In This Edition



• A Note from Advancement
• Reunion Updates
• News
• Roll Call
• Knights Remembered
• SG Knights Today
• Stay Connected with St. Gabriel

Dear Alumni and Friends of St. Gabriel,

The e-Trumpet is taking a short hiatus, as I will be on maternity leave through December. The many duties of my office will be covered by our terrific principal and staff so don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, or just to say hello! Also, please keep an eye out for the paper Trumpet publication later this summer.

On June 6th, we completed our 76th school year on Forty-First Avenue. In the days leading up to our last day of school, we celebrated the graduations of: 14 Tiny Knight preschoolers, 47 Kindergarteners, and the 64 students from the 8th grade Class of 2025. We could not be more proud of all our students, but especially our graduates, who worked so hard all year to be ready for the exciting challenges that lie ahead.

As we look back on the 2024-25 school year, we have much to be proud of:

• WCEA-WASC Accreditation  Based on our incredible self study and visit this past February, St. Gabriel School has been granted another full 6 years of accreditation!

• Campus Upgrades  We are honored to have been awarded a grant from the Irwin Foundation to complete campus improvements such as classroom blind replacement; new flooring in preschool, TK and Kindergarten; and a new slurry coat for the schoolyards.

• Bedford Hall Boost  Bedford Hall received another boost this year with new curtains for our stage. Timing was perfect as they made their debut right before our spring musical, Beauty and the Beast, which drew record numbers for each performance!

• Enrollment Growth  Our legacy of excellent Catholic education continues to grow as we saw yet another enrollment increase to 518 students this year!

We are deeply grateful for the unwavering support of our community, which gives our students the gift of a meaningful and formative Catholic elementary education.

An incredible 83% of our Class of 2025 will continue their journey at Catholic high schools next year—a powerful testament to the strong foundation your generosity has helped build.

If you have already made a gift to the Excellence Fund, we thank you. If you have not yet given, there is still time to make a tax-deductible donation.

All gifts made by June 30 will be listed in our 2026 annual giving report.

Thank you for your support and enjoy a wonderful summer!

Sincerely,

Georgia Wasley Haris '05

Director of Advancement

Memories were shared by all and everyone is definitely looking forward to the next reunion!

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• Class of 1955 - 70 years
• Class of 1960 - 65 years
• Class of 1965 - 60 years
• Class of 1970 - 55 years
• Class of 1975 - 50 years
• Class of 1980 - 45 years
• Class of 1985 - 40 year

• Class of 1990 - 35 years
• Class of 1995 - 30 years
• Class of 2000 - 25 years
• Class of 2005 - 20 years
• Class of 2010 - 15 years
• Class of 2015 - 10 years
• Class of 2020 - 5 years
• Class of 2021 - 4 years

Photo credit: Knights-Hennessy

Congratulations to St. Gabriel alumnus Christopher Ying ’15 on being named the 2024 recipient of the University Medal, UC Berkeley’s highest honor for graduating seniors. In recognition of this extraordinary achievement, Chris had the privilege of addressing thousands of fellow graduates at the university-wide commencement ceremony on May 11, 2024.

Chris’s journey from the classrooms of St. Gabriel to the stage at Berkeley is a testament to his academic brilliance, deep compassion, and steadfast commitment to justice. After graduating from SG, he attended Lowell High School and then UC Berkeley, where he double majored in History and Mathematics—an unconventional pairing that helped him stand out in his pursuit of a legal career.

While at Berkeley, Chris tutored incarcerated students at the former San Quentin State Prison, an experience that profoundly shaped his desire to advocate for society’s most vulnerable. This passion for equity and reform became a central theme in his path forward.

When we caught up with Chris earlier this year, he had recently received the prestigious Knight-Hennessy Scholars award—a full-ride scholarship with a stipend to any one of Stanford’s seven graduate schools. He was one of just 16 law recipients worldwide. On top of that, he was also admitted to Yale Law School, one of only seven Knight-Hennessy Scholars to be offered that distinction.

In addition, Chris was named a 2025 Rhodes Scholarship Finalist, one of just roughly 250 finalists nationwide and 16 from the Northern California region—an honor that placed him among the most promising young minds in the world. He was also selected as a University of Chicago Law School Rubenstein Scholar, a competitive full-ride scholarship awarded to just a few UChicago students.

Ultimately, Chris chose to attend Yale Law School this fall. “It was a supremely difficult decision to turn down Knight-Hennessy and the Rubenstein,” he shared. “But I think Yale will be the better fit for me.”

Despite his many accolades, Chris remains grounded and grateful. When reflecting on his time at St. Gabriel, he spoke with warmth and sincerity:

“I want to thank Ms. Hill and Mr. Fair for their guidance in math. Studying math in undergrad—an unusual major for law school—definitely helped my applications stand out. Both teachers were incredibly influential. I also want to thank Mrs. Courtright—she was one of those early teachers who helped shape the way I think and care about others. And I am deeply grateful to my 8th grade teachers Mrs. Kensic and Ms. Grier. Ms. Grier helped me through a dark time in my life. What she taught me became the foundation for my personal statement to law schools.”

Chris Ying’s story is one of humility, perseverance, and purpose. His accomplishments speak volumes, but it is his character and heart that make our St. Gabriel community most proud. We are honored to count him among our alumni and can’t wait to see the impact he will make in the world.

Check in with St. Gabriel and submit news and photos to be featured here in our Trumpet publication!

Amaia Tapia '19

Novato, CA

Exciting News: Amaia ran the Bay to Breakers race for the first time and landed in 1st place for her age group for the 12K! Incredible!

Check in With St. Gabriel

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Congratulations to the St. Gabriel School Class of 2025!

We celebrate all of our graduates—from Preschool, Kindergarten, and 8th Grade—on reaching these important milestones. Your hard work, growth, and spirit have made us proud. May you carry the values of faith, kindness, and perseverance

with you as you take your next steps.

Well done, graduates!

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Congratulations to all the students who received their First Holy Communion on Saturday, May 10th, marking a joyful and sacred moment in their faith journey. Thank you to all who taught, supported, and helped make the day so special for each of them. May God bless these children with a lifelong love for the Eucharist and a deepening faith each day.

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The Celebrate America Creative Writing Contest challenges fifth graders across the country to reflect on and write about one of two themes: “Why I Am Glad America Is a Nation of Immigrants” or "What Does It Mean to be A Welcoming Nation?" 

Two of our students placed in Northern California.

Piper L.: 9th place

Zoe C.: 10th place

Congratulations to both of them!