THE SENTINEL SHIELD
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<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SENTINEL</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong><br />
MAGAZINE OF SETON CATHOLIC PREPARATORY | FALL 2015<br />
A Tradition of Giving,<br />
Rooted in Faith
FROM <strong>THE</strong> PRINCIPAL’S DESK<br />
PRAYING FOR COURAGE<br />
Each year we focus on one of the four charisms (spiritual gifts)<br />
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was given: courage, determination,<br />
faith and love. For the 2015-2016 school year, our emphasis is<br />
on the charism of courage.<br />
When reflecting on St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s life, we see how she prayed for<br />
strength and courage while struggling with her husband’s death, raising her<br />
children as a widow, starting the first parochial schools in America and founding<br />
the American Sisters of Charity. She had the courage to stand up to those who<br />
stood as obstacles in her path to do God’s will.<br />
We know that St. Elizabeth Ann Seton lived a life that demanded her<br />
to exhibit her faith, love, courage and determination daily.<br />
Throughout this school year, our Seton community will be asking<br />
God for the courage to turn to Him for help in the difficult<br />
situations we face and know that it is through prayer the answers<br />
we seek are whispers in our hearts.<br />
Blessings,<br />
Patricia L. Collins<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong><br />
FALL 2015<br />
Seton Catholic Preparatory<br />
1150 North Dobson Road • Chandler, AZ 85224 • 480.963.1900 • SetonCatholic.org<br />
ADMINISTRATION<br />
Principal Patricia Collins<br />
Assistant Principal David Sorkin<br />
Dean of Students Julie Grindey<br />
Director of Admissions Brandon Harris<br />
Director of Athletics Matt Mayo ’98<br />
Director of Campus Ministry Rob Curtis<br />
Director of Counseling Jerry Mullin<br />
Director of Finance Bob Esposito<br />
Director of Student Activities Beth Pattock<br />
Chaplain Fr. Chris Axline<br />
ADVANCEMENT<br />
Director Paula Osterday<br />
Assistant Director<br />
Becky Sanchez<br />
Communications &<br />
Marketing Manager<br />
Sheri Collins-Merkel<br />
Alumni Relations Manager<br />
Krista Cunningham ’95<br />
Advancement Associates<br />
Karen Hill, Lucille Ruchensky<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong><br />
Assistant Director,<br />
Advancement<br />
Becky Sanchez<br />
Communications &<br />
Marketing Manager<br />
Sheri Collins-Merkel<br />
Editor Kim Cecere,<br />
On Point Communications<br />
Designer t-squared design<br />
Printer International<br />
Minute Press, Chandler<br />
ADVISORY BOARD<br />
President Eddie Cook<br />
Vice President Susan Fugger<br />
Secretary Craig Echeveste<br />
Principal, Ex-Officio<br />
Patricia Collins<br />
Fr. Chris Axline<br />
Nelsonja Bastian<br />
Larry Dorsey<br />
Christine Klee<br />
Brandy Martinez<br />
Fr. Dan McBride<br />
Norm Mendoza<br />
Fidencio Rivera<br />
Tom Walentitsch<br />
Shannon Wilson<br />
Board of Trustees Liaison<br />
Rich Zawtocki
CONTENTS<br />
2 FROM <strong>THE</strong> PRINCIPAL’S DESK<br />
Praying for Courage<br />
4-5 <strong>SENTINEL</strong> NEWS<br />
6-7 CHARISM: COURAGE<br />
Reverend Scott Sperry ’04<br />
8-9 ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE<br />
Hats Off to the Class of 2015<br />
10-11 COVER STORY<br />
A Profile on the Silver Family<br />
12-13 FEATURE STORY<br />
The Pursuit of Passion<br />
14 ATHLETICS<br />
Coach Gary Galante on Influencing the End Game<br />
15 FINE ARTS<br />
Sharing the Healing Power of Music<br />
17-18 ALUMNI NOTES<br />
Reba the Elephant, Jim Ryan and More<br />
19 MARK YOUR CALENDAR<br />
Alexis Dorsey ’14 stopped by the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Chapel to tune and<br />
play the recently-donated harp by the Silver family. Dorsey began playing the<br />
harp in 4th grade and completed her teen harp therapy certification through<br />
the International Harp Therapy Program. She is a sophomore at the University<br />
of Notre Dame, studying industrial design.<br />
WHO WILL<br />
TAKE YOUR<br />
PLACE?<br />
Mr. Bruce Johnson and Mrs. Ann Glose Johnson ‘62,<br />
Mother Seton Legacy Society Charter Members<br />
As a generous benefactor of<br />
Seton Catholic Prep,<br />
your generosity helps to<br />
continue God’s work.<br />
A bequest in your will can<br />
help to continue that work<br />
long after you’ve passed<br />
into God’s hands.<br />
OUR MISSION To provide a college preparatory curriculum within a Catholic faith<br />
community focusing on academic excellence, leadership and loving service to others.<br />
2015-’16 BOARD OF TRUSTEES<br />
Mr. Gabe Ortiz ’88, Board President<br />
Medtronic Inc., Medical Device Sales<br />
Mr. Ryan Corry ’04, The Society of St.<br />
Vincent de Paul, Development Officer<br />
Mrs. Carol Dobson, Dobson Family<br />
Farms, Owner<br />
Mrs. Tracy Dorsey, CPA, Seton Catholic Prep<br />
and Resurrection Parish volunteer<br />
Mr. Sal Flores, Flores Wealth Management,<br />
Registered Principal<br />
Mrs. Kim Silver, M.Ed, CPA<br />
St. Mary-Basha Catholic School,<br />
Teacher<br />
Mr. Steve Smitham, Retired COO of<br />
Jennings, Strouss and Salmon P.L.C., CPA<br />
Mr. Rich Zawtocki, Zawtocki Law Offices,<br />
Attorney at Law<br />
Mrs. Pat Collins, Ex-Officio<br />
Mrs. Paula Osterday, Staff Support<br />
Mrs. Brandy Martinez, Staff Support<br />
The Sentinel Shield Magazine<br />
is published bi-annually by<br />
the Seton Catholic Preparatory<br />
Advancement Office<br />
SetonAlumni@SetonCatholic.org<br />
Note: Are you receiving multiple<br />
copies of The Sentinel Shield?<br />
If so, please contact Lucille Ruchensky<br />
in the Advancement Office at<br />
480.963.1900, Ext. 2031 or by emailing<br />
lruchensky@SetonCatholic.org<br />
For more information,<br />
please call<br />
Paula Osterday,<br />
Director of Advancement<br />
480.963.1900 Ext. 2011
<strong>SENTINEL</strong> NEWS<br />
(left to right) David Baier ’15, Joey Lynch ’15, Tom Mager ’15, Matt Rapier ’15; u<br />
Bottom (left to right) John Roberts ’15, Mike Vetti, Kristy Arty ’15, Madeline<br />
McLean ’15, Maggie Harrington ’15, Hannah Bustos ’15, Isabel Ewan ’15, Liam<br />
Fry ’15, Samantha Nowak ’15, Gaby Mazza ’15 (Not pictured: Lily Arma)<br />
ROBOTICS REVS UP POWER WHEELS FOR KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS<br />
For the past two years, Robotics Club students have worked with<br />
the staff at Advanced Therapy Solutions in Gilbert, Ariz. to modify<br />
Power Wheels and other children’s cars for kids with physical<br />
and occupational therapy needs. The Seton students’ specialized<br />
adaptions to the cars included remote control access, on/off<br />
switch accessibility, and changes to seating and steering systems.<br />
The children, ages 2 to 7, then got to drive the modified cars<br />
during Advanced Therapy Solutions’ annual Kids in Motion Derby,<br />
held on April 25.<br />
“Thank you to Seton Robotics students for all their work<br />
in helping provide the opportunity for these children to be ‘in<br />
control’ behind the wheel and experience the thrill of driving<br />
children’s cars,” said Melanie Conaster, occupational therapist at<br />
Advanced Therapy Solutions. “It was a fun-filled derby!”<br />
(left to right) Mia Gomez, Jim Witter, Mike Gomez, Angie Gillette; u<br />
Bottom (left to right) Emma Gillette, Cal Gillette, Liam Gomez,<br />
Christian Yousif, Bernie McBryan<br />
Master artist Chris Ho in Mandarin class q<br />
SO LONG, FAREWELL<br />
Seton Catholic Prep would like to wish a warm farewell to retiring<br />
teachers and staff: Dennis Boetto, Maintenance, nine years;<br />
Rex Bowser, Physical Education and varsity football coach,<br />
seven years; Dennis Clinch, History, 25 years; Don Huentleman,<br />
Maintenance, seven years; and Cyd Totten, Art, eight years.<br />
Thank you for your excellence, dedication and loving service<br />
to the Seton Catholic community!<br />
CHINESE MANDARIN WELCOMES<br />
GLOBAL MASTER ARTIST<br />
On May 4, students in Chinese Mandarin classes welcomed<br />
a special guest: Chris Ho, internationally-renowned and awardwinning<br />
Taiwanese master artist and poet. Ho demonstrated the<br />
art of Chinese brush painting and calligraphy to students, creating<br />
two original pieces which he presented to the school.<br />
The Chinese brush painter has dedicated his art to the<br />
endangered species he paints and has written several articles,<br />
notably on the tiger and the eagle. His symbolic painting,<br />
“Eagle Soaring to the Moon,” was presented to President George<br />
W. Bush in 1999. Today, he resides in the Los Angeles area,<br />
teaching Chinese Brush Painting at Saddleback College since<br />
1997, and giving private lessons in many places.<br />
p (left to right) Dora Klamar ’14, Halle Brady ’14, Sarah Naldo (senior),<br />
Dennis Clinch ’77, Robbie Culibrk ’14, Jessica Lopez ’15, Austin Weigel ’14,<br />
Janek Benigno ’14, William Hietter ’15. Eddie Hietter ’12; Bottom (left to right)<br />
Kelly Rzonca ’09, Lisette Cole ’09, Connor Greenawalt ’14<br />
4<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong>
(left to right) q<br />
Tylor Garrison, first place;<br />
Diep Tran, second place;<br />
Lauren Shapiro, third place<br />
<strong>SENTINEL</strong> NEWS<br />
INSIDE SCOOP ON <strong>THE</strong> BELTWAY<br />
In the spring, 14 Seton seniors traveled with government and politics<br />
teacher Mike Vetti on an exciting journey to Washington D.C. The<br />
program, Close Up Washington, was more than a field trip—students<br />
had the opportunity to experience the political process firsthand<br />
with a rare, inside look at our nation’s capital.<br />
Students toured monuments and participated in a Mock Congress<br />
Workshop where they debated, amended and voted on the<br />
same issues considered by elected representatives. On Capitol Hill<br />
Day, they had the opportunity to meet with staff from the offices<br />
of Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema and Congressman Matt<br />
Salmon. In the rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building,<br />
students met with Senator Jeff Flake as well as Senator John<br />
McCain who gave them a private, unscripted tour and shared<br />
focal points of the building. A trip highlight was a visit to a Senate<br />
Foreign Relations Committee hearing where a debate sparked<br />
between Secretary of State John Kerry and Senator Marco Rubio.<br />
“Our students asked pointed questions on Capitol Hill,” said<br />
Vetti. “Through the whole trip, they displayed a tremendous<br />
amount of passion, substance and depth. I was proud to be part<br />
of such an amazing group representing our school. It was an<br />
incredible experience—one we will never forget.”<br />
TALK OF <strong>THE</strong> TOWN<br />
Congratulations to<br />
the Toastmasters Youth<br />
Leadership Speech<br />
Contest winners! Tylor<br />
Garrison, Diep Tran and<br />
Lauren Shapiro earned<br />
first, second and third<br />
place, respectively, in the<br />
contest held in the Fine<br />
Arts theatre on April 21.<br />
To prepare for the competition,<br />
they participated<br />
in an eight-week program<br />
with the East Valley<br />
Echoes Toastmasters.<br />
‘AD’ UPDATE Matt Mayo ’98 was named Athletic Director (AD) in May.<br />
Prior to his new role, Mayo spent three years as assistant athletic director alongside<br />
former AD Bob Bitler and taught finance at Seton Catholic. Be sure to congratulate<br />
him when you see him on campus, field and court!<br />
Bitler served as AD from June 2008 to January 2015. He began his tenure at<br />
Seton in 2001, also serving as assistant football coach, head track coach, and health<br />
and physical education teacher. This school year, he will teach health and PE classes<br />
full time in addition to faculty and student wellness programs.<br />
NEW TRACK GOES <strong>THE</strong> DISTANCE<br />
WELCOME ABOARD!<br />
Please join us in welcoming<br />
the following outstanding<br />
teachers, coaches and staff<br />
to the Seton Catholic Prep<br />
community:<br />
Daniel Barba, BA, Theology<br />
Gary Galante, BS<br />
Varsity Football Coach<br />
Physical Education<br />
Brandon Harris<br />
Admissions Director<br />
Assistant Varsity Football<br />
Coach<br />
Daryl O’Neil, BA<br />
AP Social Studies<br />
Christine Remmel ’08, BFA, Art<br />
Ann Rogitz, MA, English<br />
Patti Schoenhardt, BA<br />
Varsity Girls Volleyball Coach<br />
Brian Stephenson, BA<br />
Assistant Athletic Director<br />
Varsity Baseball Coach<br />
Track & Field at Seton will enjoy victory laps on a new track! Construction of the new track<br />
was completed in August by Phoenix-based Sunland Sports. It features an all-weather, high<br />
performance surface, two pole vault event areas in the north D-Zone, two long jump event<br />
areas (one on each sideline of the football field), and a high jump pad in the south D-Zone.<br />
Other improvements to the Sentinel Athletic Complex include a new LED scoreboard<br />
sound system and new walkways between the visitor and home bleachers.<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong><br />
5
CHARISM: COURAGE<br />
IN <strong>THE</strong> FACE OF HARDSHIP,<br />
‘WE NEED A FIRM DISPOSITION OF COURAGE’<br />
With the 2015-’16 school year, the Year of Courage is upon us at Seton Catholic.<br />
Courage is a life force that knows many faces. It takes courage to serve<br />
our country, to stand up for what you believe in, to risk one’s life to save<br />
another’s. Courage is no small feat. As a charism, courage is given as a grace by the Holy Spirit.<br />
For Rev. Scott Sperry ‘04, he knows firsthand how the Holy Spirit has led him to be courageous.<br />
“We give thanks to God for this grace<br />
of the Holy Spirit given to St. Elizabeth<br />
Ann Seton to build up the Church as<br />
her missionary. We are called to be<br />
missionaries in the world, following<br />
God’s direction and leading others to<br />
our Lord. We pray that the Holy Spirit<br />
will bestow on us the same spiritual<br />
gifts He gave our patroness that<br />
we might receive them with the same<br />
gratitude. May we have hearts to<br />
trust in His call, increase in knowledge<br />
of God’s plan, and live out the<br />
direction we receive with a firm<br />
disposition of fortitude or courage.”<br />
p Fr. Scott receiving the vows at the wedding<br />
of Jencine and Danny Carrieres '04<br />
– A prayer on the charism<br />
of courage by Fr. Scott Sperry<br />
6<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong><br />
p Baptism of Brennen Corry, son of<br />
Rachel and Ryan Corry '04 by Fr. Scott
q After Easter Mass with Fr. Scott Sperry and the Dame family:<br />
Kaitlin, Leon ‘04 and their sons Aidan and Matthew<br />
q St. Peregrine Cancer Shrine at Christ<br />
the King Catholic Church, Mesa, Ariz.<br />
FEATURE STORY<br />
A<br />
native of Tempe, Ariz. (his parents still live in the same<br />
loving home he grew up in), Fr. Scott was the middle child<br />
of an older brother and younger sister. His years attending<br />
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (OLMC) are what set the foundation for<br />
his faith, he recalls. And when it came time for high school, he was<br />
steadfast on Seton.<br />
“I chose to go to Seton,” said Fr. Scott, who remembers writing<br />
a letter to the school when he was in 7th grade, expressing<br />
his interest to attend. His fondest high school memories revolve<br />
around faith and sports, particularly developing a deeper<br />
understanding of his faith during a Kairos retreat and spending<br />
three years on the Seton Golf Team. Most of all, it was the deep<br />
relationships he formed with his classmates. Leon Dame and<br />
Ryan Corry, both ’04, remain his best friends today.<br />
Upon graduation, Fr. Scott attended the University of Dallas as<br />
a pre-med major. During his first semester, he realized the field of<br />
medicine was not for him, returning home to Tempe and enrolling<br />
at Mesa Community College. He also returned to Seton—this<br />
time as a Kairos alumni leader. He continued to practice his faith<br />
regularly at Mass and at adoration, and when the music minister<br />
at OLMC took note of it and asked him if he had ever considered<br />
the priesthood, Fr. Scott admits, “I ran from it.”<br />
According to Fr. Scott, the process of discerning a vocation<br />
has many steps. “God must call first. We must freely say ‘yes.’ The<br />
Church must confirm this calling. It takes a lot of courage to hear<br />
God’s call and act on it. God had been preparing me for a life of<br />
holiness through my love of the Mass and altar serving as a child,<br />
but I had my own plans as I got older.<br />
“Celebrating the sacraments<br />
is the best part,” said Fr. Scott.<br />
“Certainly lawyers and doctors make enough to support a large<br />
family which I had planned on having (Fr. Scott’s mom was one of<br />
13 children), but studying biochemistry in my first year of college<br />
was not fulfilling. As I left to search for another career path, I<br />
prayed about what the music minister had asked me. That’s when<br />
I realized God had already completed the first step.”<br />
Looking back, Fr. Scott realizes he was called to the priesthood<br />
at the Easter Vigil Mass in 2001 at OLMC. “I remember where I<br />
was standing as I watched my father receive the Sacrament of<br />
Confirmation, and I knew God was calling me to play the role<br />
of the priest. It took me five years to answer God’s call but, once<br />
I had the courage to pray, God made my vocation clear to me.<br />
When we have the courage to answer God’s authentic call, he fills<br />
us with all we need to continue answering His call every day.”<br />
In the fall 2005, Fr. Scott began at the Pontifical College<br />
Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. One year into his seminary<br />
studies, he was diagnosed with leukemia.<br />
“We need a firm disposition of courage to face whatever<br />
comes up in life,” said Fr. Scott. “Upon my diagnosis, I had the<br />
choice to fight it as well as I could, or give up. I chose life, and I<br />
am thankful for my family and friends who modeled courage for<br />
me. They walked every step with me, financially supported me<br />
and created a storm of prayers God couldn’t help but hear loudly.<br />
They had the courage to fight the battle with me that gave me<br />
the strength I needed to live for them.<br />
“God is at work in strengthening us, even in times He permits<br />
us to suffer. He prepares us for the hardships we face and<br />
continues to support and lead us with His grace. It is hard to<br />
see when we are facing our trials, but we can have courage to<br />
fight, trusting that God is there. I named my cancer as a disease<br />
that would not kill me and trusted God would support me in<br />
whatever outcome came.”<br />
After 18 months of intense treatment and a cancer-free<br />
diagnosis, Fr. Scott returned to the Josephinum in the spring<br />
2008 where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy one year<br />
later. In the fall 2009, he began at St. John Vianney Theological<br />
Seminary. He earned a Master of Arts in Divinity and a Sacred<br />
Theology Baccalaureate, STB, in the spring 2014.<br />
Fr. Scott was excited to be ordained on June 28, 2014. Today,<br />
he serves at Christ the King Catholic Church in Mesa, Ariz., known<br />
throughout the diocese for its St. Peregrine Cancer Shrine. One<br />
year into the priesthood, Fr. Scott doesn’t hesitate when asked his<br />
favorite parts of being a priest: Presiding over his grandmother’s<br />
funeral mass, baptizing a best friend’s child, celebrating the<br />
marriage of a Seton classmate.<br />
“Celebrating the sacraments is the best part,” said Fr. Scott.<br />
God prepared me through my Catholic education and the<br />
seminary. Just as the Holy Spirit bestowed His grace upon our<br />
patroness with courage to cross an ocean and serve where God<br />
called, I pray that God bestows the same grace upon me to go<br />
wherever I am called.” =<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong><br />
7
q (left to right) Sarah Naldo, Andy Vega, Robert Dalton Beach,<br />
Kylie Vanarsdale, Kohl Dorsey and Zuzanna Latocha<br />
q Juniors Nathan Zimmerer and Alicia Derr with<br />
Physics and Engineering teacher Ryan Horn<br />
This year, 62 percent of Seton’s 119 graduates received one or more scholarships. These outstanding grads<br />
earned nearly $4.4 million in combined total scholarships to top private, national and state universities.<br />
SIX ACHIEVE ENTRY TO <strong>THE</strong> 2016 NATIONAL MERIT<br />
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM<br />
Six Seton students achieved entry into the National Merit<br />
Scholarship Program (NMSP) as juniors in the spring 2015, thus<br />
allowing them to compete in the 2016 NMSP. They are Robert<br />
Dalton Beach, Kohl Dorsey, Zuzanna Latocha, Sarah Naldo, Kylie<br />
VanArsdale and Andy Vega. These students were among the top<br />
juniors in the nation who took the PSAT in the fall 2014. Of the 1.5<br />
million juniors who take the PSAT/NMSQT, approximately 50,000<br />
juniors with the highest total PSAT scores qualify for the NMSP,<br />
which is about the top three percent of 11th grade testers.<br />
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation uses the PSAT/<br />
NMSQT as an initial screen of program entrants. Congratulations<br />
to this impressive group of six, now seniors, who are on the official<br />
route to the NMSP! =<br />
“Beyond mastering engineering<br />
fundamentals—which will be an<br />
advantage in and of itself as<br />
students start their post-secondary<br />
career—they will create a portfolio<br />
of work which will put them well<br />
ahead of their peers when applying<br />
for admittance to competitive<br />
colleges and universities.”<br />
– Ryan Horn, physics and engineering teacher<br />
MEMBERS OF FRESHMAN CLASS SET FOOT ON<br />
INAUGURAL PATHWAY TO INNOVATION<br />
Seton Catholic’s inaugural Pathway to Innovation: Science and<br />
Engineering (PTI) program kicked off this fall with 21 eligible<br />
freshmen. The class consists of 36 percent female and 45 percent<br />
non-Caucasian students. Seton adopted the high school-level<br />
engineering program from Project Lead The Way (PLTW), the<br />
nation’s leading provider of science, technology, engineering and<br />
math (STEM) programs.<br />
Through PLTW Engineering, students learn the fundamentals<br />
of engineering: modeling, statistics, design and many other skills<br />
to solve complex, open-ended problems in a real-world context.<br />
Students focus on the process of defining a problem, not getting<br />
the “right” answer. Further along in the program, students will<br />
learn and apply more advanced STEM knowledge and skills as<br />
they begin to specialize their academic journey, according to<br />
Ryan Horn, physics and engineering teacher.<br />
Horn took part in PLTW’s three-phase professional development<br />
program to equip teachers with the content, skills and<br />
pedagogy required to teach the curriculum. “Beyond mastering<br />
engineering fundamentals—which will be an advantage in and<br />
of itself as students start their post-secondary career—they will<br />
create a portfolio of work which will put them well ahead of their<br />
peers when applying for admittance to competitive colleges and<br />
universities,” said Horn. =<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong><br />
9
FEATURE STORY<br />
A Tradition Of Giving, Rooted In Faith<br />
A PROFILE OF <strong>THE</strong> SILVER FAMILY<br />
“I wanted to see the<br />
harp played and<br />
enjoyed on a<br />
regular basis, and<br />
I know my<br />
grandmother<br />
would, too.”<br />
- Kim Silver<br />
Seton past parent<br />
Board of Trustees member<br />
10<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong>
“ Through my own children and their<br />
classmates, I witness how students go<br />
on to live these charisms every day,<br />
even well beyond their time at Seton.”<br />
To the Catholic community, the harp has long been<br />
associated with joy in praising God. Its soothing vibrations<br />
uplift and enhance our moments of worship. This past<br />
May, the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Chapel was gifted with a very<br />
special harp—a family heirloom from within Seton’s inner circle.<br />
In sharing her beloved grandmother’s harp with the Seton<br />
community, Seton past parent Kim Silver has graced the chapel<br />
and the student body with a beautiful instrument of worship.<br />
Yet, for the Silver family, the passing along of the harp represents<br />
much more than an in-kind gift. It is symbolic of the family’s<br />
tradition of loving service and generous giving that has been<br />
perpetuated for generations.<br />
Education and service were two traits firmly embedded in<br />
Kim’s DNA. Her mother, Linda Hickey Barkdoll, served for many<br />
years on the Kyrene School District Board and was involved in<br />
many other community endeavors. Linda also modeled and instilled<br />
in Kim and her siblings a commitment to serving the community<br />
and giving back as a family. Kim’s father Tom served in<br />
administration and as a baseball coach in the Diocese of Phoenix.<br />
Following in her parents’ footsteps, Kim earned an advanced<br />
degree in education to accompany her business degree. She<br />
currently fulfills her calling and passion for Catholic education<br />
as a 4th grade teacher at St. Mary-Basha Catholic School in<br />
Chandler, Ariz. Husband Corky is a director at Phoenix-based law<br />
firm Fennemore Craig. He has given countless volunteer hours<br />
to Seton’s technology committee and also served as president<br />
of Seton’s Advisory Board. Kim currently serves as a member of<br />
the Seton Catholic Board of Trustees while both Kim and Corky<br />
actively volunteer their time, support and leadership to local<br />
charitable organizations such as Habitat for Humanity Central<br />
Arizona and Hospice of the Valley.<br />
As parents of young children in 2001, Kim and Corky were<br />
excited to transition their son Chris from public school to the<br />
newly opened St. John Bosco Catholic School in Ahwatukee, Ariz.<br />
Daughter Julia joined Chris at St. John Bosco two years later, and<br />
they quickly became involved parent volunteers and developed<br />
a love and appreciation for Catholic education while watching<br />
Chris and Julia thrive in a parochial school setting. Both Chris<br />
and Julia went on to attend Seton Catholic Prep, with Chris<br />
graduating in 2013 and Julia graduating this past May. Chris is<br />
currently a junior at Northern Arizona University studying<br />
advertising while Julia is excited to attend Loyola Marymount<br />
University in Los Angeles in the spring 2016.<br />
From both a parent and Catholic educator’s perspective, Kim<br />
feels strongly that a Catholic school environment can deeply cultivate<br />
a student’s passion for lifelong learning and service while<br />
providing the foundation for strong character, values and identity.<br />
“Seton students are given the gift and ability to practice their<br />
faith freely and fully; it’s embedded in everything they do while<br />
giving them an underlying sense of belonging and community,”<br />
says Kim. She adds, “The charisms of courage, determination, faith<br />
and love are brought to life in every aspect of Seton’s academic<br />
and extracurricular life. Through my own children and their<br />
classmates, I witness how students go on to live these charisms<br />
every day, even well beyond their time at Seton.”<br />
While the Silvers feel blessed to have belonged to such a<br />
loving, supportive Catholic school community, they are also<br />
quick to praise Seton’s rigorous academic curriculum. Both highly<br />
educated, the Silvers consider Seton to be academically on par or<br />
above any given university’s typical workload. In fact, Kim used<br />
to tell Chris, “If you can make it through Seton, you can thrive at<br />
Northern Arizona University or any other academic experience!”<br />
In addition to instilling an appreciation for faith and service<br />
within their family, the Silvers have also passed along a love of<br />
music and arts. The family plays piano while Corky and Julia also<br />
play guitar. Kim’s grandmother’s harp held special meaning for<br />
the family, yet it sat untouched in their home. It occurred to Kim<br />
there were harpists within the Seton community who could be<br />
relishing her grandmother’s gift. “I wanted to see the harp played<br />
and enjoyed on a regular basis, and I know my grandmother<br />
would, too.”<br />
The Silvers firmly believe their children have benefitted<br />
immeasurably by attending Seton versus going the traditional<br />
public school route. Catholic traditions and rituals have rounded<br />
out their academics, while a strong sense of self-identity and<br />
community have been instilled both at home and on campus.<br />
Friendships and the support of the Seton community have left<br />
an indelible mark. And now, so too will the harp that sits grandly<br />
within the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Chapel for the entire Seton<br />
community to enjoy for years to come. =<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong><br />
11
FEATURE STORY<br />
The Pursuit of Passion:<br />
GO FOR IT. STICK WITH IT. INSPIRE.<br />
S<br />
eton<br />
Catholic Prep is characterized by its supportive and safe community.<br />
Sentinels learn early on everyone has unique God-given gifts and<br />
it is by exploring their passions, tapping into their individual talents<br />
and following God’s plan, they go on to lead meaningful, fulfilling lives.<br />
Meet three Seton alumni who are doing just that!<br />
Creating a World of Whimsy<br />
For Katelyn (McCaigue) Blodgett ’10, doodling in class was the beginning of a lifelong passion and career path. While she<br />
was occasionally reprimanded by her teachers, it was ultimately the encouragement she received from the Seton community<br />
that motivated Blodgett to pursue her dream of becoming a comic book artist. Today, she is gaining notoriety as a specialty<br />
comic book author/illustrator who creates manga, a Japanese-style comic book.<br />
Blodgett was first introduced to the whimsical world of manga as a 7th grader with a burgeoning artistic side. She instantly<br />
loved the style and feel of manga and actively<br />
began crafting her first comic creation during<br />
her senior year at Seton. Her aptitude for comic<br />
book artistry was noticed—and encouraged—<br />
by Seton faculty, friends and family. She recalls<br />
“amazing teachers” who helped her refine the<br />
technical side of her early artwork and is appreciative of<br />
others who encouraged her and simply enjoyed looking at<br />
her creations.<br />
What prompted Blodgett to make her love of comics more<br />
than a hobby? “I love creating any world I want. Developing<br />
comics gives me the opportunity to share stories, characters,<br />
and life experiences in a fun and creative way; the possibilities<br />
are endless!” says Blodgett.<br />
COMIC<br />
BOOK<br />
ARTIST<br />
Most recently, you can find Blodgett attending comic conventions,<br />
where she enjoys interacting with fans and getting<br />
their feedback about her “Jade Dragon” comic series. She<br />
is close to completing book two of an anticipated 22-book<br />
series. However, Blodgett concedes that a life in comics is not always easy, requiring a lot of hard work, dedication and long hours. In fact,<br />
she also works as a graphic designer to support her passion. Her body of work is available to view at katelynmccaigue.com.<br />
KATELYN (MCCAIGUE) BLODGETT<br />
Ultimately, Blodgett encourages Seton students to work hard in order to pursue their dreams, suggesting, “Don’t be afraid to just break out<br />
and start creating, You won’t get any better sitting around and waiting for your art or writing ‘to be good.’ You’ve just got to go for it!”<br />
12<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong>
PEDIATRIC<br />
RESIDENT<br />
MAT<strong>THE</strong>W MOLLOY<br />
Staying<br />
the Course<br />
Matthew Molloy ’06, an inquisitive Seton student with a passion for<br />
science, became well acquainted with the tenets of service, science<br />
and study. These traits are instrumental today as a pediatric resident at<br />
Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Md.<br />
Reflecting on his Seton experience, Molloy credits the dedicated faculty,<br />
particularly science teacher Ms. Olivieri, with helping to foster his interest<br />
in both the sciences and humanities while exposing him to the joy of<br />
learning and teaching of others. Learning to write well, think critically and<br />
work as part of a team were skills he acquired at Seton— and they remain<br />
essential to his role as a pediatrician. Molloy believes that participating in<br />
student council, helping to lead Kairos retreats and acting in school drama<br />
productions helped him to develop the skills required to work with a wide<br />
variety of people.<br />
Upon graduating from Seton, Molloy attended the University of Notre<br />
Dame and later Johns Hopkins University, where he studied at both the<br />
School of Medicine and School of Public Health. As a pediatric resident, he<br />
finds fulfillment in learning something new every day, and he is continually<br />
awed by the resilience of children and their families in the face of illness.<br />
He also relishes the chance to advocate for his patients in areas that impact<br />
their health and well-being.<br />
Molloy encourages students interested in a career in science or medicine<br />
to simply, “Stick with it. The path to becoming a scientist or physician<br />
is a long one.” He cites several potentially rewarding career paths—<br />
physician, nurse practitioner, researcher, engineer or teacher—and advises<br />
that studying science, engineering, math or medicine is key to opening<br />
a lot of future doors.<br />
Molloy adds, “Attending Seton is a privilege. We have a responsibility to<br />
use what we learned for the betterment of our communities. I graduated<br />
from Seton knowing that whatever I ended up choosing as a career path<br />
would be something where I felt like I was serving others.” His peers, young<br />
patients and their families would no doubt agree.<br />
WEDDING<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
SARAH HAGERTY<br />
Chronicling<br />
Life Unscripted<br />
Going to work every day literally makes Sarah Haggerty ’98 giddy. As<br />
a wedding photographer and mom of three young boys, she turned a<br />
passion for snapping pictures into a successful full-time business. Hagerty<br />
and her husband, Nick Hagerty, are the duo behind Tempe-based Hagerty<br />
Photograpy. Check out their stunning work at hagertyphotography.net.<br />
Hagerty’s penchant for photography began at Seton, where, under<br />
Mrs. Pattock’s guidance, she was part of the yearbook committee.<br />
“From the excitement of capturing the perfect shot to the satisfaction of<br />
chronicling life unscripted, I was hooked from the start! “ says Hagerty.<br />
She credits Seton for academically preparing her to pursue photography<br />
and sociology at Northern Arizona University (NAU), where she continued<br />
to hone her photography skills and develop a defined style. Even while<br />
enjoying her college years at NAU, Hagerty remained connected to Seton,<br />
donating her time as a Kairos alumna volunteer.<br />
Hagerty also values the strong and long-lasting circle of friendships she<br />
made while a student at Seton, a social network that continues today.<br />
Most of her bridal party was comprised of former Seton classmates.<br />
Now she is thrilled to capture the wedding portraits of other Seton<br />
alumni. “Even as Seton continues to grow and I grow personally<br />
and professionally, the relationships keep building. The friendships are<br />
never-ending,” says Hagerty.<br />
Looking back on her Seton experience, Hagerty counts numerous teachers<br />
among her mentors, including Sr. Jeanne Bartholomeaux, Carrie Graham,<br />
and Senora Rich. She feels fortunate to have been challenged by the<br />
rigorous academic curriculum while<br />
appreciative of the support and<br />
camaraderie she received from<br />
faculty and friends. Like the portraits<br />
she snaps, one thing is perfectly<br />
captured about Hagerty and her<br />
Seton experience — her years as a<br />
student helped lay the foundation<br />
for a profession that inspires<br />
her every day!<br />
Barbara (Usher) ’04 and<br />
Stephen Dombrowski u<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong><br />
13
ATHLETICS<br />
Coach Gary Galante fits senior Garrett<br />
Boyd with a new Sentinel uniform. u<br />
COACH GARY GALANTE:<br />
INFLUENCING ‘<strong>THE</strong> END GAME’<br />
Seton Catholic named Gary<br />
Galante head varsity football<br />
coach and PE teacher<br />
in May. Prior to Seton, Galante<br />
served as Brophy Prep’s defensive<br />
coordinator and weight<br />
training instructor for 10 years.<br />
Galante’s career spans 26 years<br />
and includes a unique strength<br />
and conditioning program<br />
to help student-athletes at all<br />
levels excel.<br />
During his time with the<br />
Brophy Broncos, they won two<br />
Division I State Football Championships<br />
in 2005 and 2007,<br />
were state runner ups in 2008,<br />
and had semifinal appearances<br />
in 2012 and 2014. Galante<br />
was named the 2007 Assistant<br />
Coach of the Year. Before<br />
Brophy, he coached at Gilbert<br />
High School and Arizona Boys<br />
Ranch, where he led them to<br />
a 12-1 record and a Class 3A<br />
runner-up finish in 1997.<br />
Galante took a timeout<br />
from his first Seton summer<br />
camps to chat with The Sentinel<br />
Shield about his plans for<br />
the Seton football program<br />
and how he hopes to influence<br />
young people’s lives.<br />
SS: Where did you attend<br />
school?<br />
GG: I received a degree in<br />
Exercise Science at NAU. At<br />
the time, no one hired people<br />
like me to coach, so I started<br />
working with holistic physical<br />
therapy. Here, I learned<br />
different ideas. I was always<br />
a power lifter, and physical<br />
therapy taught me kinetics<br />
and different ways of looking<br />
at fitness. By 1992, I was<br />
coaching at Mountain View<br />
High School in Mesa. I realized<br />
this was my calling, what God<br />
wants me to do.<br />
SS: What led you to coaching?<br />
GG: Growing up, I played<br />
football and every sport possible.<br />
I was a preacher’s son<br />
and didn’t go to movies or<br />
attend dances. So, I enveloped<br />
myself in sports and extracurricular<br />
activities. I also played<br />
in the band, sang in the choir<br />
and performed in plays. Music<br />
is my second passion. I played<br />
football at NAU as an inside<br />
linebacker.<br />
When I finished playing<br />
football, coaching was a<br />
natural fit for me. Early on, I<br />
realized coaches had a great<br />
impact on kids. I had some<br />
great coaches that really<br />
influenced my life. I want<br />
to be that coach and help<br />
influence my players’ adulthood.<br />
My passion is kids and<br />
helping to guide their future.<br />
The end game is really,<br />
‘What are they going to do<br />
when they graduate Seton?’<br />
SS: How does your prior<br />
experience help prepare you<br />
for this opportunity at Seton?<br />
GG: Football has been a part<br />
of my whole life, and I feel like<br />
Seton is my destiny. Seton’s<br />
close-knit community, where<br />
the program is now and what<br />
it could be in the future has<br />
always intrigued me. I’ve<br />
coached in the public school<br />
system, at a juvenile detention<br />
center and Brophy, a Jesuit<br />
school. I’ve seen all aspects of<br />
education. While at Brophy, I<br />
was introduced to a Catholic<br />
education and sought<br />
spiritual guidance from the<br />
team chaplain. My time at<br />
Brophy fulfilled me not only<br />
as a coach but spiritually. God<br />
cannot be taken out of the<br />
picture, and the greater glory<br />
of God is more important<br />
than wins and losses.<br />
SS: Do you consider strength<br />
and conditioning as the hallmark<br />
of your program?<br />
GG: Strength and conditioning<br />
is just a part of the<br />
program. The real hallmark<br />
is that we dig deeper, work<br />
harder and get better. We all<br />
can become stagnate and<br />
happy where we are, but we<br />
need to raise the bar and<br />
continue to raise it. That’s how<br />
to get better.<br />
SS: What is your coaching<br />
philosophy?<br />
GG: Most of us do less than<br />
we think we do, and most<br />
of us can do more than we<br />
think we can do. It’s all about<br />
character and attitude. You<br />
find greatness when someone<br />
goes above and beyond—<br />
that’s when you get noticed.<br />
I tell my kids to get the fear<br />
wolf out of your brain and<br />
overcome what your brain<br />
says you cannot do. I want<br />
to give the kids the ability<br />
to shine.<br />
SS: What is your vision for<br />
the Seton football team?<br />
GG: To be the best we can<br />
possibly be. I want the players<br />
to see what Christ’s love<br />
can do in their lives. I also<br />
want them to be leaders on<br />
campus and help out younger<br />
students. I see this as a unique<br />
opportunity to take things<br />
where coach Bowser left off<br />
and move forward.<br />
SS: What can fans expect for<br />
the 2015 football season?<br />
GG: Fans will see a competitive<br />
team that never quits. At<br />
the end of the day, we’ll shake<br />
hands with our opponent and<br />
keep our heads held high. I<br />
see each player as David— a<br />
giant slayer! That’s a great<br />
football team. =<br />
<strong>SENTINEL</strong> PRIDE<br />
Congratulations to these 2015<br />
student-athlete graduates who are<br />
now competing at the college level: <br />
Olivia Burdick – Softball<br />
St. Edwards University, Texas<br />
Antonio Campanella – Football<br />
Northern State, S.D.<br />
Connor Dunn – Baseball<br />
University of Puget Sound, Wash.<br />
Alex Friedl – Baseball<br />
Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Ariz.<br />
Zach Fulmer – Football<br />
Western State, Colo.<br />
Erin Gesicki – Volleyball<br />
Grand Canyon University, Ariz.<br />
14<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong><br />
Sergio Chavez – Wrestling<br />
Grand Canyon University, Ariz.<br />
Stephen Fugger – Football<br />
Western State, Colo.<br />
Rielyn Hoffman – Volleyball<br />
Hastings College, Neb.
Spot Light<br />
FINE ARTS<br />
KATRINA JACQUES<br />
SHARING <strong>THE</strong> HEALING POWER OF MUSIC<br />
H<br />
ow does singing<br />
a familiar song<br />
soothe and enliven<br />
the listener? Just ask Seton<br />
Catholic junior Katrina<br />
Jacques, who shares her<br />
gift of music with elderly<br />
patients as a volunteer<br />
music therapist at Mi Casa<br />
Nursing Center in Mesa, Ariz.<br />
A few years ago, Jacques<br />
discovered the power of music<br />
therapy as a way to manage<br />
stress and anxiety. In sharing<br />
it with others, she is paving an<br />
impressive musical path that<br />
began at an early age.<br />
Jacques joined the Gold<br />
Canyon United Methodist<br />
Church children’s choir when<br />
she was 5 years old, performing<br />
biblical plays and<br />
Christmas programs. In 4th<br />
through 8th grade at Christ<br />
the King Catholic School in<br />
Mesa, she played the flute in<br />
the advanced band and was<br />
in the choir. When Jacques<br />
joined the Phoenix Children’s<br />
Chorus (PCC) seven years ago,<br />
she was placed into Cadet<br />
Choir, the top training choir.<br />
Today, she travels the world in<br />
PCC’s advanced high school<br />
touring choir from Chicago to<br />
Rome, Italy and Catania, Sicily.<br />
This summer, she performed<br />
in Argentina and Uruguay.<br />
“There is no<br />
better feeling<br />
than giving<br />
and experiencing<br />
the healing<br />
power of music.”<br />
– Katrina Jacques ’17<br />
“I love<br />
singing with the Phoenix<br />
Children’s Chorus,” said<br />
Jacques. “Besides being an<br />
incredible experience, it<br />
continues to shape me into<br />
the musician and singer I am<br />
today. PCC has become my<br />
second home and my family.<br />
It has made me fully understand<br />
and strengthen my<br />
passion and love for music.”<br />
A PCC friend told Jacques<br />
about the Optum Palliative<br />
and Hospice Care volunteer<br />
program. Intrigued, she<br />
applied at Mi Casa and now<br />
works with the nursing home<br />
residents one on one, many<br />
of whom are unresponsive.<br />
Upon meeting a patient, she<br />
identifies their favorite genre<br />
of music and sings popular<br />
songs to them from their era.<br />
“It’s so amazing to watch<br />
my patients come to life<br />
when they recognize a<br />
song and start moving to<br />
it when they can’t speak,”<br />
said Jacques. “There is no<br />
better feeling than giving<br />
and experiencing the<br />
healing power of music.<br />
When I visit my patients<br />
who are usually unresponsive,<br />
I will just stand by their<br />
bedside and sing. When they<br />
are sleeping, I will start to sing<br />
and they slowly wake and will<br />
move a hand or even open<br />
an eye.”<br />
Last year, Jacques presented<br />
a “TED Talk” at Seton on her<br />
experience at Mi Casa, how<br />
the power of music affects<br />
the brain in nonresponsive<br />
patients. She also shares her<br />
talent with Seton Fine Arts<br />
in chorus and Mass choir. In<br />
February, she played the Giant<br />
in her first Seton production,<br />
Into the Woods. =<br />
p Volunteer Katrina Jacques<br />
visiting patients at<br />
Mi Casa Nursing Center<br />
p Jacques and Mi Casa<br />
resident Jacqueline Fields<br />
p Mi Casa volunteer<br />
coordinator Amy Despain<br />
with Jacques<br />
Andrew Klee – Baseball<br />
University of Rochester, N.Y.<br />
Ryan Santarone – Baseball<br />
University of St Francis, Ill.<br />
Reggie VanDevender – Volleyball<br />
St. Leos, Fla.<br />
George Wolter – Football<br />
Northern Arizona University, Ariz.<br />
Alexis Navarro – Softball<br />
Benedictine University, Ariz.<br />
James Terrill – Football<br />
Dakota State, S.D.<br />
Zach Wade – Football<br />
Lake Forest College, Ill.<br />
Austin Navarro – Football & Baseball<br />
Phoenix College, Ariz.<br />
Nik Thomas – Boys Basketball<br />
Benedictine University, Ill.<br />
Hailey Wilson – Softball<br />
Trinity University, Texas<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong><br />
15
ALUMNI NOTES<br />
1961<br />
Michael Cohen ’61 published a memoir<br />
collection, “A Place to Read,” in the fall<br />
2014. Michael is the author of five books.<br />
He lives in Murray, Ky. and Tucson, Ariz.<br />
1996<br />
Eric Hochstatter ‘96 lives in Colchester,<br />
England with his wife, Vicky, and their<br />
three-year-old son, Henry. They moved<br />
to Colchester from London. Toward the<br />
end of 2011, Eric left his job as a criminal<br />
barrister to take care of Henry full time.<br />
Henry is being raised bilingual as Vicky<br />
is German. Eric’s recent visit to Phoenix<br />
was in May when he and Henry came<br />
home to celebrate his mother’s birthday.<br />
2009<br />
Timothy Molloy ‘09 graduated from<br />
Arizona State University with a Masters<br />
in Accountancy in May 2014. He<br />
works at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)<br />
and recently passed all four sections<br />
of the Certified Public Accountant<br />
Examination.<br />
p Katelyn & Joshua’s wedding<br />
(left to right) Tho Nguyen ’10, Kiefer<br />
Placette ’09, Joshua Blodgett ’08,<br />
Katelyn (McCaigue) Blodgett ’10,<br />
Jacob Scott ’10, Amber Blechschmidt;<br />
Bottom (left to right) Jesse Klein,<br />
Laura Rollins, Daniel Vergel de Dios ’10,<br />
Hailey Marshall, Michael McCaigue,<br />
Janelle Wilke<br />
q Amanda Prahl<br />
16<br />
1978<br />
The class of 1978 had a reunion in<br />
April at the home of Dianne Spruit.<br />
p Nancy Langston, Sonny Savarino,<br />
Gina Navarette, Kathleen Lynch,<br />
Dianne Spruit and Mary Haler at<br />
the class of 1978 reunion.<br />
1995<br />
Save the Date! Celebrating 20 years!<br />
The class of 1995 reunion will be held<br />
homecoming weekend, September 25.<br />
For information contact Kelly Henry<br />
at kelbel23@bellsouth.net.<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong><br />
p Eric Hochstatter and his wife, Vicky,<br />
with their son, Henry<br />
2006<br />
Corena (Thomas) Barr ’06 married<br />
Thomas Barr on April 11 at The Farm at<br />
South Mountain. Thomas is a St. Mary’s<br />
High School alumnus.<br />
p Susanne Elizabeth Wolfe<br />
2007<br />
Susanne Elizabeth Wolfe ’07<br />
graduated from the University of the<br />
Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of<br />
Dentistry in June. The Dugoni School is<br />
a premier dental school in the nation.<br />
Susanne began the Advanced Education<br />
in General Dentistry Residency (AEGD)<br />
program at the Lutheran Medical Center<br />
in Phoenix in July.<br />
Nathan DeLaTorre performing<br />
in A Thousand Cranes u<br />
2010<br />
Nathan DeLaTorre ’10 goes on the<br />
road with Childsplay in The Cat in the<br />
Hat, performing in theaters and other<br />
venues across more than 25 states and<br />
Canada from September through April.<br />
The national tour kicks off at the Mesa<br />
Arts Center, September 16-18. David<br />
Barker, former theater director and<br />
parent at Seton, directs the show.<br />
Katelyn (McCaigue) Blodgett ’10 and<br />
Joshua Blodgett ’08 married on July<br />
19, 2014. They were high school sweethearts<br />
while attending Seton. Katelyn<br />
and Joshua’s bridal party included Seton<br />
alumni: Tho Nguyen ’10, maid of honor;<br />
Kiefer Placette ’09, best man; Daniel<br />
Vergel De Dios ’08; and Jacob Scott ’10.<br />
Andrea Thomas ’10 graduated from the<br />
University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May<br />
2014. She received a Bachelor of Science<br />
in Health Sciences and Nutrition.<br />
2011<br />
Amanda Prahl ’11 graduated summa<br />
cum laude from Barrett, The Honors College<br />
at Arizona State University in May.<br />
She received a Bachelor of Arts in English,<br />
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science<br />
and a minor in Italian. This past spring,<br />
Amanda wrote a full-length stage play<br />
as part of her honors senior thesis. Her<br />
play made it to the workshop reading<br />
stage. Amanda was also accepted into<br />
the Master of Fine Arts Dramatic Writing<br />
program at ASU which she began this<br />
semester. She is a floor manager at ASU<br />
Gammage and teaches private piano<br />
lessons.<br />
Josh Tracy ’11 joined Ryan Companies<br />
US, Inc. as associate developer for the<br />
Southwest region in March. He supports<br />
the development team in the Phoenix<br />
office by analyzing opportunities for<br />
business growth through financial and<br />
market analysis. Additionally, he works<br />
with Ryan’s leasing teams to market<br />
existing sites and track prospective tenants.<br />
Josh graduated from Arizona State<br />
University with a Bachelor of Science in<br />
Business Management and a minor in<br />
Real Estate.
q Corey on the tractor in the elephant yard.<br />
With a boundless passion for animals,<br />
working at a zoo seemed like a<br />
perfect fit for Corey (Thomas) Barr ’06. Although she always<br />
hoped to one day work with animals, she never dreamed she would be<br />
caring for one of the largest land animals on Earth, the Asian elephant.<br />
Seven years ago, Barr began her career at the Phoenix Zoo driving<br />
the Safari Train as an exhibit guide in the Programs department. She<br />
supervised interactive exhibits from Monkey Village to Stingray Bay.<br />
Motivated to learn more, she also volunteered her time as a keeper<br />
assistant with the “hoofstock” animals at the zoo. Tending to the hoofed<br />
animals, she cared for various species of giraffe, zebra and antelope<br />
from all over the world. When a zoo keeper position opened up a few<br />
years ago, Corey seized the opportunity to apply. She landed the hefty<br />
job of elephant keeper for three female Asian elephants.<br />
Weighing in at a collective 12 tons, Sheena (43 years old), Reba (44)<br />
and Indu (49) fill Barr’s days with their high-maintenance husbandry<br />
routines. According to Barr, “husbandry” for the elephants means the<br />
daily care they receive. Each day, the elephants have a routine that<br />
includes a foot or leg soak, a shower, and eye, ear and foot checks.<br />
Routines vary on the needs of the individual elephant.<br />
As for feeding, these amazing herbivores consume between 150<br />
to 200 pounds per day. Their diet consists of Bermuda hay, alfalfa hay,<br />
herbivore pellets, carrots, whole fruit, and various pieces of cut up fruit<br />
and vegetables, according to the Phoenix Zoo’s Asian elephant fact sheet.<br />
“Working with the elephants is awesome!” said Barr. “The best part<br />
of my job is the relationships I have built with Sheena, Reba and Indu—<br />
they are incredible. My relationships with them are always changing<br />
because each day we are all in different moods. Overall, I’m lucky to have<br />
a bond with all three.”<br />
Reba, the elephant, u<br />
enjoying some sun.<br />
(Photo courtesy<br />
of the Phoenix Zoo)<br />
ALUMNI NOTES<br />
Tending<br />
to the<br />
Hullabaloo<br />
at the Zoo<br />
“Working with<br />
the elephants<br />
is awesome!”<br />
– Corey (Thomas) Barr ‘06<br />
IN MEMORIAM<br />
Gabriel Alvarez<br />
(Seton alumnus ’67)<br />
February 2015<br />
Kathleen Procek<br />
(Patricia Collins’ mother)<br />
March 2015<br />
Cecilia (Cissy) Frakes<br />
(Seton friend)<br />
May 2015<br />
Michael (Mike) Frakes<br />
(Seton friend)<br />
May 2015<br />
Bart Nigro<br />
(Seton alumnus ’87)<br />
June 2015<br />
Laura Schmidt<br />
(Seton alumna ’10)<br />
June 2015<br />
Thurman Simmons<br />
(Former Seton football coach)<br />
July 2015<br />
The Seton Catholic Prep<br />
community extends its<br />
deepest sympathy to friends<br />
and family members of the<br />
deceased. May they rest in<br />
peace in the arms of the Lord.<br />
If you are aware of alumni who<br />
have recently passed, please notify<br />
the Advancement Office at Seton<br />
so that we may remember them<br />
in this column. Send an email to<br />
SetonAlumni@SetonCatholic.org<br />
or call 480.963.1900 Ext 3011.<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong><br />
17
ALUMNI NOTES<br />
AN APTITUDE FOR LANGUAGE LEADS<br />
TO INTELLIGENCE AGENT, ‘TOP LAWYER’<br />
Jim Ryan ’68 was selected as a Top Arizona Lawyer, featured in<br />
the 2015 Southwest issue of Super Lawyers Magazine. Ryan is a<br />
partner in the Phoenix office of Quarles & Brady LLP. Prior to his<br />
law career, spanning 33 years, his professional path began as<br />
a kid working in Chandler, Ariz. with Spanish-speaking migrant<br />
farmers—and eventually landed Ryan as an intelligence agent<br />
with the National Security Agency (NSA).<br />
Ryan spent summers working the fields alongside the Hispanic<br />
immigrants, and learning to speak Spanish came naturally for him.<br />
In 1971, Ryan was drafted by the Army and assigned to Vietnam.<br />
However, due to his language-learning aptitude, he was never<br />
sent to Vietnam. Instead, after receiving an impressive score on<br />
the Army language aptitude test, he was sent to study foreign<br />
language at the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio in<br />
Monterey, Calif.<br />
After working for the Army Security Agency as a linguist, Ryan<br />
moved into military intelligence with the NSA. He also entered<br />
law school. Upon graduating from the University of Baltimore, the<br />
General Counsel’s Office of the NSA hired Ryan as an attorney.<br />
In 1983, Ryan returned<br />
home and joined the<br />
Phoenix law firm Streich<br />
Lang, which eventually<br />
became part of Quarles &<br />
Brady.<br />
For nine years, Ryan<br />
served on the board of<br />
directors of Xico, an arts<br />
organization that supports<br />
local Chicano and Native<br />
p Jim Ryan<br />
American artists. He also<br />
provides pro bono legal assistance to Romanian immigrants.<br />
Ryan and his wife, Laura, have three children, all of whom are<br />
Seton graduates: Rachel (Ryan) Salanga ’94, James Ryan Jr. ’97 and<br />
Megan Ryan ’02. In fact, a long line of Seton Catholic alumni run in<br />
Ryan’s family: All of his 10 siblings have attended Seton along with<br />
three sisters-in-law, and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.<br />
t Jacob Flores<br />
Paulina Acuna u<br />
2013<br />
Paulina Acuña ’13 is a junior studying<br />
Join Us Homecoming<br />
Weekend!<br />
2012<br />
Jacob Flores ’12 has enjoyed a successful<br />
track and field career at Scottsdale<br />
Community College, Mesa Community<br />
College and now at Arizona State<br />
University. One of his most memorable<br />
moments (in addition to being selected<br />
as a walk-on to the ASU team) was in<br />
May 2014 when he claimed the title of<br />
National Junior College Athletic Association’s<br />
Outdoor National Champion with<br />
a vault of 15 feet, 11 inches. Jacob joined<br />
the ASU track and field team last year.<br />
Management Information Systems with<br />
a minor in Spanish at the University of<br />
Arizona. This summer, she interned with<br />
Aetna Insurance in Global Information<br />
Security in Hartford, Conn. Paulina<br />
holds a part-time job as a technical<br />
consultant for UA within their Office of<br />
Global Initiatives (study abroad). She is<br />
vice president of Community Service<br />
for Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business<br />
Fraternity, the largest club in the Eller<br />
College of Management. Also, she is<br />
an event coordinator for Eller Hispanic<br />
Honorary and a student ambassador for<br />
Eller Ambassadors. Paulina was initiated<br />
into Chain Gang Junior Honorary, comprised<br />
of 35 outstanding juniors at UA<br />
and one of the longest-running clubs on<br />
campus. She was named to Eller’s Top<br />
50 Hispanic Scholar and Top 50 Women<br />
Scholar lists.<br />
Stanci Snow ’13 interned in Senator<br />
John McCain’s Washington D.C. office<br />
for the second consecutive summer. She<br />
spent six weeks learning the legislative<br />
process and receiving firsthand experience.<br />
She was also accepted to the<br />
Alliance Defending Freedom’s Collegiate<br />
Academy. The weeklong program<br />
focuses on natural and constitutional<br />
law, preparing delegates for application<br />
to law school.<br />
Don’t miss out on all the festivities<br />
during homecoming weekend,<br />
September 25-27!<br />
Visit setoncatholic.org/alumni/events.<br />
For more information and to RSVP,<br />
contact Alumni Relations<br />
Manager Krista Cunningham ‘96<br />
at 480.963.1900, ext. 4011 or<br />
kcunningham@setoncatholic.org.<br />
Have alumni news to share?<br />
We want to hear from you! Email<br />
SetonAlumni@SetonCatholic.org.<br />
Alumni Notes may be edited for<br />
length and clarity. Photos must be<br />
high resolution, so please adjust<br />
camera settings accordingly.<br />
18<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong>
2015 CALENDAR<br />
Mark Your Calendar<br />
SEPTEMBER 21<br />
SEPTEMBER 25<br />
SEPTEMBER 26<br />
OCTOBER 8<br />
STRAIGHT TALK<br />
GO <strong>SENTINEL</strong>S!<br />
WELCOME HOME<br />
CURTAIN CALL<br />
Educational Speaker Series<br />
Accepting Daily Crosses:<br />
Athletes Train their Body,<br />
Saints Train their Soul<br />
Chris Horn–Former NFL Player<br />
Monday, Sept. 21 at 8:15 a.m.<br />
Msgr. McMahon Gymnasium<br />
*No evening presentation. Parents are<br />
welcome to attend the morning program.<br />
Sentinel Homecoming<br />
Football Game<br />
7 p.m. kickoff<br />
Friday, Sept. 25<br />
Photo courtesy of Greg Herriman<br />
12th Annual Alumni Mass<br />
& Hall of Fame Induction<br />
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.<br />
Saturday, Sept. 26<br />
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Chapel<br />
Fall Play: Little Women<br />
7 p.m.,<br />
Thursday, Oct. 8 through<br />
Saturday, Oct. 10,<br />
with a 3 p.m. matinee<br />
on Sunday, Oct. 11<br />
Fine Arts Theatre<br />
Performance for elementary schools<br />
is 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 7<br />
(Pictured: cast of Into the Woods)<br />
NOVEMBER 10 & 18<br />
NOVEMBER 10 & 18<br />
NOVEMBER 11<br />
DECEMBER 5<br />
DECEMBER 8<br />
BE OUR GUEST<br />
CELEBRATING HEROES<br />
HOLE-IN-ONE<br />
CELEBRATING MASS<br />
Open House<br />
6 to 8 p.m.<br />
Tuesday, Nov. 10 and<br />
Wednesday, Nov. 18<br />
3rd Annual Seton Catholic<br />
Veterans Appreciation Day<br />
& All School Rosary<br />
8:15 to 9:45 a.m.<br />
Wednesday, Nov. 11<br />
22nd Annual<br />
Seton Classic<br />
Golf Tournament<br />
Hosted by the<br />
Sentinel Booster Club<br />
Sunday, Dec. 5<br />
Ocotillo Golf Resort<br />
Feast of the<br />
Immaculate Conception<br />
– Annual Mothers’ Mass<br />
1 p.m.<br />
Tuesday, Dec. 8<br />
Msgr. McMahon Gymnasium<br />
<strong>THE</strong> <strong>SHIELD</strong><br />
19
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Chandler, Arizona 85224<br />
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