Alumni Return Home to Saint Monica Preparatory
Following October’s Homecoming at Home, when many alumni, current families and community members came together on campus to celebrate our shared Mariner pride, the Saint Monica Classes of 1969 and 1974 celebrated their 55th and 50th reunions, respectively. The Class of 1969 held its reunion at Chevron Park in El Segundo, while the Class of 1974 returned to campus, gathering in the auditorium. Both groups enjoyed an incredible time reconnecting and sharing stories from their time at Saint Monica. Last Saturday, it was the Class of 2014's turn to commemorate its 10th reunion in the Grand Pavilion. Reunions are a wonderful reminder of the deep bonds formed here at SMPREP and the lasting memories carried forward!
SMPREP welcomed back a lively group of Visual & Performing Arts (VPA) alumni for "One Last Curtain Call" before the closing performance of "Almost, Maine," the final play held in the over-90-year-old Cantwell Auditorium as we know it. SMPREP will break ground on a new, state-of-the-art performance space in January. SMPREP alumni reminisced about decades of Mariner memories in the auditorium - from dances after football games to our wonderful plays and musicals. VPA families signed the stage door that will eventually get integrated into the new space to honor the past as we look forward to the future. Then, they watched our talented Mariners on stage and behind the scenes do a wonderful job bringing the unique characters, slightly magical setting and memorable stories of "Almost, Maine" to life.
"The VPA family is so very special. I have never seen a group of students who are so supportive of each other - whether they are freshmen or junior athletes who just want to try the arts before they graduate. Everyone is welcome and are welcomed - and they have a lot of fun doing it. It was an honor to have been part of it for so long. It’s a wonderful program," shared Mary Claire Phan, mom to Arielle '14, Erynn '16, Jonah '19 and Isabelle '22.
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Next April during the National Football League Draft, our eyes will be on Saint Monica alum and Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams ‘20. Williams honed his football skills here at Saint Monica, leading to a standout prep career. His success at WSU placed him in the program's record books, ranking second in single-season receiving touchdowns and fourth in receiving yards. As he continues to make waves, his future in the professional ranks looks bright with scouts closely following his every move.
This week, Saint Monica Preparatory celebrated the gift that is Catholic education during the annual, nationwide Catholic Schools Week (CSW) - culminating in an all school Mass. Despite the challenging start to 2025, Msgr. Torgerson encouraged everyone to be grateful to be here together as part of the Mariner community. It was a week full of gratitude and appreciation for the role the parish, community, SMPREP families, the nation, our talented students and of course, our wonderful faculty and staff play in creating the strong foundation provided by Saint Monica Prep.
Many among our Saint Monica Prep community of families, faculty and staff, school board and alumni have lost homes, businesses and so much more in the devastating wildfires. We continue to pray for our Los Angeles community as it recovers and rebuilds. Mariners have answered the call by helping support families displaced by the wildfires. We are grateful to all of the first responders including our own alum Sam Saldibar ‘14, a firefighter with the LA County Fire Department serving on the frontlines of the Eaton Fire.