19 minute read
ALUMNI
DADS’ CLUB TURNS OVER THE REINS
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As the reins are being handed over to the next set of Dads’ Club leaders, a wonderful gathering was held at the Henderson Ranch on April 7th, 2022, to formally thank all of the dads, granddads, wineries, and local businesses that have supported the group for over a decade!
As with every Dads’ Club event, a scrumptious dinner was served; the evening menu included chicken and ribs, potatoes, and salad and was served to over 80 people who gathered at the barn at the Henderson’s home in Windsor.
The Dads’ Club has supported countless events over the years: CN Golf Tournament, Ursuline Crab Feed, Grad Nite, Graduation, and numerous campus improvement projects at CN.
We are grateful for all of their energy and for sharing their love of Cardinal Newman! We genuinely thank these leaders for all their time and devotion to CN:
Jeff Bertoli, ’77 Darrell Bertacco Steve Chia Allan Henderson, ’74 Matt Hernandez Kevin Lee Joe McNeany, ’80
Hats off to the next group of Dads’ Club leaders! We are excited for them to continue celebrating and carrying out the long-standing traditions that our dads have brought to Cardinal Newman!
Happens Every Time You Give (SMILES)
This year, Cardinal Newman introduced our #ThankfulThursday campaign as part of our Fund A Future tuition assistance program. Each year, more than 36% of our student body receives tuition assistance equaling over $1.1 million awarded to our school families. We could not support this effort if it wasn’t for the generous gifts from our community!
Our goal this year was to raise $400,000 in support of this important program. These funds will offer school families the opportunity to provide a Cardinal Newman Catholic education for their children. In many cases, they would not be able to attend Cardinal Newman without this program. We are truly grateful for all who supported this effort! It’s not too late to support this effort! If you are interested in making a difference in a young person’s education, please contact Terri Derr at derr@cardinalnewman.org for more details. Thank you!
We also included student voice in our campaign, asking Mr. Acevedo’s Graphic Design class to create posters to encourage fellow students to adopt an “attitude of gratitude” by posting what they are thankful for each Thursday using the hashtag #ThankfulThursday. Not surprisingly, our clever and creative students came up with some winning designs. Here are the top three posters, as selected by the Advancement Team judges. In addition, each student received a gift card for their work.
What are you thankful for? Let us know online #ThankfulThursday.
ALUMNI GOLF TOURNAMENT
Foursomes gather to honor Frank Guillen in the 31st Annual Alumni Golf Tournament on Thursday, June 9th, 2022 at the Windsor Golf Club.
This year’s tournament sold out – thank you, golfers!
URSULINE ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION CRAB FEED
Supporters graciously participated in a drive-thru Crab Feed hosted by the Ursuline Alumnae Association. We look forward to being in person next time!
< Student designed posters in support of #ThankfulThursday.
ALUMNI FAMILY
LORETTA HILDALGO, URSULINE/CARDINAL NEWMAN ’92
ALUMNI ACTIVITY
Pursuits are important to have because you never know precisely where they will lead. Loretta Hildalgo, Ursuline/Cardinal Newman Class of ’92, recently shared her journey with us, and we invite you to enjoy the ride.
“I left Ursuline/Cardinal Newman in 1992. I was the senior class president, a varsity track and soccer player, and in drama. I adored Mr. Rutherford (Junior English), Mr. Ray (AP Physics) and Fr. Carolyn (Freshman English). I was headed for Stanford to pursue my dream of getting into space. The transition to the “big pond” of college was rough. I sorely missed the intimacy and authenticity of our religion classes and retreats and struggled mightily to adapt to a strictly secular version of academia. No more quotes from mystic Thomas Merton to kick off Physics class. No more meditation in the chapel with Sr. Lillian!”
Cardinal Newman is an everexpanding family of alumni
Loretta Hildalgo in the Disney+ IMAX Documentary, “Aliens of the Deep.” She met Director James Cameron while working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and was invited to be on screen talent for the documentary. “Luckily I made my way and graduated with a B.S. in Biology in 1996. I had big dreams of building the greenhouses we would need on Mars. I got an internship in the Astronaut Office in Houston and started off on a new adventure there. I was in Houston two years, met astronauts, and worked on the International Space Station Program. But I was homesick for California! I found a research position at NASA Ames and returned to the Bay Area. While there I got to go to the Canadian Arctic for two weeks of field work, camping on a remote uninhabited island.
I then moved to L.A. to start Graduate work at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) where I worked with the astrobiologists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Through them I met Hollywood director James Cameron and was invited to be on screen talent for his documentary about taking astrobiologists to Titanic depths of the ocean to study the life there. If you have Disney+ you can watch me in the IMAX Documentary, “Aliens of the Deep.”
From Caltech I worked for the X Prize Foundation and then NASA Headquarters, then I was a blogger for Wired Science and finally started leading my own workshops training the next generation of space leaders.
I got married to another space explorer and we bought tickets in 2005 to take a suborbital flight on Virgin Galactic. Later they hired him to be the CEO and me to train their young staff. I wrote a book called, “The New Right Stuff: Using Space to Bring Out the Best in You.”
We also started a space holiday called Yuri’s Night that is celebrated every year around the world, in Antarctica, in space, and (also on Disney+) in an episode of Miles from Tomorrowland!
I am currently launching a new program called SpaceKind that invites people who love space to come and do the deep reflection (and reading of mystical quotes) that can help put what we do in perspective and do the work to bring our best
selves to space. What we do in space sets a precedent for many generations to come.
I got to be at Sir Richard Branson’s spaceflight in July and it looks like my flight will be in the second half of 2022. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate 30 years since graduating from this incredible place that believed in me and gave me so much.” The Booker Brothers
Noah Booker, CN’88 (shown above), followed his brother, Aaron, to Bellingham, WA 20 years ago after graduating from UC-Santa Cruz. He has a landscape restoration business. His son is a Sophomore at University of Washington and his daughter will be going to University of Oregon next year in their honors program.
Aaron, CN’84, graduated from UC Davis, then moved up to Bellingham, WA where he met his wife Kelly in 2003. They have two children - one a junior and the other in 8th grade. He’s been doing live streaming for events for the past 18 years, adding the management of technology for a K-8 private school last year plus teaching a podcasting class too.
Third brother, Matthew, CN’86, has his PHD in History from Stanford and is a full professor at NC State. He’s on leave now and is the VP of Scholarly Programs at The National Humanities Center in Raleigh. His oldest daughter is a graduate of Bowdoin and his younger child is a Junior at Stanford University.
< Eric Vukicevich, CN’05, is assistant professor of botany at Connecticut College in New London. He teaches and does research in sustainable agriculture and mycology, facilitating the campus farm. A great school in a beautiful area, he has enjoyed being there the past three years. Here’s a picture of the little campus farm (in the summer). He says, “Send us your plant people!”
Chess Lopez, Ursuline ’06, makes her major motion picture debut in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the latest film from Marvel. Lopez plays the role of Amalia, a superhero who can punch through stars to reach other dimensions. >
Dani Gilson (left), CN’17, met First Lady Jill Biden when Mrs. Biden visited recipients of CARES ACT grants in Truckee Meadows on March 9th. Dani was selected to represent her class in the meeting. >
“Some Rules are Meant to be Broken”
Article in the New York Times by Nina Reyes, August 13, 2021
Mary Devon Dietzen, Ursuline ’07, sister to Greg, CN’02, and Peter, CN’11, and daughter of Joe and Patti (Konicek) Dietzen, Ursuline ’75, was featured in this New York Times article. While working for the RAND Corp in Santa Monica in 2018, Mary Devon decided to forego her rule against dating work colleagues after a couple of conversations with Lance McDonald, who shared common interests and enthusiasms with her. The result was a Santa Rosa wedding at the end of July 2021! Congratulations!
Class Reunions
Class of 1972 – 50th Year Saturday, September 3, 2022 at Wild Oak Contact: Mike Keefer at mikekeefer2@gmail.com
Class of 2007 – 15th Year Saturday, Auction 13, 2022 at CNHS ACC Contact: cnuhsclassof2007@ gmail.com. Details at CN/ UHS Facebook Reunion Page
With new opportunities to host Alum events, we gathered a group of alums interested in joining our Alumni Association Committee. On May 2nd, our kick-off meeting brought together alums from the 70s, 80s and 90s, all eager to help support the reengagement of our alumni community. A huge THANK YOU to these alums for stepping up to help:
Chris Bertoli, CN ’82 Unable to attend the meeting, Jeff Bertoli, CN ’77 but offering to help are: Ted Grafe, CN ’94 Tom Nunes, CN ’81 Justin Hansel, CN ’92 Chris Vaughn, CN ’74 Brian McGee, CN ’86 Holly Wheadon, UHS ’93 Demian Reddy, CN ’95
To join this energetic group please contact our Director of Alumni and Community Engagement, Graham Rutherford at rutherford@cardinalnewman.org.
The Alumni Legacy Scholarship Recipients
Cardinal Newman Alumni Association
Each year the Cardinal Newman Alumni Association offers legacy scholarships to children and grandchildren of Cardinal Newman alums, both young ladies and young men. Congratulations to the following students who received a CN Legacy Scholarship after submitting their essays for the Committee to review.
Devon Bertoli, Jonah Bertoli, Griffin Lewis, Hannah Maida, Jacob Salonga, Estelle Stevens, Olivia Stevens, Kaylin Suacci, Giana Tamayo, Gianna Teldeschi, Dylan Whittemore.
If you would like to contribute to these Alum based gifts, open to the children and grandchildren of CN graduates, please send your support to the Advancement Office. The more contributions and successful fundraising, like the Alumni Golf Tournament, helps more students.
Ursuline Alumnae Association
The Ursuline Alumnae Association also has scholarships to CN for the children and grandchildren of Ursuline graduates, primarily supported by the Crab Feed. They were able to help 34 students this year, who also wrote essays, a generous action, congratulations students!
Ryleigh Barbour Ryan Bello Devon Bertoli Jonah Bertoli Gianna Castello Christian Chandler Jon Chapman Keely Dickey Avery Edwards Nevaeh George Penelope Kantor Will Liu Colin Lopez Abigail Lopez Jenna Lubas John Lubas Jake Lubas Audel Madrigal Hanna Maida Leah Martinez Sarah Martinez Lauren McKeown Riley Murphy Keegan Murray Chavez Devlin Murray Chavez Tucker Peterson Miles St. Clair Olivia Stevens Estelle Stevens Zachary Thomas Davis Walsh Lucas Warnell Katherine Wheadon Blake Williams Talia Woods
INCOMING CLASS
We are excited to welcome 162 new incoming Freshmen to the Cardinal Newman experience next year! They represent 38 area middle schools, with Rincon Valley Middle School our largest referring school. At our “Can’t Wait ’til Next Year” dinner, 130 families joined us – just over 400 in total attendance. It is so rewarding to share in their excitement about getting into Cardinal Newman! The next four years are critically important for their growth, development, and maturity – a responsibility we take seriously as part of our individual and collective ministries. So, welcome Class of 2026; you’re in great company!
CN ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP
The Cardinal Newman Alumni Association offers scholarships each year to the children, both young ladies and young men, of Cardinal Newman alums. These legacy students, both incoming and returning, are offered the opportunity to submit essays to the Alumni Association who review and determine scholarship winners. Winners are chosen based on their essay content, and do not undergo a financial needs assessment like our tuition assistance program.
One of this year’s scholarship winners, Olivia Stevens, Class of 2023, wrote these encouraging words to incoming students new to the Cardinal Newman community.
AN ESSAY FOR INCOMING STUDENTS
High school is a different, exciting, and stressful new aspect for an incoming student. It was a noticeable change when
I transferred from a private Catholic middle school with roughly 30 students in my class to Cardinal Newman which had over 200 incoming freshmen.
The class structures, the sports, and the social aspect were completely skewed from what I was familiar with.
As a freshman, you are jumping into a completely new chapter of your life and it can be frightening. However, my advice to you is to remind yourself that you are not alone and that every other incomer is equally as nervous.
Cardinal Newman is a strong community and an extremely supportive one. With interactive retreats and rallies, freshmen have the ability to integrate and socially connect with the school and their peers. Don’t be afraid to get involved, sign up for service opportunities on the weekends, they are constantly being offered. If you enjoy arts such as dance, music, or pottery, take advantage of the access Newman has to all of the above. I joined the student council as a freshman, it allowed me to play a role in campus life and should be considered.
I would strongly support playing a sport or two; many of my friends have stemmed from the relationships I developed through competition and work with teammates. The experiences and lessons you learn through sports are so important and can shape you as a person.
Commitment, perseverance, and the feeling of support from a close nit group of girls are what I gained from playing lacrosse and having amazing coaches. Challenging yourself to take on academics as well as sports puts you on equal footing with many other students at Cardinal Newman. As a freshman, you do not need to feel nervous because you are not alone, and the opportunities for you to do what you love and develop your personality are right in front of you. – Olivia Stevens, ’23
Education Today
EDUCATION IS EXPERIENCING A TEACHER SHORTAGE AS QUALIFIED CANDIDATES LEAVE THE PROFESSION IN SEARCH OF BETTER PAY AND RECOGNITION FOR THEIR EDUCATION AND EXPERTISE.
WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW
Cardinal Newman High School believes that the best way to ensure lasting student success is to put the best possible teachers and staff in front of students. Therefore, we strive to recruit and retain high-quality and professional educators for all positions, including coaches and support staff.
Simply said, we’re picky. Cardinal Newman is committed to preparing young adults for success in college and life. We seek only the best, most caring educators in the marketplace. We require that they be comfortable with, if not passionate about, teaching in alignment with principles of the Catholic faith. This assures that we have the right combination of compassion, support, values, and standards to challenge our students with academics while wrapping them in the spirit of faith, community, and support. Teaching at Cardinal Newman is a calling.
Pandemic exhaustion and professional fatigue
Unfortunately, across the nation, teachers and educational leaders are experiencing exhaustion from working under the added stress and uncertainty of the pandemic for the last two years. As a result, they are leaving the profession in numbers never seen before.
When asked, something beyond the pandemic has happened. Teachers have always been motivated by providing an essential service to students, their families, the community, and future generations. Unfortunately, during the pandemic, educators bore the brunt of many of the frustrations parents and society were feeling. Rather than being honored and appreciated for the professional services they invested their lives into, they felt marginalized, verbally attacked, and often made to feel like overpaid babysitters.
On the contrary, teachers are well-educated, highly organized, and creative professionals whose skills easily cross over to other opportunities.
As they shift to other careers, the education industry is suffering both a shortage of great educators and a rising demand for their compensation. Naturally, Cardinal Newman believes teachers should be well paid. The industry’s challenge is that 80%+ of our budget goes to salaries and benefits. Education is still a laborintensive process.
Whether paid by taxes or tuition, what the market can bear drives the budget formulas for teacher pay.
Cardinal Newman offers competitive pay and excellent benefits, which are more affordable through the Diocese. We strive to provide a positive culture of teaching to students who are dedicated to learning.
Fortunately, we have low teacher turnover this year. Nevertheless, it has been challenging to find quality educators for our openings.
Please join us in showering our educators with respect and appreciation. Of course, none of us are perfect, but let us meet those moments with grace and understanding to work together on appropriate solutions.
Some have mentioned a desire to contribute donations in support of teacher compensation. That can be done through our general fund, Day of Giving, and adding to our endowment. Compensation is not the only tool of recruitment and retention. Facilities, funding, and families are important, too.
Having modern and adequate facilities contributes to a positive work environment. Faculty and staff feel supported to perform their best when their classrooms are functional and well equipped.
Social events that bring our community together -- parents, students, and faculty – build a sense of belonging and provide opportunities to express gratitude for each other. These three groups are working in partnership for the betterment of the student, and getting to know one another socially strengthens those relationships.
Capital campaigns are used to fund facility needs that have a specific financial cost and timeframe. Operating expenses, in contrast, recur year after year, which makes it more challenging to fund increases in compensation. It might be the perception that one-time donations can support a slight pay increase. But, the following year requires meeting those increases whether the gift occurs again or not. For this reason, contributions made to grow our endowment are most appropriate. Forecasting supplemental income from the endowment is more reliable over the long term.
We will have to navigate this new challenge together, so please reach out if you have ideas to help with our ongoing recruitment and retention efforts.
Samples of student posters for teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week >
ALWAYS AN EYE ON IMPROVEMENT
In March, Cardinal Newman completed its accreditation renewal process with the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The accrediting process is intentionally rigorous and requires institutions to complete a comprehensive self-study examing all aspects of their operations and mission. The WCEA and WASC send a visiting committee to the school to verify the selfstudy’s accuracy and look for other opportunities for improvement or celebration. Cardinal Newman staff and community members worked collaboratively to complete the initial self-study for over a year. The result is an Educational Improvement Plan and a recommendation for Accreditation for a set number of years.
While we have areas for improvement, the Visiting Committee was genuinely impressed by the Cardinal Newman community and our collective response to the loss of our campus to fire. The rebuilding campaign and progress made to date were inspiring to them. In addition, the resiliency shown by faculty, staff, families, and students was noteworthy.
The Accreditation process and results dovetail with a Strategic Planning process initiated by our Board of Trustees. With our physical campus rebounding from disaster, the Board rightly felt it was a good time to envision the next five to ten years for future Cardinal Newman students. We hired Partners in Mission, a non-profit consultancy specializing in strategic planning for Catholic schools and universities. We started with a similar process of reviewing our “domains” of operations and collecting them into a book of knowledge. Then, we surveyed parents, faculty, and students to gather their input on our direction and how we can best meet the needs of students moving forward. We’ll be continuing this process with more discussion and reflection. Ultimately, we will produce and share a strategic plan for our entire community. It will be a guide reflective of the values and goals of all stakeholders to continue the Cardinal Newman tradition.
PREPARING
ACCREDITATION AND STRATEGIC PLANNING
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Life requires faith.
