MILITARY
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Santiago C. Fierro, son of Wendy E.
Fierro of Morgan Hill and Cruz J. Fierro of Los Banos, recently
made a port visit to Jebe Ali, United Arab Emirates, while assigned
to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit based in Camp Lejeune,
N.C.
MILITARY
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Santiago C. Fierro, son of Wendy E. Fierro of Morgan Hill and Cruz J. Fierro of Los Banos, recently made a port visit to Jebe Ali, United Arab Emirates, while assigned to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit based in Camp Lejeune, N.C. The unit is currently aboard the USS Iwo Jima.
Fierro’s unit used the visit to perform maintenance on vehicles and equipment. The Sailors and marines also had the opportunity to shop, sightsee and enjoy the local culture and cuisine.
ACADEMICS
Caroline “Callie” Siverson, graduate of Gilroy High School in 1999, graduated in May with honors from the University of Southern California, majoring in music.
She has been awarded a full-tuition scholarship by Rice University in Houston to pursue a graduate degree in her special field of french horn performance. Prior to enrolling in the fall, she will be playing professionally with the Monterey Symphony Orchestra in Mexico.
Siverson is the daughter of Erick and Nancy Siverson of Gilroy. They, along with Callie’s brother, Rolf, have been active in school and community music activities in the South County area. Siverson and her brother sang in Phil Robb’s Chamber Singers and Fortino’s band. They were active in choir and with the Gather Musicians, an instrumental group at Advent Lutheran Church and the Wind Symphony in Morgan Hill. They both played in the San Jose Youth Symphony for several years.
Siverson’s senior recital, required as a part of the bachelor’s degree program at USC, was presented this spring in Newman Hall. It consisted of a variety of classical numbers including the Concert in Bb major by Reinhold Gilere composed for French horn and generally regarded as one of the most beautiful and most challenging for French horn soloists to perform.
At the conclusion of her hour-long recital, Siverson surprised her audience by announcing that some mystery guests would join her on the stage for a brief jam session. She introduced Rolf, a student at Pacific University, who came up with a tuba; her father, Erik, who came up with a cornet and a bass saxophone; and John Bensen, a pianist and friend of her father’s going back to days at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill. The foursome played jazz, dixieland and swing numbers for the audience.
After the recital, Siverson’s mentor, Vince DeRosa, was all smiles and commented, “In my 30-plus years of teaching, most all of my students would worry and fret as they prepared for their senior recitals. Not Callie. Every time she came for a lesson, she was so enthused about her program and would say, ‘It’s going to be so much fun, I can’t wait.’And it was fun both for her and her audience. Her recital was beautifully played.”
Boston University awarded academic degrees to 5,352 students this spring.
Among the graduates was Gilroy resident Staci L. Watson, who received a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Boston University is the fourth-largest independent university in the United States, with an enrollment of more than 29,000 students in its 17 schools and college. The university offers an exceptional grounding in the liberal arts, a broad range of programs in the arts, sciences, engineering and professional areas and state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and research.
Kate Haberland, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dana F. Haberland of Morgan Hill, was among 239 seniors at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Conn., to graduate at the school’s 113th Commencement on June 1.
Haberland will be attending Wellesly College in the fall.
Barbara Ann Cathcart from Morgan Hill was one of the 417 students who took part in Bryn Mawr College’s 118th commencement exercises May 18.
Barbara, daughter of Hiltrud and Van Cathcart, was awarded a bachelor of arts degree Mana Cum Laude in with honors in philosophy.
Gilbert Grio, son of Joe Grio of the Philippines and Thelma Grio of Gilroy, California, received a doctor of dental surgery degree from University of the Pacific School of Dentistry during commencement exercises June 15. The graduation ceremony was held at the Nob Hill Masonic Center in San Francisco.
Grio attended Central Philippine University and graduated from San Jose State University with a bachelor’s degree in international business. He plans work as an associate for a private dental practice.
Christine Tognetti, of Gilroy has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from California State University, Chico, where she was on the dean’s list. While studying in Chico, Tognetti was a reporter for the no. 1 college newspaper in the country, The Orion, and also interned with the NBC affiliate KNVN24. After graduation May 25, Tognetti joined the Larose Group, LLC, a public relations firm in San Mateo and also reports part time for the Gilroy Dispatch.
Cal Poly named its President’s Honor List recipients. Local students honored are:
MORGAN HILL
Taline Ayanyan, sophomore economics major.
Mariam Angel Jabr, junior theater arts major.
Heather Michelle Wilson, sophomore animal science major.
GILROY
Sarah Jeanne Bryson, junior art and design major.
Kevin Lewis McCandless, junior mathematics major.
Maggie Minderler and Valerie Huang of Gilroy High School in Gilroy will take part in the National Teen Leadership Program at Menlo College in Atherton today through Sunday.
The program is a three-day leadership training session where students experience a high-energy, exciting weekend designed to give vision, hope, guidance and a focus for the future. NTLP is committed to provide students with the knowledge, incentive and vision to become the leaders of tomorrow.
