DAMIEN HIGH SCHOOL | MAY 2019
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
DEAR FELLOW ALUMNI
In an effort to better connect and be transparent to our large diverse group of alumni, we are undertaking several different outreach efforts.
 
For example, the last Thursday of each month we host an alumni happy hour at a variety of venues from 6-8pm. We also regularly update our alumni page on the school website with a variety of content. This alumni newsletter, which will be sent out quarterly, hopefully will keep you updated with bios, achievements, special dates/events, and a variety of other happenings here on campus. The letter will be sent via email as well as hard copy. If for some reason you do not receive one or would like to help us add a missing alumni please reach out. You can also go to our alumni page and click on the “What’s Happening? Alumni Update Form” tab and fill out the form. 

Within the advancement office we are extremely excited on the development and transformation over the past year. I hope you share in our excitement and are looking forward to these new efforts to bring our Spartan Brothers back home. If you need help organizing a reunion, information on events, donate, or simply would like to visit please do not hesitate to reach out. 

We'll Return Again!
DANIEL THREADGILL
ALUMNI RELATIONS
909.596.1946 X 285 THREADGILL@DAMIEN-HS.EDU


DAMIEN HIGH SCHOOL 
60TH ANNIVERSARY  

In 1959, His Eminence James Francis Cardinal McIntyre purchased the former site of Bonita High School. In September of that year, the newly named school, “Pomona Catholic Boys High School”, welcomed its first freshmen class. The school was administered and staffed by the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC).
 
In 1967, a new phase of school development begun. The school was given the name “Damien High School” in honor of Blessed de Veuster SS.CC., who spent and gave his life for the abandoned lepers of Molokai, Hawaii.

Since day one, whether you are a Pomona Catholic or Damien graduate, the Sacred Hearts Fathers instilled a philosophy and mission that still thrives
60 years later:

Inspired by St. Damien of Moloka’i, a member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Damien High School, an all-boys Catholic school, develops men of Service, Scholarship, and Faith, prepared to engage in a global society.

As we look toward to the future, we also want to take time to embrace our past. During the 2019-20 school year, Damien High School will celebrate 60 years of Spartan Tradition and Brotherhood. We look forward to seeing the faces, hearing the stories and creating new memories. The Class of 1975 has graciously offered to welcome all Spartan alumni
to their annual golf tournament to kick off the celebration!

WE’LL RETURN AGAIN
‌
IMPORTANT DATES
06.27
ALUMNI CONNECTION
THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 6-8 PM
HOUSE OF WINGS, LA VERNE 
More information:
threadgill@damien-hs.edu  

07.25
ALUMNI CONNECTION:
THURSDAY, JULY 25, 6-8 PM 
CHASE'S, LA VERNE 
More information:
threadgill@damien-hs.edu  

08.23
ALUMNI PRE-GAME TAILGATE
SPARTANS VS GLENDORA HS 
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 5;30-7 PM
DAMIEN HS, BLDG. 300
More information:
threadgill@damien-hs.edu  

08.24
CLASS OF '75 GOLF OUTING 
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24
SIERRA LAKES GOLF CLUB,
FONTANA, 7:30 AM
More information:
threadgill@damien-hs.edu 

10.11
HOMECOMING GAME &
PRE-GAME
TRI-SCHOOL REUNION 
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 5-7 PM
SPARTANS VS CHINO HILLS
More information:
threadgill@damien-hs.edu 
ALUMNI PROFILE
Education:
Stanford Graduate School of Business, Master’s in Business Administration
Harvard University, Economics BA
Damien High School
 
Areas of Skill, Expertise:
Product Development
Product Marketing
Strategy
TOM OLIVERI (’92)  
VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OF STAFF
TO THE CEO, GOOGLE  

If you Google the name Tom Oliveri, you will get hits for LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Sure, you might learn a few things about Tom, the professional, such as his responsibility for product marketing at Google. What you won’t find in the search results is the story of Tom, the Spartan: Damien High School, Debate, Ballingall, O’Leary, Coray and Lillian.


In 1988, the freshmen from Upland, entered Damien high school not knowing what the next four years of his life would bring. When he walked through the Senior Quad to receive his diploma in 1992, he wasn’t leaving with a piece of paper, he was leaving on a journey and with a partner for life.

As a senior, Tom was Captain of the Debate Team, a Student Council Officer and did service hours at Pomona Valley Hospital.
In addition, he endured one punishing season of cross country
that he did not repeat! His success and heart was definitely noticed by his peers. He was voted “Most Likely to Succeed” by his
fellow Spartans.

Tom’s favorite memories of Damien center on debate and the many tournaments with Mr. Ballingall, Mr. Knish, and his fellow debate team members. “For the National Championships, I remember driving to Fargo, North Dakota in the school van -- it wasn’t the most comfortable car trip but I will never forget the discussions, views, and sense of closure at the end of my senior year.”

“For me, Damien was a challenging place -- I remember feeling a desire to focus, apply myself, and excel -- but it was also an encouraging and supportive community. I had a deep sense that the teachers cared not just about my learning but also about my development as a person and who I was growing into. I also deeply appreciated the time and energy teachers invested in my intellectual and personal development -- they were always there
to answer a question or talk when I needed someone.”

As for his favorite teachers, many come to mind, “Mrs. O’Leary for teaching me to enjoy and analyze great literature, Mr. Coray for patiently teaching me my first AP class (European History) and supporting me through the college admissions process, and
Mr. Ballingall for believing in me and the team even when we lost
and making his life’s work about caring for and teaching the
next generation.”

After Damien, Tom attended Harvard University (’95) and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. During his undergraduate years, he squeezed in as many literature classes as possible he squeezed in as many literature classes as possible in addition to his Economics coursework. After Harvard, he earned his Master’s in Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business (’01).

Initially, his career began in management consulting in Washington, DC. After business school, he stayed in northern California and pursued opportunities in product management and marketing in tech. At the age of 27, he knew his career path would lead to tech, “I was fascinated by the impact tech innovation was having on daily life. I wanted to more deeply understand the changes underway and contribute to a fast-changing and impactful field.“

He has spent the past 14 years at Google, leading product marketing for a range of services, including the company’s Android, Chrome, Cloud, Hardware, and Retail businesses. He currently is Vice President and Chief of Staff to the CEO of Google and works closely with the CEO and senior management on corporate strategy
and operations.

Asked what he likes the most in his career, “The people. As much as tech is perceived as code, chips, and devices, it’s the people I work with that I most look forward to each day -- I enjoy their sense of mission, intelligence, heart, and humor too.”

Looking back on his journey through Damien and life, there are two life-changing moments Tom had to share.

First the love story. During his junior year, at a tri-school COR retreat 29 years ago, Tom met a St. Lucy’s student named Lillian who left an impression. They attended the Sadie Hawkins dance together later that year—and this year they’ll be celebrating 24 years of marriage. Tom and Lillian reside in Los Altos with their three children ages 15, 12, and 10 (and two pet rabbits). In his spare time, he enjoys running, high intensity workouts, board games, gardening and sleep.

Second, the most important thing he learned at Damien, “You’re capable of more than you realize. Don’t give up. Apply yourself and good things will follow.”

As Paul Harvey would say, “And now you know the rest of the story.”
ALUMNI NEWS AND NOTES
1980s
Chris Koning (’88)
Graves Financial Wealth Management, Wealth Manager
I recently relocated to the area to be close to family and for a new position with Graves Financial Wealth Management. My daughter is in her 1st year at Kent State University studying Aerospace Engineering.

1990s
Benjamin Zimmermann (’92)
Damien High School, Counselor
Came back to Damien in 2011 after 10 years in Law Enforcement. Enjoy working with Damien Students in the counseling office. I am also involved in our Campus Ministry department with particular emphasis on our Retreat Program. I have 3 daughters, with the oldest in college. My education has continued throughout the years as I have a BA from University of San Diego, Master in Education from University of Redlands, Masters in Applied Criminology and Police Management from the University of Cambridge, a certificate in College Counseling from UCLA and a Religion Teacher 
Credential from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Jonathan Diaz (’96)
Better 4 You Meals, Regional Director of Northern California Operations
Happily married 10 years to my beautiful wife, Arcelia. I live in Northern California with our 3 boys, ages 7, 4 and 2. Recently started managing my boys’ Pony Baseball team.

2000s
Brent Labarrere (’00)
First Citizens Bank, Vice President, Corporate and Commercial Finance
University of San Diego, Class of 2004; BS, Accounting - 8 years at First Citizens Bank (Commercial Bank based in Raleigh, NC) - My wife and I will be celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary on May 13, 2019. We are expecting our first child in Oct 2019.

Jonathan Davy (’04)
iSync.io, Partner/VP of Channel Sales and Business Development
After graduating from Damien in 2004, I went to Fullerton College and began a career at Costco. I moved up the ranks and became a manager and decided to stop schooling. I was there for roughly 10 years managing different locations. I then took a leave of absence and helped to start Getsync’d, which partnered with Kerio Technologies, to put their email and VOIP software in the cloud. After growing at over 200% YOY, Kerio decided to purchase us and we worked for Kerio Technologies. I have since been a Senior Channel Account Manager for Kerio as well as GFI Software. Then, becoming VP of Customer Success for a large data analytics company and now a partner and VP of Channel Sales and Business Development for our new venture iSync.io. I married my high school sweet heart of 16 years and we have 2 kids, 5 yr old boy and 2 yr old girl. On my free time I race cars 
and also instruct.

Roland Pantaleo (’06)
Wavestream Corporation, Electrical Engineer
My wife and I are expecting our first child this
coming July!

Michael Olague (’09)
AeroVironment, Accountant
After graduating from Damien in 2009, I attended Saint Mary’s College of California for four years. I majored in accounting and economics and graduated in 2013. I decided to move back to Southern California to be close to family. Fast forward to today, I have been working in accounting and finance, and currently work as an accountant for a public technology 
company. I am continuing my education, and pursing advanced certifications. Personal health and fitness continue to be an interest of mine. I will be running a ToughMudder this April. I get to enjoy time with my family throughout the weeks and weekends, family vacations. We are Disneyland annual pass holders, and enjoy time together at the park. I could go on, but will keep this shorter. I still love to support Damien, and I am excited for the new alumni relation efforts the school is making. Proud Spartan Michael Olague
Class of ‘09

2010s
Sean O’Brien (’10)
San Francisco Public Works, Assistant Project Manager
For the best 4 years, I’ve been working for the City and County of San Francisco’s Public Work department as an Assistant Project Manager for construction projects. The value of the projects I’ve worked on and working on is greater than $250M. Rebuilt a 10,000 SF fire station, building a floating fire station in the Bay that will allow SFFD to moor their 3 fireboats, and building a new forensics lab for SFPD. See LinkedIn profile for more info on the projects I’m working on. I’ve lived in Berkeley and currently reside in San Francisco (3 years and counting). Looking forward to attending my Damien HS class’s 10 year reunion next year!


2010s
Alex Velto (’10)
Nevada Supreme Court, Law Clerk
I am a lawyer in Nevada and will be starting at the law firm of Hutchison & Steffen in September. Everything is good. I still remember my experience at Damien High School very fondly.

Robert Meastas (’12)
University of San Francisco, Graduate Assistant
Currently in 2L year of law school at USF School of Law. Recently competed in and scored well in the Lefkowitz Trademark Law Competition. Currently studying Intellectual Property law, specializing
in trademarks.

Christopher Rad (’12)
NASA - Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Flight Facilities Engineer II
B.S. Technology & Information Management - University of California at Santa Cruz -- 2016 M.S. Global Supply Chain Management - University of Southern California – 2018. Making sure to stay uncomfortable and placed myself in difficult, and seemingly insurmountable situations. Wishing the Damien alumni and family well always.

David Goodfellow (’14)
The Walt Disney Company, Software Engineer
Education: Finished my undergraduate degree from USC in Computer Science and Business Administration. I am in my last semester of night classes in my graduate degree at USC in Data Science. (Side note: at USC I lived both freshman year and senior year with Erik Leggio, the Damien brotherhood stood strong!) Career: I was an intern at Disney while in school for a year. I just started in January as a full-time software engineer. In July, I begin a rotation program with the company where I will have 4 rotations of 6 months each around the company including Imagineering and Studio Technology. Family: My sister is finishing her nursing degree in Utah and will most likely stay there. My father took a job in Texas and moved out there last Fall. My mother is completing the school year as a teacher then moving out to Texas with
my father.

Matthew Andujo (’15)
Sun Devil Athletics and Phoenix Mercury, Media Relations
I am in senior year at Arizona State University pursuing a Sports Journalism degree with a minor in Business. Currently, I am an intern for Sun Devil Athletics, assisting the Media Relations 
department. I have recently accepted a position to join the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA on their communications game night staff. I will be graduating in December, 2019.

Justin Gabriel Cajanding (’15),
San Diego, CA
Stanford University, Student Ambassador
Graduating from Stanford University with a B.A in Comparative Literature and Japanese. Planning to move to Japan immediately after graduation to pursue work in the fashion industry.

Mounir Ghabrial (’15)
Boston Consulting Group, Junior Associate
Graduating from USC in May 2019. Will be starting my career in consulting at the Boston Consulting Group in Dubai in June.
AMERICAN MOST CHALLENGING
HIGH SCHOOL
For five years, the Washington Post has ranked Damien High School as one of the “America’s Most Challenging Schools for 2017” (22,000 high schools in the U.S.). Damien is 3rd overall among California Catholic high schools, 16th overall among all California private high schools and 64th overall among all California public and private high schools. 

From 2014-2017, Damien High School’s Robotics Program qualified and competed at the VEX Robotics Competition High School World Championship. In 2017, the Robotics Program ranked in the top 1% of all high school programs in the world. 

For the fourth year, the Damien High School Sports Medicine Program finished as one of the best programs in the U.S. The program had four Spartans earn All-America honors at the 2018 American Academic Competition Institute’s (AACI) National High School Sports Medicine Competition Championships. 

The Damien High School Debate Team won the national championship in 2009; the national runner-up in 2015 and is a five-time California state champion. 

The students of Damien High School are currently engaged in a school-wide competition to design a microgravity experiment that will be conducted on the International Space Station (ISS). In 2016, a team of Spartans had their experiment on the effects of tardigrades in a microgravity environment flown on a SpaceX Rocket to
the ISS. 

Damien High School has an 18% acceptance rate for Spartans applying to Ivy League schools compared to an 11% national acceptance rate. 

Damien High School offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. 

Damien High School offers a four-year Engineering Program. 

Damien High School’s visual performing arts program has 18 courses including classes in art & design, photography, cinematic arts, theater arts and music. The award-winning Spartan Regiment is comprised of a concert band, pep band, jazz ensemble, drum line, and color guard.