junipero serra high school a catholic college preparatory A publication for the alumni, parents & friends of junipero serra high school fall 2016 inside: profiles of courage and mercy cover story: dante pellegrini ‘89—father and son are baptized in rome graduation 2016—class of 2016 completes 43,694 hours of community service carl dos remedios ’78—serra welcomes new admissions director wcal players of the year—padres claim football, basketball and baseball a message from the president Dear Alumni, Parents and Friends of Serra, In December of last year, Pope Francis opened a special door in St. Peter’s Basilica, marking the beginning of an Extraordinary Year of Mercy. During the past year, Catholics were called to reflect upon the merciful love of God. By the time you receive this edition of Traditions, the door will have closed, marking the end of a special year. The door to our Padres’ hearts, however, must forever be open to looking at others with the same mercy that our Lord has for each of us. PROFILES OF COURAGE AND SUCCESS For us at Serra, mercy is authentically realized by a complementary effort to promote justice. Serra students, faculty and staff recently created a new vision for the term 4-13 16-21 28-31 “brotherhood,” a concept that resonates deeply among our Padres. This vision of around the halls padre bench in memoriam “brotherhood” is impacting everything we do to support our students’ growth Remembering Calvin Riley ’15 toward adulthood: Graduation 2016 Spring Sports Wrap-Up Remembering Danny Lucido ’07 2016 Medal Winners WCAL Players of the Year 2015-16 The Serra Brotherhood is a bond shared among Padres, past and present, based on the values of respect, integrity, inclusion and compassion. Padre brothers hold College Bound—Serra college 2016 Shea Award Recipients 32–35 themselves and each other accountable to these values every day, as Jesus modeled in his own life. counselors prepare Padres for the class notes 2015-2016 Blanket Award Winners road ahead Chris Bradley ’13 at Caltech First Team All-Ivy League Following this example, Padre Profiles—Spotlight on Serra’s Class of 2016 22-27 alumni news: • A Padre is a man of respect, treating others with love and kindness. Serra Welcomes New Admissions 38 • A Padre is a man of integrity, acting with honesty and fairness, seeking truth. Director—Carl Dos Remedios ’78 Thank You Jaime Huerta ’90—Serra upcoming events Fathers’ Club president honored for • A Padre is a man of inclusion, embracing diversity and the gifts of others. The Doors of Mercy—Mural taking club to new level mesmerizes Serra community • A Padre is a man of compassion, compelled to help others, especially those most in need. Faith Comes Full Circle—Dante Pellegrini ’89 and son are baptized at Our nation is moving through uncertain and divisive times. The inculcation of these virtues into the moral fiber of our 14-15 St. Peter’s Basilica cover photo students will serve our country and our world well. As this definition is a living document, and not just words on a sheet of the arts Dante Pellegrini ’89 and son The Music Man—Scott Igoe ’86 drums paper, I already see the need for an additional virtue—courage. baptized at St. Peter’s Basilica Fall Play—A Midsummer Night’s Dream up business In this edition of Traditions, you will find many examples of courageous Serra men who exemplify this vision of brotherhood. Siempre Adelante! Lars Lund President Help Keep Padre Traditions Strong at Serra Serra relies on the involvement and generosity of our parents, alumni and friends to assure that each new Padre generation can reach beyond its grasp to achieve its dreams. Support Serra today by making your donation online at: www.serrahs.com. Gifts to Serra are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. faith • wisdom • service graduation 2016 graduation awards and completed 43,694 hours of community service. There 2016 medal winners were three valedictorians this year—Jose Sandoval, Mikey michael takla Takla and Miles Todzo. Todzo presented the valedictory marco hernandez general scholastic visual arts medal address on graduation day. excellence medal, activity medal, San Jose State University “Although at times we might fall short of our goals, dramatic arts medal, & music medal the brotherhood we have developed over the past four USC years will always be there to pick us up,” he said. “The miles todzo instances of generosity, care and leadership I have andrew black general scholastic service medal witnessed will resonate with me forever. I am indebted excellence medal, mathematics medal USC to you, my fellow classmates, teammates and friends, & science medal for constantly inspiring me to become a better person. I Duke University hope I have done the same for you. The challenge is for us to continue to inspire others with our actions as men cole galli "Each of us has the capacity to do great things and make a renowned eduardo ruano theology medal shea sportsmanship award impact on our world." of faith, wisdom, service, community and leadership. -Miles Todzo, 2016 Valedictory Address As we progress through our lives, I hope that all of Santa Clara University California State University, Chico us will willingly take risks in life and strive to have a t was a day of celebration on May 28, when 209 members of the Class of 2016 graduated at St. Mary’s Cathedral in positive influence on those around us. As we have seen San Francisco. The church was filled with proud parents, throughout our time at Serra, we can often find our own ian tighe jake killingsworth Igrandparents, family members and friends. english medal inspiration when we look beyond ourselves.” shea sportsmanship award USC Columbia University The diplomas were presented by Serra Principal Barry Thornton, Ed. D. The graduates earned $17.3 million in college scholarships matthew penner 2016 valedictorians world languages medal michael takla UC Santa Barbara USC patrick driscoll campus ministry medal miles todzo Creighton University Duke University ryan fitzgerald social studies medal jose sandoval University of Notre Dame UC Davis AROUND THE HALLS 5 Serra's college counselors helped me to find a perfect college match. I felt a renewed sense of confidence in myself. I was awarded the Gates Millennium Scholarship, which provided me with a full scholarship to attend the college of my dreams, Santa Clara University. Without the Serra counselors' advice and assistance, I definitely would not be where I am today." Eduardo Ruano '16 “Double major: computer science and engineering Above (l-r): Serra counselors Steve Farren, Karen Ghidossi, College Bound Jane Zoucha, Kris White and Chris Quiery ’01 Senior year: On Senior Kick-off Sunday, seniors begin Q: What is your advice about the SAT and ACT? Should Serra college counselors prepare Padres for the road ahead the application process. Individual meetings, application they take both and, if so, how many times? t's no secret that preparing for college is stressful these of students accepted by these colleges has increased only workshops and college admissions visits continue during the A: We recommend that students take both the SAT and ACT days. In an era when many parents hire professional slightly. This has lowered admission rates at the most popular fall. Throughout the year, counselors meet with students to (both with the additional essay) in the spring of junior year. college counselors for thousands of dollars, it’s comforting and well-known schools. To ensure that they have suitable review admission decisions from colleges and financial aid During the summer prior to senior year, students should Ito know that Serra’s counseling team has the expertise and options for college, students apply to more schools today packages in order to guide the final college decision. prepare for additional testing in the fall, based on their earlier test results. resources to shepherd our Padres through the college planning than in previous generations. Technology has made it easier Q: Do you help the boys to select colleges? and application process. Serra provides students with a four- for students to apply to multiple schools without having to A: Serra counselors work extensively with each student Q: How does the essay work? Do they write it in their year program, and each year builds on the previous year. So, complete additional applications. throughout the college process to support the boys, while English classes or do you help them with that? while it’s important to begin the college planning process early, Q: What do the boys do each year at Serra to prepare suggesting schools that are suitable to their academic A: The personal statement gives admissions counselors a a systematic, highly-personalized program helps to avoid the for college? achievement, social interests and career goals. The college sense of who a student is and a glimpse of his writing skills. It frenzy. The results speak volumes about our counseling team’s Freshman year: Freshmen and their parents are introduced planning seminar, junior family meetings and individual reveals a student’s personality and character, which grades and success—99 to 100 percent of Serra students matriculate to the importance of grades, getting involved and sharpening meetings help students to develop their college lists. This test scores do not show. Senior English classes work on the to college, and they earn millions of dollars in college their study skills. A student’s GPA is the primary factor in includes recommending colleges that students might not have narrative style of writing in support of students’ college essays. scholarships. For the class of 2016, that number was $17.3 college admissions.