THE BA PUBLICATION FOR THER COMMUNITY OF ST.I PATRICK-ST.D VINCENT CATHOLICG HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER/FALLE 2018 Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire. —St. Catherine of Siena SUMMER/FALL 2018 THE MESSAGE FROM THE BRIDGE INTERIM PRESIDENT The Bridge nameplate visually represents the unique gifts and talents shared by our students, alumni, parents, faculty and staff—the many parts that merge into the one community that is St. Patrick-St. Vincent Catholic High School. Message from the Interim President 1 SPSV Today From Asia to Vallejo 2 Hands on the Past 4 Dear Students, Alumni, Parents, Faculty and Staff, Faculty Retirements 6 The Bruin Spirit 7 With each graduating class, the St. Patrick-St. Vincent community pauses to reflect. Graduation is a Class of 2018 8 significant time, when our students and their families remember special memories from the past and Their History is Our Legacy 10 celebrate the exciting times to come. Our commencement ceremony is the culmination of 12 years of education and marks the beginning of young adulthood. Bridge Across Time Classmates’ Updates 12 St. Patrick-St. Vincent Catholic High School was proud to welcome over 100 students into the Class of Reunion Roundup 13 2018, and to share that every SPSV graduate was accepted into a college or university. This year we also Feeding Her Passion 14 Supporting SPSV 15 enthusiastically recognized the first group of international students having successfully completed four years of our international program. The Giving Report 16 In Memory 20 We all experience instances of blessed transition, and the end of the school year is such a moment. Note 21 Transitions are a constant factor in our lives and in the life of the community. With the departure of former President Dave Perry, I am currently acting as Principal and Interim President of St. Patrick-St. Vincent Catholic High School. I am working to forge strong bonds within the community in collaboration with the leadership of the SPSV Board of Trustees and the Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Sacramento. I will do my best to guide St. Patrick-St. Vincent Catholic High School Diocese of Sacramento during this transition. Bishop Jaime Soto MISSION Mr. Lincoln Snyder, Executive Director We are working with student leadership, alumni, parents, faculty and staff during this time, and our focus and Superintendent Mrs. Trina KoontZ, Regional Director remains dedicated to supporting the St. Patrick-St. Vincent community and the Diocese of Sacramento. St. Patrick-St. Vincent High Board of Trustees I ask you to keep our community in your thoughts and prayers through this time of transition, and I School, a Catholic college Mr. John Lloyd, Chair pledge that we will continue to build a culture and environment that supports our students’ and families’ preparatory high school of Rev. Blaise Berg, STD Mr. Louis Caretti current needs while addressing the challenges and future for the school. the Diocese of Sacramento, Mr. Anthony Intintoli, Jr. Mr. Vinny Moretti There is nothing more sacred than the well-being of our students. We will be guided solely by God, the challenges our diverse student Br. Dominic Murray, CFC Diocese of Sacramento, Bishop Jaime Soto, and what is in the best interest of this amazing school. population to seek truth as Sr. Brigid Noonan, OP ‘58 Mrs. Loretta Olson creative, complex thinkers and Mr. John Passalacqua Sincerely, to be responsible citizens and Mrs. Cathy Lee Rojas ‘82 compassionate individuals who Administration Mrs. Coleen Martin, Principal and share their gifts with others. Interim President Dr. Doug Evans, Vice Principal Mr. Patrick Vogelpohl, Dean of Students STATEMENT The Bridge Editor Coleen Martin Ms. Jaime Kim, Director of Development Principal & Interim President We welcome ideas for articles and feature stories that reflect the school mission and might be of interest to the St. Patrick-St. Vincent community. The Bridge is published twice yearly, in the summer and winter, and content has a long lead time. SPSV reserves the right to edit content for excellence length and clarity or to decline to publish any material. To reach the editor, please contact the Office of Advancement: [email protected] or 707.644.4425 x441. 1 SPSV TODAY Did you know? SPSV’s geographic location is Cook shared that one of her an attraction for international greatest moments was watching eight students wanting to visit San international students complete four Francisco on the weekends. years and receive their high school from Asia Attending a small high school diploma. Graduation for these students was a testament to these students’ ensures that international higher academic goals along with students will be involved in their academic credibility of being community. accepted into colleges and universities to Vallejo throughout the United States. It is clear Rigorous application process that this group was very satisfied with Cook attributes much ensures that students will be able their educational experience at SPSV. of the international to succeed in the classroom Many of the international students program’s success to the thrived being part of a smaller amazing students and the Our international students community here at SPSV, having come International Program Team at meet a high standard of English from larger schools in their home SPSV. “I loved seeing our students comprehension prior to enrollment countries. “At SPSV, the international welcome the international students MOST HIGH SCHOOL students could receive individualized those first few days of school, International students represent attention from teachers and coaches helping them in homeroom and in 4% of SPSV’s student population, STUDENTS HEAD HOME AT THE that allowed them to excel academically their classes, and inviting them to enriching the experience for all END OF THEIR SCHOOL DAY, BUT A and grow personally,” says Cook. be in a group project.” students and host families. Multiple international students A special thanks to the International FEW STUDENTS AT SPSV COME FROM HOMES participated in SPSV’s Extracurricular SPSV offers 22 AP and Honors Program Team: Valerie Cook ’70, Activities programs. Linyuan “Olivia” classes. THAT ARE THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY. Joan Cummings, Coleen Martin, Song scored her first basket on Senior Mary Ellen Ryan ’64, and Sheila ANNUALLY, MORE THAN TWO DOZEN Night for the Girls Varsity Basketball All international students Lynch Williams ’85. STUDENTS FROM CHINA AND THE team, Shiteng “Amos” Jiang was matriculate into a college or a member of the 2017 CIF State Susan Walls will direct the university. They have attended: PHILIPPINES LEAVE THEIR HOMES AND Championship Football team, and International Student program in Arizona State University the years to come. Diablo Valley College FAMILIES TO STUDY IN THE UNITED STATES, AT SPSV. Wenlin “Levn” Li traveled with the French Club to France. Ohio State University These students are able to take Studying at universities and colleges Parsons School of Design advantage of this opportunity through in the United States has been a draw San Diego State University the F-1 Student VISA program, which for international students and Cook San Jose State University offers international students the took it one step further, providing an University of California, Irvine chance to attend a high quality college opportunity for international students to University of California, San Diego preparatory program in Vallejo and study abroad at the high school level. University of California, Santa Barbara cities throughout the United States. This program places international University of California, Santa Cruz Valerie Cook ‘70, former Chair of students at a college preparatory high University of Connecticut SPSV’s International Student Program school in the San Francisco Bay Area. for the last four years in partnership During the 2017-2018 academic year, with The Cambridge Institute of 28 international students attended high International Education, began the school in Vallejo. International Student program in 2014. 2 3 by John Dwyer ‘88 Faculty Chair “YouHands Can Do It!” It is one of the most iconic World donor approached the museum providingon the funding for theStudents chosePast topics such as Women in Wartime, the U.S.S. exam; instead, they analyze a piece of local history in their War II posters encouraging women to contribute to transportation and lunch expenses for a school in the Vallejo California, Law Enforcement in Vallejo, Medicine and Music. hands. Also, students learn what the study of history is truly the war effort in what was previously considered to area to participate in this program. At the recommendation After a brief tour of the museum and an introduction of all of about: it is a person’s story in a specific time-period, a specific be men’s work. The “Rosie the Riveter” poster was of Mary Kuykendall ’67 and VNHM staff member, SPSV was the staff and volunteers, the real work began. Like a scavenger place and within a certain context. Some stories involve one of numerous artifacts available to my AP U.S. selected. When I learned about the program, I immediately hunt, the knowledgeable and patient VNHM staff members famous people while other stories are about those who are wanted our APUSH class to have this unique opportunity. helped students locate items throughout the museum. Each anonymous. Some focus on individual accomplishments while History class at the Vallejo Naval and Historical According to Mr. Kern, the Hands on the Past program is white-gloved student catalogued the artifact, brought it to their others focus on influence of groups. Nevertheless, their stories Museum earlier this year. one-of-a kind. No other museum in the country allowed high assigned table and began identifying how it related to topic. are part of our history. The program was originally created by Mr.