Focus on Alumni

Article by Elliott Seng ’25, Golden Lines Student Newspaper Staff Writer

It started 30 years ago when Sonia Jaramillo began caring for the chapel linens at St. Pius X. She checked in at the front entrance, received her guest badge – a square of bright yellow paper – dropped off the starched linens, and turned to go back to her car.

The story could have ended there, but Jaramillo did something that sparked a decades-long tradition. “She had a shoe box,” Jaramillo’s daughter Andrea Jaramillo Fricano ’95 recalls, “and she just started putting [the badges] on top.” The first badge is still on that shoebox, along with every badge that came after. She has one representing every Mass on campus from 1993-2023. Who knows how many badges there might be?

After Jaramillo moved back to her home country of Ecuador, Fricano took over her mother’s tradition. A resident of the US since age 10, Fricano believes her mother’s work has changed her perspective on life and faith.

“When I started taking over the linens, it felt like I was more connected to God and to the beautiful sacrifice of the Mass that we have. You’ve got to value every little thing.”

These simple things “tie into helping the kids here grow in their faith by allowing them to have masses,” Fricano said. “In this way, I feel like I’m still connected to my school.”

The Catholic Church requires a specific process for cleaning the linens. Fricano explained the importance of soaking them properly, usually in a bucket, “because if there are any particles of Christ on the linens, you don’t want it to go out into the sewer system.” If the linens tear or sustain damage, Fricano burns them in a particular way.

“I used to joke with my kids,” Fricano said. “I’d say like, ‘Ok, so the linens will get Sofia’s admission into Pius,’ and I started watering the plants, and I was like, ‘Ok, Emma, you’re good.’ And then my son came along, and he was like, ‘What about me?’ I’m like, ‘You know what? We can change the holy water.’”

In a way, the shoebox documents Fricano and her kids’ lives as they’ve grown up around St. Pius. There’s a badge from the day her now 13-year-old, Sofia, took her first steps. “It was the first time she’d started walking, and she’s standing in front of the entrance with the gates, and she’s just standing there looking up at the bells because they had just chimed,” Fricano said. The Facebook caption of the photo reads: Sofia is dreaming of one day being a Golden Lion.

Taking care of the linens is a family operation. Fricano’s kids have helped clean the linens since practically the day they were born. One badge on the shoebox has her son Sebastian’s name on it from one month after he was born. And her husband helps, too.

“[He] would come over here while I was in the hospital, just after the baby was born. He’d be like, ‘I’ll be back. I’m gonna go drop off the Pius linens,’” Fricano said.

Growing up in a “very strong Catholic family,” Fricano went to Mass daily during the summer and attended Catholic school throughout her education. She attended Christendom in Front Royal, Virginia, a Roman Catholic college. “Everything was centered around our faith, all the classes, curriculum, everything. It strengthened my faith twice as much,” Fricano said.

Fricano actually met Pope John Paul II. Not only that, she went on a run with him. He had been visiting Christendom and bumped into Fricano on her way out of the building. He stopped, said hello, and offered to jog with her down the sidewalk to the edge of campus.

Faith has led Fricano throughout her entire life, from high school to college and beyond. Working with the linens allowed her to strengthen her faith, carry on a family tradition, and support the students at St. Pius. Her work is invaluable, yet how many of us stop to think about the people at work behind the scenes?

“If my mom hadn’t gotten involved with this,” Fricano said, “I don’t think I would’ve realized the whole process…they have to be soaked, they have to be ironed and starched just right and folded in a certain way.”

At this point, it’s become more than just a tradition. It’s a celebration of faith and an opportunity to provide for family. Unsung heroes like Andrea Fricano deserve recognition for their time, effort, and dedication. Her work is crucial for Mass, the ultimate representation of our values as a Catholic school.

To the readers, Fricano had one last thing to say: “Go Lions!”

Christina Suarez Murphy ’04

animal to work with?” and my answer is always the same: whatever animal I’m currently working with! I’ve worked with so many incredible species, but it’s difficult to pick a favorite. When you’re an animal person, you’ll always find something you love about every species you work with. Well, except for snakes. I had to do that for six months, and you could hear the screams from across the zoo!

I have been fortunate to work in the zoological field for 17 years, with animals ranging from Humboldt penguins to Asian elephants. I’ve always had a passion for animal behavior, marine biology, and conservation. In 2006, I began my career working as an educator for the Georgia Aquarium. From that moment, I knew I had found my path and my passion. After finishing my studies, I was accepted into Georgia Aquarium’s husbandry internship program and was soon hired as an animal care and training specialist, where I trained and cared for beluga whales, seals, sea otters, and penguins. In 2014, I moved from Atlanta to Dublin, Ireland, and began working as an elephant keeper at Dublin Zoo. In my current role, I am the lead trainer for the sea lion, penguin, and red panda department. I feel so lucky to have a job that brings me so much joy and that I look forward to going to every day!

What is your educational background?

I graduated from Kennesaw State University with a degree in Biology in 2009. I later completed a postgraduate diploma in animal management from Sparsholt College, Hampshire in England. This fall I begin a master’s degree in clinical animal behavior from Edinburgh University in Scotland.

What was it about marine biology that interested you?

When I was a child, I was very sick with a blood disorder for many years. It was a very difficult time in my life, but what kept me going was the hope and dream to grow up to be a whale trainer someday. I’d love to go back in time and tell my ten-year-old self that not only would that dream become a reality, but I’d also have a long career as a zoo keeper and live on the beach in Wicklow, Ireland, where I’d wake up to the sounds of waves and seal pups!

What do you prefer: working with marine animals or land animals?

A common question that zoo keepers get is, “What is your favorite

What do you love most about Ireland and miss most about America? No place has ever had my heart like Ireland does! There are so many things that I love about this country, but if I had to name a few, it would be the people (so incredibly kind and generous), the scenery (breathtaking!), and the fact that I can swim in the sea every day. The longer I am here, the more it feels like home, but I will always miss my family, Chick-fil-A, and shopping at Target!

What do you want people to know about zoos and aquariums?

Zoos and aquariums have come so far in the last few decades. It is no longer solely about entertainment, but about conservation, education, and animal welfare. We now know the importance of replicating natural environments, having animals live in natural social groups, and encouraging species-specific behaviors. I’m proud to work for a zoo that prioritizes animal welfare and plays an active role in hundreds of conservation projects!

What has been your most rewarding experience working with animals?

I believe my favorite was working with Avani, an Asian elephant calf who was rejected by her mother. She needed round-the-clock care and had to be bottle-fed for several years, but seeing her all grown up and fully integrated with the herd is so rewarding!

What advice would you give St. Pius X students?

Work hard and follow your dreams! It may seem easier to find a “normal” job, but I’m thankful I stayed true to my dream and made my own path. Whenever I doubted if I’d get to my dream, I went back to this quote by Howard Thurman to guide me: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

What is your favorite memory of being a St. Pius X student?

Making so many new friends, football games, and Dance Team!