Welcome to the twelfth edition of
Memorial Connections,
a monthly electronic newsletter sent to alumni and friends of
San Joaquin Memorial High School.
|
|
From FBI agents to firefighters, our alumni have gone on to serve their communities in many ways. This issue of Memorial Connections highlights some of our alumni and their fruitful careers. With a San Joaquin Memorial education, our alumni are giving back to their communities and making us proud.
|
|
Alumni Gives Back and Puts SJM Student on Career Path
When FBI Special Agent Katey Olsen '08 attended SJM's February 2020 Career Day, she had one goal in mind: give back to the school that motivated her and prepared her to pursue her dream career.
"It's a huge honor for a place like Memorial to want me back to speak." Olsen said. "This was my 2nd or 3rd Career Day since starting with the FBI. My love for Memorial has never swayed after all these years."
SJM Senior Bailey Feeney '21, then a junior, heard Olsen speak at the 2020 Career Day and it sparked something inside of her.
"Nick Kauls, who was a student at Memorial, was one of my brother's really good friends. He spent a lot of time at our house, so I knew him well. In June of 2018, he was shot and killed in an attempted robbery. His death affected our entire community. It has stuck with me ever since, and has definitely helped shape me into the person I am today. His death really pushed me to want to learn more about criminology. I was never really sure what area of criminology I wanted to pursue. That was until Special Agent Katey Olsen came to our school on Career Day. Hearing her talk about her job was extremely interesting and eye opening."
Part of Olsen's presentation was on a special program held at the Sacramento FBI Field Office called the FBI Teen Academy. Feeney was so enthralled, she applied the following week. She was accepted and went through the program this fall. She attended three classes virtually as well as an in person class at Sacramento FBI headquarters featuring different stations covering different topics: an introduction to SWAT, Tactical Operations, a CSI station and a station on explosive devices. Over the course of the program, they learned about what it takes to work in the FBI, Diversity in the FBI, SWAT, Cyber Crimes, Deadly Force, Internet Crimes Against Children, Opioid crime, Mexican Cartels, Tactical Operations, Bomb Tech /Robots and the Evidence Response Team.
Feeney credits Agent Olsen with leading her down the path to a new potential career.
"The whole reason I ended up applying to the FBI Teen Academy was because of Career Day at SJM," said Feeney. "Sitting through Katey Olsen’s powerpoint made me extremely interested in the FBI. She told us all about the application process of actually becoming a Special Agent, which is extremely rigorous. I am extremely thankful for Agent Olsen for taking time out of her day to come to Career Day at SJM."
|
|
As Fires Rage, San Joaquin Memorial High School Alums are on the Front Lines
Zach Irion '06 (above, middle photo) became a volunteer on call firefighter when he turned 18. As he tells it, he showed up at Station 89 in Easton and asked the fire captain there how to get into the fire service. Now, he is a Fire Apparatus Engineer for Cal Fire. He's been helping to fight the spreading blazes of the Creek Fire and the other fires currently raging across California. Irion is originally from Easton and says it's important to him to get to serve his community. "It's been cool to come back to where it all started," he said.
Donavan West '14 (above, top left) is another alumni helping to fight these devastating fires. As a Wildland Firefighter, he has been working hard to battle the fires.
Our prayers go out to all who have been affected by these devastating fires.
|
|
Be Sure to Join Us for our 43rd Annual Auction
Our 43rd Annual Auction is rapidly approaching. We are still soliciting donations and sponsorships and you can still purchase a ticket to enter our drawing online at http://sjmhs.maestroweb.com/ Our event is set for November 7 at 6:30 p.m. Join us and MC's Lisa Sondergaard Smittcamp '87 and David Moeck '88 for a night of fun, completely online. Bid on fantastic items in our live and silent auctions and learn more about what SJM does for our students. Bidding for our silent auction will begin on October 26 at sjmhs.maestroweb.com and continue up to the night of the auction. Bidding for the live auction will happen the night of the event. We will be using text to bid so you will be able to conveniently bid on items from your phone.
For more information or to get involved with the auction contact:
Shirley Boujikian at:
(559) 475-5831
sboujikian@sjmhs.org
|
|
SJM Grad One of Many Frontline Workers Fighting Pandemic
Ally Bourdet '07 is one of many SJM alumni working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bourdet works in the trauma ICU in downtown Fresno at Community Regional Medical Center as a nurse.
"I started back from maternity leave in March, which was when COVID really hit," she said. "We were still really unsure of it but we were preparing in every way possible. We were disaster planning, which included getting refitted for our n95 masks, stocking up on PPE, opening potential surge units and having weekly meetings regarding our plan and where we were going to house these patients. We still have weekly meetings and are still adapting to all the changes we need to. Our numbers have been slowly decreasing but we are still taking every precaution and implementing changes as we learn."
Bourdet said that her Memorial education meant she was prepared for a tough career.
"Memorial has prepped me with the proper knowledge, as well as the drive, to continue to further my education and become a nurse," she said. "I never really saw college as an option and I am thankful that I was given the opportunity to attend!"
|
|
Future Panthers
Donavan West '14
Donavan West '14 and his partner Alicia welcomed their son Dakota Justin. Congratulations!
|
|
May They Rest in Peace... with God Forever
Hector Velazquez passed away October 1, 2020. Hector and his family have long ties to San Joaquin Memorial. He coached boys and girls soccer teams at Memorial for many years. He is the husband of Bernice Arriet Velazquez '58, father of Hector Velazquez, Jr. '87, B. Franchesca Velazquez Amezola '90 and Bruno Velazquez '93. He is the brother-in-law of Eugene Arriett '60, Robert Arriet '63, William Arriet '63 and Thomas Arriet who transferred to the Seminary in 1960. Frances Arriet, Hector's mother-in-law, worked in the cafeteria from 1968 to 1988.
Rose Lucille Caglia passed away September 26, 2020. She is the mother of Joyce Caglia Smith '60 and Andrew Caglia '61; the grandmother of Scott Smith '90, Misty Mastro '97 and Kristy Mastro '99; the sister-in-law of Michael Caglia '48, Virginia Caglia '50 and Rosemarie Caglia Bushman '52; and the aunt of Tony Caglia '79.
Terry Ashjian passed away October 4, 2020. He is the grandparent of Enslee Ashjian '21.
|
|
Call for Class Notes
Have you recently gotten married, had a baby or experienced a big life moment that you want to share with your fellow Memorial alumni? Have updates about your reunion? Share them with us! Submit announcements to advancement@sjmhs.org.
|
|
Alumni Contact Update
Panther Alums, even though your time here at Memorial has passed, this is still your home! Please stay connected with us so that you can be part of our exciting engagement opportunities such as our sporting event pre-game dinners, alumni mixers and so much more! To stay connected, please fill out this form.
|
|
Call for SJM Memorabilia
Do you have SJM memorabilia from the past 75 years? If you have items you would like to share with us for our 75th anniversary, please contact Shirley Boujikian at sboujikian@sjmhs.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
