Homecoming: Friday, October 8
All alumni and their families are invited to join us for our Homecoming festivities on Friday, October 8! Please RSVP by October 4.
- 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.--Join us in the ALUMNI TENT prior to the 7:00 p.m. game versus Steel High. Grab a bite to eat and mingle with other alumni in attendance. All alumni will receive a free game ticket.
- 7:00 p.m.--Watch our Shamrocks take on the Steel High Rollers at COBO Field.
Alumni Association
Join our Alumni Association! The group meets every couple of months in the mornings at Trinity to plan events and engage with alumni to continue to tell the Trinity story. All are welcome! Join Alumni Association President John Hickey '81, Vice President Maria DiMascio Centurione '85, and Treasurer Jim Holder '10 in engaging with Shamrock alumni! Email alumni@thsrocks.us with your interest or questions. We are looking for someone to fill the role of Secretary.
Shamrock Athletics
The strong Trinity athletic tradition continues! From tennis to volleyball, our students are performing in the classroom and on the court and field. Athletic passes are available in the Main Office ($150 for a family pass, $85 for an individual pass) by contacting Terri Kenski. Shamrocks far and wide can stream many athletic contests (including home football games) here. You can also follow our Athletic Department on Twitter and on Facebook for daily updates and articles. All contests are listed here--we love to see old and new Shamrocks back on campus to cheer on the Rocks of today!
Join us on the Stage!
Alumni, get back on the Trinity stage with our spring musical, The Sound of Music! We are inviting alumni to come back to play nuns or Nazis for our March 4-6 production. The rehearsal commitment would be very small (maybe 1 to 2 hours total) and possibly done over Zoom. If you'd be interested in performing or if you have other skills you'd be willing to share, contact director Caroline Oszustowicz Jarrett '04
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We made exciting progress toward our Capital Campaign goal of replacing our facade! To date, we have fixed the entire front facade, including painting the entrance "shamrock green."
Replacing the facade is a key part of making the building energy-efficient and a necessary step before installing air conditioning!
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Staffing Changes
During the 2020-2021 school year, we bid farewell to a number of faithful staff members, including:
- Ms. Janice Albright, member of the Art Department since 1980
- Mr. Gary Bricker, member of the Music Department and Athletic Director since 1993
- Mr. Denny Bupp, member of the Science Department for eight years (2009-12 and 2017-21)
- Miss Kerry Campbell '09, College and Career Counselor since 2020
- Mrs. Patty Druckenmiller, member of the Social Studies Department since 1999
- Mr. Rich Gagliano, Dean of Students since 2012
- Dr. Angie Heinick, Learning Support Instructor since 1999
- Sr. Susan Kuk, Activities Director since 2007
- Mr. Pete Joyce P'05, 16, member of the Math Department since 2013
- Mrs. Linda Piscioneri, member of the Science Department since 2004
We are grateful for the many years of service these individuals gave to Trinity and wish them the best in their future endeavors. We have welcomed several new faculty members in their absence, including:
- Mrs. Rachel Arnold, College and Career Counselor
- Mr. Jordan Hill, Director of Advancement
- Mrs. Amy Kerstetter, Foreign Language Department
- Mr. Eric Kindler '10, Athletic Director
- Mr. Christian Klepeiss, Science Department
- Mr. Matt McGuire, Social Studies Department
- Mrs. Karen Pabis, Math Department
- Miss Julia Palmer, Art Department
- Mr. Marc Silvetti P'21, Dean of Students
- Mr. Joe Spogli, Learning Support Instructor
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Trinity has welcomed Mr. Justin Assadinia to our staff as Director of Strength and Conditioning. Justin works with all of our student-athletes, helping them to develop safe and effective strength and conditioning habits, to become better athletes, and to prevent injuries. The knowledge and habits that students develop through their work with Justin will serve them throughout their lives. Justin has a degree in kinesiology from Penn State and excelled in Division I Rugby while earning his degree.
Annual Report of Giving
We are blessed by thousands of donors who, by their generous financial gifts, give us support to educate the next generation of Shamrocks with academic rigor, immerse them in rich Catholic tradition, and provide opportunities for their athletic excellence to develop. See a link to the 2020-2021 report on our website, here (please note that the report follows the fiscal year, July 2020 through June 2021). Consider making your 2021-2022 gift to the Trinity Fund or Capital Campaign today.
House System
Trinity's House System is one-of-a-kind in Central PA! The House System is focused on creating stronger bonds between students and on encouraging leadership. Learn more about it from our students and faculty in this piece by Fox43.
College Partnership Program
Trinity has added two more college partnerships this year. We are happy to have added Neumann University and Saint Vincent College to the colleges and universities who automatically accept qualified Trinity students and offer them merit scholarships. There are 20 schools in our college partnership program. See them all here.
Academic Honors
Trinity is honored to have several students earn national recognition for their academic achievements. Congratulations to the following students!
- National Merit Semifinalists: Zachary Varner '22 and Lucas Puig '22
- National Merit Commended Students: Erin Batchelor '22, Pradham Bathini '22, Katy Anne Chambers '22, Ethanson Le '22, and Tuan Vu '22
- College Board National Indigenous Recognition Program Scholar: Antonio Centenera '24
- College Board National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholars: Antonio Centenera '24 and Isabela Wilson '22
- College Board National African American Recognition Program Scholars: Isabella Mirarchi '23 and Julian Gabbidon '22
Interview with Trinity Principal and Alumnus, John Cominsky '85
Trinity Principal, Mr. John Cominsky '85 was interviewed by Joe Nebistinsky on Holy Family Radio for the new program, Central PA Voices. Mr. Cominsky talks about his conversion to Catholicism, his experience at Trinity as a student, and life at Trinity today. Listen here.
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Remembering Rev. William Sullivan
Father William Sullivan, former principal of Trinity High School, passed away peacefully in May of this year. Father served Trinity and its students from 1972 to 1981, with roles varying from theology teacher to chaplain to vice principal and principal.
Father Sullivan was a man quick to give a smile or a warm handshake. He had a deep love of Mount Carmel, Bishop Lawrence Schott, a good book, and fine art. He could always conjure up a story, whether funny or poignant, to fit any situation or homily. Recognized in the 1976 yearbook for his “immeasurable depth, sincere efforts, outstanding care, and gentleness,” he was a man deeply devoted to the Lord and to his own work for the Church.
Father quotes the words of St. Paul in his 1978 yearbook message: “Nothing, therefore, can come between us and the love of Christ. Neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.” May God bless Father Sullivan for his impact on Trinity and, by extension, all of us who knew him and who benefit from the place that Trinity is today.
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Eric Kindler '10
Trinity High School is pleased to welcome back Eric Kindler as Athletic Director. A former outstanding Trinity athlete, Eric knows the sports world of Trinity well. At Trinity, he was one of the top area scorers on the basketball court, with 1,627 career points, a Patriot News Big 15 selection, and on the PIAA All State Second Team. After graduating from Trinity, Eric went on to play Division I basketball for St. Joseph University, where he studied theology and secondary education. He also received his Masters of Arts in theology from Villanova.
Eric has worked closely with high schoolers both in the classroom, teaching civics at Boys' Latin of Philadelphia Charter High School, and on the court, serving as as head basketball coach at Conwell-Egan Catholic High School in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania.
Eric is dedicated to the faith mission of our school, with extensive volunteer experience with a variety of populations. He has experience working athletically with children, at Mission 5&2, and also with inmates housed in the maximum security prison, SCI Phoenix, outside of Philadelphia.
We are excited for the enthusiasm and expertise Eric brings to Trinity Athletics!
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Several young alumni have joined our football coaching staff under the direction of Jordan Hill, our new Director of Advancement, head football coach, and former Super Bowl winner. Learn more about them and their take on the program below.
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Matt Connors '10: Linebackers Coach
Being back at Trinity is "a dream come true. Once a Shamrock, always a Shamrock. Even when my college experience and professional career took me out of Central Pennsylvania for a few years, I stayed in touch with the Trinity community. I truly believe that T-High offers the best mix of academic and athletic development in the state. We have a mature, dedicated group of young men who want to turn the football program around so badly. They work extremely hard, and our coaching staff knows it's only a matter of time until the program is back on top. We want our players to take ownership in the program, with the idea that they remain students of the game through respect of and attention to the coaching staff and administrators."
After Trinity, Matt played football for Kutztown University and earned a degree in sports management. He's worked at Select Medical and UPMC of Central PA.
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Colt Kostelac '09: Defensive Line
"Returning to Trinity is like coming back home. I see a lot of myself in many of the kids I work with. They share the same core values as I do now and when I attended Trinity. The biggest difference would be the level of commitment I've seen out of this group. They have put in a ton of work and effort across the board to turn this football program around. This team and these kids have shown more work ethic than any team I was part of while at Trinity, and I give the kids a ton of credit for that. Trinity football has always meant something to me and many others. I never really envisioned coaching and was caught off guard when Jordan Hill called to tell me he was accepting the job and that he wanted me to coach. After talking to friends and family, I knew that this was a golden opportunity God had placed in front of me. Coaching with Jordan, working with the coaching staff, and being around these kids has been one of the best experiences I’ve had in sports."
Colt graduated from IUP with a degree in marketing and worked at YRC as an Operations Manager and at Cisco Systems in sales.
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Tyler Kostelac '06: JV Defensive Coordinator
"It truly is an honor to be back as a coach/mentor for the players. For the most part, the kids are exactly what you would want out of high school students. They are intelligent, hardworking, respectful, and most importantly, they are good teammates. Almost every day I get a chance to see one of the players either teaching another player what to do or encouraging them to do better. To be able to see things like that is amazing. When I saw changes happening in the offseason, I knew I wanted to be part of rebuilding this program and changing its culture. The culture that Coach Hill is striving for is exactly what I wanted to be part of. As a coach, I have the ability not only to teach the students about football but to teach them lessons that I hope they can use for the rest of their lives."
After Trinity, Tyler studied business management at West Virginia University, and he currently works for the Department of Navy.
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Michael Connolly '06: Assistant Offensive Coordinator
"I came back to Trinity football again, after being a player myself and coaching for years after high school, because of Jordan Hill. Another coach asked if I would be interested in working with the program when Jordan came on, and it was a no-brainer for me. Jordan is creating a culture of close relationships with teammates and coaches in today's Trinity football, which is what I remember from my time as a student-athlete. He talks to the kids about the importance of brotherhood and camaraderie. We are trying to cultivate in these kids a desire to come back and give back to their school. The players are receptive to what we're working toward, and they're polite and hard-working. Their willingness to show up and put in the work is impressive. It's nice to be back at Trinity and on the field."
After Trinity, Mike played football in college before working in the construction and hardscaping field.
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Trinity Community Alliance
The Trinity Fund
Donations to the Trinity Fund support the everyday efforts of our students--their pursuit of academic excellence, the development of their arts skills, their athletic success, their spiritual growth, and their ability to thrive in a school that prioritizes community and the feeling of family. All of these feats are facilitated by our hard-working faculty and staff, and the support of friends and alumni of Trinity High School. We are so grateful for your support!
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New Director of Advancement: Jordan Hill
Trinity High School is pleased to welcome Mr. Jordan Hill as Director of Advancement. Jordan has experience in the financial world, working at Northwestern Mutual. This after his experience playing in the NFL, where he won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seattle Seahawks in February of 2014.
He also has a heart for the needs of people in the community, having founded two non-profits locally, The Family Sports Association, which aims to provide structured team sports to Central PA youth, and The Jordan Hill Foundation, which develops programs to keep students active physically, socially, and intellectually, as well as raising awareness of diabetes and kidney disease. Mr. Hill also serves the community as the Chief Communications Officer of The Bridge: An Eco Community, in Harrisburg.
Jordan is also the head football coach of the Shamrocks, a position he took in the spring of this year. In his time with us, Mr. Hill has shown passion for the mission of Trinity High School and for the success of our students in mind, body, and spirit.
We are excited for the expertise Mr. Jordan Hill brings to Trinity!
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Faith in Our Future
Capital Campaign Updates
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Technology
Trinity students relied on their school-provided Chromebooks in the classroom and at home at the height of the pandemic, allowing students the choice to learn exclusively at home via livestreamed lessons. This year they continue to use them regularly in the classroom.
This is a continuing need for each new incoming class of ninth graders and all transfer students.
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Facade
Trinity replaced the east wing of the front facade in the summer of 2020 and the west wing portion in the summer of 2021. We also repainted the brown portions on the front of the school to Shamrock Green! Replacing the facade is the first step to installing an up-to-date air conditioning system.
Continued donations to the Faith in Our Future Capital Campaign will allow us to replace the rear portions of the building's facade and install air conditioning for students and faculty.
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Athletics
Bleachers--The new gym bleachers, when added, will be safer for spectators to watch the Shamrocks take on opponents from across the state.
Turf Field--Trinity plans to install a turf field at COBO Field, which will allow for expanded use of our limited grounds. Nine groups will use the field regularly, including the Marching Band and athletic teams. Recent donations have put us within a stone's throw of committing to completing this project in 2022.
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Auditorium
A renovation to the auditorium is sorely needed to benefit the experience of each student, as this location is used for school-wide worship, enrichment from various speakers, and commencement exercises for our seniors. The planned renovations will especially enhance our music and drama students' experience by giving them a fitting venue for their considerable talents.
Trinity has received an incredibly generous $1.25 million matching gift specifically for the auditorium, and the project has seen several consultations with architects and engineers to make this a reality. Contribute to the cause by donating here or contacting the Advancement Office.
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To date, members of the Trinity community have generously pledged more than $4.2 million to the capital campaign. We still have 1:1 matching gift funds available, so you can make your gift count twice! We are thrilled with the support from our community and the ability this gives us to improve our facilities. We are so grateful for all of those willing to invest funds, time, and prayer into the future of Trinity High School!
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Class Notes
Professional & Personal Achievements
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Brian Jackson '85, Chair of McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC, was named to Central Penn Business Journal's 2021 Power 30 List in Law & Lobbyists. Brian also serves as the President of the Board of Directors at Trinity.
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Bob Buhrig '87 was awarded the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award from the Mechanicsburg Lions Club for his generosity and support of the club and the local community.
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Jennifer Scott Brubaker '88 celebrated 29 years with UCP Central PA and was recognized as a "STAR" for exemplifying UCP's Teamwork culture principle.
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Andrea Karns '00, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Karns Foods, was recognized by the Central Penn Business Journal as one of the 45 Women of Influence honorees. "The award honors high-achieving women for their career accomplishments. The honorees are selected based on their professional experience, community involvement, leadership and sustained commitment to mentoring."
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Dr. Andrew Markowski '95, an Emergency Medicine Physician at Johns Hopkins Medicine's Suburban Hospital facility, was the recipient of a 2020 Clinical Award for Physicians and Care Teams for his extraordinary work in facilitating the transition to COVID-19 operations from an IT standpoint. The clinical awards were established in 2015 to honor the physicians and care teams who embody the best in clinical excellence.
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Clark Stiteler '03, a second-year Seminarian for the Diocese of Harrisburg, spoke with The Catholic Witness about attending seminary at Mount Saint Mary's during COVID.
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Dr. Jacqueline Hilton Caster '05 was named the managing dentist of the brand new interactive children's dental office in Hampden Township, Cumberland Valley Pediatric Dentistry.
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Marie Kindler Holmes '05 and Eric Kindler '10 joined forces to donate back to Eric's college alma mater, Saint Joseph's University, and the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support. The brother and sister duo donated sensory play kits designed by Marie's company, Holmegrown Play, to 60 campers at Camp Kinney, a summer camp program that provides an immersive and recreational-based traditional summer camp experience specifically designed for individuals with autism.
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Brian Osborne '05 was named Head Coach of Men's Soccer at Central Penn College for the 2021 season.
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Jeff Adams '09, Founder and Executive Director of the Carlisle Tool Library, helped secure a grant from Incenter Cares to help veterans use their services for free. The tool library offers their members tools for home repairs, lawn and gardening, auto maintenance, electrical work, and more and has almost 1,000 tools in circulation.
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Zachary Richards '10, a member of 3-1 Assault Helicopter Battalion, was recognized along with his fellow soldiers by LTG John S. Kolasheski, V Corps Commanding General, for outstanding contributions to Task Force Nightmare.
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Olivia Berrigan Surry '12, Communications Specialist at Members 1st Federal Credit Union, was recognized by the Central Penn Business Journal as one of the 5 Women to Watch. This new category "honors women leaders 35 or younger who demonstrate outstanding professional accomplishments, community involvement and commitment to positive change."
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Michael Wilson '13 earned his Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine from Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in May of 2021. He is currently a surgery resident at Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania.
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Colin Lowther '17 completed a 132-mile run on September 9-10, 2021, to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention.
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Cora DeFrancesco '18, a fourth-year astrophysics and math major, was recently selected as one of the First Prize winners in the Multidisciplinary Research category at the 2021 Undergraduate Research Day at the The University of Oklahoma. Cora received an award of $500 for the research presentation on the subject of FeLoBAL Quasars.
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Caitlin Phillips '18 will serve with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps this coming year at Nativity Prep Academy in San Diego, California.
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Connor Rohrer '18 and his band, Teen Town, were presented with the 2020 CPMA for Best Jazz Band from the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame.
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Will Bucher '19 of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy - USMMA, Mia Kilroy '19 of Case Western Reserve University, and Maria Ferraro '20 of Saint Francis University, three of our former track and field athletes who now compete at the collegiate level, all had impressive finishes in recent meets, including some first place finishes, school records, and personal bests.
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Maura Consedine '19 had her student blog post for BroadwayWorld shared on their official Facebook and Twitter pages.
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Jaime Carson '20 appeared in her second production, "Rock of Ages," at the Hershey Area Playhouse this past summer.
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Andrew Mott '20 won the Middle Atlantic Conference Championship for discus in May with a throw of 45.74 meters (150’1”). Andrew's throw broke the York College of Pennsylvania outdoor record for discus, which had stood for 21 years!
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Trey McAuliffe '21 was named as an Allwein Scholar at Lebanon Valley College, which comes with full tuition to LVC and three $2,500 stipends for such academic purposes as studying abroad, experiencing internships, or conducting research.
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Al Hobby, Trinity's former baseball coach, published a book entitled Chalk Talk: A Collection of Discussions Between a Coach and his Players on their Baseball Mental Game.
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Lawrence Kostelac, Sr. was a 2021 posthumous inductee into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, West Shore Chapter. A foundational figure at Trinity, Mr. Kostelac arrived in the fall of 1966, teaching math and history; coaching JV football, basketball, golf, and Varsity basketball; and serving as Athletic Director and Dean of Students at various points in his career until he retired in 1988.
Births & Weddings
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Victoria Ford Oblon '09 and her husband, Chris, welcomed their son, Mason Jacob, on August 2, 2021. His Nana and Pop-pop, Barbara and John Ford '79, made the trip to Texas to visit with their grandson a few weeks after his birth.
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Emily Britt '11 and Benjamin Parker were married on May 15 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Shamrock alumni on hand to help the happy couple celebrate included father of the bride, Brian Britt '76, sister of the bride, Rachael Britt '09, and friends and bridesmaids Maura Clark '11, Alicia Mirando Goyette '11, and Michelle Delaney Cibischino '11.
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Anna Kuntz '12 and Nicholas Slonac '12 were married on July 9 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
In and Around Trinity
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Mike Britt '78 spoke to students about intricacies of bridge building and design and how they relate to the formulas and mathematics in Mr. Frank Karli’s '80 trigonometry course.
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Dr. Rita Balaban '86, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Professor of Economics, presented virtually to Mrs. Elaine Balaban Scholz’s Sports and Entertainment Marketing class to share her passion for economics with our students.
- Shout-out to the alumni who came "home" to help out with our summer musical theatre intensive held at Trinity this past July: Austen Auriemma '14, Ashlyn Auriemma '18, Jaime Carson '20, Rena Charles '21, Ellen Frantz '20, Matt Jones '21, Lauren Koranda '19, Natalie Koranda '21, and Sophia Sak '21.
Class Notes
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Willie Everett '90, Stephen Creason '90, and Lew Kendall '91 were back in Pennsylvania from Texas for a wedding recently when they decided to stop by Trinity. Principal John Cominsky '85 ran into them while they were trying to get a look inside and gave them a private tour of the whole school on a Saturday morning.
In Memoriam
- Sheila Fahey Krape '66
- Paul Radzevich '68
- Stephen Thompson '70
- Mark Fortino '79
- Jennifer Spagnoletti Mitchell '89
- Travis Butina '91
- Nicholas Rudolph '13
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Coach Doug Marshall (assistant basketball coach from 1984 to 2007)
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Father William Sullivan (served in various roles at Trinity from 1972 to 1981)
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Coach Tim Rimpfel (coach from 1969 to 1981)
Reunions
The Class of 1970 is planning their 50th reunion after having to cancel their 2020 plans. The event will be held at The Susquehanna Club on the New Cumberland Defense Depot for Homecoming Weekend, October 8 through 10. Assuming fans are allowed at our Homecoming game on Friday, October 8, 2021, the class will attend the homecoming pre-game festivities in the alumni tent and then the game. Contact Nick Lamberti for more details. See their Facebook group for more information.
The Class of 1980 is planning their 41st reunion. The class will meet at Boomerang Bar and Grill on October 9 starting at 6:00 p.m. for dinner and drinks, with both indoor and outdoor accommodations. The group also hopes to gather at the Alumni tent and Homecoming game on Friday evening, October 8. Contact Andrea Nicotera Lyden or Diane Velozo with questions or join their Facebook group.
The Class of 1991 will meet for their 30th reunion on Saturday, November 6, at Strock Enterprises, Inc., Mechanicsburg. Contact Laura Dubs Conlon with questions or join the Facebook group.
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Future Shamrock, Jack O'Leary, son of Dan O'Leary '07 and Jess Pizoli O'Leary '07, cheers on his aunt, Allie Aschenbrenner '24, at her volleyball game.
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Victoria (Tori) Ann Ford Oblon '09 and her husband, Chris, welcomed baby Mason Jacob Oblon on August 2.
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John Ford '79 and his wife, Barbara, holding their new grandson, Mason.
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