Justin-Siena High School: Spring 2025 | | Celebrating the Class of 2025 | | |
As excerpted from Stephanie Magallanes Gonzalez's Welcome Address
"At Justin-Siena, we start each day with the phrase: “Let us remember… that we are in the Holy Presence of God.” It is a reminder that we are not just here to learn facts or pass tests. We are here to grow as people. To lead with love. To live with purpose and grow in faith. My friend Megan and I used to make little hearts out of gum wrappers and joke about being “ALLHEART,” but what we didn’t know was that what started off as a little inside joke between us, would be implemented into our everyday lives. Every person at Justin-Siena, whether it be a teacher or student, is filled with love and respect. Everyone here is valued and given equal opportunities to participate and thrive. Because of the inclusive community on this campus, I was never afraid to go up to someone I didn’t know. I challenged myself to get to know as many people as I could on a personal level, and as a result I found that each person’s individuality added a distinct voice, perspective, and energy that, together, brought out the true personality of our class. We’ve documented our good times together in the JSHS vlogs, and were brought even closer together this year through senior activities. One thing unique about our class is that we always found a way to laugh (sometimes when we probably shouldn’t have), and our ability to find joy in dull moments and in chaos has been one of our greatest strengths, especially as we reached the devastating end of the school year.
Justin-Siena is very competitive, but the competitiveness is a product of quality education; it is what drives people to do better, and it’s what has made us hard workers. We motivate each other to be the best we can be inside and outside of the classroom. Guided by the Lasallian Core Principles, we have been taught both to lead and to serve."
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Community Supporting Community!
Our annual Community-based College Scholarships awards night welcomed 54 generous sponsors to recognize members of the Class of 2025. In total, $45,000 was awarded, all made possible by the generous contributions of Napa, Solano and Sonoma businesses, organizations, and individuals invested in the future success of our promising seniors.
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A reflection from Venaver Chicago
The world would be a better place
if we all lived in community
Called to serve
Called to learn
Called to make a change
Small steps
But ones we will never forget
We will take with us and share —
each day as the sun rises and as the sun sets
Keith’s smile
A remedy to all bitterness
Vince’s realism
The courage we need to make a change
Frida’s resilience and kindness
Kathy’s wisdom and initiative
All steps we need to make a change
And if we each start with one
the world would be a better place
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Michelle Wassef’s '25 poem, “Just A Word," won First Place in Poetry in the 2025 Jessamyn West Creative Writing Contest at Napa Valley College!
Just a Word
Bye, a word
that stumbles through
—my throat, uneasy
to grant its blessing.
Arms entangle arms,
eyes meet, one last time
they try to burn warmth
into memory. Still,
your candle frays
to an afterwards.
Now my heart whispers
beneath a white cumulonimbus,
hands together, a little colder.
Perhaps you whisper
into the same empty page
or lie up there, waiting.
With multitudes (you),
I was broken and shared.
And as the waxing moon flows down again,
I know I have been cared for
and I cared.
Also earning recognition for poetry from the National Council of Teachers of English were sophomores Fiona Chafen and Ava Lauren Ilao.
| Love? Math? Sometimes that doesn't add up. Pre-Calculus students took time recently to "sum" up their (sometimes non-linear) relationship. | After successfully completing their AP Art Portfolios, AP students worked on their Artist Trading Cards to share with one another at the end of the year! Artist Trading Cards, or ATCs, are miniature pieces of original art that are traded, not sold, between artists and collectors. They are a standard size of 2.5" x 3.5", the same size as baseball cards or playing cards. | | The class of 2025 celebrated their achievements as a part of our annual "Decision Day!" In total, seniors sent out nearly 1,600 applications to over 280 colleges before finding their "best fit" for the next level! | We hope you enjoyed a little "Road Trip" with our dance class! All year long they have hit their marks at performances on and off campus. | During Advisory, the entire Class of 2028 obtained CPR certification! | Women Empowering Women celebrated Senior Executive Board member, Vannia Dagnino '25 this week with a WEW graduation cord and lots of gratitude for her years of service in the organization. | Honors Civil Engineering and Architecture students were paired with a partner, and asked to design a building of their choosing for the Justin-Siena campus. As a major focus of the project was to teach students to prioritize meeting the needs of a client, the student team worked with a faculty/staff member who would have knowledge of and investment in the specific facility being designed. This year's project involved 23 adults acting as clients, including classroom teachers, members of the admissions team, college counselors, coaches, and more. Buildings were required to comply with multiple sections of California Building Code as well as client requirements, and were designed by the students using Autodesk Revit, which is a professional grade architectural design software. | | |
Boys Golf - For the first time in history, your Boys Golf team is section champs! Carding a match best 307, the Braves beat out Cardinal Newman's 310. The win finishes off a banner season for the program under coach Ray Graziani, as they also took home the league title. Individually, Nathan Jewell '25, Jack Keller '26, Jack Sennott '27, and Cade Snoke '26 all earned on spots on the VVAL team.
Track and Field - Shining again as a team on the track and in the classroom, both our boys and girls teams earned the NCS Scholastic Championship within their respective divisions. In addition, our girls team took home their 4th VVAL team title! The team sent several athletes to the Meet of Champions, led by the record breaking 4x400 team of Lainey Reiter '26, Hailey Schuemann '25, Aldyn Martin '26, Blake Wilsey '25, and Mackenzie Cutler '27. Samantha Carey '25 set a season PR in the Triple Jump and Katie Spiegel '25 competed in the pole vault. It was Reiter who would shine brightest, winning the NCS title with a spirited 400m race to come from behind and take gold. In doing so she advanced to the prestigious state meet where she would PR, finishing among the very best in the junior class.
Swimming - Our swimmers continued to show well with another spirited season. In all, the boys took home an impressive 2nd place in VVAL, with the girls finishing 5th. On the boys side, 3 relay teams advanced to the NCS meet, with 1 girls team also advancing. Rafael Estimo led the way for the teams, showing well by advancing all the way to the state meet!
Boys Lacrosse - By capping their season with a thrilling VVAL Tournament Championship over Cardinal Newman, our powerhouse lacrosse boys put a bow on another strong showing. The boys finish the year ranked #16 in the North Coast Section on the backs of VVAL MVP Jack Shea '25; and All-League 1st teamers Austin Dragoo '25, Oliver Duffy '25, and Luke Ficeli '25. Earning 2nd team honors were Grayson Cushing '25, Peter Eierman '25, and Drew Fontanella '26.
Girls Lacrosse - The Girls Lacrosse team swept their way through VVAL regular and postseason titles before finishing the season with a 13-6 record and the #23 spot in the NCS overall rankings. Ella Webb '25 took home the league's MVP award and was joined on the All-League team by Paige Helms '25, Yasmine Kumar '26, Michaela Pucci '25 (First Team), and Ava Acker '27, Bella Acker '25, Evy Meerholz '26, and Kiran Porembski '27 (Second Team).
Softball - Spurred by their first ever VVAL win over Napa, the softball Braves continued to make strides. With their largest roster in recent seasons, the team was led by Caiden Grimmer '26 (first team) and Dakota Tinsley '25 (second team) who earned spots on the VVAL All-League team.
Baseball - After finishing the regular season in a 3 way tie for the title, the Braves (20-7 record and NCS #16 ranking) laid claim to being the top team in the league by beating Casa Grande and Petaluma in the playoffs for the championship. Additionally, the team garnered North Coast Section Scholastic Championship honors for the second consecutive season! Individually Jake Fletcher '25 (Co-MVP) and Griffin Messenger '26 (Co-Pitcher of the Year) led the way. They were joined on the All-League team by seniors Spencer Nelson and Henry Meyers (First Team), and Tommy Malloy '25 and Xiano Ortega '26 (Second Team).
Boys Tennis - En route to another undefeated VVAL season the team locked up four of the six spots on the All-League team. Led by MVP Riley Pietrowski '27, Will Bollinger '25, Grant Dullea '28, and Charlie Vaziri '25 the team earned a home match for the NCS playoffs.
| | Congratulations to seniors Samantha Carey and Genevieve Jones for being named Napa Valley Arts Council Students of the Year. | | |
Napa Valley Arts Council Students of the Month:
Samantha Carey (Theatre/Directing)
Sophie Ha (Multi-Hyphen Artist)
Genevieve Jones (Vocal Music)
Connor McGinty (Studio Art)
Ainsley McNicoll (Theatre/Acting)
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The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) has awarded medals to the following students. For the first time, every student not only passed, but passed with Distinction (highest honors).
Bronze Medal in Acting
Elijah Del Castillo '26
Lucy Fenton '27
Harper Hughes '27
Alexis Llamas Mendoza '27
Marco Moschetti '27
Anne Wade '27
Feiyue (Rocky) Wang '27
Silver Medal in Acting
Connor Cleland '26
Ezra Flowers '26
Alan Guerard '26
Matthew Makiva '26
Eliza Wicks '26
Gold Medal in Acting
Samantha Carey '25
Genevieve Jones '25
Abigail Munoz '25
Gold Medal in Musical Theatre
Ainsley McNicoll '25
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Justin-Siena High School hosted KA-IN NAPA VALLEY, a celebration of Filipino and Latin cuisine and wine. The third annual festival supported Justin-Siena's Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Program (DISP).
DISP provides additional financial support to students from traditionally underrepresented communities, ensuring access to a Lasallian education. The KA-IN NAPA Valley event contributed to a successful fundraising year for DISP that totaled $40K.
More than 150 guests savored a vibrant array of dishes crafted by local Filipino and Latin food purveyors. The menu featured everything from beloved everyday favorites to festive specialties, including herbed lechon, chicken wing lollipop adobo, lumpia, pork sisig, and more.
| | | Thank you to all the golfers and sponsors who made this year’s Justin-Siena Classic such a memorable success! From the stunning setting at Silverado Resort to the exciting Closest-to-the-Pin Shootout, the day was filled with camaraderie, friendly competition, and shared support for JS Athletics. Your generosity and spirit help keep our programs strong and thriving. We are ever grateful for your continued commitment to our student-athletes. | | | | |
ALLHEART Platinum
The Gonzales Family Fund
Sangiacomo Family Wines
ALLHEART
Bettinelli Vineyards
Fontanella Family Winery
Golden State Oral Surgery and Dental Implants
Keller Family Real Estate - Coldwell Banker
Malloy, Imrie & Vasconi Insurance Services
Sonoma Harvest Olive Oil and Winery
State Farm - Robert Reed
Van Pelt Construction Services
Vincent Arroyo Winery
GOLD
Buena Tierra Vineyards
SILVER
Audio House of Napa
Compass Capital Real Estate - Robert Pursell
Crown Hill Stone Supply
Lion Science & Language, LLC
Manfred & Hunt, LLP
Quinlan's Tires
BRONZE
3 Badge Beverage Corp. & Don and Sons
Abbey Carpets
Amine Khoury, DDS
BDCo Wine Industry Accountants
BottleRock Napa Valley
Classic Car Wash
Goosecross Cellars
Giles Chiropractic
North Bay Allergy & Asthma
Quintessential Wines
Sally Vaziri Real Estate
Savage & Cooke
Shanahan Orthodontics
State Farm - Alyssa Samrick
The Donum Estate
Valley of the Moon Flooring
Vargas Market
RED AND BLUE
AllPoint Financial Group - Marck Zuehlsdorff
CTS Fitness & Performance
Dickenson, Peatman & Fogarty Law
Duhig Wine
Fletcher Rhodes Interior Design
GIGG IP Solutions
Highway 12 Winery
Napa Electric
Napa Valley 1839 FC
Seven Apart
Wright Construction
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