by Christian Angel, Managing Editor & Brett Baligad, Senior Editor

Montebello natives Tyler Baligad and Ryan Gutierrez, who have been involved in the St. John Bosco High School community since their freshman years, will be speaking at the 68th Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2023.

On April 28, 2023, Principal Dr. Kris Anderson announced in front of the Brave community that Co-Executive Board President, Ryan Gutierrez was selected as Valedictorian to speak during the graduation ceremony due to all the hard work in having the highest academic achievements and GPA within the Class of 2023. 

Ryan was born and raised in Montebello, California in a family of four with parents who are both educators. Since a young age, Ryan has attended private Catholic schools and is an alumnus of St. Benedict School in Montebello. 

Ever since Ryan stepped foot onto the Bosco campus in the Fall of 2019, he has left an impacting legacy on the future legacy of the Brave community. 

“I came into Bosco having a competitive mindset and a desire to achieve my academic goals. I think that the work that I have put in over the past four years is a great representation of how badly I wanted to become valedictorian,” said Ryan. 

During his time at Bosco, Ryan has served on multiple honors societies including Onori Society, Spanish Honors Society and Math Honors Society. He has also had the privilege of serving on the ASB Executive Board, Student Ambassador Program and Campus Ministry, while also participating in Academic Decathlon and graduating in the Biomedical Pathway.

Over his four years, one of his biggest accomplishments would be getting an ALS research internship at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. With the guidance and support from the Biomedical Pathway, he was selected as just one out of ten California high school students to participate in the prestigious stem cell research internship. Through this experience, it inspired him to plan to continue his private educational journey and major in Neuroscience and Behavior with a minor in Science and Patient Advocacy at the University of Notre Dame.

“It made me realize the beauties of neuroscience and the nervous system. This field called me, and I felt I could study it for the next four years,” said Ryan.

Ryan credits all his achievements to the rigorous and organizational skills he has developed the last four years in order to reach his dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon. 

“To be honest, it wasn’t easy keeping up with the work that I had for my courses. But when I established my own study habits and work schedules, planning and prioritizing were key elements in getting assignments submitted on time and studying for upcoming exams,” said Ryan. 

As Ryan embarks on the next four years of his college experience, he plans to take a gap year following his undergraduate studies to gain some more research experience and strengthen his medical school application. He then plans on attending medical school, completing his residency and, hopefully, settling back in Los Angeles as a neurosurgeon.

On May 5, 2023, Co-Executive Board President Tyler Baligad was selected as the Salutatorian for the Class of 2023. Tyler would be recognized for this prestigious award due to his high academic achievement over the years and his overall representation to the Bosco experience.

Tyler Baligad is also a Montebello native who lives in a family of four including his twin brother and fellow graduate, Brett. Tyler has always been surrounded by faith all his life as he attended Alhambra Catholic School, St. Thomas More leading up to his freshman year.

As a Brave, Tyler shared membership in the Onori Society and Math Honors Society with Ryan. Along with this, Tyler has given his time to the ASB Executive Board, Campus Ministry, Academic Decathlon, the Student Ambassador Program and the Engineering Pathway. Tyler is also an Eagle Scout, earning his Eagle Rank in July 2022. 

Most notably, Tyler co-founded the Brothers of Bosco with his twin brother, Brett. The nonprofit was founded in 2022 as it successfully raised over $2,000 worth of goods during his senior school year. Tyler led three campaigns that sent school supplies and other essential items to Parroquia María Auxiliadora, a Mexican church in Ensenada, Mexico.

“Knowing how strong our Bosco community is, my brother and I knew doing successful work like this was achievable,” said Tyler. “I am very proud of all the work we have done and this could not have been done without our donors.”

When Tyler is not in class or doing community work, he can be found in Bosco’s pool. The three year Varsity Scholar Athlete played a key role for the varsity water polo and swim teams over the past few seasons. Most recently, Tyler was a CIF Finalist for the 50m Freestyle.

“Reaching CIF Finals is something that I wanted to achieve throughout my entire high school career. Reaching this point is something that I have built up to since freshman year,” said Tyler. “Considering the tough competition in the Trinity League, I am happy to say I went toe to toe with some of the best swimmers in the country.”

Through his success in the Engineering Pathway, Tyler has continued to foster his passion for math and science at Bosco. With notable acceptances to UCLA, Tulane University and University of Michigan, Tyler will major in Mechanical Engineering in the Fall.

“I always pushed myself to be the best I can be,” said Tyler. “That is my biggest advice to underclassmen: never be satisfied. Always strive for more.”

Ryan and Tyler proudly sit at the top of their class as true representatives to the Bosco experience. Following the Oratory Model of home, school, church and playground, the Notre Dame and UCLA commits, respectively will proudly lead the way for the class of ‘23.

by Brett Baligad, Senior Editor

Hosted at The Loft On Pine, the “Evening of Enchanted” symbolized the final chapter for the Class of 2023. With dinner provided and live music swelling, the senior classes of St. John Bosco and St. Joseph High Schools crowned prom royalty as they danced the night away.

The much anticipated prom is a formal senior class event that demonstrates a culmination of the high school experience as a Brave.

The Class of ‘23 and their dates began to flood in as the doors opened at 7:00pm in the evening. Plenty of students showed up in style, whether coming as a group in a party bus with their friends or driving in with iconic sports cars. Immediately upon entering, students had access to the second floor, which included tables, a buffet style dinner, refreshments and a dance floor. On the third floor, there was more seating available and photo booths. This three story set up is what gives the venue its namesake, “The Loft On Pine.” 

Food was served at 7:30pm and included a buffet style Italian dinner with a selection of pasta dishes and refreshments. Seniors gathered around tables to celebrate their final month together and caught up with each other.

“The food was really good, and my favorite dish was the ravioli. It was a good time hanging out and eating with my friends,” said senior Christopher Facio.

By 8:00pm, the dance floor became lively with a wide variety of music. 

“I really enjoyed the music. The music kept us turned up,” said senior Cameron Walker.

At the end of the night, the Prom King and Queen were announced. The senior classes of St. John Bosco and St. Joseph’s went through a voting process to decide the court prior to the dance. On the final prom ballot, seniors Rafael Perea, Tyler Baligad, Paxton Allison and Aidan Gallagher were announced Prom Princes. The 2023 Prom King was senior Carter Daley. St. Joseph’s would go on to elect senior Emma Persi as their 2023 Prom Queen. The two would embrace, then lead the class of 2023 in their final slow dance.

“Winning Prom King was kind of a surprise. I knew I had a chance and when they called my name I went into a shock, but I was just overall super excited and honored,” Carter said. “It was even more special to have my date and all of my best friends around who I have known for all four years at Bosco along with my friends at St. Joseph’s there to share the moment.”

Carter is a member of the Entrepreneurship Pathway, the varsity golf Captain and a writer for this publication. He will be attending Indiana University, Bloomington and intends to study business in the Fall.

Prom came just after the senior’s retreat, where they reflected on their favorite memories at Bosco and got to say goodbye to underclassmen at the Senior Farewell ceremony in the gym. Science teacher Mr. Ruben Solorza led the Senior Farewell speech, giving inspiration to the Class of ’23. After, each senior got to ring the victory bell. Mr. Solorza was also in attendance at Prom, chaperoning the dance.

“I really enjoyed chaperoning at prom. I’m proud of all of the guys and it was a good way to cap off a great school year. Everyone seemed like they had a really good time,” Mr. Solorza said.

Overall, the seniors look forward to their final week and a half of school. With AP tests concluding and finals coming up, seniors are eagerly anticipating Grad Nite on Friday, May 12 at Disneyland, their last hurrah prior to Graduation.

by Isaac Mays, Sports Editor

On Sunday, the St. John Bosco Braves student body was provided with a unique social event they could experience with their fathers. A special Mass, breakfast and car show were organized to celebrate the father figures in the Bosco community.

The morning began with a mass celebration in the chapel, which was led by Spiritual Director Father Ted Montemayor. Father Ted led the fifth Sunday of Lent with the story of Lazarus and his resurrection, an inspiring parable about hope for all in attendance.

Soon after Mass concluded, the Braves and their fathers poured outside to begin their breakfast. During the event, vendors sold Bosco-affiliated gear for guests to purchase. Many sports teams and clubs at school also prepared baskets of items for auction.

Meanwhile, residents of the Bellflower area were encouraged to bring their luxury and classic cars to put on display. The car show brought many families together, as a voting process was implemented to determine winners for each car style. Many event patrons appreciated how welcoming and friendly the car owners were, even though they maintained some exceptional higher-end cars.

“My dad and I both got to see some pretty rare cars. We bond over cars, so it was nice to have that at our school,” said senior Ryan Cirrincione. “The Red Chevy Impala was our personal favorite.”

Many boys were happy to share their love of cars with their fathers. An entire fleet of Mustangs were present along with the infamous Jeep Trackhawk mentioned in Lil Baby’s “Life Goes On.” Many of sportier vehicles were fan favorites.

Perhaps the highlight of the event was the tug of war match between fathers and sons. The tug of war concluded with another win for the fathers, marking the third year in a row that they achieved victory over their sons. Many seniors commented how fun this activity was, as they faced off head-to-head against the undefeated “dad strength.”

“It was so fun to compete against my dad,” said senior Eiian Reyes. “My Baba has a lot more strength than I had initially assumed; he ended up being a major player on the parents’ side.”

Overall, the event fostered many relationships that most high school students don’t typically have the opportunity to cultivate, as the morning allowed students to interact with each other’s families.

“My friends and I are close, but I feel like our dads don’t know each other. The Father-Son Mass lets all of us meet and get to know each other better. I wish I could come back next year,” said senior Andrew Rivera.

This father-son tradition is one of many instances that help separate St. John Bosco from other high schools. Bosco tries to emphasize the family component of our community, and experiences like these help make the student body be more mature young men. All students and important male figures in their lives are welcome next year to continue this great tradition.

by Christian Angel, Managing Editor

Mr. Derrick Fernando, alumnus of the Class of 2001, has served in a variety of roles at St. John Bosco High School, including as a teacher, coach, Dean of Students and Assessment Coordinator. He now plans to step into a new leadership role in the 2023-2024 school year. 

St. John Bosco High School announced that Mr. Derrick Fernando, who currently serves as an upperclassmen English teacher and Assessment Coordinator, will be the new Assistant Principal of Academic Affairs in charge of academics needs and administration. In addition to his four years as a student, Mr. Fernando has served in the Bosco community for the last eleven years in various capacities. 

Mr. Fernando grew up in an active household in Downey. In the fall of 1996, Mr. Fernando stepped onto the campus of St. John Bosco and was involved throughout his four years in the basketball and volleyball programs. He was even involved in organizing a “Filipino Night” showcasing Filipino culture. 

He then attended Loyola Marymount University where he received his Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing. In 2008, he received his Master of Arts in English from Loyola Marymount University and has spent the past 17 years as an educator at both the high school and collegiate levels.

Coming home to St. John Bosco in the Fall of 2012, Mr. Fernando has worked in the English Department, teaching World Literature, American Literature, British Literature and AP English Language and Composition at different points in his tenure. Mr. Fernando took a short break from the classroom when he was a Dean of Students from 2016-2018. 

On the sports side, he worked as an Assistant Freshmen and Assistant Varsity Coach for the basketball program and later as Head Junior Varsity and Assistant Varsity Coach for the volleyball program. 

In stepping into this new role, Mr. Fernando is focusing on the mission of continuing to develop a rigorous academic program at Bosco that brings continuity and cohesiveness in order to support teachers and students at all grade levels.

“My new role is to ensure I can provide any kind of support or development that professionals need, so our teachers are asking a lot for the kinds of support and opportunities to learn and grow that a growing and ever-evolving academic landscape would allow for,” said Mr. Fernando.

Mr. Fernando credits his time working in many leadership positions across his eleven years at Bosco having helped him be ready for this role, as he plans to lead the school with a new perspective to help many students with different backgrounds, especially at-risk students.

“In this new role, the same idea needs to apply from an academic perspective,” said Mr. Fernando. “By being able to work with students and to work with teachers to recognize that there’s something underlying that might cause an at-risk student to slip in their performance in class is another big part of that role.”

Mr. Fernando may be known for his classes being rigorous at a college level, but he has a softer side, too. He is a family man, a devoted husband of 13 years and a father to three beautiful children. With the inspiration of his family, he puts his heart and soul into St. John Bosco, recognizing the gifts that have been bestowed upon him and how he can use those gifts to benefit the futures of Braves for years to come.