Summer 2008 Alumni Newsletter Vol. 22, Issue 1

Bishop Amat Memorial High School

The Amat Tradition

A Year of PromiseSchool community prepares for the upcoming year

The celebrations of Bishop Amat’s first fifty years proved to be inspirational and exciting. Many of us were thankful to have an opportunity to reconnect and share. The year, capped by a striking and memorable Lancer Classic, seemed to continually offer moments to appreciate the influential role Amat has played in our lives. And although it’s tempting to recount all that was good about the year past, I’m even more excited about looking forward. The 2008-2009 school year promises to be one of forward movement and progress. Our academic accomplishments, as detailed by Dr. Hemenway in his letter, are many. Lancers continue to impress once they move on to university. The athletic tradition of excellence also continues, as evidenced by the recent dominance of the baseball, girls basketball, and wrestling programs, among others.

This year is also special because we will all be reacquainted with some familiar faces. The new coaching staff for the Varsity Football team includes several alums, including Head Coach Steve Hagerty (‘80), Bill Mulvehill (‘81), Ealar Gallagher (‘91), Willhans Illi (‘93), Trevor Woods (‘93), Rodney Sermons (‘94), Jason Harris (‘94), and Daylon McCutcheon (‘95). They will be joined by former Head Coach Mike DiFiori, and assistant Joe Canales. The greater school community looks forward to their passion for the game and their influence as strong role models. Perhaps most exciting is the revelation of Amat’s completed Master Plan for the next fifty years. In his letter, Msgr. Carroll details the anticipated construction of a new Performing Arts Building. Please be sure to read all of page 2 for the exciting news. Thank you to everyone that participated in the events of the past year. It was truly a memorable time. Gabriel Escovar ‘98Editor

Scott Ragano (’87), James McGee (’88) and Gary Rice (’68) participated in the 2008 Golf Tournament, sponsored by Orbit Printing.

What’s Inside...

Greetings! Msgr. Aidan Carroll, PresidentDr. Merritt Hemenway, Principal...Page 2

Celebration of the Arts and Lancer Classic

Page 3

Every 15 Minutes Program and Salute to Msgr. Aidan M. Carroll

Page 4

Alumni Teacher Profiles and Reunion Announcements

Page 5

John McKay (’71) and Pat Haden (’71) at the CIMC Executive

Luncheon on June 3rd.

Pat Haden (’71) provided the keynote address at the City of Industry Manufacturer’s Council executive luncheon this June. With him were his close friend John K. McKay (’71) and Ed Roski, CEO of Majestic Realty. Pat spoke about his time playing football at the University of Southern California and in the NFL. Mr. Haden also talked about how important and formative his years at Bishop Amat were for his future. Several current Lancers were able to attend the event and were excited to meet Pat after the luncheon. Msgr. Carroll was pleased to announce that Mr. Haden had made an important, initial donation to the Performance Art Building detailed in the newly completed Master Plan.

The President

Dear Friends:

The school year 2007-2008 was a wonderful celebration of Bishop Amat Memorial High School’s first fifty years. Let me offer a special “thank you” to so many friends and alumni who played a role in the celebrations. It was great to see so many friends and classmates, former students, former colleagues, and hundreds of those who support the ideals of the Amat Family.

We have accomplished much, but we are called upon to do more. Our students are achieving at an incredibly high level. According to the Newsweek magazine method of ranking top high schools in the country (the Challenge Index), Bishop Amat ranks in the top 4% with an index of 1.52. Briefly explained, our average graduate has already taken nearly two classes for college credit while still in high school. This number has doubled in the past six years. Academically, Amat is still among the best!

However, the road ahead has challenges. The blessing of the Student Activity Center is a constant reminder that the rest of the campus is aging. We have programs that require a significant upgrade of facilities. Accordingly, we developed a Master Plan that specifically and sequentially describes how we will upgrade our facilities. Given the difficult economic times, these advancements cannot be accomplished in a vacuum. It takes a community of support.

Many talented students attend Bishop Amat. We are challenged to serve the needs of students who come from modest means, but hope to achieve at the highest levels. The Archdiocese Education Foundation offers partial tuition assistance to the neediest families, based on the federal free lunch guidelines. A record 84 Amat Lancers qualified for this support next year. These families struggle around the poverty level and still try to make the financial sacrifices to send their children to Amat. This past year, Monsignor Carroll established the first endowment to provide even more scholarship assistance to needy families. However, many more students exist who are worthy of our help.

We pray that you will choose to be a part of our next fifty years as we seek to continue to offer the finest Catholic education possible. Thank you for your prayerful consideration of continued support.

Merritt Hemenway, Ph.D. ‘64Principal

The Principal

Greetings! A Message From...

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IN MEMoRIAM

Maria Perez, a past parent, died June 19th, 2008 with her family at her side. She is the mother of Raul Perez (‘82), Irma Perez (‘84), Isabel Perez (‘86), Leticia Perez (‘90) and grandmother of David Reyes ‘09. She is also the mother-in-law of Shirley (Baray) Perez (‘82). She was laid to rest on June 25th, 2008. Bodo Rohde (‘81) lost his battle with cancer on April 21st, 2008. He leaves behind his wife Wanda of 16 years, a 14 year old son, 2 stepchildren, and 2 grandchildren.

GooD LuCk! Alum Allen Evangelista stars in a new show called “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” which first aired July 1st. Tune in at 8pm on ABC Family to see this great new show.

CoNGRATuLATIoNS! Alanna Frisby (‘01) received her Juris Doctorate degree from Columbia university.

Marianne Cabrera (‘02) received a Master of Arts degree in Comparative & International Politics from the Loyola university Chicago. Cassondra Curiel (‘03) received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Education from CSu Sonoma.

Shana Daloria (‘04) received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and a minor in Feminist Studies from Stanford university.

John Deurmeier (‘04) received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Development and a minor in Theater Arts from Whittier College.

Melissa Rabaya (‘04) received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with an emphasis in Journalism from CSu Long Beach.

Elaine Sanchez (‘05) received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the university of Southern California. She will continue at uSC’s Graduate School of Pharmacy next semester.

Dear Bishop Amat Alumni:

My very best wishes to all of you. I hope that you are having a wonderful summer with some good opportunities to relax and spend recreational time with your families and loved ones.

The Golden Jubilee year passed triumphantly into history with the graduation of the Class of 2008. This was a very talented group of young men and women who contributed much to the school during their student days. I am confident that they are destined for significant achievements in their future lives and careers.

We had a very good turnout for our annual Bishop Amat Orbit Printing Golf Tournament at the California Country Club on June 13. The Zavala brothers, Mauricio ’88 and Rodrigo ’90 once again stepped forward with a donation of $10,000.00 to be the Title Sponsors of the Tournament. We are most grateful to them and to all the other alums who supported us. The event raised approximately $32,000.00 which will be applied to the reduction of the remaining debt on the Student Activity Center.

We are very pleased to inform you that after a year long study, MVE Architects of Irvine have presented us with a proposed 50 year Master Plan for the school facilities. At its June 19 meeting the Consultative School Council voted its acceptance of the proposal. MVE staff is currently pursuing the approval of the plan by the County of Los Angeles after which it will be presented to the Building Commission of the Archdiocese for its approval. Phase 1 of the 14 phase plan encompasses the construction of a 450 seat Performing Arts Center on the site of the existing Faculty House. I am convinced that the addition of this center would be a very significant strategic benefit to the school and I intend to work vigorously for its completion.

In conclusion, I share with you a worrisome reality regarding the inability of many of our families to meet their tuition obligations to the school. In early June, the tuition delinquency level was in excess of $300,000.00. In the intervening weeks a significant number of students have withdrawn for financial reasons. Some 12 students who had already been admitted to the ninth grade for 2008-2009 have informed us that they cannot afford the cost of tuition despite the fact that they had received scholarships of $2,000.00 from the Archdiocese. From our limited budgetary resources we try to assist our low income families as much as possible. Obviously, however, more needs to be done. I appeal to you, therefore, to consider making a donation, even a small donation, for the purpose of providing scholarship assistance. An envelope for this purpose can be found in the newsletter. Thank you for considering this worthy cause.

Monsignor Aidan M. CarrollPresident

The 50th Anniversary Lancer Classic Gala took place at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, April 12, 2008. On this special evening, two extraordinary alums, Mary Grace Lima (‘69) and Christopher Trujillo (‘73), were honored as co-recipients of the Alumni of the Year Award. Mary Grace was introduced by daughter Carly (‘95) and Chris was introduced by long-time friend and classmate Michael Ebiner (‘73). Joe Busch, Esq. (‘66) served as Master of Ceremonies for the Gala.

Principal Dr. Merritt V. Hemenway (‘64) introduced the Religious Orders receiving the Monsignor Thomas A. Kiefer Humanitarian

Award. The Kiefer Award was presented collectively to the Religious Orders who provided staffing at Bishop Amat High School since its inception in 1957.

After the event, Mary Grace noted how much she enjoys promoting Bishop Amat to the local community. She is excited that her son Joseph will be joining the Amat Family in the Fall as a member of the class of 2012. In addition, 19 of Joseph’s classmates from St. Louise de Marillac in Covina will be accompanying him!

The Biltmore’s Crystal Ballroom provided a spectacular venue in which to celebrate the school’s golden jubilee. The honorees delivered inspiring speeches emphasizing the impact that Bishop Amat has on its students. The audience received a glimpse into life at Amat as they watched a 50th Anniversary video presentation, written and narrated by faculty member Ron Woolsey (‘66). The lively oral auction featured trips, sports memorabilia, and a puppy. The evening culminated with dancing to a live band.

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Several alumni returned to Bishop Amat to share their artistic and singing talents at the school’s Celebration of the Arts event on May 9 and 10 in the Student Activity Center. At the event, which was part of Amat’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, Nancy Medina (‘91) displayed four pieces of art, including a self-portrait she painted in college. “I was really impressed with the artwork that has come from Amat’s alumni,” said Medina, who taught Art at Amat for two years. “Makes you that much more proud to be a Lancer.” Mrs. Rita Fortner coordinated the event in order to highlight the talents of artists who have graduated from Bishop Amat. Ms. Katherine Syroboyarsky and Ms. Sandi Roberts also contributed to the event’s success. Several professional singers performed at the event, which drew a crowd of about 250 each night. Folk singer Marie

McGilvray (‘82) performed several songs during her acoustic performances. In a feature article in the Hacienda Heights H igh lander by Danie l

Fritz, McGilvary said she wanted to be a singer ever since her days as an Amat student. “I wrote about being a recording artist and why I wanted to be one. In the class, we were broken up into groups, and each group had to pick their favorite essay to read out loud to the class - so they picked mine,” she said in the article. “It’s a neat thing because it’s come full circle, even though it took a little longer than ten years to get there.” In addition to the alumni performances, the Lancer band, dance team and choir performed at the event. And the actors who had just wrapped up a two-weekend production of Bye, Bye, Birdie performed an encore. Other acts included singing performances by 2007 valedictorian Katie LaBouff and her father Jim (‘75), and a acoustic set by Lisa Donahey (‘87), another graduate.

Contributed by Michael Del Muro (‘96)

Artistic ExpressionCelebration of the Arts showcases Amat’s creative tradition

Peter Krause (‘87) and Lisa Donahey

(‘87) had fun reminiscing about

their days at Amat. Donahey also

participated in the event by contributing

a crowd pleasing vocal performance.

The Kiefer Award was presented collectively to the members of the Religious Orders who provided staffing at Bishop Amat High School since its inception in 1957.

Singer-songwriter Marie McGilvray (‘82) played an acoustic set, featuring songs from her 2007 debut release, Big Love. McGilvray is based in Nashville, TN.

A Crystal ClassicLively evening will be remembered most for honorees’ heartfelt and inspiring speeches

Matt Vermeeren (‘95),

Mary Kerr (‘75), her

husband Jeff, and

Vincent Vermeeren (‘71)

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Every 15 Minutes…Powerful program instills sense of responsibility in student body

Bishop Amat continued its recent tradition of participating in the “Every 15 Minutes” program this May. The program is designed to help students understand the grave consequences that accompany driving under the influence of alcohol and illegal drugs. In conjunction with local law enforcement and emergency officials, several student participants staged an accident in front of the school, showing the

possible effects of driving under the influence.

Throughout the school day, a gong rang over the school’s speaker system every fifteen minutes to emphasize the frequency of alcohol related fatalities across the country. Participants went through the process of visiting court rooms, jails, morgues, and had to write letters to their parents stating how and why

they were killed. These events were followed by a special liturgy celebrated by Chaplain Fr. Mike Sezzi.

The following day, the entire student body gathered together for a concluding assembly. Former Lancer baseball standout and back-to-back CIF champion Miguel Sanchez (’01) spoke to the students about his personal tragedy stemming from driving under the influence of alcohol. Sanchez told students of his rise through minor league baseball as a top prospect, his call-up to the San Diego Padres, and the eventual mistake that left him in a coma and out of baseball. The students were inspired to hear that after many surgeries, Miguel is slowly getting his life on track.

The event was powerful and inspiring. Bishop Amat seeks to continue providing students with the tools to live a safe and healthy life. For more information about the “Every 15 Minutes” program, visit www.every15minutes.com.

Annual Homecoming BBQYou are invited to attend the annual Homecoming BBQ at Bishop Amat on Friday, October 24 from 5-7 p.m. Please contact the Development Office at 626-962-2495, Ext. 1-7456 to RSVP/purchase tickets. The event is growing every year, and we hope the game this year is as exciting as last year’s overtime thriller against St. Paul. The Varsity Football team will play West Hills Chaminade this

year. Dinner will cost $5, and game tickets will also be available in a block of seats for the alumni.

Michelle Arguello (‘08) participates in the “Every 15 Minutes” program on Fairgrove Ave. in front of her fellow juniors and seniors. Over thirty students had intimate roles in the program.

Charley Joyce (‘04), of Charley Joyce Productions, provided his expertise in film over the course of the two day event, creating a video watched by the student body at the concluding assembly.

A Salute to Msgr. Aidan M. Carroll45 years of faithful commitment to our Lord’s Church

Bishop Amat High School congratulates Monsignor Aidan M. Carroll on his forty-five years of priesthood. We honor his commitment to Catholic Education in the San Gabriel Valley and thank him for his life of service. Born in Sligo, Ireland, a young Aidan Carroll enrolled at All Hallows Seminary in Dublin at the age of seventeen. He earned a BA in Philosophy from the National University in Dublin and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on June 16, 1963.

After teaching religion at Bellarmine-Jefferson Parish High School in Burbank, and earning a Master’s Degree in Education from Catholic University in Washington D.C., Fr. Carroll was appointed Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools by Cardinal James Francis McIntyre. In this capacity he helped monitor the financial operation of forty archdiocesan and parish high schools.

In 1974 he returned to Catholic University for two more years of study in education and was then assigned as Assistant Principal at St. Paul High School in Santa Fe Springs. He was named Principal in 1977. After nine very successful years as Principal, he was selected by Cardinal Roger Mahony to serve a five-year term as Superintendent of all Archdiocesan schools, K-12. (Over 300 total schools) Fr. Carroll was elevated to the role of Honorary Papal Prelate (with the title of Monsignor) by Pope John Paul II on November 19, 1991.

On the completion of the assignment as Superintendent of Catholic schools, Monsignor Carroll was afforded a nine-month sabbatical at the Jesuit Graduate School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass. At the conclusion of the sabbatical in 1992 he was assigned as Principal of Bishop Amat High School. After ten years as Principal in 2002, he was appointed as the first President of the school.

Under his leadership, Bishop Amat High School was able to construct and finance a new signature building on the campus, the Student Activity Center. He has also established an endowment of $500,000, the earnings from which will be used to provide financial aid to incoming students. Monsignor’s latest gift to Amat is the unveiling of a comprehensive Master Plan for the renovation of the campus and facilities that will ensure a successful school for the next half-century.

We salute Msgr. Aidan M. Carroll for his decision to spend a lifetime as a priest in the ministry of Catholic education. In celebration of his 45 years as a Priest, a special Mass will be held in the Student Activity Center on September 17, 2008 at 11 a.m. Alumni are invited to attend. Please RSVP – 626-962-2495, Ext. 1-7456.

Michael Del Muro (‘96)

Education: B.A. Communications (minor in Political Science, emphasis in Print Journalism), CSU FullertonMaster of Professional Writing (emphasis in Fiction Writing), University of Southern California

Classes Taught: English I, Freshman Composition, Journalism, The Lance Adviser

Interests: Aside from teaching, I enjoy reading and writing fiction. I also play in an adult basketball league—albeit poorly. I finished my first marathon in March and continue to run daily. I have recently taken up bike riding and really enjoy that so far as well.

Amat Memory: I remember writing an additional chapter of The Great Train Robbery for Mr. Lewis’s British Literature class. I remember sitting down in front of my word processor/typewriter and pounding out two or three pages of what happened next to the novel’s main characters. It was my first experience with creative writing and I think of it whenever I wonder why I like writing.

REuNIoN ANNouNCEMENTS

Class of 1968: 40 Year ReunionAugust 23, 2008Double Tree Hotel, Ontario (near the airport)For more information, please contact:GreatReunions.com OR Ronald Corrigan (’68)626.912.9126 or pyneapl1@verizon.net

On-campus BBQ/picnic, Sunday, August 24 2-5 p.m. RSVP 626-962-2495, Ext. 1-7456.

Class of 1978: 30 Year ReunionThe Class of 1978 hopes to join the Class of 1979 in celebrating their 30 year reunion next year. Please look for future announcements.

Class of 1988: 20 Year ReunionOctober 11, 2008Sheraton Park Hotel, AnaheimPre-Sale Ticket: $86 For more information please contact:GreatReunions.com OREmma Luna at emmal@pasadenaweekly.com

On-campus BBQ/picnic, Sunday, October 12 2-5 p.m. RSVP 962-2495, Ext. 1-7456.

Class of 1998: 10 Year ReunionTentative Date: October 25, 2008To Be Determined

Please email amatclassof1998@gmail.com if you are interested in helping, or if you would like more information. Also – look for the “BAHS Class of 1998 10yr Reunion” Group on Facebook and MySpace.

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Annual Golf Tournament

The winning Alumni “foursome” included Jim Lujan (’73), Peggy Cleveland (’73), and Don Zalewki (’74). Principal Merritt Hemenway (’64) was limited to a few holes, but did sink a 25 foot putt!

The twenty-second annual Bishop Amat Alumni Golf Tournament took place on Friday, June 13, 2008 at the California Country Club in Whittier. Sponsored by Orbit Printing, this annual event hosted a full complement of golfers who played a scramble, best-ball tournament. The Tournament proceeds, in the amount of $32,000, will be used to offset the cost of the Student Activity Center. With such great support, the remaining debt will be eliminated by the conclusion of the 2008-2009 school year.

Continued ExcellenceLMU graduates prepare to dazzle the “real world”

Congratulations to Kimberly Rodriguez (‘04) and Melissa Salter (‘04) upon their commencement from Loyola Marymount University this spring.

Kim graduates with a B.S. in Accounting (minor in Economics) and will soon begin her studies for the rigorous CPA exam. She will be working for the prestigious Deloitte as an Audit Staff member starting in September. The Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA) recently honored Kim as ‘Latina of the Year.’ She was also selected as the INROADS 2007 Lorenzo Tovar Intern of the Year.

Melissa graduates with a B.A. in English (emphasis in Literature) and also earned a secondary teaching credential. While at LMU, she received the Atherton Scholarship, was on the Dean’s list, and was a member of the English Honors Society. Melissa plans to be teaching English at a local San Gabriel Valley high school this September and will also begin to earn her M.A. in English at CSU Fullerton. She looks forward to vacationing in Maui before she begins her teaching career.

Courtney Dundas (‘97)

Education: B.A. English, CSU Fullerton

Classes Taught: English I, Freshman Composition, ASB Moderator

Big News: I’m getting married August 2, 2008!

Why I Teach at Amat: Amat has stayed with me since graduation. There is

nowhere else I would rather teach than here. It was really a blessing to be able to come back and teach at a school that means so much to me. I see the students sitting in their desks everyday, and I actually see little memories of myself. They are Lancers like me. It helps me relate to them.

Bishop Amat Memorial High School14301 Fairgrove Ave.La Puente, CA 91746

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

NON-PROFIT ORG.US POSTAGE

PAIDINDUSTRY, CA

Permit No. 4280

Ms. Deborah oswaldDirector of Development

(626) 962-2495 x1-7444doswald@bishopamat.org

Mr. Gabriel Escovar ‘98English Dept. (Teacher)

Alumni Newsletter Editor

(626) 962-2495 x1-7408gescovar@bishopamat.org

ALUMNI PORTALRegister today at alumni.bishopamat.org. It is our goal to use this website to keep in touch with our graduates. We will be posting alumni news, school event information, and sending out e-newsletters and e-announcements from this portal. Help us better serve the Amat Family by signing up today!

Congratulations Ollie Cantos (’88)

The White House recently announced the appointment of Olegario “Ollie” D. Cantos VII to serve a full two-year term as Member of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, beginning on May 12, 2008. Ollie served Bishop Amat as Student Body President and graduated in the Class of 1988.

Cantos, 37, presently serves as Special Counsel to the Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice; and, he is to continue his related responsibilities concurrently with his new presidential appointment. A leader in the disability community since November 1990, Cantos dedicated two consecutive terms of service as Associate Director for Domestic Policy at the White House. Prior to that, he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, having begun his tenure in that capacity in August 2004. He attained this position after a two-year stint as General Counsel and Director of Programs for a Washington-based non-profit disability organization. He began his career as an attorney in June 1999 at the Disability Rights Legal Center in Los Angeles, California. Over the years, Cantos has worked with thousands of people with intellectual disabilities and their advocates, most particularly within the arenas of employment, crime victimization issues, and self-advocacy.

Article contributed by Dr. Merritt Hemenway (‘64)