Dear Alumnae, Many Blessings, Cam Werley-Gonzales Asst. Head of School

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1 Alverno March 2016

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3 Dear Alumnae, I am always in awe when I meet alumnae, and I continue to be in awe of all the women who enter through the Michillinda gates each year. This year at Alverno, we are sharing stories and I would like to share how Alverno has impacted my story. My story began in South Lake Tahoe, where I was born and raised, continued in the San Francisco Bay Area when I became a Bronco at Santa Clara University and (after a brief break from teaching to welcome my three amazing kids into the world) landed in Southern California where I worked with students from schools all over the San Gabriel Valley. When I decided to leave parish work and return to the classroom, it was only Alverno that tugged on my heart. I started teaching Theology at Alverno in the fall of 2004, having applied because of an Alverno alumna whom I had met previously. In fact, I sent my resume in without even having inquired if there was a job opening in Theology. All I knew at that moment was that God was calling me in a new direction, and that my heart was drawn toward Alverno. The Alverno women always stood out to me; they had a character and quality about them that set them apart. They were funny, kind, compassionate, bold, unashamed, passionate and intelligent women. Little did I know at that time that Alverno would become -- like to so many of YOU -- my home away from home. Alverno is my second home because of the girls who have graced its classrooms, both then and now. I look forward to coming to campus every day and here are some of the reasons why: "Alverno has given me the opportunity to surround myself with girls from all backgrounds and walks of life. I've already formed such strong bonds with the girls in my class and these bonds have shown me an amazing sense of sisterhood. Abby Aguirre '19 "Alverno will always hold a special place in my heart. It s where I learned to love to learn. Alverno helped shape my future by leading me in the direction of my calling, which is to teach. Attending an all-girl school developed me into the outspoken, confident woman I am today. Waleuska Perez '08 "My years at Alverno encouraged me to be a confident individual, helping me step out of my comfort zone to try new things such as sports, skits, pep rallies, and improv. Alverno has taught me kindness even if it s a simple smile down the hall, humor is a gift itself and should be shared with others, and lastly never forget to be your true self." Taylor Valenzuela '14 "Before I attended Alverno I was afraid of speaking my mind. Alverno has taught me not only to say and stand up for what I believe in, but how to do that while respecting the opinions of others. This skill has allowed me to become more confident and see things from different points of view." Amanda Hill '19 There is currently an Instagram series called "Humans of Alverno" where current students and alumnae share how Alverno has impacted their story. The series, created by Asia Leong '17 and Kimberly Ganivet '16, was created this with the hope that we could all gain more of an understanding of one another and it could serve as a tool to help more girls share their stories." Alverno women, YOU are amazing. Much love to you and thank you for making Alverno the incredible institution that it is today. YOU inspire me and I am absolutely honored to serve at your Alma Mater. Many Blessings, Cam Werley-Gonzales Asst. Head of School

4 Summer Conservatory for Middle School Girls The Summer Academic Conservatory for Middle School Girls at Alverno High School provides girls with the opportunity to build healthy friendships with other girls and academically prepare for high school! Open to 6th-8th grade girls, the Conservatory follows Alverno s mission of empowering each young woman to be exactly the person she wants to be. June 14, 2016-July 14, 2016 Full-Day Program: $1,500 $1,250 for Alumnae Half-Day Program: $1,000 $850 for Alumnae 200 NORTH MICHILLINDA AVENUE SIERRA MADRE (626)

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6 Great news! We are excited to offer you a spot in the Costa Rica Research & Education Fellowship from April 16 th -23 rd, This 8-day intensive course will engage teachers in EPI s inquiry-based instructional methods through hands-on learning initiatives and field research. This was the heading of the I received late last year, notifying me that I had been one of fifteen teachers across the United States who was offered a fellowship to one of my favorite countries in the world, Costa Rica. Since 2009 I have been offering all Alverno students and their parents an opportunity to travel with the science department to Costa Rica to study the natural wonders that this country offers. The science department has offered this educational trip to Costa Rica three times so far, with each trip highly attended by current Alverno students and parents. Another trip is planned for the summer of Traveling the world (or even in your own backyard) to explore scientific processes, as they occur naturally outside of the classroom, is a very important part of any long term educational process. This particular fellowship program that I have been chosen to participate in is based primarily on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. For 8 days, along with 14 other teachers and researchers, I will be housed on a Caribbean beach in a bungalow. From 1 am-5 am every morning I will monitor a protected tropical beach; searching for nesting Leatherback sea turtles. While walking on foot for about 5 miles and taking a nightly census of their current location, specific to the stretch of beach. You can imagine my excitement, as I am sure there will be nothing quite like seeing a gigantic leatherback sea turtle crawl out of a dark ocean to lay its eggs. Moreover, while on this trip I will be exploring various biological rainforest reserves to learn about tropical forest ecology. This fantastic field experience also incorporates cultural exchange, service learning, and urban sustainability which will inspire my own classroom instruction while deepening my students understanding of the complexities of global environmental issues. While I am very excited to have been chosen for this fellowship, I also fully appreciate all of the abundance of support the Alverno science department continues to receive from Ms. Julia Fanara our Head of School, Ms. Cam Gonzales the Assistant Head of School, and all faculty and staff who continue to work tirelessly to contribute to Alverno s phenomenal academic journey for all of its students. - Suzy Ares 93, Alverno High School Science Department Chair/Teacher Page 6

7 Is Machu Picchu on Your Bucket List? Alverno High School has put together our first ever trip abroad for alumnae and past parents! This will be an amazing opportunity to embark on a fun, cultural adventure and we are excited at the thought of sharing it with you. The best part? You are free to take whomever you d like as your travel partner! Tour Fee: $3, Sign up by 3/28/2016 and use voucher code Alverno2017 at enrollment to receive this discounted price! This will be an opportunity of a lifetime to travel and see all that Peru has to offer. Don t miss it! Join us on Wednesday, March 16 th at 5:30 for an informational meeting in Alverno High School s Cafeteria. Interested? For more information and to sign up go to- or call the Customer Care Team at 1 (888) Click here for more information! FAQ Link Page 7

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9 Alverno Founders Circle Page 9

10 Class of your duties have arrived! Mary s Day Mary s Day Page 10 mcampos@alverno-hs.org to RSVP for Senior Farewell and/or sign up to be a Mary s Day Judge.

11 Marissa Seanez 13, Vanessa Seranno 13, Mimi Capra 11, Jasmine Ross 11, Lily Koch 09, Melissa Campos 08, Danielle Tan 07, Sunny Lui 19, Chandnee Raina 17, Rain Villanueva 17, Abby Aguirre 19, Vale Siess 17, Allison Joseph 17, Allison Johnson 17, Danielle Ramirez 16, Rita Kearns 19, Amanda Hill 19, Clara Avila 16, Lilly Pentecost 19, Precious Perlas 19, and Natalie Valencia 16 Julia Fanara-Head of School P 01, 03, 05, Kiki Delgadillo 16, Jessica Capra 10, Susana Capra 04, Maha Abdallah 11, Fairuz Abdallah 05, Amy Delgado 04, Nikki Oberhammer 18, Dina Der Vartanian 16, Larissa Hernandez 17, Coach Ken Berry, Brianna Gomez 16, Briana Del Real 08, Natasha Brown 06, Mackenzie Winslow 12, Christina Diaz 14, Nicolette Tuscany 14, and Isabel Diaz 16 Page 11

12 Next up Alumnae Show your spirit! Page 12

13 Sara McCarthy 05, Alex Fanara 03, Valeria Zanelli 02, Melissa Campos 08, Madeleine Aguilar 08, Stephanie Pickford 07, Caroline McLoughlin 09, Erika Mota-Capra 07, Rachel Lauerman 09, Jessie Mota 10, Samantha Cabrera 06, Connie Chhay 08, Ashni De Alwis 08, and Elizabeth Neumeyer 13 Page 13

14 Let s put our hands together for our Alumnae Association Representatives Monica Taft 88 Board President Bridget Marshall 64 Diana Durr Phillippi 78 Raina Martinez 88 Andrea Bertollini 91 Patty Park 05 Sara McCarthy 05 Caroline McLoughlin 09 Stephanie Pickford 07 Madeline Aguilar 08 Maryanne Householder 11 Victoria Pintado 14 Waleuska Perez 08 Page 14

15 A brave women acknowledges the strength of others. Page 15

16 Past Alumna of the Year My children were 12, 6, and 4 when I was honored with the Alumna of the Year in So many things have happened since then. My husband, John, and I celebrated our 25 th wedding anniversary this past December. Our son, Brendan, is now 23 years old and in an adult day program. He is a happy autistic man who brings joy to those around him. My daughter Ciara is now 17 years old and will be graduating from Alverno this June. She has flourished during her time at my alma mater. She is headed to Whittier College in the Fall. My youngest child, Áine Clare, died this past November at the age of 14 after living with intractable epilepsy her entire life. And live she did. The Alverno community has been a solid source of strength and love and commitment during my time as an alumna, as a parent, and for Ciara as a student these past four years. They rallied around us during my youngest daughter s time in the hospital, then at home on hospice, and through the earning of her angel wings and beyond. I am so proud to be a part of the community. As I take this year to reconstruct myself, I look forward to seeing how I can continue to incorporate Alverno in my life s journey. I keep up with fellow alums on Facebook and look forward to the 30 th reunion this summer for the class of 1986! - Alexia Prokop Madigan 86 I received the Alumna of the Year award in 2000, it was really quite an honor. My dad had passed away the year before, I had sold my condo in Laguna Niguel and moved back home with my mom. I had a new job at JPL as the Employee Recreation Center Manager and Buyer. Just a couple of years later, though, I left JPL and went from Space to Health! I started working at City of Hope in Duarte, CA. in 2002 and have been here ever since. I have been on the medical side, the research side, and for the last 10 plus years in communications. I do tours and events. I love taking people out and telling them about City of Hope. I love learning from our researchers and our doctors about the research and clinical trials we are doing here at City of Hope. And I love the education factor! City of Hope has its own university - you can get a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences here! We also have a high school and college summer school program for promising young scientists. Aside from that, I love to travel and take a cruise at least once a year - it's Hawaii and Vancouver, Canada this year. I also sit on the Board of Trustees at Alverno and am learning a lot with this new experience. I am not yet ready to retire but when I am I will find something else that I can be passionate about. - Bridget Marshall 64 Page 16

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18 and Among the many changes Alverno has seen this year is the creation of a brand new Speech & Debate Team. This activity, which puts students in intellectual battles over high moral, philosophical, social, and political concepts, has been a welcome addition to the campus. So far, most of the tournaments the team has prepared for have been small competitions where they have faced students in their local league from schools like Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, San Marino High School, and La Cañada High School. However, over Presidents Day Weekend, three members of the team were selected to travel to UC Berkeley to compete in the nation s largest Speech & Debate tournament. Berkeley was an eye-opening experience that illuminated what the competition was like on the national level. Speech & Debate was, by far, the most valuable part of my educational experience growing up, and I am excited to see the team grow here at Alverno, said new head coach Tim McHugh. Class of 2016! More than three quarters of the senior class participated in the Jaguars for Life Program, giving their class the highest participation yet! Great job, ladies! Our Alverno Alumnae thank you for kick-starting your PHILANTHROPIC LIFESTYLE early! Page 18

19 Alverno Alumnae Upcoming Events

20 Credit Card: Expiration: CVC: Check #: Cash: Page 20 **If name on credit card is different than that of the name desired to appear on brick, please note here:

21 Alverno. Alverno