BMHS Veritas Magazine Spring/Summer 2012

www.bmhs-la.org

T h e M a g a z i n e o f B i s h o p M o n t g o m e r y H i g h S c h o o l

S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 2

VERITAS

Carmelita Jeter ‘98 - Olympic Champion

LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Friends of Bishop Montgomery,

I thank God for each of you.

Rosemary Distaso-Libbon

Principal

2 • VERITAS BISHOP MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL

As I read the proof of this current issue of Veritas, I couldn’t help but say many prayers

of thanks for the gifts of this community—our alumni, our current students, our newly

graduated seniors, our parents, our friends. We are rich in hope and in love.

I am grateful for where I am –in this community. By virtue of our care for each other our lives are, indeed, forever changed, forever new.

We are, students, faculty, alumni, parents, friends of Bishop Montgomery, by virtue of our love and care for each other in this community, in-

terconnected by those filaments of love. It is that love that defines us as a community, which makes us different. I give thanks for each of you

who has been called to be a member of this community—and for all of those people in your lives who have loved you—for what would you now

know of love if no one had loved you first?

“Without love we are nothing: life consists in the getting and the giving of it. For what would we know of love if no one had loved us first? How

and where would we begin? With God’s help, this is how life continues, its delicate patterns interconnected by filaments of love. Certainly

what will survive of us is love.”

I am thankful for all of those—alumni, parents, friends of Bishop Montgomery—who with their love have made it possible for our students to

grow, to accept grace, to try something new, to be less afraid, to love others as Jesus did.

I am thankful for all of those who have anchored this community with their love, who through their faith in Bishop Montgomery, have helped

us to become stronger, helped to make our vision more clear, helped us to be more resolved to achieve our goals.

I am thankful for our wonderful faculty who have opened new worlds to our students, encouraged them to reach beyond themselves, to chal-

lenge, to question, to think, to dream.

I am thankful for all of the friends of Bishop Montgomery who have been faithful and who have been a constant source of strength.

I am thankful for the parents who love their children, and love them unconditionally, so often at great personal cost and sacrifice. They are a

sign of hope.

By virtue of our love and our care for each other in this community, we are interconnected by those filaments of love. We can only bring to each

other what we have been given, and so I would like to take this moment to say thank you.

There is a quotation that I have shared with our students that I think bears sharing here:

“Without love we are nothing: life consists in the getting and the giving of it. For what

would we know of love if no one had loved us first? How and where would we begin?

With God’s help, this is how life continues, its delicate patterns interconnected by the

filaments of love…..Certainly what will survive of us is love.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2012 • 3 www.bmhs-la.org

THE COLLEGE LIFE: 10Class of 2011 Study Group

Graduation 2012 8

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS Feedback 4News from BMHS 12Athletics 20Development 23Class Notes 24

C o n t e n t s

Is There a Doctor in the House? 12

Cover StoryCarmelita Jeter ‘98: Olympic Champion

Above: Jeter, second from the left, and her 4x100m relay teammates show

off their new world record. Photo by AP/Matt Dunham.

The Magazine of Bishop Montgomery High School

V E R I T A SThe Latin word Veritas is defined “truth.” In Roman mythology, Veritas was the goddess of truth, a daughter of Saturn and the mother of Virtue. Veritas is also the name given to the Ro-man virtue of truthfulness, which was considered one of the many virtues any good Roman should have possessed. “Veritas” is included in many university mottos as well, including Yale University’s Lux et Veritas (Light and Truth). Veritas is also the motto of Harvard University, and the Dominican Order of the Roman Catholic Church. The BMHS motto is “justice, truth, honor” and the case can be made that all pursuits, if they are valid, must first be rooted in truth. We, as a school community, certainly strive to achieve that goal.

VERITAS magazine is published two times a year by the Marketing/PR Office of Bishop Montgomery High School. For more information or to send comments or suggestions, please contact:

Andy Marafino Director of Marketing & Public Relations

Bishop Montgomery High School5430 Torrance Boulevard

Torrance, California 90503 (310) 540-2021 ext. [email protected]

www.bmhs-la.org

Publisher: Rosemary Libbon, Principal

Editors: Andy Marafino, Director of Marketing & PR Dione Dierks, Asst. Director of Marketing Amy Traxler, Development John Hong, Publications Director

Photo Credits: BMHS Yearbook/John Hong: 2, 7, 8, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25; Laura Bell ‘11: 9; Jan Fitzpatrick: 15; Daisy Franco ‘11: 3, 10; Mary Gendy ‘96: 13 Grad Images: 3, 8; Tyler Harvey ‘11: 11; Kelley Hender son: 15; Cody Lee ‘11: 11; LifeTouch: 10, 11; Kevin Paredes ‘11: 10; Lori Rodriguez: 22; Bernadette St. James: 19

Printer: Shanahan Printing & Graphics, Inc.Cover Photo: AP/Lee Jin-man

Carmelita Jeter ‘98

In the long, celebrated history of Bishop Montgomery athletics, there have been countless athletes who have gone on to compete at the highest levels both collegiately and professionally. Former Knights have been college All-American selections in sports including baseball, basketball, football, tennis, and track. Alumni have also been drafted onto the rosters of professional

teams in the NFL, WNBA, and Major League Baseball. But until now, no former BMHS athlete has ever commandeered such national and international attention the way alumna and Olympic gold medalist Carmelita Jeter ‘98 has.


Olympic Champion

Carmelita Jeter ‘98

www.bmhs-la.org SPRING/SUMMER 2012 • 5

Pho

to: A

P/M

att

Dun

ham

COVER STORY

Olympic Champion

COVER STORY

6 • VERITAS

Top: Jeter is all smiles after winning the silver medal in the women’s 100m at the

2012 London Olympics. Photo by AP/David J. Phillip. Opposite page: Jeter signs

autographs for prospective students at Bishop’s Open House in December 2011.

BISHOP MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL

All of Jeter’s recent success is

certainly not without precedent.

While a student at Bishop Mont-

gomery, she was a standout on the

track, finishing 4th in the 100m at

the 1998 CIF Division III Finals in a

time of 11.88 and qualifying for the

prestigious CIF Master’s meet. “I

received a great education and got

a chance to test my skills out on

the track at Bishop,” recalls Jeter. “I

gained a confidence in myself that

allowed me to run in college.”

On June 23, Jeter (pronounced

JET-er) made school history when

she won the women’s 100m race

at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field

Trials, becoming the first gradu-

ate from BMHS to represent the

United States in the Olympics. But

that was just the beginning of what

would prove to be a memorable

summer for Jeter.

After a freshman year at CSUDH in

which she was a 2-time All-Amer-

ican, Jeter began to lose focus. Af-

ter her coach, Wayne Edmundson,

took her aside and reminded her

how much getting an education

would mean to her and her family,

she re-dedicated herself to her stud-

ies and to her efforts on the track.

By graduation, with her degree

in physical education, Jeter was a

6-time All-American for the Toros

and, in a sense, an athlete capable of

even greater things.Following graduation, Jeter went

on to have a decorated career at Cal

State, Dominguez Hills where she

holds the school record in the 100m

(11.43) and 200m (23.65). She was

also a 3-time runner-up in the 100m

at the NCAA Division II National

Championships. These early suc-

cesses, however, were not without

For Jeter, making the Olympic

team was a dream come true and

came after so many years of hard

work. When asked about the most

challenging part of her journey to

London, Jeter gave a response that

proved to be prophetic. “The most

challenging part was not making

the team in 2008 and having to wait

patiently until 2012 to show the

world I was ready.” And was she

ever ready!

Jeter returned to Bishop Mont-

gomery in 2005 as the Head Track

& Field Coach for both boys’ and

girls’ from 2005-2008. During that

time she led both squads to multi-

ple league titles (2005 & 2006) and

learned lessons that helped carry

The final race for Jeter, the wom-

en’s 4x100m relay, proved to be the

most successful race, and provided

the London Games with one of its

most recognizable moments. Jeter

and her USA teammates, Tianna

Madison, Felix, and Bianca Knight,

won the gold medal in a new world

record time of 40.82, shattering the

27-year old world record of 41.37

set by the East Germans. It was a

flawless race for the Americans and

when Jeter, who ran the anchor leg,

crossed the finished line, she point-

ed to the clock showing that she

and her teammates had broken the

world record. “When I crossed the

finish line I just had so many emo-

tions because we haven’t been able

to get the gold medal back to the

U.S. since 1996, and we just made

history,” Jeter told the media after

the race. It was also appropriate

that someone named Knight was

the teammate who passed the

At the 2012 London Olympics, Jeter

took home medals in all three of the

events in which she ran, capping

one of the most successful games

for any American. She began on Au-

gust 3-4 in the women’s 100m, one

of the Olympics’ signature events.

In one of the fastest races ever re-

corded, Jeter won the silver medal

in a time of 10.78, just behind Ja-

maica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

(10.75). For the first time Olympian,

winning the silver was an unforget-

table moment. “I’m so excited to

have gotten a medal,” Jeter told the

media. “It feels so good.”

A few days later, on August 8,

Jeter won the bronze medal in the

women’s 200m. She finished in

22.14, just behind USA teammate

Allyson Felix (21.88) and Fraser-

Pryce (22.09). For Jeter, winning

the bronze put her in rare United

States Olympic company. She be-

came the first American woman to

medal in both the 100m and 200m

at the same games since Florence

Griffith-Joyner in 1988.

baton to Jeter for that final, histori-

cal anchor leg.

a few bumps along the way that

helped mold the athlete and person

she is today.

COVER STORY


her to where she is today. “I was

fortunate enough to have great kids

all four years I coached [at BMHS],”

recalls Jeter. “They taught me pa-

tience, how to listen, and also never

to give up. Going to Bishop and

going back to coach after college

paved my way to where I am today.”

The roots of Jeter’s rise to national

and international prominence re-

ally began with her disappointment

in not making the 2008 Olympic

team. After a successful 2007 track

season in which she won gold at the

World Athletic Finals, silver at the

U.S. Indoor Track & Field Cham-

pionships and bronze at the World

Championships, Jeter says she felt

unstoppable. In February 2012, she

shared with an audience at Domin-

guez Hills that this feeling may have

been her downfall. “No matter how

good you think you are, you still

have to work hard because there’s

always someone else who is work-

ing harder.” Seeking to improve her

performance and fulfill her dream of

running in the Olympics, she hired

With a renewed work ethic in

place, Jeter re-introduced herself

to the world in 2009 with an out-

standing season on the track. In

September, at the Shanghai Golden

Grand Prix, Jeter ran the 100m in

10.64 to become the second-fast-

est woman ever behind the late

Griffith-Joyner, and earned the title

of “Fastest Woman in the World.”

The next stop for Jeter was the

IAAF World Track & Field Cham-

pionships in Korea. On August 29,

2011, in a thrilling race in which she

A few days later, Jeter took the

silver in the 200m (22.37) and fol-

lowed that up by anchoring the

United States’ gold-medal winning

women’s 4x100m relay. With all

the medals she won, Jeter needed

to pack another bag for her flight

home. It was a bag fee she was cer-

tainly happy to pay.

Upon her return to U.S. soil, the

accolades for Jeter began piling

up. In November, she was named

the winner of the 2011 Jesse Owens

Award, the highest honor given by

USA Track & Field. Shortly after,

she was presented with the pres-

tigious Sportswoman of the Year

award by the LA Sports Council.

Performance aside, it is perhaps

Jeter’s character that makes her the

standout athlete and person she is

today. Even with her busy schedule,

she volunteers with Susan G. Ko-

men for the Cure in the fight against

breast cancer. She also finds time

each year to come back to BMHS

to visit her former teachers and col-

leagues and speak to the 8th grade

students who visit the school’s

Open House. This past Decem-

ber, she joined three other former

Knights’ athletes at Bishop’s 2011

Open House, speaking to the pro-

spective students and signing auto-

graphs. “It was such a treat to have

Carmelita back on campus,” said

Andy Marafino, BMHS’ Director of

Marketing. “It was a great moment

for our school.”

With her stock as an athlete soar-

ing, images of Jeter can be seen in

numerous media outlets. She has

been featured in Vogue magazine,

ESPN The Magazine, and Sports Illus-

trated, just to name a few. She has

also been featured on ESPN and the

Oprah Winfrey Network and was

nominated for the ESPY for Best

Track & Field Athlete. Her website,

www.carmelitajeter.com, has links

to video of her races and she can be

followed on Facebook and Twitter

(@CarmelitaJeter).

It is safe to say that competing in the

Olympics was at the top of Jeter’s

list of professional accomplish-

ments, as it would be for almost any

athlete. “It meant the world to me

to be a United States Olympian be-

cause I was representing everyone

when I was on that track,” explains

Jeter. “It was an honor to wear the

red, white, and blue.” For everyone

in the Bishop Montgomery com-

munity, it was an honor to watch

Carmelita compete with the world’s

finest, and know that, while in Lon-

don, she also represented the Black

& Gold.

In 2010, Jeter continued to post

outstanding times at meets around

the globe, but it was in 2011 when

the frustrations of 2008 were finally

erased and the fruits of her labor

were realized. In June, Jeter won

gold in the 100m at the USA Track

& Field Championships in Oregon

in a time of 10.74 and captured her

first national title. She also took the

silver medal in the 200m.

a new coach and began working

harder than ever.

came from behind, Jeter won the

women’s 100m in a time of 10.90 to

claim her first world title. She re-

calls crossing the finish line, glanc-

ing up at the scoreboard, and asking

herself, “I did it?” With the victory

hers, she broke into a smile that

could be seen all the way back to

the South Bay.

GRADUATION 2012

On June 1, the 270 members of the Class of 2012 graduated dur-

ing the 52nd commencement ex-

ercises in Knight Stadium. With

Fr. Jim Anguiano, Director of the House of

Formation for the Archdiocese of Los An-

geles, presiding, the members of the class

ended their storied high school careers

and looked forward to beginning the next

chapter of their lives. In her address to the

class, salutatorian Nikki Windisch ‘12,

who will attend USC, eloquently summed

up her final wish for her classmates, telling

them to “take the lessons you have learned,

the love you have received, and the knowl-

edge that you have gained and apply it to

the rest of your life.”

The Class of 2012 Makes Their Mark on the School

Brookshire ‘12 (Northwestern),

Corrine Kosidlak ‘12 (El Camino),

Cazimir Park ‘12 (UCLA), Erin

Morken ‘12 (UCLA), Austin Hen-

trup ‘12 (LMU), and Catherynn

Vuong ‘12 (Stanford). Brookshire,

who will attend Northwestern Uni-

versity on a full basketball schol-

arship, delivered the valedictory

speech. In her address to the class,

Brookshire reminisced about her

first days of school as a freshman

and captured the essence of what

Bishop Montgomery is all about. “It

is the people of Bishop that make it what it is. Here, you are known for

who you are, not simply what you do...We are a community that cel-

ebrates people: quirky, cool, quiet, and everything in between.”

• 1 Graduate whose mother and grandmother are BMHS alumnae

• 2 (> 1%) Seniors attending vocational schools

• 2 (> 1%) Seniors pursuing military service

• 3 National Merit Commended Students

• 10 Student-Athletes competing at the collegiate level

Class of 2012: By The Numbers

BISHOP MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL 8 • VERITAS

In all, there were 13 valedictorians (pictured, l to r): Andrew Capulong

‘12 (UC Irvine), Danielle Benedetti ‘12 (NYU), Kaitlin McGillivray ‘12

(USC), Eric Hambly ‘12 (UCLA), Nikki Windisch ‘12 (USC), Miranda

Davies ‘12 (UCLA), Meredith Bibbo ‘12 (Cal Poly SLO), Devon

“ W e a r e a c o m m u n i t y t h a t c e l e b r a t e s p e o p l e : q u i r k y , c o o l , q u i e t , a n d e v e r y t h i n g i n b e t w e e n . ” Devon Brookshire ‘12, Valedictorian

Over $2 millionearned in college scholarship/merit offers

99%of seniors attending college

• 224 (83%) Seniors attending 4-year institutions

• 241 (97%) Applicants accepted to 4-year institutions

• 248 Seniors who applied to 4-year institutions

• 270 Seniors

• 12,954 Combined hours of Christian service completed by the class

25seniors with parents who graduated from BMHS

• 42 (16%) Seniors attending 2-year colleges

• 45 (17%) Seniors attending UC System

• 50 (18%) Seniors attending Private California Colleges

• 52 (19%) Seniors attending Out-of-State Colleges

• 57 Percent of the class graduating with honors

• 77 (29%) Seniors attending Cal State System

• 97 California Scholarship Federation Sealbearers

4sets of twins

The Class of 2012 Makes Their Mark on the School

Class of 2012 College Matriculation

GRADUATION 2012


Members of the Class of 2012 were accepted to:

* indicates school attended by a member (s) of the Class of 2012

Bold indicates US News & World Report Top 100 National University

Robert Morris University Rochester Institute of Technology University of Rochester Saint Joseph's University Saint Louis University Saint Mary's College of California *University of San Diego *University of San Francisco *Santa Barbara City College *Santa Clara University *Santa Monica College Savannah College of Art and Design Seattle Pacific University *Seattle University Soka University of America *University of South Carolina University of South Florida *University of Southern California Southern Methodist University *University of Southern Mississippi Southern University and A&M College *Spelman College St. Catherine University *St. John's University *Stanford University Suffolk University Syracuse University University of Tampa University of Tennessee Texas A&M University Texas Christian University University of Texas, El Paso Tufts University Tulane University University of Toronto University of Utah *Valparaiso University Vanderbilt University *Vanguard University Villanova University Virginia Polytechnic Institute Wagner College Washington State University Washington University in St. Louis University of Washington *West Los Angeles College *Western Oregon University *Wheaton College Whittier College Whitworth University *Wiley College Willamette University College of William and Mary Woodbury University Xavier University Xavier University of Louisiana Youngstown State University

Academy of Art University University of Alabama University of Alberta Allegheny College *American University *Arizona State University *University of Arizona *The Art Institute of California Auburn University *Azusa Pacific University Baylor University Bethel University *Bethune-Cookman UniversityBinghamton University *Biola University *Boise State University Boston College *Boston University Brandeis University Brigham Young University University of British Columbia*Bryan School of Court Reporting *UC Berkeley *UC Davis *UC Irvine *UCLA *UC Merced *UC Riverside *UC San Diego *UC Santa Barbara *UC Santa Cruz *California Baptist University California Lutheran University *Cal Poly Pomona *Cal Poly San Luis Obispo California School of Culinary Arts Cal State Bakersfield Cal State Channel Islands *Cal State Chico *Cal State Dominguez Hills Cal State East Bay Cal State Fresno *Cal State Fullerton *Cal State Humboldt*Cal State Long Beach *Cal State Los Angeles *Cal State Monterey Bay Cal State Northridge *Cal State Sacramento Cal State San Bernardino*Cal State San Diego*Cal State San Francisco*Cal State San Jose *Cal State San Marcos*Cal State Sonoma Cal State Stanislaus Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve UniversityThe Catholic University of America Centenary College of Louisiana

*Cerritos College Champlain College *Chapman University University of Colorado at Boulder University of Colorado at Denver Colorado School of Mines *Colorado State University Colorado State University Pueblo *Concordia University - Irvine Concordia University - Portland Connecticut College *University of Connecticut Creighton University Daemen College *University of Denver Dillard University Dominican University of California Drexel University Eckerd College *El Camino College Elon University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Emerson College *Emory University *Evergreen State College Fairfield University Florida International University Florida Technical College Fordham University *George Fox University George Mason University *George Washington University Georgia Institute of Technology Gonzaga University *Goucher College Grinnell College Hampton University Haverford College University of Hawaii at Manoa Hawaii Pacific University Holy Names University Hope College Hope International University *Howard University *University of Illinois *Illinois Institute of Technology Indiana University Iona College Juniata College Kalamazoo College Kansas State University The King's College La Sierra University *University of La Verne Lasell College Lewis & Clark CollegeLong Beach City College *Los Angeles Harbor College *Los Angeles Music AcademyLouisiana State University

Louisiana State University, Shreveport Louisiana Tech University *Loyola Marymount University *Loyola University Chicago Loyola University New Orleans Lynn University Macalester College Manhattanville College Marist College Marquette University *Maryland Institute College of Art *Marymount College *University of Massachusetts *McGill University University of Miami University of Michigan University of Minnesota Mississippi State University Missouri University of Science and Technology University of Missouri Morehouse College *Mount St. Mary's College Musicians Institute *University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of New Brunswick Saint John New Mexico State University University of New Mexico *New York University *University of North Carolina, Wilmington North Dakota State University University of North Dakota *Northeastern University *Northern Arizona University *Northwestern University Notre Dame de Namur University *University of Notre Dame Occidental College *Oregon State University University of Oregon Pace University *Pacific Lutheran University *University of the Pacific Pennsylvania State University, Altoona Pennsylvania State UniversityPepperdine University *Pierce CollegePoint Loma Nazarene University Portland State University University of Portland Purdue University *University of Redlands Regis UniversityRensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rice University University of Richmond*Riverside City College

“ W e a r e a c o m m u n i t y t h a t c e l e b r a t e s p e o p l e : q u i r k y , c o o l , q u i e t , a n d e v e r y t h i n g i n b e t w e e n . ” Devon Brookshire ‘12, Valedictorian


THE COLLEGE LIFE:

FEATURE

The Class of 2011 Project

In last year’s spring/summer issue of Veritas, we introduced you to five graduates of the Class of 2011, each of

whom agreed to allow us to follow them on their journey through their college ex-perience. The purpose of the study is not only to learn more about what college life is like, but, more importantly, it is to learn about the successes these graduates expe-rience, the challenges they face, and the role Bishop Montgomery played in their lives. Here is a glimpse of their freshman year experiences.

CLASS OF 2011After getting lost on her way to

classes and battling feelings of lone-

liness during her first week, Laura

Bell, pictured with some dorm-

mates, settled in to life on the UC

Davis campus. The most difficult

part of adjusting to college life as

a freshman was, according to Bell,

“responsibly managing the inde-

pendence” she suddenly had going

to school away from home. “I had to

budget my time not only for schoolwork and sleep,” explains Bell, “but

also for doing laundry, running errands, and socializing. It really required

a lot of self-control.” With the help of her dormmates, Bell quickly made

new friends and adapted to college life. Her favorite part of freshman year

was living in the dorms because “it really helped me bond with my class-

mates and provided me with the support system I needed.” Academi-

cally, Bell did not have much room in her schedule to take classes other

than those required by her major as she looks ahead to med school (she

is a double major in NPB - neurobiology, physiology, and behavior - and

Psychology), but she feels BMHS prepared her for her classes. “I felt like

I was very prepared for college math,” explains Bell. “My calculus class

for the first two quarters was fairly easy thanks to Mr. V’s [AP Calculus

BC].” I’ve felt pretty well prepared for college-level writing as well.”

FEATURE


Cody Lee’s

first year at

Cal Poly San

Luis Obispo

was both fun and

difficult, and he

enjoyed his first

year “being in-

dependent and

experiencing new

things.” He made friends quickly through dorm life and

considers them his family away from home. His mechani-

cal engineering classes were challenging, yet fun. “Col-

lege was a lot harder than I expected with the amount of

studying I had to do,” he says. “But my engineering labs

were fun.” His first year has also led him to an internship

this summer with Northrop Grumman. “I will be work-

ing there applying the knowledge I have received from

my major into real life work,” he explains.

When she was a junior

at BMHS, Daisy Franco

had the opportunity to

visit colleges in Wash-

ington, D.C. through a

group hosted and funded

by former Bishop student

and current Philadelphia

Eagle standout Nnamdi

Asomugha (Veritas Spring/

summer 2010). It is no sur-

prise, then, that she landed

at prestigious Georgetown

University, where she is

thriving as an International Politics major in the School of Foreign Service. “George-

town is just like Bishop,” explains Franco, pictured with her roommate. “I have the

same, small community feeling.” Despite the small-school atmosphere, Franco has also

already had some experiences one can only get in the nation’s Capitol. In May, she

attended the Clinton Global Initiative Conference where Asomugha inroduced her to

President Clinton, his daughter Chelsea, and television personality Jon Stewart. “It was

the most amazing moment of my life,” explains Franco. She also took part in a Wash-

ington, D.C. tradition of taking the midnight monument walk. Even with all of these

activities going on, Franco’s primary focus continued to be her studies and meeting

as many people as possible. “The coursework was immense,” she explains. “I read, on

average, three books a week...but Bishop prepared me.” From the moment she stepped

foot on campus as a freshman, Franco fell in love with the school. “I’ve met some of the

most motivated and interesting people here,” she explains. “Everyone here wants to do

so much with their lives.”

Tyler Harvey expereinced a little bit of a culture shock going from a busy city like

Torrance to a small town like Cheney, Washington, where he’s enrolled at Eastern

Washington University on a basketball scholar-

ship. But the friendliness of the people and “cool”

teachers made his freshman year enjoyable, even

though it was “a lot of hard work both on the bas-

ketball court and in [the classroom],” explains

Harvey. “I had no expectations when I arrived

at EWU,” says Harvey. “I just went in with an

open mind about school.” As a student-athlete,

Harvey has a very busy lifestyle, balancing bas-

ketball and school, but he enjoyed being on his

own. “My favorite part of college was the free-

dom,” he explains. “You do not have to cater to

anyone’s schedule but your own.” Academically,

Harvey learned quickly that every class was go-

ing to require a lot of reading and writing. “I feel

like Bishop prepared me tremendously for all the work college had to offer,” explains

Harvey, who will major in communications and pursue a minor in African American

history. Overall, Harvey had a great expereince and “can’t wait to go back.”

Kevin Paredes arrived

at Southwest Baptist

University in Missouri

and realized something

very quickly - that de-

spite meeting people

from all over the world,

he had more in com-

mon with his class-

mates than he thought.

As a student-athlete

on the football team,

and a self-proclaimed

shy person, Paredes

initially did not meet

as many poeple as he

would have liked, other than the 120 players on the team.

However, he credits the diversity of BMHS with mak-

ing it easier to meet the many different types of people

at SBU. One of his favorite aspects of college life is “the

amount of respect and responsibilty I have [as an ath-

lete],” explains Paredes. He also enjoys being on his own,

even though dorm life at SBU is very strict. But, he ex-

plains, “It was nothing someone with a mom like mine

has trouble getting used to.” After his first year, Paredes

has decided to change his major from business to public

relations in order to suit his strengths. Overall, college

life at SBU was pretty much what he expected, although

he was surprised that he was very well prepared for the

academics. “I didn’t struggle at all,” explains Paredes. “I

have Bishop to thank for that!”

FEATURE


The origin of the phrase “Is there a doctor

in the house?” comes from the world of

theatre, when the stage manager would

request a doctor if a patron fell ill in the audi-

ence, or house. For one family of Bishop Mont-

gomery alumni, however, the phrase has a whole

new meaning. If asked in the Gendy household,

all four siblings might come running to the res-

cue. Following in their father’s footsteps, Mary

‘96, Lisa ‘97, George ‘00, and Mina Gendy ‘05

have all traveled the path to become doctors.

While at BMHS, oldest sibling Mary volun-

teered in the pediatric ER at Harbor/UCLA

Hospital and was involved in BMHS’ Biomedi-

cal Practicum, a class designed to give students

hands-on experience in the medical world.

With her interest in becoming a doctor begin-

ning to blossom, Mary went on to UCLA where

she graduated in 2000 with a degree in psycho-

biology. She received her Doctor of Medicine

from Wright State University in Ohio before

her training took her to several other parts of the

country. In 2007, she completed her residency in

emergency medicine at the University of South

Florida, followed by a year at Allegheny General

In 2008, Mary returned “home” to the South

Bay and began working in the ER at both San

Pedro Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital in Long

Beach. What she is most excited about, how-

ever, is practicing sports medicine. Since 2011,

she has served as one of the team physicians for

the Los Angeles Dodgers, and recently opened

her own sports medicine practice just down the

street from BMHS. “I really enjoy working with

the Dodgers,” explains Mary, who, along with

three other doctors, rotates shifts for the team’s

home games. “All of the players are great guys.”

Her immediate goals are to keep working with

the Dodgers and get her practice going. She will

also find time this fall to volunteer her services

assisting BMHS’ trainers on the sidelines of

Knights’ home football games.

loskeletal sports conditions and joint disor-

ders. One of the procedures she specializes in

is Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy, a treatment

used to speed the healing process in athletes and

made famous recently by such athletes as Tiger

Woods and Kobe Bryant. “My practice is not

just for athletes, though,” explains Mary. “We

treat patients of all ages for such things as ar-

thritis, carpal tunnel, and tendon injuries.”

in the House?

Is There aDoctor

If it sounds like Mary leads a busy life, it is noth-

ing compared to what lies ahead. In August, she

and her husband, Anthony Abosief, a lawyer,

will welcome their first child.

Hospital - Drexel University in Pittsburgh,

where she received her training in sports medi-

cine. While at Allegheny Hospital, Mary worked

as a team physician for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Mary and her younger sister, Lisa, are typical of

siblings who grew up just a year apart - they are

very close in many, many ways. After graduat-

ing from BMHS a year after Mary, Lisa didn’t

stray too far from her sister in the ensuing years.

She went on to UCLA where she graduated in

2001 with a degree in psychobiology. When she

joined Mary at Wright State University to get

her medical degree, Lisa was not only study-

ing side-by-side with her sister, but they were

roommates as well. “It was such a comfort to be

At The Sports Medicine and Joint Center, lo-

cated across from the Torrance Marriott, Mary

specializes in non-surgical treatments of muscu-

Four alumni siblings - Mary ‘96, Lisa ‘97, George ‘00, and Mina ‘05 Gendy - follow the path to becoming doctors.

FEATURE


When asked why she and her siblings have

been so successful in high school, college and in

their careers, Mary credits her parents for their

motivation and Bishop Montgomery for rein-

forcing the family values they learned at home.

“It always felt like a family at Bishop,” explains

Mary. “Our parents pushed us to do well and

the teachers truly cared about us. They helped

us strive to succeed, but we are all pretty self-

motivated as well.”

Mina also found motivation to become a dentist

from his own orthodontist, Dr. Mike Yagake.

“He cares so much about all his patients,” says

Mina. “He fixed my smile and I want to be able

to do that for other people.” To get to that point,

Mina recently started a year-long residency pro-

gram at the VA Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah.

After applying to programs all over the country,

Mina settled on the hospital-based dentistry

program in Utah because of the specialized

For Mina, working in a hospital allows him

to learn more about the medical side of den-

tistry and provides more opportunities for him.

“Whether I decide to work in a private practice

or not, I will be better equipped to handle men-

dical emergencies,” he explains. “This will give

me more hospital privileges and give me the

experience of working with a medical team.”

Someday, Mina hopes to return to southern

California, but for now, he is “leaving his canvas

open” in regards to his future and he is enjoying

life in Utah. “The program is very surgery-based

and the hospital is a brand new facility,” he ex-

plains. “And the people here are very nice.”

In a family of four children, there is bound to be

a sibling who strays from what might be consid-

ered the norm. For the Gendy’s, that person is

youngest sibling, Mina. “I’m kind of the aberra-

tion in the family,” admits Mina with a hint of

both humor and truth. “We are all pretty mo-

tivated, but I had to be pushed a little harder,

but it’s been a blessing.” Following graduation

from Bishop, Mina followed his own path and

found his way to the University of the Pacific

in Stockton where he graduated with a degree

in biology. In keeping with family tradition, he

enrolled at UCLA and, this past June, graduated

from the School of Dentistry. “I wanted to be a

dentist since high school,” explains Mina, whose

father is a dentist. He spent many of his days as

a teenager helping in his father’s office. “I’d be

lying if I said my dad didn’t have anything to do

with me [becoming a dentist].”

Following her graduation from medical school,

Lisa returned to California where she did her

residency in pediatrics at Loma Linda Univer-

sity Medical Center in Orange County. After

completing her residency in 2008, Lisa spent

the next few years completing a pediatric pul-

monary fellowship at UC Irvine. Asked why

she chose to specialize in pediatric pulmonol-

ogy, Lisa recalled studying a few cases in which

kids with asthma had either died or been left in

a vegetative state. “I wanted to know why these

things happened with something that can be

prevented,” she explained.

Today, Lisa works as a pediatrician at Phoenix

Children’s Hospital where she specializes in

treating children with asthma, cystic fibrosis,

and other respiratory ailments. “I love working

with children,” explains Lisa. “What is most re-

warding about being a doctor is helping people

and really making a difference in what you do.”

In the near future, Lisa hopes to return to south-

ern California with her family and continue to

practice pediatric medicine. She and her hus-

band, cardiologist Rimon Shaker, have two chil-

dren, daughter Anna, 3, and son John, 2.

Sibling number three, but the oldest of the

brothers, is George, who followed his two older

sisters to UCLA where he earned his degree in

2003. Like his sisters, he headed to the Midwest

for medical school and landed at the University

of Wisconsin. He finished his medical degree in

2007 and followed Lisa to Loma Linda Univer-

sity Medical Center to complete an internship

in surgery in 2008. Seeing where his path was

taking him, George, who is married to Teresa

Ruiz, spent the next four years in residency at

Loma Linda practicing to become an orthopedic

surgeon, specializing in foot and ankle ailments.

His wife is currently completing her residency

in radiology at Loma Linda.

Currently, George is in Oakland studying un-

der reknown orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Roger

Mann. During his six-month fellowship with

Dr. Mann, George works one-on-one with one

of the top orthopedic surgeons in the country as

he prepares to take his boards. “George is pretty

immersed in studying for the boards right now,”

explains Mary. “He doesn’t even return my texts

or calls right now.”

living with my sister,” recalls Lisa. “It made

things easier for me.”

training he will receive. During his one year

residency, Mina will work with patients who

have compromised medical conditions such as

cardiovascular disease, kidney problems, and

cancers affecting the head and neck.

Above: Though often separated by many miles, the Gendy children gather together for Lisa’s birthday in 2011.

Top row (l to r): George, Mary, Anthony Abosief. Bottom row (l to r): Teresa Ruiz, Mina, Lisa, Rimon Shaker.

NEWS FROM BMHS

BISHOP MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL 14 / ANNUAL REPORT

Faculty’s Got Talent

On May 2-3, Thomas More Hall became the place to be as the BMHS faculty took to the

stage for the Faculty Talent Show. Under the direction of English teacher Ms. Deb-

bie Skelley, 47 faculty members showed off their various “talents” (a term used very

loosely) during four performances. The show was organized in just over a week and all proceeds

went to the BMHS Queen of Angels Tuition Assistance Fund. “It was not difficult to get the fac-

ulty up on stage,” explained Skelley. “They were all very motivated to do something for the fund

and to give something back to the students.” Through ticket sales, concessions, and DVD sales

over $4,000 was raised.

Emcee and BMHS Math teacher Jake Roehl ‘92 started things off by giv-

ing a disclaimer to the audience, stating that no matter how the show

turned out, no refunds would be given. He also let the audience know

that the teachers had given up a lot of their time and most of their dignity

to participate. The

show kicked off with

a "classroom" skit

that was a hit with

the students. Over

twenty faculty mem-

bers played a role in

the spoof of daily life

in a BMHS classroom.

During one of the

performances, Skelley

overheard a student in

the audience say, “Hey,

they’re making fun of us.” “I think the students were delighted to know

that the teachers know all the little things the students do in their class-

rooms,” explained Skelley. “The teachers were poking fun at the students

at their own expense.”

ABOVE:(L to R): Mr. Butler, Ms. Britton, Ms. Johnson, and Ms. Reano in the classroom skit.

The next act was called "Lunchtime" and featured Mr. Hong, Mr. Sansa-

lone, Ms. Skelley, Ms. Meehan, Ms. Walle, Ms. Gilker, Ms. Posedel, and

Ms. Rey. The reading of "Three Sleepy Kittens" was a big success with Mr.

Vucajnk, Ms. Bagnell, Ms. Delgado,

and Ms. Posedel. The dancing of Ms.

Moreau and Ms. Rudder was next

with "It Ain't No Sin," and the first

half of the show closed with "Mort-

gage on the Cow" featuring Mr. Mas-

ters, Ms. Galdamez, Ms. Gilker, Ms.

The second half of the show was

kick-started by the nuns of "Sister

Act." They were: Sister Amy (Mee-

han), Sister Mary (Gilker), Sister

Lisa (Walle), Sister Linda (Reano),

Sister Carrie (Rey), Sister Megan

(Moreau), Sister Melissa (Rudder), Sister Cynthia (Delay), Sister John

(Hong) and Sister John (Sansalone). Next up was the lip-synching

ABOVE:Mr. Vucajnk, center, reads “Three Sleepy Kittens” to (l to r) Ms. Posedel, Ms. Bag-nell, and Ms. McDorman.

of “One Direction’s” hit “You Don’t Know You’re Beautiful,’ featuring Mr.

Marafino, Mr. Roehl, Mr. Nakashima, and Mr. Garriepy. Ms. Williams,

Ms. Gilker, Ms. Rudder, and Ms. Moreau showed off their dancing skills

in "Irish Dancing" and they were followed by "Las Minions" from ‘Despi-

cable Me’ with the BMHS Spanish teachers - Ms. Fabbri, Ms. Galdamez,

Ms. Luhrsen, Ms.

Posedel, Ms. Reano,

and Ms. Rodriguez.

The show ended

with an "ESPN" skit

starring Mr. Mutrie,

Mr. Mitchell, Mr.

Marafino, Ms. Brit-

ton, and Ms. Skelley.

With all four per-

formances sold out,

it was clear that the

show was a huge success. “I don’t think there are many schools where

this could be done so effectively,” said Skelley. “We have a faculty that

was willing, on short notice, to get out there and be so trusting of the

students. There is such a special relationship between the faculty and stu-

dents here.”

ABOVE:(l to r) Mr. Marafino, Mr. Roehl, Mr. Nakashima, and Mr. Garriepy as ‘One Direction.’

Special ‘thank you’s’ to the following for making the show a success: the

sound and stage crew of seniors Anthony “Buddy” Barreras ‘12, Joshua

Weigley ‘12, and Christian Gumacal ‘12; the BMHS Maintenance Staff;

faculty volunteers; and, Principal Ms. Rosemary Libbon. We also thank

all of those who came out to support the event and the Queen of Angels

Tuition Assistance Fund.

The week following the show, DVD’s were available at the stu-

dent store for $5.00. Before the end of break on the first day of

sales, all 85 DVD’s were purchased and the students lined up for

more. In all, 139 DVD’s have been purchased and more are being

made. If you are interested in purchasing a DVD of the show, call

310-540-2021 ext. 246.

Stay tuned for the 2013 Faculty Talent Show, which will be held

the week of January 23, 2013.

www.bmhs-la.org

ABOVE:Kelley Henderson ‘14 spends time playing with the children at Bible Camp in South Africa.

SPRING/SUMMER 2012 • 15

Prior to Easter break, Bishop Montgomery junior Kelley Henderson

’14 had, in many ways, never really left the South Bay. When she

heard about an opportunity to take a mission trip with her church, Roll-

ing Hills Covenant, she knew she had to

jump at the chance. Growing up in Redondo

Beach, Henderson had always enjoyed a life

of comfort and safety. “God was calling me

to go out of my comfort zone this year,” she

explained. As it turned out, God sent her a

world away from the South Bay.

The trip was truly a life-changing experience for Henderson, who not

only plans on taking more mission trips, but also plans on being an el-

ementary school teacher someday. She is already looking into studying

education and child development at either Biola University or Texas

Christian University. “Next summer,” she commented, “I am already

planning on taking a trip to the Dominican Republic.”

When asked about the best lesson she learned dur-

ing her mission to South Africa, Henderson spoke

about the love the young people she worked with

have in their hearts. “Watching people suffer never

really processed in my head until I saw it first-

hand,” explained Henderson. “Yet, these kids were

so happy and so happy to see us. They clung to us as

soon as we got there. It is just amazing how much

people can love.”

During her second week, Henderson and the group from Rolling Hills

Covenant worked with teenagers from nearby Bridges Academy in their

after-school program. The academy provides a safe environment for the

orphans and is dedicated to equipping leaders who

will strengthen their communities and bring about

positive change in their nation. “The most impor-

tant thing we could do for them,” explained Hen-

derson, “is to show them how much Christ loves

them.” In all, Henderson estimates that her group

worked with 130 kids.

Henderson spent her entire two-week

Easter break working in children’s minis-

try in the town of Franschhoek, South Af-

rica, about an hour outside of Cape Town.

Along with fourteen other young men and

women from Rolling Hills Covenant, Hen-

derson embarked on a 28-hour flight from

Los Angeles to South Africa, with stops in

Turkey and Johannesburg. After settling

in Franschhoek, Henderson spent the first

week of her mission working with orphans as a counselor at a Bible

study camp. “Our mission,” explained Henderson “was to bring them to

Christ.” Working with the young kids was an eye-opening experience

for Henderson, who, admittedly, did not have much patience for children

prior to the trip. “Seeing these kids happy with nothing-- no shoes, no

toothbrushes-- was amazing to see. God changed my heart about kids.”

BMHS Junior Takes Life-Changing Trip

NEWS FROM BMHS

Black & Gold GalaOn February 11, 2012, BMHS faculty, parents, alumni, and

friends gathered at the Torrance Marriott for the 12th Annu-

al Black & Gold Gala. The evening included dinner, dancing,

and shopping at the live and silent auctions. The highlight of

the night was the induction of three new members into the

Bishop Montgomery Hall of Fame: longtime spanish teacher

Laura Fabbri and past parents Virgil and Nina Manalansan.

With all proceeds from the event going to the general schol-

arship fund at BMHS, the night was a huge success!

LEFT:BMHS faculty members have some fun in the photo booth.

ABOVE:(l to r): Laura Fabbri celebrates with fellow BMHS teacher Debbie Skelley.

ABOVE:Nina and Virgil Manalansan, far right, take a family photo at the Black & Gold Gala.

ABOVE:BMHS alumni and current parents John McOsker ‘85 and Kerry Meehan-McOsker ‘88, get the bids flying as the live auctioneers.

2012 Athletic Hall of Fame Class To Be Honored

NEWS FROM BMHS

1967-68 Basketball Team

The 1967-68 basketball team won the school’s second CIF title and the first

in the program’s history. Coached by Dave Benaderet, the Knights defeated

San Marino 70-54 in the CIF AA title game, finished 29-4 overall and were

also the Camino Real League champions.

On Friday, September 14, 2012, Bishop Montgomery will

induct the newest class into the Bishop Montgomery

High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Prior to the Knights' foot-

ball game against North Torrance, there will be a reception in

the main gymnasium. The reception is open to the public and

begins at 5:30pm. All are invited to attend and no reservations

are necessary. At halftime of the game, the honorees will be

recognized at mid-field. The game begins at 7:00pm.

The 2012 BMHS Athletic Hall of Fame Class:

Pattie Schnell ‘66

While a student at BMHS, Schnell was the only female athlete to play var-

sity volleyball, basketball, and softball all four years. She was named the 1966

Female Athlete of the Year and was the 1966 president of the Girls’ Athletic

Association. Schnell attended Los Angeles Harbor College and Long Beach

State, where she played volleyball, basketball, softball and track. In 1970, she

played on the U.S.A. softball team that won a silver medal at the Women’s

World Championships. After college, she played professional softball and

she was a teacher, coach, and athletic director for 37 years at the secondary

level in Orange County schools before retiring.

Patrick Kealey ’68

Kealey had a decorated athletic career both on the football field and the

track. In football, he was a 3-year letterman, excelling on the offensive line

and at linebacker. In 1966, he was a 2nd Team All-CIF pick and led the

Knights to an 11-1 record and an appearance in the CIF semi-finals. He was

named All-Camino Real League, All-City of Torrance, and All-South Bay in

1966 and 1967. In track, Kealey led the Knights to the 1967 league champion-

ship and was a member of the 1967 4x100 relay team that posted the fastest

time in league. He also qualified for the CIF prelims in the 100 yard dash. He

was named the 1968 BMHS Sportsman of the Year. He is a graduate of UCLA

where he was a 2-year letterwinner in football in 1971 and 1972.

Michael Ashe ‘75

Ashe was a 2-sport star at BMHS, earning varsity letters all four years in

both water polo and swimming. In water polo, Ashe was a 4-time All-Santa

Fe League 1st Team selection and a 3rd Team All-CIF pick as a senior. As a

swimmer, he was named league Most Valuable Player as a senior when he

broke many school records that still stand today, including the 200 freestyle

(1:50.1), 200 intermediate (2:13.0) and 100 breaststroke (1:10.0). Following

graduation, he played on the U.S. Junior National Water Polo team from

1975-1977. In swimming, he qualified for the 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials in the

400m Individual Medley. He attended Southern Oregon University where

he was a 4-time All-Pacific Northwest 1st team selection and 2-time All-

American in water polo. He was also a 6-time All-American in swimming

and holds SOU records in the 500, 1000, and 1650 yard freestyle. Ashe has

coached water polo at the high school, collegiate and international levels and

serves as the Aquatics Director and head water polo and swimming coach at

El Dorado High School in Placentia.


Bryan Bero ’84

Bero is one of the most decorated football players in BMHS history. As a

3-year varsity starter at quarterback, Bero holds school records in several

categories, including most passing yards in a season (2,533) and career

(4,975); most completions in a season (172) and career (330); and most pass-

ing attempts in a season (297) and career (630). He was named 1st Team

All-Camino Real League QB in 1982 and 1983. In 1983, he led the Knights to

a 12-1-1 record and a CIF finals appearance and was named the Camino Real

League Offensive Player of the Year and League MVP. He was also named

Daily Breeze Player of the Year, 1st Team Los Angeles Times QB, South Bay Lions

Game All-Star, and Faith Family Football All-American. He was also named

1984 BMHS Athlete of the Year. After BMHS, Bero was a 4-year letterman

at the University of Utah, where he holds the record for most receptions by

a running back in a season (52). He played for the NFL’s Chicago Bears in

1989 and 1990.

The team is:

Bruce Bopp ’69

Mike Browne ’69

Greg Collins ’69

Steve Connors ’69

Rich Cook ’68

Bob Jamison ‘68

Brad Kerwin ‘69

Joe Lococo ’69

Dan Miller ’69

Steve Patterson ’68

George Prengaman ‘68

Greg Reams ’69

Jim Roach ‘68

Dale Rost ’69

John Van Hoven ‘68

Larry Wiggins ’68

Dave White ‘68

Joe Yarmolovich ‘69

Frank O’Neill ‘70

Richard Lopez ’69 – manager

Coach Dave Benaderet


NEWS FROM BMHS

Special thank you to Djuanique Slaughter, mother of BMHS senior

Diallo Whitaker '13, for arranging Mr. Thornhill's visit. "What a spe-

cial treat to have a living piece of American history on our campus,"

said BMHS Marketing Director Andy Marafino.

"It was great to have a real member of

the Tuskegee Airman on our campus,"

explained senior Austin Walcher '13. "I

love military history, especially World War II. Hearing Mr. Thornhill

speak inspired me to want to learn more about the Tuskegee Airmen."

Tuskegee Airman Visits BMHSOn May 23, Bishop Montgomery hosted a very special guest when

Tuskegee Airman Mr. Levi Thornhill

spoke to some of the U.S. History class-

es about his experiences. Thornhill was

a member of the Tuskegee Airmen dur-

ing World War II. He spoke to the stu-

dents about his experience flying the

B-17 planes and the racial prejudices of

the time.

BMHS Christian Service Award Recipients Honored

In March, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles named three BMHS seniors,

Matthew Ramirez ‘12, Salvador Valdovinos ‘12, and Nikki Win-

disch ‘12, recipients of the Christian Service Award. In addition,

BMHS math teacher Jake Roehl ‘92 was

chosen to receive special recognition at the

2012 Christian Service Celebration.

Ramirez has served BMHS, St. James

Church, and his local community for many

years. In addition to serving at BMHS in

Campus Ministry, Ramirez serves in many

capacities at his church, including Eucha-

ristic Minister and a junior sacristin. He is

also a teacher's assistant in the Religious

Education department and brings com-

munion to the residents at Driftwood Care

Center in Torrance. "I serve because it feels

good to do something for someone else,"

explains Ramirez. "I want to set an exam-

ple to others by serving, hoping that they,

too, may serve others some day." He will attend UC Davis.

Valdovinos has served his local community extensively, all while playing

on the boys' soccer team. He spends time volunteering at an organization

called VCYC where he helps plan events for those less fortunate. Valdo-

vinos has worked at such events as Global Youth Service Day, Make-a-

Difference Day, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day through VCYC. At the

MLK day, Valdovinos helped organize career professionals to speak to

orphans about their careers. He also spoke to at-risk teens about SAT

and ACT testing and other tips about applying to college. "I serve be-

cause there are so many people who are less fortunate and haven't had the

opportunities I have," explains Valdovinos. He will attend UCSB.

ABOVE:(L to R): Christian Service Honorees Salvador Valdovinos ‘12, Nikki Windisch ‘12, and Matthew Ramirez ‘12.

At BMHS, Windisch served as a Kairos retreat leader and she was active

in ASB and Concordia Club. Outside of BMHS, Windisch is a lector at

St. James and serves at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center. As secretary of

the Junior Society at Harbor/UCLA, Windisch records minutes at week-

ly meetings, helps plan fundraisers, and schedules activities. She is also

a volunteer reader for the center's Reach Out and Read Program. Reading to

children in the pediatric waiting room has special meaning to Windisch.

“Teaching children how to read is important because my mom battled

cancer three times,” explains Windisch. “During hospital visits, I would

pass the time by reading in the waiting room.” Windisch, who will at-

tend USC, explains that she serves the Bishop community “because there

is no better way to give back to the school.”

BMHS alumnus Jake Roehl '92 received special recognition for "out-

standing dedication in directing students in Christian service activities

and in modeling for them a commitment to the Gospels through the ser-

vice of others.” For years, Roehl moderated BMHS’ Habitat Club and or-

ganized endless service projects. This past school year, the Habitat Club

made bunk beds for an orphange in Mexicali, painted benches at Holy

Innocents Elementary School in Long Beach, and raised funds for Home

Walk LA in the fight against hunger. Each month, Roehl organized a

group of students to serve dinner at the Long Beach Rescue Mission.

When the school year ended, Roehl moved to Texas, at least for now,

with his wife, Holly, and daughter, Paige. The

plan for Roehl is to live in Texas for three

years and return to BMHS in 2016. He will be

teaching math at Troy High School and living

on a 440-acre farm in Belton, Texas.

When asked what he will miss most about

BMHS, Roehl, who started teaching at BMHS

in 1997, replied, “Hands down - the people.

The students are just a blast to teach. I've

been spoiled for so long having students that

I can suddenly distract to talk about some-

thing that pops into my head for a minute,

then jump right back into curriculum so we

can get the day’s work done. In addition, the

faculty is a great group. I always hear people

who work other places complaining about

Mondays and I just assume they must not laugh as much as I do at work.

Then, there is Ms. Libbon, who gives us the freedom to be teachers in-

stead of micromanaging each classroom. My favorite part of this job is

that I feel free to be creative each day. It’s a pretty incredible environ-

ment for students and teachers alike and I will miss it.”

Roehls’ favorite memories of Bishop Montgomery are the times when the

faculty and students experience shared moments. “Whether it's a home

athletic victory against a rival, the faculty acting silly and everybody

laughing together, or the deeper moments encountered on Kairos re-

treats,” explains Roehl, “Those memories of community are my favorites.”


NEWS FROM BMHS

18 • VERITAS

Congratulations to...• The Fall 2011 Students-of-the-Semester, who

were announced during the Undergrad Awards

Ceremony on March 20, 2012: Class of 2012 -

Devon Brookshire, Hanna Castillo, Austin

Hentrup, Ellis Pollard; Class of 2013 - Denice

Belandres, Kyler Nathan; Class of 2014 - Shan-

non Martin, Peter Mitchell; Class of 2015 - Jef-

frey Campbell, Samantha Nishamura.

• Kira Coyne ‘15, who achieved a perfect score

on the 2012 Introduc-

tion to Latin National

Latin Exam. Out

of 18,600 students

worldwide who took

the exam, Coyne was

one of only 252 awarded this distinction.

• BMHS’ Boys’ State representatives: Jimmy

Peirce ‘13, Michael Hadley ‘13, and Austin

Walcher ‘13 (alternate).

• Richard Duval ‘14, who finished 2nd in the

California State High School Fencing Champion-

ships in Los Angeles in May. In July, he finished

12th out of 250 cadets at the 2012 USFA National

Championships (U-16 Men’s Epee). He has been

invited to attend the Olympic Training Center in

Colorado Springs this August.

• Nick Tolin ‘13, who competed at the U.S.

Nationals in ice hockey in March with his club

team, the California Wave.

• Alexis Fillingames ‘14, a participant in the

Long Beach Branch NAACP ACT-SO program

(Academic, Cultural, Technological, and Scien-

tific Olympics).

On April 23, the Art

Department kicked

off a full week of events

at the annual Arts Fest

on campus. In past years,

the festival was either a

one or two-day event. In

an effort to celebrate all

of the arts at the school,

art teacher Mr. John

Hong thought it would be great to find ways to get more students in-

volved. “There are so many talented students here,” explained Hong. “We

thought that changing the format to incorporate more of the arts would

be exciting for all the students.” Hong was certainly correct as more than

150 students were able to showcase their talents in the visual arts, music,

film, and theater.

• The Improv Team of (l to r) Jill Marzolino

‘13, Christian Gumacal ‘12, Sara Vega ‘12, Mat-

thew Curnutte ‘12, and Veronica Nestojko ‘13.

on advancing to

the semi-finals in

ComedySportz’s

March Madness

competition, an

improvisational

tournament be-

tween high schools throughout Southern Cali-

fornia. The competition was held at the Com-

edySportz Theater in Hollywood.

BMHS Celebrates the Arts at Annual FestivalOver 150 students participate in weeklong event

On Wednesday, student monologues were performed in Thomas More

Hall during lunch. One of the highlights of the week was the art show in

the library on Thursday. One of the changes this year was that each piece

of art submitted by the students was judged by members of the faculty

before it could be included for display. “We really wanted to showcase

the top artists in the school,” explained Hong. “We wanted the students

to go through this process where only the top peices would be displayed.”

Another change this year saw cash prizes awarded to the top four pieces

at the visual arts gallery. These pieces were judged in the weeks prior to

the festival and all those displayed were professionally framed. The win-

ning pieces were:

During lunch each day during the week, music from the BMHS jazz band

and rock band filled the air. In addition, students could purchase their

classmates ceramics pieces and student artists were available to draw

caricatures. On Monday, five student films were shown, highlighted by

a group film, headed by Amanda Shimizu ‘12, based on Samuel Taylor

Coleridge’s poem, “Kubla Khan,” and a film titled “Youth” by Tommy

Petroni ‘12.

We thank all of the students

who shared their talents

with the school community

throughout the week and

look forward to next year’s

Arts Fest.

1st Place: ‘Wave’ by Rebecca Sepulveda '13 (pictured)

2nd Place: "Maui Surfer" by Grant Higa ‘13

3rd Place: "Pualani (Heaven’s Flower)" by Kathleen Dung ‘12

4th Place: "Dolphins of the Blue" by Amanda Dunn ‘12

www.bmhs-la.org

NEWS FROM BMHS

ABOVE:

(l to r) Khristine Vrana ‘13 and Lisa

Bell ‘13 work on a project at the Sci-

ence Olympiad.


For more information about the South Bay Ballet company, visit

www.southbayballet.org.

Two BMHS Juniors Share Their Love of the Ballet

Bishop Montgomery juniors Karrie McGillivray '14 and Alex-

andra Ruiloba '14 have been studying ballet with the South

Bay Ballet company since they were very young and, in June,

danced in the company's performance of "Cinderella." Although

they both share a love of the ballet, they hope

their dedication, hard work, determination,

and experiences over the years will take them

in different directions.

Ruiloba (at right) has been involved in bal-

let since she was three. In the production of

‘Cinderella,’ she performed as a noblewoman.

It was her final performance with the com-

pany. "Ballet has helped me become moti-

vated for so many things, especially school,"

explains Ruiloba. "While I love ballet, I want

to study business in college and learn more

about corporate philanthropy." Although she

is leaving the comapny, Ruiloba still plans on

dancing for a few more years and helping out

young dancers at a studio in the South Bay.

at several colleges including Adelphi University, Butler Univer-

sity, the University of Texas, and the Kirov School of Ballet in

Washington, D.C. Her other option is to join a professional bal-

let company after high school and postpone her college studies.

This summer, in fact, McGillivray danced with

the American Ballet Theater in New York for five

weeks. "Ballet has taught me so much," explains

McGillivray, "especailly about time manage-

ment." Her passion for ballet is evident when she

speaks about her daily schedule. She practices

from 4:00-8:00 pm every day after school and

most of the day every Saturday. "Sometimes we

get Sunday's off," she says with a chuckle.

The performance of both dancers in "Cinder-

ella" had a profound effect on their religion

teacher, Ms. Bernadette St. James, who counts

herself lucky to have been able to attend one

of the shows. "Karrie danced a skilled perfor-

mance with personality, style, and she stole the

show with a comedic performance," observed

St. James. "Alexandra danced with elegance, artistry and angelic

grace," she added. "It was truly a remarkable show." McGillivray (above left), who has been involved with the South

Bay Ballet since she was six and danced the part of Prunella, has

a much different goal in mind. She hopes to make ballet a career

and has already been offered admittance into dance programs

In February, BMHS science instructor and graduate Norah Aubele-

DeBellis '84 took 14 students to Occidental College to compete in the

26th Annual Los Angeles County Sci-

ence Olympiad. In all, students from 131

private and public elementary, middle,

and high schools competed in anatomy

& physiology, astronomy, chemistry,

engineering, forensics, optics and other

subjects. The Science Olympiad, the

largest multi-discipline team science

competition in the country, is a rigorous

K-12 science, engineering and technolo-

gy competition and is considered one of

the premiere competitions in the Unit-

ed States. Bishop Montgomery competed in a field of 46 high schools.

BMHS Competes in Science Olympiad

Science Olympiad competitions are like academic track meets, consist-

ing of a series of 23 team events in each division. Each year, a portion

of the events are rotated to reflect the ever-changing nature of genetics,

earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engi-

neering and technology. By combining events from all disciplines, Sci-

ence Olympiad encourages a wide cross-section of students to get in-

volved and emphasis is placed on active, hands-on group participation.

"The students and I had so much fun and we are already planning next

year's Science Olympiad team," said DeBellis.

Overall, the representatives from BMHS fared very well. BMHS finished

9th overall in the field of Anatomy & Physiology and 8th in Optics. The

big winners, however, were Shannon Lipp '13 and Lauren White '13,

who teamed to finish 2nd in the Forensics competition. "This whole ex-

perience was new to me," explained Lipp. For White, the experience was

hopefully a preview of things to come. "I have always wanted to be a

police officer," explained White. "But I love science too much not to have

that as part of my life - so I want to be a forensic scientist some day."

Bishop Montgomery's entry into the competition was due, in part, to

the work of Claire Park '13, who asked DeBellis if BMHS could be a part

of the Olympiad. "I heard about it through a friend," explains Park. "I

thought it was important to have Bishop be a part of the competition."

ATHLETIC NEWS

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

The boys’ basketball team (23-5), coached

by Doug Mitchell, proved to be one of the

top teams in southern California once

again, advancing to the CIF playoffs for

the 23rd consecutive year. The Knights,

playing in perhaps the toughest divi-

sion in the state (4AA), advanced to the

CIF quarterfinals before losing to Crespi

73-67, despite 29 points from sophomore

point guard Justin Bibbins ‘14 (pictured).

The loss kept the Knights from earning

the 500th win at BMHS for Mitchell. In

the first round of the playoffs BMHS han-

dled Templeton 66-26 before traveling to

Morningside, where they won a hard-fought game 55-54. During the sea-

son, the Knights won two prestigious tournaments, Westchester’s “Trev-

or Ariza Classic” and Redondo’s “Sea Hawk Beach Classic.” The Knights

were led by junior Lamond Murray, Jr. ‘13, who was named 1st Team All-

Del Rey League, 1st Team All-CIF, and 1st Team Daily Breeze All-Area, and

5th Team All-Junior in California by ESPN.com. Murray averaged 20.2

points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Bibbins, who averaged 16.2 points and

4.2 assists, was also named 1st Team All-Del Rey League and to the All-

Area 2nd Team and was named 3rd Team All-Sophomore in California by

ESPN.com. Junior Larry Taylor III ‘13 was also a 1st Team All-Del Rey

League selection. Two juniors were named to the All-Del Rey League 2nd

Team: Leon Jacobs ‘13 and Stefan Jovanovic ‘13.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

Like the boys’ basketball team, girls’

basketball competed in one of the top

divisions in the state (4AA). The Lady

Knights (17-11), coached by Alexa John-

son, had an excellent season, advancing

to the 2nd round of the CIF playoffs be-

fore losing in overtime, 68-66, to JSerra.

The Lady Knights beat Notre Dame

Academy in the first round of the play-

offs, 63-41, but suffered a blow to their

chances when senior standout Airiona

Sampson ‘12 suffered an injury that kept

her out of the remainder of the playoffs.

Once again, the Lady Knights were led

by the play of senior forward Devon

Brookshire ‘12 (pictured), who ended

her high school career as one of the most decorated players in program

history. Brookshire, who signed to play at Northwestern University, aver-

aged 18.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 1.5 steals, and 1.1 assists per

game on the season. In addition to being named 1st Team All-Del Rey

League, she was named 1st Team All-CIF for the 3rd time and 1st Team

The boys’ soccer team (5-12-3),

coached by Clive Hulbert, struggled

to score goals during the 2011-12 sea-

son, but they managed just enough of-

fense in the Del Rey League to finish

3rd and advance to the CIF Division

4 playoffs. The Knights lost to Duarte

1-0 in the wild card round of the play-

offs. Individually, the Knights were

led by a trio of 1st Team All-Del Rey

League selections: junior defender

Jonathan Kim ‘13 (pictured), senior

midfielder Georges Bachawati ‘12,

and senior forward Ian Paiz ‘12. Four

underclassmen were named to the All-Del Rey League 2nd Team: juniors

Matthew Harris ‘13 and Bryce Lomas ‘13 and sophomores Adam Bal-

deras ‘14 and Marc Gehrig ‘14.

BOYS’ SOCCER

For athletic scores and news, follow us on twitter @BMHSKnights

A young girls’ soccer team (10-12-2) bat-

tled through the tough Del Rey League

to advance to the CIF Division 3 playoffs

in 2011-12. Under first year head coach

and BMHS alumnus Martin Haynes ‘94,

the Lady Knights beat Atascadero 1-0 in

the wild card round of the playoffs in an

exciting game at home. A few days later,

the Lady Knights lost 3-0 to eventual Di-

vision 3 champion Claremont. The Lady

Knights were led by standout defender

Jessica Flores ‘12 (pictured), a senior

who signed with USC. Flores earned

many accolades in 2011-12, including be-

ing named 1st Team All-Del Rey League and 1st Team All-CIF. She was

also named to the Daily Breeze All-Area 2nd Team. Joining Flores on the

All-League 1st Team were a pair of juniors: Erin Discipulo ‘13 and Eri-

ca Nieves ‘13. The Lady Knights placed four athletes on the All-Del Rey

League 2nd Team and they were all sophomores: Sarah Glasco ‘14, Kylie

Prentice ‘14, Katelyn Taira ‘14, and Tatiana Zuvic ‘14.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

BASEBALL

Winter/Spring Athletics Wrap-Up Daily Breeze All-Area for the 4th time in her career. Sampson joined Brook-

shire as a 1st team selection for the Del Rey League and the Daily Breeze. She

averaged 12.6 points and 8.7 rebounds for the Lady Knights. Two other

seniors, Lauren Martin ‘12 and Kim Willis ‘12 were named 2nd Team

All-Del Rey League. Martin has signed to play at Vanguard University.

Baseball (8-18) struggled through a tough year in 2011-12. First year head

coach Bobby Summers resigned after a 6-13 start; however, the Knights

managed to finish 2-5 under interim head coach Kyle Schneider, who was

the pitching coach. The Knights were led both at the plate and on the

mound by four-year varsity starter Andy Burschinger ‘12 . At the plate,


ATHLETIC NEWS

Without question, the most dominant

spring sport was boys’ golf, coached by

BMHS alumnus Martin von Kanel ‘80.

The Knights finished the regular season

16-1, with their only loss coming in their

opening match of the year against Re-

dondo. The Knights rolled through the

Camino Real League undefeated to win

their 2nd straight team title. The Knights

were led by junior Dean Billings ‘13 (pic-

tured), who captured his second straight

Camino Real League individual golf title.

At the league championship tournament,

Billings shot a two-day total of 151 to win

the title. Teammates Brennan Delahanty ‘14 and Michael Rodriguez

‘13 each shot 158s at the league tournament to also advance to CIF In-

dividuals. In addition to those three golfers, the Knights had three more

all-league performers: Chase Bennett ‘13, Grant von Kanel ‘14, and Joey

Bruccoleri ‘13. In the CIF Individual tournament, Billings battled his way

through the prelims to qualify for the CIF Finals. At the CIF Southern Sec-

tion Individual Finals, Billings shot an 80 at Victoria Golf Club in River-

side to cap one of the most successful seasons in school history. Following

the season, he was named to the Daily Breeze All-Area team.

BOYS’ GOLF

The boys’ tennis team

continued their winning

ways in 2012 under new

head coach Dan Wooten,

finishing 13-4 overall. The

Knights, who captured

their 3rd straight Del Rey

League crown, had a ter-

rific run in the CIF Divi-

sion 5 playoffs, advanc-

ing to the quarterfinals

before falling to top seed Arlington High School 15-3. Individually, the

Knights were led by junior Erroll Smith ‘13 (pictured). Smith, a nation-

ally-ranked junior tennis player, won the Del Rey League individual title

and had a record of 41-4 on the season. In the CIF Individual tournament,

Smith advanced to the second round before being eliminated. Smith was

also named to the Daily Breeze All-Area team. The doubles team of Alex

Cano ‘12 and Devon Kent ‘12 were the runners-up in the Del Rey League

tournament and advanced to the CIF Doubles Tournament.


BOYS’ TRACK & FIELD

BOYS’ TENNIS

BOYS’ SWIMMING

Burschinger (pictured) hit

.427 with 1 home run and 18

RBI’s, 32 hits and 22 walks.

On the mound, the right-

hander was only 3-8, but he

lost two games by 1-0 scores.

He posted an impressive 1.51

ERA and struck out 72 bat-

ters in just over 66 innings

pitched. The Knights’ lone

1st Team All-Del Rey League

selection, Burschinger will continue his baseball career at El Camino Col-

lege next year. The Knights had four players named 2nd Team All-Del Rey

League: senior pitcher/outfielder Alex DiGirgis ‘12, junior pitcher/first

baseman Kevin Flores ‘13, sophomore infielder Mitch Pruitt ‘14, and se-

nior shortstop Jeff Villafana ‘12.

Boys’ swimming, under head coach Amy Traxler, had two athletes this

year in sophomore Austin Monteilh

‘14 and junior Diallo Whitaker ‘13.

Monteilh (pictured) turned in an

outstanding season in his first year

competing at the high school level.

He placed 1st in the 50 yard breast-

stroke in both of the Del Rey League

preview meets at the JV level. In the

3rd and final meet, Monteilh chal-

lenged himself by swimming the 100 yard breaststroke at the varsity level.

The boys’ track team, coached by brothers Brian Haynes ‘89 and Mar-

tin Haynes ‘94, had several top performers

this year. The 4 x 100 relay team of junior

Hakeem Abrahams ‘13 and seniors Yves

Beauzil ‘12 (pictured), Miles Howard ‘12,

and Bret Miller ‘12 qualified for the CIF

Division 4 prelims. At CIF, they finished

12th with a time of 45.15.

BOYS’ VOLLEYBALLThe boys’ volleyball team (13-17), coached

by Kevin Norman, played their best at the

end of the year, making a push in the Del

Rey League and the CIF Division 4 play-

offs. The Knights finished 2nd in league

and gave defending division champ Santa

Monica a scare in the 2nd round of the playoffs before losing. The Knights

struggled early when standout outside hitter Eddie Specht ‘13 (pictured)

went down with an injury to start the

season. His return coincided with the

team’s resurgence and push through

the playoffs. Specht was one of three

Knights to be named 1st Team All-

Del Rey League. He was joined by

senior libero Jonathan Legaspi ‘12

and junior opposite hitter Cameron

Moeller ‘13. Two teammates were

named 2nd Team All-Del Rey League:

sophomore Travis Pyrek ‘14 and se-

nior Neil Sisson ‘12.


ATHLETIC NEWS

22 • VERITAS

GIRLS’ SWIMMING

Girls’ swimming turned in another excellent season under head coach

Amy Traxler. Senior Kathleen Dung ‘12, junior Kimberly Dung ‘13, and

sophomores Valerie Belanger ‘14 and Stephanie Jaquez ‘14 teamed up to

qualify for CIF prelims in both

the 200 medley relay and the

200 freestyle relay. Individual-

ly, Kathleen Dung qualified for

CIF prelims in the 50 yard and

100 yard freestyle and the 100

yard breaststroke. Belanger

qualified for CIF in both the

100 butterfly and the 500 free-

style, and Jaquez (pictured) qualified in the 100 yard breaststroke.

SOFTBALL

GIRLS’ TRACK & FIELD

The girls’ track team, coached by the Haynes’ brothers (Brian ‘89 and

Martin ‘94), turned in a solid season

as several athletes qualified for the CIF

Division 4 prelims. Junior Danielle Sha-

nahan ‘13 finished 17th in the 1600m in a

time of 5:23.75. Senior Annie Grove ‘12

finished 20th in the 3200m in a time of

11:58.63. Both Grove and Shanahan won

their events at the Del Rey League finals.

The 4 x 100 relay team of junior Brielle

Davis ‘13 and seniors Kim Mercado ‘12,

Arianne Soberano ‘12, and Kim Willis

‘12 placed 20th in a time of 51.99. In the

field events, junior Dela Allohn ‘13 (pictured) finished 15th in the Long

Jump with a jump of 16-02.50. Gacinta Moran ‘12 placed 34th in the Tri-

ple Jump with a jump of 30-09.50.

Despite struggling through a tough season, the softball team (6-21) had

some excellent individual performances during the 2012 season under

head coach Jimmy Legas-

pi. Leading the way for the

Lady Knights was senior

catcher Melissa Berouty

‘12 (pictured). Berouty,

who signed with Division

I Bethune-Cookman Uni-

versity, hit .493 on the sea-

son and led the squad with

33 hits. She struck out only two times all season and did not commit an

error behind the plate. She was the Lady Knights’ lone 1st Team All-Del

Rey League selection. Senior Kathryn Hylton ‘12 hit .360 and led the Lady

Knights with 6 doubles, 1 home run and 15 RBI’s and was a 2nd Team All-

Del Rey League pick. Joining her on the 2nd team were a pair of juniors:

Lauren Dawsey ‘13 (.317, 7 RBI) and Megan Duffy ‘13 (.290, 6 RBI). On

the mound, the Lady Knights were led by freshman Samantha Eubanks

‘15, a lefthander who threw 145.1 innings and struck out 115 batters.

In addition to her show jumping accomplishments, Rodriguez has

been selected for the Los Angeles Regional Clinic of the Emerging

Athlete Program. The EAP was created specifically to provide oppor-

tunities for young riders to advance their education, as they strive to

become knowledgeable horsemen, which may or may not include a

career in the horse industry. Ten regional clinics, each held over four

days, are offered throughout the country. She is one of only 24 rid-

ers selected for this clinic and she will train under Anne Kursinski, a

member of five United States Olympic teams.

No Horsing Around for BMHS Junior Katie Rodriguez ‘13

In the last issue, we introduced you to several BMHS students who

compete at a high level in sports outside of school. Add junior Katie

Rodriguez ‘13 to that list of student-athletes who are excelling outside

of inter-scholastic athletics. Rodriguez, who has been show jumping

for almost 10 years, cur-

rently rides for Palos Verdes

Stables.

In February, Rodriguez

took home the “Champion”

ribbon in the 1.0 meter, 3’3”

class at the HITS 2012 Win-

ter Show Jumper Circuit in

Thermal, CA. Rodriguez

topped 28 riders over the

Week IV competition, rid-

ing “Widgeon,” a six-year

old 16 hand holsteiner mare that she has been training and working

with for two years. In addition, she took a 1st and a 5th place in the

1.1 meter, 3’7” class over the same four days. During the $2,500 M & S

Child Jumper Classic, Rodriguez placed 7th in the field of 39, taking

home a prize of $200.

In May, Rodriguez won her second equestrian award of the season at

the Memorial Day Classic Horse Show in Burbank. She took home the

“Reserve Champion” ribbon in the 1.1 meter, 3’6” class. The Reserve

Champion ribbon was the result of two 1st, one 3rd, and two 5th place

finishes over the four day event.

Now you can find official BMHS apparel in our online store. 20% of every purchase goes back to the school. Show

your Knight Pride today!

visit our online store at www.B1selfshop.com/bmhs

Shop for BMHS Apparel in our Online Store

ADVANCING THE MISSION OF BISHOP MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL

D E V E L O P M E N TDear Friends of Bishop Montgomery,

Gratefully,

Andy Marafino

Director of Marketing & Public Relations

www.bmhs-la.org

follow us on twitter @BMHSKnightsLike us on facebook: ‘Bishop Montgomery High School”


The 2011-12 school year was truly an exciting time at Bishop Mont-

gomery, and the new school year should prove to be just as successful.

As you can see from the recent graduating classes’ impressive num-

bers, another group of young men and women are ready to go do more

great things in their new college com-

munities. We are excited for them.

In this issue, we are bringing you the

first installment of our Class of 2011

Study Group project. We introduce

you to five members of the Class of

2011 who have so generously allowed

us to follow them throughout their

college careers. The purpose of the

project is to teach our current stu-

dents what college life is like from a

first-hand account. The project is also a valuable tool for our counsel-

ors and teachers to see how we are preparing our students for the next

step in their lives.

During the past school year, we dedicated much of our time telling

you about all the great things happening in our community - with our

students, faculty, and alumni. The school website and our Facebook

and Twitter pages allow us to bring you these great stories as they

happen and we will continue to use these avenues to communicate

with the BMHS community. We hope you will visit the website on a

regular basis (you can also follow us on Twitter and “like us” on our

Facebook pages).

The new school year will bring some changes to the look of our cam-

pus. The George and Virginia Schneider Retreat Center (pictured),

located on the plot of the former Franciscan House, is complete and it

is beautiful. It is such a peaceful place complete with gardens, stations

of the cross, and a grotto. We are excited to have a peaceful place on

campus for our students to go to spend some time in prayer and reflec-

tion. The students also return to school to find their lunch area com-

pletely renovated (and covered). The renovation includes new drain-

age, new tables and benches and the area has been re-surfaced as well.

We are also excited to announce that, in conjunction with the Ath-

letic Booster Club, we have started “Bishop’s Field of Dreams Fund.”

This fund will be used to redesign and update our athletic fields with

a new turf surface and other amenities. This is exciting news for the

current and future students of Bishop

Montgomery High School. Please watch

for future announcements with more

details and ways you can help to build

Bishop’s “Field of Dreams.” If you are

interested in making a gift to this fund,

you can do so by sending in the enve-

lope from the magazine or through the

school’s website under the “Give Now”

section. Plan today, Build for the future.

There are a couple of exciting events in the beginning of the school

year that we hope you will find time to attend. On September 14, we

will induct our second class into the BMHS Athletic Hall of Fame.

The induction will be part of the Knights’ home football game against

North Torrance. A reception in the gymnasium begins at 5:30pm and

the entire community is invited to attend. More information can be

found on page 16 of this issue or by visiting the athletic hall of fame

webpage at www.bmhs-la.org.

We also invite you, especially our alumni, to attend the 2012 Home-

coming festivities on October 19. Once again, we will host a BBQ (with

In-N-Out burgers) prior to the football game that night against La Sal-

le. All alumni who purchase a BBQ ticket will also receive a free ticket

to the football game. More information can be found on the back cover

of the magazine or on the BMHS website.

We look forward to seeing you on campus!

CLASS NOTES

24 • VERITAS

Like us on facebook: ‘Bishop Montgomery High School Alumni”

Send us your news and photos for publication in VERITAS

E-mail [email protected] Development Office,

5430 Torrance Boulevard, Torrance, CA 90503

2000 MICHAEL JUVASVAT and ANYA DAVID- JUVASVAT welcomed their son, Michael David, on April 2, 2012. CHRISTINA

VIQUEZ graduated

from Mt. Saint Mary’s

College with an Asso-

ciates Degree in Nurs-

ing. She and MICHAEL

DELANEY ‘97, left, are engaged to be married.

1967 MARCIA PENE-BELL, the very first

president of Concordia Club, returned to visit

BMHS when she was in town from her home

in Michigan.

At lunch, she

visited with

the current

C o n c o r d i a

Club mem-

bers during

their weekly

meeting and

even helped

roll pennies for the club's "Pennies for Patients"

project. At the conclusion of the visit, the 2011-

12 Concordia Club officers, pictured with Mar-

cia, presented her with some BMHS gifts.

1985 RUDY GARBALOSA, head baseball

coach at Lynn University (FL), was named the

2012 Sunshine State Conference Coach of the

Year after leading Lynn to a 35-15 record and a

trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament.

WCWS appearance. 2012 also saw Gasso

inducted into the National

Fastpitch Coaches Associa-

tion Hall of Fame. Gasso has

a career record of 1033-338-2,

includingfive years at Long

Beach City College. In 2000,

she led OU to the program’s

first national title.

1980 PATTY FROEHLICH-GASSO, the

head softball coach at the Uni-

versity of Oklahoma, led the

Sooners to the Women’s Col-

lege World Series where they

finished second to the Univer-

sity of Alabama. Gasso, in her

18th year at OU, led the team

to a 54-10 record and their 7th

1987 MARK LINCIR and his wife, Taffy, have

adopted a son, Bryan, 13. Mark also has a new

book out in paperback - THE GIFT OF STOP-

PAGE TIME. You can buy it in paperback or

ebook format at amazon.com.


1965 LINDA BIALECKI spent most of her ca-

reer in New York City where she built an execu-

tive search firm, Bialecki Inc., with investment

banking clients. In 2008, she was named one

of the “100 Most Influential Headhunters in the

World” by BusinessWeek.com. Since retiring in

2009, she has been a full-time cruiser, skipper,

and mechanic aboard m/v Aries Too, a Nord-

havn 55. She received her USCG Master’s 50-

Ton license in 2011. She has been an avid SCU-

BA diver for 25 years and is a serious cook. She

is married to Douglas Klassen and they have one

daughter and three grandchildren.

1962 After 32 years at Becker Surfboards in Her-

mosa Beach, JOHN LEININGER announced

his retirement from the shop in early June. A full

story from the Daily Breeze on his retirement can

be found on the ‘BMHS In The News’ page at

www.bmhs-la.org or at www.dailybreeze.com.

Alumni Officers Receive Distinguished Service Award

In May, two Bishop Montgomery alumni were honored by the South Bay Medal of Valor com-

mittee for their roles in serving the community.

The Medal of Valor is awarded to outstanding individual police officers and firefighters who

have distinguished themselves by bravery, heroism or

other outstanding meritorious actions beyond the nor-

mal demands of protection service.

On January 18, 2011, Gardena Police Lieutenant VINCE

OSORIO '87 (pictured at left with his daughter, Jessica

Osorio ‘07, left, and his wife, Clarizza Dalisay-Osorio

‘88, right) and Gardena Police Detective HUGO GUA-

LOTUNA '90 (pictured below with his wife, Claudia)

were among the officers who entered Gardena High

School and rescued two students shot in a classroom. The officers responded when a teach-

er called 911. Osorio, Gualotuna, and the other officers entered the campus, not knowing the

whereabouts of the gunman, and found a teenage girl on the

floor of a classroom with a gunshot wound to the head. The

officers picked up the girl and took her to the front of the

school, where paramedics had responded.

During the South Bay Medal of Valor Awards, Osorio and

Gualotuna received the Distinguished Service Award for

their roles in the Gardena High School incident.

On September 5, the Bishop Montgomery community will recognize Lt. Osorio and Detective

Gualotuna in front of the entire student body at the first Mass of the school year.

1999 HEDDER ILLUSTRE-PASCUA and her

husband, Drew, wel-

comed son Samonte

Kahekili on December

31, 2011. They reside in

Grass Valley.

CLASS NOTESfollow us on twitter @BMHSKnights

2002 SGT. ANGEL SANDI, JR., US Marine

Corps, is stationed in Charlotte, NC. He is a Ma-

rine recruiter and is participating in the Marine

Enlisted Commissioning Education Program.


2008 CYNTHIA EGAN graduated from UCLA

as a double major in Latin and Classical Civili-

zation. She was accepted to Oxford University

where she will begin work in the fall on a Mas-

ters in Classical Archeology.

2007 2nd LT. CHRIS DIPPEL, USMC, is sta-

tioned at Camp Pendleton where he is a com-

mander in charge of 27 Marines. He is scheduled

to become a 1st lieutenant in May. A-LAN

HOLT was one of ten playwrights selected

from more than 575 applicants to be a mem-

ber of The Public Theater’s 2012-13 Emerging

Writers Group in New York. Holt will receive

a two-year fellowship at The Public. Her plays

and performances have been presented in Los

Angeles, San Francisco, and internationally in

Uganda. Her most recent piece, 8ball, won the

Dr. Floyd Gaffney National Playwriting Award,

the Sherifa Omade Edoga Prize for work to-

wards social justice, and the George Fredrick-

son Prize for Honors Research at the Center of

Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity at

Stanford University.

2010 AARON GROVE recently won a com-

petition held by the Avnet Corporation, a for-

tune 500 company and the largest distributor of

technology compo-

nents. Aaron wrote

a proposal outlining

technological solu-

tions for a disabled

employee, in an ef-

fort to help him with

simple tasks in his

home. He was also awarded a $1000 scholarship

to be used towards his degree at Arizona State

University. Aaron also received a paid summer

internship with the Avnet Corporation.

On May 4, Bishop Montgomery hosted

a very special guest on campus when

alumna GLADYS BARBIERI ’92 returned

to share her award-winning children’s book

with many of the honors and Advanced Place-

ment Spanish students. Her first book, Rubber

Shoes…A Lesson in Gratitude (Los zapatos de goma…

una leccion de gratitud) was the Gold Medal

Winner, Spanish Language Book 2011 by the

Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards. In June,

her book won two awards at the 2012 Interna-

tional Latino Book Awards in New York - 2nd

place (best children’s picture book - bilingual

category) and the Mariposa Award (best first book: honorable mention).

Award-Winning Author Returns to Alma Mater

The book, written in both English and Spanish, is a true story from Barbieri’s life. In the book,

Gladys Elizabeth becomes disappointed when her mother buys her the "ugliest" shoes in the

world. She devises a foolproof plan in hopes of destroying her ugly shoes. However Gladys

Elizabeth doesn't account for the sturdiness of her shoes and in the end learns a valuable les-

son in gratitude. “I wanted this story to be bilingual because it is my belief that celebrating

the vast cultures and differences in our world is key in developing understanding, peace and

love,” explains Barbieri. “And that is my hope, to continue writing stories that inspire love and

connection.”

Barbieri, a first grade teacher, visited Ms. Rodriguez’ AP Spanish Language classes, Ms. Gal-

damez’ Honors Spanish I and II classes, and Ms. Reano’s AP Spanish Literature class. Before

reading her book (in Spanish) to the classes, Barbieri spoke to the students about the im-

portance of learning a different language, visiting different countries, and getting out of your

comfort zone. Barbieri even called upon some students to come up practice their Spanish by

reading a few pages.

After graduating from Bishop Montgomery, Barbieri received her Bachelor’s degree from the

University of San Francisco and her Master’s in elementary education from Loyola Mary-

mount University.

For more information about Barbieri and to purchase her book, visit www.chuchosbooks.com

or follow her on Twitter @chuchosbooks.


2006 MICHAEL DEBELAK and KRYS-TINA DI GIRGIS are engaged to be married and have plans to wed in July 2013. PAT-

RICK MODROVSKY won an Emmy Award

for his work on the “DQ Big Game of the Week,”

a weekly Texas high school football segment he

produces each Friday. The Emmy was awarded

by the Lone Star Chapter of the National Acad-

emy of Television Arts and Sciences.

ALUMNI “KNIGHTWORKING” GROUP

The Bishop Montgomery alumni networking group, called “Knightworking,” is looking for alumni who are interested in joining the group. Plans for the upcoming year include hosting networking mixers, establishing a BMHS alumni business networking data base, and establishing an intern-ship program for current BMHS students.

For more information, call 310-540-2021 ext. 246 or email [email protected].


In MemoriamBishop Montgomery extends its prayers to the families of members of our community who have passed away:

Alumni Families

Current Families

Melanie Bawolski, wife of Mike Bawolski ‘71, passed away after a long battle with cancer.

Alumni

Susan Poff ‘79, of Oakland, passed away on Janu-ary 27, 2012. She dedicated her life serving the poor and worked for the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Housing and Urban Health Clinic. She is survived by her siblings, Steven Poff ‘80, Harold Poff ‘82, and Dave Poff ‘83.

Eugene Proctor, father of Linda Proctor-Crom-krite ‘62, Judy Proctor-Mitchell ‘64, and Mari-lyn Proctor-Williams ‘71. He is also survived by his son-in-law, Dr. Brad Williams ‘71 and grand-children Sean Williams ‘97 and Shannon Wil-liams ‘01.

Helen Campbell, mother of Tom Campbell ‘71, passed away on February 1, 2012.

Irma Rodriguez, mother of Luis Osorio ‘71.

Frances Donohoe-Pitts ‘67 of Palos Verdes, passed away on February 10, 2012 after a long and

courageous battle with Corticobasal Degeneration. In 2005, Fran founded and opened Palos Verdes Resale, a thrift shop in Lo-mita, dedicated to serving charitable organziations in the South Bay and the greater Los Angeles area. In 2009, the Palos Verdes Re-

sale Endowment in Honor of Fran Donohoe-Pitts was established at BMHS. The annual scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior who displays Christian service and has a financial need. Fran is survived by her husband, Bob, and their two chil-dren, Brian and Laura.

Joe Aki, below, father of Annette Aki-Goeppner ‘78, Jane Aki-Bateman ‘79, Cathy Aki-Stauber ‘80, Patty Aki ‘82, and Joe Aki, Jr. ‘86.

John Brennan ‘84, of Harbor City, passed away on March 26,

2012 of a heart attack. John was an All-League offensive lineman

on the 1983 BMHS football team that advanced to the CIF Finals.

John worked for many years as the alumni director at Serra High

School and began coaching football there in 1994 under his friend

and brother-in-law, Scott Altenberg ‘89. While at Serra, John

was responsible for re-connecting many alumni with their alma

mater, organizing special events and fundraisers to bring them

back to campus. John also worked for many years in the airline

industry for Continental, Northwest, and Delta. He is survived by

a large group of family and friends, including his wife, Kristen Al-

tenberg-Brennan ‘86, children, Kurt and Chloe, sister Kathy Brennan-Evans ‘72, and brother

Joseph Brennan. His brother, James Brennan ‘73, passed away in 2006.

Faculty/Staff

Mark Padilla ‘84, of Rolling Hills Estates, passed away on March 6, 2012 after a year and a half battle with cancer. He was the owner of Ocean Tile and Stone. He is survived by his wife, Cara, sons, Mat-thew, Joshua, and Adam and parents, John and Carol Padilla.

Louis Markert ‘62, of Los Angeles, passed away on February 23, 2012. Louis taught at colleges includ-ing Fresno State, Cal State Bakersfield and UCLA. He is survived by his wife, Asako, son, Cory, sisters Rita Sonoma, Eleanor Patton, Julie Pinkston, and brothers Jerry Markert and Tom Markert.

Former BMHS faculty member Fr. Alex Lewis passed away on March 4, 2012. Fr. Alex taught at Bishop Montgomery from 1985-1989 and was affec-tionately known as the “surfing and skateboard-ing priest.” At the time of his death, Fr. Alex was the pastor at Our Lady of Peace Church in North Hills. Born in Hong Kong, Fr. Lewis was ordained June 22, 1985 at St. Lawrence Martyr Church, Redondo Beach, as a Franciscan Conven-tual Friar. He had previously served as associate pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe, Holy Trinity and St. Finbar in Burbank. Fr. Alex was 54.

CLASS NOTES

Forner teacher and coach Kevin Lines passed away on May 23, 2012 from a heart attack. Lines taught religion and coached football at BMHS from 2005-2007. He was cur-rently serving as a pastor at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship Church in Re-dondo Beach. He is sur-vived by his wife, Grace, and son, Mason.

Alphonso Hicks, father of Alphonso Hicks, Jr. ‘13.

Marjorie Negrete, mother of Marvin Negrete ‘91, Mark Negrete ‘95, and Marissa Negrete, passed away on May 10, 2012.

James Sellars ‘70, of Redondo Beach, passed away on May 27, 2012 of cancer. After BMHS, James graduated from Long Beach State, Pepperdine Law School and NYU School of Law. He was a partner in several law firms and opened his own private practice. In the last ten years of his life, he discovered kayaking and enjoyed the sport and the new friends he made. He is survived by his parents, John and Ethel Sellars, his sister, Mary Ellen Sel-lars-Barnes ‘71, and his brother, Chris Sellars ‘73.

BMHS Community Loses Avid Supporter of Catholic Education

Linda Schneider-Tims ‘62, of Manhattan Beach, passed away on June 24, 2012 after a 2-year battle with cancer. She was also the mother of two BMHS graduates. In 1983, she opened her own business, Professional Property Management, which she op-erated for 29 years. She is survived by her fiancee, Bob, brothers, Bill Schneider and Bob Schneider, daughters Danielle Tims-Skinner ‘82 and Devon Tims-Rymer ‘83, and son, Andrew Tims.

Mary Robinson, mother of Donna Robinson-Driscoll ‘72, Tim Robinson ‘74, and Matthew Robinson ‘75.

REUNIONS & EVENTS

C l a s s o f 1 9 7 2

C l a s s o f 1 9 8 2

More information on class reunions and BMHS events on the alumni page at www.bmhs-la.org or by following us on Facebook and Twitter

4 0 t h R e u n i o n - J u l y 2 8 , 2 0 1 2

3 0 t h R e u n i o n - J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 2

Top: (l to r) Martin Almaraz ‘82, Elaine Arriola-Ruiz ‘81, and Roseanne Urias-Marquez ‘82 at the Class of 1982 picnic on July 14, 2012. Bottom: (l to r) Colleen Thomas-Perry ‘82 and Ronda Lathion-Searcy ‘82 at the Class of 1982 reunion on July 15, 2012.

Class of 1962 (50th Reunion)• October 20, 2012 / BMHS Gymnasium • Campus Tour - 4:30pm • Reunion: 5:30 - 10:00pm• Contact: Marvey Chapman-Mueller ‘62 at [email protected]

Class of 2002 (10th Reunion)• September 15, 2012 / Olympic Collection - Versailles Ballroom. Los Angeles• Reunion: 7:00pm• Contact: Kelly Caldwell ‘02 at [email protected]

Upcoming Class Reunions

C l a s s o f 1 9 9 2 2 0 t h R e u n i o n - J u l y 2 1 , 2 0 1 2

Class of 1987 (25th Reunion)• October 19, 2012 / Bluewater Grill, Redondo Beach • Reunion: 7:00pm - 12:00am• Contact: [email protected] or visit www.bmhs1987.myevent.com

Top: (back row l to r) Amie Bishop ‘92, Jamie Blackburn-Rawlins ‘92, James Gross ‘92, Nicole Haynes ‘92, Tangye Watson ‘92, Niko Jarrett-D’Oyen ‘91, Marlon D’Oyen ‘92, Anne Harwood ‘92. (front row l to r): Matt Bandy ‘92, Cindy Rangel-Bandy ‘92, Annie Smith-McKenny ‘92 back in the BMHS gymnasium for their 20th reunion. Inset: Ruby San Jose ‘92 (left) and Jeffrey Gobee ‘92 (right) enjoy their 20th reunion back on the BMHS campus.

Top Left: (l to r) Gail Combar-Weiss ‘72, Ruth McQuirk-Hauser ‘72, and Cindy Chapman-Patterson ‘72. Top Right: (l to r) David Knight ‘72, Greg Lane ‘72, and Fr. Gary Klauer ‘63. Bottom: Members of the Class of 1972 gather for their 40th Reunion at Chevron Park in El Segundo. (Photos by Annie Habets-Killiam ‘72)

VERITAS NONPROFIT ORGU.S. Postage

PAIDTorrance, CA Permit No. 317

Bishop Montgomery High School5430 Torrance Boulevard • Torrance, California 90503310-540-2021 • www.bmhs-la.org

MAGAZINE

HOMECOMING 2012

For more information, visit www.bmhs-la.org, call 310-540-2021 ext. 249 or email [email protected]

October 19, 2012BBQ: 4:00pm - 7:00pmFootball Game: 6:00pm

All alumni who purchase a ticket to the BBQ will receive a FREE ticket to

the football game.

Join us for an In-n-Out burger at the BBQ in the newly renovated student lunch area and then watch the Knights

take on La Salle in Knight Stadium.

19672011

Date post:	30-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	andy-marafino
View:	228 times
Download:	6 times

BMHS Veritas Magazine Spring/Summer 2012

Documents