2. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER2
ADVANCEMENT OFFICE
Director of Institutional Advancement
L'oreal Edmondson '98
Director of Annual Programs
Alice V. Case
Director of Web Communications
Janice Conlon Cuellar LR '69
Director of Alumni Relations
Michael Jones '96
Director of Special Events
Melissa Antonio Huar LR '91
Director of Communications
Robert Feasley
Please contact: Advancement Office
301.735.8401 ext. 134
BISHOP McNAMARA HIGH SCHOOL
6800 Marlboro Pike
Forestville, Maryland 20747
(p) 301.735.8401
(f) 301.735.0934
PRESIDENT/CEO
Marco J. Clark '85
PRINCIPAL
Dr. Robert Van der Waag
The Mustang Messenger is published
three times each year. We welcome comments,
suggestions, and information.
ISSUE TITLE: "The Studio Art Issue"
4. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER4
Dear Bishop McNamara and La Reine High School Family and Friends,
In 1856, the Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C., founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, published Christian Education, outlining
the goals and ideals of a Holy Cross education. With those goals and ideals as guidelines, he opened Our Lady of Holy Cross in Le
Mans, France. Nearly two centuries later, his aspirations remain the backbone for Holy Cross schools at all education levels, with
his ultimate goal being the "formation of the hearts of young people and the development of a positive response toward religion
within them." His vision of the Holy Cross education is one that forms the hearts of young people, teaching them to be more like
Christ. In Moreau's words, "education is the art of bringing young people to completeness. For the Christian, that means being
more like Christ."
Moreau's vision was for inclusive education, to meet the needs of all students, and, in a time when schools were offering only
classical education of literature, philosophy, and geometry, Moreau's mission was to do more — to educate to completeness by
developing the minds, hearts, and hands of young Christians. While he certainly saw the importance of educating the mind with
classic lessons in literature, philosophy, science, and mathematics, he saw equal importance in developing the heart through music,
poetry and fine arts; and the hands through service to others. Moreau's schools also included revolutionary educational principles for
the time, including sports teams to foster competition and develop the body, and marching bands to allow students to become active
in music.
That revolution continues today at Bishop McNamara High School. Fr. Moreau's mission is put to work each day in the classrooms,
on the practice fields and courts, in the rehearsal rooms and dance studios, on the stage, and throughout the community.Today,
Bishop McNamara offers 165 different course offerings including a complete array in the arts. Creativity and self-expression are
essential components to a Bishop McNamara education. As well, our St. Joseph's Program and Project PRIDE demonstrate our
commitment to fulfilling Moreau's desire to provide high-quality, Catholic education to all children. Please take the time to read
about the St. Joseph Program in this issue.
Our Fine Arts programs are uniquely placed in both the academic and co-curricular life of the School. We offer courses and
performance opportunities in Band, Chorus, Dance, Orchestra,Theatre, Speech, and Visual Arts.The Fine Arts curriculum is
designed to awaken and challenge every student's desire to create. Guided by practicing artists who all share a love, passion,
and vocation to teach, the Fine Arts Department at Bishop McNamara offers one of the most extensive arts educations in the
Washington, D.C. area.
This program not only fulfills the dream of Holy Cross education — to educate the whole person — but it has become a
distinguishing characteristic of our School. With more than 650 students participating in the arts, it is a joy to appreciate the
creative expression of our students who translate God's love and life through art. From award-winning paintings, sketches, and
photography, to breathtaking productions and concerts, we invite you to enjoy the arts at Bishop McNamara.
Thank you once again for all of your love, prayer, and support. As I often like to say, "There's no place like McNamara!" Many
blessings to you and your families!
Ave Crux Spes Unica,
Marco J. Clark '85
President/CEO
@mustangprez
8. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER8
The Lady Mustangs were ranked sixth
nationally in Women's Varsity Basketball
by USA Today High School Sports after
a thrilling 46-45 victory over the Riverdale
Baptist Lady Crusaders!
Bishop McNamara's mobile site won an
"Outstanding Mobile Website" award from
the Web Marketing Association! Kudos to
Director of Web Communications, Janice
Conlon Cuellar LR '69,for her remarkable
effort
Maya Davis '97 returned to Bishop
McNamara for a second year to speak with
Ms. Keller's African American Studies
class and discuss slave trade practices, as
well as assist students with their genealogy
projects.
Tyoka Jackson '89 of 'The Big 10 Network'
spoke to the Broadcast Journalism class as
part of the Alumni Speaker Series. He
spoke about live broadcasting and live
studio etiquette.
Outreach Coordinator Mary Doan visited
Bishop McNamaraTheology classes to give
a brief introduction on social justice in the
context of refugees and internally displaced
people. Afterwards, student leaders from
the Service Club expressed interest in
organizing a letter writing campaign to
refugees and hosting a fundraiser.
Twenty Bishop McNamara dancers, along
with Dance Teacher Mrs. Vicki Keithline
LR '90, traveled to Norfolk, Virginia for
the Regional High School Dance Festival
from March 4-8, 2015. As one of five
non-performing arts schools and the only
private Catholic high school in attendance,
the Bishop McNamara dancers represented
the School and the dance department very
well by participating in audition sessions,
dance classes, college fairs, demonstrations,
and performances.By the end of the festival,
nine of the student performers came away
with over $30,000 in scholarship offers
for college tuition and summer dance
intensives from various institutions.
Bishop McNamara was honored to have
the Director of Jazz and Contemporary
Programs of the Joffrey Ballet School, Mr.
Michael Blake, who traveled from New
York City to provide a Master Class and
Audition session for upper-level students
enrolled in the Dance program at Bishop
McNamara. Students participating in
the Master Class were also given the
opportunity to audition and be selected
for scholarships to the Summer Intensive
at the Joffrey School. All 36 students
that auditioned
were accepted
into the Joffrey
3-week Summer
Intensive Program
in NYC. Morgan
Anderson '15,
Gabriela Grant
'16, Kaelan Jones
'17, Lauren
Roach '16, and Janae Witcher '16 received
scholarships for the intensive that totaled
over $20,000.
Senior Angelita Pollard '15 started her
own dance company - Xtra Productions
Dance Company - in May of 2012 and it
is now a thriving company with almost 30
members specializing in hip-hop.
We congratulate Tom Ballenger, one of the
faculty members from the Social Studies
department, and his family on the birth of
their son! Rory Raymond Ballenger was
born on February 15, 2015 at 2:22 a.m.
weighing 8.22 lbs., measuring 19.25 in.
Everyone, including Mom, are doing well!
We are happy to congratulate Jennifer
Daniels, the Grant Writer in the
Advancement Office, and her family on
their newborn daughter! Everly Rose
Daniels arrived healthy and beautiful
Tuesday, February 10, 2015, at 8:41 a.m.
weighing eight lbs. and six oz. Jennifer
and her husband, Gavin, also have two
daughters, Emily and Ella.
MUSTANG
MOMENTS
Mr. Michael Blake (center) with Principal Dr. Robert Van der Waag (left), the auditioning dancers, and Mrs. Vicki Keithline LR '90 (right).
9. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER 9
LRHS Class of 1965:
La Reine Class of 1965 will
host their 50th Reunion on
Friday, September 25th -
Sunday, September 27, 2015 at
the Sheraton Columbia Town
Center. Please contact Terry
Hoffman LR '65
thoffmann1@verizon.net for
reunion information.
LRHS Class of 1975:
La Reine Class of 1975 will
host their 40th Class Reunion
on Saturday, August 1, 2015 at
the Historic Inn of Annapolis
from 6-11 p.m. Please contact
the planning committee at
lrhs75@hotmail.com or call
202.681.4345 for more details.
BMHS Class of 1995:
Bishop McNamara Class
of 1995 will host their 20th
Reunion on Saturday, May 2,
2015 at the Bishop McNamara
Fine Arts and Athletic Center.
Contact: Erica Counts-Logan '95:
enclogan@gmail.com
BMHS Class of 2005:
Bishop McNamara Class of
2005 will host their 10th Class
Reunion on June 13, 2015 at
the Bishop McNamara High
School Alumni Hall. Please
contact Adriane Taylor '05:
classof05bmhs@gmail.com
Kristian Owens '05:
kristian.owens@bmhs.org or
visit their website more details.
Summer Camps at
Bishop McNamara
Bishop McNamara High School
is proud to announce its summer
line-up for camps! As always,
full information will be available
on our website, www.bmhs.org!
BMHS Boys Basketball Camp
BMHS Girls Basketball Camp
BMHS Boys Soccer Camp
BMHS Girls Soccer Camp
BMHS Girls Volleyball Camp
BMHS Dance Intensive
BMHS Dance Camp
And more!
For more information, consult
our website or contact:
Jeffrey Southworth ‘05 at
Jeffrey.Southworth@bmhs.org
or 301.735.8401 x. 102
Let Bishop McNamara
Help You Plan Your Reunion!
Bishop McNamara High
School is calling on the
following BMHS and La Reine
High School classes, and any
other interested parties, to let
the School help organize and
promote their reunions: Classes
of 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990,
2000, and 2010: it's Reunion
time! If interested in planning a
class Reunion, please contact:
Director of Alumni Relations
Michael Jones '96
Michael.Jones@bmhs.org
301.735.8401 ext. 111
For further information, visit www.bmhs.org
May 1, 2015
Mustang Cup Golf
Tournament
Sip 'n Swing
May 3, 2015
Annual Alumni
Lacrosse Game
May 9, 2015
Annual Alumni
Football Game
May 23, 2015
Commencement Exercises
May 28, 2015
Caritas Awards Night
UPCOMING EVENTS
12. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER12
t had to be a mistake. Had he not
studied the correct material? Was he
hallucinating? What was wrong with
him? Jeffrey Edwards '14,or Jay,sat in class,
his already sweaty palms now smudging
what few marks he'd made on his test,
staring at his test.
This was a difficult test, but Jay could
remember nothing of the subject matter.
Everything he'd studied was gone; every
hour spent reviewing material may as well
have been spent playing video games or
sleeping for all the good it was doing him
now. His heart raced and his focus drifted.
It just wasn't fair.
Jay could do no more than put his head
down.His teacher,used to his antics on test
day, collected the test and scored him as
he would every other student who had left
large parts of the test blank – poorly. The
teacher assumed Jay's admission of defeat
was an admission of a lack of preparation.
Diagnosed with Attention Deficit
Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) in the
third grade, Jay and his parents assumed his
test-taking troubles stemmed from his lack
of proper medication. However, tinkering
with his dosages, kinds of medication, and
all combinations in between was a fruitless
endeavor. Jay was not a troubled child with
a history of misbehaving.Why, then, would
he blank on test day?
Though he didn't know it at the time, Jay
had what is referred to in Special Education
as a high-incident disability. Diagnosed
through a battery of tests, few area schools
had the resources to accommodate his
needs without slow-tracking his academic
progression.
Jay's symptoms are relatively tame in the
grander scheme of learning disabilities, but
still omnipresent at any stressful moment
in his academic career. Among those who
suffer from test-taking anxiety are students
who lose the ability to read the words on
the page, become nauseous, or become so
unsettled that they must leave the room
to collect themselves in a bathroom or
adjacent hallway. In a test-driven society,
in which the likes of the American College
Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test
(SAT) relegate children into brackets based
on their test-taking abilities, panicking on
test day is quite the disadvantage.
The St. Joseph's Program
The St. Joseph's Program was founded
during the 2010-2011 school year, with
a focus on individual intervention and
accommodation plans to allow students
with learning or performance issues to
succeed in the regular classroom and on
test day.
President/CEO Marco J. Clark '85,
transitioning from Principal during the
same year of the program's founding,
cited a tradition of accommodation and
acceptance for the creation of the program.
"Bishop McNamara is a place where
success is a part of the language," he said.
"Everyone is possessed with gifts, and as an
educational institution, we set the bar high
for our students and then we say that we're
here to walk this journey with you."
The St. Joseph's program, for him, was the
physical culmination of a desire to help
every student,regardless of conditions."We
were already well intentioned in our efforts,
but sometimes meaning well isn't enough,"
he said."We had a need,and the St.Joseph's
program fulfilled that need perfectly."
Elaine Greene runs the St. Joseph's
Program.Sitting in her office on a Thursday
afternoon, she's surrounded by light blue
painted walls. It's a color she's not crazy
about, but she's covered her surroundings
with sticker mosaics of daffodils and
French phrases of encouragement. She
doesn't speak French, but she loves the
way they make her feel. Behind her is a
framed picture of a woman, walking alone
in Central Park, New York City, in the rain.
Poet's Walk, as it's titled, is for her father.
Her father's parents were farmers who,
for its life-giving purposes, loved the rain.
"Always think of me when it rains," he
used to tell her, "and be happy."
Elaine is the head of the St. Joseph's
program that, in 2014, saw its first
graduating class. She has over 20 years of
experience working in Special Education
and doesn't consider herself a teacher, so
much as an advocate for her students. She
doesn't hesitate to describe herself as, "a
little strange." Office settings aside, she
also revels in her strange choices of lunch
– a sweet potato and nothing else, on this
day. She is at ease, both personally and
professionally.
Her classroom, next to the Guidance
department, is a stark contrast in
composition to her office. The walls are
painted a mango hue and the floor is
littered with tools generally reserved for
physical therapy centers – bike pedals to
use while sitting at a desk, balance boards,
and swivel chairs.
On some days, it appears as if nothing's
going on in the classroom. Half of the
students seated in the room aren't in the
St. Joseph's program, engaging in normal
discussion with members of the program,or
trying out one of the innumerable balance
contraptions. To the untrained eye, it is a
barely managed maelstrom of chaos, until
Elaine explains to you what's going on.
"I don't run a quiet study hall," she says,
laughing, "but everything you see in my
classroom is the product of a calculated
effort."
The orange walls are painted a color that, in
psychological studies, produces a calming
effect on people, allowing them to relax.
"I'm not a psychologist," she says. "I'm
a mom and an experienced professional,
and I want my kids – both my biological
kids and St. Joseph's kids – to feel safe and
secure when they address problems that
have given them difficulty over the years."
The bike pedals, balance boards, and swivel
chairs are learning tools. Elaine frequently
will quiz her students while they work on
their balance or,for more practical purposes,
"are too distracted to be distracted."
Diverting their attention to minimal
movements such as a swiveling chair or
a balancing board allows her students to
expend energy that might otherwise be
used squirming and not focusing on their
test.
"If a student can focus on balancing, he or
she can have a clear enough mind to focus
on the questions I'm asking," she says. The
tools are so effective that her students often
take the chairs or bicycle pedals to class for
test days. "The challenge isn't getting the
kids to use the pedals, but to not have my
tools spread out all over the School," Elaine
jokes. One of the pedal sets is out for repair.
"One of the biggest difficulties I run into
is instilling confidence in these children,"
Elaine says. The students in the center that
I
13. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER 13
are not enrolled in the St. Joseph's program
are friends and classmates of those in the
program, and serve to remove any kind of
stigma having a learning disability might
have for an adolescent.
The conversation doesn't always stray
from academic topics, but on this day the
purpose of discussing weekend plans, local
events,and weekly personal highlights is to,
almost ironically, help some students focus.
"Some of my students can't focus in dead
silence," she says. "We create a friendly,
warm environment."
She also doesn't believe in student
withdrawal, as has historically been the
treatment method for Special Education.
Her students, like any other Bishop
McNamara student, follow a regular
curriculum. During their study halls and
after school, they come to the St. Joseph's
program for help with studying,homework,
and note-taking. "We don't exclude
students from their normal progression,"
she says. "Rather we supplement it." To her
point, several of her students, for the first
time since the founding of the program, are
enrolled in Advanced Placement courses.
A Safe Haven
Elaine doesn't write detentions,but expects
her few rules to be followed. Her room,
as she puts it, is a safe haven for students.
"Kids want to do well more than anything,"
she says. "Contrary to the opinion of many
in society, the kids are never academically
lazy.It's all a question of understanding and
cognitive processing." For that purpose, she
is always available to her students.They can
email and call her at home, and often stop
her in the hallway to speak between classes.
The results have been overwhelmingly
successful.Elaine not only advocates for her
students, but expects that they excel. Since
her first year, the program is at maximum
capacity of 40 students, and is searching for
means to expand. "Without the incredible
buy-in of the staff and volunteering of
teachers and counselors, it wouldn't work."
The students, for their part, respond well to
the challenges as well as the environment.
It's apparent in the way they speak of
Elaine, but also in the way Elaine speaks
of them. When her father passed away, she
says, she received calls from over half of the
program. Without her students, she says,
she might not have been able to return to
work. "When you invest this much time
and effort into kids, their response never
fails to surprise you," she says. "I consider
each and every one of these kids one of my
own,and they often think of me as a second
mom."
Mr. Clark, in his praise of the program, is
quick to discuss the future development
of the St. Joseph's program. "When you
have families relocating to send their
children to school here, you know you're
onto something," he says. "We have the
opportunity to help students who other
schools have written off as lazy or ineffective
and help them to realize their God-given
potential and gain the confidence to
succeed."
The Civil Engineer
Jeffrey (Jay) Edwards entered the St.
Joseph's program during his freshman
year at Bishop McNamara and, in his first
quarter, got a 3.0 grade point average. "I
had never received anything higher than
a 2.8," he said. "It was a great moment
for me."
Part of the first graduating class of the
St. Joseph's program, Jay, along with
every other classmate in the program,
went on to pursue higher education at
colleges and universities. A freshman at
Morgan State University, Jay is a civil
engineering major – one of the most
challenging in the school. His first
semester grades, he said with a laugh,
were pretty good – he finished with a
3.8 GPA and expects to do better this
semester.
Jay speaks with his professors on a near
daily basis, crafting his study guide and
habits after a series of daily questions.
He designs flash cards with pictures,
quick answers, and useful pneumonic
devices and often doesn't sit down to
study. He studies before and and after
class, leaving his afternoons open to be
a regular college student. "It's always
going to be a little difficult for me,"
he said. "But I've figured out how to
approach every assignment and that
makes the difference right there."
15. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER 15
Visual Arts Teacher Kate Heneghan is
Creating Masterpieces, One Student at a Time
Visual Arts Teacher and Assistant Department
Chair Kate Heneghan, a 16-year Bishop
McNamara High School veteran and lifelong
artist, prefers to work in, as she calls it, "mixed
media."
"Mixed media" can be anything. In college, at
St. John's University, she studied drawing, painting,
and printmaking. As an avid reader and
aficionado of classic literature, she began
creating art from her bookshelf. "Each book I read
can strike me differently," she says. "Some books move
me to create a sculpture, others move me to paint."
16. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER16
he even has an eye for business. After
every school year, Kate retreats to
Delaware Beach for the summer to
run a small shop – "Yesterday's Fun" – that
sells vintage board games, video games, and
cultural phenomenon of decades passed.
Kate considers her diversity of interests to
be part of what makes her teaching style
unique. Laughing,she says that,as an artist,
"I do a little of everything and I get bored
by repeating myself." Each day represents
a different challenge in the classroom,
whether it comes from helping aspiring
artists grow or communicating that which
comes so naturally for her.
While she may experiment with various
forms of artistic expression, her true
passion and artistic ability is found in the
classroom, as an educator. The students are
her canvas, and she the painter's brush.
Collegiate Aspirations
The blank canvas metaphor is apt, Kate
says, for many of the students entering
Bishop McNamara. "Funding for the arts,
particularly at the public school level, is
always the first to get squeezed," she says.
"What I receive as students, in turn, are
wonderful kids with incredible potential
and talent, but absolutely no formal
training."
She structures her education process,
or molding of students, to the college
preparatory model, striving to prepare
them for the collegiate realm of artistic
study. "Demands at the higher level of
education generally fall within the realm
of conceptual thinking," she says. "So as
a teacher, I have to first teach kids how to
draw and then back up and teach them how
to understand and envision what they've
learned to do without seeing it on paper."
The restructuring and re-teaching of
students, she says, often requires the
implementation of a different thought
process. "Art," says Kate, "is a process of
problem solving. If you can fix something
yourself, you don't have to depend on
others, but you have to learn to fix it first."
She teaches her students to not only
create the art, but to also understand the
process. "Art can be very black and white,"
she says. No pun intended. "If you draw
a line incorrectly, to the trained eye, it's
immediately apparent what you did and
how you have to fix it. Every decision in
art can be a problem to solve, but at the
same time every decision in art can be an
opportunity to work on problem solving."
Adults without an art education, she
laments, "buy what's sold to them, rather
than working around problems to get what
they need."
Her teaching method, she says, revolves
around visual and experiential learning.
Despite the move towards technology in
the classroom, Kate still believes that the
physicality of forming and shaping art
with hands provides an invaluable lesson
for budding artists. "Computers and such
things are certainly very useful," she says,
"but are incapable of replacing sculpting or
other kinds of textural work."
Aspiring Artists
Tucked in the corner of the second floor
of Holy Cross Hall, her art students work
on a variety of creations, with all kinds of
inspired styles. Kate can talk about her
students' ability, but sometimes it's easier
to showcase.
Selected were four students, one senior and
three juniors, who have come to exemplify
the problem-solving methods being taught.
Daric Rich '15: The Carpenter
In carpentry, the industry standard is to
"measure twice, and cut once" – the idea
being that precision is an invaluable skill
for those seeking to build structures. While
Daric Rich '15 works with pencil and paper
rather than hammer and nails,the same can
be said of her art.
Her piece,a drawing of Bishop McNamara,
isn't just well eyeballed – it's an exact
replica of the front face of the School.
Not an awning, brick, or window is out of
place, with parallel and perpendicular lines
perfectly cascading in effortless strokes.
For this specific piece, she used a variety
of pencils to give the drawing depth and
texture. "My art is pretty straight forward,"
she says. "I try to be disciplined." She
describes her art style as systematic. With
her drawing, she sought to break down
the front of the School into individual
shapes rather than draw a building in its
entirety. For her, squares, triangles, circles,
and rectangles add up to a more defined
reproduction. "I guess I am kind of like a
carpenter," she laughs, "except I'll always
measure four times."
Jeffrey Belfield '16: Casting Shadows
When choosing which drawing style to
pursue, Jeffrey Belfield '16 was slightly out
of his usual medium. Jeffrey draws cartoons
– anime, technically – and often juxtaposes
the stylistic Japanese art with other
mediums to create beautiful compositions.
It takes his classmates' extended goading
for him to display some of the art he's
done in class. For the tennis ball he drew,
it was his impetus to give life to something
S
17. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER 17
inanimate.
The light, the wear and tear, and the
vivacious court colors are all his own. "I
found an image of a tennis ball and a tennis
court and wanted to bring it more to life,"
he says. "I changed the color of the tennis
court, added the shadow, and then added
additional grit to the tennis ball to give it
life." To draw the ball and its surroundings,
he drew not only from the picture he found,
but also from his own conceptualization of
the real-life settings.
AllieHorton'16:TheArtist'sPerspective
Allie Horton '16 drew herself into her art
piece. Why? "Once upon a time, I had blue
hair but I had to change it," she says. "I
miss it though, and drawing yourself with
blue hair doesn't count as a dress code
violation." More comfortable with black
and white drawings, the junior challenged
herself to draw, as she called it, "how I
wished my own art desk looked." The
drawing, created with colored pencils, is
"an artist's perspective," and helps, "give a
window into what an artist sees as they are
preparing or creating something."
If Daric is a carpenter, Allie would consider
herself the opposite. "I guess I sometimes
measure," she laughs. She describes her art
style as expressive, gestural, or sometimes
even "sketchy." While some of her
classmates would rather see strict definition
to their lines and creativity, she prefers,
literally and artistically, to blur the lines.
"I like to think of different ways to express
certain things," she says.
David Cobb '16: The Dreamer
David Cobb '16 stands, physically, a head
taller than his fellow artists. The junior is
quiet until you ask him about his drawing
of Elaine Greene and the St. Joseph's
Program, when he suddenly bursts forward
with a detailed description of everything
that went into his creation. Drawn with
pastels, David had to visit the St. Joseph's
Program several times to capture the right
angle, gesture, and, as he says, "experience."
"When I draw, I visualize myself in the
drawing," he says, "and I want the audience
to be there, too. I see the room not just as
it is, but in parallel and perpendicular lines
and shapes." His creation, though with less
rigid borders than anyone else's drawing,
has an ethereal, yet structured feeling to
it. "I like to think it's like walking into a
dream," he says. "Everything's a little fuzzy,
but the world is still structured as it should
be. I'm a visual learner, so I take and learn
from everything I see."
College Preparatory
Chris Mona '79, a professor of art at
Anne Arundel Community College, lends
collegiate credibility to Kate's teachings.
"At the high school level, it's looked upon
well if the students have raw talent," he
says. "But at the collegiate level, it becomes
more of a question of, 'what can you do
with that?'" The separation between the
concept and the production, he explains,
is what separates good artists from great
artists."I say craft with a capital 'C' because
when college students create something,
or craft it, it is a complex, layered creation
that began far before they began painting
or drawing." The process, he says, is one
that can be learned, but takes years to
master. He praises the work done at Bishop
McNamara as distinguishing its students
from others their age, saying, "to have a
formal education in art as a high schooler is
increasingly rare, but gaining the ability to
use different sides of your brains – creative
and executive – truly separates applicants in
their future pursuits."
Kate isn't the type to brag about her own
teaching, but often her accolades supersede
her in that department. Nominated this
past year for the Gazette "My Favorite
Teacher" award, Kate has taught a long
list of successful students who, she jokes,
she never hears from. "The problem," she
laughs, "is that when you teach people to
be self-sufficient and to visualize art for
themselves, they don't need you anymore!"
Students like Mykl Gormley '07 and Helen
Bell '13, she cites off of the top of her head,
have continued to spread the tradition of
Talent in the Arts at Bishop McNamara
High School.
"I'll see alumni every once in a while when
they visit campus, but they've all gone off
to be successful elsewhere and, like I hoped
they would learn,can solve their own issues,
in life or art."
19. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER 19
HOLDING COURT
THE ASCENSION OF TENNIS PHENOM
RASHEED SLADE '15
Rasheed Slade '15, or 'Sheed' to his friends, spends his summers
indoors at the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, right off of
Mississippi Avenue in Washington, D.C.The 48,000 square foot
indoor tennis facility is host to six hard courts, one clay court, and
even a mezzanine seating section for the local tennis crowd.
It's 8:30 am and Rasheed has no adoring fans seated watching
him – not even his mom or dad. As a counselor at the Tennis and
Learning Center's summer camp, he's working from 8:00 am to
4:00 pm and then practicing his own craft until 8:30 pm. It's a long
day of tennis, day in and day out, that make for quite the
long summer.
20. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER20
is campers range from five-year-
olds massively outsized by their
tennis racquets to fellow high
school students seeking to spread news
of their own talent in an already gifted
metropolitan area.
After some morning stretching, Rasheed
calls roll to pair off campers into agility,
speed, and coordination drills. His favorite
students, who he's already spotted, are first
to get in line. Brian and Briana, 10-year-
old twins, have completed their usual walk
from their home to make it to the camp.
The twins are African immigrants, and live
with a legal guardian while their parents
work through their own visa applications.
They walk to camp each morning and do
the same each evening, after a full day of
tennis.
With help from the Washington, D.C.
Department of Parks and Recreation
summer camp subsidy program, Brian and
Briana are not only gifted racquets to use at
camp, but also admission fees.
"I can tell that they're usually a little tired
when they get here, but never have I seen
them complain," he said. The kids, he's
noticed over the summers he's coached
(of which he's lost count by now), simply
do what must be done – whether that be
walking to practice or the most monotonous
of drills.
"They're pretty incredible," he says. "I give
them an eight out of ten right now, but
you know they'll keep with it and someday
soon we'll be talking about them." With a
sheepish grin, he adds that, "they remind
me of, well, me a little bit."
Making a Name
Rasheed first made his name on the
Washington, D.C. tennis circuit when he
was nine.As a competitor in the Les Halles
Youth Cup held in conjunction with the
Legg Mason Tennis Classic, Rasheed went
head-to-head with Andrew Fenty and won,
handily. There was a brief intermission
during the match, The Washington
Post reported on August 3, 2007, when
Andrew's father, former Mayor Adrian
Fenty, stopped play to give his son a newer
racquet. It didn't help.
Before he was known at Legg Mason,
however, Rasheed, too, found his way
to the South East Tennis Learning and
Development Center with a push from his
mother.
"I wanted to play basketball, football, or
soccer as a kid, but my Mom told me no,"
he said. "She's a tennis player, my sister's
a tennis player, my grandmother's a tennis
player, and my dad isn't terrible at tennis,"
H
Rasheed Slade '15 (orange shirt) was part of a doubles team that went undefeated at the Junior Team Tennis National Championship this summer.
21. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER 21
he laughs. "It only made sense that I'd
follow the family tradition."
Rasheed held court, literally, at the Les
Halles Youth Cup, championing the
event in front of the French Ambassador.
So impressed was Francois Delattre that
he invited Rasheed to come to France,
at his (France's) expense, to play tennis.
"I'd always loved the sport, but I'd never
thought 'wow, I could make something of
this,'" he said.
Despite the enormity of the situation,
Rasheed joked that he found the ping-pong
more enthralling than the competition (he
won all of the matches he played, both in
ping pong and tennis).
Quick Cuts
Rasheed, on the tennis court, has about as
much energy as a 6,000-watt halogen bulb.
The 17-year-old from Washington, D.C.
bops around the tennis court, ferociously
exhorting himself when he misses a shot.
Off the court, he chatters on about himself,
his dreams, and even his fallacies with an
infectious youthful enthusiasm.
There's almost a sense of obliviousness
when Rasheed discusses tennis. Like
many prodigies, the sport has come to him
through years of hard work and dedication,
but ask him to talk about specifics and he
draws a seeming blank. He just "is."
When he speaks in an interview
after school in mid-January, his eyes
dash between the interviewer and his
constantly buzzing phone. Aside from
the friend he's brought to the interview,
he's probably entertaining two to three
more conversations and, miraculously,
satisfying every one.Text messages,Tweets,
Instagram posts, Facebook messages, Vine
retweets, Snapchats, – it's difficult not to
sit and wonder how he can pay attention
to so many people at once. He jokes that
conversation is the only thing that can
keep his attention other than tennis. Even
during a sit down interview, we have to
take a break so he can grab a quick selfie.
#interviewface
It's difficult to fully appreciate what
Rasheed means about paying attention
until you see him play.
During a late afternoon practice session at
the South East Tennis Center, Rasheed is
locked in exhibition play. With his doubles
partner, Nolan Jones, he's up 6-0, 5-0 in
his second set. It's not a particularly close
game, but that's hard to tell from his facial
expression.
In between each point, he jokes, laughs,
and prods as any 17-year old would do,
but as soon as he steps up to the service
line, that beaming smile fades into a quiet,
calculating player already three moves
ahead of his opponent.
Rasheed, serving for game, puts down a
105 mph tennis ball that curves right as
soon as it bounces in play – "I love putting
spin on my serves," he says – and before his
opponent can get his racquet on the ball,
Rasheed has approached the net.
His opponent's return speedily makes its
way towards the net, holding onto some of
Rasheed's initial power. As he has done all
game, Rasheed gives a backhand chop to
the ball that sends the ball straight down
the service line and out of reach.Game.Set.
Match.
I can't help but ask Rasheed how he so
consistently outmaneuvered his opponents
at the net – where players have far less time
to react to shots than on the baseline. He
just smiles and tells me, "I knew where they
were going to hit it!"
Rushing the Net
Even in Rasheed's practice stroke, he
reveals the true talent and beauty of his
game. In tennis, there are two conventional
kinds of players – baseline sluggers and net
players. There are those in between, but
for practical purposes baseline sluggers are
stronger, slower, players that seek to win
by overpowering their opponents with a
barrage of topspin heavy shots while net
players rely on quick, choppy shots that
misdirect the tennis ball with short and
long shots often laden with backspin.
Players who play the net give the
paradoxical illusion that they are gambling
each and every point with an all-out blitz
(to borrow another sport's metaphors) of
offensive recklessness, while also expressing
the distinct ability to read their opponents'
minds.
Good net players can return any shot their
opponent fires at them; great net players
can choose what kind of shot they'd like
their opponents to hit (if at all).
Rasheed is a net player.He's fast,aware,and
always on top of the ball. While his strokes
can contain power, he is more conservative
with strength to mislead his opponents.
"When I'm not playing tennis, I'm all over
the place," he says."Something just changes
when I get on the court though."
His instinctive ability, coupled with
his almost twin-like connection to his
doubles partner, Nolan, brought him and
his team, the D.C. Hot Shots, to within
striking distance of the Junior Team Tennis
National Championships. He and Nolan
went undefeated in doubles play, carrying
Washington D.C.'s team to a fourth place
national finish – the best in program's
history.
Ron Jackson, his coach at Bishop
McNamara High School, is effusive in his
praise of him. "Rasheed, the tennis player,
is one of the most talented male players I've
seen," he said. "He has the talent to play
Division One tennis at a major university
and I believe with his talent and athleticism,
he may play on the professional circuit after
college. He's just that talented."
Planting Roots
Rasheed, in the next several weeks, will
choose where he's going to play his college
tennis.He's looking at several schools,all of
which have Division One athletic programs,
and is narrowing his options further on the
basis of academics – another strong suit of
his. "I know tennis isn't forever," he says.
"But I like it, and it's a lot of fun for me."
The pressure, like most things for Rasheed,
doesn't mount – it simply is.
Just like his tennis game, he will go where
he goes, he will play the way he plays, and
he will win the way he wins.
Until then, he'll spend his summer with
Brian and Briana – years removed from
international tennis play and collegiate
recruiting – to help further the budding
legacy of Washington, D.C. tennis.
"It's going to be a fun summer," he says,
smiling.
22. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER22
During varsity football
offseason, Camari Murray '16,
Brian Thompson '16, Jonathan
McCullough '16, and Xavier
Williams '17 participate in
Indoor Track & Field. Just as
they torch defenders on the
football field, so too do they
sprint ahead on the track.
At the Emerging Elite 4x200
National Championships, the
foursome won in a convincing
1:30.54 over the best relay
runners in the country. Camari
led off to set the grueling pace
and then handed off to Brian,
who competed for first. Jonathan
overtook the competition and
handed off to Xavier, who ran
a 22.06 anchor - good enough
to smoke the competition and
elicit incredulous praise from the
announcers.
The boys are coached by Keith
Chapman, and compete in
multiple events. "We couldn't be
prouder," says Athletic Director
Anthony Johnson '88.
MUSTANG
RECORD
BREAKERS
23. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER 23
At every sports game - be it football, volleyball, soccer, track
and field,baseball,softball,cheerleading,Dance Team,tennis,
cross country, lacrosse, basketball, wrestling, golf, swimming,
diving - there's always a large group of cheering students.
Even represented by a twitter account (@StangSpirit), the
Bishop McNamara High School cheering section never lets
down its athletes, from varsity to intramural. "We truly do
have the best student cheering section," says Athletic Director
Anthony Johnson '88. "They're always there to support the
maroon and gold and we thank them for it!"
FEVER
THE BISHOP
McNAMARA
MUSTANG
SPIRIT
25. L. Paul Jackson II '94 Maurice Young '00 Michael Brooks '97 Crystal Washington '00
Ota Tabron '73 Coach Robert St. Pierre and Frank Abood '83
of the 1980 Golf Championship Team
Family members of
Coach Bill Shea
The 1985 La Reine High School Championship Basketball Team with
Coach Rohan and Coach McNamara
H
IG H S C H O O
L
HALL
OF FAME
Class of
2015
BISH
O
P Mc NA
M
ARA
H
IG H S C H O O
L
HALL
OF FAME
Class of
2015
BISH
O
P Mc NA
M
ARA
H
IG H S C H O O
L
HALL
OF FAME
Class of
2015
BISH
O
P Mc NA
M
ARA
H
IG H S C H O O
L
HALL
OF FAME
Class of
2015
BISH
O
P Mc NA
M
ARA
H
IG H S C H O O
L
HALL
OF FAME
Class of
2015
BISH
O
P Mc NA
M
ARA
H
IG H S C H O O
L
HALL
OF FAME
Class of
2015
BISH
O
P Mc NA
M
ARA
H
IG H S C H O O
L
HALL
OF FAME
Class of
2015
BISH
O
P Mc NA
M
ARA
H
IG H S C H O O
L
HALL
OF FAME
Class of
2015
BISH
O
P Mc NA
M
ARA
H
IG H S C H O O
L
HALL
OF FAME
Class of
2015
BISH
O
P Mc NA
M
ARA
H
IG H S C H O O
L
HALL
OF FAME
Class of
2015
BISH
O
P Mc NA
M
ARA
H
IG H S C H O O
L
HALL
OF FAME
Class of
2015
BISH
O
P Mc NA
M
ARA
H
IG H S C H O O
L
HALL
OF FAME
Class of
2015
BISH
O
P Mc NA
M
ARA
H
IG H S C H O O
L
HALL
OF FAME
Class of
2015
BISH
O
P Mc NA
M
ARA
H
IG H S C H O O
L
HALL
OF FAME
Class of
2015
BISH
O
P Mc NA
M
ARA
H
IG H S C H O O
L
HALL
OF FAME
Class of
2015
BISH
O
P Mc NA
M
ARA
H
IG H S C H O O
L
HALL
OF FAME
Class of
2015
BISH
O
P Mc NA
M
ARA
THE MUSTANG MESSENGER 25
27. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER 27
rother David Grand Andrews,
C.S.C., born March 16, 1944 in
Mansfield, Massachusetts was
baptized one month later at St. Mary's
Church. He was the fifth of 10 children
born to Emery Collins Andrews and
Elizabeth Bernier Andrews.
David's education was completed at
Immaculate Conception School in
Taunton, Massachusetts. When his faith
was sacramentally confirmed on May 10,
1959 at St. Mary's Church in Taunton,
David adopted the name of a formidable
patron saint, Ignatius, which he often used
thereafter as his middle name.
From early on, David felt that God was
calling him to a life of service in the Church.
The family move to Taunton gave young
David the opportunity to attend Msgr.
James Coyle High School, administered
and staffed by the Brothers of Holy Cross,
Eastern Province. There, he was taught by
the Brothers and participated in the Andre
Club, which offered guidance on vocations
to all walks of life. During his last two years
at Coyle,David took the job of washing the
breakfast dishes at the Brothers' residence.
In the daily contact he had with the
Brothers, he found serious conversation,
encouragement, and the example of love
shared. Before the end of his junior year, he
had decided on his vocation.
Upon graduating from Coyle High School
in June of 1962, David entered St. Joseph
Juniorate, Valatie, New York and was
received into the novitiate there in August
of 1962. Br. David made his first profession
of vows as a religious man on August 23,
1963 and his final profession on August 22,
1969.
In September of 1963, Br. David began his
undergraduate studies at Stonehill College
in North Easton, Massachusetts, receiving
a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in
1967. He later earned Master's degrees in
English (Rhode Island College, 1975) and
in Social and Systematic Theology (Boston
College, 1977). Br. David completed pre-
law studies at the University of Notre
Dame, in 1991 and received his JD from
the University of Loyola School of Law,
New Orleans, Louisiana in May of 1995.
He began his ministry in Holy Cross as
an English teacher, first at Holy Cross
High School, Flushing, New York (1967-
1970), next at Cardinal Mooney High
School (1970-1972), and then at Bishop
McNamara High School (1972-1976). He
was an excellent teacher in the Classical
tradition, leading students to discover for
themselves the truths to be learned.
Br. David began his tenure at Bishop
McNamara following a year of
experimentation with a new academic
teaching tool, "modular scheduling."
Modular scheduling was akin to
independent study, often found in colleges
and universities, but was a complete failure
on the high school level. President/CEO
Marco J.Clark '85 said that Br.David's strict
adherence to a rigorous curriculum and
structure helped found the characteristics
of academic excellence known today at
Bishop McNamara. "Students who hadn't
done much in a year were suddenly reading
50-100 pages a night of classic, American
literature," he said. "I have alumni say to
me that, even to this day, they're still not as
well read as they were in high school."
In 1977, he stepped out of the classroom
and became the administrator of the St.
Joseph Spiritual Life Center at Valatie,
again facilitating the discovery of truth in
God. In 1981, he took on a new role when
chosen to be the Executive Director of the
Edward Vincent O'Hara Institute for Rural
Ministry.Under his five-year leadership,the
institute rose to national prominence for
its authoritative work in the field of rural
pastoral ministry and was a resource to the
National Catholic Rural Life Conference
of the National Conference of Catholic
Bishops.
He then served as the Director of Education
for the Eastern Province of the Brothers of
Holy Cross, returning to serve as the first
President of Bishop McNamara (1989-
1990).Br.David came shortly before Bishop
McNamara and La Reine High School
merged for budgetary purposes. During his
first year, Bishop McNamara High School
became Bishop McNamara High School
Incorporated, as the Holy Cross institution
moved from an ownership model to a
sponsorship model. "The move was a sign
of financial peril," Marco said. "What had
to be done in his year as President was the
work of revival for a school headed towards
closure, and look at us now." He credits Br.
David with saving the School by making
difficult, but necessary choices. "Not all of
his decisions were popular or well-liked,
but he moved with the Holy Spirit to save
our institution."
Following his work at Bishop McNamara,
Br. David pursued his law degree, at the
University of Loyola (1995).He was named
the Executive Director of the National
Catholic Rural Life Conference (1995-
2007). Br. David brought his remarkable
talents to this and to succeeding roles as the
Coordinator of Justice and Peace for the
Congregation of Holy Cross (2006-2010)
and as a Senior Representative for Food &
Water Watch (2008-2014). With faith and
compassion, he expanded his experience of
living in a large family to a global context
in which all must care and share in order
to survive. A truth-speaker, he fearlessly
and eloquently voiced concerns about the
relationship to the earth and to each other,
challenging the complacent, the powerful,
and the shortsighted. At the center of his
philosophy was the saying: "eating is a
moral act."
Br. David served on provincial councils and
was a stimulating and enjoyable presence
at province and general chapters. He had
a long list of publications covering issues
in rural pastoral ministry, food justice, and
sustainable food systems. His expertise
made him a sought-after lecturer and valued
member of boards and councils. When
failing health demanded his attention, Br.
David retired to St.Joseph Center inValatie,
but maintained an interest in community
news and world issues that stayed close to
his heart. On Monday morning, January
5, 2015, Br. David peacefully slipped the
bonds of this good earth and went to meet
the God of Truth.
Br. David is survived by Bruce Andrews,
Jane Correia, James Andrews, Timothy,
Leao, Dennis, Kathleeen Viveiros, his
late sister Melanie Andrews, and Kevin
Andrews, and many nieces and nephews.
To honor the life and legacy of Br.
David, Bishop McNamara High School,
in association with alumni and former
students, has created the Brother David
Andrews Scholarship. If you would like
to give to this scholarship, please send your
gift to the School or give online at www.
bmhs.org under "Support BMHS." For
questions or additional information, please
contact:
Director of Advancement
L'oreal Edmondson '98
loreal.edmondson@bmhs.org or
301.735.8401 x134.
B
29. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER 29
t's hard to believe that, over 40 years
ago, I graduated from La Reine
High School. Last May, I had the
opportunity to see some of my former
classmates and it was as if time stood still.
To this day, I tell people that high school
was truly one of the greatest times of my
life.
In my hometown, I found my passion
beginning with my extraordinary family.
My father was a hard-working, young,
idealistic Italian man who wanted to come
to the United States to take advantage of all
the opportunities the country offered. He
served as a soldier in World War II who,
during his service,was captured and held as
a prisoner of war. As often was the case, he
was the first to come to the states, worked
hard as a barber in Washington,D.C.at the
landmark hotel,Hotel Harrington. Shortly
after, my mom and two sisters, Angela and
Beatrice (also La Reine graduates in '68
and '70), followed. I was born a couple of
years later.
Growing up in Berkshire, Maryland a few
minutes from Mt. Calvary Elementary
School and Bishop McNamara High
School was perfect. The Berkshire-
Forestville community was a special
one. Mt. Calvary, La Reine, and Bishop
McNamara mirrored the family I found
in my community. La Reine and Bishop
McNamara were the two older, wiser
siblings, while Mt. Calvary was the young,
upstart of the family.
As a member of the class of l974,
my memories of my time at La
Reine are profound. I attended high
school during a turbulent time in our
nation's history. The Vietnam War
was at the forefront of national debate,
creating a schism between younger and
older generations. In the year before my
freshman year, Martin Luther King, Jr.,
and presidential nominee Robert Kennedy
were assassinated. During my freshman
year, National Guardsmen fired 67 rounds
of ammunition toward college students in
Kent, Ohio protesting the Vietnam War.
In my community, I felt safe from these
turbulent times, but also informed and
motivated to address them. I graduated
from high school in May, three months
before President Richard Nixon resigned
on August 9, 1974.
What I had witnessed in my youth inspired
my career pursuit following my time in
high school. I went to Trinity University
in Washington, D.C., and then pursued
my graduate degree in drama in 1980 from
Catholic University.
I wanted to work as an actress in
entertainment, and followed my dream to
New York City. After my time at a talent
agency, I explored other opportunities and
landed a job with "NBC Nightly News
with Tom Brokaw." The experience was
incredible, but also reminiscent of my
childhood. The same little girl who had
asked her father why only The Washington
Post had been covering all President
Nixon's transgressions was now breaking
the same caliber of stories. I was able to
witness and work on some of the biggest
events of our time — the Challenger
shuttle tragedy, the first Gulf War, and the
fall of the Berlin Wall.
I was called to return to
W a s h i n g t o n , D.C. several
years into my work with NBC
to be with my parents, who both
suddenly became terminally ill. I
was fortunate and thankful to God
that I could be with them, and
to have the same community that
had raised me helping me
to cope with their passing.
Shortly after my parents
passed, I returned to
New York. Leaving my
post at NBC, I began working for a high
level public relations agency that did
publicity for the likes of Pizza Hut, Taco
Bell,Advil,and Kentucky Fried Chicken to
name a few.
The experience, ultimately, brought me
back to Washington, D.C., where I began
my new career as a college professor at
American University. There, my new
position afforded me the opportunity to
address the activism impetus I've always
felt. Part of what I do as a communications
professor is to reach out to organizations
and people who need help so that my
students can assist them with visibility,
social media, press releases, etc.
In July of 2007, I noticed a story in
The Washington Post about an African
American man in Georgia named Troy
Davis,accused of killing a Caucasian police
officer, who was set to be executed the next
day. The evidence, labeled as questionable
by The Washington Post, relied on the
testimony of nine witnesses who had almost
all recanted their testimony,claiming police
had originally coerced them.
Davis was not executed the next day, so I
called Amnesty International to connect
me with Davis' sister, Martina, and offered
my help. That semester, my class helped
write letters to the media about Davis,
asking them to cover the case because of the
injustices and inconsistencies surrounding
it. Tragically, my work with Troy ended on
September 21,2011,when he was executed
by the state of Georgia.
Troy's fate, and life, further inspired my
desire to involve students in social justice
campaigns. This semester, my class is
working with the family of James Foley,
the young journalist killed by ISIS this
past summer. Diane and John Foley have
created a nonprofit to remember the work
their son did as a journalist and to inspire
young people. The students' involvement
in these issues reminds me of my
own involved upbringing in the
Berkshire-Forestville community.
My time at La Reine High School
left such an indelible mark upon my
person and future, that I am unable
to conjure anything but feelings of
immense gratitude for the opportunity
to pass this same sense of communal
and social awareness to my students. As I
celebrate my 40th reunion from La Reine,
and Bishop McNamara's 50th anniversary,
it is my hope that people who graduated
with me – my fellow 'La Reinians' – will
want to pass along their experiences to the
next generation as well. I can think of no
better place to support than my own family
member, Bishop McNamara High School,
as it moves forward in building the La
Reine Science Wing addition, a physical
embodiment of the industry-leading
women of my alma mater. Look to the Star
– Call Upon Mary!
I
30. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER30
Athletic Director Anthony Johnson '88, Hall of Fame Inductee Crystal Washington '00, President/CEO Marco J.
Clark '85, and Principal Dr. Robert Van der Waag at the Mustang Hall of Fame
'74
Ms. Gemma Puglisi LR '74, spoke to the
Senior Class in the month of November
about her extraordinary career in
journalism, marketing, and public relations.
She focused on how those experiences led
her to her volunteer work for Amnesty
International and her vital role as a part
of the Troy Davis death penalty case. Ms.
Puglisi is a full-time professor of Public
Communications at American University.
In 2006, she received the Order of the Star
and was knighted by the Republic of Italy
for her contributions to education and for
promoting Italian language and culture.
'77
North Texas head football coach Dan
McCarney has announced the hiring of
Chris Cosh '77 as defensive coordinator.
Cosh comes to North Texas with a wealth
of experience, having served as a defensive
coordinator for 16 of his 30 seasons in
coaching, including time at Kansas State,
Maryland, South Carolina, Michigan State
and Illinois.He spent 2014 as the defensive
line coach at the University of Buffalo. He
will replace John Skladany, who retired at
the end of the season.
David Allan Beas '77 has written a new
book which is now available! This Note's
For You: Popular Music + Advertising =
Marketing Excellence takes you behind the
curtain of some of the best popular music
in advertising campaigns of all time. This
collection of award-winning music in
advertising campaigns shows where this
art in advertising form has been, where it
is now, and helps the student to be a part
of where it is going. David is currently a
professor of music marketing, and chair of
the marketing department at the HAUB
School of Business at Saint Joseph's
University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
'79
Theresa "Terry" Davis Benelli LR '79
was appointed Executive Director of
the Phoenix, Arizona office of the Local
Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).
The LISC is a non-profit community
development organization that strives to
transform distressed neighborhoods into
healthy and sustainable communities.
'87
Ernest "Reggie" Smith III '87 was
featured in Lincoln University's Black
History Month Issue for his success as
an alumni. Named with such historians
as Francis Cecil Summers and Thurgood
Marshall, Reggie is the first African
American President and Board Chairman
of the United States Distance Learning
Association.
'95
Elliott Gibson Jr. '95 proposed to his
girlfriend, Yolanda, in November after
dating for four years. He proposed while
they were on vacation in the French Riviera.
'96
Joseph Webb '96 recently had the honor
of meeting legendary actor, dancer, and
singer Ben Vereen. Mr. Vereen has been
the recipient of many awards for his
performances on stage and on-screen.
Joseph is an international award-winning
dancer and is the director of his own
company,The American Embassy of Dance
in Washington, D.C. The company offers
many classes and workshops, including
ballet, hip-hop, tap, flamenco, and more.
'98
LaShell Stratton-Childers '98 was
nominated for a NAACP Image Award
for her book, Another Woman's Man, in
the Outstanding Literary Work-Fiction
category.
Crystal M. Lee '98 received the DCC
Junior NCO of the Year Achievement
Award from the military's DOD Defense
Information Systems Agency Command
Center on December 18, 2014.
'00
Theology teacher Justin McClain '00 was
recently published in the Ave Maria Press
bi-annual school newsletter, for his article
"Catholic Education and Jesus as the
Definitive Teacher." The Ave Maria Press is
a major Catholic book publisher under the
Congregation of Holy Cross that provides
an important outlet for good Catholic
writing.
When I Was the Greatest, written by Jason
Reynolds'00,wasselectedasthisyear'sJohn
Steptoe Award winner. A compelling story
about neighborhood, family, friendship,
values, and the acceptance of difference,
Reynolds focuses on the importance of
these, the acceptance of responsibility, and
the obligations of friendship, and portrays
a likeable teenager learning how to be a
good man. The Coretta Scott King Book
McNAMARalumni
31. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER 31
McNAMARalumni
Awards are given annually to outstanding
African American authors and illustrators
of books for children and young adults that
demonstrate an appreciation of African
American culture and universal human
values. Jason was also recently recognized
and quoted by Beyoncé on her website.
Highlighting his success and several of
his books, Jason has been recognized as
"proof that no dream is too large." Below
is the quote that was recognized: "I think
our children have always been tethered to
the magic of life. It's innate. So we should
never cast them aside or relegate them to
beastliness. Instead, we should always be
expecting brilliance. Always."
'04
Cameron Trexler '04 is doing well as a
firefighter for Prince George's County and
is married with a little boy of his own!
'05
After graduating from UNC Charlotte
with a degree in Exercise Science,
Alexandra Roane '05 has had a successful
start to her career as a personal trainer
and pro-bodybuilder. She also owns
her own personal training company,
PERFECT F.I.T. Training (Faith Ignites
Transformation). For anyone that may
be interested in quality and versatile
training sessions, they can send an email to
perfectfit.training122@gmail.com
'06
Edward "Eddie" Tyson '06 and Natalie
Seppi '07 got engaged on December 6,
2014 after three and a half years of dating.
Natalie thought she was going out to dinner
with two close friends, but then Eddie
showed up and got down on one knee in
the rain in front of all their closest friends.
'07
After returning from Peace Corps Morocco
and moving to Oregon, Tiara Darnell '07
recently spent last summer working in a
vineyard during harvest and crush season,
learning how to make wine. After traveling
abroad and learning more about wine,Tiara
is now beginning her studies to complete
a specialized degree in Wine Business at
Chemeketa Community College in Salem,
Oregon.
BrandonGallman'07andEbonyEdwards
'08 got engaged on December 25, 2014,
here at Bishop McNamara where they first
met. Brandon proposed to Ebony in front
of all of their close friends the middle of
our School gym, as Ebony is a former Lady
Mustang.
'08
Kaisha Sutton '08 and Quinton Huguley
were wed on January 2,2015 at Arena Stage.
The couple met during their first year of
college at Mount Saint Mary's University.
More than 100 couples entered to win
this $80,000 dream wedding sweepstakes,
inspired by the musical production of
"Fiddler on the Roof." Kaisha and Quinton
were the winners of the contest.
'09
Andrew Bannister '09 was recently
named to the NCAA Division II All-
Academic Team by the Wrestling Coaches
Association for the 2014-2015 year for the
Notre Dame Falcons
Vincent Harrington '09 was sworn in as
a member of the Prince George's County
Democratic Central Committee.
Anthony Venida '09, along with other
scientists and physicians, has achieved
his very first publication in the Journal of
Experimental Medicine, affiliated with the
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Joshua Walker '09 graduated from Morgan
State University on December 19, 2014
with a B.S. degree in Computer Science.
Joshua was also accepted in the National
Society of Collegiate Scholars Honor
Society in 2011.
Keona Williams '09 is currently an active
member of AmeriCorp, and is one of the
few, if not the first African American
woman to hold a position on the Fire
Management Team.
Talib Zanna '09 was named to the 2015
NBA Development League All-Star Team.
In 32 games (23 starts) this season for the
Oklahoma City Blue, Talib averages 13.2
points and 10.9 rebounds in 27.3 minutes
while shooting 63.3 percent from the field.
He ranks third in the league in offensive
rebounds (4.4 per game) and fourth in
double-doubles (18). Talib plays forward
for the Blue.
Kaisha Sutton '08 & Quinton Huguley Wedding Contest Winners!
32. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER32
'10
Brandon Coleman '10, New Orleans
Saints receiver, was selected among 25
current and former NFL players for a three-
week offseason externship. He worked
for The Trust, powered by the NFLPA, to
gain comprehensive experience and take
advantage of learning about areas that
may be available outside of football. After
spending most of his rookie season on the
practice squad before being promoted to
the active roster late in 2014, he is expected
to compete for a roster spot with the Saints
in training camp.
Temple University senior, Kiersten
LaRoche '10, has been named the Under
Armour OwlSports.com Athlete of the
Week after an impressive showing for
Temple at the Patriot Games on January
30-31. Kiersten set three personal bests
and broke a school record over the two-day
event in track and field.
On January 10, 2015 Kendall Smith
'10 was crowned Miss Annapolis 2015.
With her title, she will fulfill her duties
by serving her community and supporting
her platform STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics Education
Coalition). In past years, Kendall was
crowned Miss White Oak 2012, Miss
Prince George's County 2013 and Miss
University City 2014.June 21-27,2015 will
be Miss Maryland week, and Kendall will
join the other 21 lucky young women all
across the state to vie for the title of Miss
Maryland 2015.
'11
The Towson University Women's
Swimming and Diving team won its third
consecutive Colonial Athletic Association
(CAA) Championship title. Amanda
Barber '11 placed fifth in the 100-yard
freestyle.The Tigers totaled 720 points over
the four-day meet.They capped off a historic
season with their seventh conference title
in eight years and went undefeated in dual-
meets during the regular season (10-0, 4-0
CAA) for the first time since the program's
debut in 1972.
Taylor Brown '11 has been a key factor
in the ascendance of the George Mason
Patriots this season. She led the Patriots
during her first season in scoring and
assists,and has been recognized as the most
productive player and leads all area men's
and women's players in scoring at 22.7
points per game.
Denise Idun '11 graduated from the
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
on December 18, 2014 with a B.A. in
Health Administration and Policy and
a minor in Information Systems. She is
currently applying for graduate school and
plans to start in the Fall.
Allison Morris '11 was recently published
in the Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Math
Journal as a co-author of "The Strong
Symmetric Genus Spectrum of Ablian
Groups". Allison is currently a senior
Mathematics major at Towson University.
Edward "Eddie" Pak '11 recently returned
from New York after attending an awards
dinner, receiving an award from the YMA
Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF) for the
second year in a row. While in New York,
Eddie met with influential designers and
fashion individuals from all over the nation.
Eddie is currently finishing his last semester
at University of Southern California,
studying Business Administration. He also
has a full-time job waiting for him with
Macy's Executive Development Program.
Capturing the 2015 Atlantic 10 Women's
Track and Field Championship on Sunday,
VCU's Women's Track and Field clinched
their first-ever indoor track title. Alexis
Stroman '11, senior hurdler, placed second
McNAMARalumni
Were you at our Alumni Christmas party? We were so happy to have all of our graduates return!
33. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER 33
McNAMARalumni
in both the preliminary and final 60M
hurdle contests.
Marcus Thornton '11, senior guard at
William and Mary, has been selected as
this year's Colonial Athletic Association
Player of the Year. Marcus averaged 19.4
points per game, and made William and
Mary's scoring history with a record 2,155
points. Marcus played for the Tribe with
an automatic bid to the 32-team National
Invitational Tournament (NIT).
Alexandra "Alex" Vinci '11 led a mission
trip to India with 17 other Iona College
students from January 5-17, 2015. They
traveled to Calcutta and New Delhi to
work with several service groups, such as
the Sister's of Charity in Mother Theresa's
House, the Lotus Project, the Christian
Brothers, and Nine is Mine. Alex is
currently interning with the Global Poverty
Project, a non-profit with the objective of
ending extreme poverty by 2030.
'12
Sydney Kidwell '12 was selected for an
internship with Adidas this past fall. Since
August, Sydney has been in Germany
working with designers from Adidas as well
as from all over the world to help develop,
design, and arrange their upcoming
clothing lines.
Leslie Martin '12 traveled to Biloxi,
Mississippi to participate in "Alternative
Spring Break" with eight other students
from UVA. Leslie and the rest of the group
worked on disaster relief and environmental
conservation projects.They teamed up with
Community Collaboration International,
who rely on student volunteers to restore
and rebuild homes, clean trails and
shorelines, and mentor youth.
'13
Alexis Alvarez '13 recently joined the
University of Virginia Chapter of Students
Helping Honduras. During her Christmas
break, she traveled to San Pedro Sula,
Honduras to help break ground for a new
school. The mission of the chapter is to
deter gang violence and poverty through
education. Alexis continues to fundraise
in order to help other chapters complete
the work she, the University of Virginia
Chapter, and the villagers started.
Defensive back Jordan Martin '13, a
sophomore at The University of Toledo,
had three tackles, a sack, a forced fumble
and two pass breakups in Toledo's 63-44
win over Arkansas State in the GoDaddy
Bowl on January 4th.
Kendall Pace '13 is a sophomore student-
athlete at Columbia University in New
York, and was the recent recipient of the
2014 Jack Armstrong Most Outstanding
Offensive Lineman Award. Kendall is a
two-year starter in the Ivy League and
received the honor at the Columbia
University football athletic banquet on
February 7, 2015.
'14
Alfred "Baby J" Bannister '14 was featured
in the Gazette for one of the Top 10 Stories
of 2014, highlighting his accomplishments
here at Bishop McNamara. He finished
with 272 career wins,which is good enough
for third in the history of the nation. He
also won his fourth straight Maryland
Independent School State title, a feat
accomplished by only four other wrestlers
in state history.
Brenna Kacar '14, along with several other
freshmanatWashingtonCollege,havemade
a great start in the Shorewomen's rowing
team.The Shorewomen opened their spring
schedule on March 7th in Philadelphia
against Division I schools Drexel, La Salle,
Saint Joseph's, and Delaware. After back-
to-back Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference
(MARC) Championships and NCAA
Division III Championship berths along
with lofty season-ending national rankings,
the Washington College women's rowing
team was heavily favored to win its third
consecutive conference title.
ALUMNI: WANT TO
GET INVOLVED?
MENTOR PROGRAM
Bishop McNamara is initiating
a new program to create mentor
connections between students and
alumni.This program will promote
the overall success of the student and
give the alumni the opportunity to
inspire, encourage and engage with
our bright young leaders.The idea is
for students to develop skills that will
enable them to achieve, succeed, and
recognize their own potential while
our awesome volunteer alumni exhibit
their commitment to affecting positive
change in the educational futures of
young people.This is why we need
you! You can inspire and encourage a
young person to aim high and build
their confidence to follow their dreams.
You do not need any specific skills
or experience. You simply need to be
willing and enthusiastic about wanting
to encourage, guide and inspire our
Bishop McNamara students. No matter
how far you climb, you should always
look back to see who you can pull up
along the way.
Please sign up to become an Alumni
Mentor by sending an email to Michael
Jones '96 at michael.jones@bmhs.org or
calling 301.735.8401 ext. 111.
SPEAKER SERIES
We welcome all alumni to come back
to Bishop McNamara and speak to our
current students about their amazing
careers and offer any advice they have
about their professional experiences.
If you wish to come by and share,
contact Michael Jones '96 at
michael.jones@bmhs.org.
34. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER34
Memorial Garden
The pictured Bricks, Pavers, and Benches are available to purchase and
personalize in memory of your loved ones. Bricks are $250, Pavers are $500,
and Benches are $1,000. For further information please contact
L'oreal Edmondson at 240.455.9618 or Loreal.Edmondson@bmhs.org.
35. THE MUSTANG MESSENGER 35
Eternal rest, grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May
they rest in peace. Amen.
Alec Altimus, son of Kelli Altimus Wagner LR '88, and the nephew
of Doug Altimus '84 and Todd Altimus '85, passed away on
November 28, 2014. .
Donald Anderson, father of Brenda Anderson Osborn LR '76,
passed away on January 3, 2015.
Kevin M. Barry, Sr., father of Dolores Barry Heil LR '69, the late
Kevin M. Barry, Jr. '71, and Maureen Barry Mussler LR '73, passed
away on January 18, 2015.
Ken Bowen, husband of Teresa Lucas-Bowen LR '86 passed away.
George Browne, father of Tiffany Browne '98 passed away.
Dwight Bynum '05 passed away December 1, 2014.
Contee Cameron Jr., father of Contee Cameron III '09 and Jasmine
Cameron '17 passed away on January 30, 2015.
Doris Whalen Castagna, mother of Linda Marie Whalen
Rennie LR '78, passed away on February 21, 2015.
Michael Colabucci, brother of Brian Colabucci '74 and Kevin
Colabucci '76, and husband of Patricia Byrnes Colabucci LR '76,
passed away on February 23, 2015.
Mary Fowler, mother of Carol Fowler Szymkowicz LR '65, passed
away on December 19, 2014.
Carol Glover, sister of Beverly Inman, a BMHS parent and former
Caritas Volunteer of the Year, passed away on January 13, 2014.
Venus Greenwell, mother of Ellen Myers LR '70, Loretta
Finamore LR '71, Lynn Sizemore LR '73, Chuck Greenwell,
Charlotte Handley LR '78, Paula Fitzgerald LR '76, John
Greenwell '79, Alice Oliff LR '82, Mary Biggs LR '82, and Patricia
"Tricia" Kiernan LR '83, and grandmother of Mark Myers '92,
Raymond Myers '90, Ryan Jedrey '92, passed away on November 5,
2014.
Florent Hughes, father of Karen Showalter and Father Mark
Hughes, and grandfather of Rebecca Showalter '02
passed away recently.
Jerome D. Julius, Sr., grandfather of Jessica Julius '04, Noelle
Johnson '10, Leon Julius Johnson '14, and Dione Johnson '16,
passed away on March 2, 2015.
Scott Kelly '80 passed away on December 29, 2014.
Veronica Kennedy, mother of Bishop McNamara High School
Board of Directors member Father Kennedy, passed away on
March 14, 2015.
James V. Lomax, Jr., parent of Thais Lomax Joy LR '91 and James
V. Lomax III '97, and father-in-law of Christopher Joy '90, passed
away on December 9, 2014. He is survived by his spouse,
Bonniejean.
James Maruca, father of Constance Maruca Zambelli LR '78, James
Maruca '81, Donald Maruca '84, and Christopher Maruca '86,
passed away on Wednesday, November 19, 2014.
Spurgeon Montgomery, parent of Spurgeon B. Montgomery '95 and
Curtis Montgomery '99, passed away on January 6, 2015.
Mr. William Munn, longtime bus driver for Bishop McNamara,
passed away.
Brother Richard O'Brien, CSC passed away.
Ellsworth D. Patterson Sr. (US Army), father of Ellsworth David
Patterson Jr. '78, passed away on January 31, 2015.
Mrs. Lynn K. Rice, mother of BMHS staff member Brayon Rice,
passed away on Friday, December 5, 2014.
Annette (Antonia) Toscano Stine LR '77 passed away on
December 21, 2014.
Robert Sweringen, father of former BMHS Staff member Sue
Meyer and grandfather of Andrew Meyer '12, passed away on
March 8, 2015.
Tanya Walls, mother of Erica Walls '09, passed away
December 6, 2014.
Mary Teresa "Terri" Schmitt Wilson LR '68 passed away October
24, 2014.
Marilyn Undercoffer, aunt of Justin Banford '01 and William
Banford '97 passed away on January 13, 2014.
Cora Lee Davis Winchester, mother of Nancy Winchester LR '74
and Joan Winchester LR '77, passed away October 12, 2014.
in loving memory
36. OUR MISSION
Bishop McNamara High School, a college preparatory
school in the Holy Cross tradition, exists to educate
and form young men and women in and through the
Catholic faith. The School challenges its students to
think with Christ, a thought animated by the Gospel,
manifested in service and informed by academic
excellence.
THE MUSTANG MESSENGER36
BISHOP McNAMARA HIGH SCHOOL
6800 Marlboro Pike
Forestville, MD 20747-3270
301.735.8401
www.BMHS.org
Address Service Requested
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Forestville, MD
Permit No. 2048
