Mariners Serve & Give Back
![Mariners Serve & Give Back]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1738892066/stmonicachsorg/mrs61d1nukfn4292zc8s/newspost2_1.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1738892066/stmonicachsorg/mrs61d1nukfn4292zc8s/newspost2_1.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1738892066/stmonicachsorg/mrs61d1nukfn4292zc8s/newspost2_1.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1738892066/stmonicachsorg/mrs61d1nukfn4292zc8s/newspost2_1.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1738892066/stmonicachsorg/mrs61d1nukfn4292zc8s/newspost2_1.jpg","width":1280}])
Mariners Serve & Give Back
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, immediately welcoming students to join our classes across grades TK-12 this past month for a fresh start. Spearheaded by SMPREP parent Julie Zaller, with sons in both 9th and 12th grade, and our Mariner Parent Association, our school community has also organized four weekends of Relief Effort Days to help families directly impacted by the fires. If you would like to help provide financial assistance to those in our SMPREP community needing support due to the effects of the fires, please make a donation here.
Mariner Softball Coach Brett Werger shared how his players wanted to positively impact Palisades High School’s softball team. The team was able to secure approval from the city permit office to share its field space with Pali for practices this season. The teams will coordinate on combined and separate drills. In addition, SMPREP Athletic Director Jason Bowers partnered with his Pali counterpart Rocky Montz to schedule some of its boys and girls varsity basketball games in SMPREP's gym.
We are grateful to all of the first responders continuing to protect lives and properties, including our own alumni. Sam Saldibar ‘14 is a firefighter with the LA County Fire Department. Saldibar has been on the frontlines of the Eaton Fire and shared that there is so much destruction that the city of Los Angeles has never seen anything like it. The most devastating part for him has been seeing the destruction of homes and businesses. On behalf of Saint Monica Prep, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Saldibar and all first responders for their dedication and bravery.
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![A Big Week for Mariner Athletics: National Headlines and League Titles]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1770409191/stmonicachsorg/guvsqtru1h5tzgem3mfm/newspost36.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1770409191/stmonicachsorg/guvsqtru1h5tzgem3mfm/newspost36.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1770409191/stmonicachsorg/guvsqtru1h5tzgem3mfm/newspost36.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1770409191/stmonicachsorg/guvsqtru1h5tzgem3mfm/newspost36.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1770409191/stmonicachsorg/guvsqtru1h5tzgem3mfm/newspost36.jpg","width":1280}])
Saint Monica Preparatory athletes were in the spotlight this week, earning recognition both locally and nationally. Both the Santa Monica Daily Press and the Los Angeles Times featured Kyle Williams ’20 as he prepares to take the Super Bowl LX stage with the New England Patriots in his rookie season.
On campus, Mariner teams delivered championship performances. Both Girls Varsity Soccer, with an undefeated season, and Boys Varsity Soccer, the reigning CIF Champions, are Camino Real League Champions! 8th Grade Girls Basketball captured its second consecutive league title, capping a standout week for SMPREP Athletics. All three teams will advance to the playoffs. Go, Mariners!
![How SMPREP Students Serve With Purpose]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1769645000/stmonicachsorg/bmoog4olve12wtidlkom/newspost35.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1769645000/stmonicachsorg/bmoog4olve12wtidlkom/newspost35.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1769645000/stmonicachsorg/bmoog4olve12wtidlkom/newspost35.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1769645000/stmonicachsorg/bmoog4olve12wtidlkom/newspost35.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1769645000/stmonicachsorg/bmoog4olve12wtidlkom/newspost35.jpg","width":1280}])
Service to others is at the heart of Saint Monica Preparatory’s mission and our call to live faith in action. Throughout the year, SMPREP students actively serve our local community through meaningful, student-led initiatives that reflect compassion, leadership and responsibility for others.
"It’s powerful to witness how a single day of service can make such a meaningful difference for so many people.” - Allison Griffin '26
This fall, our school partnered with the parish’s annual Thanksgiving Feast, where more than 40 students volunteered their time to help serve over 1,000 meals. Students also hosted a Fall Blood Drive with the American Red Cross that helped save more than 150 lives, organized a Christmas toy drive benefiting the Joy Jewels of Youth Foundation, and assembled toiletry kits for the St. Robert’s Center during this week’s Catholic Schools Week.
![From Campus to College Success: SMPREP Students and Alumni Shine]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1768497232/stmonicachsorg/ugb2mmi7agl2sqgydyhr/newspost34.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1768497232/stmonicachsorg/ugb2mmi7agl2sqgydyhr/newspost34.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1768497232/stmonicachsorg/ugb2mmi7agl2sqgydyhr/newspost34.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1768497232/stmonicachsorg/ugb2mmi7agl2sqgydyhr/newspost34.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1768497232/stmonicachsorg/ugb2mmi7agl2sqgydyhr/newspost34.jpg","width":1280}])
Saint Monica Preparatory students continue to thrive. We welcomed back alumni Cassidy Hart ’25 and Daniel Dyaz ’25, who spoke about their transition from SMPREP to Boston College and the University of Southern California, respectively. President Dr. Luby also connected with four Notre Dame students during a leadership conference at the University of Notre Dame, where they reflected on how their Mariner experiences laid the foundation for leadership roles in college.
As for our Class of 2026, Maile Ordonez was named a 2025 QuestBridge National College Match Scholar and matched with Emory University on a full four-year scholarship covering tuition, housing, meals and even travel back home to California! Both Valentina Chavarry and Tomas Officer earned early admission to the prestigious NYU Tisch School of the Arts, the top-ranked film school in the country.