spring/summer 2008 - Juan Diego Catholic High School

“I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself.” 

eagle 

On 

Wings 

Exodus 19:4 

· excellence · community · leadership · diversity · unity · service · creativity · teams · coll 

spring/summer 2008 

aboration · harmony · talented · respectful · compassionate ·

photo: Alan Chow 

rites of spring 

Congratulations to the 164 seniors of the Class of 2008! 

Bishop John C. Wester confers diplomas on the Class of 2008. 

Friends gather in the Cathedral courtyard for Baccalaureate. Roxanne Kammerer receives Christ the Teacher award. 

2 

photo: Pat Bayer 

photo: Pat Bayer

photo: Alan Chow 

Class of 2008 – unified in their senior year, friends for life. 

Faculty and students process up the Cathedral steps. 

Student Council President Eddy Santana leads the changing of 

the tassel. 

3 

photo: Pat Bayer photo: Alan Chow

greetings... 

from Dr. Galey Colosimo 

This year’s commencement was broadcast live on the school’s website for many 

family members and friends, especially our international students, from 

around the world who were not able to be with us that day. The following 

pages will recount the accomplishments and activities that make us take pride in our 

school. But, it does not really tell the story of the class of 2008. From the time they 

were freshmen, faculty and staff have been observing and vocalizing the unique character of this class’ members 

- perhaps best described by the motto they came up with for the 2007-08 school year…Unity. 

This school-wide theme became the guiding force that directed the school’s efforts and resulted in a cultural 

change at Juan Diego. The Unity theme began last year around the time of the Junior Rite of Commissioning 

Ceremony when one of the juniors found a Biblical passage: “Behold how good and pleasant it is when friends 

live together in Unity.” The juniors began talking seriously about how the school should develop closer personal 

relationships, based on a common concern and empathy for one another. This is pretty heady stuff for a bunch 

of sixteen year olds! 

Recently, I asked Ed Santana what the whole process meant to him and what it could mean in the long term 

for the future growth of Juan Diego. He said, “We decided as a senior class that we were not going to hide behind 

the crutch of “seniority,” which we found to be exclusive and divisive and we chose instead to promote unity 

among all students, regardless of class. In the end, we feel we not only created unity but earned the respect of all 

the students, not because we were entitled to it as a rite of senior passage but because we earned it by showing that 

through unity, we were all together as one.” 

The manner in which these student leaders went about achieving this lofty goal could be textbook material for 

teaching the dynamic of change in large organizations. Or, it could be simply be what happens when good and 

wholesome people, committed to the notion of community allow themselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit, while 

trusting that their good works would produce positive results. 

In everything this senior class has done this year, they have focused their efforts around unity. Their spirited 

support of the sports teams, their inclusive nature of involving the underclassmen and international students, their 

willingness to be seen as equals among students all have contributed to the advancement of unity and the cultural 

change that erupted. 

Not only has their attempt to unite themselves been successful, but they have started a fire that will not be 

quenched. This is the legacy of the class of 2008, whom we must thank for the lessons they taught us in building 

community. 

Sincerely in Christ, 

Dr. Galey Colosimo 

4

Achievements 

saint juan diego awards 

To a senior boy and girl who exemplify the 

mission of the school and its patron, 

Saint Juan Diego. It is the highest 

award given to a student by the school. 

Eduardo Santana 

LiSa Moynihan 

our lady of guadalupe award 

To parents of senior students who have made 

significant sacrifices to provide a Catholic 

education for their child. 

iSidro & hortEncia Pitayo 

saint katharine drexel award 

For demonstrating a willingness to help and 

support others in academic need. 

Erika GrEEnE 

Sara Lynch 

saint joseph, foster father 

of jesus award 

For contributing significantly to the overall 

community life of the school. 


saint francis of assisi award 

For demonstrating an exemplary 

commitment to service. 

LiSa Moynihan 

christ the teacher award 

To a faculty or staff member who has been the 

most effective in communicating knowledge 

and teaching by example. 

MS. JEnnifEr JacobSon 

MrS. roxannE kaMMErEr 

spiritus donorum honor 

In honor of Sam and Aline Skaggs and 

their family, the generous benefactors 

of the Skaggs Catholic Center, and in 

recognition of community supporters who 

have followed their example of the “spirit 

of giving” by offering time, talent, and 

resources on behalf of Catholic education. 

MrS. LorrainE kocik 

rEv. John norMan 

saint sebastian award 

To senior students for excellence 

in athletics. 

dEvin kaLLaS 

hEidi LaabS-JohnSon 

saint cecilia award 

To a senior student for excellence in the 

performing or creative arts. 

StEPhaniE bErtuMEn 

saint thomas aquinas award 

To a senior boy who has attained 

outstanding academic achievement. 

ELLiot SchattEn 

saint teresa of avila award 

To a senior girl who has attained 

outstanding academic achievement. 

MErEdith faLL 

saint michael 

the archangel award 

To a faculty or staff member who, through 

their life and work, reflects and supports 

the mission of Catholic education. 

MrS. chErriE EvanS 

5 

s e n i o r 

A C A D e m i C A w A r D s 

excellence in math 

Sarah ruSSELL-fiELd 

excellence in science 

MEGhan SEMancik 

excellence in technology 

MichaEL JonaitiS 

excellence in english 


excellence in spanish 

PhoEbE GaLvEz 

excellence in french 

chLoé PErri 

excellence in visual art 

kaito WatanabE 

excellence in performing art 

GarrEtt SchoonovEr 

excellence in physical ed. 

MichELLE ruEckErt 

excellence in theology 

StEPhaniE bErtuMEn 

excellence in social studies 

LiSa Moynihan 

national merit finalists 

brEndan ErMiSh 

ELLiot SchattEn 

ap scholar with honor 

brian fitzPatrick 

ap scholars 

daniEL daviS 

Sarah ruSSELL-fiELd 

MEGhan SEMancik 

ELLiot SchattEn

Achievements 

Academic Achievements 

99% of graduates college bound 

$6.4 million in college scholarships earned 

672 Concurrent College Credits earned 

National Merit Finalists – Brendan Ermish, Elliot Schatten 

AP Scholars – Daniel Davis, Sarah Russell-Field, Meghan Semancik and Elliot Schatten 

AP Scholar with Honor – Brian Fitzpatrick 

Valedictorian – Theresa Pham 

Performing Arts Achievements 

Athletic Achievements 

Philanthropy 

Co-Salutatorians – Alina Borchardt and Rebecca Bradley 

Utah High School Technology Competition – took 5 of 24 possible awards 

Debate – 123 Trophies, qualified for 4 national tournaments 

State Drama Festival: 10 qualified for state, Best Actress One-Act – Cathy Middleton 

Foreign Language: First Place in French Vocabulary – Chloé Perri 

First Place in French Spelling – Ben Drabik 

17 Academic All-State, 10 All-State and 1 All-American 

Region Championships: Baseball, Football, Softball, Girls’ Tennis, 

Girls’ Soccer, Swimming, and Hockey 

State Championship: Girls' Tennis, Boys' Track & Field Shot Put 

$28,000 raised for Northern Uganda children 

$5,976 raised for Huntsville miners’ families 

7,600 lbs of food collected for the Utah Food Bank 

30 families were delivered Christmas gifts and food 

18,035 service hours volunteered by the Class of 2008 over four years 

6

thE univErSity of aLabaMa 

univErSity of aLaSka anchoraGE 

arizona StatE univErSity 

thE univErSity of arizona 

bELLEvuE univErSity 

bELoit coLLEGE 

bErkLEE coLLEGE of MuSic 

boiSE StatE univErSity 

briGhaM younG univErSity 

briGhaM younG univErSity-haWaii 

univErSity of britiSh coLuMbia 

univErSity of caLifornia at irvinE 

univErSity of caLifornia at MErcEd 

univErSity of caLifornia at rivErSidE 

caLifornia LuthEran univErSity 

caLifornia StatE univErSity, MontErEy bay 

caLifornia StatE univErSity, StaniSLauS 

caLvin coLLEGE 

carroLL coLLEGE (Montana) 

cEntraL WaShinGton univErSity 

chaPMan univErSity 

coaStaL caroLina univErSity 

univErSity of coLorado at bouLdEr 

univErSity of coLorado at coLorado SPrinGS 

coLorado SchooL of MinES 

coLorado StatE univErSity 

coLuMbia univErSity 

cornELL coLLEGE 

crEiGhton univErSity 

univErSity of dEnvEr 

dEPauL univErSity 

dixiE coLLEGE 

doMinican univErSity 

drakE univErSity 

dukE univErSity 

EaStErn orEGon univErSity 

ELon univErSity 

EMManuEL coLLEGE 

fLorida StatE univErSity 

fort LEWiS coLLEGE 

thE GEorGE WaShinGton univErSity 

GonzaGa univErSity 

GouchEr coLLEGE 

College Acceptance - Class of 2008 

GrinnELL coLLEGE 

univErSity of haWaii at Manoa 

hiGhLinE coMMunity coLLEGE 

coLLEGE of thE hoLy croSS 

huMboLdt StatE univErSity 

idaho StatE univErSity 

univErSity of idaho 

univErSity of indianaPoLiS 

univErSity of kEntucky 

kEttErinG univErSity 

LinfiELd coLLEGE 

LoyoLa MaryMount univErSity 

MarquEttE univErSity 

McdaniEL coLLEGE 

MErriMack coLLEGE 

MichiGan StatE univErSity 

univErSity of MinnESota, tWin citiES 

Montana StatE univErSity, biLLinGS 

Montana StatE univErSity, bozEMan 

thE univErSity of Montana, MiSSouLa 

nEvada StatE coLLLEGE 

nEW MExico inStitutE of MininG and tEchnoLoGy 

northErn arizona univErSity 

univErSity of northErn coLorado 

notrE daME dE naMur univErSity 

thE ohio StatE univErSity 

orEGon StatE univErSity 

univErSity of orEGon 

Pacific univErSity 

univErSity of thE Pacific 

PEnnSyLvania StatE univErSity, univErSity Park 

PitzEr coLLEGE 

univErSity of PortLand 

univErSity of PuGEt Sound 

univErSity of rEdLandS 

rEGiS univErSity 

robErt d. cLark honorS coLLEGE at 

thE univErSity of orEGon 

coLLEGE of Saint bEnEdict 

Saint LouiS univErSity 

Saint Martin'S univErSity 

Saint Mary'S coLLEGE of caLifornia 

SaLt LakE coMMunity coLLEGE 

7 

univErSity of San diEGo 

univErSity of San franciSco 

San JoSE StatE univErSity 

Santa cLara univErSity 

ScriPPS coLLEGE 

SEattLE Pacific univErSity 

SEattLE univErSity 

SnoW coLLEGE 

SonoMa StatE univErSity 

univErSity of South caroLina 

coLLEGE of SouthErn idaho 

SouthErn utah univErSity 

SouthErn virGinia univErSity 

SouthWEStErn orEGon coMMunity coLLEGE 

SPokanE coMMunity coLLEGE 

St. cLoud StatE univErSity 

St. EdWard'S univErSity 

St. Mary'S coLLEGE of MaryLand 

univErSity of St. thoMaS 

StatE univErSity of nEW york at aLbany 

taft coLLEGE 

thE univErSity of taMPa 

tExaS chriStian univErSity 

thE univErSity of tExaS, PErMian baSin 

thE univErSity of tExaS, San antonio 

thE coLLEGE of idaho 

tuLanE univErSity 

unitEd StatES air forcE acadEMy 

utah StatE univErSity 

utah vaLLEy StatE coLLEGE 

univErSity of utah 

vandErbiLt univErSity 

WaShinGton StatE univErSity 

univErSity of WaShinGton 

WEbEr StatE univErSity 

WEStErn orEGon univErSity 

WEStErn StatE coLLEGE of coLorado 

WEStErn WaShinGton univErSity 

WEStMinStEr coLLEGE 

WhittiEr coLLEGE 

WiLLaMEttE univErSity 

thE coLLEGE of WooStEr 

univErSity of WyoMinG

Academé 

Brain Awareness Week 

university of Utah students and 

faculty from the Neuroscience 

Program visited Juan Diego, 

giving presentations as part of 

National Brain Awareness Week. 

Juan Diego science instructor Dr. 

Christine Celestino rotated student 

groups through various stations to 

learn the different aspects of neuroscience, 

comparative neuroanatomy, and 

human brain anatomy. Experts in 

methamphetamine and psychological 

research spoke about the effects 

of drugs on the brain, showing a 

brain that had been severely damaged 

by trauma related to cocaine 

overdose. Researchers of brain 

development brought zebrafish and 

roundworms that had been genetically 

altered so that parts of the nervous 

system glowed green with GFP 

(green fluorescent protein), and gave 

students the opportunity to observe 

these model organisms with a high 

powered fluorescence microscope. Dr. 

Cranial knowledge brought to Juan Diego. 

Neuroscience Program piques students' interest 

Susan Stensaas, a Professor of the 

University of Utah Neuroanatomy 

and Physiology department, used 

human brains from the School of 

Medicine to demonstrate both anatomy 

and disease of the human brain. 

8 

Quiz Bowl 

This is the first year Quiz Bowl 

did not take the state championship 

since its formation in 2006. 

Senior Tom Batts was determined to 

make a run at the national tournament 

in Chicago, foregoing his own 

commencement ceremony to make 

the trip. Tom Batts, Nick Bertagnolli, 

Mick Torres, PJ Maresca, Sara Lynch, 

Shane Patterson, Erik Synowicki, Gus 

Schwab, Ashton Mata, Pete Austria, 

Maranda Lebrecht, and Nelson Nieto 

made up this year's team. Led by 

coach Steve Mond (who auditioned 

for Jeopardy in March), the team is 

sure to be a major contendor next 

year. 

Watch for new 

Academy of Sciences in 

2008–09! 

photos this page: Year Book Staff

Juan Diego Reigns In 

Technology 

in March, Michael Jonaitis took 

Second Overall in Computer 

Science at the Annual Salt Lake 

Valley Science and Engineering 

Fair held at the University of Utah. 

Jonaitis also received a Special Award 

from XMission for best use of the 

Internet, and a second Special Award 

with a scholarship from the United 

States Army for the best innovative 

idea of interest to the U.S. Army. 

In April, 19 students competed 

with 230 other high school students 

in the statewide 2008 Annual 

LearnKey Computer Challenge 

held at Utah Valley University. 

Participants competed in testing 

on: Linux, A+ Certification, 

Cisco CCNA, Network+, Novell, 

and IC3 (Information Technology 

Certification preparation and testing). 

Juan Diego competed in four of 

the eight competitions, and took five 

out of the total of 24 possible first, 

second and third place awards. The 

five Juan Diego winners were: 

1st Place in Linux Systems 

John SokLaSki, 11th GradE 

3rd Place in Linux Systems 

daniEL daviS, 12th GradE 

1st Place in Cisco Networking 

aLEx hickS, 12th GradE 

3rd Place in Cisco Networking 

andrEW JoLLEy, 12th GradE 

2nd Place in Windows XP 

Evan LEforEStiEr, 10th GradE 

Environmental 

Stewardship 

Juan Diego is expanding its environmental 

science education and 

stewardship programs. The school 

was designed to minimize energy 

and water consumption utilizing 

daylighting and movement-activated 

lights throughout. Four years ago, the 

Soaring Eagle stadium was resurfaced 

with artificial turf using a product 

that recycles tires, cutting water usage 

and reducing injuries. We continue 

to whittle away at the expanse of 

grass, incorporating xeriscaping and 

secondary water usage where viable. 

This year, parent and 15-year 

energy industry professional, Bob 

Vorwald, returned to the science 

classes to present The Climate Project 

which was featured in Vice President 

Al Gore’s slide show on global warming. 

The slide show was the basis 

for the Oscar-winning movie An 

Inconvenient Truth. Additionally, the 

administration is reviewing other 

methods of reducing environmental 

impact. Expanded recycling and reuse 

methods include: paperless instruction 

using Smart Boards, ceramic coffee 

cups, and electronic messaging. 

Christ the Teacher 

Award 

each year students submit nominations 

for a teacher or staff 

member whom they believe has 

effectively communicated Christ’s 

teaching. Senior Counselor Roxanne 

Kammerer and Assistant Vice 

Principal Jennifer “Ms. J” Jacobson 

9 

On EAglE WIngS 

SPrinG/SuMMEr 2008 - voL. 8, no. 2 

Published by: 

The Office of Advancement 

Juan Diego Catholic High School 

Printed by: LithoFlexo Grafics 

Layout by: Roger Tobari Design Studio 

A D VA N C E M E N T S TA F F 

Molly Dumas, 984-7604 

Newsletter Editor 

Director of Advancement 

MollyDumas@jdchs.org 

Dave Kinsey, 984-7667 

Website & Database Coordinator 

webrequest@jdchs.org 

Ben Smith, 984-7660 

Graphic Artist 

Bensmith@jdchs.org 

www.jdchs.org 

were this year’s awardees. 

Roxanne Kammerer came to Juan 

Diego the year of our first graduating 

class of 2002. One nominator 

wrote, “She brought a dimension to 

our senior year experience that every 

single senior goes through, and she 

has done it with excellence, care and 

concern.” Others credit her for the 

remarkable success in getting 98% 

of our graduates into more than 250 

colleges and universities around the 

world, as well as helping them obtain 

more than $6 million in college scholarships 

each year. 

In addition to her duties as 

Assistant Vice Principal, Jennifer 

Jacobson teaches social studies. She 

is consistently viewed by her students 

as “the coolest” teacher who “makes 

learning fun”. One student said 

Jacobson was “the inspiration for who 

I want to become. She looks after me 

with a kind heart and caring soul.”

Challenge grant 

Building on the Base 

This spring Juan Diego received an 

amazing offer of help - the first 

of its kind in our history. A local 

donor has offered to match, dollar 

for dollar, all gifts up to $500,000 

in a Challenge Grant! This gift will 

make outstanding education a reality 

for hundreds of students, and enable 

us to enhance academic programs. 

Our anonymous patron believes 

so much in Catholic education as 

a means of advancing society and 

forming adults with confidence and 

integrity that he is willing to invest in 

our future. Any donations received 

since February 2008 for the purpose 

of helping low-income students 

with tuition will be matched – that 

includes our annual appeal and new 

endowments established. Our patron 

will be establishing his match in a permanent 

endowment for Juan Diego. 

Our patron’s gift, and other 

endowments will be recognized 

as members of the new St. Joseph 

Calasanz Guardians for Education. 

This legacy society was named for St. 

Joseph Calasanz because of his commitment 

to educating children who 

were impoverished or orphaned during 

the time of the Plague. A priest 

in the 17th century, his friendship 

with free-thinkers like Galileo often 

caused a ruckus in the Church, as did 

his insistence on creating schools for 

poor children. St. Joseph Calasanz 

believed the best way to overcome 

poverty in a community was to educate 

its people. 

We have already received more 

than $350,000 in pledges from the 

list below, with $197,000 received 

toward our $500,000 challenge. 

committed challenge 

grant match donors 

Anonymous (3) 

PAulette (DisPenzA) Antonio 

linDsAy AnD lAurA AtwooD 

CCi meChAniCAl/tACk FAmily 

lArry & DiAne CoChrAne 

Colosimo enterPrises 

PAt CuPiDo 

kevin & Jill Cushing 

DAviD & molly DumAs 

msgr. J. terrenCe FitzgerAlD 

Peter & PAulA green Johnson 

ron & PAtriCiA heinz FAmily 

PAul & mArshA miDgett 

PAul & Ann nAgel 

BoB & linDA PemBroke 

kevin & BeCky Potts 

Dr. gerAlD stePhAnz & 

Dr. nAnCy Ahlstrom 

10 

Establish a familynamed 

endowment 

Juan Diego has established temporarily- 

and permanently-restricted 

endowments, managed and invest- 

ed by the Catholic Foundation of 

Utah. The principal in a permanently-restricted 

endowment is invested, 

but never spent. The annual earnings 

come back to Juan Diego for 

the purposes specified. Any new 

family endowment funds established 

for the purpose of helping students 

with tuition will be matched by the 

Challenge Grant patron. 

Named endowments start at 

$10,000 which a family can establish 

with a donation of $1,250 per year 

over the four years their child is at 

Juan Diego. When their child graduates, 

their $5000 will be matched, 

and the family name remembered in 

an endowment for the life of Juan 

Diego Catholic High School. 

D O U B l E Y O U R D O n A T I O n 

2008-09 Annual Fund Gifts for Tuition Assistance 

will be matched by the Challenge Grant 

Q U A D R U P l E Y O U R D O n A T I O n 

Corporate employer matching Gifts 

will also be matched by the Challenge Grant 

D O n A T E O n - l I n E 

h t t p : / / a n n u a l f u n d . j d c h s . o r g

To follow are existing endowment 

funds which will be recognized 

as part of the St. Joseph Calasanz 

Guardians for Education, and help 

current and future generations: 

archanGEL EndoWMEnt 

to provide tuition assistance 

thE ahLStroM/StEPhanz 

faMiLy EndoWMEnt 

for Juan Diego to provide 

tuition assistance 

donovan burnS art SchoLarShiP 

to provide tuition assistance to art students 

with financial need 

JoE diSPEnza LEGacy EndoWMEnt 

to aid needy students with tuition and 

recognize students who help others 

ron and Patricia hEinz 


to provide tuition assistance 

and support teachers 

Juan diEGo MothEr of 

thE aMEricaS SchoLarShiP 

to assist children of families in need 

dEacon GEraLd ShEa 

MEMoriaL EndoWMEnt 

to fund Silent Eagle tuition aid program 

JEff & Judi StokES 


to provide tuition assistance for needy students 

with academic promise 

If you are interested in learning 

more about the Challenge Grant or 

creating a family endowment, please 

contact Molly Dumas, Director of 

Advancement, mollydumas@jdchs. 

org or call 801.984.7604. 

2 0 0 7 – 0 8 A n n U A l F U n D 

11 

W E M A D E O U R g O A l ! 

We are most grateful to our donors for their commitment to helping 

Juan Diego attain a higher level of excellence through the Annual Fund. 

With your help, we have been able to: 

• Provide tuition assistance to 17 low-income families. 

• Begin the development of a Science, Technology and Math Academy at 

Juan Diego. 

• Purchase new computers, TV cameras, and books for the library. 

• Provide support to Debate, Dance, Human Rights International and 

some sports clubs. 

• Create two long-term endowments at the Catholic Foundation of Utah. 

Below is a snapshot of our growth over three years: 

2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 

board GivinG $2,000 $4,850 $6,525 

MaJor GiftS $52,908 $65,200 $120,771 

MaiLinG $4,008 $9,223 $10,501 

Phonathon $- $5,235 $14,758 

on-LinE $- $- $2,215 

total $58,916 $84,508 $154,770 

For details on the Annual Fund and our generous donors, or to make 

a donation, visit: http:annualfund.jdchs.org. 

This year's Campaign has been a great success thanks to our terrific 

Annual Fund Committee: 

PauL naGEL, Chair 

PEGGy baczuk 

Ed MaLouf 

Sarah MEEhan 

JuLiE rouGhton 

JaMES tanGaro 

kiM WiLLiaMS 

photo: Marianne Rozsahegyi

photo: Marianne Rozsahegyi 

spiritus Donorum 

Students participate in “Displace Me” camp to experience the plight of 

Northern Ugandan refugee children. Their cardboard shelter did little 

against freezing temperatures. 

Invisible Children 

honors JD students 

and alumni 

Two Juan Diego alumni and one 

current student are now carrying 

the bronze, silver and gold 

– not for sports, but for philanthropic 

achievement. They were recognized 

by the international Invisible Children 

organization as “Heroes”. They were 

selected from among 14,000 nominees 

for their efforts in raising awareness 

and funds to build schools in 

war-torn Northern Uganda. Amanda 

Cupido, class of 2007 was one of the 

top 100 “Bronze Heroes” named; 

Jessa Brocklebank, a junior at Juan 

Diego was one of the top 25 “Silver 

Heroes”; and Claire Cushing, class of 

2007 was selected as one of the top 

“Gold Heroes”. The ten Gold Heroes 

went to Washington, DC, February 

23-24 for a “Schools-For-Schools 

Summit” to discuss political advocacy 

and vision for peace in Africa. 

The Summit was held by Invisible 

Children leaders in conjunction with 

the “N. Uganda Lobby Days” in 

which activists met with their own 

representatives in Congress. 

This year, Brocklebank was 

joined by Camry Martinez, Lauren 

Zaccardi and Yuki Zuzumbo to lead 

the Schools-For-Schools fundraising 

campaign for Invisible Children. 

They decided to expand the campaign, 

inviting other Utah Catholic 

schools to join them. Even kindergarteners 

collected coins to help during 

Catholic Schools Week in January. 

Juan Diego, Judge Memorial, Kearns- 

St. Ann, St. Vincent de Paul, Our 

Lady of Lourdes and St. John the 

12 

Baptist Middle & Elementary schools 

raised more than $40,000 for Invisible 

Children. 

Papal Birthday gift 

The gift of service was presented 

by US Catholic youth to Pope 

Benedict XVI during his visit to 

the United States in April. Juan Diego 

joined hundreds of Catholic schools 

and parishes by pledging hours in 

honor of the Pope’s visit. More than 

1.7 million hours were pledged across 

the country. Juan Diego pledged 

5,000 hours but by year end had 

far exceeded our commitment with 

10,387 hours. We have had many 

more hours turned in this year than 

last year. Now that’s community! 

photo: Marianne Rozsahegyi 

photo: Jessa Brocklebank

photo: Stephanie Blumenson 

Underclassmen 

Serve Salt lake’s 

Homeless and needy 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for 

theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are the meek, for they will 

inherit the earth. Blessed are those who 

hunger and thirst for righteousness, for 

they will be filled. 

Such is the wisdom imparted in 

The Beatitudes of Matthew’s Gospel 

to welcome, love, and help the marginalized 

in society. The students at 

Juan Diego Catholic High School 

face and live up to this challenge 

everyday; in the classroom, in the 

cafeteria, on the playing fields, at 

school Mass, and with their friends 

and family outside of school. But 

this spring, students at Juan Diego 

had a chance to take on the challenge 

of the Beatitudes through two unique 

service opportunities. 

On April 21st Ms. Stephanie 

Blumenson took 14 students to the 

Rescue Mission in Salt Lake City. 

Many were apprehensive about working 

with the city’s homeless popula- 

Rescue Mission kitchen crew 

Guadalupe School children 

get their faces painted 

tion. The group arrived at the shelter 

and soup kitchen, arms laden with 

donations brought in by freshmen 

students. Students first attended a 

non-denominational Christian prayer 

service, as required of all those who 

come for assistance, to experience 

the salvation offered through Jesus 

Christ. Following the service, one 

group cleaned the chapel, while the 

other served dinner from the Rescue 

Mission’s kitchen. On the bus ride 

back to Juan Diego the students and 

teachers talked about homelessness 

and how important service is. The 

students commented on how they 

had a really good time and definitely 

would want to participate in charity 

work like this again. 

On April 30th, 25 freshmen and 

sophomores left class early to embark 

on another service project with the 

Guadalupe School. Students hosted 

a field day for the K-3rd grade children, 

playing a variety of relay race 

games, making a sandy candy craft, 

painting faces, and taking Polaroids 

to share with their families. Each 

child received a goodie bag filled with 

pencils, erasers, Real Soccer Team 

key chains, and tickets to a Blaze 

game. Additionally, the students presented 

the principal with a variety of 

new sports equipment, all donated by 

Juan Diego’s sophomore class. Several 

students were inspired by the service 

trips and talked about future 

13 

service opportunities. Both experiences 

helped students understand the 

Beatitudes and their responsibility to 

live up to the ideals and tenents of 

attending a Catholic school. 

YouthlInC Program: 

Students in Amazon 

Jungle and Mexico 

Jarad Davis, President of the Juan 

Diego Catholic High School 

Interact/Rotary Club, was accepted 

into the YouthLINC program to 

participate in a humanitarian mission 

in the village of Santa Rosa in the 

Amazon jungle of Peru in June 2008. 

The international service experience 

includes projects designed to 

better the lives of people in underdeveloped 

nations as well as cultivate 

exchange with local culture. Students 

accepted into the YouthLINC program 

make a commitment to volunteer 

between 60-100 hours in their 

local communities. Jarad Davis has 

been fulfilling his obligation by volunteering 

at Discovery Gateway and 

Interact/Rotary Club. 

Olivia Wee, also accepted into 

the YouthLinc program, will go to 

Mexico for two weeks in June. Her 

service included work at the Boys and 

Girls Club and assistance to a blind 

woman. Olivia went to her home to 

read to her, as well as help with her 

mail and cooking. 

photo: Stephanie Blumenson

photo: Speaking Eagle student newspaper staff 

Campus Life 

Humanities Class 

Visits Sunni Mosque 

muhammed Shoayb welcomed 

a busload of students from 

Debbie Francis’ Humanities 

class with a greeting, “Peace & blessings 

be upon you.” Shoayb, leader 

of the Sunni Mosque in West Valley 

City told students as they removed 

their shoes that welcoming anyone 

who enters, and consciously preparing 

oneself to enter a building are 

two practices that “make a Muslim a 

Muslim.” He went on to explain that 

one must especially purify himself 

both externally and internally when 

entering sacred ground. Cleansing 

the hands, feet, nose and mouth 

are rituals that are performed even 

when there is no water, using dust. 

“Whether we enter a house, a business 

or a place of worship, we do 

these things,” he said. “We even step 

with our right foot first, demonstrating 

mindfulness toward doing the 

right thing before God. We leave 

left foot first, symbolizing that we go 

with uncertainty into the real world.” 

Shoayb noted that he often refers to 

the Christian “God” as opposed to 

“Allah” when speaking to students to 

help them understand Allah’s significance 

as the “One and only.” While 

students knelt on the bare floor of the 

sparse prayer room, he then explained 

that “In Islam, God has no gender, 

and Muslims believe in all the prophets.” 

Students asked why they worship 

on prayer rugs all lined together, 

to which Shoayb said, “All come 

before God and are seen by God as 

equal. No one is seated higher, but 

close to the ground from where they 

came to demonstrate humility.” 

After the tour, when all were feasting 

at La Frontera, Kelsey Leach 

said she gained a new perspective as 

to why women are segregated. She 

learned that women must enter and 

worship in a different area of the 

mosque “not because they are inferior, 

but so as not to distract or be distracted.” 

Many students commented that 

they appreciated the opportunity to 

learn more about Islam, its similarities 

of piety, and a belief in a higher 

power. “Coming here was a way to 

break down barriers and stereotypes,” 

Kelly John commented. Stephanie 

Bertumen agreed, saying this experience 

strengthened her own faith, and 

hopes that “we can bring about peace 

by learning about, and finding connections 

with others.” 

14 

SADD Club 

Juan Diego’s student chapter 

of SADD (Students Against 

Destructive Decisions) tackled two 

major issues this year: teen driving 

under the influence, and Internet 

safety. 

This spring, SADD conducted 

a mock car crash demonstration in 

partnership with Draper City Police 

Dept. and the Unified Fire Authority. 

SADD and emergency responders recognize 

that this is the time of year 

when auto accidents rise, underage 

drinking increases and seatbelt usage 

declines. Pre-recorded portions of a 

student film presentation depicted a 

scene from a typical Prom weekend, 

using footage from last year’s Prom. 

Also pre-recorded was a scene of the 

Prom king drinking after the dance 

and driving recklessly with his girlfriend. 

After viewing this scenario 

via closed-circuit television in homeroom, 

students witnessed emergency 

response via a live-feed video from the 

school parking lot where the accident 

was recreated. Paramedics attempted 

to extricate and revive the passengers,

and police conducted an investigation 

at the scene. A follow-up story 

was televised the next week, depicting 

the Prom king’s arrest and conviction 

for driving while under the influence. 

Visuals of him being escorted through 

the justice system were intermixed 

with snapshots of his girlfriend before 

she “died”. SADD members hoped 

that if they sent the prevention message 

using a real-life scenario with 

school friends, it would be internalized 

by more students. 

During Catholic Schools Week, 

SADD and HSA hosted Katie Tarbox, 

the author of A Girl’s Life On-Line, 

a ground-breaking memoir detailing 

her account with an Internet predator. 

Tarbox, at the age of 13, became victim 

of sexual molestation by the predator, 

and was consequently involved in a 

landmark Federal case. She was the 

first victim to successfully prosecute 

a pedophile, testing the new Internet 

laws under the 1996 

Communications 

Decency Act, and 

her case’s conviction 

is still referenced 

in many legal 

cases today. Many 

of Juan Diego’s students 

were reading 

the book in class. 

Teachers discussed 

with students how 

desensitized society 

can be to victims 

of molestation and 

rape, and how societal 

pressures impact 

adolescents in their 

decision-making. 

labyrinth Walk 

Labyrinths, both indoor and outdoor 

paths, have undergone a 

dramatic revival as a meditation, 

relaxation and spiritual tool. 

Beginning in churches and hospitals 

in the United States, this renewal 

now encompasses religious communities. 

Juan Diego first introduced 

the Labyrinth concept to students 

and faculty last year during Lent as a 

tool for meditative prayer. This year, 

students collected canned goods and 

used them to form a seven-circuit 

labyrinth path made of string. AP 

students walked the labyrinth before 

exams as a means of focus and centering. 

Theology classes were able to 

experience a larger outdoor version 

that was painted on the grass on 

the north end of the campus. Juan 

Diego hopes to create a permanent 

contemplative labyrinth for future 

generations. 

15 

C o n t a c t U s 

Please send address changes to: 

Juan diEGo 

cathoLic hiGh SchooL 

300 EaSt 11800 South 

draPEr, ut 84020 

officE hourS: 8:00 a.M. - 4:00 P.M. 

PhonE: (801) 984-7650 

fax: (801) 984-7601 

EMaiL: info@JdchS.orG 

WEb SitE: WWW.JdchS.orG 

photo: Christine Petrone

Booster Club 

supporting Juan Diego students in Academics, Arts, Athletics and Clubs 

Booster Banner 

Project 

This great fund raising effort 

netted more than $10,000 for 

extracurricular activities. Please 

patronize these businesses who support 

Juan Diego year after year. 

aLPhaGraPhicS 

biG o tirE - draPEr 

bLiMPiES - draPEr 

broWn & zvonEk 

chaPMan richardS 

coach dan and tiffini John 

coca coLa 

controL 4 

dr. tony Skanchy, ddS 

EaSt coaSt SubS 

fuddruckErS 

harPEr concrEtE 

intErMountain orthoPEdic 

SPEciaLty GrouP 

Junior'S houSE of coLor 

La frontEra 

MEd uSa 

Mhi SErvicES 

MidGLEy - hubEr inc 

PEtErSonS MarkEtPLacE 

ScooPoLoGy 

South vaLLEy dErMatoLoGy 

thE LEbrEcht GrouP, aPLc 

tuff country 

utah GrizzLiES 

vincEnt tEaM orthodonticS 

WiLd country taxidErMy 

WW cLydE 

zionS bank 

AnnUAl UnIFORM SAlE 

JUlY 30 to AUgUST 16, 2008 

YOUR CHANCE TO SHOP BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS! 

Saint John the Baptist Elementary 

Multipurpose Room 

July 30, 31, August 1 12:00-7:00 pm 

August 2 11:00-3:00 pm 

August 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 12:00-5:00 pm 

August 9 10:00-1:00 pm 

Resumes at Juan Diego 

Saint Paul’s Place Store 

August 14 12:00-7:00 pm 

August 15 12:00-5:00 pm 

August 16 11:00-3:00 pm 

To volunteer and earn parent service hours or uniform dollars, please call 984-7292. 

Leave your name, phone and times you are available. 

B O O S T E R C l U B C A R D 

Buy a Booster Club Card for $65 

You will support the teams and clubs of Juan Diego! 

each card provides all members of a household entrance to 

home games, school plays, dance concerts, and music programs, 

plus a 10% discount on Booster Club products. 

16

Calendar 

August 15 New Parent Orientation 

August 18 1st Day of School 

October 4 A Night Of… Event 

October 29 Parent/Teacher Conferences 

November 26-30 Thanksgiving Holiday - No School 

December 20 Beginning of Christmas Holidays 

January 5 School Resumes after Christmas Holiday 

February 11 Parent/Teacher Conferences 

April 9-14 Easter Break - 12:30 Dismissal 

May 19 Baccalaureate Mass 

May 22 Last Day of School 

May 23 Commencement 

2008-09 BOOSTER ClUB OFFICERS 

Ed MaLouf 

President 

LiSa Pizza 

Vice President 

Jody MiLovich 

Treasurer 

Erin day 

Secretary 

Sharon droWn 

Banner Project 

JaSon douGhty 

Seasonal Sport Programs 

JuLiE SiM 

Concessions 

aMy WaLz & kriS taPP 

Booster Kiosk 

StEvE craMbLitt 

Athletic Director 

Administrative Officer 

LynELLE WiLLiaMS 

Administrative Liason 

17 

J UAN DIEGO CATHOLIC HIG H S C H O O L 

Unity · Community · Harmony 

o C t o b e r 4 , 2 0 0 8 

7:00 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center 

http://anightof.jdchs.org/ · 984 -7608 

I n M E M O R I A M 

we pray for mr. Bill Barber, 

long-time graphic artist 

in the Advancement Department and 

invaluable theater consultant to Juan Diego. 

may his soul, 

through the mercy of God, 

rest in peace.

photo: Shooting Stars 

Out of the nest 

Jake Barnes ’05 

Josh Condas ’07 

Zach Kessler ’05 

Dallas Mclellan ’07 

Jimmy nguyen ’07 

Roman Schoewe ’06 

These six grads are currently attending 

Westminster College, playing on 

the Griffin Men’s Lacrosse Team. In 

only its second year of existence the 

team became the National Champions 

of MCLA Division 2. Jake, Zach, 

and Roman received Academic All- 

American Awards. Dallas received first 

team All-American, and was defensive 

MVP for the National Championship 

Tournament. He was highlighted in 

the April ’08 issue of Men’s Collegiate 

Lacrosse Magazine. 

Katie Bird ’03 

Katie is applying for graduate school 

with a concentration in English and 

Creative Writing. Katie joined Juan 

Diego as a “Corrector of Writing” on 

a part-time basis. Our JD Alumni Job 

Connection is working! 

Bruce Bjorklund ’05 

Bruce has been serving in the Army 

and returned from Iraq in Dec. He 

was accepted into the Green to Gold 

program for the Army and will be 

returning to college at Westminster 

under premed and the ROTC program 

this fall. 

Ashley Borchardt ’05 

Ashley is at Santa Clara University. 

This past spring Ashley received a 

grant to take a group of 11 students 

and 2 faculty members to El Salvador 

for a social justice project. This is her 

second immersion trip to El Salvador 

as a Santa Clara student, and her first 

leading a delegation. 

Sarah Bradley ’06 

Sarah is attending Santa Clara 

University. Sarah has a web site she 

created for a communications project. 

18 

Juan Diego alumni – Zach Kessler, Roman 

Schoewe, Coach Dave Long, Dallas 

McLellan, Jimmy Nguyen, Jake Barnes, 

and Josh Condas – part of the MCLA 

Division 2 National Championship 

Lacrosse Team for Westminster College. 

Camille Calladine ’07 

Camille is attending SLCC and 

working at South Jordan Leisure 

and Aquatic Center. Camille is now 

employed at Juan Diego as a Assistant 

JV Lacrosse Coach. 

Chad Eckles ’04 

Chad graduated from Catholic 

University in Washington DC. He is 

beginning his training in the FBI this 

summer. 

Marcus Eldridge ’04 

Marcus graduated from the Honors 

Program at Boston University with 

a double major in Linguistics and 

Music, and a minor in Mandarin. He 

spent last fall studying in Shanghai. 

He has been accepted at Harvard Law 

School, but has made the decision to 

stay in Boston to achieve his JD. 

Check out 

the Job network on 

the Juan Diego 

Alumni Website! 

h t t p:// 

a lu m n i.jdchs.org

Rabekah nicole 

Everett ’04 

Rabekah graduated from Gonzaga 

University with a BA degree in 

International Relations and French. 

Tradd gralak ’06 

Tradd is a flight major at Westminster 

College. He took an aerial shot of 

Juan Diego’s Campus during one of 

his flights (see photo above). 

Daniel Judd ’03 

Daniel graduated Cum Laude in 

History and Business Administration 

from University of San Diego. After 

graduation, Eventfl.com, the world’s 

largest events database and web 2.0 

company hired Daniel as Email 

Marketing Manager, overseeing 15 

million emails per month. In the 

fall of 2008, Daniel will be attending 

the J. Reuben Clark Law School 

at Brigham Young University. He is 

planning to pursue a career in Sports 

and Entertainment Law. 

Tim lang ’07 

Tim had a great first year at Whittier 

College. He even had a role in the 

theatre’s production of Arthur Miller’s 

tale, The Crucible. 

Samantha Mabry ’04 

Sam graduated with honors and a BA 

degree in International Relations with 

a minor in Peace & Justice and an 

emphasis in Conflict Resolution from 

University of San Diego. 

Shanna O’Very 

Pearson ’02 

Shanna is a dental assistant in Sandy. 

She and her husband James reside in 

West Jordan. They are expecting their 

first child in November. 

Cori Rasmussen ’04 

Cori completed her teacher training 

at the Univ. of Utah, receiving 

a Special Education Degree with an 

endorsement in Vision. She also landed 

an official job teaching at the Utah 

School for the Deaf and Blind. Cori 

has her own classroom at Plymouth 

Elementary School and teaches visually 

impaired children ages 6-9. 

Kelly Schnurr ’03 

Kelly graduated with honors from 

the University of San Diego earning 

a Bachelors Degree in Business 

Administration with an emphasis in 

19 

Photo by Tradd Gralak taken 

while in flight school through 

Westminster College 

Marketing. Kelly was accepted into 

a management and leadership internship 

program for Nordstrom. She is 

a department manager in downtown 

San Diego Nordstrom. 

Tom Schweiger ’07 

Tom is attending Utah State University 

and is a football redshirt-freshman. 

Ben Smith ’02 

Ben is attending the University of Utah, 

pursuing a degree in Engineering. 

He is the Graphic Arts technician 

at Juan Diego in the Advancement 

Department. 

Stacy Smith ’05 

Stacy is attending the College of Idaho 

where she is playing softball for the 

Coyote’s. She provided the offensive 

punch, going 4-for-4 with a triple and 

three RBI’S. 

Stephanie Sparks ’06 

Stephanie is at the College of Idaho. 

Stephanie broke the school record in 

the 800-meters. She also won her second 

race of the spring, outdistancing 

the field in the 800. She became the 

first Lady Yote to break the 2:20 barrier, 

winning the event in 2:19:70. 

Machel Whetman ’03 

Machel graduated from the University 

of Utah with a major in Public 

Relations and a minor in Business. 

Machel has recently joined Trillium 

Realty Group/Keller Williams of Salt 

Lake City as a realtor.

photo: Erin Day 

sport review 

Hockey 

The Hockey team ended the season 

as the highest scoring team 

in State among a total of 36 

Utah teams. The team lost its senior 

members, but gained four girls and 

had 9 wins and 3 losses, finishing 

third in the southern division rankings 

for the season. JD produced 

the three top scorers in the State: 

1st - Alex Halloran, 2nd - Preston 

Burchett, and 3rd - Cameron Walker. 

Alex Halloran and Adam Brown made 

the All Star team. One highlight for 

the season was the team’s holiday 

service project. They loaded a huge 

truck with donated coats and clothing 

for Burmese refugees being resettled 

here through Catholic Community 

Services of Utah. 

Swimming 

The Boys’ Swim team took Region 

8 this year and finished higher in 

the State standings than ever 

before. Outstanding times were 

clocked by Yuma Miyai in the individual 

medley and the breaststroke. 

Bryce Finley medaled and topped 

the JD swimmers in the 200 and 

500-yard freestyles. 

The Girls’ Swim team completed 

their Region 8 “three-peat” 

20 

left: Hockey Team comes to the aid of 

Burmese refugees. 

below: 2007-08 Swim Team 

Assistant coaches check swimmers' form on their starting blocks 

and finished fifth overall at the State 

meet. Senior Tessie Pham was named 

Academic All State. Rachael Murphy 

scored big in the individual medley 

and the 100-yard butterfly. Assistant 

Captain, Deena McCarrie scored well 

in the 200 free and the 100 free where 

she earned a medal. 

photo: Joe Kammerer 

photo: Joe Kammerer

photo: Mel Ota 


Wrestling 

Wrestling 

The Wrestling team won 9 of 11 

matches with inspiration from 

Team Captains Tenkai Kawazoe, 

Zac Peteriet, Devin Kallas, Elliot 

Schatten, and Tadashi Kitamura. 

Wrestlers finished with an 11-15 

record, and five qualified for the State 

Championships. Taylor Berg placed 

second at the Region Tournament 

while Tadashi Kitamura, Zac Peteriet, 

Jake Doughty, Courtney McComas, 

Zeke Lamb and Devin Kallas placed 

Girls’ Softball Team 

in the top six. 

Elliot Schatten was named to the 

Academic All-State, and he and Devin 

Kallas made Academic All-Region 

Teams. These boys spent hours 

tutoring other wrestlers and helped 

the team keep up with their homework. 

The future of the team looks 

bright with coaches John Gavin, Matt 

Gavin, and Andrew Sedillo returning 

next year. 

High five motivates good play while team 

huddle promotes spirit and unity. 

21 

girls’ Softball 

girls’ Softball had a terrific season, 

winning the Region 8 

Championship. Pitcher Taylor 

Anderson signed to play softball for 

Snow College next year receiving both 

an academic and an athletic scholarship. 

Anderson was selected for the 

All-Region Team all three years so 

far, and has been 2nd team All-State 

and 1st Team All-State. Lefty pitcher 

Brieann Dimond signed to play at 

College of Southern Idaho. Brieann 

has been Region 8 MVP and named 

All-State. 


photo: Mel Ota

sport review 

Boys’ Soccer 

The virtually rebuilt team had a 

rough start, but during region 

play rebounded well finishing 

4-2 in region and taking second place 

in Region 8. We then beat Waterford 

1-0 in the first round of the state 

tournament before losing to Park City 

2-0 in the quarterfinals. Defense was 

a strength this year with that unit 

being led by team captain Anthony 

Rainaldi as Sweeper. Leading scorer 

was Rouzbeh Mirhosseini with 4 

goals on the year. Our assist leader, 

Dominic Garcia, was also a captain. 

Baseball 

The Baseball team had a banner 

year winning its third straight 

Region 8 title and finishing second 

in the 3A State Tournament, with 

an overall 21-7 record. The team was 

led by co-MVP's Jared Forbush and 

Joe Glavin along with the outstanding 

pitcher of 2008, Caleb Olson, 

6-1, 1.56 earned run average. Five 

seniors received scholarships to play 

baseball at three colleges next fall. 

Jordan Cox will pitch for California 

Lutheran University. Three will go to 

Taft College in Southern California: 

midfielder and pitcher Patrick Fratto 

will study pharmacy, outfielder Bryan 

James will study computer science, 

and third baseman Michael Lipsey 

will explore business. Joe Glavin 

22 

Team Photos can be 

obtained through 

www.silvercranephoto.com or 

www.shootingstar.photo 

reflect.com 

will play second base at College of 

Southern Nevada. 

Senior Ryan Elorreaga, Defensive 

Player of the Year, and Devin Thomas 

were all instrumental in JD's season. 

Juniors Forbush, Olson, Drew Tate, 

Matt Semancik, Brennan Stelling, 

Jake Doughty, Taylor Berg and Mike 

Ramirez make the future look bright 

for the baseball program. 

photos this page: Mel Ota


Silverline Drill Team 

Tammy Nicholson came to 

Juan Diego in April to lead 

the SilverLine Drill Team. 

Nicholson brings to the high school 

a wealth of college and professional 

level experience in dance, drill 

and cheerleading. She is currently a 

dancer/cheerleader for the AFL’s Utah 

Blaze Arena Football. In addition to 

teaching Hip Hop, Jazz dance aerobics 

and body work at the University of 

Utah Field House, Nicholson studied 

sports science and exercise physiology, 

graduating from the U. of U. in 

2008. A native Utahn, she performed 

with the U. of U. Crimson Line 

Dance Team for three years, as well as 

the UVSC and Snow Canyon High 

School Drill team. Nicholson has 

choreographed dance routines for 

numerous high schools, colleges 

and summer camps. 

Meghan Anderson joined the 

SilverLine Drill Team coaching 

staff to assist head coach Tammy 

Nicholson in April 2008. In addition 

to performing in competitive 

dance and drill teams for 

University of Utah, Box Elder 

High School, Infinity Dance Co. 

and Tueller School of Dance, 

Anderson has provided choreography 

for The Peak Cheerleading 

All-Stars, Bountiful High School 

and Rich High School. 

girls’ Soccer 

The team took 2nd in State. 

Heidi Laabs-Johnson signed 

with Seattle Pacific University 

to play soccer and pursue a career 

in either sports medicine or physical 

therapy. She was awarded a Trustee 

Scholarship and Eaton Leadership 

Scholarship from SPU. “There are 

things that kids get here that you don’t 

get at other schools,” Heidi’s parents 

said. “At the final State Tournament 

game in which the team lost, Dr. 

Galey Colosimo had tears in his eyes, 

walked out on the field where Heidi 

was huddled in disappointment. He 

knelt down and talked to her, then 

helped her back to the sidelines. I 

don’t know that other schools’ admin- 

23 

top left: Silverline Drill Team all smiles. 

top right: Heidi Laabs-Johnson 

celebrates soccer team win 

istrators treat their students like that, 

like family.” 

girls’ lacrosse 

in Girls’ Lacrosse, Utah Lacrosse 

Association named Haley Poulson, 

Katie DeCarlo, Brandi Otting and 

Amanda Abraham to the 2008 All- 

State Team. Amanda was also named 

Honorable Mention All-American by 

the US Lacrosse Association. Amanda 

Abraham, Brandi Otting, and Laura 

Qualey also made the All-Star team. 

Congratulations to these girls on a 

successful season! 

Girls’ Lacrosse Team 


photo: Shooting Stars Photography


sport 

review 

Boys’ Basketball 

The team started with a grueling 

preseason schedule, against 

some of the state’s top teams, 

including Lone Peak, Skyline, Jordan, 

Murray and Judge. With wins over 

Layton Christian, Ben Lomond, and 

Fallon, NV, the team went 3 – 8 but 

had gained some valuable experience 

going into the regular season. The 

team finished Region with a 3 – 5 

record, with wins over Emery (twice) 

and Carbon, coming up just short 

in two great games against Region 

champ Delta. The team was led by 

five seniors: Michael Falvo, Patrick 

Fratto, Josh Rude, Devin Thomas, 

and Carson Wentlender. The JV, 

Sophomore, and Freshman teams all 

had solid seasons, with the Freshmen 

winning Region and playing well in 

the Judge Freshman Tournament. 

girls’ golf 

The girls persevered through 

winter weather conditions this 

season and at the Regional 

Tournament to earn a 2nd place finish. 

This achievement qualified them 

for the State Championships! “To 

be the first JD Girls’ Golf team and 

to quality for State in our first year 

was a great accomplishment for the 

team. It’s been fun to come together 

as a team and to meet girls from other 

schools,” stated team captain, Stefani 

Hartline, a sophomore at Juan Diego. 

“We always wanted to go out and just 

have fun doing our best and represent 

JD positively,” says co-captain, 

Courtney Hartline, a freshman. 

From Coach Van Delden, “I 

was very impressed with the team’s 

achievements this year, considering 

that four of the team members had 

never even played nine holes before! 

Golf’s a very challenging game. They 

dug in and there we were weeks later 

at the State Championships!” 

“I really enjoyed the season and 

making new friends,” agrees Theerada 

“T” Watcharothon, 

a junior and international 

student at 

JD. “T” earned the 

Medalist Award, having 

the lowest scoring 

season average. 

“All the girls 

were very welcoming 

and encouraging. 

I had never played 

24 

photo: Yearbook staff 

golf before, but Melanie 

and the other girls were 

patient and taught me how 

to play,” says junior and 

international student, Hue- 

My Pham. Without seniors this year, 

Juan Diego’s Girls’ Golf could be a top 

team again next year. 

Tennis 

The JD Girls’ Tennis team had a 

very successful year culminating 

with the Region 8 Championship 

and the 3A State Championship. 

Leading the way for the Soaring Eagle 

were Romina Nedakovic, Paige Miles 

and Masha Chadovic who all won 

individual State titles. Romina won 

her 4th consecutive State Title ending 

a high school career with only one loss 

in four years. She will continue to 

swing that racket for BYU. 

The JD Boys’ Tennis team had a 

successful year. They went undefeated 

in Region play and went into the 

Region tournament as the #1 seeds 

in the five positions to be played. 

The boys came in second by a mere 

one point. Jake Barman won the #1 

singles title, as did Corbin White at 

#3 singles. This year was the first year 

that everyone earned a varsity letter. 

photo: Yearbook staff

Track and Field 

Devin Kallas is the new Boys’ 

Track & Field State Champion 

in the Shot Put, pummeling 

the old School Record on his first 

throw at the State meet. Alex Cassel 

(high jump), Lindsay John (discus), 

Kelly John (discus), Zach Kinninger 

(100 meters), James Markosian (discus), 

and Tenkai Kawazoe (discus) 

all earned All-State with their Top 

Six performances. The girls’ 4 x 

400 team (Catherine Turnerdrown, 

Chelsea Chaney, Deena McCarrie and 

Madisen Fox) broke the school record, 

too. Talon Harris also made the final 

in the 100 High Hurdles. Michelle 

Rueckert and Annabah Glasser had 

season's bests in the hurdles and 

the sprint medley team closed in on 

the school record (Rueckert, Kassy 

Harrison, Alex Cassel and Taylor 

Ledek). David Cassel nearly broke 

the school record in the 400-meter 

finals. In addition, Brittany Rogers 

made the finals as a javelin thrower 

in her first season throwing. 

Boys’ lacrosse 

The Boys’ Lacrosse team 

wrapped up the season with a 

7-6 record. Under the strong 

senior leadership of Marshall 

Serzen, Josh Rude, Chris Nelson 

and Collin Farr, the team record- 

ed great wins over Brighton, Judge, 

Waterford, and more. Braeden Daly 

was named Second Team All State 

and Marshall Serzen and Tyler Kunz 

were voted onto the All Conference 

team. The graduating seniors will 

be playing next year at a variety of 

schools including The University of 

Utah, Westminster, and Boise State. 

Cheerleading 

michonne McGovern came in 

April to lead the Juan Diego 

Cheerleading squad. A 

native Utahn, McGovern coached the 

Taylorsville High School sophomore, 

junior varsity and varsity cheerleaders 

for seven years. She brings a wealth of 

choreographic experience, integrating 

hip-hop, jazz, modern and even ballet 

dance techniques into the routines. 

McGovern earned her Associate of 

25 

Lindsay John on discus. Alex Cassel on 

high jump. Annabah Glasser on hurdles. 

Science Degree majoring in psychology 

from Salt Lake Community 

College, where she was also a member 

of their dance company. 

Boys’ Lacrosse Team 

photo: Shooting Stars photo: Claire Jonaitis track photos: Brozowski

photos this page: Yearbook staff 

Arts 

Kassandra Harrison at Diego Poets' 

Society reading 

Diego Poets’ Society 

it started out as a marketing ploy. 

Debbie Francis was trying to develop 

the Gathering of Roses literary 

magazine and created a club modeled 

after the “Dead Poet’s Society” 

of Robin Williams fame. Lo and 

behold, a steady membership of 

35 people formed the Diego Poets’ 

Society. Francis wanted to add activities 

to keep the members engaged, 

and learned about poetry “slams” 

from a woman who started the bohemian 

event in Chicago. Juan Diego 

students held the first Poetry Slam 

competition with 100 entrees in the 

Little Theater, complete with lava 

lamps and lounge chairs to create 

a ‘60s ambiance. Music instructor 

Dave Faires asked if the newly formed 

Jazz Band could play between rounds, 

and the “Slam & Jam” was born. 

Jazz Band plays for Slam & Jam 

Music 

At a recital in April, the Symphonic 

Band, Percussion and 

Saxaphone Ensembles, Jazz 

Band, Concert Choir and Chamber 

Choir performed a melange of compositions 

that spanned five centuries. 

The xylophone set the beat as guests 

clapped to Stars and Stripes, raising 

patriotic spirits. From a cantata in 

Latin to the rousing Billboard March, it 

was evident that these musicians have 

the ability to carry the musical torch 

of history forward. 

The Music Dept. 

ended the semester 

with “Dessert Pops” 

featuring melodies 

from the 1970s 

Disco era (now 

referred to as “the 

Oldies” by this new 

millennial generation). 

26 

Dance Concert 

in April, the Dance Department 

presented Live in Color, a dance 

concert in dramatic Technicolor. 

Students had the opportunity to work 

with two guest choreographers: Caine 

Keenan from Ririe-Woodbury Dance 

Company; and Alan Salazar, a wellknown 

hip-hop choreographer. The 

pieces showcased a variety of styles 

ranging from modern, jazz, hip-hop, 

contemporary, lyrical, and Tango. In 

addition, students choreographed a 

couple biographical narratives – some 

without music.

Drama 

The Performing Arts Dept. participated 

in the region drama 

festival in March. In order to 

qualify for the State Festival, each 

actor or cast had to receive two of the 

three ratings from their performance 

as “Superior”. The judges were very 

impressed with our entire production 

which was student run, from director 

to actors. They performed a oneact 

adaptation of “The Importance 

of Being Earnest”. Following are the 

people who qualified for the State 

Festival: 

Dramatic Monologue 

LLoyd WaLkEr 

Humorous Monologue 

kELSEy McGarry 

aMy MacdonaLd 

Scenes & Special Awards 

cathy MiddLEton & 

GarrEtt SchoonovEr for 

“taMinG of thE ShrEW” 

t.J. PEtracca & Mick torrES for 

“coME bLoW your horn” 

LaurEn rathbun & 

chEriSh kruEGEr-SMith for 

“thE odd couPLE” 

Best Actress in the One Act Plays 

cathy MiddLEton 

2nd place (silver medal) 

Overall in Scenes - 

t.J. PEtracca & Mick torrES 

Fra Angelico Festival 

This year marks the sixth annual 

Fra Angelico Arts Festival, featuring 

selected works of Juan Diego 

and SJB Middle School art students. 

Submissions were juried by three artists 

who are currently working in the Salt 

Lake City area. Also featured were the 

high school’s literary & art publication: 

A Gathering of Roses, which is still available 

for purchase. Student musicians 

performed, and the Diego Poets’ Society 

read compositions during the opening 

reception. Selections from the Earth 

Day Poetry Contest were presented. 

27 

FRA ANGELICO FESTIVAL 

BEST OF SHOW 

JESSiE bEErE for PaintinG 

“rad fraMEd by dad” 

ADVANCED ART 

FIRST PLACE WINNERS 

Sculpture: Macy JonES 

Pottery: Grady faWcEtt 

Drawing: kaito WatanabE 

Painting: JESSiE bEErE 

INTERMEDIATE ART 


Sculpture:: aLEx biELfELd 

Pottery: JEnna SPEarE 

Drawing: Shannon MccoSh 

Painting: Jin ha kiM 

BEGINNING ART 


Sculpture: JoSh voravonG 

Pottery: katiE fairchiLd 

Drawing: katiE MuLLin 

Painting: haLEy PouLSon 

Best of Show winner, Jessie Beere, 

with her painting 

“Rad Framed by Dad” photo: Karen Swan 

photo: JD Art Dept

Arts 

By Their Own Hands 

every year Juan Diego selects a 

work of art from a senior student 

to add to its permanent 

collection. This year, three submissions 

were made. The first is an oil 

painting by Jessica Beere who won 

Best of Show in the Fra Angelico Art 

Festival this year. The second is an 

intensely hued lino-cut block print by 

Kaito Watanabe. The final submission 

was executed three days before 

Commencement by Eddy Santana. 

All three are beautiful gifts to Juan 

Diego and will be framed and hung 

in the school. 

When Senior Counselor Roxanne 

Kammerer asked Eddy if he would be 

willing to paint something, he grappled 

with the idea, but was inspired 

one night while visiting his grandfather. 

Looking at the calloused hands 

of Mike Gonzales, Eddy noted they 

carried the deep grooves of 30 years of 

labor for Kennecott mine. They also 

possessed the expansive openness of a 

generous volunteer who is always fixing 

a neighbor’s fence or hefting a box 

for the emergency food bank. Such 

hands were the models for Eddy’s 

oil painting that depicts the miracle 

of Juan Diego at the moment the 

saint unfolded roses from his robes. 

The multitude of roses that fall from 

Juan Diego CatholiC high SChool 

www.jdchs.org · 801.984.7650 

300 East 11800 South · Draper, Utah 84020 

Saint Juan Diego’s hands are rich in 

texture and color, symbolic of Eddy’s 

diverse class members who were unified 

in so many ways this year. Eddy 

titled the work “Behold How Good 

and Pleasant It Is When Friends Live 

Together in Unity” from Psalm 133 

- the commemorative passage selected 

for their senior year theme. 

NONPROFIT 

ORGANIZATION 

U.S. POSTAGE 

PAID 

SALT LAKE CITY 

UTAH 

PERMIT #623 

photo: Eddy Santana, Sr.

spring/summer 2008 - Juan Diego Catholic High School

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