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Hello Eagle Family!
As summer fast approaches here at Santa Margarita Catholic High School many wonderful events will be taking place over the next few months you won't want to miss!
The Class of 2009 will kick off the summertime activities with their 5-Year Reunion on Saturday, June 28 at Dave and Busters. The Class of 1994 will celebrate their 20-Year Reunion on August 2 at El Adobe and the committee is having a great timing planning for a wonderful weekend event for their classmates! The Class of 2004 will celebrate their 10-Year Reunion on October 4th at the Balboa Yacht Club. More details below on these events.
On Saturday, June 1 we will hold the first annual Alumni Swim Races and BBQ here at SMCHS from 11am until 3pm. The races will be for all ages and talent levels and of course followed by a wonderful BBQ. Plan on bringing the entire family!
We will hold our 6th Annual Sarah DeMille Memorial Run here on campus on Saturday, July 19. Put on those running shoes and bring the kids--we have a run for everyone and of course followed up by a yummy pancake breakfast and lots of prizes!
With our school year kicking off early August we want to remind you to mark your calendars now for our Homecoming Tailgate Party on October 10 at Saddleback College. We are sure to have another exciting football season ahead!
Wishing you a summer filled with lasting memories! In Eagle Spirit, Lori Gardner Director of Alumni Programs [email protected]949.766.6000 ext. 1530 |
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2014 Kicks off with Alumni Career Day Event
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On Thursday, January 9, SMCHS held its fifth annual Alumni Career Day. Eighteen alumni returned to the SMCHS campus to educate and inspire the Class of 2015.
Students started the morning in a one-hour session listening to an alumni speaker who worked in a career they expressed interest in. Following the session, the entire junior class headed to the Moiso Pavilion for the keynote speaker.
This year's keynote speaker was Sarah Walker Ollenburger '96, who shared her experiences in working as a hiring manager. Ollenburger enlightened students on how social media can negatively affect their professional career and why it's important to always present yourself in a positive light.
Following Sarah's speech, students were given the opportunity to explore the alumni career day college fair. Students spoke with alumni one-on-one to get any of their questions answered, as well as talked with college representatives that were in attendance.
The grads in attendance worked in medicine, law, entertainment, sales, marketing, fire safety, fashion, teaching, engineering, video production, financial investing and physical therapy.
Thank you to the following alumni that came out to support Career Day:
Scott Feyka '98, Noelle Bellow '07, Kris Farris '95, Bryan Kretzmer '00, Katie Sales '05, Taylor Zuccolotto '07, Dave Luxenberg '03, Steve Luxenberg '00, Kyndell Gaglio Paine '98, Chris Lupin '08, Chris Kelishes '95, Mariel Covarrubias '02, Dani DiLoretta Kelly '00, Sarah Walker Ollenburger '96, Scott Schimmel '98, Jenna Scherman '02, Jordan Smith '05 and Dr. Elizabeth Barry Burgamy '97.
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SMCHS Ranked Nationally by Washington Post
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Santa Margarita Catholic High School once again made the Washington Post's annual Challenge Index earning a ranking of No. 38 in the nation for private schools, the highest ranking Orange County Catholic school on the list and the sixth highest of the county's public and private schools that were recognized.
Only the top 9 percent of public high schools of the approximately 22,000 in the nation achieved a high enough standard to earn placement on the list. SMCHS is ranked alongside the nation's top 2 percent of public schools.
Santa Margarita's challenge index number improved from last year earning a national ranking of 376 out of 2,117 public and private schools to make the prestigious list. The index formula is a simple ratio: the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given at a school each year, divided by the number of seniors who graduated that year. The Challenge Index measures how effectively a school prepares its students for college, according to the Post.
This is the third year Washington Post education columnist Jay Mathews has included a sampling of the nation's private schools in the rankings as well as a separate list ranking the nation's private schools. Participating private schools provide the Post with the necessary information for the rankings.
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SMCHS Moves to a One-on-One Tablet Program
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Santa Margarita Catholic High School is proud to announce the full implementation of the school's One-to-One Tablet PC Program this fall. The new program will put a Windows 8 Tablet PC, loaded with educational software, in the hands of every student and teacher at Santa Margarita providing a richer, more immersive educational experience that will better prepare students for college and the professional world. However, the focus is not merely on the technology, but effectively incorporating the technology into the curriculum. The program will foster a collaborative, student-centered classroom environment inspiring enthusiasm and ownership in student learning.
Santa Margarita began implementing the program during the 2012-2013 school year with select faculty receiving a tablet PC and undergoing training. Staff positions were also created to effectively rollout the program, train faculty and best integrate the technology into the classroom. As of the beginning of the 2013-2014 academic school year, every faculty member received a Lenovo Thinkpad Helix PC and is currently participating in extensive training with the device and all related software programs as well as planning how to successfully incorporate the technology into their curriculum. SMCHS has also introduced the Learning Portal in recent years, a custom learning management system, delivering digital content and allowing students to interact with their teachers and classmates outside of the traditional classroom.
"We are very excited to bring this program to SMCHS which will empower student-centered learning and will offer opportunities for instruction that were not possible before," said Principal Ray Dunne. Read more about the program here.
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Holy Thursday Senior Pilgramage 2014
13.7 Miles of Lifting Up to God someone in Prayer
The Journey from SM to Mission San Juan Capistrano
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IT'S REUNION TIME!!!
Class of 1994 - 20 Year Reunion
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Purchase your tickets for the 20 Year Reunion here today!
Don't forget to update contact information so you won't miss important information regarding the event!
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Class of 2004 - 10 Year Reunion
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Purchase your tickets for the 10 Year Reunion today here!
Don't forget to update contact information here so you won't miss important information regarding the event!
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Class of 2009 - 5 Year Reunion
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*Don't forget to update contact information here so you won't miss important information regarding the event!
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SAVE THE DATE!!!
1st Annual Alumni Swim Races and BBQ
at SMCHS Aquatics Center
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1st Annual Alumni Swim Races and BBQ
Saturday, June 1, 2014
at SMCHS Aquatics Center
11 am until 3 pm
*Races will be held for all ages and abilities!
EVERYONE'S INVITED--Bring the Whole Family!
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SAVE THE DATE!!!
6th Annual Sarah DeMille 5K Memorial Run
Saturday, July 19, 2014
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The Sarah DeMille 5K Memorial Run is right around the corner and will be here before we know it. This is a chance for all Eagle runners, past, present, and future, our neighbors, friends and families to come together for a wonderful cause--to celebrate our past Eagle runner and to honor her by continuing to build her memorial scholarship fund.
The Sarah DeMille Scholarship Award was set up in remembrance of Sarah Ashley DeMille, SMCHS Class 2005 Lady Runner. Sarah was killed in an automobile accident at Northern Arizona University. Sarah volunteered to accompany a friend driving a fellow student at NAU home for the weekend so the driver would not have to make the long trip on mountain roads back to NAU alone. The student driving the car lost control while trying to avoid hitting a deer that ran across the road.
The idea for the scholarship and the initial donation to the fund was made possible by Applied Medical. Sarah had worked at Applied Medical for two summers as an intern. Sarah was a true Lady Runner. She loved to run. She loved the team and she loved her ability to make each member believe it was all about personal best. The recipient of the scholarship award is chosen based on the values and attributes of the ideal SMCHS Lady Runner. The cross country coaches make their selection based on these criteria.
Thank you to our 2013 Sponsors and Underwriters:
Toyota of Huntington Beach | Robert, Mary, Alison '04, Stephanie Miller
Russell and Lazarus | Chris, Helene, Christina '02, Stephanie '05, Jessica '07, Natalie '09 Russell
Ramp Logistics | Darren, Lulu and Payton '15 Crawford
Dr. David Grant '94 D.D.S
Applied Medical
Peppinos Restaurants
DJ Chris
Threaded Films | Steve Luxenberg '00
BallPark Pizza | Jim, Diane, Cicely '95, Tiffany '96, Brittany '01, Joelle '12
The Pigneri Family | Robert, Denise, Troy '11 and Brooke '14
The Van Boom Family | Joel, Kyle, Perry '07, Wes '10, Jack '15
The Giuliano Family | Greg, Theresea, Francesca '08, Brentano '12
The Drust Family | Stefan, Christy, Jacquelyn '13 and Samantha '16
Scott Feyka '98
The Lake Family l Robert, Lisa, Eric '06, Lindsey '08
The Van Ruiten Family l Chris, Sheryl, Garrett '08 and Sheraya '05
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Top Finishers
Brooke Pigneri '14, Jessica Mumaugh '09 and Julian de Rubira '06
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Class of 2014 raises $1575 through Stuff A Truck Event
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The Senior Class of 2014, in collaboration with the Alumni Office, held their "Stuff-A-Truck" Fundraiser event Saturday, March 22, at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in partnership with the OC Goodwill. The senior class collected "tons" of donations in support of the OC Goodwill, which translated into dollars for their goal to purchase a senior class gift.
Senior Class President, Garrett Williams of Coto de Caza and Vice President Erin Wittekind of San Clemente, took the lead on getting the message out to the student body, organizing volunteers, delivering flyers to local stores and garage sales, to ensure they would meet their goal of filling up the truck. They also had a pre-collection drive on Thursday and Friday for those that would be unable to make it on Saturday to the event.
SMCHS families and the surrounding community responded with outstanding support. Event volunteers even got a nice surprise when the CEO of OC Goodwill, Frank Talarico, came by to thank the students for their efforts on behalf of his organization.
The students were able to successfully fill a 48-foot trailer and raise $1575 for their class gift; a beautiful bronze lighted campus map that will be marked with their graduation year. This gift to the school will be on display in the front of the campus, allowing the class to leave their mark on Eagle history. The Class of 2013 raised half of the money needed for the gift, a true collaborative effort!
"It was truly a special moment for us all when the truck was completely full," said Lori Gardner, Director of Alumni Programs. "We love this fundraiser because the students are giving back their time and treasure."
Thank you to all the families, faculty, staff, and neighbors who took the time to bring their donations to campus. Your support was greatly appreciated!
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Winter Sports CIF Extravaganza
Making History!
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Going down as the most successful sports season in school history, our winter sports teams topped the charts bringing home four CIF team championships and two individual championships. Four coaches were named CIF Coach of the Year and three athletes were named CIF Player of the Year for their respective sports.
On the hardwood, second year head coach Jeff Reinert was named the Division 3AA CIF Coach of the Year after leading his team to their first CIF Championship since 2005. Point guard Devonte Klines was named the CIF Player of the Year, making him only the second player in school history to earn that title joining McDonalds All-American James Keefe back in 2005.
On the girls side, head coach Matt Houser earned the title of Division 3A CIF Coach of the Year while senior point guard Zaire Williams was named CIF Player of the Year. Williams becomes the seventh CIF Player of the Year for the girls basketball program, the last being Melissa Zornig who was a two-time CIF Player of the Year (2009, 2010).
In the pool, first year head coach Brian Weathersby was named the Division 2 CIF Coach of the Year, making it back-to-back years with Kevin Ricks earning that title in 2013. Princeton-bound senior Haley Wan was named the Division 2 CIF Player of the Year for the second straight year. There have only been three CIF Player of the Year honors bestowed upon the girls' water polo program, two of which belong to Wan with the first back in 2002 when Kristina Kunkel, from a long line of Kunkle sisters, earned the title.
On the pitch, head coach Chuck Morales was named the Division 1 CIF Coach of the Year after he led the Eagles to the Division 1 Championship, the sixth in the programs history and the first in 12 years. The championship win made history with the girls bringing home the school's 50th CIF title.
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16 Athletes Make it Official on NCAA Signing Day
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Sixteen athletes from Santa Margarita Catholic High School made their futures evident on Wednesday, April 16 as they officially signed or verbally committed with colleges across the country for their sport. The following student-athletes were a part of the spring NCAA National Letter of Intent Signing Day: - Alex Ury of Mission Viejo has committed to Washington University, St. Louis for Football.
- Matt Merrill of Mission Viejo has committed to the University of California, San Diego for Soccer.
- Chandler Kirby of Rancho Santa Margarita has committed to Point Loma Nazarene University for soccer.
- Ben Draheim of Coto de Caza has committed to Franklin & Marshall College for soccer.
- Vince Hernandez of Lake Forest has committed to the University of California, San Diego for Track.
- Parker Curry of Mission Viejo has committed to the University of California, Santa Barbara for Track and field.
- Jordan Steele of Rancho Santa Margarita has committed to Azusa Pacific University for baseball.
- Axel Reed of Coto de Caza has committed to Villanova University for swimming.
- Megan Roby of San Clemente has committed to the University of California, Santa Cruz for swimming.
- Raquel Remick of Ladera Ranch has committed to Arizona State University for swimming.
- Emily Gibson of Irvine has committed to the University of Cincinnati for swimming.
- Grant Clancy of Coto de Caza has committed to play rugby at The University of Oklahoma.
- Alexandra Kraft of Ladera Ranch has committed to the University of Toronto for Water Polo.
- Taylor Rowden of Mission Viejo has been admitted to The Master's College in Santa Clarita for soccer.
- Brett Oosdyke of Coto de Caza has committed to UCSD for basketball.
- Sage Pfeiffer of San Clemente has committed to LMU for water polo.
Read more of the story here. To view all of our collegiate athletes from the Class of 2014 click here. |
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HeART & Song Present at Sergerstrom Concert Hall
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More than 450 Santa Margarita students performed at the esteemed Renee and Henry Segerstrom Center Concert Hall in Costa Mesa alongside guest artist and Broadway leading lady Eden Espinosa, best known for her role as Elphaba in the Broadway production of "Wicked."
"HeART and Song" showcased the talents of Santa Margarita's performing and visual artists with instrumental and vocal music as well as an art show in the lobby with student paintings, drawings, photography and sculpture pieces on display. The vocal and instrumental concert included performances from the school's choral program, symphony orchestra and steel drum, guitar, percussion and handbell ensembles. The South Orange County Middle School Honor Choir, representing singers from Serra Catholic Elementary School and Ladera Vista Junior High, also made a stage appearance. The program's diverse repertoire included everything from African beats, classical arrangements, Beatles and Broadway hits to traditional Latin choral music.
Espinosa performed Defying Gravity from "Wicked" as well as some of her favorite pieces, both soloing an in collaboration with the school's choir and symphony orchestra. The day before the concert, Santa Margarita choral students were treated to a master class with the musical actress who gave pointers to the young, burgeoning artists.
Performing Arts Director Francisco Calvo said he was thrilled with the students' performance.
"It's like when a marathoner gets new shoes," he said of performing at the renowned Segerstrom Concert Hall. "It just exalts their performance."
Freshman Leighton Holritz agreed.
"You can hear your voice echo throughout the entire concert hall, and it's something you don't really get with a normal performance venue," she said. "It makes you work differently and harder but it's definitely worth it."
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Bryan Young '93
Designer Bryan Young '93 created a unique interactive and colorful structure called the Matchmaker which has viewers stand on their astrological sign and gaze through a periscope and hopefully find a match. The hope is to find true love on the other side of the structure staring back at you. "We wanted to make something that would be more than a backdrop for photographs," said Young. "Something that would draw the public in to the sculpture and actually create an experience." The sculpture was on display in Times Square in February for Valentine's Day and remained there until early March.
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Justin Grosch '98, who is living in San Francisco, just launched a new tech company and released a new IOS app called Need. Need is a place to exchange recommendations with friends and your community. More specifically, a place to ask for, and give recommendations for virtually anything: businesses, services, products, places, how-tos, recipes, advice, and more. Think along the lines of Yelp meets Pinterest. Need can be an extremely useful tool to help users get genuine answers to their needs, while helping to support local businesses brands. Further,
Need is helping to build new, and strengthen existing communities. The company recently received a glowing review in the New York Times. Read more here. Need is a FREE app available for download on the App Store at www.appstore.com/need. At the present time Need is only available for the iPhone, but there are plans to release an Android version later this year.
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Laura Dempsey Hensela '98
Laura married MSgt Michael Hensala, a flight medic in the Wyoming Air National Guard, on March 28, 2009. She gave birth to daughter, Sadie Beller Hensala on Sept. 2, 2009 and most recently Kennedy Hope Hensala on Nov. 14, 2013. Laura is currently employed with the State of Wyoming as a Marketing Specialist. After graduating from CSULB she went on to earn her MBA. She recently completed the national Certified Public Manager's program (CPM). She misses California very much and tries to visit as much as possible! She loves to keep up with her fellow Eagles on Facebook.
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Kelley Rozo Cahill '99
Kelley Rozo '99 married Jeremy Cahill at the Seattle Aquarium on Sept. 8, 2013. The wedding party was comprised of their siblings which included Terinn Rozo '03. Cahill has been living in Seattle since graduating from Pitzer College in 2003. The couple met through the roller derby community in which Kelley is a veteran skater for the Pacific Northwest's only banked track league, Tilted Thunder, while Jeremy is a referee for Rat City, Seattle's premiere all-female, flat-track roller derby league.
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Brandon Smith '00
Brandon has been living in Seattle for the past 8 years launching and enhancing the Amazon Kindle. Recently, he and his wife Amanda and daughter Eleanor moved to The Netherlands for a new job opportunity. They will be living in The Hauge for the next 2 years while Brandon works on another Amazon Web Services project. They are looking forward to exploring Europe and many visits from family and friends.
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Stacey Kaszton '01
Stacey Kaszton '01 was named to the OC Metros 40 Under 40 list which honors 40 under 40's who are interesting and high achieving in Orange County. Kaszton is the President and Founder of La Voz Marketing. Congratulations Stacey! Read more on Kaszton and her marketing company in the current issue of OC Metro here.
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Jonsson Media Group, or JMG, led by Cameron Jonsson '03 was recently recognized in the February 2014 issue of OC Metro as one the emerging companies in Orange County. He launched his company in 2011 as a boutique digital marketing company and advertising agency and has seen great success with partnering with clients. Read more on Jonsson here. |
Michelle Hull '04
Michelle Hull '04, Harvard '08 (magna cum laude), Columbia Law '11 (James Kent Scholar), is a member of the State Bar of California, where she previously practiced law at Paul Hastings, and the New York State Bar Association, where she is currently practicing law at Wilmer Hale.
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Lindsay Smith '04
 Lindsay has worked for Brandman University, a Chapman University affiliate, for four years. Currently she manages the brand messaging for the university across digital and traditional media channels. You may also see her photo in various publicity publications for the university. While working there full time, Lindsay enrolled in Brandman's MBA program and achieved her MBA with an additional certificate in Organizational Leadership in August 2013. Lindsay loves to travel. This past November, she visited Bali and Hong Kong. Lindsay's other passions include blogging about music concerts, watching her favorite sports teams, the Steelers and SDSU Aztecs, and scrapbooking her travels.
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Jessica Jones Torrico '05
Jessica Jones '05 was recently married on February 9, 2014 to Rene Torrico at the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda. The couple met while working together at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim in 2011 during a media event. The couple has been best friends ever since their first meeting.
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Thomas Hull '06
Thomas Hull '06 graduated from Harvard in 2010 where he was a varsity football starter on repeat Ivy League Championship teams. Thomas is currently a medical student at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine where he received his white coat in August 2013.
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Klay Thompson '08
Congratulations to Klay Thompson who is the first player in NBA history to hit 500 three pointers through his first three seasons. Your Eagle family is proud of you on this amazing accomplishment!
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AJ Cruz '09, defensive back for the L.A. Kiss Arena Football team shows his tricks here on a missed field goal attempt with a return all the way for a touchdown. Cruz is in his rookie season.
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Anne Anderson '11
 Anne Anderson spent last summer in East Africa working at a rehabilitation center for kids with special needs. The kids had such an impact on her that she is dying to get back to them this summer. Last summer, she was able to help to implement some structure at the school and made some strong bonds with both the students and teachers. Her passion for these special and wonderful students is taking her back to Africa to see how things have continued to run. Anderson is anxious to see the center and the growth that has happened this past year and most anxious to see the boy she has sponsored that is affected by polio and cerebral malaria. Read more on Anne's adventures and dreams for these students here.
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Beau Hossler '13
 It's not a surprise that Beau Hossler '13 is in the news once again. University of Texas freshman Hossler '13, who was a regular news maker while attending Santa Margarita Catholic High School continues to make headlines.
In early May, the Big 12 Men Golf honors were announced and Hossler earned a spot on the All-Big 12 Team and was named the Newcomer of the Year. Hossler will be the eighth overall and fifth-straight Longhorn to claim the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. Hossler tied for third at his first Big 12 Championship after shooting a 288 at the 72-hole event. These honors are given when you are the highest ranked individual from the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings following the championship match.
Hossler had an excellent golfing history during his time at Santa Margarita playing in the US Open in 2012 and the AT&T National. He led his team to victory in 2012 Junior Ryder Cup, earned a Junior World Golf title in 2011 and helped his Eagles to CIF-SS Division 1 Championship, just to name a few highlights.
Congratulations Beau and we wish you continued success.
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