Crosier - Bishop John J. Snyder High School

Crosier
THE
Bishop John J. Snyder High School
Fall 2013
From Deacon
David Yazdiya, Principal
As we begin our 12th year of
Competence, Conscience, and Compassion
at BJS, we are thankful that we were blessed
with the ability to provide a quality,
Catholic education to nearly 1000 graduates
who have gone on to greater
accomplishments. At BJS, we take our
responsibility of Catholic education
seriously and we are proud of the
partnership we have with our families that
helps us achieve success. We understand
that parents are the primary educators of their children and that when
they enroll their students in our school, we are continuing the very
important work of preparing them for the next step –college and the
future. At Bishop John Snyder, we realize that there are great challenges
that young people encounter everyday and one of our responsibilities
is to give them the necessary tools to face these challenges and turn
obstacles into opportunities for growth. Our faculty and staff are
dedicated to ensuring that each student receives the appropriate
attention for success.
Our academic program is one of the most rigorous programs offering
several Honors and AP level courses. We are proud to report that our
pass rate for our AP classes ranks as one of the highest around. We are
continually upgrading our technology; and in this current school year
we are launching our BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) initiative,
allowing students the option of using iPads, Kindle Fire, Android
devices, or laptops in the classrooms. If students prefer to use the
traditional paper texts, they may choose that option as well. Since
research shows that everyone learns differently, the BOYD initiative
gives students the opportunity to personalize their learning style and
Summer Mission Trip
Residents are calling it the “Miracle of Oil
City.” Twelve of our finest Bishop Snyder
Cardinals traveled to Catholic Heart
Workcamp in Oil City, Pennsylvania for a
week of service, fellowship and worship. BJS
students added to the 145 other teens from
around the country who gathered at the
home base of Venango High School in Oil
City. The schedule for the week included
daily Mass, full days of service projects in the
community, group and individual prayer and
reflection time, Adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament, Reconciliation, and nightly praise
provides prototype learning skills for college. Outside the classroom,
our athletic programs are competitive, giving student athletes the
chance to display their skills in a healthy environment. We introduced
lacrosse in 2012 and this year we are proud to introduce a color guard
dance team- an energetic group of 15 girls who will join our band and
perform with flags at football and basketball games. Our service clubs
continue to make our community a better place by their focus on
giving to others and our art and music departments are thriving with
the energy of our students.
BJS is committed to a Catholic, college-bound culture. We have
invested in Naviance – a comprehensive, student-based, collegereadiness platform that helps students connect high school academic
achievement and extra-curricular performance to post-secondary
goals.
This school year, Guidance has introduced seniors to E-Docs – a
secure means to request and send
academic transcripts to colleges.
Introduction and application of additional
Naviance tools include college search,
planning, career exploration and selfdiscovery applications will be introduced
by grade level each academic year
beginning in 2014-2015 as part of the BJS
vision to provide students with leading
resources for college-planning and
Fr. Michael Houle, M.Ed.,
application.
Director of Secondary Schools
Bishop Snyder said it himself many
years ago: "There are lots of good things
happening here.” We are grateful to the many families and friends
who support us with their generosity and prayers. In conjunction with
our School Board, Finance Committee, and the very competent
leadership of Fr. Michael Houle, M.Ed., Director of Secondary Schools
and Dr. Pat Bronsard, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, it is no
accident that good things are happening at BJS. With God’s grace and
the continued hard work of our administration, faculty and staff, good
things will continue to happen at Bishop John J. Snyder High School
for many years to come.
Deacon David Yazdiya
and worship with
camp musician
Chris Bray. The
community of Oil
City embraced the
true blessings of
hope for a better
life brought to
them by teens, the
Church of today.
The humble manner with which the youth
approached the life-changing week of service
rang true with Pope Francis’ first World Youth
Day message: “Dear young people!...all of you
know very well that the
King whom we follow
and who accompanies
us is very special: he is a
King who loves even to
the Cross and who
teaches us to serve and
to love. And you are not
ashamed of his Cross!
On the contrary, you
embrace it, because you have understood
that it is in giving ourselves, in emerging from
ourselves that we have true joy and that, with
his love, God conquered evil.”
A CROSIER IS A BISHOP’S STAFF CARRIED AT SOLEMN CELEBRATIONS AND SYMBOLIC OF THE PASTORAL CARE A SHEPHERD GIVES TO HIS PEOPLE.
Principal’s Award
Richard and Mary Taylor have done so
many things to help the students and
faculty at BJS that it’s hard to know where
to begin. As the Cafeteria Manager for
SLA Food Services, Mary certainly does
her job well; but, it’s all the extra care,
time and love she gives to everyone that
makes her special. Mary has donated her
time to our
Madrigal dinner,
has shopped for the
Ronald McDonald
house project and
has made special
meals on countless
occasions for many
clubs, teams and
activities. Certainly, Richard has been right
beside her and together they have given
countless hours to making sure patrons of
BJS activities are well-fed and happy.
Richard and Mary’s youngest son, Willie,
graduated in May and is a freshman at
Florida Atlantic University. We are blessed to
have Richard and Mary as a part of our BJS
family.
Alumni
part of an exchange program with University
College Dublin.
Douglas Felton graduated from Florida
Join us for our annual Cardinal Call – this year,
State University with a B.S. in Criminology.
alumni are invited to a BBQ on the field
He lives in Jacksonville and is employed
beginning at 6pm and will receive free
by Sears Home Services.
admission to the game.
Jonathan Harrington earned a double
major in Math and Music (minor in Spanish)
from Gardner Webb University.
Jordan Holley earned a Masters in Music
Performance from the University of Minnesota,
2006
Duluth. He has been accepted into the
Nicholas Briggs is living in Boston and has
prestigious Mannes College and will pursue an
joined the Transportation Safety Agency.
Artist Diploma in New York City.
Sarah Evans completed her Masters in Public
Taylor Naughton is attending Florida Coastal
Health from George Washington University and
Law School and made the Dean's Scholar List,
participated in a three-month fellowship with
representing the top 6% of the school’s students.
World Visions working on HIV programming in
Jessica Nix and Justin Vietze were married on
Malawi, Africa.
April 27th at St. Matthews Catholic Church. BJS
Mark Ferrar graduated from LaSalle
alums, Douglas Felton and Shawn Schmieder
University and is working for an independent
served as Justin’s best
film contractor in California. Mark is working as
men, and Deacon
an animator on the new Star Trek Film and he
Yazdiya assisted in the
worked on the Iron Man film which was
ceremony. Jessica is a
released this summer.
RN at St. Vincent’s
Samantha Hubel
Riverside and is
Samantha Hubel and
continuing her
Nick Clark were
education to earn a B.S. in Nursing. Justin is
married on September
employed by UPS and is a student at UNF
21st. Congratulations
studying Criminal Justice.
to the happy couple!
Shawn Schmieder recently completed his first
Dan White and Erin
year of medical school at LECOM in Bradenton,
Long were married on February 16, 2013. They
Florida. He is a
live in Jacksonville,
member and lector at
and Dan is assigned to
Our Lady of the Angels
HSM 40 for training as
Catholic Church in
an Air Crew/Air Rescue
Bradenton.
Swimmer and has been
2008
promoted to AWR3
Jennifer Joseph graduated from the College of
(US Navy). Mark Baker
Charleston and teaches math to middle-school
(’06) served as the Best
students at Charleston Collegiate School (a
Man at the wedding.
private K-12 school). She also served as assistant
TIME FLIES… and in two short years it’ll be
varsity volleyball coach for the high school team
ten-year reunion time for the Class of 2006!
and is coaching the JV girls’ basketball team.
Contact the Development Office if you’d like to
Anthony Ornella
help.
earned his Masters in
2007
Education in Exercise
Paul DiGeorgio was accepted into the
Science from Auburn
Philosophy PhD program at Duquesne
University in August.
University of the Holy Ghost. He will complete
He is engaged to
his final three courses in Dublin this spring as
Christen Downing with
Homecoming is October 18
Alumni Update:
Page 2
COMPETENCE... CONSCIENCE... COMPASSION...
a November 9th wedding planned. They will
live in Cheyenne, WY.
2009
Scott Bennett is employed by Century
Ambulance as a Florida licensed Paramedic.
Amy Briggs graduated from UCF with a BS in
Event Management and is employed by Puff n’
Stuff Events & Catering in Orlando as an event
coordinator.
Katy Dean is in her
second year of medical
school at USF. Last fall,
she celebrated her
white coat ceremony
with brother, Michael
Dean (2011).
Michael Lassiter is a licensed Florida
Paramedic employed by Century Ambulance
Service. He earned an Associates of Science
degree in Emergency Medical Services and will
attend fire school this fall to fulfill his life-long
dream of becoming a firefighter.
Kyle Pinkston joined the Marine Corps in
November 2012 and graduated from boot camp
and is serving in the Reserves.
Rachel Quinoñes graduated from the College
of William and Mary with a B.A. in History and
a B.A. in American Studies.
Katherine (Katie) Schmieder graduated from
UCF with a B.S. in Psychology with Honors and
a Minor in Sociology and will pursue graduate
work at Florida Institute of Technology. While at
UCF she earned placement on the President’s
Honor Roll and was a member of the Golden
Key Honor Society.
2010
Garrett Naughton is attending Barry
University on a basketball scholarship.
Jazmin Ortiz started her junior year at Emory
University by attending the IES Study Abroad
Rome Italy program (from August thru
December 2012) as part of her double major in
History and Italian Language.
Justin Suttles attends SCAD and is working on
a soon to be released full length feature film
“The Owl” which also stars David Yazdiya (’10).
(https://vimeo.com/58326316)
2011
Chris Attanasio will begin his third year at
Virginia Military Institute majoring in
International Studies with minors in Spanish and
International Security. Chris has been appointed,
Cadet Operations Sergeant beginning in August
of 2013 with the training of 509 new cadets.
Adam Franz is serving our country as a
member of the United States Marine Corps.
Tyler Kronenburg joined the United States Air
Force and is training in Texas as a Nuclear
Weapons Specialist.
Scott Moser interned with the Clearwater
Police Department last year and is majoring in
Criminology/Criminal Justice at USF and hopes
to pursue a career with the Border Patrol or
DEA.
Matt Wilhelm will be a junior at the
University of Florida as a Biology/Pre-Med
student. He’s on the Executive Council for his
fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi, and a Resident Assistant
at Rawlings Hall.
2012
Karla Aguire is pursuing a computer science
major at Florida State Colllege Jacksonville and
earned a spot on the A/B honor roll in her first
year.
Emily Corrigan gave permission to Scholastic
Journalism textbooks to publish the ad she
created for Michael's Formalwear which ran in
the Cardinal Chronicles Prom issue 2011.The
following paragraph is the caption which will
appear in the textbook.
"The Bishop Snyder newspaper staff uses two
strong techniques to draw students to this tuxedo
shop ad for the prom issue. The staff used real
students as models for the tuxes, something that
will most assuredly grab the reader's attention.
The inclusion of a coupon also increases the
ad's value for the reader. Some of the better
newspaper staffs look for interactive ways such
as these to tie the advertiser directly to the
student body."
Emily is a sophomore at the University of
West Florida and a member of Phi Sigma Sigma.
Jenna Montalbano is a sophomore at UCF
majoring in International and Global Studies
with a minor in French. She holds two chair
positions in her sorority, Alpha Epsilon Phi.
Lucila (Lucy) M. Ortiz is a sophomore at the
Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama.
*Thanks to all our alumni who filled out our
recent online survey to update us on your life. If
we didn’t hear from you, please drop us a line at
[email protected] to let us know
what and how you are doing.
Academics
Outstanding AP Exams
National AP Scholar
Mary Ann Enriquez
AP Scholar with Distinction
Mary Ann Enriquez
Clyde Fermo
Brandon Marshall
Molly Undersander
Madison Zerkowski
AP Scholar with Honor
Collin Dieffenbach
Austin Dolby
Patrick Gehret
Alexandria Waler
AP Scholar
Miranda Bowen
Crystal Cascante
Kyle Cowman
Sarah Fisher
CJ Hernaez
Hayley Hutchinson
TJ Jakubowski
Joel Masters
Molly McGee
Madison Miller
Paola Rodriguez
Katie Tate
Lauren Zurawski
National Honor
Society
President
Alexandria Waler
Vice President
Courtney Christ
Secretary
Madison Miller
Treasurer
Uyen Vu
Chaplain
Molly Undersander
Historian
Crystal Cascante
Members
Charmayne Anderson
Mary Beth Archambault
Austin Barton
Miranda Bowen
Dot Brown
Chris Buser
Christian Cayabyab
Charles Christ
Kyle Cowman
Caitlyn DeGuzman
Collin Dieffenbach
Ryan du Chanois
Mary Ann Enriquez
Elana Farhat
Sarah Fisher
Gabriella Forte
Jimmy Gehret
Patrick Gehret
Kielce Gussie
CJ Hernaez
Sam Hume
TJ Jakubowski
Jessica James
Maggie Kalka
Czdari Lee
Cole Leverock
Brandon Marshall
Molly McGee
Hayley Price
Rachel Pulwers
Paola Rodriguez
Christa Schmieder
Mary Grace Schmieder
Katie Tate
AP Students at BJS...
continue to excel and the numbers are outstanding. Our overall pass rate for
the 2012-13 school year was 86% which far exceeds the state and national
averages. The following students were recognized by the College Board for
their outstanding performance on the AP exams.
Michael Undersander
Tori Waler
Jonah Wilamowski
Jim Woodward
Sean Yumul
Madi Zerkowski
Lauren Zurawski
Science Honor Society
President
Molly Undersander
Vice President
Crystal Cascante
Secretary
Collin Dieffenbach
Treasurer
Patrick Gehret
Public Relations
Alex Waler
Members
Chris Buser
Miranda Bowen
Dot Brown
Jacob Cantin
Christian Cayabyab
Courtney Christ
Emily Claveau
Kyle Cowman
Dominique Dubon
Ryan DuChanois
Mary Ann Enriquez
Sarah Fisher
Gabriella Forte
James Gehret
Dylan Gobaton
Matthew Hagadorn
CJ Hernaez
Marco Interlandi
TJ Jakubowski
Jessica James
Maggie Kalka
Matthew Knight
Brandon Marshall
Madison Miller
Parker Poitevint
Christa Schmieder
Mary Schmieder
Michael Stearman
Katie Tate
Uyen Vu
Tori Waler
Jonah Wilamowski
Jim Woodward
Sean Yumul
Lauren Zurawski
French National
Honor Society
Kirk Bennet
Courtney Christ
Gabrielle Dean
Collin Dieffenbach
Ryan du Chanois
Paul Ferrari
Sarah Fisher
Matthew Harris
C.J. Hernaez
Hunter Kelly
Emma McCormack
Jack McCormack
Jenn Obert
Sharon Prosser
Allyson Radomski
Paola Rodriguez
N'ya Sanfiel
Judd Villamor
Teresa Vonderhaar
Spanish National
Honor Society
Austin Barton
Brianna Bautista
Holly Biliter
Angela Bradford
Colin Culver
Charles Christ
Cassandra Cox
Lauren Dobrie
Nathan Frost
Nerissalynn Garza
Kielce Gussie
Jeremy Lhotka
Maria Mantilla
Cory Salt
Christa Schmieder
Andrew Steve
A CROSIER IS A BISHOP’S STAFF CARRIED AT SOLEMN CELEBRATIONS AND SYMBOLIC OF THE PASTORAL CARE A SHEPHERD GIVES TO HIS PEOPLE. Page 3
Math Honor Society
Mu Alpha Theta is our most recent honor society to inaugurate a new
chapter at BJS. The math honor society inducted its first group of students
on October 30th. Sponsored by Mrs. Ashlei Harrington and Mr. Dan Mull,
the charter members include: Crystal Cascante, Courtney Christ, Caitlyn
Deguzman, MaryAnn Enriquez, Alexandria Waler, Miranda Bowen,
Christopher Buser, Christian Cayabyab, Kyle Cowman, CJ Hernaez, TJ
Jakubowski, Brandon Marshall, Madison Miller, Hayley Price, Loixandra
Regulacion, Mary Grace Schmieder, Kathryn Tate, Michael Vasquez, Uyen
Vu, Jonah Wilamowski, Lauren Zurawski, Austin Barton, Dorothy Brown,
Lauren Dobrie, Ryan DuChanois, Gabriella Forte, John Paul Kaczetow,
Margaret Kalka, Jeremy Lhotka, Christa Schmieder, Michael Stearman,
Andrew Steve, Victoria Waler, James Woodward, Sean Yumul, Colin
McCormick, Matthew Hagadorn, Jessica James, Casey Jakubowski, Eleanor
Marshall.
Each quarter our First Honors students enjoyed a hot breakfast
cooked by Deacon Yazdiya, Mark McIntire and Mary Taylor
Art
Students participating
in art courses this
year were
exposed to
different types
of art and new
experiences.
Draw/Paint 1 students
focused on the still-life and self-portrait while
using several mediums including charcoal, oil
pastels, and acrylic paint. 2D/3D students built
many sculptural forms including the Lenten
packing tape project which was featured in the
Florida Times Union.
Portfolio students focused on their desired
theme throughout the school year and then
composed all of their works into a hardback
book as their final portfolio. The books were
displayed at Senior Awards night. Portfolio
students submitted works into various art
competitions throughout the year. Artwork
created by senior Caitlin Sanders was on display
in the downtown Jacksonville library for the
Scholastic Art Awards competition. Caitlin was
Art
Senior art students were invited to Savannah College of Art and Design in November where
they experienced a Day-In-The-Life of an art student at SCAD.
also the recipient of the Senior Art Award.
Sophomore Holly Biliter was the recipient of the
underclassmen Draw/Paint 1 award and
sophomore Clare Vonderhaar was the recipient
of the 2D/3D underclassmen award. Senior art
students were invited to Savannah College of Art
and Design in November where they
experienced a Day-In-The-Life of an art student
at SCAD. Also, advanced art students traveled to
Disney's Hollywood Studios in January where
they toured Disney's Animation History learning
how to draw in the animated style.
Left: Advanced art students traveled to Disney's Hollywood Studios
where they toured the Animation Studios.
Above: The season of Lent was with us visually as art students
created life-size sculptures of the "Stations of the Cross" on and
around campus.
Page 4
COMPETENCE... CONSCIENCE... COMPASSION...
Campus Ministry by Ms. Joy Pichardo
Christian Service
“… so also faith without works is dead.” –
James 2:26
The faith of the BJS student body is alive
and evident in the service that they do. From
the summer mission trips and the DOSA
camps for people with special needs in the
summer to the monthly Ronald McDonald
House dinners and various Pro-Life service
projects throughout the school year, students
are truly witnessing the Gospel. This year, the
student body completed and recorded 27,914
hours of Christian Service to the community.
Here is the breakdown by class for the
2012-2013 school year:
Class of 2016: 5888 hours
Class of 2015: 7718 hours
Class of 2014: 7383 hours
Class of 2013: 6925 hours
The 2013 Peace in Christ Award recipient is
Caroline Howard. Throughout her four years at
BJS, she has lived not only the mission of the
school, but also the criteria for the Peace in
Christ Award.
Caroline is a strong student academically;
and, equally important, she is a humble and
kind young woman who has a love for her
faith that shines through her actions. She
lives the quote from St. Francis of Assisi:
“Preach the Gospel at all times; when necessary,
use words.” There have been many instances when
Caroline Howard
she included an outsider at a lunch table or befriended a
lonely classmate. Her genuineness plays a large part in how her peers respect her and look to her as an
example of Christian morality.
Caroline is not afraid to stand up for goodness and truth. She attended four mission trips during her
summers at BJS, serving communities and leading other participants. Caroline is also very involved in
serving the Jacksonville community. She participates in the DOSA Camps ministry, serving our brothers
and sisters with mental and physical disabilities. She also enjoys cooking dinner at Ronald McDonald
House with the St. Vincent de Paul club of BJS. Caroline also was the first Snyder representative to
serve on the Peace and Justice Youth Committee of the Diocese of St. Augustine.
Caroline’s faith is truly of highest importance in her life. She has served as a cantor at St. Joseph’s
Catholic Church. She was a BJS Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist and hopes to become one in
Fort Myers at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Through her selfless commitment to others in service and a genuine love for her faith, she has
inspired her classmates and the faculty and staff of BJS to name her the class of 2013 Peace in
Christ Award recipient.
Peace in
Christ
Award
recipient
Over four years, the class of 2013
completed and recorded an impressive
24,231 hours of Christian Service.
St. Teresa of Avila Award
“Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
Yours are the only hands with which He can do
His work.”
At the Annual
Senior Awards Night,
Campus Ministry
awards a senior who
has lived these words
of St. Teresa. This
year’s recipient was
Abigail Sears. Abbey
logged 915 hours
during her four years at
BJS. As one of the core
Abigail Sears
dedicated members of
her senior-high youth
group she volunteered at her church and for
charities such as the Safe Harbor Home for
Boys. She spent her summers at Aquatics Camp,
assisting in teaching and encouraging children
ages 6-14 years in Rock Climbing. Her
supervisor Ms. Thompson says she helped the
children with self-confidence, perseverance and
overcoming their fears. Her faith, her sweet and
humble personality, her determination to
succeed, and, more importantly, her persistence
in helping others succeed led her to achieve her
hundreds of hours of service.
In 2006, the Vallencourt family established a permanent endowment to create the
Vallencourt Scholarship in honor of F.E. and Barbara Vallencourt, North Florida
pioneers, who,
through hard work,
grit and determination,
built a successful
business and raised a
family steeped in faith,
leadership and love.
This year’s
recipients are TJ
Jacobowski and
Sharon Prosser. In their
applications both
students expressed
how their
determination helped
them succeed in
situations that were difficult for them or their families. Both students led their class in
service hours and have had eye-opening experiencing through service. TJ serves the
homeless through St. Joseph’s Homeless Ministry and Sharon spends her summers at
Angelwood’s Summer Camp for people with disabilities.
Senator Paul Ryan
Vallencourt Scholarship
The 2013 March for Life,
DC in numbers
1
2
the number of US Senators we met
the number of BJS alumni seminarians we met at the
March
14 the number of hours spent on the journey to DC
40 the number of years since Roe v Wade
71 the number of students, teachers and parents from BJS
that attended the March for Life.
650,000 the estimated number of participants in the 2013
March for Life, Washington D.C.
54,559,615 the number of abortions since Roe v. Wade as
reported by the National Right to Life Committee
COMPETENCE... CONSCIENCE... COMPASSION...
Page 5
New St. Vincent De Paul Youth Conference
BJS has a newly-chartered club! The fourteen original members of the St. Vincent de Paul Club
built a strong foundation for future years of the new service club. Under the guidance of Mrs. Moser
and Ms. Pichardo, and the
leadership of President Elana
Farhat (’13) and Secretary Kelly
Barrett (’13), the members
planned and implemented
meaningful service projects in the
community. Their activities
included bi-weekly club
meetings, monthly Ronald
McDonald House dinners,
quarterly visits to “Buddies” at the
Jammes Group Home, and the
annual school-wide Thanksgiving
Drive for needy families. The club
also assisted the L’Arche Harbor
House at their annual Living
Nativity at Christ The King and participated at the Eucharistic Congress Stations of the Cross. In the
spirit of St. Vincent de Paul, the members are committed to spiritual reflection and prayer as they live
out the Gospel message.
Christian Service
Awards
These extraordinary
young men and women
each provided over 100
hours of Christian service to
our communities.
Crystal Cascante . . . . . . . .(283.5)
Abbey Sears . . . . . . . . . . . . .(266)
Caitlyn DeGuzman . . . . . . .(256)
Mary Ann Enriquez . . . . .(249.25)
Caroline Howard . . . . . . . . .(206)
Courtney Christ . . . . . . . . . . .(204)
Willie Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . .(203)
Joelle Freeman . . . . . . . . .(192.25)
Mary Rose Thompson . . . . . .(161)
Alex Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(160)
Extraordinary
Ministers of
the Eucharist
Class of 2013
Mary Beth Archambault . . . .(157)
Nayana Dubier . . . . . . . . . . .(156)
Keilah Gussie . . . . . . . . . . .(131.5)
Matt Seidel . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(126)
Bailey Wright . . . . . . . . . . . .(124)
Kelly Barrett
Crystal Cascante
Mary Ann Enriquez
Elana Farhat
Patrick Gehret
Caroline Howard
Molly McGee
Kelsey Moser
Rachel Pulwers
Willie Taylor
Mary Rose Thompson
Kelsey Moser . . . . . . . . . . .(123.5)
Victoria Verville . . . . . . . . . .(120)
Rachel Quinonez . . . . . . . . .(119)
Shelby Wood . . . . . . . . . . . .(113)
Faith Perry . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(102)
Judd Villamor . . . . . . . . . .(101.25)
Tabitha Jefferson . . . . . . . . . .(100)
Student Life
Legislative luncheon,
students met with
other Diocesan
representatives and
Bishop Estèvez.
Deacon Yazdiya,
Mrs. Gudzak, Patrick
Gehret, Gabriella
Forte, Bianca Forte,
Caitlyn DeGuzman
and Crystal Cascante
met with Sen. Audrey
Gibson and Rep. Keith
Perry to discuss four
upcoming pieces of legislation. The group
also joined delegates from Florida's other
dioceses for a luncheon at the Civic Center.
Catholic Days at the Capital
On March 20th, Deacon Yazdiya led five
students on a legislative lobbying experience
to Tallahassee where they participated in
Catholic Days at the Capitol. Prior to the
Page 6 A CROSIER IS A BISHOP’S STAFF CARRIED AT SOLEMN CELEBRATIONS AND SYMBOLIC OF THE PASTORAL CARE A SHEPHERD GIVES TO HIS PEOPLE.
Regional Science Fair Winners
BJS was well represented at
the Northeast Florida Regional
Science and Engineering Fair
which was comprised of 421
projects from Duval and Nassau
County.
Sean Yumul and Christa
Schmieder – 2nd place, Senior
Behavioral and Social Sciences
and an award for excellence
from the U.S. Army
Sarah Blackwell – 3rd place,
Senior Chemistry
Dalton Schiller – Honorable
Mention, Senior Engineering
Maggie Kalka – 3rd place, Senior
Environmental Science AND an OES $25
award AND an invitation to compete in the
U.S. Stockholm Water Prize
Eleanor Marshall – 3rd place, Senior
Medicine and Health AND a medal from the
Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health
Service
Madison Miller – Honorable Mention,
Senior Physics and Astronomy
Madison Zerkowski – Honorable Mention,
Senior Physics and Astronomy
Speech Competitions
by Mr. John Kyler
For the first time in school history, BJS sent two
students to Nationals for debate. Mitchell Barton and
Clyde Fermo competed in Public Forum Debate at the
National Catholic Forensics League Grand National
Tournament in Philadelphia on May 25, 2013 and
represented BJS well.
Mitchell Barton, Clyde Fermo, Joelle Freeman and
Caroline Howard, all members of the senior class and
speech and debate class members, participated in a
competition on December 8th at Oak Hall High
School in Gainesville. They competed as part of the
Clyde Fermo and Mitchell Barton were
National Catholic Forensics League against other teams accompanied by Mrs. Kelly Noda and Mr.
from the St. Augustine Chapter. Caroline Howard
John Kyler as they competed in
entered and took first place in the Oral Interpretation the National Catholic Forensics League
event. Mitchell Barton, Clyde Fermo and Joelle
Tournament in Philadelphia.
Freeman entered the Impromptu Speaking event and
Clyde received the second place award.
Tierney Media Center
Media Specialist, Marjorie Di Benedetto,
regularly updates our holdings and focused last
year on the Reference center and the 300
section (Social Sciences). We have current
ACT and SAT practice
workbooks and 5 Steps to a
5 in all of the Advanced
Placement subjects offered at
BJS. The College Board
Handbook titles include The
College Handbook, listing
every accredited college in the
U.S. Students can borrow the Book of Majors,
which describes majors and lists the colleges
that offer them. We have Getting Financial Aid
and Money which outlines $1.8 million of
awards including scholarships, internships and
loans. Rounding out the collection of the
College Board Handbooks is the International
Student Handbook which is for students
seeking to study in the U.S.
Our 200 section (Religion and
Psychology) and our 700 section
(Arts) far exceed the holdings as
required by accreditation
standards. Additionally, copies of
the supplemental reading books
that our students are using in their classes are
available. The next sections that will be
under construction in our library will
be the 500 section (Natural Sciences)
and the 600 section (Technology/Applied
Sciences).
Many new Teen Fiction titles were added this
year, and if there is a book you would like to
see in the library, tell Mrs. Di Benedetto. There
has not been one request denied to a student
yet; therefore, much of our recent teen fiction
selections have been made by teens.
COMPETENCE... CONSCIENCE... COMPASSION...
Student Spotlight
Courtney Christ (’13) was selected as the
Jacksonville nominee for the Distinguished
Young Women of Florida. Courtney
represented Jacksonville in January competing
with 19 other young women for the state title.
Kimberly Fredrickson (’13) is the 2012 BJS
recipient of the
Optimist Award
presented at
Jacksonville
University by
Optimist
International
(Arlington Chapter)
during Youth
Appreciation Night
on Nov. 13th.
Optimist International recognizes students
nominated by area schools who achieve in
academics, leadership and service in the
community and who have overcome
hardships with an optimistic attitude.
The Spanish Honor Societies from the
Diocesan high schools celebrated a Spanish
Mass with Bishop Estèvez, at the Shrine in St.
Augustine on November 26th.
Matthew Harris (’15) was selected by the
Northeast Florida Pan-Hellenic Council as
one of Northeast Florida's
best and brightest
students. Jacksonville
Scholastic Achievers
honors 50 students in
Duval County who have
achieved exceptional
success, shown unique
talent and commitment to personal
development and/or have stood out in
personal character. This year's theme
recognized African-American males excelling
in the areas of math and science.
Caitlin Sanders (’13) earned an Honorable
Mention for her artwork from the North East
Florida Scholastic Art Awards. Caitlin
submitted an eight-piece portfolio of painting
which was displayed at the Main Library in
downtown Jacksonville.
Molly Undersander (’13) performed in the
Florida Vocal Association’s All-State Chorus at
this year’s Florida Music Educators
Association annual conference.
Rachel Quiñónez (2013) led a supply
drive in October to benefit a Catholic
community in Danli,
Honduras. With
tremendous
community support
vitamins, medical
supplies, equipment
and food were
shipped to Honduras
in a 20' cargo
container.
Page 7
Florida Medallion Scholars
Charmayne Anderson
Mary Beth Archambault
David Bennett
Schuyler Bernard
Nyana Dubier
Elana Farhat
Paul Ferrari
Kimmie Fredrickson
Joelle Freeman
Valedictorian
Molly Undersander
Class of 2013
Seniors who were on the honor
roll every quarter while at BJS
Courtney Christ
Mary Ann Enriquez
Elana Farhat
Christine Hume
Donna Leer
Rachel Pulwers
Julia Shefelbine
Hayley Sutherland
Molly Undersander
Alex Waler
Madison Zerkowski
Graduates with Honors Summa
cum laude (GPA of 4.0 or
higher)
Crystal Cascante
Courtney Christ
Caitlyn DeGuzman
Collin Dieffenbach
Nayana Dubier
Mary Ann Enriquez
Elana Farhat
Clyde Fermo
Molly McGee
Rachel Pulwers
Hayley Sutherland
Molly Undersander
Alex Waler
Madison Zerkowski
Magna cum laude (GPA of 3.60
to 3.99)
Charmayne Anderson
Mary Beth Archambault
Schuyler Bernard
Austin Dolby
Marlee Frazel
Patrick Gehret
Christine Hume
Donna Leer
Cole Leverock
Joel Masters
Andrea Neswiacheny
Rachel Quiñónez
Trevor Sammet
Julia Shefelbine
Cum laude (GPA of 3.30 to 3.59)
David Bennett
Collin Culver
Kimberly Fredrickson
Page 8
Salutatorian
Mary Ann Enriquez
Joelle Freeman
Michael Goins
Nicole Kanaskie
Cody Mejia
Jordan Moore
Tori Scott
Abbey Sears
John Sousou
Victoria Verville
Judd Villamor
Drew Wheeler
Shelby Wood
Bright Futures Florida
Academic Scholars:
Maintained a minimum 3.5
recalculated Bright Futures
GPA, scored a minimum
1280 on the SAT or a
minimum 28 on the ACT
and volunteered at least
100 hours of Christian
service.
Florida Academic Scholars
Crystal Cascante
Colin Culver
Courtney Christ
Caitlyn DeGuzman
Collin Dieffenbach
Austin Dolby
Mary Ann Enriquez
Clyde Fermo
Marlee Frazel
Patrick Gehret
Cole Leverock
Molly McGee
Rachel Pulwers
Trevor Sammet
Molly Undersander
Alex Waler
Madison Zerkowski
Bright Futures Medallion
Scholars Maintained a
minimum 3.0 recalculated
Bright Futures GPA, scored
a minimum 1020 on the
SAT or a minimum 22 on
the ACT, and volunteered at
least 75 hours of Christian
service.
Michael Goins
Caroline Howard
Lucas Herdliska
Tabitha Jefferson
Nicole Kanaskie
Donna Leer
Joel Masters
Jordan Moore
Kelsey Moser
Andrea Neswiacheny
Emily Prendergast
Rachel Quiñonez
Julia Shefelbine
John Sousou
Hayley Sutherland
Victoria Verville
Judd Villamor
Drew Wheeler
Shelby Wood
Senior Cardinal Award
The Senior Cardinal Award recognizes a maximum of seven seniors
who represent the Bishop John J. Snyder High School community in
academics, athletics, extra-curricular participation and Christian service.
To be selected a senior must have maintained a minimum 3.5 GPA,
participated in at least 4 extra-curricular activities and volunteered a
minimum of 200 hours of Christian service. In essence, the Senior
Cardinal Award embodies the BJS mission of Competence, Conscience
and Compassion.
Crystal Cascante, Courtney Christ, Caitlyn DeGuzman, Mary Ann
Enriquez, Elana Farhat, Molly Undersander, Alex Waler.
Total Scholarships awarded to the
Class of 2013 - $3,235,739.00
College Acceptances for the Class of 2013
Albright College
Auburn University
Ave Maria University
Barry University
Belmont Abbey College
Bethune Cookman University
Campbell University
CASE Western Reserve University
Chaminade University of Honolulu
College of Charleston
East Carolina University
Flagler College
Florida A&M University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida International University
Florida Southern College
Florida State College
Florida State University
Franciscan University
Gannon University
George Mason University
George Washington University
Georgia Southern University
Huntingdon College
Iona College
Jacksonville University
Knox College
La Roche College
LaGrange College
Loyola University Maryland
Lynn University
Marietta College
Mercer University
Mercyhurst University
COMPETENCE... CONSCIENCE... COMPASSION...
Meredith College
Mount St. Mary's University
NCAA - Find address
North Virginia Community
College
Pace University
Palm Beach Atlantic University
Point University
Queens University of Charlotte
Rhodes College
Roanoke College
Saint Johns River State College
Saint Leo University
Santa Fe College
Southern Illinois University
Stetson University
Tallahassee Community College
The Catholic University of
America
University of Alabama
University of Arkansas
University of Central Florida
University of Dallas
University of Florida
University of Miami
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
University of North Florida
University of South Florida
University of West Florida
Valdosta State University
Valencia Community College
Vanderbilt University
Washington State University
West Chester University
Winthrop University
Department Awards
Yearbook
The yearbook staff celebrated the 11th edition of the Cardinal Yearbook "I am" at the first
Yearbook Signs Off event on May 2nd. Seniors Caitlyn DeGuzman and Gabrielle Iglesias
represented the class as the M.C.'s and over 200 students came to this inaugural event. Julia
Shefelbine received the senior yearbook award at Senior Awards Night representing the class
alongside Caitlyn DeGuzman as Co-Editors-in-Chief.
The 2013-2014 yearbook staff attended Balfour Publishing’s yearbook seminar in St. Petersburg
this summer where they honed their photography and lay-out design skills while improving their
journalism-style writing techniques.
Student Government
Association Senior Officers
President – Clyde Fermo
Secretary – Caitlyn DeGuzman
Representative – Collin Dieffenbach
Art – Caitlyn Sanders
Music – Molly Undersander
Yearbook – Julia Shefelbine
P.E. – Henry Lynch
Science – Molly Undersander
Math – Alex Waler
English – Alex Waler
Religion – Elana Farhat
Social Studies – Mary Ann Enriquez
Spanish – Caitlyn DeGuzman
The Gift of Life
It takes nerve to step up and volunteer to donate blood, but the following BJS faculty
and students did just that on February 27th. Over 60 students and faculty members
signed up to assist the Florida/Georgia Blood Bank. Not all donors qualified to give,
but we provided the community with 41 units of blood.
Athletics
Baseball by Coach Zach Osbeck
The Scholar
Athlete Award
Scholar Athlete Award is the most
prestigious of all athletic awards
offered at Bishop Snyder High School.
The Scholar Athlete Award provides
special recognition for those student Scholar Athlete 2013
Crystal Cascante
athletes who have earned at least
three varsity letters and at the same
time have achieved a cumulative
grade point average of at least 4.0
weighted. Crystal Cascante received
the Senior Award for 2012-13.
Andrea Neswiacheny
Drew Wheeler
The Cardinal Club Athlete is awarded
to a male and female senior who were
nominated by their coaches, attained a
3.0 GPA and exhibited leadership
skills, service and Christian values.
It was a difficult year for the
Cardinals, finishing with a 7-17 record
and placing fourth in the district. Led
by two seniors, Willie Taylor and Lucas
Herdliska, the Cardinals lost 6 games
by 3 runs or less. The Cardinals’ future
is bright as six of the starters are rising
juniors.
Defensive MVP: Sophomore,
Tedrick Guillory
Offensive MVP: Senior,
Willie Taylor
Best Pitcher: Sophomore,
Pedro Sotomayor
Boys Soccer
by Coach Christopher DeLuca
Last year’s boys’ soccer season was a tough and rigorous
one at Snyder. Overall we were successful building our
shape and our style of play that we employ. We had
difficult opponents weekly and our boys
showed up to play each day.
Looking forward to this year, our district
was realigned and another power house
was added. However, we only
graduated two seniors from our squad
in 2013, leaving us poised to have a
great senior presence as well as solid
experience on the team. With hard
work and dedication from the team
and coaching staff, we have an
excellent opportunity to upset some big
schools around the city this upcoming
season. The challenges before us are great,
but with a unified, dedicated squad, we can
achieve great things this upcoming season.
The Boulos Sportsmanship Award was presented by the
North Florida Soccer Officials to seniors Austin McClain,
Cody Mejia and Matthew Seidl.
Cheerleading
by Coach Joani Naes
In February the Varsity Competition
Squad traveled to Orlando to compete in
the UCA National High School
Cheerleading Championships in Disney's
ESPN Wide World of Sports arena. The
competition was held over a two day
period. Our squad made it to the final
round placing 14th in the nation for our
division.
Bishop Snyder Cheerleading said
farewell to six of its seniors who have
been a strong asset to the cheer program.
Five of the six have cheered for all four of
their years at BJS: Amber Smith, Megan Naes, Gabrielle Iglesias, Caitlin Sanders, and
Carol Mastrolia, and to Bailey Wright who cheered for two years.
A CROSIER IS A BISHOP’S STAFF CARRIED AT SOLEMN CELEBRATIONS AND SYMBOLIC OF THE PASTORAL CARE A SHEPHERD GIVES TO HIS PEOPLE. Page 9
Cross Country by Coach Lou Turecky
Kelsey Moser will play soccer at Ave Maria
University in the fall.
Girls Soccer
by Coach Jacob O’Brien
Season Record: 7-6-2
Most Valuable Player: Victoria Verville (12
goals, 10 assists)
Percent of Seniors Graduated: 100%
Soccer Scholarships Received: Kelsey Moser
(Ave Maria University)
The 2012-2013 team was a senior-heavy
group that have left a legacy that will be tough
to live up to. Those returning looked up to this
group for years, and it will be their turn to step
up and lead the Lady Cardinals into the future.
With a new crop of Freshmen coming into the
2013 and 2014 season, things are looking bright
for seasons to come.
Kelsey Moser signed a scholarship to play
soccer at Ave Maria University.
Victoria Verville – Honorable Mention AllFirst Coast
Tennis by Coach John Kyler
Both of our tennis teams had strong
showings this season. The girls ended the
season with an overall record of 4-8, and the
boys finished at 75. Seniors
Nayana
Dubier,
Joelle
Freeman,
Hayley
Sutherland,
Mary Rose
Thompson, Clyde Fermo, Chris Fewell, and
John Sousou all made great contributions to
our season. Congratulations, especially, to
sophomore Matthew Knight, the number three
singles runner up at districts.
2012 Season Achievements:
1A State Finals – 8th Place
1A Region 1 – 3rd Place
1A District 4 District Champions
(2nd Consecutive)
Outstanding Performers:
Jonah Wilamowski – Most Valuable Athlete
1st at Katie Caples Open Race
1st at District Meet (All-District)
14th at Regional Meet (All-Region)
25th at State Finals
T-U All-First Coast Boys Cross Country Team
– Honorable Mention
Jimmy Gehret – 2nd at District (All-District),
5th at Regional (All-Region)
Aren Biala – 7th at District (All-District),
19th at Regional
Jackson Neri – 4th at District (All District),
22nd at Regional
Victor Barone – Most Valuable JV Athlete,
Alternate for State Finals
A young team had a banner season, leading to a 6th consecutive team appearance at the
State Finals. Another very productive summer training program, culminating in the mountains
of North Carolina, provided the stimulus for a very dedicated group of runners to focus on
their goals throughout the season. The Varsity squad was not defeated by a local Class 1A
school all season, and the JV squad also made great progress. The Varsity team successfully
defended its District Championship, with 4 runners achieving All-District status. Following a
3rd place finish at the Regional meet, with 2 All-Regional runners, the team achieved its
second consecutive 8th place finish at the State Finals.
The post-season Varsity squad was composed of juniors Jonah Wilamowski, Aren Biala (CoCaptain), Tyler Imrich, and Thomas Jakubowski, sophomore Jimmy Gehret, and Freshmen
Jackson Neri and Cody Wolfenbarger. Alternates included Senior Victor Barone, and
Sophomores Marco Interlandi and Ryan Asuncion.
Boys Cross Country Team Runs in North
Carolina by Coach Lou Turecky
Thirteen sophomore runners traveled to Brevard,
North Carolina during the second week of July to
participate in Brevard College’s Distance Runners
Camp. Aren Biala, Tyler Imrich, Thomas
Jakubowski, Daniel Telesky, Jonah Wilamowski,
Ryan Asuncion, Jimmy Gehret, Matthew Harris,
Andrew Settle, Garett Hicks, Tyler Moore, Jackson
Neri, and Cody Wolfenbarger spent the week
running challenging mountain trails in Dupont State
and Pisgah National Forests. They participated in
team-building exercises, and listened to several notable guest speakers from the running
community. The week concluded with a team-run to the top of John Rock, a 940 foot
elevation change over 3 miles to an altitude of 3100 feet. The boys set personal and team
season goals, and are eager to begin the season and the move up from Class 1A to Class 2A.
Lacrosse by Coach Jeff Ruvolo
Led by team captain, leading scorer and
team MVP Tre' Vukelic, the 2013 squad made
great strides in their second year of play. Coach
Jeff Ruvolo attributes the significant second year
improvement to the team's senior leadership
and the growing experience by the team's
underclassmen. These same underclassmen
will be counted upon to continue the pace of
the lacrosse program development as 8 seniors
have graduated from the 2013 team: Connor
Page 10
COMPETENCE... CONSCIENCE... COMPASSION...
Corrigan, Matt Seidl, Clayton Harrison, Collin
Dieffenbach, Dylan Ragsdale, Tre' Vukelic,
Travis McLarty, and Judd Villamor. Additionally,
the BJS Lacrosse program has applied for
District assignment for the 2014 season and
thus will compete for a district title and
participate in the state championship
competition.
Tre’ Vukelic – Times Union Duval County
Senior All-Star for 2013. Tre’ will attend Point
University on a Lacrosse scholarship.
Softball
by Coach Mike Young
The 2013 Lady Cardinal Softball
Team finished the season 27-5
accomplishing a repeat District
Championship, Regional
Championship, and a return to the
State Final. The Lady Cardinals lost a
heartbreaker to American Heritage
Delray 1-0 finishing their 2013
season as the State Runner Up in 3A. Christine Hume, Sydney Wright, Andrea
Neswiacheny and Shelby Wood signed
The 2012 and 2013 seasons saw a
Cardinal team that had unbelievable collegiate softball scholarships.
chemistry and was truly a family on and off the field. The Cardinals look to reload for next
season to continue the success of the program as they move into 4A state classification.
However, the program saw 4 players sign college scholarships to play softball at the next
level; Christine Hume to Rhodes College in Memphis, Andrea Neswiacheny to the
University of Central Florida, Shelby Wood to Palm Beach Atlantic University, and Sydney
Wright to the University of Arkansas.
Softball Hits...
Sydney Wright earned the “The Times Union
Player of the Year” for the second year in a row and
was named 3A Dairy Farmers Player of the Year.
Sydney was also named Gatorade Player of the Year for
the State of Florida. This is the highest honor given to an
athlete and now Bishop Snyder has one for its annals.
Congratulations also to Andrea Neswiacheny- 2012 3rd
Team All First Coach Selection and to Shelby Wood – Times
Union Honorable Mention All First Coast Selection.
Miracle Sports also recognized members of the softball
team: Sydney Wright (Player of the Year), Shelby Wood
(Offensive Player of the Year), First Team Christine
Hume and Natasha Kistler and Second Team,
Andrea Neswiacheney.
Track and Field by Coach Nathan Stanley
The 2013 season for the Track and Field team was one of
new faces and new achievements. On one hand, the team
only had 13 athletes returning who had qualified for
regionals the year before, but had 23 freshman join the team.
Overall as a team, the boys placed 2nd at the District
meet, and the girls 4th. Snyder had ten individual district
champions including Mitchell Barton – Pole Vault, Alex
Waler – Girls Long Jump, Colin Culver – Boys Discus, Drew
Wheeler – Boys Shot Put, Czdari Lee – Girls 200M Dash,
Jimmy Gehret – Boys 1600M Run (followed closely by Jonah
Wilamoski in 2nd), Jonah Wilamowski – Boys 3200M Run
(followed closely by Jimmy Gehret in 2nd), the Boys 4x800M
Relay of Aren Biala, Jonah Wilamoski, Jackson Neri, and
Marco Interlandi, the Girls 4x100M Relay of Nicole
Kanaskie, Alex Waler, Andrea Neswiacheny, and Czdari Lee,
and the Girls 4x400M Relay of Alex Waler, Schuyler
Bernard, Brandie Young, and Czdari Lee.
Snyder advanced a total of 25 athletes in individual and
relay events to the Regional meet, which was hosted by BJS
for the second year in a row. At the regional meet we
competed well, and out of the 25 that advanced to regionals,
13 made it to the state meet, which ties our school high for
advancement to state competition.
Alex Waler advanced in the four events she entered, which
is a significant accomplishment and the first for a Snyder
athlete (LJ, 100M Dash, 4x100, 4x400).
At state, we collectively had our best day ever, as Snyder
scored the most points at a state meet in our history. Colin
Culver placed 6th in the discus, the Girls 4x100 relay placed
7th, and Czdari Lee placed 2nd in the 200M dash.
We also want to recognize the eight new school records
that were set last season. Those include:
• Alex Waler – Girls Long Jump-17’3.5”, Girls 100M Dash12.79;
• Czdari Lee – Girls 200M Dash-25.14 seconds, Girls
400M Dash-1:01.84, and tied the Girls High Jump
recordof 4’8”.
• Girls 4x100M Relay of Nicole Kanaskie, Alex Waler,
Andrea Neswiacheny, and Czdari Lee – 50.53
• Girls 4x400M Relay of Alex Waler, Schuyler Bernard,
Brandie Young, and Czdari Lee – 4:12.21
• Mitchell Barton – Pole Vault-13’7”
Four Cardinal football players signed collegiate scholarships in May.
Lucas Herdliska is with Marietta College (Ohio) and Colin Culver,
Andrew Neswiacheney and Drew Wheeler have signed with
Huntingdon College in Alabama.
Swimming
Members 2012 boys regional 200 medley relay: Paul Ferrari, Trevor
Sammett, Patrick Gehret. Madison Zerkowski – who owns 12 team
records and 2 time state qualifier.
Volleyball by Coach Kammie Stackhouse
Facing the loss of seven seniors and moving to a new district, the 2013
volleyball team will have their work cut out for them next season. Each season
brings its new challenges but this year especially so with the loss of the
leadership from the seniors. This year’s team will be young. The girls have
worked hard in the off season to improve their individual skills and working
together as a team. The continued hard work and dedication through the
summer will help prepare the new team for its upcoming season. The
following seniors will be missed and we wish them the best of luck as they
head off to college: Tarah Thompson, Alex Call, Tori Scott, Kelsey Moser,
Molly McGee, Marlee Frazel and Julia Shefelbine.
Nathan Morales and Brandon Marshall were both named to the All-First
Coast Wrestling Team by the Florida Times Union.
COMPETENCE... CONSCIENCE... COMPASSION...
Page 11
Development
Annual Appeal
Soon, you will receive a letter asking
your consideration of giving to the
Annual Appeal. Your gift changes lives
at BJS in ways that are hard to imagine.
For many families, a small amount of
tuition assistance is just the help they
need to give their son or daughter a
valuable Catholic education.
Any gift, no matter the size will make
a difference for many young men and
women. Inside of the Crosier, you will
find an envelope to make an initial gift.
Do you work for a corporation or
business that matches your charitable
giving? If your company matches gifts,
your gift could double or triple in value
by simply filling out paperwork from
your Human Resources Department.
One of the benefits of an early gift is
the knowledge that you won’t be called
in early November by our student
volunteers! If you have additional
questions about how you and your
family can help the Annual Appeal, call
Shelley Gudzak at 904-908-8978.
Thanks to the following Annual
Appeal Donors
Anonymous Gifts (7)
Ms. Margaret (Molly) Altes
Dr. & Mrs. Gregory Archambault
Ms. Martha Barrett
Mr. & Mrs. Donald Barton
Mr. Fred Braman
Mr. & Mrs. Tom Brennan
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Briggs
Mr. & Mrs. Rodney Brown
Mrs. Kathryn Browning
Mr. & Mrs. Rick Buttner III
Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Campbell
Mr. & Mrs. James Caraciolo
Mr. James Cardosi
Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Cascante
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Cascone, Sr.
Catholic Woman's Club
Mr. & Mrs. Fernando Cayabyab
Mr. & Mrs. Howard Chapman
Mrs. Gail Chisholm
Mr. & Mrs. Beau Coleman
Mr. & Mrs. Aaron Collier III
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Corrigan, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Corrigan, Sr.
Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Courson
Mr. & Mrs. Rick Cowman
Ms. Sarah Deierlein
Mr. & Mrs. Michael DeLuca
Mr. & Mrs. Frank DiBenedetto
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph DiGeorgio
Mr. Paul DiGeorgio
Mr. & Mrs. Russell Dubier
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Duffy
See how the
Annual Appeal
made a
difference in the
lives of these BJS
students.
Charmayne Anderson
Michael Stearman
If you make a charitable contribution to the United Way, you
can designate your gift to Bishop John J. Snyder High School.
Speak to your United Way Chairperson to learn how your
United Way giving can help BJS.
Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Durban
Most Reverend Felipe Estèvez
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Felix
Mr. Douglas Felton
Mr. Jeffrey Felton
Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Fewell
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Frechette
Mr. & Mrs. Rolando Ganas
Mr. & Mrs. David Gassett
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Gehret
Deacon & Mrs. George Good
Mr. Michael Griffith
Mr. Andrew Gudzak
Ms. Mckenzie Gudzak
Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Gudzak
Dr. & Mrs. Gene Harris
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Holifield
Fr. Michael Houle
Mr. & Mrs. Zoel Houle
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Jakob
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Kanaskie
Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Kelly
Mr. & Mrs. James Knutzen
Rev. Jose Kulathinal
Mr. John Kyler
Ms. Jennifer Lawlor
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Lombardi
Mr. & Mrs. Travis Luman
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Lynch
Mr. & Mrs. Baker Madison
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Mahla
Miss Helen McClernon
Mrs. John McCormack, Jr.
Mr. John McLaughlin
Mr. & Mrs. James T. Monahan, Jr.
Rev. Michael Morgan
Mr. & Mrs. James Morrow
Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Moser
Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Neri
Mr. & Mrs. Eric Noda
Mr. & Mrs. Gary O'Brien
Mr. & Mrs. James O'Leary
Ms. Anitra Ott
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Papp
Ms. Mary Alice Phelan
Mr. & Mrs. Victor Puleo
Mrs. Leslie Quaritius
Mr. & Mrs. Kelly Quinn
Mr. & Mrs. Victor Ravelo
Mr. & Mrs. Dan Rice
Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Ruvolo
St. Patricks Catholic Church
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Sanders
San Juan del Rio Catholic Church
Drs. George & Mary Schmieder
Mr. & Mrs. Jack Sears
Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Shircliff
Bishop John J. Snyder
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Taylor
Rev. John Tetlow
Mr. & Mrs. Ken Thompson
Mr. & Mrs. James Thornton
Mr. & Mrs. William Tierney
Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Toth
Mr. & Mrs. Lou Turecky
Mr. & Mrs. Eric Twisdale
Mr. & Mrs. Rolando Valdes
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Vallencourt
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Vonderhaar
Dr. & Mrs. James Waler
Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Wells
Mr. & Mrs. Ben White
Mr. Ian Wood
Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Wood
Mr. Trevor Wood
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Woodward
Mr. & Mrs. Timothy Worsowicz
Mr. David Yazdiya
Deacon & Mrs. David Yazdiya
Mr. Talbot Yazdiya
Drs. Arsenio & Anna Marie Yumul
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Zerkowski
Matching Gifts – Many businesses and
corporations in Jacksonville will match
their employees charitable gifts. Ask
your Human Resources Office how
your gift to BJS may be matched by
your employer.
Aetna Foundation
Anheuser-Busch
Bank of America
Grainger Safety Services
Prudential
Raymond's Used Trucks & Parts
Wells-Fargo Bank
If we have made an error and
inadvertently left your name off our list,
please accept our apologies. If you
would be so kind as to call us and alert
us to our omission, we would be most
grateful.
Page 12 A CROSIER IS A BISHOP’S STAFF CARRIED AT SOLEMN CELEBRATIONS AND SYMBOLIC OF THE PASTORAL CARE A SHEPHERD GIVES TO HIS PEOPLE.
Spring Fling
Each year, the Spring Fling makes the most of having fun while raising
money for improvements to BJS. In 2013, the Spring Fling earned
$50,000, which went to enhance the technology programming for our
students as we introduce our “Bring Your Own Device.” The next project
for the Spring Fling in 2014 is the long-awaited addition of concessions,
restrooms and bleachers for the baseball/softball fields. If you’d like to
help with the 2014 Spring Fling, call the Development Office.
Spring Fling Sponsors 2013
Silent Auction
Wine Sponsor
Beverage Sponsor
Beer Sponsor
Dessert Sponsor
Cardinal Sponsor
Cardinal Sponsor
Kick-Off Party Sponsor
Save-the-Date Mailing
Postage Sponsor
Red Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Nu-Trend Plastics
Borland-Groover Clinic
McCall's Pest Control
Anheuser Busch
North Florida Lincoln Mercury
Kia of Orange Park/Southside Kia
St. Vincent's HealthCare
Mr. and Mrs. James Shefelbine
Gay and Paul Barton and
Chris and Lisa Fewell
Mr. and Mrs. Bud Neswiacheny
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Wells
College Automotive
Dr. & Mrs. James A. Waler
Jacksonville Orthopaedics Institute
Pacific Rota Hot Pepper
Publix Super Market Charities
Thanks to the following
Spring Fling Donors
Acme Oyster House
Advance Auto Parts
Advanced Direct Marketing
American Beauty Florist
American Drive In Cleaners
Anna's Nails
Anonymous
Aqua East Surf Shop
Artsy Abode
Athlete Development Center;
Hanson, Joe
Auto Zone
Avenues Lighting
Avon
Bagel Love
Barnes & Noble
Batt Family Fun Center
Bead Here Now
Beau Outfitters
Bienville House Hotel
Bishop John J. Snyder
Bistro Aix
BJS Maintenance Department
BJS Yearbook Staff
Black Hive Comics
Blue Fish Oyster Bar & Restaurant
Brooklyn Pizza
Bubbles Car Wash
Build-A-Bear
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Captain Roy Undersander
Carmine's Pie House
Casa Monica Hotel
Cason Photography
Clay County Transmission, Inc.
Coach Brian McCrae
Coach Jeff Ruvolo
Coach Kammie Jarvis
Coach Michael Young
Coach Nate Stanley
Coach Rusty Kellum
Coach Vicki Naughton
Columbia Restaurant
Corse Gallery & Atelier
Courtyard by Marriott Historic Savannah
Cowford Traders
Cox Media Group; Mike Buresh
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store
Daniel James Hair Salon
Deacon David Yazdiya
Design Additions
Doing Dishes Pottery Studios
Dr. and Mrs. Gregory Archambault
Dr. and Mrs. James A. Waler
Dr. Daniel Schellhase, DDS
Dr. Harris Rittenbert, D.M.D.
Dr. Magic
Drs. George and Mary Schmieder
Drs. Napolean and Leandro Leano
Edge City;
Gunnel Humphreys/Thomas McCleery
Edgewood Bakery
Edible Arrangements
Elizabeth Pointe Bed and Breakfast
Fabulous Cakes
Fairfield Inn & Suites
Fanatics Retail Group
Firehouse Subs
Fresh Market
Gator Bowl Association
Gator's Dockside at 103rd Street
Goodyear Auto Service
Gottahaveit
Green Man Gourmet; Hart, David
Green Mountain Coffee
Gunslinger Firearms; Ball, Dave
Gunter-Gunter, Inc.
Gyminators; Falls, Paula
Hepler Bros.
Holiday Inn & Suites; Fink, Mark
Home Depot
i9 Sports
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
Janice-Ann Catering
Jostens
Kennedy Space Center
Ken's Parking
Kilwin's
Kurt English Distinctive Photography, Inc.
LakeShore Bicycle and Fitness 3G
Bicycles
Latitude 30
Leonard's Studios
Lifeway Christian Store
Littlebits Children's Resale; Scott, Katie
Marco's Pizza
Mark McIntire and Betty Agnew
Massage First
MBS Direct
McCall Professional Services
McHenry Metals
Mediterrania Restaurant
Mercury Luggage
Miami Dolphins
Moe's Restaurant
Molly Maids
More Fun Travel
Mossfire Grill
Mr. James Blanton
Mrs. Kathryn Browning
Mr. Else Guillory
Mr. Richard Menefee
Mr. Paul Riley
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Barnard
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Barton, Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Barton
Mr. and Mrs. Homer Bliss
Mr. and Mrs. James Britton
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Busch
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Cascante
Mr. and Mrs. Brooks Collier
Mr. and Mrs. John Cooksey
Mr. and Mrs. Todd DeClemente
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Fierro
Mr. and Mrs. Brett Frazier
Mr. and Mrs. Ron Frechette
Mr. and Mrs. John Frost
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Gudzak
Mr. and Mrs. Dale Kelly
Mr. and Mrs. Gregg Mattson
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Naes
Mr. and Mrs. Bohdan Neswiacheny
Mr. and Mrs. Zach Osbeck
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Papp
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Perry
Mr. and Mrs. Victor Puleo
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Seidl
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Taylor
Mr. and Mrs. Asa Underhill
Mr. and Mrs. Rolando Valdes
Mr. and Mrs. Brian Walsh
Mr. and Mrs. Ben White
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Wood
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Woodward
Mrs. Charina Biala
Mrs. Mary Jane Mochowski
Mrs. Lisa Moser
Mrs. Kelly Noda
Mrs. Dinah Ruiz
Mrs. Munira Salameh
Mrs. Carolyn Schaffer
Mrs. Hope Schiller
Mrs. Suzanne Quiñonez
Mrs. Tricia Tate
Ms. Anitara Ott
Ms. Beth Dickinson
Ms. McKenzie Gudzak
Ms.. Taylor Gudzak
Ms. Kammie Jarvis
Ms. Molly Johnson
COMPETENCE... CONSCIENCE... COMPASSION...
Ms. Joy Pichardo
Ms. Noelle Wheeler
Napa Auto Parts
Neff
New Orleans Steamboat Company/Gray
Line
New York Giants
North Florida Lubes/Xpress Lube
North Florida Uniform
Office Max
Okinawa Japanese Grillhouse
Ollie Koala's
Orange Park Eye Center
Orange Park Furniture
Panera Bread
Park Avenue Dermatology
Park Street Paws
Peterbrooke
Pointe Medical Services
Publix Super Markets
Queen of Angels Catholic Store
R. C. Bigelow Tea Company
Rack Room Shoes
Rainbow Crafters Collision Center
Reddi Arts
Ripley's St. Augustine Attractions
Riverside Liquors & Village Wine Store;
Joudi, David
Rose of Sharon European Florist
RPM Automotive
Ruth's Chris Steak House
San Marco Theatre
San Sebastian Winery
Savannah Theatre
SeaWorld, Aquatica and Discovery Cove
Six Flags Friends
SLA Food Services
Southeast Marketing
Southern Crossing Antique Mall
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum
St. Johns Flower Market
St. Paul's Catholic Church
Starbucks Coffee
Subculture
Summer Beach Resort
Sun Tire
Sweet by Holly
Swisher; Gilham, Terry
Tampa Bay Rays
Taylor Publishing
Test Prep For Success
The Artist Series
The Comedy Zone
The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
The Florida Theatre
The Fox
The Lady & Sons
The Loop
The Players Championship
The Tree Steakhouse
Thrasher Horne Center for the Arts
Tijuana Flats Burrito Company; Turn,
Andrew
Total Wine
Townsend Hair Design
Unleashed
Vineyard Vines
Walt Disney World Co.
Watches Plus /Orange Park Mall
Location
Watson and Commons Families
We Sprout Naturally
Whiteway Delicatessen
Wild Adventures
William Taber Salon
World Golf Village
WWD Catering
YMCA
Page 13
Cardinal Classic
When we asked Michael Corrigan, Jr. to be the Chairman for the Cardinal Classic, he agreed on
one condition – that we could make some big changes to our annual tournament. Did we ever
change it up! We moved the tournament to Timuquana Country Club and moved the date to the
Monday of The Players Championship week. The golfing community responded with great
enthusiasm; our sold-out tournament had new sponsors and new teams that came out ready for a
great day and helped us achieve a net profit just over $27,000.
Don’t miss out on the 2014 tournament! It’s scheduled for Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) at Timuquana.
All proceeds from the 2014 tournament will go to further development of the athletic infrastructure.
To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, call Michael Corrigan at 904-703-1489.
Thanks to the following
Cardinal Classic Sponsors:
SILVER SPONSORS
Firehouse Subs
Kia of Orange Park
Vallencourt Construction
BRONZE SPONSORS
Auld & White Constructors
Eisman & Russo
Nu-Trend Plastics
HOLE SPONSORS
Baker’s Sporting Goods
Bishop Kenny High School
The Cowman Family
East Coast Oils
Gator’s Dockside
GT Leasing
Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church
Parliment Building Supplies
Sacred Heart Green Cove Springs Catholic Church
Sleiman Enterprises
St. Catherine Catholic Church
St. Luke Catholic Church
St. Matthew Catholic Church
The Neri Family
Michael Corrigan, Jr. and Bishop Snyder
welcomed players to the Cardinal Classic at
Timuquana Country Club.
Faculty
Summer Reading
Engaging our students in the love of reading is an important
goal at Bishop Snyder High School. In 2012, the English
Department began a new summer reading initiative. In addition to
required reading for each class, all students were required to read
Divergent by Veronica Roth. The choice of a popular young adult
novel made the students enthusiastic about the joys of reading for
pleasure. This summer, students read The Last Lecture by Randy
Pausch. This book
will stimulate
interesting
discussion across
the curriculum.
Members of the
English
department
continue to
explore current
youth literature.
Michelle Vetzel
and Allison
Cummings
attended the
Young Adult
Literature
Symposium in St. Louis this year and met best-selling YA author
Scott Westerfeld (see photo). He wrote the Uglies series and the
Leviathan series. During this summer Kelly Noda and Michelle
Vetzel attended an English Teacher symposium in Orlando where
they met Kwame Alexander, author of children's book Acoustic
Rooster, YA Novel He Said/She Said, and 14 other books. During
the conference, Mrs. Vetzel and Mrs. Noda, also had the
opportunity to visit Orlando’s Holocaust Museum.
Page 14
Kathryn Abbruzzese Browning
Kathryn Abbruzzese Browning's photography was featured in the annual
photo contest for Florida Travel + Life magazine. Mrs. Browning's shot of
the downtown skyline was selected at Best Cityscape and can be seen in
theNov/Dec issue. Mrs. Browning teaches computer classes and is the
sponsor of the Cardinal Chronicles, the school newspaper.
Lou Turecky
Lou Turecky was selected last year as the BJS "Coach of the Year" by his
coaching peers, students and parents. Mr. Turecky is one of our original
staff members and helped launch the successful cross country program we
are so proud of today. Congratulations Coach Turecky.
COMPETENCE... CONSCIENCE... COMPASSION...
– it’s the Paschal Mystery!
Mr. Kyler To
Attend Moreau
Seminary
Mr. John Kyler, the fourth ACE teacher at BJS
will enter the Moreau Seminary at the University
of Notre Dame as a Postulant for the
Congregation of Holy Cross. Ms. Joy Pichardo
sent questions to the always-energetic
songwriter, Disney fan, teacher, athletic and
debate coach, campus minister, Christ-like role
model, and now seminarian. Here’s how he
answered.
Have you always wanted to be a priest? Not
always, but when I was a junior in high school I
begin thinking about the possibility of a vocation
to religious life. This is when I started learning
more about the priesthood and began talking to
people about it.
What are the focuses of this order? Service
through education.
Why are you drawn to this particular order?
In grade school I was taught by the sisters of
Holy Cross. At Notre Dame, I got to know a
number of Holy Cross priests and brothers. I am
continually inspired by the way they live the
Gospel through their varied ministries, and I felt
like I wanted to do the same. Additionally, the
motto for the Congregation is “Ave Crux, Spec
Unica”, which translates to “The Cross, Our
Hope.” We can only have life through the cross
What are the steps to priesthood? I will enter
this year as a Postulant, where I will get to better
know the community and life of Holy Cross,
especially their daily prayer life and mission.
After that, I would be a Novice and spend a year
in contemplative prayer and discernment in
Colorado Springs. After the Novitiate,
seminarians spend three years working on a
Masters in Divinity degree and doing active
ministry. Finally, and God-willing, seminarians
are then ordained as deacons, where they
minister for a year before ordination to the
priesthood.
What are you most looking forward to? I am
most looking forward to the community and
getting to know the other seminarians and grow
in my relationship with Holy Cross. I am also
excited about having a much more structured
prayer life.
Who or what has influenced this next step of
discovery? My family, especially my mom, have
been incredibly helpful in my discernment. My
parents and siblings are my closest friends and
they are my go-to people to talk about life. From
an early age I had a love of God and the Church
because of my family. My grandma taught me
my first prayers, and my uncle is a Dominican
priest. Additionally, I have a number of mentors
and friends in Holy Cross who have been
encouraging and supportive as I continue to
discern my vocation.
Did being at Snyder for two years help
prepare you? Teaching, coaching and working
with campus ministry helped me realize that I
want to do ministry in some capacity for the rest
of my life. I was humbled by the constant giving
of such great teachers and colleagues, especially
my department chairs, Stephen Giddens and Joy
Pichardo, who taught me how to give as a
teacher. I am also incredibly grateful to all my
students, especially my seniors, who always
inspired me to be the person God is calling me
to be.
Do you have any advice for anyone
discerning a vocation? Don’t be afraid to talk to
others and to learn about all the possibilities to
live your vocation. Also, I would encourage
everyone to find ways to serve God through
others. Living your vocation is not just being a
sister, brother, or priest. It is not just about being
called to marriage or the single life. Rather,
living your vocation is about being Christ for
others in the simple and ordinary.
Do you have any prayer requests from the
Snyder community? Please remember me in
your prayers, and know that I will remember
you in mine. Thank you for two wonderful
years. I will never forget Bishop Snyder High
School.
And finally, do you have a favorite prayer?
“Nothing is more practical than finding God,
than falling in Love in a quite absolute, final way.
What you are in Love with, what seizes your
imagination, will affect everything. It will decide
what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you do with your evenings, how you spend
your weekends, what you read, whom you
know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes
you with joy and gratitude. Fall in Love, stay in
Love, and it will decide everything.”(Attributed to
Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ (1907–1991)
Joe Waas
Science teacher, Joseph Waas, spent part of the
summer on his annual pilgrimage to hike the
Appalachian Trail. This year he began at Pearisburg
in central Virginia and reached Troutville, Virginia,
approximately one hundred miles by trail. In this
section, the trail passed Dragon's Tooth, McAfee
Knob and Tinker's Cliff. This is considered the "Triple
Crown" of Virginia hiking. Luckily he had good
weather at all three locations, and will be back on
the trail in 2014.
The launch of our Bring Your Own Device program is being widely used by students and
faculty. For the 2013-14 school year, students are allowed to learn in a way that best suits
their individual learning styles. iPads, Kindles, Nooks and laptops are allowed in class in
addition to traditional textbooks.
A CROSIER IS A BISHOP’S STAFF CARRIED AT SOLEMN CELEBRATIONS AND SYMBOLIC OF THE PASTORAL CARE A SHEPHERD GIVES TO HIS PEOPLE. Page 15
NON PROFIT
US POSTAGE
PAID
Permit No. 531
Jacksonville, FL
5001 Samaritan Way
Jacksonville, FL 32210
The mission of Bishop John J. Snyder High School, a college preparatory school, is the formation of young men and women of
competence, conscience and compassion; faithful to the Gospel and the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Snyder App
Many thanks to Park Avenue
Dermatology for sponsoring the
SNYDER APP (downloadable from
iTunes on IOS and Android devices).
Let us know how we can enhance the app so that we can continue to provide useful
information to you while you’re on the go.
We are still accepting brick
orders and plan on installing
the next set of engraved
bricks later this fall. If you'd
like to order a brick, they are
$150 and can be ordered by
calling the Athletic
Department at
904-908-8954 or by visiting
the athletics page at
www.bishopsnyder.org.
Page 16
Visit BJS
Fall is when families begin thinking about high school for their junior high school
children. We have several opportunities for your family to learn more about BJS. Students
in our feeder schools will visit us during the fall. Parents are invited to join us on
November 7th for BJS 101 at 9am which is a day as experienced by Catholic School
students. Everyone is welcome to join us on Thursday, January 16th, 2014 at 7pm for
Open House. Of course, our doors are always open so call to set up a personal tour or
shadow opportunity.
Bishop Snyder High School accepts Step Up for Students and McKay Scholarships. If
you think your family may benefit from one of these programs, please call our
Admissions Office to learn more.
COMPETENCE... CONSCIENCE... COMPASSION...