SFCAA

The Men of Destiny Return to the Field

eagles — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:27:48 +0000

SFC honored its first CIF Football Championship team on November 5th, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the “Men of Destiny” at halftime of the football game. Nearly every player and coach from the team was in attendance, several flying in from out of state. The 1991 Eagles went 12-1 and defeated La Jolla Country Day in the CIF Championship game 56-36. Dubbed the “Men of Destiny” by their coaches as Freshman in 1988, the team worked for four years towards their goal of winning SFC’s first ever football championship. Even 20 years later, the players and coaches share a strong bond they say will never be broken.

Coaches and players from the 1991 CIF football championship team on the field during halftime of the game on November 5th

Eagles Heading to Division 1 Athletic Programs

eagles — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:26:32 +0000

Four SFC senior athletes signed letters of intent to play at Division 1 Colleges next fall: Allysa Barkley, volleyball, Cedarville; Josh Estill, baseball, Purdue; Bobby Zarubin, baseball, Stanford; and Nolan Gannon, baseball, San Diego State.

Congrats to these athletes!

SFC Lower School Awarded National Blue Ribbon

eagles — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:25:13 +0000

Santa Fe Christian Lower School was named a 2011 National Blue Ribbon School, a distinction by the U.S. Department of Education that ranks it among the highest performing schools nationwide. SFC was one of only 49 private schools in the nation awarded this year and the only private school named west of the Mississippi! The U.S. Department of Education honored the 255 public and 49 private schools with their National Blue Ribbon School awards at a conference and awards ceremony November 14–15 in Washington, D.C.

The Blue Ribbon Selection Process
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private schools in several categories. SFC Lower School was awarded under the “High Performing Schools” category. These schools are ranked among each state’s highest performing schools as measured by their performance on state assessments or, in the case of private schools, test scores at the highest performance level on nationally normed tests.
Before selecting National Blue Ribbon Schools, the Department asks for nominations from the top education official in every state, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. The Council for American Private Education (CAPE) nominated SFC along with other private schools. A total of 413 schools nationwide were nominated, based on the number of K–12 students and the number of schools in each jurisdiction. The schools are then invited by the Secretary of Education to submit an application for possible recognition as a National Blue Ribbon School. After Principal Hannah Park and her team completed an extensive application process in May, our school was selected as a winner.

Lower School Literacy Specialist Mary Braun (left) and Principal Hannah Park traveled to Washington, D.C. to receive recognition as well as the Blue Ribbon Award, signed by the Secretary of Education.

Class of 2001 Gathers for 10-Year Reunion

eagles — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:20:48 +0000

It’s not easy pulling together a reunion, but the Class of 2001 had over half of their class return Homecoming Weekend for their 10 year reunion. Alumni from across the country, from New York to Seattle and New Jersey to San Francisco, came back to connect and see each other again.

Following the SFC Homecoming Football game, Senior Class President Alex Masterson and Lindsay Helling organized an incredible night with over 60 people at Chevy’s in Del Mar. Old friends spent time catching each other up on the past 10 years, sharing stories of weddings, new careers, kids, and talking to their favorite teachers including Paul and Glenda Lyons, Barbara Farrington, Sheri Buell, Mike Jelnick, and Steve Strimple.
“The best part of the night was swapping stories with people that I hadn’t seen since high school!” said Class of ’01 alum Jon Ulrich.

Here’s to another 10 years Class of 2001!

Class of 2006 Celebrates Their 5-Year Mark

eagles — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:19:20 +0000

The Class of 2006 was reunited for a small “Five Year Get Together” at Pizza Port in Solana Beach just before the Homecoming football game on October 29th, 2011. Much of the class is currently spread out across the United States participating in various educational and vocational pursuits, but for those that were in the area, the gathering was a great time for old friends to catch up on recent events. Notably, Jeremiah Young shared about his non-profit group, Bloom Projects International, that focuses on promoting self sustained social development in developing countries; Rachael Hershman (Lunghi) shared memories of her recent wedding; and Jenna Little explained the impetus for her new football blog, www.girongirls.com. The gang then headed over to SFC to watch the Homecoming football game and see assistant coaches Josh Bretow and Trevor Love in action.

Alumni Spotlight: Erica (Little) Martin, Class of 1999

eagles — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:18:01 +0000

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.

Your 2011 Award Recipients

eagles — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:12:32 +0000

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).

Alumni Spotlight: Laura (Loeffler) Greupner, Class of 1994

eagles — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 17:09:48 +0000

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.

Class of 2011 ‘Lifers’

eagles — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 17:03:53 +0000

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

Welcome New Alumni Class of 2011!

eagles — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:59:45 +0000

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