Category Archives: Alumni

Chris Bullard ’05: Using Music to Break the Stigma Around Mental Health

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The United Nations annually observes World Mental Health Day on October 10. Today, we highlight alumnus Chris Bullard ’05, executive director and founder of Sound Mind, which brings together musicians, music lovers, and forward-thinking organizations to build community and open dialogue around mental health, leveraging the power of music to catalyze social change. 

Chris began touring as an artist with acts such as Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. It was during this time that he struggled with his mental health. Chris’s research has revealed that over 70% of musicians are living with symptoms of anxiety or depression. His vision is to bring together other artists struggling with mental health to elevate the conversation and build a community and culture that breaks today’s stigma around Mental Health.

Sound Mind offers podcasts, resources, video series, digital and social media, live concerts, sound sanctuaries, and an annual music festival in New York. Chris has developed an Artist Ambassador program that works with more than 80 artists and bands to help them elevate their voices on mental health and a Road to Recovery program that partners with groups on tour and mental health organizations to provide support and resources to fans nationwide.  

Chris says he is excited to reconnect with his roots at Chaminade and spread the word about Sound Music to the Eagle alumni community. Check out more at www.soundmusiclive.org

Alumni share their Eagle love stories

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In honor of Valentine’s Day, alumni couples share their Eagle love stories:

Katherine Schryver-Stahly ’92 and Paul Stahly ’93

Katherine and Paul met in biology class in 1991. They attended Homecoming and Prom together and stayed together through college, even though they attended schools in different cities. The two married in April 2003 and have been together for 27 years. This year they are celebrating 16 years of marriage and two children, aged 5 and 7.

Christine and Wesley Lovold ’98

Wesley first saw Christine just before sitting down at Mass during freshman year. Christine and a friend were seated in the second to last row and Wesley sat behind her so he would get to meet her when Fr. Allen invited the congregation to extend the sign of peace. During sophomore year the two became friends, taking several classes together but lost touch when Christine left Chaminade. A year later, Wesley returned from a late shift one Friday night to find a note from his mom that a girl named Chrissy had called and left her number. He called the next day and the two made plans for their first date. After a couple of dates, Wesley asked her to homecoming with a bouquet of sunflowers, and shortly afterward, the two were officially boyfriend and girlfriend. Several years later, Wesley surprised Christine with a trip to New York. He proposed on their fifth anniversary during a horse drawn carriage ride through Central Park. One year later they became husband and wife. Christine and Wesley have been together for 22 years and have four children, three daughters and one son.

Kate and Scott Beskid ’00

Kate and Scott spent three years together in high school, but truly never spoke more than a few words to one another. The two reconnected their senior year of college through a mutual friend, Grant Zitkvoich ’00. Their shared Chaminade experience was the foundation of their friendship and their love blossomed as they spent more and more time together. Kate began her vocation as a Chaminade educator and Scott started his career as a chef. They supported one another in their new adventures and each day their love grew. Kate and Scott married on September 22, 2012 at St. John Eudes Parish in Chatsworth. The entire wedding was Chaminade – the bridal party, guests, choir, and even the middle school cheerleaders attended. They have enjoyed supporting Chaminade throughout the years: attending their reunion together, homecoming football games, and various alumni events. The Beskids recently welcomed their first child, Elizabeth Francis on March 1, 2018 – they cannot wait to send Elizabeth to Chaminade as a member of the Class of 2038!

Lyndsay and Jeff Rosen ’07

Lyndsay and Jeff met at a Bar Mitzvah for Max Piner ’07 before Jeff attended Chaminade. Lyndsay remembered seeing him on a campus visit a few months after the party and thinking he was super cute. On the first day of 8th grade at Chaminade Jeff approached Lyndsay, to say “hi” and they have been inseparable ever since. Lyndsay recalls that they constantly passed notes in class and chatted online. She never expected to meet her future husband at 12 years old. Lyndsay and Jeff have been married for just over two years and have a beautiful 7 month old daughter named Greer. 

If you’d like to share your Eagle Love Story, contact the Alumni Office at alumni@chaminade.org or (818) 444-1750.

Four Alumni to be Inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame

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On Saturday, February 2, 2019, President Rob Webb and Chaminade College Preparatory will honor four alumni at the third annual Alumni Hall of Fame.

Mary McDonough ’79 Mary is an actor, activist, and author. She is most well -known for her role as Erin Walton on The Waltons. She has written three books, one memoir, and two novels. She is an advocate for women’s body issues and plastic surgery education and safety regulations. Mary also offers life coaching and workshops to provide tools for body image management to those in the entertainment industry.

Brittany Solis ’13 Brittany was a multi-sport athlete at Chaminade, playing varsity volleyball, soccer and softball. She continued her softball career at the University of Central Florida where she played all four years, starting every game and helping her team to win the American Athletic Conference Championships two times. Brittany is passionate about community service and hopes to work for the Dodgers. 

NetflixScott Stuber ’87 Scott is a film producer and currently heads Netflix’s original film department. He has produced over 30 films and 7 television series throughout his career. Scott was the vice chairman of worldwide production for Universal Pictures, producing films like Couples Retreat, The Fast and Furious Series and Role Models. Netflix expects to roll out 55 original films per year under Scott’s guidance and has already seen great success with Bird Box and Roma. 

Mathew Troupe ’11 Mathew was an all-around player on the varsity baseball team at Chaminade and later emerged as a talented pitcher. He played baseball for the University of Arizona where he pitched the final innings of the 2012 National Championship clinching the win against South Carolina as a freshman. He continued his career at CSUN as a player/coach. In 2017, Mathew was hired as the pitching coach at Emory University and he is currently the Director of Baseball Operations at the University of San Diego. 

Tickets are available online for this event at www.chaminade.org/Alumni_HOF.

Chaminade Celebrates the 2018 Alumni Hall of Fame

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Brando Tessar ’10, Brittany Cervantes ’08, Beth Macias ’85, Annie Tarakchian ’12, Marc Merrill ’98

Chaminade College Preparatory inducted five new alumni into the Alumni Hall of Fame: Brittany Cervantes ’08, Beth Macias ’85, Marc Merrill ’98, Annie Tarakchian ’12, and Brando Tessar ’10. Family, friends, and alumni gathered to celebrate their achievements at Woodland Hills Country Club on Saturday, February 3.

Brittany Cervantes ’08 is a professional fastpitch softball player. Her love of softball was born at Chaminade. During her sophomore year, the girls’ varsity softball team won the C.I.F championship, the first of two consecutive years. Brittany continued her softball career at the University of Kentucky. In 2012, she was named to the First Team All-SEC Selection, All-SEC Defensive Team, and broke the homerun record at the school, an achievement she still holds today. After graduating, Brittany began playing in the National Professional Fastpitch league in 2012. She was instrumental in winning consecutive championships for the last three years, twice playing for the Chicago Bandits and once for the Scrap Yard Dawgs in Conroe, TX. When she’s not on the softball field, Brittany participates in charity work. Most recently, she was a top fundraiser on Team #TracyStrong for the Lung Force Foundation’s annual Lung Force Walk.

Beth Macias ’85 attended Chaminade with her brother and sisters, Frank ’84, Lisa ’87 and Kathy ’89. Beth was involved in many activities as a student including National Honor Society, California Scholarship Federation, Student Council, and sports. She served as Student Body Vice President her senior year and played on the first girls’ varsity soccer team. Upon graduating, Beth attended the University of California Los Angeles where she earned both her undergraduate and law degrees. She has worked in several legal fields and currently volunteers as an Ombudsman, advocating for long-term care residents and as a Mediator at the Simi Valley Courthouse. Beth appreciated her parents’ service to Chaminade as a student and has carried on this legacy. She served on the Board of Directors from 2000 to 2006, founded the annual Saturday with Santa event, participates in phone-a-thons, works hospitality, and serves on the Alumni Council. Beth and her husband, Manuel Diaz, are proud to send their three children to Chaminade, where their academic and theatrical talent has flourished.

Marc Merrill ’98 is a global business leader, co-creator of the online video game League of Legends, and co-founder of Riot Games. While at Chaminade, he was a member of the wrestling and football teams. After graduation, Marc attended the University of Southern California with his friend and future business partner, Brandon Beck. Marc and Brandon shared a passion for World of Warcraft style online games. Together they founded Riot Games and created the game League of Legends. Riot Games employs over 2,500 people in 23 offices worldwide and was selected as Fortune magazine’s 13th best company in the world to work for. League of Legends received the “Best Persistent Game” BAFTA Award in 2015; in 2017 Marc and Brandon were awarded the BAFTA Special Award in recognition of Riot Games’ creative contribution to the games industry. In 2016, Inc. magazine named Riot Games its Company of the Year. Marc also serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations and remains an active alumnus at Chaminade, attending alumni events and working with students.

Annie Tarakchian ’12 was a basketball player and involved student during her time at Chaminade. She was part of Blue Crew, helped at the Special Olympics event, and worked closely with Brother Skip Matthews on service projects. She played basketball all four years, was a three-time All-Mission League selection and named Mission League MVP as both a junior and senior. After graduation, Annie attended Princeton University where she continued her basketball career and studied psychology. She was a captain on the basketball team, two-time Ivy League Champion, and was named Ivy League Player of the Week eight times. Annie began playing professional basketball in 2016 in Switzerland for the BFC Elfic Fribourg women’s basketball team. She helped the team qualify for the Euro Cup and received the MVP award. In 2017, she helped lead the Belgium Royal Castors Braine to win the Belgium Cup and Belgium Championship. Annie has retired from professional basketball and currently works for Milo, a startup that provides a means for older adults to prolong their independence and well-being at home.

Brando Tessar ’10 was a two-sport athlete at Chaminade, playing football and baseball. He played on the varsity baseball team all four years as a pitcher and outfielder. He was named to the First Team for All-CIF and the 2010 Mission League Player of the Year. He was also the 2010 Chaminade Male Athlete of the Year. Brando was drafted in the 25th round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. Instead of joining the MLB, he attended the University of Oregon. Over the course of his career at Oregon, Brando pitched a total of 127.1 innings, started in 22 games and struck out 92 batters. He was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 25th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. Brando graduated from the University of Oregon, earning a degree in Social Sciences with an emphasis in Crime and Law. Brando works in the staffing industry and currently manages the Portland market for one the nation’s largest technical staffing firms. He is also a newlywed; he married his bride, Kendall, in November 2017.

 

Click here to view photos of the 2018 Alumni Hall of Fame

Today is the Alumni Challenge

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September 19 has arrived, and the first Alumni Challenge is underway! Help us reach our goal of securing 250 alumni donors in 24 hours. If we reach our goal, an alumnus will give a $10,000 gift #ForChaminade. Gifts of all sizes, designated anywhere on campus, will be counted. How to participate:

  1. Give your gift online at chaminade.org/alumnichallenge
  2. Spread the word – tell your friends and followers on social media that you gave a gift #ForChaminade