St. Francis Celebrates the Class of 2022

One hundred and fifty-eight young men from the Class of 2022 graduated on Saturday morning, May 28th, on the campus of St. Francis High School in La Cañada Flintridge, California.

Fr. Joseph Seraphin Dederick, OFM Cap., the Provincial of the Western American Province of the Capuchin Franciscan Order, represented his Excellency Bishop José Gómez, Archbishop of Los Angeles, at the ceremony. Fr. Tony Marti, OFM Cap., the School President, Mr. Thomas Moran, the School Principal, and Mr. Mark Heydorff, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, also officiated during the Seventy-Third Annual Commencement Exercises for the local Catholic, college preparatory institution.

Vincent DiRito led the National Anthem, Jeffrey Balian, the Senior Class President, welcomed those in attendance, and Valedictorian Quinn Deitch gave a formal address to the audience. Quinn Deitch also received the Capuchin Award and Medal for Scholarship. The program also recognized Salutatorian Aren Adamian for his exceptional achievement. Additionally, Chance Thomasy was presented with the Rudy Trujillo Award for Superior Academic Effort. We were also honored to have Keith Watson, Commander, U.S. Merchant Marine, in attendance to present Jaren Sin with his appointment to the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

This year we recognized 10 legacy graduates, those 2nd generation Golden Knights whose fathers also graduated from St. Francis. The group of legacy graduates from the Class of 2022 includes: Gavin Corteza (Mr. Ceazar Corteza ’88), Owen Cruz (Mr. Ernest Cruz III ’91), Buckley DeJardin (Mr. Bradford DeJardin ’84), Joshua Jewell (Mr. Mark Jewell ’87), Jake Karadizian (Mr. Brian Karadizian ’88), Matthew Konrad (Mr. Nick Konrad ’85), Nicolas Mosaquites (Mr. Matthew Snyder ’94), John Murphy (Mr. Gregory Murphy ’92), Nathaniel Rosales (Mr. Edward F. Rosales ‘82), and Bryce Young (Mr. Scott Young ’83).

St. Francis Certificates of Distinction were awarded to graduates in the following categories: Athletics – Buckley DeJardin; Visual & Performing Arts – Tomás García; World Languages – Gabriel Gottheim; Social Studies – Simon Lee; World Languages – Myron Longhurst; Social Studies – Vaughn Nahapetian; Mathematics – Timothy Parisi; Science – Daniel Peinado; Social Studies – David Ramirez; Athletics – Dario Rock; Mass Media – Jaren Sin.

The school faculty also presented Capuchin Medals for Excellence in various subject areas to the following individuals: Physics – Aren Adamian; World History – Jeffrey Balian; Religion & Spanish – Dylan Bell; Graphic Design & Theater – Tyler Bodden; Drumline – Gavin Corteza; Biology, English, & US Government – Quinn Deitch; Chorus – Vincent DiRito; Art – Tyler Dorlarque; Athletics & Kinesiology – Maxwell Garrison; Human Geography & Mathematics – Gabriel Gottheim; Latin – Aaron Liem; Mass Media – Krish Malhotra; Psychology & US History – Zachary Oliva; Computer Science – Timothy Parisi; Economics – Daniel Peinado; Chemistry – Matthew Toutounjian.

Community service awards were presented to the following individuals: Buckley DeJardin (Pro Deo et Patria for Leadership); Gabriel Gottheim (Pro Deo et Ecclesia for Leadership); Vaughn Nahapetian (Fred Purner Humanitarian Award); Ethan Thomas (Roger Barkley Award for Outstanding Character); Jeffrey Balian and Miguel Angel Medina (Archdiocesan Christian Service Award); John Murphy (Peter Brang Medal for Good Citizenship); James Lejeune (Franciscan Spirit and Life Award). In addition, Mrs. Peggy Gala and Mrs. Angela Konrad were honored for their service to St. Francis with the St. Clare of Assisi Award. Dr. Juan Mah y Busch, Mr. Rick Oliver, and Mr. Phong Rock were also recognized for their service to the school as this year’s recipients of the St. Francis of Assisi Award.

The second-annual Jim Bonds Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Maxwell Garrison. The Fr. Lawrence Caruso Memorial College Scholarship was awarded to Duncan Sprengel. The California Wellness Scholarship was awarded to Aren Adamian. Forty-two graduates received the special St. Francis High School Honors Diploma, an award given for Christian service, high academic achievement, and taking at least one Advanced Placement course during their senior year at the school. Fifty-one of the graduating seniors were recognized as California Scholarship Federation Sealbearers. The California Scholarship Federation Sealbearer Scholarship was presented to Mclain Arslanian, Jeffrey Balian, Aaron Liem, and Brandon Po.

Quinn Deitch was recognized as a National Merit Program Scholarship Student. Gabriel Gottheim was recognized as a National Merit Program Finalist. Seventy-nine students graduated as members of the National Honor Society and eight graduated as Mu Alpha Theta members. The National Honor Society Certificate of Merit was awarded to Quinn Deitch, Vaughn Nahapetian, Zachary Oliva, Sean Vargas. The National Honor Society of Sports Medicine graduated two members; Tyler Dorlarque and Maxwell Garrison.

Quinn Deitch, Francis Ferguson, Gabriel Gottheim, Zachary Oliva, Samuel Oliver, Timothy Parisi, Akio Pinedo, and Chance Thomasy were recognized as National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholars. Thirty-three graduates were recognized as members of the National English Honor Society. Thirty graduates were recognized as members of Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica.

At the time of graduation, students from St. Francis High School’s graduating Class of 2022 have received 217 scholarships, awards, and/or grants to colleges and universities throughout the United States. These scholarships and awards equate to a total amount of $12,698,044 offered towards the recipients’ educational costs.

St. Francis would like to congratulate all 158 graduates and wish them success and happiness as they journey onward toward lives of purpose marked by service to others. Below are the names of the St. Francis graduates from the Class of 2022:

 

Alec A. Abdollahian

Shaunt Haig Aboolian – Cum Laude

Aren Adamian – Summa Cum Laude

Stephen Aguayo II – Magna Cum Laude

Amin Al-Jazayrly – Cum Laude

Patrick Donald de Estes Alton – Cum Laude

Aidan Patrick Alvarado – Summa Cum Laude

Benjamin Manuel Alvarez – Summa Cum Laude

Mclain Archavir Arslanian – Summa Cum Laude

Michael Paul Astalis

Jeffrey Balian – Summa Cum Laude

Alexander Patrick Banegas – Summa Cum Laude

Mher H. Baranian – Summa Cum Laude

Nicolás Giovanni Battiata – Cum Laude

Dylan William Bell – Summa Cum Laude

Tyler William Bodden – Magna Cum Laude

Jason Christopher Boutros – Cum Laude

Jack Bennett Bradley – Cum Laude

Tyler Robert Kai Braun – Summa Cum Laude

Mayze Jayden Bryant – Cum Laude

Baylor James Buchanan – Magna Cum Laude

Hudson Buik – Cum Laude

Adrian Shiraz Cabrera – Cum Laude

Julian Emilio Carrillo

Brendan Aaron Casal – Cum Laude

Michael Salvatore Cellura – Cum Laude

Eric Dylan Chan Magna – Cum Laude

Jack Hamlin Chandra – Cum Laude

Aiden Hines Chisum – Cum Laude

Vincent David Ciampa – Summa Cum Laude

Aaron Wilson Cisneros – Magna Cum Laude

Jacob O. Close – Cum Laude

Julian Dylan Corral – Cum Laude

Gavin Ethan Corteza – Cum Laude

Ryan Francis Costa

Alexander John Cronin – Magna Cum Laude

Owen Ryan Cruz – Cum Laude

Eric Michael Culpepper – Magna Cum Laude

Matthew Kristof Dannemann – Cum Laude

Quinn Clark Deitch Summa – Cum Laude

Buckley John DeJardin Summa – Cum Laude

Matthew James Sexton Delfino – Cum Laude

Manuel Leonidas Delgado – Cum Laude

Vincent Joseph DiRito – Cum Laude

Tyler Aaron Dorlarque – Magna Cum Laude

Nicolas Michael Dreher

Mitchell Xavier Dudas

Xavier Diego Echemendia – Cum Laude

Sean Michael Tonatiuh Escobar – Magna Cum Laude

Sergio Eliad Espinoza

Francis Benjamin Ferguson – Summa Cum Laude

Joseph Hess Ferguson – Summa Cum Laude

Christopher J. Fiori – Cum Laude

Luke Ryan Fogarty Summa – Cum Laude

Joaquin Agustin Franco

Jarrel Jordan Frazier

Colin Koran Gala Summa – Cum Laude

Christian J. Galindo – Cum Laude

Adam Michael Gallardo – Summa Cum Laude

Tomás Rubén García – Cum Laude

Maxwell Lee Garrison

Aidan Jackson Gates – Cum Laude

Jacob Wilder Gillman – Cum Laude

Jake Kaj Goldberg – Cum Laude

Gabriel Joshua Gottheim – Summa Cum Laude

Daniel Vasken Gourdikian – Magna Cum Laude

Aidan Joseph Guillermo

Patrick Aaron Gutierrez – Cum Laude

Ryan Emilio Guzman – Cum Laude

Daniel Weston Hiroshi Hara – Summa Cum Laude

Mason Rogers Hasbrouck – Summa Cum Laude

Sebastian Jorge Hernandez – Summa Cum Laude

Colin W. Ho Magna – Cum Laude

Arman Arthur Hovsepian – Summa Cum Laude

Andrew Kenneth Howard – Magna Cum Laude

Nathaniel Paul Hunstable – Cum Laude

Evan D. Hunter Blyden

Anders Logan Javaheri

Joshua Christopher Jewell – Summa Cum Laude

Diego Andrés Jiménez

Kyle Thomas Jonke – Cum Laude

Andre Kabadayan – Cum Laude

Jake Rossin Karadizian

Matthew Wilson Konrad – Magna Cum Laude

Simon Joo-suk Lee – Summa Cum Laude

Tristan Dang Lee – Summa Cum Laude

James Michael Lejeune – Cum Laude

Miles Matthew Leyva – Cum Laude

Leland Anders Lieberg

Aaron Nathanael Liem – Summa Cum Laude

Myron C. Longhurst – Summa Cum Laude

Paolo Bauloh Mah y Busch – Cum Laude

Tyson Jared Mak – Summa Cum Laude

Krish Hiro Malhotra – Summa Cum Laude

Tyler Chris Mallett – Summa Cum Laude

James Sujal Mandavia – Cum Laude

Carlo Santiago Martinez – Cum Laude

Dakota Breez Martinez – Summa Cum Laude

Owen Brylle Masayon – Cum Laude

Ryan William McCarthy – Summa Cum Laude

Collin Mitchell McIlvery – Summa Cum Laude

Miguel Angel Medina – Magna Cum Laude

Alek Philip Milkie – Cum Laude

Nicolas Mosaquites

Joseph Ford Mueller – Cum Laude

Matthew Joseph Munoz – Magna Cum Laude

John Patrick Murphy – Magna Cum Laude

Vaughn Alec Nahapetian – Summa Cum Laude

Robert Christian Nardoni – Cum Laude

Tyler Klaus Nussbaum

Zachary Antonio Oliva – Summa Cum Laude

Samuel Mateo Oliver – Summa Cum Laude

Kevin Charles Olmedo

Jacob Daniel Orona – Magna Cum Laude

Milo Henry Orona – Cum Laude

Vatche Papirian – Cum Laude

Timothy Anthony Parisi – Summa Cum Laude

Gabriel Nicolas Payan – Summa Cum Laude

Daniel Ricardo Peinado – Summa Cum Laude

Ivan Henry Penichet-Khaw – Summa Cum Laude

Aaron Richard Petersen – Cum Laude

Akio Minoru Pinedo – Magna Cum Laude

Brandon Alexander Po – Summa Cum Laude

Alejandro Ramirez – Cum Laude

David Nicolas Ramirez – Summa Cum Laude

Robert Nestor Rivera – Cum Laude

Diego Isaac Robles – Magna Cum Laude

Dario Bao Rock – Summa Cum Laude

Brandon Michael Rodriguez – Cum Laude

Nathaniel Edward Hernandez Rosales – Magna Cum Laude

Alejandro F. Sanchez – Summa Cum Laude

Alejandro R. Sanchez – Cum Laude

Noah James Sandoval – Summa Cum Laude

Myles Cole Shannon – Summa Cum Laude

Haris K. Sheikh – Magna Cum Laude

Matthew Oliver Shepherd – Magna Cum Laude

John Anthony Simmons – Cum Laude

Aidan Joseph Simonian – Summa Cum Laude

Jaren Edward Sin – Magna Cum Laude

Samuel Edward Skinner

Duncan Patrick Sprengel – Cum Laude

Conner Matthew Steele – Cum Laude

Derik Stepanians – Summa Cum Laude

Alex Owen Su – Summa Cum Laude

Cailen Jobert Tanlioco – Cum Laude

Max Steven Telleria

Peter Cameron Terry – Cum Laude

Ethan Joseph Thomas – Summa Cum Laude

Chance Russell Thomasy – Summa Cum Laude

Xavier Raymond Thompson

Matthew Ara Toutounjian – Summa Cum Laude

Nathan Oshin Toutounjian – Summa Cum Laude

Luke Show Tran – Summa Cum Laude

Maxwell Gregory Tufenkian – Cum Laude

John Anthony Vach – Magna Cum Laude

Sean Vincent Vargas – Summa Cum Laude

Bryce John Patrick Young – Magna Cum Laude

Nathaniel James Zermeno – Cum Laude