OCTOBER 2024

Join SJND at the Ray Ratto Sr. Pasta Dinner on Saturday, October 12 at 6:00p.m.in the Kelly Gym. This event is hosted by the SJND Athletics Booster Club! Support our student-athletes while enjoying a night of great food and community. Ticket sales close October 6.

At Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School, we are committed to ensuring that every child has the chance to achieve their dreams through education. Prepare to embark on an inspiring journey of generosity and dreams at our upcoming Dream Flight Gala on Saturday, November 9, hosted at the prestigious Claremont Country Club! 

The Dream Flight Gala is not just an event—it's a powerful initiative to raise essential funds for tuition assistance. Together, we can make a profound impact, providing deserving students with the opportunity to receive an SJND education and pursue their passions.

Join us for an unforgettable evening filled with special moments! During the cocktail hour, enjoy live music performed by our talented students. Mike Pola ’82 and Harrison Wilkes ’03 will guide the night as our charismatic masters of ceremonies. We are honored to welcome standout basketball player and SJND alumnus Al Harris ’04, who went on to play at UC Santa Barbara and internationally, as this year’s alumni speaker. Additionally, we’ll proudly present the prestigious Christi Matri Award to the Kelly Family in recognition of their ongoing generosity.

With a few surprises in store, this is an event you won’t want to miss!

We are excited to kick off the new school year with a range of enriching opportunities for our students. This year, we are proud to introduce the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Pathway Program. Open to all students in grades 9 through 12, this comprehensive four-year program is designed to nurture artistic talent and deepen students' appreciation for the arts.



The VAPA Pathway Program is tailored for students committed to pursuing the arts throughout their high school journey. Participants will meet rigorous requirements and demonstrate exceptional dedication, engagement, and collaboration in their pursuit of creative excellence at SJND. Students can specialize in one of four unique concentrations: Visual/Digital Arts, Band, Choir, or Musical Theater.

In addition, we are excited to offer the Dual Enrollment Program in partnership with the College of Alameda. This program allows SJND students to enroll in college-level courses that fit within their high school schedule while earning UC/CSU-accredited college credits. All classes are taught by COA professors and take place on the SJND campus, giving our students the convenience and advantage of an elevated academic experience. Though open to non-SJND students, priority registration is given to SJND students, with non-SJND students attending virtually.

For the upcoming school year, three dual enrollment courses will be offered: Introduction to Speech, Ethnic Studies, and Catholic Entrepreneurship and Design. These courses rotate each semester, providing a variety of academic interests the opportunity to be explored.

Our annual Career Day is a fantastic opportunity for alumni to share insights with current Pilots about career paths and educational opportunities. This year, we're thrilled to host Career Day in person on Friday, February 21, 2024.

We are seeking alumni to speak on a variety of fields that interest our students, including business, finance, marketing, sales, technology, engineering, health and medical sciences, arts, design, and entertainment. Students are eager to explore potential career paths and understand the real-world possibilities tied to different degrees—like what doors a business degree can open. If you're interested in speaking at Career Day on February 21, 2024, please fill out this form by January 24, 2024.

In addition to Career Day, we’re excited to announce the launch of our Mentorship and Internship Program. This initiative connects students with inspiring alumni and professionals who can provide guidance and hands-on experience. If you're passionate about shaping the next generation, we encourage you to get involved.

To make a lasting impact, please sign up by filling out the Mentorship Form or Internship Form. Your guidance could be the key to unlocking a student's future success.

Prospective families are in for a special treat this year, as two of our own alumni have returned to lead the Admissions Department. Joe DiGiulio '16, Director of Admissions, and Haley Graybeal '19, Assistant Director of Admissions, bring their firsthand experience of what it means to be an SJND Pilot to their new roles.

They recently hosted their first "Meet the Crew" information night, where prospective students got an exciting sneak peek into the vibrant activities that await them. Families also had the opportunity to connect with our admissions team, teachers, and administrators during an open panel discussion. It was a joy to welcome everyone to campus and showcase the strength of our school community.

Applications for the 2025-2026 school year are now open!

For more information, visit www.sjnd.org/admissions.

Were you a former SJND student-athlete? We are excited to invite alumni to be interviewed on our student-led sports podcast titled SJND Sports Talk Podcast! If you're interested in talking about sports, sharing your journey after SJND, or offering wisdom to our current students, we’d love to hear from you.

Please reach out to Vicki Bargagliotti, vbargagliotti@sjnd.org to get involved!

We're excited to build connections between former SJND basketball players and our current teams. We would love for you to share your experiences and wisdom with the next generation of players. Would you be interested in being a guest speaker before a practice or game? Whether it's offering advice, sharing stories, or simply inspiring our athletes, your presence would mean a lot.

If you're willing to participate or have other ideas on how to get involved, please fill out the form below.



The Office of Alumni Relations would love to work with Class Agents to help plan and promote your class reunion. 

 Together, we can create a memorable and well-organized event that brings your class back together to celebrate and reconnect.

We are still seeking reunion organizers

for the following classes:

1949, 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1984, 1994, 1999, 2004, and 2009.

To get your kit, please contact Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving Vicki Bargagliotti, vbargagliotti@sjnd.org

If you are interested in helping to plan your reunion, the Alumni Office

is here and can provide you with a Reunion Planning Kit.



In addition to celebrating, we also encourage alumni to consider giving back to SJND.

Contributions from reunion classes make a lasting impact on future generations and

help continue the legacy of our school.

To get your kit, please contact Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving

Vicki Bargagliotti, vbargagliotti@sjnd.org.

Plans are underway for your 45th Reunion. Date and time will be in January 2025. 

The Reunion Committee consists of Ken Barrow, Sybil Carter Love, Kevin Kelly, Rochelle Kealohi

and Ana Ruiz Lail, Cheryl McGreehan Hungerford and Tracy Trujillo.

Be on the lookout for invitations and emails.

Let’s gather together to catch up and share a bite and a beverage. Appetizers provided, no host bar. Feel free to bring your partner, siblings, adult children, friends of the class, bring memorabilia, etc.

$25 due Oct. 10, 2024 - Check payable to Susan Timney,

mail to High St. Station - Attn: Cindy-Reunion, address above, or Venmo: @Cindy-Oilar

Celebrate your 40th high school reunion with a cocktail party in the garden on Saturday, October 19, 2024 in Alamo. $50 per person.

For more information, please contact Bridget Holgerson Rae

at Off2diz@comcast.net or call (510) 326-8860.

Mark your calendars for December 28th for your 10th reunion!

Details on the location are to be determined.

For more information or if you would like to help, please reach out to

Chloe Cunningham at chloelyncunningham@gmail.com.

Hadiya Cain, Adam Campos, Cassandra Hewett, and Mia Leon are busy planning your 5th Reunion for December 27th at 5:00 p.m. at Almanac Beer, 651 W Tower Ave, Alameda, CA.

Whether you're near or far, we'd love to see you there. This will be a great chance to reconnect, share some laughs, and raise a glass to the next chapter of our lives! 

Looking forward to seeing everyone and hearing what you've been up to. Feel free to spread the word and pass this invite along to anyone from our class that we may have missed!

From,

The Reunion Planning Team

Mia, Cassie, Adam & Hadiya 

Have a new job? Just married or engaged?

Welcomed a baby? Moving?

We are always looking for ways to keep in touch with our beloved alumni family. 

Please fill out our simple online form using the button below so we can share your news!

Blake Yu '06 and Abry Gomez '07 tied the knot in August 2024. More than 15 years after graduating SJND,  Blake and Abry reconnected and built a relationship. They’re now settled in Santa Clara where Blake is a professional poker player and Abry is a global program manager in tech.

Maya Rowell '15 was awarded an ASPIRE fellowship from the Susan G. Komen Foundation. This grant supports research trainees from historically marginalized communities in research to help build a breast cancer research workforce that reflects the diverse communities Komen serves. 

Victoria Robles '11 was chosen to participate in the commercial for the Disney Aspire program. Disney Aspire covers all tuition, books and other fees for Cast Members pursuing higher education. Victoria graduated from the University of Denver with an MA in Arts and Cultural Management

with an emphasis on Outreach & Advocacy in 2021. 

Brooke Tyler '17 started a new position as Assistant District Attorney in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. Brooke graduated from The George Washington University

with a BA in criminal justice and a minor in psychology, and attended law school

at Villanova Law School.  

Christopher Livingston '11 has been appointed to the United Nations Committee of the

New York City Bar Association! This committee tackles a wide range of critical issues such as

peace and security, climate change, human rights, gender equality, and more,

mirroring the concerns of UN Member States and agencies.

Tiona Truong '25 worked as a pediatric hematology research intern for the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Summer Student Research Program. It was a nine-week-long internship program that placed undergraduate and high school students with a passion for science into clinics and laboratories. The selective program had over 500 applicants, with only 16 high school students chosen to participate.