-old me to choose to come here. My transition from 8th grade has been amazing because my wonderful counselor has helped me tremendously. After SHC, I hope to attend Stanford, Cal Berkeley or MIT.
NOAH HOUGHTON
I picked Sacred Heart Cathedral for a few reasons. My mom, Theresa Flynn Houghton ’96, worked here, so I initially had a connection to SHC. I went to camps in 6th grade, and after visiting during Open House and Irish for a Day, I knew that this was the school I wanted to attend. The sense of community genuinely stood out to me, and I've enjoyed my first year here. In my next few years at SHC, my main goal is to be fully integrated into the community. I’ve only been here for just a few months, and I am overwhelmed, in a good way, by the strength of the SHC community. I look forward to how the next three years treat me as a student. My advice for next year’s frosh class is to be open-minded because it will allow you to have a good beginning to high school.
LIV HUGHSTON
Sacred Heart Cathedral has always been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I first heard about SHC through my siblings when they attended. I was seven years old and went to SHC Bruce-Mahoney, softball, and wrestling games. When I got older, I went to the SHC fall production and theater workshops over the summer. My transition into high school was a good process. I am thankful that I was able to make friends early on in the school year. I also got involved in the SHC community through theater and the dance team. My favorite classes at SHC are choir and ASL. Within my next three years at SHC, I wish to live my life to the fullest. I want to find ways to not only support but to lead in various activities, like Block Club and Lasallian Vincentian Youth. My advice to the Class of ’29 is to embrace yourself and to always be a part of something you love and are passionate about.
THIAGO LARA
From Summer Institute, Winter Institute and Irish for a Day, I had a great experience and knew this was the community I wanted to be a part of. I have had a lot of family members graduate from SHC, and I was always hopeful to continue the tradition. I have joined football and the fishing club, and I hope to play baseball in the spring. Within the next three years, I hope to maintain good grades and make the most out of my high school experience. If I had to describe Sacred Heart Cathedral in one word, it would be “opportunity.”
PARKER MEAD
Sacred Heart Cathedral is the most welcoming community compared to other schools. Its academics are rigorous and the Athletics Program is amazing. I attended Open House, Irish for a Day, Irish for a Night and Bruce-Mahoney. I was left with a sense of warmth from everyone that I spoke to. The teachers have been patient while still enforcing their policies. They understand that we are still adjusting to high school. My favorite class is physics because it is unlike anything I have done. The class is structured to support the students but is still challenging enough to make us have to advocate for ourselves. I hope to take up leadership positions and try a new sport during my years here. After SHC, I hope to attend UCLA, Cal Berkeley, USC, University of Pennsylvania, or Northeastern University. One word to describe SHC is “love.”
COLIN WICKS
I picked Sacred Heart Cathedral because it felt like the right community and environment. When I toured I felt welcomed as soon as I stepped on campus. I attended Irish for a Day and was treated well by staff members and students. My transition to high school has been relatively easy because my teachers are very helpful and understanding, which helps a lot, especially if I turn something in late. My favorite class is English because my teacher makes the class very interactive and fun. I hope to be the best student I can be and win a state championship in a sport. It would also be cool if I received offers while playing basketball at SHC.
BOARD OF REGENTS
William D. Rauch, JD Board Chair
Elizabeth Brown Parents Association President
Kase Abusharkh ’00
Sr. Adella Armentrout, DC
Stella Bialous, DrPH
Kevin Buckley ’13
Courtney Chin ’03
Br. V. Kenneth, FSC
Richard Cutler, PhD
Carol Wicklund Enright
Stefan Gartrell ‘02
Miguel Guzman ’91
Sandra Gulli
Francois Hechinger
Daniel J. Holland ’79
Janet Holland ’77
Jim Jones
Monica Kelly ’06
Thomas P. Mazzucco '78
Sister Frances Meyer, DC
Joey Nevin ’01
Margaret O’Driscoll
Jeffrey Porter ’72
James Ryan, Jr.
Stacie Solt, MD ’99
Ed Wang ’90
Harold Wong ’77
EX-OFFICIO
Melinda Lawlor Skrade, PhD President
Gary Cannon, EdD Principal
John Gumina ’91 VP for Advancement, Communications & Enrollment
Shani Mahany VP of Finance & Business Operations
John M. Vigo ’81 Director of Stewardship & Future Giving
irish factoids ON
The Bruce-Mahoney Basketball games have a new location this year! On Tuesday, January 14, 2025, the historic hardwood rivalry between the Sacred Heart Cathedral Fightin’ Irish and Saint Ignatius Wildcats will take place at the Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors and Golden State Valkyries. This game will not be streamed online. You have to be there to see it! Visit shcathletics.com for tickets.
Sacred Heart Cathedral earned a place on the AP School Honor Roll for the 2023-24 school year. The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools that have done outstanding work to welcome more students into AP courses and support them on the path to college success.
The SHC community blew past this year’s $250,000 goal and raised $292,000 for the 35th Annual Walkathon. All gifts will support the Carl Gellert & Celia Berta Gellert Atrium renovation in the Student Life Center on the La Salle Campus, as well as student scholarships and student travel grants. Way to go, Irish!
Inspired by a long-standing alumni tradition held at Capurro’s Restaurant and Bar at Fisherman’s Wharf, the SHC Office of Alumni Engagement hosted the first official Friday the 13th at Karl’s Beacon. Alumni from all classes filled Pat Gallagher’s ’98 and Claudio Luporini's ’97 establishment to share memories and laughter over adult beverages.
Dagny Suro ’27 and Berlyn Ring ’27 swam across the English Channel in August. The swim took a total of 14 hours and 10 minutes covering 37 miles. What an accomplishment for these “aqua-Irish!”
The Sacred Heart Cathedral Choir is taking its talents to New York for the 2025 Festival at Carnegie Hall on March 16. After a lengthy review of auditions, SHC was one of four featured Choirs selected to perform at this prestigious event. Congratulations to the SHC Choir!
news, notes, etc.
Claire Spencer Theater Lobby Dedication
SHC community members gathered on the De Paul Campus to honor Claire Spencer at the Dedication of the Claire Spencer Theater Lobby on Thursday, October 13. Claire, widow of Will Spencer ’65, is a beloved and generous stakeholder in the mission of Sacred Heart Cathedral. Along with the newly established Claire Spencer Endowment for the Arts, her family’s investment in the De Paul Campus for the Arts and every other major capital funding initiative over the years has transformed the campus into an oasis for student achievement. It was only fitting to name a space after her. “It's amazing. I get really emotional, really easy. I'm just so happy that the kids have a place to be and that it'll be there for a long time. It won’t go away anytime soon,” she said. “I think giving to Sacred Heart Cathedral is probably the best investment I made, versus all the other investments.” The dedication event included performances by the SHC Choir and Orchestra and prayers and readings presided by the Very Rev. Mark Doherty ’98
Parents Paint the Town Green
Hundreds of parents gathered at the San Francisco Design Center for the inaugural SHC Shamrock Night, a new celebratory experience for our current SHC parents and the Class of 2024 parent community. The evening included lively music provided by one of the Bay Area’s premiere dance bands, The Cheeseballs, along with SHC graduate and renowned recording artist, Marco Diaz ’93, and his Latin jazz quintet. When parents weren’t partying and dancing the night away, they enjoyed delicious bites like sushi, mini sliders and more. The lively atmosphere, tasty bites, wonderful music and the SHC spirit of our parent community made for a truly memorable evening for all.
Irish for a Night Goes Volleyball
Irish for a Night (IFAN), Sacred Heart Cathedral’s event to introduce grade schoolers and families unfamiliar with the school to experience high-school spirit at SHC, was another rousing success as more than 1,200 attendees, including potential future Fightin’ Irish students and parents representing 122 Bay Area schools, crowded the Pavilion on October 8 to watch the girls varsity volleyball team defeat Presentation High School 3-0.
The evening featured activities and entertainment, including free swag giveaways, a special cheering section for Irish for a Night attendees and rousing music provided by the SHC Band.
“This event is such a unique opportunity for families to experience our campus and witness SHC Spirit at its absolute best. The athletic atmosphere, the sound of the band and the energy our students and families bring to the game were on full display—and our visiting grade-school families had a blast,” Director of Admissions and Enrollment Jonathan Lim said.
I RISHFOR A NIGHT
Attendees also had a unique opportunity to meet with SHC Admissions staff members to learn more about the educational programs offered at the school, including Winter Institute, which offers students and athletes (5th–8th graders) a variety of enrichment workshops and sports clinics to stay active and engaged throughout the season.
“The Admissions team hosts many events on campus that allow future SHC families to see and feel what it means to be a part of this special and inclusive community,” Lim said. “Irish for a Night, while still in its infancy, is a major event for us and we already have one planned for next semester.”
By Marcus Tolero ’98
an obligation
It was spring and the Sacred Heart Class of 1972 gathered one last time for their graduation ceremony. Students, filled with excitement, were eager to accept their diplomas because it was THE seminal moment that marked their transition to life after high school. When Tom Coates ’72 accepted his diploma, he experienced all of the emotions that graduates feel. Joy. Excitement. Accomplishment. However, there was something else that Tom felt with the diploma in his hand—a sense of gratitude and obligation.
“The Brothers believed in me,” he said. “They taught me everything—right from wrong and how to be someone who could do anything. They put me on the path to success and all I had to do was follow it.”
The support Tom received from the Brothers during his time at SH would be the spark toward a successful career and a life dedicated to giving back to the community.
Tom grew up with four siblings in the Sunset District of San Francisco and attended Holy Name Grammar School during his grade school years. His family had limited income and sometimes found it challenging to put food on the table. While other kids in the neighborhood were out playing sports or doing activities that kids would normally do, Tom began working to help his family. At the age of 12, he picked up paper routes and delivered newspapers around the neighborhood. “Tom
Tom Coates ’72
learned a lesson in obligation during a time of celebration
never got to do anything because he had to work his whole life,” said his wife Linda Coates.
When it was time for high school, Tom was excited to attend Sacred Heart, but there was an issue. Tom and his family didn’t have money to cover the tuition, and the funds they thought they had to cover the first payment weren’t there. “Well, that first tuition check bounced,” Tom said. “I was only days into school at Sacred Heart.”
While most schools might have immediately turned away a student, the Brothers at SH at the time, which included Br. Arnold Stewart, Br. James Ellis and Br. Thomas Rowan viewed his situation differently. Tom said, “I was just three days into my time here. It was Brother Arnold and Brother Thomas, and they said, ‘We want you to continue going here. You’re not going to have to pay for tuition on a current basis. We’ll front you the tuition.’” Tom promised the Brothers that he would pay them back after graduation.
With the weight of tuition off his family’s shoulders, Tom began to immerse himself in life at Sacred Heart. He went to all the games and gatherings and made new friends (and enjoyed his fair share of chocolate milkshakes from the school cafeteria). Classmate and current Instructor of Mathematics Peter Gresh ’72 said, “Tom was very spirited and attended many events. I also remember Tom had a small gray car and we would travel in small caravans to all the dances. He was also a member of our senior council and was instrumental in organizing a senior ski weekend and our prom. He was very reliable and was a positive influence in our class.”
The Coates Family takes a photo with the Class of ’25
As Tom progressed through high school, he said the Brothers were the most influential and impactful during this formative time. “They made me into everything I am today. They were the beginning of it,” Tom said. “They taught me my values. They taught me my morals. They taught me the importance of business.” When Tom graduated from high school, the Brothers helped him secure a job at Kaiser Aluminum Printing and Packaging. He worked on the assembly line. “It was not the job I wanted for the rest of my life,” he said. But Tom continued to work there for close to a year because he felt an obligation to make good on his promise to the Brothers, and by the time he turned 19, he paid off his SH tuition with the money he saved.
After Tom had paid the Brothers back in full, he began to look for his own place to live. There was a studio apartment in San Francisco on 9th Avenue and Geary Blvd that he wanted to rent, but there was one small issue—he couldn’t afford it. The decision he made next would set the course toward him becoming one of the most successful real estate developers in the country. Tom, who had no background in real estate, approached the building owner and asked if he could manage the 15-unit apartment building. The owner, Angelo Sangiacomo, quickly agreed, and for the next five years, Tom learned everything he could about the real estate business. After working with Sangiacomo at Trinity Properties, he left to work at the investment brokerage firm Marcus & Millichap for 10 years. He then started his own firm, Arroyo & Coates, which lasted 25 years. He then became chairman of the private real estate investment company Jackson Square Properties.
SHC Board of Regent Member and classmate Jeff Porter ’72 witnessed Tom’s meteoric rise in the industry. “Tom was passionate about his career. Once he got into his career, he loved it,” Porter said. “It’s a perfect example of how somebody who truly loves what they are doing can achieve that level of success. It is absolutely remarkable.”
Tom’s success in real estate put his family in a position to give back to the community. Sacred Heart Cathedral was near the top of the list. The Coates family played an instrumental role in the construction of the Sister Teresa Piro, DC Student Life Center in the early 2000s. They have since invested in every major capital initiative, including the recent La Salle Campus Lobby Renovation. Although the family continued to give to nearly every initiative that supported SHC’s mission, the investment that holds the most meaning to them is the gifts to
the school’s scholarship funds. “That's really important. One of the things that I love about Sacred Heart Cathedral is that they have such a high percentage of people who are at the school that need some assistance, and that's all they need. Sometimes they need more than others, but sometimes they just need a little bit of assistance. I am in this position to give because of Sacred Heart and what I learned there,” Tom said. “The endowment is critical to keep dreams alive. The number of students who receive financial aid today is impressive. Every one of us who went to Sacred Heart Cathedral should keep giving, even a little or a lot—whatever we can.”
Although the investments from the Coates family are substantial, their desire to be recognized has remained minimal because of Tom and Linda’s humility. “The whole time we’ve been married, he’s hidden his gifts to society and not put his name on things,” Linda said. But that has changed recently because they thought it was time to create a legacy that their two children could see and, eventually, understand why the school was so important to him. “I want my family to know where my life changed forever for the better.” The Coates’ legacy was on full display on October 23, when the SHC community gathered to celebrate and honor Tom and Linda for the Dedication and Blessing of the Coates Family Pavilion. Attendees included members of the Class of 1972, Br. Chris Brady, FSC ’70, Sr. Frances Meyer, DC, Br. V Kenneth, FSC and the entire senior class.
“It was inspiring for the Class of 2025 to see an alum who is committed to advancing the mission of SHC,” President Melinda Skrade said. “Our alumni feel a deep connection to the school because the community here empowers its students to be the best versions of themselves. Alums, like Tom, are invested in ensuring that future generations of SHC students continue to have this opportunity.”
In the Spring of 1972, Tom held his diploma in his hand. He felt all of the emotions a graduate would feel. But that moment, when he looks back at it, meant something entirely different to him. “It reminded me of the opportunity that Sacred Heart had given me. I certainly couldn't afford the tuition, but they found a way to get me through. They taught me how to be who I am today, which is someone who honors their obligations.”
“It was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Tom Coates ’72 and Pete Gresh ’72 share some laughs
Fr. John Gribowich blesses the Coates Family Pavilion
Tom Coates ’72 and Jeffrey Porter ’72 share a moment
SHAKESPEARE THIS YEAR:
all the world’s a stage
By Lucie Duffort
This year, SHC is leaning into the Bard. The fall play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is the first Shakespearean piece produced at our school in over 15 years. The spring musical is Something Rotten!, a wonderful ensemble cast comedy set in the time of Shakespeare and rife with literary references. The Shakespeare Club is back in full swing, and outings to Cal Shakespeare and Ashland for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival have had great success.
This year and next, students can take Shakespeare as a selective (single-semester 11th and 12th-grade English course centered on one literary tradition). This particular course was designed and is taught by Paul Barnes, Instructor of English and Moderator of the Shakespeare Club, where students meet to watch film versions of plays and adaptations, as well as prepare monologues for a yearly English Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition.
Students have many reasons for being drawn to the Shakespeare course. Some are obvious lifelong bardolaters already,
the types who carry extra copies of his plays in their backpacks. These students told us they were excited to sign up because they had already fallen in love with the plays, or were already members of the Shakespeare club. Some took it out of simple curiosity surrounding the cornerstone playwright. But the majority chose it because they had been exposed to Macbeth in English 3,4, and wanted to explore a little more. And these 400-year-old plays remain relevant, at SHC and beyond.
For Anne Norland, who joined us this year as Director of Dramatic Arts and just completed a highly successful run of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with our students, this relevancy comes down to literary history. “There are these foundational plot points that Shakespeare introduces us to. So many stories take their origin back to these plays. We talk about it all the time. Why not go to the root of it? The original Romeo and Juliet story. How do we get this romantic tragedy? Or Claudius and Iago, dark, tortured characters (from Hamlet and Othello). These are the basis of where some of our ideas about how people behave and feel come from.”
Barnes points to the timelessness of Shakespeare. “He explores the poignancy of love, hate, jealousy, revenge, power, joy, ambition and old age. In many cases, Shakespeare was ahead of his time with critiques about monarchy, racism, sexism, class structure and inheritance. Shakespeare even explored the nuances of gender with a few plays starring a man portraying a woman portraying a man,” he said. “From an academic and historical perspective, teaching Shakespeare is essential, because he helped create our world. In terms of etymology, he's responsible for adding over a thousand new words to the dictionary and almost as many phrases that we still say today without knowing that we're ‘speaking Shakespeare.’”
Scholars of Shakespeare have often pointed to his contributions to the flexibility of language, which has a fundamental effect on how we interact in English, and in ways more modern than many might think.
“Shakespeare's bending of the rules of grammar and usage,” Barnes tells us, “has allowed English to remain constantly alive and changing with the times. Something like the word ‘adulting’ is totally typical of how Shakespeare bent the English language (by making a noun into a verb).”
For our students, this appreciation of the plasticity of language that comes with studying and understanding Shakespeare opens the door to a new linguistic world. If Shakespeare could do it, why not them? Norland emphasizes that, in performance, this appreciation for language comes from careful study, which brings its own reward.
“It gives you so much confidence about how you analyze text. Shakespeare cannot be improvised,
it has to be memorized.” The type of close reading and deep textual analysis that is done when performing Shakespeare can set the tone for success in other contexts for students. Once you’ve conquered Hamlet, modern narrative seems like cake. Understanding that you always have something to bring to the table, even when looking at texts written during a different time, is invaluable.
“In my approach, I always want to find out what the students emphasize when they speak because there is always something to find! Even when they are misspeaking the iamb (the particular syllabic rhythm Shakespeare favored in his plays and sonnets). I can say, ‘That's so interesting that that is the word you hung on to, what do you think that says about that character?’ Then they feel like little geniuses too, because they are!
She is also devoted to young actors having fun while they tackle the text, particularly with A Midsummer
Night’s Dream. “The biggest thing is making it as playful as possible, and as big and silly. Pointing out the jokes, and pointing out the things that make them go, ‘Oh yeah!’”
Watching Norland in action, the element of play is immediately apparent. During an early rehearsal for Midsummer, she sat on the theater floor with three of the Mechanicals (working-class characters performing a play-within-a-play, which is a sort of Shakespeare’s self-spoof of Romeo and Juliet). Her strategy as they read through and navigated the language was to focus on what the students heard and spoke. So-called mistakes have their place in the discovery process. “You make mistakes, everyone's making them. I love seeing students finding jokes and finding rhymes when they read it for the third time and say, ‘Gosh that's hilarious!’ I love that.”
And the students responded, including Elliot Hom ’25, playing Flute, Caity Chang ’27, playing Quince and stage manager Noah Wong ’27. They joked with each other, trying out exaggerations and making connections to their own lives. “Wouldn’t it be funny if…” “Oh, like he’s going to go out and be this big romantic now. SURE.” Because of the element of play, the language became just an extra challenge to share and unbox. Norland spoke with them about dramaturgy and text easily, in a careful and caring direction. “I want to give you some options,” she said. “Find what feels right for you.”
The ensemble performing
The young romantics
SHOWCASE
“They've been amazing,” Norland said of the 42-person cast. “They've been so open and receptive. I invite their ideas and contributions to what they want the world of our play to look like, and they haven't held back.” In the end, the production focused on the ephemeral. “We are shadows that come and go, it's about really embracing the present moment, who you're with, and what you're doing.”
Norland herself is a working actor, most recently performing in Ride the Cyclone at the New Conservatory Theatre Center. But she loves the teaching process. “We have a special position teaching theatre in that we can dissect the process in a way you don't have the pleasure of doing in a professional setting.”
This focus on process has led Norland to explore the ability of theater to enhance students’ overall skills, particularly those with learning differences. In her paper Dyslexia and Dramatic Growth: Exploring Theatre's Impact on Cognitive Skills, published in ArtsPraxis in 2023, she wrote, “By utilizing the unique attributes of theater, educators can engage students in a manner that resonates with their individual learning styles, encouraging them to overcome challenges and harness their potential.”
Watching and working with professionals like Norland in and outside of our community is an enormous boon to our students, made accessible by the central Bay Area location of SHC. This past September, Barnes took his Shakespeare students to Cal Shakespeare in Orinda. For their 50th anniversary, Cal Shakes was putting on As You Like It, and is always opening special performances up to school groups like ours, including Q&As with cast members.
For many of the students, this was their first time watching a professional production. Among their favorite parts were a well-blocked slow-motion wrestling scene, the incorporation of dance, humorous elements in the plot, the animated characters and acting style, and the creative set design in which a colorful forest sprung forth from an enclosed box.
Leila-Ximone Vásquez ’25 shared, “I thought the CalShakes adaptation of As You Like It was really interesting. This was the first ever Shakespeare play I saw performed live, and I'm glad it was my first one because I liked it. It was interesting how the cast and director brought their own modern spin on the play and how they made it their own while maintaining the original Shakespearean language.”
Conversations about the performance continued amongst the students, through the forest walkway back, on the bus and the BART, as well as back on campus as they returned to class. Though not studying the play in depth this quarter, Barnes notes that “the cool thing with
Shakespeare (and this is especially true of the Shakespeare class) is that once you start to get comfortable with the style of early modern English and metrical patterns of the poetry, it gets much easier with each successive play you read.”
The trip to Cal Shakespeare is only the most recent in a string of such opportunities provided to SHC students. Earlier this year, Barnes, along with English department colleagues David Pardini '80 and Stewart Grace, and VPA colleague Lindsay Rader, took 30 students on a trip to Ashland for their ongoing Shakespeare festival. The trip, open to all students, is organized on a yearly basis. Students watched five plays, met actors, and immersed themselves in the culture of theater. “This year’s group in Ashland was particularly enthusiastic,” Barnes said. “I think it speaks to the power of Shakespeare that probably the most universally liked play of the five we saw on the trip was Much Ado About Nothing, a play that is not taught at SHC and probably was new to most of the kids in the group. Because of the wonderful direction and performance, it seemed that our group was really ‘locked in’ and hysterically laughing and enthusiastically cheering at all the right times. It also made it special that one of the lead actors met us after the show! (Amy Kim Waschke who played Beatrice).”
It is exciting as a teacher to see students of all kinds open themselves up to something
Theater of the absurd
A dramatic interaction
they had seen as challenging or insurmountable. So many of our students have an opportunity this year to find themselves in something Shakespearean. Really, they speak the best to its value in our curriculum, our extracurricular offerings, and our community.
Salla Grigor ’25, President of Shakespeare Club, who played the role of Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, said, “The deeply human emotions ex-
perienced by Shakespeare's characters are pretty universal. It’s not like we forgot how to love or how to cry after the 1600s – a lot of things have changed in the years since Shakespeare’s time, but our ability to find genuine humanity in characters and empathize with them definitely hasn’t. That’s the allure of Shakespeare’s characters for me; they are gorgeous and brilliantly written and human to a fault. They do silly things for love and stupid things for power. Within these plays, Shakespeare tells stories that still very much
apply to the current day, such as class struggles, government corruption, and double standards regarding the fragility of a woman's social status and reputation.
Shakespeare also wrote with some of the most beautiful language I've ever read: ‘I love you with so much of my heart that there is none left to protest’ (Much Ado About Nothing). Is that not the most gorgeous thing you've ever heard? We’re inclined to agree.
FALL SPORTS RECAP
By Sergio Sazo ’18 & Charlie Strella ’ 19
cross COUNTRY
It was an historic year for the cross country program and Head Coach Andy Chan. Both the Boys (81:19) and the Girls (97:05) set team-time records for the Woodward Park course at the CIF Division III State Championships. The girls exceeded expectations and placed 9th! Miles Cook ’25 battled the whole race with the lead pack. He earned a well-deserved 3rd place medal and ran the 9th fastest time in the state across all divisions.
The girls team also captured its first CCS Division III in 25 years and was led by JoJo Gregg ’27, who captured 4th place, Rell Gentzler ’25, Alex Martinez ’25, Sophia Nakakura ’25 and Veronica Panina ’26
The boys team placed second, led by a 1-2 finish by Cook and Cam Gregg ’25
At the WCAL Championships, Cook won his second consecutive individual varsity boys title by running 14:59.6 at Crystal Springs. Gregg placed third with a 15:19. The Irish placed 5th as a team in the competitive WCAL, running a school record top 5 team time of 80 minutes, 50 seconds. The team raced in the first of three WCAL meets at the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park. Cook led the varsity boys’ race from the start and won the race in sub-15 minute fashion. Perhaps the best trait of the 2024
team was its depth, with both the boys and girls teams talented enough to send 30 student-athletes to the high-level Clovis Invitational Meet in October.
Cook and Cam Gregg were named to AllWCAL 1st Team and JoJo Gregg received All-WCAL 1st Team honors.
Both boys' and girls' teams are set up for continued success in the years to come. The future is bright for the Irish!
flag FOOTBALL
The SHC flag football team entered its second year as a program on the heels of an impressive 16-3 inaugural season. This year, the team joined the West Bay Athletic League. Their dominant record last year put them in the WBAL top division. SHC competed against top teams in the Bay Area like Menlo, Sacred Heart Prep, Saint Francis and Saint Ignatius. The team started 4-2, which included a big win over rival Saint Ignatius. The team finished the season with a 6-10
Emma Keaveney ’28
Double-State Qualifiers
CCS Champs!
Miles Cook ’25
Fightin’ Irish celebration
overall and a 2-6 WBAL record. Head Coach Kristin Ray can take a lot of positives from her team’s 2024 season and will look forward to competing with her squad when next fall comes around.
FOOTBALL
The SHC football team finished the season with an improved 4-6 (2-5 in WCAL) record. After starting slowly in years past, the team set the tone early in the schedule by blitzing through preseason opponents Soledad and Sacred Heart Prep. While this early season success was highly encouraging for a young Irish team, the WCAL would still provide its fair share of tough competition. But the Irish rose to the occasion by playing hard and showcasing their resiliency.
The thrilling, back-and-forth showdown with Archbishop Mitty was a highlight for the team. After struggling in the first half with multiple turnovers, WCAL Co-Junior Player of the Year and All-WCAL 1st Team QB Michael Sargent ’26 and the Irish offense flipped the script on a 21-7 halftime deficit and tied the game 28-28 late in the 4th quarter. Following the score, a well-executed onside kick by All-WCAL 2nd Team Jared Camara ’27 would give the Irish an opportunity to take the lead when All-WCAL 1st Team wideout Zion Secrease’s ’27 touchdown cemented a 35-28 victory. Another highlight came at the end of the year when the Irish defeated Bellarmine 35-10.
This year’s team showcased a number of young talents. In addition to Sargent, young playmakers All-WCAL 2nd Team Legend Williams ’26, Chase Jenkins ’27 and Secrease look to be key cogs heading into next season. On the defensive side of the ball, All-WCAL 1st Team linebackers Mathew Barden ’26, James Elliot ’26 and strong safety Jasaun Mabrey ’25 were key to the Irish defensive effort.
Year-end award winners also include All-WCAL 1st Team members O’Bryan Flanigan ’27 and Isaiah Glover ’28 and All-WCAL 2nd Team Tyja Starks ’26 Romeo Curiel ’27, Brody Hatch ’26, Mikey Williams ’26, Kiran Tate-Day ’27 and Prince Parham ’27 received honorable mention. Go Irish!
girls GOLF
The SHC girls golf program continued their steady improvement in head coach Kayla Choy’s ’17 second season, culminating in an exciting 3rd place finish at the WCAL finals at Silver Creek Valley Country Club despite a 1-8-1 overall record. The varsity squad started their season with a strong performance in their 232-221 victory over Archbishop Mitty. A number of golfers
Zion Secrease ’27 follows the ball in
Michael Sargent ’26 provides a lift
Opportunistic Irish defense swarming to the ball
Chloe Penwell ’27 showing perfect form
Mailey Gannon ’26 lines up a shot
stood out with strong performances, including Mailey Gannon ’26, Lauren Manalo ’26, Claire Young ’25, and Vivien Colwick ’25. Gannon was named to AllWCAL Honorable Mention.
Despite the stiff competition they faced in the WCAL, the team’s hard work and determination were on display throughout the season. Coach Choy and the team look to continue their upward trajectory as they turn the page to the offseason and look ahead to the 2025 fall season.
girls TENNIS
The 2024 season proved to be a breakthrough year for Coach Emily Rogers ’16 and the girls tennis program, as their hard work and hunger to continuously compete and improve paid off in the form of several hard-earned WCAL league wins over rival Archbishop Riordan and an improved overall record of 5-12 (double-check). A strong preseason start was key to this improvement, with wins over Drew, Urban and Washington.
The veterans were essential to the program’s success this season, with returning players Cayla Szeto ’25 and Chelsea Leung ’26 serving as strong examples for the younger members of the team. Szeto was named to the All-WCAL 1st team and Leung, Maya Eloufi ’25, and Francesca Rinaudo ’27 received All-WCAL Honorable Mention nods.
This leadership and strong desire to compete across the program will continue to yield positive results for Coach Rogers as the team enters the offseason with confidence and pride in their performance this season. Go Irish!
girls VOLLEYBALL
After an impressive 26-15 season last year that ended with a heartbreaking loss in the CIF Division II State Championship match, the SHC girls volleyball team returned to post-season play and captured the CCS Division III championship after defeating Soquel 3-0. The Irish were led by outside hitters Livy Tangaan ’25 and Sofie Daters ’25 led the defense with 12 digs. Setter Doris Cheung ’25 provided 16 assists in the championship game and earned the Bay Area News Group Athlete of the Week for her performance. Overall. the Irish finished the regular season 6-6 in the WCAL and 14-12 overall. They earned the No. 1 seed in the Central Coast Section Division III playoffs.
Although the season came to an end in round two of the CIF Division II State Championships against San Ramon, the Irish season was one to remember. All-WCAL 2nd Team Evelyn Law ’25, All-WCAL Honorable Mention Hazel Nelson ’25 and Tangaan were instrumental in the team’s late-season success, showing their consistency and leadership qualities when needed most. The Irish had younger players step into a more prominent role, especially Caira Tasi ’28, who became an impressive blocking threat and offensive weapon as the season progressed. The team is solid on defense thanks to defensive specialist Leila-Ximone Vásquez ’25 and libero Madi Mullins ’26. With a relatively young squad, head coach Symone Mackiewicz has seen her team improve and is hopeful the Irish will be even stronger next year.
Maya Elouafi ’ 25 attacks with the forehand
Evelyn Law ’ 25 skies high
Superb defense
Cayla Szeto ’ 25 showing intense focus
Sophie Daters ’ 24 on the attack
1950
Bob Denike and Joanne Denike celebrated 70 years of marriage. They again will exchange vows on June 22 at Merrill-Gardens, Campbell, California.
1954
Gary Vick sends his blessings and warm wishes to the Class of 1954. Although it has been 70 years, Vick is still in contact with classmates George Hill, John Muscat, Justin Powers, Anthony (Tony) Scafine, Tom Lavin, Jack Albrecht, Robert (Bob) Castillo, Jack Garcia, Ron Domingues, Tom Greene, Oscar Tagle, and Jim Gallagher (World Champ 380 pound deadlift at 83!). All send their warmest regards. He still works as a financial advisor in Los Gatos and says, “I will retire when Warren Buffet retires.”
Ann Stribling Spiess says hello and well wishes to the Class of 1954. She and her husband, Carl, have lived in California, Kansas, Florida and Texas. They now live in South Dakota with their daughter Gail and her husband. She was a secretary for most of her career. She has two children, six grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and one great-great -grandchild. Her main source of entertainment now is genealogy research.
1957
Robert Duarte recalls senior sneak in 1957. He and his classmates went to Golden Gate Park and caught as many frogs as possible and released them during class. There must have been 15 or 20 frogs hopping all over the classroom! They were thrown out of class.
1959
John Repetto has been married for 61 years and has three children, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. John has been in the printing field since graduation and currently owns his own business, JR Press, in San Francisco. Since retiring, John fishes on his boat as often as possible!
1960
Mike Casey held various management positions at United Airlines for over 37 years (1966-2003). He has two daughters, seven grandchildren and 18 great -grandchildren. He lives in Temecula, CA, and holds many memories from his days at Sacred Heart.
Emil Maionchi is the owner of the Wine Place Merchant in Showplace Square in the San Francisco Design Center.
Bev West Sykes and her husband Walt just celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. Bev has retired as a theater critic, a job she held for 12 years for newspapers in Sacramento and Davis.
1961
Linda Biagi Nunes moved to Daytona, Nevada two years ago. Three of her classmates visited her last year for her birthday, and they had a great time! They hope to visit this coming year.
1962
Daniel Kennedy is enjoying retired life. He was vice president of Scott Co. then executive vice president of Marelich Mech. He and his wife Claudia have a son and daughter and four grandkids. They currently live in Southern California.
1963
Sacred Heart classmates Rupert Jung, Gordon Poon, Jim Lo and Curtis Jung meet monthly on Zoom to share recent updates and news. They wish everyone good health and safety to all SHC alums!
1964
After college, graduate work, marriage, motherhood, and a career as a licensed psychotherapist, Patrick Kearns and wife Martha Hayden Kearns are busy traveling the world! They feel very fortunate and grateful to be enjoying life. They look forward to reconnecting with wonderful old friends!
Sacred Heart Class of 1964 classmates enjoying lunch together this past November 2023 at Capurro’s – Mike Cavallero, Art Gilmore, Chuck Johnson, John Kelly, Jerry Zavagno, Ray McDevitt, Pat Kearns, Dan McGuire, Don DeRenzo, Sal Alioto, John Kelleher, Tom Courtney, Jim Collins, Rich Rolandson, Pete Calabro, Bill Flahavan, and James Foirucci
1965
Peggy Vohris Lindstrom, Kathy Fields Cendak, Beverly Estrada Pacheco, Janet Heart Leone, all members of the Class of 1965, and spouses Chuck Cendak, Angelo Leone, Joe Pacheco and Dave Lindstrom met for dinner and laughs in Napa.
Fred Fegan provides the SHC community with an update on his family. His son Jake Fegan ’89 recently moved to Waxahachie, Texas after retiring from the SFPD. His second son, Cassidy Fegan ’92 recently moved to Petaluma and he and his wife, Ashley, have a five-year-old daughter. Fred’s nephews Dom DeBrunner ’26 and Jack DeBrunner ’28 currently attend SHC.
Michael McLucas recently had dinner with classmate George Marania at Bursa in West Portal with their wives, Maryanne and Cecilia.
1966
Rolland Kwok is retired and living in Florida after a 45year career as a Human Resources professional. He graduated from the University of San Francisco in December 1970, followed by active duty in the US Army Infantry from 1971 to 1975. He completed his master's degree in the Human Resources and Organizational Development Program at the University of San Francisco in 2005. Somewhere in all this he lived and worked in Saudi Arabia....from 1979 to 1984....such an adventure!
1967
Paul Capurro is the owner of Capurro’s Restaurant and Bar at Fisherman's Wharf, where he is happy to welcome patrons today in the same location where you can enjoy some of the freshest local seafood the area has to offer and view their many historical photos that chronicle their family as well as the history of the Wharf.
Since getting his PhD in 1978, Robert Del Bonta has curated and participated in many exhibitions of the art of India throughout the United States, Australia, France and Germany. Many of his recent catalogs and articles are online at: independent.academia.edu/robertdelbonta.
1969
As the executive director of the Upper Susitna Community and Senior Center, Kevin O’Connor obtained a $5M federal grant for building expansion. Kevin, his wife Yvette and their dogs are still loving the Alaskan experience.
Kevin Black and his wife, Victoria, recently celebrated being together for 50 years (43 years married). Kevin has enjoyed three long overlapping successful San Francisco careers: recreation/park director, dance/concert promoter and estate/moving sales producer and, yes, still in business. They also have three sons (no grandchildren, but maybe soon).
Kenneth Garcia has enjoyed attending current SHC alumni events and visiting classmate Sean Murphy ’69. The Sacred Heart Class of 1969 is one of the best.
1970
Tom Zipse took a two-week trip to Scotland and Ireland in May. Tom got a lot of comments while wearing his SHC pullover while listening to traditional Irish music. Slainte!
During the summer, Robert McMillan was in Fleurance, France, the day the Olympic Torch passed through the region, which is the nearest town to his wife's house. The Olympic torchbearer asked Robert to touch the torch for good luck, and he did. The torch continued on to Condom, France for the next relay.
1971
Bill Vela and fellow Sacred Heart Class of 1971 graduates recently went on a monthly bike ride in Napa, California! They send their well wishes to their classmates.
In May, Tom Thrailkill and a contingent of the Class of 1971 met for lunch at Sailor Jack’s in Benicia. As Tom was seated, he couldn’t help but hear the banter of five distinguished, elderly gentlemen seated beside him. The two were amazed to learn that they were members of the Sacred Heart Class of 1957. The two groups later all stood together and embraced as long-lost SH brothers. They marveled at how truly blessed each individual is to have a purpose after all these years. Sacred Heart’s alma mater was sung; many of the words ring true to all our lives still!
1972
Anthony Santiago is enjoying retirement with his wife and children along Route 66.
Michael Edwinson is loving retirement and living in Vancouver, Washington. He’s been an avid scuba diver since 1979 and is heading to the Philippines soon for three weeks of diving and adventure. He is always grateful for his years at SH and stays in contact with some of his old classmates.
1973
Living joyfully in Half Moon Bay, California enjoying all the beauty and nature the NorCal coast side has to offer, Deborah Fernandez is blessed with two beautiful granddaughters, one who just began high school and the other who is in the 3rd grade in San Mateo. She enjoys traveling, connecting with friends and family and very much appreciates being retired for seven years from 31 years in Special Education with the San Mateo County Office of Education.
1974
John Butler is a member of the board of directors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, San Mateo. John has worked in the mental health field with NAMI and Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (SMC mental health system) as a peer mentor for many years.
Edith Stafford Donaldson, along with fellow Cathedral graduates Robin Winn and Katrena Barron, felt blessed to celebrate the retirement of their classmate Audrey Miles
1976
Rocky Seffens retired from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office in 2014 after almost 38 years of service. He moved from California to the Lost Mountain/ Powder Springs area of Cobb County, Georgia in 2023. He is still married to Kathy Seffens, his wife of 45 years. Rocky’s daughter is a sergeant with the Santa Rosa Police Department and son, who also moved to Georgia, is in the insurance/workman compensation area.
1977
Ted Cercos and Bill Scudder ’78 caught up in Vallecito, Colorado while Bill and his wife were on an RV trip.
Norma Williams Diaz has worked for Del Norte County Public Health for over 30 years. Norma was recently promoted to a public health program specialist, working primarily with children and youth with special health care needs. Norma is a union president for general and professional county employees.
1978
Mike Sabella, Sr. is semi-retired from the food industry and is currently working on updating all of the United States Air Force dining facilities and flight line kitchens’ menus worldwide. Mike has developed new recipes and procedures for their kitchens and trains at bases around the world. Mike’s having a blast!
1979
There was an Elvis sighting at the Orsi Winery in Healdsburg, CA this past August. Randy DeMartini delighted a group of 200-plus fans with two rousing sets of the King's most popular tunes. Randy's show included a costume change and a stroll through the audience to greet his adoring fans. John Vigo ’81 was one of the lucky guests to be granted a photo opportunity!
1980
Vivian Padua Baires is the CEO of ‘Focus on U Coach’ and is an International Coaching Federation Master Certified Coach, Mentor and Trainer, and Accredited Personal Finance Coach. Vivian's mantra is “Focus on what you want, take action, and the Universe will provide.”
1981
Three generations of Fightin' Irish Basketball! John Perez, John Gumina ’91 and Kevin Greene ’09 gathered to celebrate John Perez's retirement from the San Francisco Olympic Club where he served for many years as the Club's Basketball Director. Many other alumni and friends gathered to celebrate the contribution and legacy of Coach P!
1982
Jim Di Modica, pictured with son Alessandro Di Modica ’15, is enjoying retirement with his family and friends. Jim is proud to have accomplished 35 years of public safety service as a paramedic for 20 years in the City & County of San Francisco and 15 years of public safety service as a Public Safety Communications Dispatcher/Supervisor for the City & County of San Francisco’s Emergency Communications Department. He loves spending time with family and friends and enjoys focusing on his personal growth.
Paul McGowan is a proud parent whose son recently graduated with honors from the Liberal Arts and Sciences Academy in Austin, Texas on May 31.
1983
In January 2025, Vince Dowd will celebrate 20 years of working at the Pentagon in Washington DC. He is thankful for the education he received from Sacred Heart. Go Irish!
Peggy Arevalo Chavez retired in 2020 from Cal State East Bay, leaving her dream job as a professor in the Graduate School of Social Work. Peggy is currently enjoying traveling and spending time with her family.
1984
Cathedral Torrians Class of ’84 celebrated their 40th reunion in Murphy’s, California for an extended weekend in June 2024.
1985
Carlos DeLaFuente has been promoted to regional sales manager with Flex Funding, a mortgage broker, located in Huntington Beach, CA.
1991
Greg Lum is the instructor of Floral Design at the Randall Museum with the Friends of the Randall Museum and The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. Greg also works at the Broadway Theaters for the Ambassador Theater Group and enjoys performing magic and illusions for friends and family.
1992
Joshua Fernandez is the owner of Legacy North Beach Bar. Enjoy a happy hour with friends here.
1993
Tommy Enriquez attends the Bruce-Mahoney junior varsity volleyball game to support Mileena “MyMy” Lapuz. Pictured from left to right: Gabriel Lapuz ’92, Detdet Lapuz ’93 (cousin), Mileena Lapuz ’27, Alaina Taylor Enriquez ’25 (daughter), Ashley Enriquez ’22 (daughter) and Tommy Enriquez. Keeping the Irish pride in the family!
Marco Cerri and Brett Clyne ’91 had a fantastic Friday night with their families, enjoying a screening of Bullitt, the iconic San Francisco-based film at Sundown Cinema in the Presidio.
1996
Samatra Downing celebrated her 22nd year in public school education and will complete her EdD at USC in May 2025. We look forward to the next phase of her career in educational leadership.
Prior to the school year, Patrick Mullen ’91 and Nicole Diestel Mullen proudly announced their twin daughters, Bridget and Chloe, would attend SHC! Their son Brendan is thriving at St. Cecilia and is in the 6th grade. GO IRISH!
1999
Stacie Solt recently gave birth to her little leprechaun, Liam Paul O Looney, on February 12. Stacie and her family love representing the Fightin’ Irish and have already attended several SHC events and SF Giants games in their Fightin’ Irish gear.
Members of the Class of 1999 and their families had a great time reconnecting on October 12 at Kezar to watch the Irish defeat Archbishop Mitty and later at Bar TZA. We hope to see you at the next one.
2000
Steve Agnos shared his first feature-length documentary, Salmon Run, which he edited himself. He was the third editor on the project and is very proud of how it turned out. Steven notes that the fishing industry in San Francisco is full of incredible people who, like spawning salmon themselves, are fighting against the current to sustain their way of life.
2001
Tobe Thomas recently won his election in Whitestown, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis and the fastest-growing municipality in Indiana. He is honored to be the first African American and the first Democrat elected to the Whitestown Town Council. This achievement means so much to Tobe as he approaches the end of the first year of his four-year term. He’s been able to reflect on his first year in public service as he works to improve his community. His time at Sacred Heart Cathedral played a key role in shaping the values and leadership skills that guided him to this point. He is proud to represent SHC and carry those lessons forward into public service!
2003
Courtney Chin and her husband, Andy, celebrated their recent nuptials in San Francisco surrounded by family and friends. Class of 2003 classmates, Regina Leong, Irene Gardner and Nancy Kuan Yeh attended this very special day.
2004
Christina Ledoux Young has built a successful career at companies like Target, Google and Uber, where she led multi-million dollar businesses and established corporate security programs. Christina attributes her success to the excellent educators at SHC! Christina and her husband, Joe Ledoux met at San Francisco State University and both earned their master’s degrees from Boston University. They have two children together, a 6-year-old son and a 10-month-old daughter.
2005
Andrea Ohlssen Durossette opened a coffee and flower shop in Modesto, CA in November.
Shawn McGuire and Cherie Moya hung out at Out the Road on San Bruno Ave to watch the San Francisco 49ers season opener versus the New York Jets.
Matthew Branch recently welcomed his third child, Jack Branch. He is named after Matthew’s grandfather who had a career working in sales, played baseball for the New York Yankees and held the world record of 58 at the Congressional Golf Club, outside of Washington DC. Matthew was also recently promoted to global vice president of sales for Chemsearch FE. For the past four years, Matthew has been focused on new representative development for Chemsearch FE, helping the company become the fastest-growing division of NCH Corporation in its 105-year history.
2007
Martin Barnes is enjoying his career as a soil scientist at Sloat Garden Center in San Francisco. During the pandemic, Martin discovered his passion for rollerblading along the Great Highway, bird watching and baking sourdough bread. Martin is always rooting for the Fightin’ Irish sports teams.
2008
Meghan McGuire McCarthy and her husband Shane welcomed a baby boy, Keegan John, this past August. Keegan John joins older sister Róisín. Congratulations, Meghan, on your newest addition to the family!
2010
Clint Wolfrom tied the knot on April 20 with Tamar Burke at Twenty Mile House near Graeagle, California. The ceremony was officiated by fellow SHC classmate, Will Lyons Daniel Koch stood as Clint’s best man, while Tamar’s sister, Alexis Burke ’17, served as her maid of honor. They spent their honeymoon in Japan where Clint’s two years of taking Japanese with Abe Sensei was extremely helpful. They are currently loving married life in San Francisco!
2011
In April, Gracie Pino Wheeler and her husband, James Wheeler, welcomed their first child, Fallon Aurora. Gracie has found a career in early childhood education and works as a center director with Bright Horizons. The couple resides in San Francisco's Outer Sunset and are joyously embracing the early stages of parenthood.
2012
After graduation, Maya Astabie attended Manhattan College (now Manhattan University) and graduated Summa cum laude in 2016. She is back in San Francisco and is the director of CX (Customer Experience) Strategy at EVERSANA INTOUCH. She is also an International Federation of Bodybuilding bikini professional. Go, Irish!
2013
Kelvin Cheung is the General Manager of Valencia Pizza and Pasta located at 801 Valencia St. in San Francisco and offers a variety of classical American entrees. Check them out.
Kevin Buckley and former SHC staff member, Eileen Mize, pictured at the Irish Cultural Center and sporting this year's limited edition 35th Annual Walkathon Aloha Shirt!
2014
Congratulations to Geraldine Ostrea, DO, who recently graduated from Touro University California, College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is soon to be a Family Medicine Resident Physician at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Jose, CA. She joined her brother Patrick ’11, a computer engineering graduate of San Francisco State University and also a recent graduate of Touro University California with a degree in Osteopathic Medicine.
Jasmine Uchi gave a TED Talk, “The Power of Animal Free Medications,” in which she speaks about the work she is doing and the patients she works with as a pharmacist.
2015
On August 6, Kiana Lew’s debut novel, Dance of the Starlit Sea, published by Penguin Random House, was released. She has been working on this book since she was 16 and even submitted snippets of it to the Oracle when she was a student at SHC. She says it is a dream come true to be a published author.
2016
Victoria Ball had the opportunity to visit the Christian Brother's residence over Labor Day weekend in Napa, enjoying the beautiful views and bright sun.
2020
In May, Nico Petrilli graduated from the United States Military Academy West Point with a degree in International Affairs. After the graduation ceremony, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Nico will join the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum in upstate New York.
Antonio Zarich and Giovanni Zarich ’20 graduated last spring from UCLA. Congratulations on this accomplishment!
2021
Klaus Subbotina Stephenson is entering her senior year at the University of California, Santa Cruz studying Astronomy and Astrophysics. She has kept busy over the past year as an intern researcher working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL); several of her current research projects at LLNL are in collaboration with NASA missions, including gamma-ray spectroscopy for NASA's MESSENGER (2004) and PSYCHE (2003) missions, as well as helping build & test the gamma-ray spectrometer for the upcoming DRAGONFLY (2028) mission.
2024
Theo Halladay moved to Brooklyn to attend the Pratt Institute and major in creative writing!
Celebratory Giving Program
Listed on the following pages are the names of SHC community members’ family, friends and loved ones who are listed in SHC’s Book of Remembrance. Melinda Lawlor Skrade, PhD, the Christian Brothers and the Daughters of Charity offer prayers and Masses for the special intentions requested in honor of members of our school community each month. Please remember them in your prayers.
This list reflects contributions made from May 13, 2024 to October 25, 2024.
IN HONOR
Audrey Byrne ’24
Paul Byrne
Juliet Byrne ’26
Paul Byrne
Warren Johnston ’48
Matt Ryan ’04 & Jennie Ryan
Steven Krauss ’69
Dan Ryan ’69
Melinda Lawlor Skrade
Rosie Lawlor Horan ’65 & Jim Horan
Catherine St. Marie ’08
Barbara & Stephen St. Marie
WELL WISHES
SHC Faculty and Staff
Shawn Singleton ’88
IN MEMORY
Harvey Anderson ’74
Bob King
Winifred Anderson
Bob King
Gasper Baptista
Rosie Lawlor Horan ’65 & Jim Horan
Victoria Berrueta
Mary & Jean Curutchet & Sons
Jack Black ’34
Kevin AJ Black ’69 & Vicky Black
Eugene Brooks ’01
Marie & Bob Petrini
Mary & Jean Curutchet & Sons
Matt Ryan ’04 & Jennie Ryan
Pat Ryan
Annie Laurie Bryant
Denise & John Branch
John Buckley ’71
Mike Johnston ’71 & Cris Johnston
John McGreevy ’69 & Lori McGreevy
Jon Bugatto ’94
Jim Giovannoni ’81
Michael Burns
Kathleen & Charles White
Sal Callejas ’73
Grace Rodriguez Nelson ’73 & Barry Nelson
Dom Panina ’80 & Colleen Panina
Leon Sorhondo ’67 & Nicole Sorhondo
Paul Castech
Mary & Jean Curutchet & Sons
Roseanna Sbragia Cicorino ’54
Doris Grimley ’54
Carol Jones Hupke ’54 & Peter Hupke
Ron Cole
Patty Shea Diner ’65 & Chris Diner, Sr. ’65
Joey Concepcion ’88
Mark Pardini ’88 & Petra Andersson-Pardini
Shawn Singleton ’88
Jack Cory
Terry Tandy ’68 & Miyuki Tandy
Brother Columban Derby ’32
Michael Nerney ’75 & Roselle Nerney
Jerry De Ryan ’50
Ted Cercos ’77 & Jane Cercos
Marty Gent ’66 & Jane Gent
Mike Howard ’77 & Jo Ann Howard
Joe Kennedy, Sr. ’65 & Clo Kennedy
Michael Nerney ’75 & Roselle Nerney
Tony Parenti ’73
Brother James Riordan, FSC ’62
Tim Shanahan ’71 & Deborah Shanahan
Pete Siragusa ’73 & Sue Siragusa
Jerry Sobeck ’69 & Susie Sobeck
Hank Espinal ’50
John Moriarty
Mary Fabbri
Carol & Joe Moriarty
Dom Panina ’80 & Colleen Panina
Steve Zahn ’70 & Lidia Zahn
Jim Fatooh ’64
Dorothy Allaghan
Barbara & Walter Bankovitch
Marty Gent ’66 & Jane Gent
Ken Hogarty ’66 & Sally Hogarty
John Kelleher ’64 & Annely Kelleher
Larry Simi ’66 & Janet Rogers
Robert Ferretti ’67
James Mullane ’70
Gary Fritsche ’64
Colleen Fritsche Colburn ’71 & Glenn Colburn
Mike Gallegos
Jerry Sobeck ’69 & Susie Sobeck
Frank Grimley ’50
John Moriarty
Beverly Reinhard Hendon ’55
Kelly Molloy
Joe Hurley ’61
Matt Ryan ’04 & Jennie Ryan
Auguste Indart
Mary & Jean Curutchet & Sons
Peter Kardum
Debi & Curt Cournale
Mike Morris ’65 & Carole Morris
Aileen Moriarty Kelly ’47
John Moriarty
Bernie Kelly ’51
John Moriarty
Katherine King
Bob King
Roland Lagomarsino
Michael Nerney ’75 & Roselle Nerney
Charles Love
Mark Pardini ’88 & Petra Andersson-Pardini
Mauro Luvisotti ’69
John McGreevy ’69 & Lori McGreevy
Jerry Sobeck ’69 & Susie Sobeck
Yvonne Marty
Patty Shea Diner ’65 & Chris Diner, Sr. ’65
Patricia Meek
Patty Shea Diner ’65 & Chris Diner, Sr. ’65
Daniel Moriarty
John Moriarty
Gerald Murphy, Jr. ’63
Kellie Coyne
Owen Murphy ’51
John Moriarty
Tara Anne Murphy
Dom Panina ’80 & Colleen Panina
Dom Neal ’93
Sam Bessey ’93 & Meg Bessey
Rosie Lawlor Horan ’65 & Jim Horan
Gerald “Jerry” De Ryan ’50
Jerry De Ryan was a proud Sacred Heart graduate and former Board of Regents member serving Sacred Heart and Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory. In 1991 De Ryan, with the support of his classmates, created the Class of 1950 Endowed Scholarship Fund, a fund that continues to support countless deserving students at SHC. After retiring from his career as an educator in the San Francisco Unified School District, Jerry and members of the Class of 1950 collected food from local grocery stores and vendors and delivered it to Saint Vincent De Paul, St. Anthony’s Dining Room and other organizations that serve marginalized communities in San Francisco.
“Jerry was an active, generous member of the Sacred Heart Cathedral community and a good friend to many. He gave life to the school motto, Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve,” said Director of Major Gifts & Future Giving John Vigo ’81.
Pictured with De Ryan is (left) Vigo and (right) former Director of Admissions Tim Burke ’70.
“How
long has Jesus been knocking at the door of your heart, waiting to enter?”
ST. JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE
Luciano “Lou” Or T ega ’12
Officer Luciano Ortega , a graduate of Sacred Heart Cathedral in 2012, was a standout student-athlete. He excelled in football and baseball and was an outstanding student in the classroom. After proudly graduating from SHC, Ortega attended San Francisco State University where he found his love for rugby. In 2015, Luciano entered the police academy for the San Francisco Police Department in hopes of achieving his lifelong dream of becoming a police officer. Ortega graduated from the academy in March of 2016.
Ortega embodied our school motto, Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve. He approached those he met with compassion and empathy and served the City of San Francisco and its community members to the highest degree. The SHC community sends its prayers to Ortega’s family, friends and classmates.
Gene Norgard ’73
Joseph Filice
Matthew Graham
Paul Pereira ’73 & Regina Sung
Bert Rodgers, III ’73 & Maria Rodgers
William O’Brien ’37
Susan O’Brien
Lou Ortega ’12
Mary Burns
Noel Palacios ’62
Mike Morris ’65 & Carole Morris
Julian Pardini ’49
Mark Pardini ’88 & Petra Andersson-Pardini
Joyce Pascual
Carol Jones Hupke ’54 & Peter Hupke
Mary Pereira
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
Michael Petrini ’63
Linda Petrini
Norma Pino-Rutkowski
Rosie Lawlor Horan ’65 & Jim Horan
Dom Panina ’80 & Colleen Panina
Jerry Sobeck ’69 & Susie Sobeck
Ann Pudlow
Carol Pudlow
Tony Ragusa, Sr.
Dom Panina ’80 & Colleen Panina
Leo Patane ’76 & Marge Patane
Renée Raggio Sollini ’79 & John Sollini ’75
Michelle & Don Torre
Alice Ravano
Jo Ann Momono
Maurice Revel ’76
Dan Ryan ’69
Joann Rodriquez
Shawn Singleton
Frank Ruggiero
Terry Tandy ’68 & Miyuki Tandy
Joanne Ryan
Matt Ryan ’04 & Jennie Ryan
Matthew Ryan, Jr. ’39
Larry Ryan ’65
Rosine Ryan
Dan Ryan ’69
Molly Scharetg
Jerry Sobeck ’69 & Susie Sobeck
Rober T Ferre TT i ’67
Robert Ferretti ’67 dedicated his life to coaching, mentoring and teaching hundreds of students at St. Monica's, St. Stephen's and Riordan High School in San Francisco.
The legacy he will be most remembered by was his 31 years at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo. He began as a theology teacher and coached baseball and basketball, and worked as the Dean of Students for 17 years before retiring in 2017. Bob's mission in life was to help young people find the good in themselves.
The SHC community extends its prayers to his family and friends.
Gilbert Schoenstein
John Moriarty
Paul Solis ’50
Dominic Solis ’83 & Grace Solis
George Spatz
Kathleen & Charles White
Brother Arnold Steward, FSC
Dan Ryan ’69
Mike Symkowick ’69
Dennis Francis White ’69 & Sana White
Sesta Tosti
Marina Hardeman
Rosie Lawlor Horan ’65 & Jim Horan
Brother Chris Brady, FSC ’70
Steve Wilson
Mark Pardini ’88 & Petra Andersson-Pardini
Dominique Neal ’93
United States Marine Corps Col. Dominique B. Neal ’93 was a tremendous student-athlete. He played football and was a varsity track & field standout, winning the WCAL Championship in both the 200m and 400m. In 1993, he broke the school record for the 400m. His exploits on the field of competition led to his induction into the SHC Hall of Fame in 2020.
After SHC, he attended the United States Naval Academy and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree (BS) in English in 1999. Neal then entered to serve with the USMC. His military career spanned over two decades and included several combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He received many awards, including the Purple Heart and the Presidential Unit Citation.
Instructor of English David Pardini ’80 shares, “A member of the first class I ever taught, Dominique was also one of my favorite students ever. I am deeply saddened by the passing of this superb individual, one of our school's brightest lights.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
We remember in our prayers the alumni who have recently passed away:
John Antczak ’53
Joseph Bajurin ’42
Eugene Brooks ’01
John Buckley ’71
Luis Callejas ’80
Sal Callejas ’73
Jerry De Ryan ’50
John Dinniene ’59
Diane Domenichini Simpson '49
John Elkington ’49
Jim Fatooh ’64
Robert Ferretti ’67
Michael Galvin ’74
Francis Glennon ’64
Walter Hansen ’38
Hank Hoffelt ’16
Dominic Intravia ’49
Paul Kelly ’55
Dora Araya Kremesec ’47
Gary Lanza ’74
Jim Lehane ’74
Kathy Mangini ’72
Michael Moriarty ’63
Dom Neal ’93
Lou Ortega ’12
Daniel Pardella ’62
Roger Pedeupe ’56
Steven Pizzo ’38
David Schussolin ’59
Richard Semenza ’48
Bill Spillane ’63
Paul Tosetti ’58
*The alumni acknowledged here are only those for whom we received notification.
Help us assure the future of our important educational mission. If you want to have a more lasting impact beyond your lifetime, consider leaving a gift to Sacred Heart Cathedral in your will, trust or by beneficiary designation. Creating your legacy is easy and the gift costs you nothing now. Contact John Vigo ’81 at jvigo@shcp.edu for more information. Moving or changing contact info? Please email advancement@shcp.edu with up-to-date information.
