JUNE / JULY 2019 YOUR MONTHLY REPORT ON THE ST. AUGUSTINE HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE ST. AUGUSTINE HIGH SCHOOL • 3266 NUTMEG STREET • SAN DIEGO, CA 92104-5199 • 619.282.2184 • WWW.SAHS.ORG AMAZING, GREAT THINGS Dear Parents & Friends, mazing is the word Athat summarizes my thoughts as I reflect on the year and the end of school. It is amazing how fast this year has gone. It is amazing to look at the accomplishments of Principal James Horne Saints’ students in the areas of academics, athletics and community service. And, it is amazing, after more than a decade of re-building the campus, to have CAPS & GOWNS & GRINS. As almost 100 years of tradition will insist, our Saints, first rate facilities to support programs in graduates will bond shoulder to shoulder for post graduation photo opportunities. ministry, academics, athletics and the arts. Here's an example of just one happy photo. Left to right are Alex Menas, Michael All of this year’s achievements affirm our Piancone, Shaun Matney, Henry DiPaolo and Alec Stonehouse. For more graduation pride and excitement for the future of Saints. news go to page 3. On behalf of the administrative team, I would like to acknowledge and extend Continued on page 21 A SHINING STAR Johnathon Soro named St. Augustine Gold END OF AN ERA Medalist ohnathon Soro Jis the Class of 2019’s awardee of the St. Augustine High Gold Medal, EPITOME OF one of the highest accomplishments, BROTHERHOOD a Saintsman can “...a fitting stamp of brotherhood and success Johnathon Soro attain. In addition, he is the school’s sole for the Class of 2019 is the fact all 173 new Summa Cum Laude graduate as an Austin graduates have earned the grades to attend a Scholar. He earned the Principal’s Trophy for college that will accept them.” Excellence in Studies over Four Years. - James Horne, Principal, St. Augustine “Saints gave me the opportunity to form High School long-lasting bonds with friends from very diverse walks of life. Saints has broadened everal years ago, Saints Scene asked LEGEND. San Diego and the Saints and strengthened my education to prepare Sthe school what percentage of students, Community lost a coaching luminary this me for the real world,” said Johnathon, who who graduate go on to college. The answer spring. Turn to page 24 for a salute to Mr. Bill Whittaker. Photo: Bill Whittaker’s 1946 Continued on page 21 Continued on page 21 senior yearbook picture. 1 AUGUSTINIAN HERITAGE BROTHERHOOD: Growing in Christ with Each Other By Joseph Rougas, Saints Salutatorian, 2019 ood morning to all family, friends, Gfaculty and staff of Saint Augustine High School, the Class of 1969, Provincial Fr. Gary Sanders and the Augustinians, and the class of 2019. Welcome to the Saint Augustine High School 2019 commencement ceremony. How does one measure four years at Saints? Through days of classes? Through tests taken? Through finals weeks survived? Through school masses? Through intramural games played? Through holy bowls? Through retreats attended? Through Prahas started the morning they’re due? Through friendships made? When I was given the opportunity to sum up four years at St. Augustine High School SALUDOS. Joseph Rougas (center) is the Class of 2019 Salutatorian and was also honored with across the roughly 160 different experiences St. Augustine High School’s Christian Conduct Gold Medal. He poses with Fr. Kirk Davis, O.S.A, we’ve all had, the only way that seemed Campus Minister, along with Christian Conduct Honorable mention awardee Nick Alcalay, (left) fitting was through brotherhood. Brothers are at the recent Senior Awards ceremony on campus. Applauding is Saints Principal James Horne interesting. I grew up with two older brothers. (top, right), who was Master of Ceremonies. When we were little we all picked on one another. I still have memories of us calling one another annoying before shooting each wheelbarrows, rolled dice to see how many most difficult of our core values to define. other with a Nerf gun until we’d get out of steps we were allowed to take, and dressed I can’t help but think of my talk on Kairos the other’s room. But now that we’re older we up in costumes ranging from cows to trolls 45 this winter, where I said retreats are an understand that poking fun at one another is who lived under the staircase outside the opportunity to learn more about ourselves, a sign of love. We still give each other a hard counseling center. At the end of the week we about others, and about God. And I think time, but they’re some of my best friends and were inducted into the community as we sang that that is so close to the essence of truth I couldn’t imagine my life without them. the alma mater as a class for the first time at here at Saint Augustine High School. We My two brothers always talked about the football game. are pushed to find our true selves, be that brotherhood before coming to Saints, but Four years later we got to watch our true self with others, and with our brothers, I couldn’t really grasp what they meant. I own freshmen do the same exact thing as find the truth about God. I remember on had two brothers who picked on me, so we led them through the process of their Kairos, one of the people in my small group why did I need 700 more? But three things own Freshman Welcome Week, and as I told me about how sometimes in the day to made me change my tune: unitas, veritas, look around this gym, every single student, day hustle and bustle of school we only see and caritas; unity, truth, and love. Those alum, and faculty member has at one point some of our classmates in the context of the three words have been the backdrop of our or another worn a beanie that symbolizes our classroom. But on Kairos, he was able to Saints experience since the moment that we truly unique community with its own weird break out of the tunnel vision to see that all walked into Dougherty Gym for freshman traditions, and symbolizes the community of us are so different and unique. He was orientation. And I do not think they could where we learned to grow in Christ and with able to see the best in himself and in those be more applicable when talking about the one another. Freshman Welcome Week helps around him. Not all of us went on Kairos, but brotherhood here at Saints. us learn about unity in a unique way. Just like it can be anything: whether it be completing There’s so many experiences that we me and brothers still poke fun at each other, last night’s homework in the counseling share together here at Saints that bond us through the craziness of the week, we learn center before school, or in the middle of as a community. Four years ago, we all what brotherhood and unity means for the practice when a teammate is there for you, or experienced Freshman Welcome Week. We first time on this campus. when the whole class is stressed out together wore beanies, carried our books around in Then there’s truth. Truth is probably the before a big test. All of us have found those Continued on page 22 2 GRADUATION 2019 SPECIAL REPORT Congratulations & Godspeed Class of 2019 Graduation A joyous gathering inside St. Augustine Commons of Augustinians, honored guests, graduates, alumni, family members and faculty, experiences the school’s 95th annual commencement ceremonies. • Top School and Gold Medal Winners • National Honor Society Honorees • Full List of Austin Scholars • 2019 Final Honor Roll • Complete List of Cum Laude Grads • College Bound Saintsmen ANNUAL SALUTE TO GRADUATES BEGINS NEXT PAGE 3 GRADUATION 2019 Saints file photo. Senior Honors & Awards Class of 2019 Top Honors at Graduation THE SAINT AUGUSTINE MEDAL, sponsored THE GOLD MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN by the St. Augustine Alumni Association, is VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS is awarded awarded to the graduate judged by faculty to a senior who has excelled in the Visual and vote, to be the most representative graduate Performing Arts, traditionally in at least two this year on the basis of academic achievement, disciplines for at least three years. The senior, citizenship, and leadership. Awarded to selected by faculty vote, must exhibit creative JOHNATHAN FIRAS SORO. Honorable and intuitive thinking. Awarded to DIEGO Mention: ANDREW TA TRAN. ALBERTO HERNANDEZ URBINA. Honorable Mention: GABRIEL IVAN MOURITZEN. Johnathon Soro Diego Urbina THE CHRISTIAN CONDUCT MEDAL, sponsored by the Austin Parents Association, THE GOLD MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN is awarded to the graduate judged by faculty ATHLETICS, sponsored by the Austin Parents vote, to have shown in a superior manner, Association, is awarded to the graduate judged those attributes befitting a Christian gentleman. by faculty vote, to have excelled in traditionally Awarded to JOSEPH NICHOLAS ROUGAS. at least two sports for two years and exhibits Honorable Mention: NICHOLAS JOHN the attributes befitting a Saintsman. Awarded ALCALAY. to JEREMIAH THOMAS PENICK. Honorable Mention: MATTHEW HAFEMAN BEDDOW. Joseph Rougas Jeremiah Penick 4 GRADUATION 2019 THE PRINCIPAL’S TROPHY, AWARDED FOR EXCELLENCE IN STUDIES OVER FOUR YEARS, presented by the Augustinians of St. Patrick’s Church, awarded to MATTHEW THOMAS ANGUIANO and JOHNATHON FIRAS SORO. Honorable Mention: ANDREW TA TRAN. Principals Trophy for excellence in studies over 4 years (L-R) Matt Anguiano, awardee, Andrew Tran (honorable mention) and John Soro, awardee. The Rule of St. Augustine Everything you do is to be for the service of the community, and you are to work with more zeal and enthusiasm than if each person were merely working for himself and his own interests.