Alumnae News & Events

#AlumnaNews Thank you Maj. Theresa Simard ‘03 for your dedication and your service! Theresa is flight surgeon with the 11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade in Fort Carson, Colorado.

“Medical workers and other experts have been on the frontlines fighting the coronavirus pandemic since the infection surged in the United States in early March….

On April 4, the same day she received her orders, Simard was given 24 hours to pack and deploy with the 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support)”

Coming soon to a theater near you: SFHS Alumna, Greta Gerwig ‘02, brings Little Women to life on the big screen as only she can do! Another well directed and cast film, Gerwig has Saoirse Ronan playing the heroine Jo March; Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, and Eliza Scanlen playing the sisters; Laura Dern is Marmee, and Meryl Streep plays their forbidding, rich Aunt March. Timothée Chalamet (another Lady Bird carryover) plays heartthrob Laurie, the literal boy next door who develops an intense friendship with Jo.

The 2nd annual “Spirit of San Damiano Award” will be presented at the 2019 Revelry Gala & Auction on March 9, 2019. Marion Kaeser Slakey ’48 has been selected as a recipient of this year’s award. 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Alumna Allison Child ’13 will begin her first season on the St. Francis volleyball staff in 2018, serving as the head coach of the freshman team.

“Being back at St. Francis is such a blessing and I am excited to be here to serve the community that gave me so much,” said Child. “I loved being a part of this volleyball program as a player, and I can’t wait to experience it as a coach, alongside an amazing and supportive staff. Overall, it’s truly an amazing opportunity to be back in the SF gym and I am looking forward to this season!”

Alumna Ashley Kyalwazi ’14, who was the Student Body President her senior year, continues to be a shining example and representative of St. Francis High School. She recently stopped by the campus in between her graduation from the University of Notre Dame and enrollment in Harvard Medical School this fall.

“I had a great time as an undergraduate at Notre Dame,” said Kyalwazi. “Over the course of four years, I was blessed to meet amazing people from professors to my peers. I will miss my time at ND, but I am looking forward to beginning my medical school journey.”

Congratulations to alumna Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis ’85 on her election to Lieutenant Governor of California! If you missed the article on Eleni in the Spring 2018 issue, read it here:

We know Troubadours are women who change the world; we had a chance to catch up with Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis ’85 to hear where her post-St. Francis journey has taken her and what lessons from her alma mater she has taken on the journey.

Always a woman who wanted to experience the world, Eleni spent her sophomore year at a boarding school in Lugano, Switzerland before embarking on her Troubadour education. While transferring schools mid-way through high school can seem intimidating, Eleni found her St. Francis home to be warm and welcoming and affectionately remembers the many friends she made while a student here. Troubies who remember her debate performance as Walter Mondale*, alongside Claire Chatfield as Geraldine Ferraro, will not be surprised that Eleni is currently campaigning to be the next Lieutenant Governor of California.

“A part of running for office is reviewing your old files. I pleasantly found a report I had written in high school about the 1984 election. There was no question the work we were doing at St. Francis was very relevant,” Eleni reminisces. Her social studies teacher, Trisha (Garretson) Uhrhammer, had connections at the Capitol through her graduate work in history and government. She was also involved with the League of Women Voters and encouraged her students to be informed and active in government. She made a big impact on Eleni.

St. Francis Alumna Kaitlyn Cozens ’13 is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan. She was a four-year letter winner with the Water Polo program and graduated from the School of Kinesiology with a degree in sports management in April, 2017. She was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and received the U-M Academic Achievement Award twice. She finished her career with 51 games played with 11 goals, 11 assists, 22 points and 13 steals and was a member of two CWPA Championship teams and two NCAA appearances.

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. – Alumna Lauren LaRocco ‘14 finished 13th in the 10,000 meters with a time of 33:41.08 at the USATF Championships on Thursday at Sacramento State.

“My goal was to start really conservative,” said LaRocco. “I did not know how I would feel coming down from altitude. I really tried to run my own race and slowly pick off girls. I think I did a pretty good job of it and I was close to one of them at the end.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Coaches can be role models for their players in many ways. Alumna Beth Balbierz ‘11 is not only a former player at St. Francis but Division I starter at Cal Poly and now she is passing on her program and basketball knowledge to the players on the Junior Varsity team.

“It is fun but different,” said Balbierz. “There is more anxiety on this side of the ball as I have learned. The girls are really smart players so it is easy to coach them. They catch on quickly.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis alumnae Lauren LaRocco ‘14 and Peyton Bilo ‘15 had successful returns to Sacramento at the NCAA West Regional on Friday morning.

“It was really fun because there were people lining the course everywhere,” said Portland junior Lauren LaRocco. “I was really surprised by the turnout and I felt like I had a lot of support running in my hometown.”

SOUTH DAKOTA – Rising senior Jessica Gianulias organized the donation of St. Francis volleyballs while on a service trip this summer in South Dakota.

Gianulias traveled with seven current and former classmates with the Global-7 non-profit organization service trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. They worked with girls between 6-10 years old part of the Oglala Lakota Indian Tribe.

GOLD RIVER, Calif. – Former Troubadour Madeleine Verspieren ’12 was drawn to the big boat setup at orientation and decided to try out a new sport. Four years later, she helped the Zags record their best NCAA finish in school history and will leave with two degrees and a feeling of accomplishment from her time on the water.

GULF SHORES, Ala. – Alumna Zoe Nightingale ’11 helped the top-ranked USC Trojans win the inaugural NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship with a 3-0 win over No. 2 Florida State. The Women of Troy completed the year on an incredible 30-match winning streak.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis Alumnae Sole Montemayor ’01 and Maren (Martinelli) Christie ’00 are both assistants on the basketball staff and played for Head Coach Vic Pitton during their days on campus. They have played a big role in helping the current team reach the CIF Division I Championship game on Thursday.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – It was ironic that Homecoming activities have surrounded the St. Francis campus this week as two of the school’s alumnae returned home to play collegiate volleyball Thursday night less than a mile away at the Hornets Nest on the Sacramento State campus.

For Dana Vestman (Elk Grove) and Loni Kreun (Davis) of the Montana State volleyball team and the St. Francis Class of 2013, everything was familiar on Thursday as they drove down Elvas Avenue on the way to the their game, providing directions to their van drivers.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The St. Francis volleyball program has 18 alumnae on collegiate rosters this fall across all NCAA Divisions. Pepperdine standout Gabi Palmeri leads a talented group of players taking the court this season after starring for Head Coach Alynn Wright and St. Francis.

Several programs have become popular destinations for the Troubies especially in California.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Cal Poly sophomore Beth Balbierz will play in the Big West Tournament starting Friday in Anaheim.

She has been a key contributor for the Mustangs this season, playing in all 29 games and making one start in the season finale this past weekend. She is coming off the best game of her college career last weekend.

Moncton, CANADA – St. Francis alumna Ariana Calderon made the Mexican national team for the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Canada but a recent injury will keep her on the sideline.

“Due to my injury, I will not be playing in the World Cup this year,” said Calderon on Instagram Thursday night. “I gave it everything I had, but it was not in God’s plan. Thank you to those who reached out and (have) given me strength during this time. I wish my teammates the best of luck. I can’t wait to get back in the Mexico jersey.”

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – UCLA senior middle blocker Zoe Nightingale told college coaches she wanted to play for and win a national championship. She did just that in her freshmen year and now she wants to perform an encore to bookend her career.

Nightingale, a 2011 graduate of St. Francis, helped the Bruins win the title in her freshman season, earning a selection to the NCAA All-Tournament team in the process.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis alumnae are succeeding at the collegiate level across the country. Here is collection of news and notes about the former Troubies. Submissions can be sent in to Assistant AD Steve Shaff at sshaff@stfrancishs.org.

St. Francis alumnae are succeeding at the collegiate level across the country. Here is collection of news and notes about the former Troubies. Submissions can be sent in to Assistant AD Steve Shaff at sshaff@stfrancishs.org.

St. Francis alumnae are succeeding at the collegiate level across the country. Here is collection of news and notes from the last week about the former Troubies. Submissions can be sent in to Assistant AD Steve Shaff at sshaff@stfrancishs.org.

DAVIS, Calif. – Allie Wegener started her sophomore season at UC Davis this month and the former St. Francis volleyball standout is enjoying every moment of her collegiate career at the local school.

Wegener is starting for the Aggies and ranks second on the team in kills and digs per set in the first nine games this season for first-year Head Coach Dan Conners.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The drive down Elvas Avenue to St. Francis High School was very familiar but this time they kept driving by their former school en route to the gym at Sacramento State.

“On the bus I was really excited,” said UCSB freshman Megan Sullivan about driving by the school. “I was (telling everyone) that was my high school and pointing out where we go to eat all the time after school. No one really cared but Noa and I were really excited and took videos and everything.”