Yes, this is very late.
Alumni Newsletter by Dave Burdett, Director of Alumni Relations
www.wcss.org
October, 2018
Volume 22, Number 1
Please check the www.wcss.org or Woodcrest Christian School Alumni on Facebook to keep current.
Campus News
He described his spiritual journey which included coming to the Lord and serving on one of our mission teams in Alaska.
Graduation
After a year away, Woodcrest’s commencement returned to Harvest Christian Fellowship, with a total of 89 graduates lining up on the risers. That brings the total to nearly 2,500 who have earned their high school diploma from WCS. For the first time in history, there were four valedictorians who all earned the same stellar gpa. The class was notable, too, in sending about double the normal percentage to nearby California Baptist University, an institution that continues to expand and grow, now with an Engineering Building and a premier arena on campus. Overall, 60% of the class is attending a Christian college or university, 20% are going to various state universities, and 12% will continue their education at a community college. The keynote address came from Joe Hobbs, a pastor at the Grove Community Church who also is a WCSS Board member and a father of one of the graduates. Among the student speakers, Kevin Ji recalled how he came to WCS from China in the seventh grade.
It’s a “Kodak moment” for five of the graduates during the presentation of diplomas.
Woodcrest Christian School
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school and most recently one in the high school, and Mr. Will Anderson, who is leaving Woodcrest Christian after two years teaching in the Bible department for what he senses as a divine call to church ministry. A final departure this spring was Mrs. Briana Contreras. The wife of Michael Contreras (’07), Bree has been serving for several years as a girls PE teacher and bus driver extraordinaire. We will miss each of these departing members of the WCS family.
Faculty Families
Mrs. Boykin impacted many aspects of the WCS experience during her 29 years.
Staffing Changes
It was a wrap for Mrs. Libby Boykin. After 29 years and eight months on staff at Woodcrest, she has called it a career and joined her husband Don in retirement. Probably best known for reigning in her kingdom of the library, she also will be remembered for really getting the drama program at WCS going and also for a tenure as the WCS cheerleading advisor. [By the way, that last role has been passed down to her daughter Kim (’93) Swoboda who also teaches eighth grade science on campus.] The task of managing the library and textbooks has been passed along to Vanya Wright who will marry Josh Murdaugh (’13) at the end of the year. Also leaving Woodcrest was Mrs. Monica Scarano, who had two stints of teaching math at WCS, one in the middle
Seventh grade science teacher Miss Alicia Rollins used Christmas break to get married to Johny Quan. Much of the WCS family helped her celebrate in a ceremony held in Redlands. It was a productive year for faculty families, as new babies brought joy into many families. The Musser/Musich clan continues to grow as Laird & Sarah Musich pushed their total up to four with the birth of Paul Timothy on January 28, 2018. On
Kim Baumann chose to remain home with her newborn rather than continue in the HS office.
18401 Van Buren Blvd. Riverside, CA 92508
Glorify God by pursuing excellence in Christ-centered academics
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951-780-2010
October, 2018
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WCS Alumni Newsletter
Port Alsworth in the past, but this year, both locations hosted a team. Students frequently refer to their mission trip experiences as key points in their spiritual growth, and several have later gone on to further international mission work on their own. Most all seem to have a passion for global missions much needed in the local church.
Little Lorenzo looks a bit baffled at the prospect of getting his picture taken.
the other hand, the next three little ones were each the firstborn in their respective families. Office staffer Priscilla [Henry] Arias and her husband Jay welcomed a girl they named Phoebe Rose, born during spring break. Next new Vice-Principal Brandon Imbriale and his wife had a baby boy named Lorenzo born May 7, 2018. And finally, the High School Activities Secretary Kim Baumann made it to the end of the year, and her boy Chase Alexander was born on the sixth of June, just a week after graduation. Another addition to the extended Woodcrest Christian family came social science teacher David Lytle’s wife gave birth on the second day of the 2018-19 school year. Little Theo had heart issues and needed immediate heart surgery. After a long stay in the hospital, he now seems to be doing well.
Mr. & Mrs. Lytle spent many days in the hospital with their baby, but he’s home now.
“You shall be my witnesses…”
For over a decade, mission teams from Woodcrest Christian have been traveling during spring break, and these trips are becoming an increasingly important part of the WCS experience. This past April, eight mission teams, comprising over 100 students, nearly a third of the high school student body, traveled both north and south to serve God and people. Belize has long been a focus of these trips, but besides returning to Cayo and Punta Gorda, trips to Las Flores, Punta Negra, Barranco, and Big Falls were added. Looking north, Alaska teams have visited both Kodiak and
A staple of mission trip endeavors, WCS student missionaries do painting chores in Belize.
Curriculum Additions
As WCS constantly evaluates its course offerings and seeks to provide the most profitable learning experience for each student, new courses are added to the curriculum. When students returned to campus in August, they were able to take two new offerings. Environmental Science will offer another option in the science department that doesn’t have such a high demand for math skills, and an AP Computer Science Principles course which according to the AP website will “offer a multidisciplinary approach to teaching the underlying principles of computation and will introduce students to the creative aspects of programming, abstractions, algorithms, large data sets, the Internet, cybersecurity concerns, and computing impacts.” There has also been much discussion about adding a class period to the school day to open up other options.
Sports
By the time you read this the new WCSS web site should be up and running. It looks great, so check it out!
It was a tough act to follow: for the previous three years, Woodcrest Christian had held the Ambassador’s Cup, the symbol of the most successful program in the Ambassador League. Possession of the cup passed on to Ontario Christian in 2018, but the Royals hung on to second place, an accomplishment that must be regarded as on-going success. Just as
October, 2018 important, however, was the continued recognition found in the sportsmanship award, with five varsity teams capturing that prize. When school resumed in the fall, the flag football squad looked like an entirely new unit as only two returned from last year’s group. The beginning of the season proved to be a struggle, but Coach Anderson was able to produce significant improvement as the season progressed. The first win came in the final regular season contest against Mesa Grande Academy, but in the post-season tournament they could boast of a 2-2 mark. Our cross country program garnered one of those Sportsmanship Awards mentioned earlier, a bit surprising when you consider that the boys won every league competition. Their league dominance was demonstrated when Riley Batista (Jr.), Braulio Alvarez (So.), and Steven Martinez (So.) ran second, third, and fourth in league championship race. They followed that up with a seventh-place finish in the Southern Section championship, and a sixteenth-place finish in the state meet. The girls’ season was a strong one, too. Behind Sadie Barbee (Sr.) and Michaela Stanley (Jr.) they also swept through their league competition, earning the top spot in the Ambassador League. In post-season action, they ran thirteenth in the Southern Section. With that kind of success, it was only natural that Coach Eric Reynolds earned Coach of the Year honors. Not to be left behind, the girls’ tennis team posted their best season ever! Powered by the singles play of Kennedy Layne (Fr.) and the doubles team of Lauren Showalter (Jr.) and Erica Danfifer (Jr.), they rode their 10-2 record to win second place in the Ambassador League. In the league finals, Kennedy took the singles crown, and the doubles team earned second place. When playoffs rolled around, they dispatched Big Bear 15-3 in the first round and Jurupa Valley 10-8 in the second before falling to El Monte 4-14. With powerhouse Tesa Oaks having graduated, other players had to step up for the girls’ volleyball team. The hitting chores were split between Raimi Albee (Jr.) and Natalie Grover (Sr.), and they received support from Emily White (Sr.) in the
WCS Alumni Newsletter middle and from the libero, Katie Greer (Jr.). After some good results in preseason tournaments, the lady Royals took fourth place in league. In the powerful Division 5 playoffs, however, they lost 0-3 to Alta Loma in first round. When the seasons changed it was time for soccer and basketball. A pair of sportsmanship victories came with the soccer squads as both girls and boys brought home that league award! The girls would’ve liked more talent and fewer injuries, but they battled to a fifth-place league finish with 7-7 record and needed just 1 more point to earn a spot in the playoffs. They were led by Hayden Bell (So.) and Katie Greer (Jr.) who won firstteam All-League honors. The boys were a very young team, but put together a 6-6-2, 10-8-2 record to finish in fourth place. Skylar Bell (Jr.) and JP Hanna (Sr.) led them and made first-team All-League. It was oh so close in playoff action, but after two overtimes, they were edged by University Prep 0-1. Alex Wright, the heart of the boys’ basketball program for the past several years, had graduated and moved on to CBU, so major reorganization was needed. Darin Reynolds (Jr.) shooting three’s and Jacob VanHaaster (Sr.) playing tough in the paint allowed them to come in second in the Woodcrest Christian Invitational, and they put together a 7-7, 13-14 record to take fourth place in Ambassador League play. At half-time in their first round playoff against Barstow, they only trailed by 6, but their opponents had a strong second half to win the contest. 83-56. The girls program looked different this year as there weren’t enough players for a JV squad. But Taylor Olsen (Sr. – First Team All-League) and Kaylani Lawrence (So. – Second Team All-League) helped the girls battle, and they ended up improving last year’s finish by two notches to take fifth place with a 5-9, 8-13 record. When the spring rolled around, it brought with it the busiest athletic season of the year. After a number of very successful years in Division 2, WCS’s mountain biking team was bumped to Division 1 where the riders for the Royals finished in the middle of the pack in the SoCal Division 1 races. A real highlight
Page 3 was the performance of Emily Gables who placed in the top four in every freshman girls’ race! On the boys’ side, Sam Ferris and Jacob Carlson led the WCS pack. Wrapping up their season at the state finals, the Royals came in twenty-first among the twenty-eight teams while Emily grabbed fifth place in her race. In the pool, the Woodcrest Christian swim team didn’t have much in terms of numbers, but they performed well. Early in the season, the girls took second in the Rubidoux Relays and the boys won, for a combined first place finish! Then in league competition, the girls took second with a 25-6 record. A major contributor to that was Emma Parker (Sr.) who won “Swimmer of the Year” honors. The boys were led by Mathias Scarano who set several WCS records as the boys put together an 8-17 record and took fourth place. The other coaches honored Coach Scarano by presenting her with the Coach of the Year award. When it came time to put feet into the starting blocks, Woodcrest Christian’s track & field team was ready. Both teams earned second place in Ambassador League competition, and together they were fourth in the small schools’ division of the Riverside City Championships. Leading the way for the boys was Braulio Alvarez (So.), but he brought a pack of runners with him on the middle and long-distance races. On the girls’ side, Ella Whitehouse (So.) stood out in 100 hurdles and long jump (winning “Multi-event Athlete of the Year” honors), while Jenna Elton (So.) and Michaela Stanley (Jr.) added points in the distance runs. Several athletes qualified for CIF, but none were able to make it through to the finals. From the outset, it was clear that “a freshman will lead them,” for the varsity golf team. Trent Hirdler shot a 39 in his first varsity match to earn low medalist honors on the way to laying claim to the lowest average in the last three years. Along with Nathan Thornton (Sr.), Trent led the team to Second Place in the General Old Open, and ninth in the Beaumont Invitational before finishing fifth in the Ambassador League with a 7-7 mark. Like basketball, the absence of Alex Wright on the boys’ volleyball team was
October, 2018 obvious. However, Jacob VanHaaster (Sr.) proved to be one of the better hitters in the league, Ethan Melvin (Sr.) was a wall at his middle blocker position, and JP Hanna (Sr.) was all over the floor as libero for the team. While the w’s didn’t come, the boys were able to extend every opponent, and their 1-7 league record could easily have been 5-3. In the diamond sports, our softball girls hit powerfully to finish in fourth place with 9-5, 13-9 record: homeruns abounded. Sophomore catcher Ryleigh Carricaburu had three in the game against Calvary Murrieta! She was joined on the All-League First Team by shortstop Taylor Olsen (Sr.) and infielder Angelina Allen (Fr.). Coach of the Year, Mr. Ryan Anderson led the squad to a crushing defeat of Temecula Prep in a CIF wildcard game, before a narrow 5-6 loss to Banning in the first round. Coach Prater’s baseball squad looked to be one of the strongest ever with pitching that was solid and deep, and hitting that was full of firepower. After another strong finish in the Chino tournament, they collected yet another league championship, only being tagged with one loss to end the season at 11-1, 17-5. That finish brought a multitude of league awards: Jordan Keller (Jr.) was Player of the Year, Jacob Maze (Sr.) Pitcher of the Year, with Brandon Boissiere (Sr.), Evan Castillo (Sr.), Brett Finnell (Sr.), Wesley Scott (Jr.), and Austin Smith (Sr.) joining them on the All-League First Team. Unfortunately, they had to compete in the powerful Division 2 playoffs and succumbed to Corona Del Mar in the first round.
The Arts
Even though almost half of our student body participates in athletics, we shouldn’t think that the arts play second fiddle at WCS, and the past school year turned out to be a standout one for every segment of the arts program. In his second year as Choir Director, Mr. Ben Halsne had the choirs in fine voice. They again opened the year with the Broadway concert and offered many fan favorites. Then, towards the end of the year, the Chamber Choir traveled to San Francisco to perform. After particiating in a choir festival, they
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WCS Alumni Newsletter did a choir exchange with a local Christian school, and even sang and served at a local shelter. They also got to do some sight-seeing activities in and around that intriguing city. The year-end Pop Concert changed venue, coming down to the field in front of the library building, and this musical (and culinary) treat capped the year off in wonderful fashion. The various bands under the direction of Mr. Ken Rasner gave several spectacular concerts in the Pavilion. The Christmas event combined musicians from not only the middle and high schools, but ones from the elementary campus as well, with almost 400 performers contributing. WCS instrumental musicians also performed as part the city’s Festival of Lights during the holiday season. The spring performance, “Songs of Cinema and Real American Heroes,” featured a color guard, glow sticks, and a student conductor! The real fun came after school let out when the musicians traveled to Oahu to perform there, including on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri! The quality of instrumental music at Woodcrest Christian continues to improve as the Wind Emsemble earned a Superior rating at the Riverside District competition. In the visual arts, Mrs. Rhonda
Reverie.” That was a bit of a break from her forte of hyperrealistic drawing. (Audrey won a first place in the Color Drawing category last year for her “Carl the 5th.”) She returned to that style in her “Drawing of Eli Vint” which won the 41st District Congressional Art Competition, and that piece will now be displayed in the nation’s capital. Early in the summer, Audrey was also featured in a Press Enterprise article highlighting her artistic accomplishments. Two productions took the stage for the WCS drama program. First, the powerful drama, “The Miracle Worker” came to the MP in the fall. In this touching, real-life story of Helen Keller, Caitlyn Deutsche (Jr.) played the role of Annie Sullivan who helps a blind and deaf young Helen (Presley Emig, and eighth grader!) overcome her handicaps and learn to communicate with the world around her. Then in March, drama director Mrs. Teresa Bickett put together acting, singing, dancing, extravagant staging, and elaborate costumes for “Beauty and the Beast.” In this “happy ever after” story, petite senior Reagan Kruse (Sr.) dyed her blond hair brunette for the part and overcame a voicerobbing illness to play the part of Beauty opposite 6’5” Ethan Melvin (Sr.) as the Beast. Supporting these two leads, Micah Stolfus (Jr.) as Gaston, Samuel Albanese (Jr.) as Lumiere, and Karlee Metschke (Sr.) as Mrs. Potts also turned in notable performances. Middle School teacher Mrs. Jamie Firetag even made a cameo appearance in a dance routine!
Alumni News The band didn’tKaitlyn Valedictorians just pose SanonDiego the deck & Justin of theMyhre WWII hold plaques battleship, USS honoring Missouri; their they achievement. played there, too!
Thomale guided artists to produce winning projects. In the 56th Annual Press Enterprise Riverside County High School Art Show, Brandon Llausas (Jr.) garnered an Honorable Mention for his picture of Marilyn Monroe in the Drawing category. In Mixed Media, junior Tanner Dubyak earned second place for his “Deranged Waves.” And, for the second year running, Audrey Alexander (Sr.) took a first-place award for her watercolor, “Afternoon
On the weekend after July 4th, Director of Communications, Khara [Betz] Dizmon (’96) put together an All-Year Alumni Party on campus. There were crafts and a bounce house for the kids, walking tours for the adults, and food for everyone. About 150 braved the extreme heat and even a freak rainstorm to take part in the gathering. Unfortunately, I was with grandkids in Texas at the time and missed out, but I’m told that those who came had a great time of catching up with old friends.
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1979
ogy. He will be joining a private practice for police and public safety psychology. • Anna [Sneiderwine] Richter (’85) sent a note to share the sad news that her sister Kristina [Sneiderwine] Williams had recently passed away. Kristina apparently suffered from refractive epilepsy which was a contributing factor. Again, your prayers for the family are appreciated.
Ralm Jung (’81) posted a notice that his brother Baine (’79) had died. [Baine and his classmates were very special to me as they were my first homeroom class at WCS.] Our thoughts and prayers go out to Baine’s family.
1992
Rob and Bethany Ring were married at Zion Lutheran Church where Rob served as pastor.
Jeff Moore (‘83) received a call from Inland Valley Baptist Fellowship to become their pastor.
1983
Kristie [Miller] Moss is finally off the hook, as her youngest graduated from high school. That makes 6 of 8 kids in the family who have been home-schooled through high school! In the process, Kristie returned to school herself and earned an AA in Business Administration, graduating this June. Her husband also hopes to enter an RN program soon. Of the eight kids, four are married and grandchild #8 was due in June. With kids moving on, Kristie’s mom was slated to move in with them soon. A current resident of Palmdale, Kristie expressed the desire to leave California in the not-to-distant future.
and until recently had served as the pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Anaheim. Robb finds it ironic that, after being a bit of a wild child at WCS, part of his responsibilities at the church had included leading Zion Lutheran School. God certainly has a sense of humor! • At Robb’s wedding, his best man was his long-time friend Dan DeWit. Unfortunately, Dan passed away unexpectedly on September 10th while recovering from minor surgery. His memorial service was held in the Royals Pavilion on campus on September 29th with a number of his classmates in attendance. Robb, who performed the service, described him as “one of the most caring, loyal, kind, intelligent, and Godly people I have ever known.”
Sharlene Ormonde-Kleca, seemed pretty excited to mention that she’s now a “Glamma.” Her grand-daughter Harper will turn one in September.
Could Harper have inherited some of grandma Sharlene’s spirit?
1984
In response to a call for news, Julie [White] Colburn wrote back to say that she was excited about the wedding of her daughter Sharla. The ceremony took place at Grand Tradition in Fallbrook on July 31, 2018. It was a double celebration for Sharla as it was also her twenty-first birthday.
1986
Robb Ring married Bethany Espinosa on January 27, 2018. Having finished his DMin in 2017, he continues to teach at Concordia University & Hope University,
Beautiful Lake Kaitlyn Valedictorians Louise San in Alberta, Diego Canada & Justin formed Myhre holdsetting the plaques forhonoring Adrian Bakke’s their achievement. wedding.
1997
Dan was best man at Robb’s wedding, but went to be with the Lord nine months later.
1987
Tim Franklin let me know that since retiring from federal law enforcement, he had finished his PhD in Clinical Psychol-
In a small family wedding, Adrian Bakke married Katherine May of St Louis on July 4th of this year.
1999
Miranda [Johnson] O’Dell now has two boys after the birth of Tanner on January
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born this past June 6th with a full head of hair.
2001
With Hunter and Tanner, Miranda [Johnson] O’Dell has one boy for each knee.
Laura’s kids seem to have interesting reactions to holding their little sister.
16th. Her older boy, Hunter, will be two come November. She also mentioned that her family had spent a fun week with Nick & Shannon [Callaghan] Schmalhofer (’99) and their three kids. • As mentioned above, the family of Laird (’01) and Sarah [Musser] (’99) Musich increased by one with the birth of Paul on January 28. • In other birth news, Shar-
Anchorage, for the past four years. • Another baby was added to the Johnson clan when Meredith [Johnson] Reeb gave birth to Rylee on January 4, 1017. With two older brothers, Rylee makes three for Meredith, too. • Yet another threesome can be found in Gary Gallegos’ household. John-Daniel Wyatt Gallegos was
It was babies galore for the class of 2001. Besides the Musich baby mentioned earlier, Jayson Moss’ family also now numbers four kids with the birth of Julian Adrian Moss V on March 13, 2018. • Vanessa [Williams] Patman now has two as Ellis Carol Patman joined the family on April 26, 2017. • But it’s Ashton Ellis who leads the pack with the birth of his sixth, a little girl named Evangeline Carmel Ellis, born November 14, 2017.
The two boys in the Patman family, each one gets a parental lap to sit in.
The Musich/Musser Clan: Andy & Kaleen Musser have one little one while Sarah & Laird Musich now can boast four!
Grandma Karen (‘79) and Mom Meredith share the task of holding Rylee.
yea [Mahan] Obayuwana wrote that her son, Marley Okoro Obayuwana, “made his peaceful appearance on August 19, 2018 and is a complete bundle of joy and awe!”
2000
I saw a note on Facebook that April [Keehfus] Curtis and her husband had a little one in mid July. Weston Gregory Curtis joins big sister Bay. • It’s number three for Laura [Bourns] Biornstad as Hope Cora Biornstad made her arrival on April 19, 2018. Older siblings Audrey (6) and James (3) Laura and her family have resided in Palmer, Alaska, a “suburb” of
It doesn’t take John-Daniel‘s long name and a full head of hair to impress his older brother.
How does newborn Evangeline sleep like that with five older siblings in the house?
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Emily Smith shows her trademark smile after her marriage to Ron Atkinson.
Is Kendra’s boy Ellis already seeking his freedom from the crib?
2002
Ellis Harvey Stewart is now over a year old after being born August 15, 2017, and mom Kendra [Peterson] Stewart describes him as “the sweetest, loving little snuggler” who loves to play with everything older brother Ellis (4) plays with. Kendra works for William Oh’s Custom Cabinetry as well as being an independent consultant with Arbonne. Her husband Nick has been with QBE of the Americas (insurance) for twelve years. • Another boy to come from this class came on April 4th when Titus Everett Hair was born to Marie [Bourns] Hair, giving her and her husband one girl and one boy.
were married last September 24th. • After dating two years, Trent Robison married Heather Richards on August 5, 2018 at Casa Romantica in San Clemente. Both Trent and his wife are RNs: Trent serves the Neuro Trauma unit at Loma Linda University Medical Center while Heather works at Kaiser, Fontana in Labor & Delivery. Since both are beach lovers, they arranged to spend their honeymoon in Bali, Indonesia.
Newstead Abbey provided the perfect backdrop for Richard and Andrea.
All the challenges of his birth are behind him now for Hudson Turcios.
For the beach-loving Robisons, the Casa Romantica was the perfect venue for their wedding.
bounced back and has even returned to work. • Then on July 31st, Nora Lucia Shondeff was born to Matt and Shannon [Shea ‘06] Shondeff. Nora kept her mom up till past two in the morning before deciding to join the outside world. • The newest addition for this class
2004
Marie Bourns’ kids attend the children’s class at BSF while mom meets with other adults.
2003
It’s almost time for the first anniversary for Sarah Smith and Ron Atkinson who
A wedding that I apparently missed quite some time ago was Rebecca Surratt to Jeff Shafer, who were married June 10, 2012. • Then, on August 11, 2017, the wedding of Andrea Augusta and Richard McCann took place at Newstead Abbey in Nottingham, south of Sheffield in England, and the couple are now residing in England. • The birth of Hudson Santiago Turcios wasn’t particularly easy, and a Csection was ultimately needed to help him make his appearance on May 20, 2018, and after a short stint in the NICU, he joined Colene [Barreto] Turcios and her husband Antonio at home. Colene has
The trio of Shondeff children: Nora’s older sister got the job of holding her.
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Despite the all the medical sensors, Erin was able to hold her little miracle Aiden.
Nicole has her arms full! Scarlett’s older brother looks like he’s still trying to figure this all out.
Despite a very busy schedule, Daniel was able to add to his academic achievements.
is Scarlett Grace Paris who was born to Nicole [Proud] Paris and her husband on August 6, 2018. • In yet another birth, Alfredo Ramos’ wife Ashley had Ella on November 5, 2017. Alfredo is now the site pastor for Sandals at their Palm Ave. location. • Maggie Kozman was bursting with pride for her brother, Daniel Kozman, who “graduated with his Masters in Public Health (on top of his prior MD), which he completed in only one year while serving as a Chief Resident in Internal Medicine and working on his fellowship in Preventative Medicine!”
this coming October. • Ashley [Bosch] Wieland wrote to say that she and her husband Victor were slowly finding their groove as a family of three after the birth
Andrea and Cameron added to their family with the birth of Evelyn.
of her first, Maria Elaine, on April 26, 2018 in Alexandria, VA. • Despite a difficult pregnancy and a baby born with a heart condition, Erin [Montgomery] Jaeger, wrote the following about little Aiden: “I can’t imagine not having you here now. Seeing how strong you are and how quickly you are recovering is like watching God’s miracle unfold before our eyes. The power of prayer is incredible!” • “We added another member to the Topp family!” writes Kelli [Hennessey] Topp. Kelli and Tyler welcomed Adalyn Ann Topp to their family on June 19, 2017. Adalyn joins big sister Peyton. • Megan [Felix] Livesay and her husband have four kids (“three boys and one princess”): Bentlee (4), Brooklynn (5), Brendon (8), and Boyd (15). The family lives “in amazing Colorado on a small farm with cows and chickens, as well as pigs and goats!”
Is Ella wondering Valedictorians Kaitlyn when San sheDiego gets &toJustin feel the Myhre wet hold plaques sand on her feet? honoring their achievement.
2005
It was number two for Cameron and Andrea [Setzler] Macbeth when Evelyn Marie was born last December fourteenth. Older brother Gavin will be three
Victor and Ashley Wieland started their family when Maria was born last spring.
Will the Topp kids Valedictorians Kaitlyn be great San Diego athletes & like Justin their Myhre parhold were ents plaques at WCS? honoring their achievement.
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Mom and dad Livesay and their four B’s (Boyd, Brendon, Brooklyn, and Bentlee).
In the midst of all this, Megan was able to earn her Bachelor’s in Social and Criminal Justice last November. • After getting his Bachelor’s in Psychology from CBU in 2011, Jordan von Rajcs went on to earn a Masters in Nursing, also from CBU, in 2016.
The setting makes Melissa’s baby Holland look positively angelic.
As an alum and now a teacher, it was a real “WCS” celebration as Alicia and Johny were married.
dance instructor. • Middle School Administrative Assistant Priscilla [Henry] Arias had to take the end of the academic year off after baby Phoebe Rose Arias was born on April 3rd. Don’t worry; she was back on the job and ready for the new ac-
Will Alex’s daughter Valedictorians KaitlynBlake San turn Diego out&toJustin be as Myhre tall as holdparents? her plaques honoring their achievement.
finally got to meet our Blake Everlee,” wrote Alex [Wolnisty] Ward about the birth of her daughter. Kati [von Racjs]Kaitlyn Valedictorians Sabersky San (‘03) Diegohelps & Justin her brother Myhre hold plaques Jordan celebrate honoring his graduation. their achievement.
2006
After a “love at first sight” romance Melissa [Mendez] and Andrew Wagner were married at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach on May 15, 2016. Now a nurse, Melissa is also a proud mama after the birth of Holland Blair Wagner on July 27, 2018. • Building on the bachelor’s in business administration she’d earned from UCR in 2011, Mallory [Smith] Clark recently added a Juris Doctor from the Ventura College of Law. • October 7, 2018, was “the best day of our lives! We
David and his bride, Meredith, now make St. Louis their home.
2007
A seventh grade science teacher at WCS, Alicia Rollins married Johny Quan in Redlands on December 17, 2017. • Then on June 9, 2018, David Branch and Meredith Frank were married. After honeymooning in Italy, they returned to St. Louis where David continues to work as a consultant and Meredith is an elementary teacher. • Finally in wedding news for this class, Rocky Ridgway and Bridget Chavez were wed this past July 14th. The wedding took place in Wrightwood, but the couple are living in Orange with their two dogs, Axl and Rose. Rocky manages a range hood company and Bridget is a
Rocky and his bride celebrate with cake at their wedding in July.
October, 2018
WCS Alumni Newsletter purchased, and now it’s used for photoshoots. Of course, Kaylyn continues to operate her store, Shop Lux. • Though she has made Missouri her home, Amanda Stegmann came back to California for her wedding to Billy Newsome on January 29, 2018. • The next month saw the wedding of Corina Barrios to Brodey Hunter on February 10. • And finally, Matt Gibson married April on the 29 of the month of the same name. • Jason was born to Danielle [Schmidt] Arshad and her husband on September 21, 2017, and Danielle says his baby sister should arrive the following November.
Jay and Priscilla’s little one Pheobe makes an occasional appearance in the middle school office.
It’s all celebration for the Dirks after they exchanged their vows.
now, though, and has passed his probation with Cal Fire! • During that same summer Cole McMath married Kylie on August 27, 2017. • Then several months later, Alissa Salvati became Mrs. Vander
ademic year. • Owen West Ayotte’s birth
on October 23rd last year makes two kids in the Ayotte family. Jordan and his wife work together at Sandals where they create biblical curriculum for kids that will prepare them today for what they will face tomorrow.
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Corinna and Brodey march triumphantly back up the aisle after the wedding.
Las Vegas was the venue for Alissa Salvati’s marriage to Brandon Vander Hoek.
The labor is over and all the Ayottes can smile about Owen’s birth.
2008
Lots of wedding news for 2008. One that slipped by quite some time ago was that of Erika Gagnon who married Brian Taylor on May 27, 2013. • More recently, Kaylyn Ragsdale is now Mrs. Kakuska after marrying Adam on May 19, 2017. Apparently the wedding was a sensation because it was featured in “The Knot” (an online wedding planner) and the video of the wedding won “best of the year” honors. The couple remodeled the home they
A leafy arch surrounds the newlyweds, Matt and April Gibson.
2009
Last summer, firefighter Josh Dirks took Lindsay as his bride on June 10, 2017. Then he sustained a back injury which required surgery. He’s fully recovered
The Buckingham wedding was a big one with seven attendants on each side!
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WCS Alumni Newsletter 2011
Hoek after marrying Brandon on November 11, 2017 in Las Vegas. • In the new year, Bekah Sonke and Stanyan Buckingham III were married on May 18, 2018. • In maternity news, Erie Lee had her little one Eliana on June 4, 2018, and the next day, Kim [McCarty] Oxford gave birth to her fourth Sawyer Reed, born on June 5th. • This June also saw Jesse Kanning’s graduation from CBU with a major in communication. At this time, Jesse is working as a customer representative for Incipio which makes smart phone cases.
Mrs. Mindy Orr, MS Principal at WCS congratulates her son Jesse at his CBU graduation.
After graduating from Ohio State this year, Talia Ronzana was excited to announce that she had accepted a full-time position with The Buckeye Ranch in Columbus, Ohio. She expressed her passion about working for this non-profit agency that claims to provide “hope and healing to children and families through family-focused mental health treatment and services for behavioral, psychological and substance-abuse disorders.” • Another graduate from this class was Taylor [Wells] Maberry who received her MBA from La Sierra University in May of 2017. • Lindsey Char has earned her Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies. • The Dodgers foolishly traded away Trevor Oaks to the Kansas City Royals, and Trevor is now playing for their triple-A affiliate, the Omaha Storm Chasers. But he did make a brief appearance in the “bigs.” One highlight came when he got the chance to pitch against
Eliana Lee seems to be peeking to see who is looking at her.
Late in the spring, Adam and Bethany were married in Temecula.
It would have been fun to watch Trevor take the mound in Angel stadium.
Kim and Mac are going to have their hands full raising four energetic boys.
2010
Before school ended for the year, high school English teacher, Mrs. Erin Clark, took time off for her son’s wedding. Adam married Bethany Pulliam on May 17, 2018 at the Chapel of Memories in Old Town Temecula. • Katelyn (Spurr) Sage and her husband are the proud parents of Eliana Kate Sage, born on August
Jonathan and Katelyn Valedictorians Kaitlyn San see Eliana Diego as & Justin a special Myhre gift hold plaques from God for them. honoring their achievement.
19, 2018. Katelyn says, “Eliana means ‘My God has answered,’ and He surely did by giving Jonathan and I this miracle baby!”
Lindsey gets aKaitlyn Valedictorians hug from Sanher Diego brother & Justin DerekMyhre (‘09) hold plaques after her graduation. honoring their achievement.
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the Angels in Anaheim and was able to strike out Mike Trout, one of the top players in the game right now.
2012
On June 3, 2018, Zack Peters and Katelyn Grafton were wed in Temecula. • After getting cosmetology and barber licenses, Sydney Brown is working at a barber shop in Simi Valley.
Angi seems quite taken with Finlay--and that’s just as it should be. Devin and Kris moved to Omaha, Nebraska following their wedding in May.
The Temecula countryside frames the newlyweds Zack and Katelyn.
2013
It’s been almost a year since Sarah Koes married Jeff Hooker on September 16, 2017. At this time, Sarah serves as the Communications manager at her church and her husband is a professional session musician. The couple lives in Pasadena. • The following spring, on May 12, 2018, Devin Gonzales and Kris King were married. The couple lives in Omaha, Nebraska, where Devyn works at CHI Health as a Cardiac Monitor Specialist. • Corbyn
Sarah and Jeff are now based in Pasadena after their wedding.
[Carter] Schobel’s little one, Macy, was born last January. • “She is such a little blessing to me,” writes Angi Roque about her little girl Finlay Violette who was born May 16, 2018. Angi works as an admitting clerk at Parkview Hospital. • After passing her National Council Licensure Examination, Christine Scholl is now an official RN and will be working at a children’s hospital soon. • After graduating from UC Irvine, P.J. Walker entered med school at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. • In other career news, Hannah Seabert signed to play goalie for the
Danish team Fortuna Hjørring. She’s probably still celebrating after her team won the Danish National Championship!
With degree in hand, Christine passed her boards and is now a fully qualified nurse.
The photographer did a good job getting a smile from Corbyn’s seven-month-old Macy.l
P.J. looks pretty Valedictorians Kaitlyn professional San Diegowith & Justin that stetheMyhre hold plaques scope drapedhonoring around his their neck. achievement.
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Page 13 powered by a chemical reaction that her club designed won first place. Katarina had previously attended an undergraduate research program at Case Western University funded by the National Science Foundation and discovered her passion for research. So, she will be continuing her research in a PhD program in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University. (Katrina will be the first Royal to study at Stanford.)
Hannah Seabert had a great year with her team in Denmark.
2014
As you would guess, graduation news is the top story for the class of 2014. Justin White earned his degree in Marketing Management from Biola, Miranda Hernandez got her diploma from Cal State San Bernardino, and Irene Chun was a member of the class of 2018 at Pepperdine. As a Post Production Assistant on How to Get Away with Murder, season 5, Irene is working towards getting into the union as an assistant editor. • At her graduation from UCR in Biochemistry— summa cum laude, by the way—Sam Byers received the Rosemary S.J. Schraer Award and the Outstanding Achievement Award for the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, as well as several others. In addition, she has already co-authored two papers (“Site Selective Reading of Epigenetic Markers by a DualMode Synthetic Receptor Array” and “Selective Protein Recognition in Supported Lipid Bilayer Arrays by Tailored, DualMode Deep Cavitand Hosts”). Next Sam
Wearing the red of Biola, Justin, the graduate, majored in Marketing Management.
A jaunty Miranda Hernandez seems glad to be done with college degree.
We’ll just have to wait and look for Irene’s name on the credits of some production.
As the runner-up valedictorian for Chemical Engineering at Cal Poly, Katarina had the honor of carrying the departmental banner at graduation.
Just some of the honors that Sam took with her from her graduation from UCR.
Josh Arnold receives his commission as Second Lieutenant in USAF June 2018.
will be working on her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at UC San Diego. • Another summa cum laude graduate was Katarina Guzman.She served as president of the ChemE Car Club on campus, and the car
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Odds and Ends!
(Just some fun pictures I found)
Former WCS Administrator Lynn Lamy with Jen, Dan, Matt, & Steve.
Looks like Jerry Estacion’s (‘01) little guy is going to be just as zany!
Kristin Henry (‘09) and Justin Tao
Looks like Brandon & Erica [Lopez] Berl (‘06) are expecting another addition to the family.
The Kinneys (‘05, ‘07, ‘10) make quite a crowd now.
Catherine Rice at her wedding. She only attended WCS her junior year.
Nikki [Russell] Eberflus (‘03) has two kids.
Aaron Ortiz (‘06) and his family
Melissa Mace Davis’ (‘99) threesome.
Eric Coats (‘04) and his family.
Jake and Kayla [Davis] Marchesani (‘08) and their children.
Cassandra [Diaz] Campos (‘00) and her family. Ashley [Tucker] Branson (‘05) with her family.