SFCAA: Catch us up with what you’ve been up to since graduating from SFC
Erica Martin: I can’t believe that it’s been twelve years since I graduated! After graduation I spent four years as a UCLA Bruin and then moved to Washington D.C. where I worked in the policy world for a few years, went to law school, and met my husband. I promise it was an accident that I married a lawyer – we met at a birthday party but later found out that we were attending the same church. I started practicing law in San Diego at Sempra Energy but after almost three years of doing that, Kyle and I felt the Lord calling us to use our law degrees for another purpose. For the past ten months we’ve been working as In-House Counsel for the International Justice Mission Field Office in South Asia.

SFCAA: What’s a favorite memory of yours at SFC?
EM: There are too many. I loved cheering at football and basketball games . . . I owe my life to Sarah Brown McClain and Lori Mason Frye for keeping me from hitting the ground after they threw me in the air. My best friends from SFC are still my life-long, dearest friends. I owe SFC an enormous debt for introducing those women into my life. I have no idea where I would be without them.

SFCAA: How do you think SFC prepared you for your career?
EM: SFC gave me a firm foundation. Of course I learned the skills I needed to survive academically but I also left feeling confident, equipped, and secure in my identity in Christ. That identity has certainly been challenged but the foundation gave me tools to stand my ground.

SFCAA: What’s a typical day like on the job?
EM: There is no one day that is similar! The mission of IJM is to work to ensure that the public justice system works on behalf of the poor and oppressed. In South Asia we work on the issue of bonded labour, which is a form of contemporary slavery. As lawyers we spend most of our time assisting the government with perpetrator accountability so that we can stop people who are exploiting others and send a message that when the law is broken and people are abused, there are consequences. We do a variety of things from helping to manage casework, exploring systemic reform projects, training advocates and other stakeholders, and working with the other teams in the office to rescue people from bondage.
You can read more about our adventures on our blog: http://www.kyleanderica.net/blog/

SFCAA: What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?
EM: I would never have guessed that I would be living and working in South Asia so I’m not going to try and guess what God has in store for the next ten years! I hope he’ll bless us with a family and the opportunity to continue to use our training and skills for His glory.

Erica with her husband Kyle.

Congrats to 2011 Impact Award recipient Debbie Lieber and 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Amy Kennard!

The third recipient of the SFCS Alumni Association Impact Award was Debbie Lieber, former SFCS elementary, middle and high school teacher. Ms. Lieber currently teaches Pre-Calculus, Staff Support and Development at Classical Academy High School in Escondido, CA. She has been a favorite of countless students over the years, due to her ability to make learning fun while having an incredible heart for the kids. Both of Debbie’s daughters, Katelyn and Kristi, attended SFCS with Kristi graduating in 2005. Debbie remains active in the SFCS community, attending football games, alumni events, or SHIP games. Congratulations Ms. Leiber!

This year’s Distinguished Alumni Award was given to Amy (Ensz) Kennard for her love for and dedication to the Santa Fe community. Amy graduated from Santa Fe Christian in 1992 as the Valedictorian and ASB Co-President. She went on to Westmont College, where she graduated with a B.S. in Biology, and then to Wheaton College, where she received a M.A. in Broadcast Communications. After working for KUSI-TV and KPRZ/KCBQ-AM Radio, she returned to her beloved home at SFC in 2000, where she has since taught 8th grade science, Algebra, Middle School Leadership/ Student Council, Middle School Drama, Broadcasting, and Upper School ASB. In 2004, Amy began the SFC Alumni Association, raising $22,000 in scholarship money for students in need in the first year. Amy is married to Shaun Kennard, water polo and swim coach at SFC, and mother to Kylie (SFC 2nd grader), Kenzie (SFC pre-schooler), and Keegan (future SFCer).

SFCAA: Catch us up with what you’ve been up to since graduating from SFC.
Laura Greupner: After SFC I survived several years of Chicago winters and graduated from Wheaton College in 1998. While at Wheaton I played volleyball and watched my brother Mark play football with my future husband (little did I know at the time). After graduating from Wheaton I lived and worked in Chicago for a couple of years, capped by my engagement and marriage to my husband Erik in 2000. Later that year we returned to San Diego where Erik attended law school and I helped make ends meet by starting a personal training business. I ran the San Diego Marathon (pre-kids!) and we had our first baby, Thomas, on New Years Eve 2003. After Erik graduated from law school we moved to Orange County where Erik practiced law and I stayed home with our growing family (3 children). We recently moved back to San Diego and live in Olivenhain.
SFCAA: What’s a favorite memory of yours at SFC?
LG: My fondest memories of SFC are centered around the sports I played (volleyball and softball). Most of our silly antics took place in the white vans with red vinyl seats, you know, the vans that took us to practice and games. Lifetime friendships were made during warm-up stretches, after school practices, summer training sessions and post-game slumber parties (our signature snack was licorice and tang). I also have wonderful memories and a great respect for my teachers and coaches.
SFCAA: How do you think SFC prepared you for your career?
LG: SFC taught me the value of hard work and self-discipline.
SFCAA: What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?
LG: Watching and supporting my three kids as they navigate the rough seas of junior high and high school…pushing 25 years of marriage and trying to keep myself and my clients in shape.

Laura and her family.

Each year there is a special group of graduating students who have attended Santa Fe Christian since Kindergarten. The class of 2011 features 17 of these “lifers” who have been part of the SFC family for 13 years! As they prepare to chart the course for their futures, they take with them a lifetime of memories, experiences, and lessons that will enrich and sustain them in their journeys.Congratulations to these SFC lifers!

Top Row: Kevin Changaris, MacKenzie Gilbert, Annie Francis, Austin Pavin, Stephanie Harper, Meredith Weiss, Julie Stripe, Ryan Grosse, Emilee Adamson, Brent Timm
Seated: Jenny O’Brien, Kalen Bobadilla
Bottom Row: Missy Grice, Kelsey Salyer, Blake Mossy, Dylan Bergheimer, Blake Marcher

Can you match each lifer with his/her Kindergarten picture?

Top Row: Stephanie Harper, Meredith Weiss, Blake Mossy, Brent Timm, Julie Stripe, Austin Pavin
Middle Row: Jenny O’Brien, Ryan Grosse, Kalen Bobadilla, Annie Francis, Kevin Changaris, Emilee Adamson
Bottom Row: Dylan Bergheimer, Missy Grice, MacKenzie Gilbert, Kelsey Salyer, Blake Marcher

The Class of 2011 graduates will be attending a diverse list of colleges and universities around the nation. The 87 graduates received 457 acceptances to over 140 schools. Additionally, students were awarded more than $10 million in scholarships.

College Acceptances Include:
Auburn University
Baylor University
Boston College
California Institute of Technology
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Cal Tech University
Carnegie Mellon
University
Clemson University
Duke University
Fordham University
Georgetown University
NYU
Penn State University
Parsons School of Design
Pepperdine University
Point Loma Nazarene
Purdue University
Rice University
Southern Methodist University
Stanford University
Texas Christian University
Tufts University
UC Berkeley
UC Irvine
UCLA
UCSD
University of Michigan
University of San Diego
USC
Westmont College
Wheaton College
Vanderbilt University
Wake Forest University
Washington University
in St. Louis
…and more!

Congrats Class of 2011!

Graduated seniors Luke VanHouten, Christina Saeed, Caroline Hernandez, Brandon Min and Juliet Snyder

TRACK & FIELD: With more than 40 members, the SFC Track & Field squad was bigger and faster than ever. Led by new head coach Joshua Johnson and senior captains Andy Kramer and Dane Dwyer, the team won its first ever track meet this season! Seven athletes advanced to the CIF meet.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL: The volleyball team compiled a 12-7 record and captured the Coastal League Championship. The Eagles advanced to the CIF semifinals and qualified for State playoffs. The team verses for the year were Romans 8:31-39.

BASEBALL: Despite moving into the strong Coastal South League this season, the baseball team captured both the League Championship and the CIF Division V Championship. The team also went undefeated (5-0) in the City Conference Tournament.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE: After graduating 12 seniors last year, the 2011 squad turned to new leaders to carry on a tradition of success, and the team captured its second straight League Championship.

MEN’S LACROSSE: The team competed against some of the county’s top programs, posting a big win over Bishop’s and taking powerhouse Cathedral into overtime. Nine seniors led the team to a 10-7 record overall.

MEN’S TENNIS: This year’s team featured seven seniors and compiled a 11-7 record. The Eagles held their own in one of the county’s toughest leagues.

SOFTBALL: The women made a vast improvement this year, winning two playoff games. Coached by Darrell Enderlin, the team featured eight new players and was led by captains Nicole Matuska, Grace Reynolds, and Lyndsey Pritchard. This year’s team Motto was “We not Me.”

GOLF: The SFC Golf team had another great season after moving into the challenging Coastal League South. Standout junior Michael Stephenson capped off a brilliant season by posting a 1.9 index and winning the League Championship with a round of 73. The team strived to glorify God with each swing regardless of the outcome of the shot.

SWIM: The men’s team scored impressive wins over Cathedral and Carlsbad High School, and both teams competed in the CIF swim meet to end the season. Individually, Josh Mangus placed 3rd in the 200m freestyle, 2nd in the 500m freestyle, and also broke the SFC school record in the 100m freestyle.

Josh Mangus broke the school record in the 100m freestyle with a time of 47.61

Dozens of SFC students spent their Winter or Easter breaks serving God around the world and building relationships with other kids in Russia, Thailand, India, France, and Waco, Texas. The 9th–12th grade students taught English, improved facilities, played games, sang songs, performed skits, and ultimately demonstrated God’s love.Many of the returning students expressed that these trips were the highlight of their Upper School experience. Chaperones commented that the mission trips encouraged students to expand their comfort zones and discover that with God’s help, anything is possible. Teams will travel to Uganda, the Dominican Republic, and Italy this summer, and next year SFC will send a team to Rwanda for the first time. Thanks for your prayers for the mission trips!

SFC students in Russia.

Through a collaborative effort between faculty, staff, parents, students, and alumni SFC has launched a new strategic plan that will guide the school for the next five years. Click here to check out a short video that talks about so the school’s values and goals for the future.

If you’re in the area, you’re always welcome to stop by, get a campus tour, and see some of your favorite teachers who are still at SFC!

When upper school teacher Paul Lyons was hired in 2001 as the Director of Student Ministries, he planned the school’s first mission trip: 14 choir students traveled to Australia. Nine years later, Lyons is planning trips for nine SFC teams to make an impact for Christ around the globe. This spring and summer, 160 SFC students will serve God abroad, including our first-ever trip to India. The student missionaries serve in orphanages, schools, small villages and big cities, often along side churches or other missionary groups. On a given day, these students might sing, build and repair needed structures, play games with kids, provide medical aid, or simply pray with people and share their faith.

Planning for these missions begins a year in advance. At the close of the previous school year, Lyons recruits SFC teachers to serve as guides for the various trips, with each trip having several veteran adults. After the school year commences, a missions fair is held in September in conjunction with a chapel service that details opportunities for the year. Interested students sign up for the mission trip that speaks to them and submit a thorough written application. In the 2010-11 school year, a record 285 students submitted applications! After lots of prayer and discernment, the SFC guides select the students and assign them to trip teams.

Although many parents worry about finding the necessary financing for the trips, Lyons has seen that God always delivers money when needed. Through fundraising, primarily through letter writing to their families and friends, the necessary funding always comes through.
“If you are meant to go, God will make it work,” Lyons says. Please pray for our students and chaperones as they bring glory to God around the globe in the coming months!

Mission Trips for the 2010-2011 School Year:
Winter Break: India, Israel
Easter Break: Thailand, Russia, France, Waco (Texas)
Sumer: Uganda, Italy, Dominican Republic

SFCAA: Share with us what you’ve been doing since graduating from SFC in 2003.
Danielle Grant: After graduating, I packed my bags and moved to the Central Coast for college. I spent four years studying broadcast journalism at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Then in 2008, in the dead of winter, I moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho for my first real on-air TV position. There I found my passion: predicting Mother Nature. Besides forecasting the weather, I also reported the news for two years before my next jump. Now, I’m working at KREM 2 News in Spokane, Washington.

SFCAA: Being in the news industry, it’s assumed that you’ll need to jump from city to city. Is this true? If so, how has it been?
DG: That’s pretty much how you climb to the top of the ladder in this industry. There are 210 TV markets in the nation. Idaho Falls is 162, Spokane is 75 and San Diego is 28, so the bigger the city, the lower the number. I knew if I wanted to get my foot in the door, I’d have to move to the sticks (like Idaho Falls, Idaho)…and I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. I learned the ins and outs of this business in my first few years – and met my sweet fiancé there!

SFCAA: What’s a normal work day for you?
DG: During the week, I report for the 5 and 6pm newscasts. Before I get to work, I’ll research possible story ideas for the day then pitch them in our morning meeting. The mangers have the final say in what stories I cover, and from there I hit the ground running – starting with interviewing people and shooting video. I’ll usually write and edit in the field…the time flies and by 5pm I’m ready to GO LIVE! During the weekends, I’m anchoring the news and forecasting the weather in the studio. I create my own graphics and figure out the highs/lows and when the next storm is coming in. Then, I’m reading through scripts the producers have written—checking for content and accuracy. It’s non-stop work but by the end of the day, it’s so rewarding.

SFCAA: What’s the greatest challenge being in the news industry?
DG: Like any other job, you have good and bad days. It can be frustrating, exhausting and stressful trying to make deadline. Oh, and you have to have tough skin –people say the rudest things sometimes and you learn to just let it go. It’s not the glamorous life many think it is – there aren’t holidays in the news, sometimes you go in at 3am to cover a story and sometimes you won’t get home until 3am But there’s a certain satisfaction in knowing the story you’re telling is being seen by the eyes of thousands.

SFCAA: Which teacher at SFC had the biggest impact on you?
DG: Hands down, Mr. Salyer and Mrs. Kennard. Both were so encouraging to get into the business. My first taste of broadcasting was at SFC doing “Live At 8:05.” Gaining that experience at such a young age put me a step-ahead in college and I owe them for that. They’d stay after-school with me, helping edit stories and critique my writing – they did it because they cared about my future. Those two saw something in me that could go beyond the classroom and that truly inspired me to make this my career.

SFCAA: Give us a favorite memory of yours while at SFC.
DG: Too many memories to count since I spent kindergarten through 12th grade there! I loved every moment but one of my favorites was spending senior year as a cheerleader. It was a blast to be the spirit behind SFC. We had such a special bond – the games, cheer camp, competing at Disneyland… the list could go on. But most importantly, I made genuine, lifelong friendships over the years and that’s something I’ll always remember about SFC.

Danielle Grant