by Brett Baligad

Last weekend, the Brave community welcomed students and their fathers at the annual Father and Son Car Show.

Landing with a POW, over one hundred cars showed up to this year’s superhero-themed car show. Plenty of fathers and sons showed up with a BANG, repping their favorite superhero apparel. With the recent opening of The Batman, Gotham’s caped crusader proved to have had the most love. This year’s event had an outstanding two hundred students and fathers attend.

The Sunday morning began with mass in the Chapel presided by Fr. Ted Montemayor. During his procession, Fr. Ted was welcomed by Theater Director Martin Lang who accompanied the piano for the service. Upon entering, students were given their ‘Participation Passport’ that, if fully completed, would be their ticket for being entered for a chance to win an Xbox Series S later in the afternoon. With plenty of more incentives, students and their fathers were more inclined to visit all of the activities the Car Show had to offer.

Following the mass, students were free to visit all of the classic, muscle, and sports cars the intramural field had to offer. The event sponsor this year was Team Mopar 360 who showed with the majority of the vehicles. On top of this, many unique cars made an appearance too. 

“I honestly thought the beach van and classic cop car were super cool. They aren’t something you see all the time. I was really surprised to see a comic book-themed car, it looked almost like Hot Wheels,” said junior Dominic Garcia.

Superhero-themed cars made their way onto the scene too. Bosco welcomed a Batmobile-inspired 2014 Dodge Viper and 2006 Dodge Charger, a Captain America-inspired 2014 Shelby GT500 along with many more.

“The Batmobile was one of my favorites. The Green Lantern Mustang was really cool too but the Dodge Viper was one of the coolest ones at the show,” said Dominic.

Not too long after the mass, fathers and sons gathered around the senior square to enjoy breakfast as a community. Along with the buffet breakfast, Bosco hosted a snack bar to keep car owners, students and fathers filled up all day long.

As breakfast concluded, activities, raffles, and silent auctions became open to the community. 

The most notable prizes were baseball memorabilia signed by Evan Longoria ‘03, movie tickets and gift baskets featuring team gear of a number of Bosco teams.

This year’s activities included a tug-o-war competition (the fathers won a convincing 2-0 for the second year in a row), a carnival high striker (hammer smash), half-court competition, a Bosco Bread Company popup that featured their fresh baked goods and, of course, plenty of cars to check out.

“As a baseball guy, I wished I would have won the baseball bat from Evan Longoria. As for the activities, the half-court completion was probably the best game,” said junior Sam Hentges.

To close out the day, the winner was announced for the Bosco Award and the winner of the Xbox Series S. The 2022 Bosco Award went to a 1932 Ford Coupe and 1965 Mustang Fastback. The Mustang was owned by Bosco senior Matteo Chacon. Sophomore Matt Carillo went home big with the Xbox Series S.

“Honestly I was really surprised to win. I hardly ever win raffles. Going into the event, all I was looking forward to was spending time with my dad but winning the Xbox was a nice touch,” said Matthew.

After the conclusion of the show, Bosco was happy to see that this year’s Father and Son Car Show found such huge success. With plenty of new and returning faces, the Bosco community can only expect more participants, more cars and better prizes for years to come.

by Andrew Fierro, Managing Editor

Starting tomorrow and in full effect when students arrive to class on Monday, St. John Bosco High School will adhere to the new guidance of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), eliminating the indoor mask mandate in schools for the first time in two years.

Going along with Orange County, Los Angeles County lifted their indoor mask mandate for businesses and was one of the few remaining counties in the whole country to do so. Following this, K-12 schools through will also be lifting their mask mandate. However, the CDPH still strongly recommends teachers, staff and students to continue to wear masks indoors, despite the fact it is no longer required.

More and more students have been itching to go without masks, and as the COVID-19 numbers continue to diminish, they has been an eagerness for the mask mandate to be lifted.

“I think that the masks make it difficult in class. Sometimes I am not able to hear my teachers because of their masks and it also makes my glasses fog up which can be very annoying,” said senior Joshua Joson.

Even though many students will no longer be wearing face masks beginning next Monday, there will still be many students who will be wearing face masks due to safety precautions. The choice is for each student to make, and their choice will be respected either way.

One concern that’s been on the minds of many students and parents is if the lift on the mandate will apply for all students or just those who are fully vaccinated. Following the state health guidelines, Bosco’s mask mandate will be lifted for everyone, regardless of vaccination status.

“The end of the mask mandate will not take into account vaccination status and will be across the board for everyone,” said Vice Principal of Student Affairs Ms. Schnorr.

Though for many students this is an important issue, for others it is not as impactful. Many students have grown to live with the mask mandate and are not too worried about whether or not they have to wear a mask anymore. 

“Personally, I am not affected much by the mandate. I don’t really care either way. I am happy to wear a mask if I need to, and if able to, I am happy to take it off,” said senior Kasen Herroz.

Going forward, students will have the choice of going mask free at school if they so wish. Though, if they or their parents are unsure about their safety, they will always have the option to continue to wear a mask, as strongly recommended by the school and the CDPH.

by Eric Torres, Editor-In-Chief

Last Friday, the Brave community gathered to celebrate and remember the life of the ultimate Brave, Mr. Monty McDermott, class of 1986.

Fittingly, the funeral took place in Panish Family Stadium, a large symbol of the culture that Mr. McDermott instilled, especially in the area of athletics. 

As a reminder of who Mr. McDermott was, and what he valued, the stadium was filled with Bosco alumni, from past teachers to old friends and family of Mr. McDermott. 

The service began with a rendition of the song “Beth” by the American rock band Kiss, who Mr. McDermott was a noted superfan. The music was played by theater instructors Mr. Martin Lang, Tim McNalley, James Flaherty and Marco Soronio, who in addition played the music for the rest of the mass, with a rock twist. 

Furthermore, the speakers who participated in the mass were a well-chosen list of Bosco and St. Joseph alumni, both students and teachers, who either had a strong connection with Mr. McDermott or are a member of his department. These speakers included religious studies teacher and football coach Mr. Joseph Griffin, class of 1975, Director of Football Operations Mrs. Jessie Christensen, St. Joseph class of 1989, former golf coach and former religious studies teacher Mr. Jack Hastert, class of 1970, football player Jairus Satele, baseball player Jake Ellison and cross country runner Chris Chavez, all class of 2022.  

In addition, gifts, which encapsulated the Salesian man of faith that Mr. McDermott was, were presented to the altar. These gifts included each aspect of St. John Bosco’s Oratory model, as well as Mr. McDermott’s Varsity Jacket and rings. Gift bearers included Mrs. Jeanne Pantuso, St. Joseph class of 1978, his son, Monty McDermott Jr., football coach Mr. Jon Hall, his nephew, Daniel de la Cuerva, class of 2004, sister Carrie Ruffalo, St. Joseph class of 1982 and sister Marnie Woods, St. Joseph class of 1983. 

An electrifying rendition of “Dream On” by the band set the stage for the eulogies, which were given by both football head coach Jason Negro, class of 2004, and Daniel de la Cuerva. 

One consistent throughout both eulogies was how much Mr. McDermott loved the school he served, in many capacities, for 29 years. 

“Rarely not in Bosco athletic shorts and t-shirts at holidays, he would proudly brag and boast about his beloved Bosco Braves. He would tell us about each student-athlete and where they were going to play sports. He loved and was so proud of the young men,” said de la Cuerva. 

Beyond his vast successes in the athletic department, Mr. McDermott was widely admired as an all-around great man, a man of integrity, humility and understanding, qualities that made him the excellent leader that he was. He was even recognized as such by CIF, winning the CIF Champion for Character Award in 2007.

“When I think about the genuine characteristics that made Monty who he was as a leader in our department, I always admire his humility and his unwavering integrity. Monty also took great pride in being a learner. He wanted to improve his skill set so he could better serve his coaches,” said Coach Negro.

Finally, nothing sums up the vast range of responsibilities held by Mr. McDermott, especially in such a role as the athletic director. 

“Monty and I would talk privately a lot about the responsibilities we carry and the roles that we have here at Bosco. How challenging it must be to be a mentor of young people, win games on the field, manage the expectations of the alumni, recognize the efforts of the teachers and staff in the classroom and most importantly, be true ambassadors of Don Bosco and the Salesians each and every day,” said Coach Negro.

Yet, Monty seemed to handle each of these tasks with ease. In learning and carrying on the traditions of St. John Bosco High School, he ushered in a new generation of Bosco culture, within and outside of athletics. 

The service concluded in true Monty fashion, with the playing of the song “Home Sweet Home” by American heavy metal band Motley Crue. 

To support Mr. McDermott and his family, contributions can be made to the Monty McDermott Memorial & Athletic Fund.

by Aydn Morris

In Bosco’s Winter Spirit Week’s 3v3 basketball tournament, both teachers and students enjoyed friendly competition, with the teachers coming out on top.

In the 16-team tournament, the Long Beach Dawgs came with the win, following two huge back-to-back victories against Bosco Baseball and Wavy Navy in the championship game. For winning the tournament, the Dawgs’ players received a $40 Nike gift card for their effort. The Dawgs team consisted of basketball coach Michael Bartelt, history teacher and former baseball coach Mr. Mario Cordero, water polo head coach and Olympic Hall-of-famer Mr. Jeff Powers and basketball coach Ms. Allegra Weinstein. 

Mr. Cordero randomly selected the team to participate in tournament.

“I clicked the link to sign up for the 3v3 tournament, and put down myself, Powers, Bartelt and Weinstein, and they didn’t even know until I sent them a screenshot saying ‘Congratulations, you’re on the LB Dawgs,’” said Mr. Cordero.

Due to this random selection, some Dawgs players were not ready to play, which gave them some trouble throughout the tournament. 

The trouble came from multiple situations, such as the miscommunication with the game schedule. The Dawgs were not told that they were going to play against Bosco Baseball on the Thursday before the finals, so they did not bring any of the appropriate clothes for the game. This miscommunication forced the Dawgs to play back-to-back games on Friday, against Bosco Baseball then Wavy Navy. 

“I had no shoes, and Mr. Cordero had on jeans. We would not have been able to play,” said Coach Powers.

This trouble obviously did not affect the Dawgs in the long run, except for maybe putting them into retirement from basketball, as they still came up victorious in both of their matchups.

“To be honest I did not know if I was going to be able to bring it in that last game. And I can’t speak for everybody, but Coach Powers and I think we retired from basketball,” said Mr. Cordero

Besides some of the hardships, the Dawgs enjoyed the tournament and had a lot of fun.

“I had a lot of fun interacting with not only my colleagues but also the students in a different environment, and not only being seen as a teacher,” said Coach Weinstein.

The tournament built a different type of bond between students and teachers, which made the tournament much more enjoyable.

“I thought it was fun seeing the energy at lunch from the students and staff and hearing the music. I thought it was very effective in building spirit,” said Mr. Cordero.

There were some things that may have made the tournament better, such as having it held in the gym instead of outdoors. 

“Right now, given our circumstances, having it all outside made sense. But in the future, when not everyone has to wear mask, we can put all of the gym baskets down and have multiple games going on indoors,” said Coach Weinstein.

There were also some things in the past 3v3 tournaments that could be implemented in the future to make the tournament better, such as the mini hoop dunk contest. 

“For next year we can implement the past slam dunk competition and for six feet and under you dunk on the eight feet and for over 6 feet they dunk on the nine and half foot hoop,” said Mr. Cordero.

In all, the 3v3 was a complete success, and was one of the best school events of the year. It was put together by ASB member Justin Samonte.

by Brett Baligad

Moderated by Engineering Pathway Coordinator Mr. Walt Wippler, Tribe Robotics looks to pick up where they left off from last year’s success.

Led by junior Loreto Albaran, the young squad will rely on many new faces to help bring the program to glory. 

During the offseason, leaders mentored newcomers by teaching them basic programming and building skills in preparation for the start of the 2022 season. Students were given the option to become skilled in coding or hands-on building. The squad has high hopes as more students are becoming involved in STEM at Bosco by joining the Tribe Robotics Team.

“You can have entry-level experience and we will take you. We teach you in the preseason, and by the kickoff date, you have enough experience to make a solid impact for the team,” said junior Loreto Albaran. 

This year, all robotics teams across the country are required to complete multiple specific tasks. These include creating a hundred-pound robot that can collect and shoot rubber balls into a hoop for points, along with having the hundred-pound robot remarkably climb on its own along with a climbing frame. This work has the team meeting six days a week in preparation for their first competition in March.

“We are sprinting a marathon,” said Mr. Wippler, in terms of describing the season.

These tasks are easier said than done, as all of the construction and programming for the robot must be completed by the students from scratch. With trial and error, the boys are constantly running tests on the robot making sure it reaches its full potential by competition day. On top of this, the team is required to purchase parts that fit into the team’s predetermined budget and that are most suitable to their robot’s design. 

“There are certain vendors we are allowed to use. We’re limited to a select few to help keep the playing field fair for all teams,” said Albaran.

The team is grouped up into separate departments that focus on a specific aspect of the robot itself: collecting the balls, shooting the balls and climbing. Using the student’s knowledge in the Engineering and Computer Science Pathway, the dozens of Tribe Robotics members come together and make their inspiration into a reality for competition day. 

“Robotics is tightly knit with the Engineering Pathway curriculum, and I saw it was a really positive community that I wanted to be a part of,” said junior Marco Castro.

Through these specific departments, members are able to have more hands-on experience with high-level tools and software. This kind of exposure to STEM practice only strengthens Bosco students’ opportunities.

“Going into the program my freshman year, I lacked how to problem solve and adapt within the moment. Through mentorship and hands-on experience, I now know how to create a solution within a given criteria. As a junior, I feel more comfortable leading the younger kids and helping the team get to where we want to be,” said junior Tyler Baligad.

As Bosco is only weeks into the 2022 season, there is still plenty of work to be done and a lot to look forward to. The team will continue to meet consistently as they keep on designing, building, programming and testing all of the materials necessary to make sure the robot is ready to dominate in March.

“I think we have a really solid chance of doing well. I think this year’s project looks cool and I am excited to see how it all comes together,” said Baligad.

by Andrew Fierro, Managing Editor

Today is not only the feast day of St. John Bosco, but also the birthday of Fr. Arthur Lenti, who was gentle, kind-hearted and a great role model to the school.

St. John Bosco was born on August 16, 1815, in Italy. He became a role model for young children and most importantly helped underprivileged children to reach their full potential. This was his moral mission from a young age, and he always looked out for children his entire life.

At the age of eleven, St. John Bosco had a dream that changed the course of his life and many others’. In this dream, he was in a field, with a lot of kids fighting, and he saw Mary, who taught him how he could win the children over and how to guide them. After that dream, he went on to help children and later start an oratory for the underprivileged children of the region.

St. John Bosco High School is of course modeled off of the views and methods of its namesake, St. John Bosco, and the teachers and faculty do everything they can to create the same environment for the students as St. John Bosco did for his children. St. John Bosco High School’s Fr. Ted Montemayor is well-versed on St. John Bosco’s life.

“I do think that St. John Bosco’s spirit is very alive here at Bosco. I think that a lot of teachers have seriously taken to heart the philosophy of St. John Bosco,” said Fr. Montemayor.

However, the value of St. John Bosco High School doesn’t end in the classrooms as the faculty and staff work outside of the classroom to make the students feel at home when they are at school. St. John Bosco felt that if people were treated with love and kindness, then they will feel at home and respected, that is something that Fr. Arthur Lenti exhibited every day to the people around him.

Fr. Lenti spent a large amount of time studying the life of St. John Bosco and trying to take the teachings of St. John Bosco and pass them on to the present-day population. Not only was he able to educate people on St. John Bosco’s teachings, but he also resembled Bosco in his character.

“He was a kind man, and he was a gentleman. When I was in his presence and after I walked away, I always felt very encouraged,” said Fr. Ted.

Fr. Lenti was very important at keeping St. John Bosco’s spirit alive, as well as the traditions and teachings of St. John Bosco. Though he was very kind and a gentleman, what many people did not know was how smart and educated he was. 

“He was quite a scholar. People didn’t realize he wrote some books and was very, very knowledgeable. He could speak four languages and he was a very well-rounded man,” said Fr. Ted.

Though Fr. Lenti was not working with young people at a large amount, he kept St. John Bosco alive through his studies. He authored a seven-volume life of St. John Bosco book series where he was able to take St. John Bosco as a human being rather than another saint in heaven. He was able to make St. John Bosco someone who was relatable, and because of this, inspired many people to carry on his teachings.

“I think for the whole world, not just us here in California, he has done a wonderful service of bringing St. John Bosco alive through the written word as someone that’s relatable,” said Fr. Ted.

Both Fr. Lenti and St. John Bosco will be celebrated and remembered for years to come as gentle and kind men who have inspired so many to help make everyone, no matter what their situation is, feel welcome and at home wherever they may be.

by Andrew Fierro, Managing Editor

As the new Omicron variant continues to spread rapidly across the nation, colleges across the state are beginning to return to online learning. However, St. John Bosco has taken preventive measures in order to stay in person as initially planned.

The first detected case of the variant in the United States occurred on December 1st in California. Since then, the variant has spread rapidly across the state and as well as the country. This variant has proven to be more contagious than the prior variants and has caused turmoil everywhere it has spread.

Since the first arrival of the variant, cases of COVID-19 have risen to record high numbers, with the average number of cases per week being more than double than that of a year prior, according to data released January 5th.

Though there has been an astronomical increase in the number of cases, the amount of hospitalizations are very low compared to the amount of contracted cases. The chances of someone being hospitalized due to the variant is only 2% with only a 5% chance of being admitted to the emergency room.

Even with this low hospitalization rate, this variant has caused a number of schools across the country to transition back to online learning for the time being. Though for Los Angeles United School District (LAUSD), the main priority is to make sure that this is not the case. Although many colleges and universities in the state have already made the announcement that they will be returning to online learning, K-12 schools in the LAUSD are doing everything possible to avoid this situation.

The LAUSD prepared in many different ways to remain on campus for the remainder of the school year to ready themselves for many possible scenarios that may affect the way schools conduct class. For example, the district has set up more than enough resources in the case of staff shortages in order to assure that the students continue to receive education while remaining on campus. 

In a similar situation, Bosco has also decided that the benefits of staying on campus are too high to return to online learning, if it can be avoided safely. Due to this, the school has been working to make sure that everything that is possible is done to keep the students safe and on campus.

To ensure that the students would be able to return to campus safely, the school conducted a mandatory COVID-19 test on Friday, January 7th for all students and faculty. In order to return to school, students and faculty must have tested negative no more than 72 hours before Monday, January 10th, the day school resumed. 

Following this test, Bosco will continue to administer weekly tests to all faculty and staff, as well as student athletes. Bosco’s Principal, Dr. Kris Anderson, was pleased to see that the number of students testing positive for COVID-19 was significantly lower than that of other schools in the area.

“We are at about 7%, tremendously lower than a lot of our public school counterparts are,” said Dr. Anderson.

This figure has a lot to do with how St. John Bosco will conduct on-campus learning and the safety measures that they have put in place. Dr. Anderson feels that this is very much to the credit of the students and families of the Bosco community.

“Our families are doing a really good job. If people weren’t taking it seriously, our number would have been a lot higher. I am really proud of our community for taking it seriously so that we were able to stay on campus,” said Dr. Anderson.

Being online is something that many students will remember as being a difficult adjustment, and it was not nearly as beneficial as being on campus. Many of Bosco’s teachers feel the same way, and Dr. Anderson wants all students to continue to learn on campus so that they can get the most out of their education.

“It wasn’t fun for any of us. Being a teacher in a classroom when you are trying to teach everyone, or when half of your class is at home, it’s even worse. Our goal set back in August was to have 180 days of instruction on campus, and to this point, everybody is holding up their end of the bargain,” said Dr. Anderson.

With all the steps that Bosco is taking and through the commitment of the community, the hope is that the remainder of the year will be able to be held entirely on campus. As both the students and the teachers are enjoying on-campus instruction, neither would be thrilled with a transition back to online learning.

by Jeremiah Davis

Last week, many teachers and students got into the Christmas spirit through the annual door decorating contest at St. John Bosco.

The competition, started by ASB and available to all who wanted to participate, gave each teacher a chance to truly show their creative side, while also having fun. Because this is a competition, the top three decorative doors were selected for the final round. Out of the three finalists, one door was selected as the winner. 

One finalist, Mrs. Becky Ellison, decorated her door in a very creative fashion, centered around Bosco and what it has to offer. In addition, she added something that was near and dear to her heart: her kids’ old toy named Freddie the Elf, which was used by her kids to spread Christmas cheer in and around their household.

“I wanted to base my door around Admissions, and I was able to do this using Bosco the Elf, whose real name is Freddie the Elf. It was a toy that my kids had previously owned when they were little, and it was used to spread Christmas cheer in our household. The elf takes a tour of every Pathway and sport on campus which is pretty neat,” said Mrs. Ellison.

Mrs. Ellison felt that the activity was a great experience and success, and she did not even spend much extra time decorating her door. Although only the Admissions team helped her this year, Mrs. Ellison will ask the Student Ambassadors to help her complete the door next year. 

Another finalist in the competition was Mr. Mario Cordero. The inspiration for his door was far different than that of Mrs. Ellison.

“Mr. Vigil was my inspiration for my door, and the students and I spent as much time as needed to make it as perfect as possible,” said Mr. Cordero 

Even though his door was not the winner, Mr. Cordero managed to have fun in the competition while also poking a little fun at Mr. Vince Vigil. Mr. Cordero credits his students for helping him with the door, but especially one who helped him the most, Jose Gaxiola. 

The overall winner of the competition was Ms. Kelly Blakeman, a math teacher. Her door integrated both the Christmas spirit and the overall dynamic of her class with a poster of the “Twelve Days of Calculus,” making a creative play on the traditional Christmas song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

Similar to in Mr. Cordero’s class, the students also played a big role in Mrs. Michelle Tracy’s participation in the competition.

“My freshmen class wanted to be a part of the competition, so I began to look up ideas online and I finally found one that piqued my interest,” said Mrs. Tracy. 

Mrs. Tracy selected an idea that involved her entire class. The door consists of Christmas-themed wallpaper surrounded by many small Santa Clauses. It also has both a naughty and nice list, which has the names of everybody in the class.

The collaboration between the whole Brave community, especially the students and teachers, with such a fun competition really got the Christmas season off to the right start. 

by Ethan Gibbs

Before Thanksgiving Break, St. John Bosco welcomed Father Nguyen Vien to campus to share valuable insight.

Father Vien has faced many challenges when trying to get young people involved in the faith. Due to new lifestyles and options, fewer and fewer young men are being involved with the faith and God.

The number of Priests and Brothers in the Church is decreasing. Since 2017, there has been a decline in the number of members of the Church. The Salesians of Don Bosco USA West have seen very few new vocations for many years now. 

Another issue that Father Vien has observed is social media. Although he believes that it can be beneficial and helpful, it can also be a distraction to life in front of you. 

“Social media is not bad until we get addicted to it, so we do not have time for God or even people who are just next to us, our friends, and family members,” said Father Vien. 

When one decides to become a priest or a brother, there are qualities that are sought after in recruiting to the vocation. Father Vien made sure vocation is a gift from God for the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Church. The qualities he looks for in someone generally consist of a good heart and the desire to serve others, a sense of prayer life, willingness to learn, adequate intellectual ability, and healthy relationships, including good friends.

The journey to becoming a priest or brother begins with a personal encounter with God’s love and an invitation to serve others in this unique way. The process could take anywhere from a few months to a few years. 

Before he became a priest, Father Vien observed the people already in the community in order to understand what it would truly be like. He feels that seeing the way people treat one another and the love and respect they have inspired him and he wanted to join them. 

“They always seemed happy and at peace. Also, I liked how they were always thinking for young people, especially the poor ones,” said Father Vien. 

Although Father Vien loves what he does there are difficulties and challenges he has to face. For Father Vien, the hardest challenge he has to overcome is when he has to listen to someone struggling and he can not help them. He has to trust in God to help them in the ways that he himself could not. He also learned how to have a balance between administration and his pastoral presence. 

“It is just so beautiful to see young people growing up, being successful, and becoming good people,” said Father Vien. 

Father Vien lives on campus in the south hall. He joins the Salesian community at the school every day for prayer, mass, and dinner. 

Father Vien’s favorite part about becoming a Father is celebrating Eucharist, and other sacraments, especially the sacrament of reconciliation, are his favorite. He experienced humility and love through these moments, and they helped him to understand that God alone can make miracles happen when people are most vulnerable. For Father Vien, those moments where God and humans are so close to one another are the most meaningful. 

Father Vien came to campus last week to inform students about the vocation of the religious life led by priests and brothers. Brother Kris who is also a teacher at Bosco knows very much about the background of Father Vien. Brother Kris feels as though Father Vien is a friendly and very open man. He spoke to the fact that he is down to earth and grounded. Father Vien is an extrovert, and he tends to be shy but once you get to know him he’s very open. Father Vien started his religious life in Vietnam and he became a Salesian in Vietnam. His family moved to the United States and he had his final vow here. 

People that inspired Father Vien are his mother who was always encouraging him to be a good Christian for himself and the people around him. Another person was his older friend who has been with him since he was in high school. His friend joined the Salesians of Don Bosco first and then introduced Father Vien to them later.