Brian`s Scholars News Volume 1 Issue 3

Volume 2, Issue 1
T HE B RIAN ’ S S CHOLARS F OUNDATION
Making Quality Education Affordable
BRIAN’S SCHOLARS NEWS
BSF TO HONOR LONG TIME PARISHONER
In this Issue:
• BSF to Honor Long
Time Parishioner Rocky
Graciano
• BSPS Students Shine at
Science Fair and
Beyond!
• Connect with us: An
Alumni Letter
• Bunko for Brian’s
Scholars: FUNraising
• “Irish Eyes are Smiling”
at this Year’s Big 10
• Supporting Brian’s
Scholars
ATTENTION ALUMNI:
We want to know what you
are doing! Please send
updates and contact
information to:
alum@bsps-sd.org
Do you know Rocky Graciano?
Longtime parishioners and BSPS
alumni certainly do. If you don’t
know him, read on. If you do know
him, read on and learn a little more
about this inspirational coach and
Catholic example for generations of
students, staff, parents and parishioners. The Brian’s Scholars Foundation believes that, like Brian Bennett, Rocky exemplifies what it
means to be a friend, teacher and
example to the world. As a tribute
to his commitment to Blessed Sacrament, we will be honoring Rocky
with a dinner party on May 19th
(see insert). With that dinner in
mind we asked Tom Graciano,
Rocky’s son, to tell us about his
dad.
“Dad started coaching at Blessed
Sacrament in 1956 under the Irish
pastor, Monsignor Francis Ott, a
great teacher of life and a lover of
sports--a perfect match. Monsignor Ott taught Knute Rockne how
to play golf and believed that losing was for the other guy.
Dad coached football, basketball,
baseball and track... boys and girls
teams. His teams were very fundamentally sound and played with
the great enthusiasm and focus of
the coach. Although he had many
successful and memorable teams,
his greatest memories are of the
relationships that he developed
with his players, who to this day
still call him Rocky or Coach. He
considers himself lucky to have
coached many fine athletes but,
of course, his most famous was
Bill Walton. Bill played all the
sports. He was an end in football
and a very good high jumper in
track. Dad takes no credit for Bill's
success as a basketball player.
Dad says that Bill was fearless,
had great focus and an even
greater work ethic that has served
him well as a Hall of Fame basketball player, TV personality, pian-
ist, businessman and family man. In
2000, dad's last year to coach varsity basketball, the NBA went on
strike; that left Bill without his announcing job. Dad called Bill and
asked him to come share some of
his knowledge with the boys at
practice. One practice was all it
took, Bill was hooked. For one
month, while the NBA was on strike,
Bill was the coach at practice and
the games. Dad says it was fun to
watch. Bill's first order of business
was to replace the old steel backboards that he had played on as a
kid. The glass backboards on the
upper courts and the two portable
backboards were a gift from Bill to
the school.
Rocky and Bernice Kelley married in
1949 and joined Blessed Sacrament
in 1950. They have three children,
six grandchildren and six great
grandchildren with two more on the
way. (one due in April 2012 and
another in June 2012). Their three
children attended BSPS as well as
their six grandchildren. The oldest
great grandchild, Matthew is a 7th
grader at BSPS.
Rocky joined the San Diego City Fire
Dept. in 1952 and retired as a Fire
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
BSPS STUDENTS SHINE AT SCIENCE FAIR AND BEYOND!
A record number, (100%) of
Rita Blickenstaff’s 7th grade
science students were
accepted to the 2012 Greater
San Diego Science and
Engineering Fair and here are
their outstanding results:
Zavala, Emilly Contreras, Alexia
Castillo Kinsey Garcia-Basped,
Jennifer Nguyen, Denny
Nguyen, and Alisa Massery
4th Place – Joice Beda
*Selected to go on to the State
Competition.
st
1 Place – *Sergio Cuadra,
Krista Miya, *Julieana
Tarantino and Kathryn Le
The Brian’s Scholars
Foundation benefits the
families of Blessed
Sacrament Parish School.
Professional Awards:
Acoustical Society of America–
Toan Nguyen
2nd Place – Johnathan
San Diego County Pharmacists
Nguyen, Celia Martinez, Cene Association – Kinsey GarciaWillis, Peyton Zizzi and Toan Basped
Nguyen
San Diego Psychological
3rd Place – Kevin Lopez, Corey Association - Alisa Massery and
Kohmescher, Noah Christian, Krista Miya
Matthew Richardson, Alexis
Blessed Sacrament Parish School student,
Roman Hendle, participates in the U.S. Navy
Sea Cadet Core-Black Knights Squadron
League and recently received the Core-Black
Knights Squadron League Cadet of the Year Award!
Congratulations Roman!
CONNECT WITH US: AN ALUMNI LETTER
Dear Brian Scholar’s Community Members,
My name is Justine Champion. It
is my pleasure to inform you of the accomplishments of four of Blessed Sacrament’s
alumni in the hopes that this school will
continue to provide the solid educational
foundation that it did for my family.
My mother, Louise BoveeStinchcomb graduated from BSPS in 1971.
She went on to graduate from University of
San Diego High School in 1976 and SDSU
with a B.S. in Child Development. She has
been a first grade teacher at
Santa Sophia Academy in Spring
Valley, CA. for twenty years. She
sacrificed to give us the same
educational opportunities that
she was given. All four of her
girls, Jennifer, Jessica, Justine,
and Jillian, were given Catholic
educations that started at BSPS.
Jessica, the second oldest, was
the president of student government at
BSPS before she graduated in 1998. She
attended OLP where she was head captain
of the cheerleading squad. She graduated
OLP in 2002 and decided to study both
sociology and psychology. She graduated
in 2008 with double Bachelors of Arts in
both sociology and psychology from USD.
While working on those degrees, Jessica
studied abroad for a semester in Cork,
fall of 2005. I earned my B.A. in European
History in May of 2009 and completed my Masters of Art in Education and California Teaching
Credential in May of 2010. In March of 2010 I
civilly married a soldier in the U.S. Army, Sgt.
David Champion. After graduating I moved to
Ft. Lewis near Olympia, Washington where I
taught first grade at Holy Family Catholic
School in Lacey, WA. I am currently living in
San Diego while Sgt. Champion is deployed in
Kabul, Afghanistan. I have had the opportunity
to both substitute-teach and
tutor some of BSPS’s students
while living in San Diego this
year. Sgt. Champion and I look
forward to receiving the sacrament of Matrimony this coming
August at Blessed Sacrament
Church after this deployment
has finished.
Jillian, our youngest, was presiJennifer, the eldest,
dent of student government at
started BSPS her kindergarten
BSPS before graduating in 2004.
year. She graduated in 1996
She graduated Salutatorian from
and went on to study at The
OLP in 2008. She was recruited
Academy of Our Lady of Peace.
to attend Notre Dame in South
She was JV Cheer captain and a
Bend, Indiana. We are all planLeft to Right: Jill, Jennifer, Jessica, and Justine
member of Varsity her senior
ning to see her walk as she
year. She graduated OLP in
completes her B.A. in Liberal
2000. Jennifer decided to study at the UniIreland during the spring of 2004. After
Studies this coming May. Jillian applied for and
versity of San Francisco in the heart of the
graduating she moved to San Francisco
won a grant to study art in Rome in the fall of
city. She studied abroad one semester in
and lived there until she decided to go to
2010 during her fall break from Notre Dame.
Dublin, Ireland during the fall of 2002. She
graduate school at Brooklyn College in
She studied abroad in Athens, Greece in the
graduated with her B.A. in European HisBrooklyn, NY. She is currently living in
spring of 2011. And to top it off, Jillian was
tory in May of 2004. She completed her
Brooklyn and working on her Masters of
recently accepted to Yale’s Divinity School to
Masters of Art in Education and California
Art in Sociology with an emphasis in envistudy Theology for her Masters.
multiple subject teaching credential at USF
ronmental management and working for
in 2005. Jennifer decided to stay in the Bay
the Brooklyn Catholic Diocese property
Working along side the women and
Area and taught 1st grade at St. Matthews
management office.
men that shaped the lives of so many of my
Catholic School in San Mateo, CA for five
family and friends is an honor. I hope that
I am number three, Justine
years. She was married in the Catholic
Blessed Sacrament will continue to enrich the
Stinchcomb-Champion. I graduated from
Church in 2007 to another USF graduate,
educational and spiritual lives of the children
BSPS in 2001. I was vice-president of
David Needham. They gave the Stinchblessed enough to sit in it’s classrooms. Thank
student government at BSPS. I also atcombs our first grandchild, Declan, in
you for your time.
tended OLP where I was captain of the
March of 2010. Jennifer is currently teachcheerleading squad. I graduated early
Sincerely,
ing CCD where she and her husband live in
from Garfield High School in April of 2005
Brisbane, CA. They are expecting their
Justine Champion
and spend that time working at a presecond child in August.
school. I also attended USF starting in the
BUNKO FOR BRIAN’S SCHOLARS: FUNRAISING!
The Brian’s Scholars Foundation
held its first - ever “Bunko” night
on January 21,
2012.
Approxima tely 100 pla ye rs
attended the evening, which was
coordinated by school parents Ali
Goddard and Jessica Ault.
Elizabeth Mitchell (Trevino) was in
charge of prize baskets for a
variety of Bunko awards. The
evening began with a prayer led
by Father Bruce Orsborn and then
a fantastic dinner and desserts
prepared by Ali and Jessica. The
bar was well stocked and manned
by Aaron Lopez, Brian Gibbs and
Pete Dougherty.
Once the games began, there was
non stop laughing and fun and the
haunting sound of “Bunko” being
yelled throughout the hall. It was
great to see pre-school parents
interacting with alumni parents,
teachers with alumni, and old
friends and new friends coming
together in support of Brian’s
Scholars. The evening was a huge
success and a great start to what
we hope will become an annual
event. Folks were having so much
fun that when the games ended a
good number moved to a local
watering hole to continue the
evening.
If you’re interested in attending
or helping out at the next “Bunko”
party please email us at
briansscholarsfoundation@bspssd.org or call Elaine Camara at
619-582-3862.
Sharon & Tony Albers, Kathie Senoff, & Jeanine Yin
Mrs. Veronica Meyers & Mrs. Ellen Lopez
Andrea (De Celles) Giudicelli &
Marisa (Smith) Meyers Class of 1997
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Captain in 1983 with 31 years of service.
Fr. Bruce’s father, Fire Chief Orsborn of the
La Mesa F.D., was on the interview team
that promoted Rocky to Fire Captain.
Dad developed his love for cooking and
refined his skills on the fire department.
Rory Kathleen Dougherty,
Class of 2026
Where ever he was stationed he was usually
the steady cook. Ever curious, he would
learn new recipes or make them up; it was
always good eating and a happy crew at his
fire station. Cooking and fundraising for the
school and the parish became synonymous
for dad. Over the years the events have
been too numerous to name but they have
included the Fall Festival, the Shakespeare
Sam Jarman & Pete Dougherty
Plays, Mardi Gras, priest’s birthdays and just
about any excuse to have people gather together. A lot of the cooking equipment in the
church hall, pots, pans, trays, utensils etc. have
been purchased and donated by dad.”
Join us in honoring Rocky and his life of service
to Blessed Sacrament at the dinner on May
19th.
T HE B RIAN ’ S S CHOLARS F OUNDATION
Making Quality Education Affordable
BRIAN’S SCHOLARS NEWS
The Brian’s Scholars Foundation
4551 56th St.
San Diego, CA 92115
(619) 582-3862
briansscholarsfoundation@bsps-sd.org
“IRISH EYES ARE SMILING”
SUPPORTING BRIAN’S SCHOLARS
AT THIS YEAR’S BIG 10!
This past year the Brian’s Scholars
Foundation helped over 100
families attend Blessed Sacrament Parish
School. You can make a
difference in children’s lives with your
donation.
Make your tax deductible donation to the
Brian’s Scholars Foundation:
Send a check to: 4551 56th St. San Diego,
Ca 92115
Contact: briansscholarsfoundation@bspssd.org for more information and other ways
you can help Brian’s dream come true!
Join the Brian’s Scholars Foundation
At the dinner honoring
Rocky Graciano
Just over 325 parents, alumni and friends
gathered to celebrate and support BSPS on
March 17th at Paradise Point Resort for the
26th Annual Big 10. The evening included
Dinner, Dancing, Live and Silent auction,
Raffle...and a “Whole lot of Malarkey!” Thank
you to all who were able to attend, and help
us raise over $85,000 for the children of BSPS!
Saturday May 19, 2012
6:30 pm
Blessed Sacrament Church Hall
$50 per person donation
582-3862 x 222
All proceeds benefit the Brian’s Scholars Foundation. Dinner provided by: