ClassNotes

Cherie Motobu '09 received her Master of Science in School Psychology from San Francisco State University. She will be interning at the San Mateo Foster City school district this fall.

Cherie Motobu ’09 earned her Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credentials from the state of California in May 2012, which certified her as a school psychologist. She accepted a full-time position on the school psychology staff of the San Mateo-Foster City (Calif.) school district for the 2012–13 school year.

Fran Mastroianni M.A. '09, a fourth-grade teacher at Blossom Hill Elementary School in Los Gatos, was selected as the 2011 Teacher of the Year for the Los Gatos Union School District for her dedication to students, classroom skill, and commitment to lifelong learning. Born and raised in New Jersey, Mastroianni moved to California in 1987. She has a degree in special education from Trenton State College, a California teaching credential from San Jose State University and a master's degree in education administration from Santa Clara University. She has also been a special education teacher and a substitute teacher. She's taught at Blossom Hill since 2001. Mastroianni said she has special experiences every day while working with her “fabulous fourth-grade teammates” and with an “amazing and inspirational principal” at Blossom Hill. She said that she knew she was making a difference when one of her former students went back to Blossom Hill to thank her for teaching him to stay organized and for challenging him with high expectations. “Being a part of the Los Gatos Elementary School District community is an honor," said Mastroianni. Joe Bloin, a fellow fourth-grade teacher who wrote the nomination letter for Mastroianni, said, “Fran shows all the traits that make us proud to be teachers. She is collegial, caring, professional, involved in the community, creative and passionate about student success.” Bolin said that “Fran has a real empathy for those students who are most difficult to teach. Her involvement on a personal level makes a real difference in the lives of these children.” Bolin added that in addition to being a wonderful teacher, Mastroianni is president of the Los Gatos Elementary Teachers Association and has put in countless hours this year working to ensure that teachers in Los Gatos get a voice in decisions made by the administration. She attends monthly school board meetings and meets frequently with administrators, he said.

Jasmin Llamas ’06, M.A. ’09, a graduate student in the University of California–Santa Barbara Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology, has received two grants to help fund her research: a Chicano Studies Institute (CSI) Grant and a Graduate Research Award for Social Science Surveys. This is Llamas’s second CSI grant.

Claire Linney '09 is working as the head coach for the Salinas High School water polo team.

TJ  Leising '09, 2008 honors graduate in mechanical engineering, competed in the Summer World University Games in TaeKwonDo in Belgrade in July.

Alison B Kwan J.D. '09 joined Bradshaw and Associates law firm in July 2010. While attending Santa Clara Law School, Kwan was a Judicial Intern for the Honorable Socrates P. Manoukian of the Superior Court of California, Santa Clara County. Alison also interned for the County Counsel of San Mateo, and the Asian Law Alliance in San Jose, Calif. She was an active member of the Computer and High TechTechnology Law Journal and the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association. She has also been active in the Katherine and George Alexander Community Law Center's Worker's Rights Clinic.

Brian Kozel '09 and Ashley Wells '09 were married at the Santa Clara Mission Church on July 14, 2012. Several SCU alumni were in the wedding party, including Joseph Wattoo '09, Ellis Fenske '09, Lauren Backes '09, Christina Harris '09, Tanner Diggs '09, and Adam Seppala '09; as well as current SCU student and brother of the groom, Kevin Kozel '14. Even more SCU alumni were in attendance as guests of the wedding. The couple honeymooned in France and is enjoying the beginning of their life as newlyweds.

Brian Kozel '09 and Ashley Wells '09 were married at the Santa Clara Mission Church on July 14, 2012. Several SCU alumni were in the wedding party, including Joseph Wattoo '09, Ellis Fenske '09, Lauren Backes '09, Christina Harris '09, Tanner Diggs '09, and Adam Seppala '09; as well as current SCU student and brother of the groom, Kevin Kozel '14. Even more SCU alumni were in attendance as guests of the wedding. The couple honeymooned in France and is enjoying the beginning of their life as newlyweds.

Tae-Woong Koo J.D. '09 has been named president of the Korean American Bar Association of Northern California. Koo is an intellectual property attorney at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, based in Palo Alto. Koo's practice focuses on prosecution, protection, enforcement, and monetization of intellectual property rights.

Leslie Maglione '06 married James Jensen on October 9, 2010 at St. Ignatius Church in San Francisco. In attendance were Joseph Maglione '77, Celia Raffetto Maglione '77, Jay Maglione '13, Claudia Panontin Jones '77, Mary Conlon Almassy '77, Steve Almassy '77, Alicia Del Prado, Katie Kiely '07, and Stephanie Rocha.

Jim Kopas '09 and Genna Forster '09 are happily engaged. The wedding will be at Mission Santa Clara in the Summer of 2013.

Lesli Redenbaugh '09 and Umang Desai '09 married March 10 and 11, 2012. To honor both cultures and faiths, the two had a Catholic ceremony followed by a Hindu ceremony in the city of Seattle. Friends, family, and SCU alumni Andrew Carlson '90, Craig Carlson '87, Margaux Chan '09, Simi Rattan '08, Rachel Manfre '09, and Meagan Diss '09 were in attendance. Following a brief stay in San Francisco, CA after graduate school, the couple has relocated to Seattle, Washington.

Kate Deeny ’09 is giving a year of service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps beginning this August. 

Katharine Deeny '09 is serving through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps at La Raza Centro Legal in San Francisco, which provides community empowerment and legal services for low-income immigrants in the community. The organization operates in five different fields with a Senior Law Program, Immigration Law, Workers' Rights, the San Francisco Day Laborer Program, and La Colectiva de Mujeres--a domestic workers group of women who fight for passage of workers' rights at the legislative level and are at the forefront of the workers' rights movement on both local and national scales.

Lindsey Cromwell '04, MBA '09 and Matthew Kalkbrenner '04, MSME '06 were married on September 12, 2009 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The bridal party included Adriana (Navarro) Alfaro '04, Sarah Tarpley '05, Aimee (Grush) David '03, Mark Kalkbrenner '04, and Scott Gunther '04. Bronco alumni in attendance included Lindsey's mom, Angela (Lum) Thomas '75, as well as Jake David '04, Jake Peterson '04, Kim Ehret '04, Christina Jimenez '04, Joy (Wasai) Nishida '04, Khanh Chau '04, Jeff Cook '04, and Sonia (Mungal) Cook '04. The couple lives in Santa Clara. Lindsey is the Sustainability Coordinator for SCU and Matt is a Systems Engineer at Lockheed-Martin.

Julie (Baker) Broms MBA '09 and husband Ryan Broms became proud parents of Evan Canaan Broms, born April 26, 2011.