NDNU Today Spring 2013

www.ndnu.edu

NDNUspring 2013

The Magazine of noTre DaMe De naMur universiTy today

NDNU Alumnus and Clif Bar & Company CFO Rich Boragno’s Story

First Ph.D. in ART THERAPY

inside:FEATURE STORY

Saving Belle AirInnovative program saves a

San Bruno school

2 NDNU Today

W e’ve almost come to the end of another

academic year and, by any measure, it

has been an extraordinary one for NDNU, its

students and its alumni, and not just because

it was the year we passed the 2000 mark in

total enrollment. This issue of NDNU Today

documents a few of those accomplishments.

We’re still excited around here about our

first ever doctoral program, a Ph.D. in Art

Therapy. We noted at the time of the announcement that it was fitting that

Art Therapy should take the lead in offering a Ph.D. program because it is

already the largest and most highly-regarded graduate-level program in the

country and has produced many, if not most, of the art therapists in the Bay

Area. It took several years of hard work by Dr. Richard Carolan and Provost

Diana Demetrulias to secure approval by our accrediting body, the Western

Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), for the new program. They not

only had to win support for the program itself, but also had to prove to WASC

that NDNU was ready to offer a doctoral program.

Our School of Education and Leadership has long turned out the most

sought-after teachers in the area and now it is using its expertise to help save a

failing school in San Bruno Park School District. As a former dean of the School

of Education myself, I am especially proud of the program Dr. Robert Ferrera

and Dean Joanne Rossi have implemented at Belle Air Elementary School. It

may well serve as a model for other schools in the Bay Area.

And last, but certainly not least, we also celebrate the accomplishments

of two of our outstanding alumni — Rich Boragno MBA ’98, who has risen to

chief financial officer of Clif Bar, and Sarah Coyle ’98, ’10, who was named 2013

San Mateo County Teacher of the Year for Elementary School. Both of them

demonstrate the quality of leadership and caring that make NDNU grads stand

out.

We can only wonder what next year will bring!

President’s Message

Judith Maxwell Greig, Ph.D.President

www.ndnu.edu

ContentsCOVER PHOTO Rich Boragno ’98

NDNU TodayThe Magazine of Notre Dame de Namur University

Judith Maxwell Greig, Ph.D., President

EDITORIAL STAFF

Richard RossiEditor

Karen PlesurManaging Editor

Claire V. Karoly Ard ’10Assistant Editor

Manny Nungaray ’01, MBA ’05 Advancement Editor

ContributorsRobert Ferrera, Ph.D. Rachel Geibig ’14Neil Gonzales

PhotosNDNU Communications Office Archives

PrintingAlmaden Press

Special thanks to all those who contributed to this magazine

View NDNU Today online at www.ndnu.edu/magazine

Contact us: NDNU Communications Office

1500 Ralston Avenue, Belmont, CA [email protected](650) 508-3614

BookNook4 Good reads to share with you

Campus News5 The first Ph.D. in Art Therapy in the country

Faculty Forum6 Understanding the obstacles in our children’s educations

Feature Story8 A teaching program that is producing results

Alumni Profiles 13 Sarah Coyle ’98,’10 Rich Boragno MBA ’98

Alumni Events

16 Alumni opportunities that shouldn’t be missed

Class Notes18 The exciting lives of our alumni

City lights

Notre Dame de Namur University

2013 President’s Gala

4 NDNU Today

executives to a better understanding of the key role they play in defining the product portfolio and how to most effectively lead their program management office. For PMO professionals it provides insight to the pro-cess that drives all of their efforts.

The second part of the book, “Effective Product Life Cycle Process,” provides an overarching framework for effective phase exits, product launches and program team management accompanied by the detailed “how to” that enables program managers to bring products to market consistently.

The Movie Star’s Wife

Liz R. Newman ’05

Breathless Press

Juliet James, aka Julie Streets, is a former starlet married to one of the biggest ac-

tion stars in history. He’s handsome, sexy and her best friend. There’s only one thing keeping them from falling in love. Enter a world of glamour and riches where all of the indulgences of heaven are there for the taking, but the trappings of a marriage of convenience have made life a living hell. A chance meeting prompts Juliet to change her situation when she comes across a romantic interest from which she just can’t stay away.

Sing Anything: Mastering Vocal Styles

Gina Latimerlo ’98, ’11 and Lisa Popeil

University Press of America

Open your mind and your voice with this exciting new book. Begin by learning the foundations of vo-cal control: anatomy, breath control and resonator shaping. Then receive step-by-step instruction on how to create healthy, powerful and authentic sounds in pop, rock, R&B, country, classical, musical theater and jazz. Sing Anything also guides you through the history, phrasing, emotions and correct tone for each unique style.

Inner Voices

Elizabeth Peláez Norris ’67

Xlibris

Norris offers color, light and reflection in her very first published

collection of poetry. Mary Rudge, Poet Laureate of Alameda, said, “She holds for readers the prism reflecting devotion to her students, the forgotten, nature, heart and spirit, as well as the world family of her poetry, a true prism of intellectual and heartfelt creativity.”

The PMO Playbook: Effective Product Life Cycle Management

Leslie Magsalay ‘01

The PMO Practice

This unique “self paced” guide for executives and

program management professionals holds valuable information that contributes to improving definition and execution of the portfolio roadmap. The first part of the book, “Portfolio Execution,” guides

?A Call for Authors

Tell us about your recently published book by sending us the

title, the publisher and a short description of the book. Email to

[email protected].

Mary Evelyn Tucker and Fr. Gregory Boyle spoke at NDNU as part of the Sr. Dorothy Stang Center Speakers Series. Both have written excellent books in their area of expertise.

Journey of the Universe

Mary Evelyn Tucker and Brian Thomas Swimme

Yale University Press

In Journey of the Universe, the authors

tell the epic story of the universe from an inspired new perspective, weaving the findings of modern science together with enduring wisdom found in the humanistic traditions of the West, China, India and indigenous peoples. The authors explore cosmic evolution as a profoundly wondrous process based on creativity, connection and interdependence, and they envision an unprecedented opportunity for the world’s people to address the daunting ecological and social challenges of our times.

Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion

Fr. Gregory Boyle

Free Press

For 25 years, Fr. Greg Boyle has run Homeboy Industries, the most successful gang-intervention program in the country. These essays about universal kinship and redemption are moving examples of the power of unconditional love and the importance of fighting despair. From giant, tattooed Cesar, fresh out of prison, we learn how to feel worthy of God’s love. From ten-year-old Lula we learn the importance of being acknowledged. From Pedro we understand the kind of patience necessary to rescue someone from the darkness. Tattoos on the Heart reminds us that no life is less valuable than another.

BOO

K N

OO

K

www.ndnu.edu

NDNU to Offer Nation’s First

CAM

PUSN

EWS

In fall 2013, NDNU will become the first university in the nation to offer a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Art Therapy. This will be the school’s first doctoral program and will complement its art therapy master’s program, which is already recognized as one of the leading art therapy programs in the world. “Art therapy, as a discipline, has been practiced since the 1940s and has grown rapidly in recent years,” said Dr. Richard Carolan, chair of the NDNU Department of Art Therapy. “The need for a rigorous program designed to produce art therapists with a high level of skill in both research and clinical work has been clear for several years. As a recognized leader in the field of art therapy it was logical for NDNU to offer the first Ph.D. in this discipline.”

NDNU President Judith Maxwell Greig noted that art therapy is becoming a tremendous attribute of NDNU because it is so closely aligned with the school’s mission and Hallmarks. “As part of their internships, students in the NDNU art therapy program provide valuable support for dozens of local community social service and health agencies,” she said.

According to the Art Therapy Association (ATA), art therapy is a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance physical, mental and emotional well-being. Individuals of all ages and backgrounds, whether living with medical, educational or behavioral disorders, or suffering from trauma, can benefit from the insightfulness that art therapy has to offer.

Ph.D. in Art Therapy!

There are few similarities between a male soldier dealing with post-traumatic stress

disorder and a 12-year-old girl facing the difficulties of autism, and an elderly woman living with Alzheimer’s is hardly the same as a young boy who bullies his classmates. The situations that these people face are all different, but they each suffer a hardship that art therapy can somehow help to ease. As the art therapy field continues to grow, so does the need for experienced professionals.

Dr. Richard Carolan

6 NDNU Today

On almost a daily basis, newspapers and other media produce stories proclaiming the faults of the U.S.

educational system. Since the publication of A Nation at Risk 30 years ago, demands have come from the entire political spectrum to reform public education to make it more accountable. Two substantive results have oc-curred as a result of this clamor: namely, creation of state academic content standards and federal, state and local directives on assessment.

From the point-of-view of many of us in education, the development of academic content standards was a long-overdue positive force for improving education. The far-reaching goal is a curriculum for all students, as-suring that every child in America has an equal opportu-nity to learn what is considered to be important to their cognitive development. Some states, like California, have produced a series of laudably rigorous standards that all students are expected to achieve.

The emerging problems from this process, however, overshadowed the benefits that were expected to occur. Those problems included:

Vast differences among the states in terms of the rigor of the standards which resulted in states being unfairly compared with each other.

Pacing guides, developed with the good inten-tion of assuring that material was covered, ignored the fact that not all students learn at the same rate nor do they bring the same level of previous knowledge to the

classroom. An extraordinarily large number of standards

in California that has made it virtually impossible for teachers to address them all in an appropriate way. Re-search results have clearly indicated that students learn more when we teachers teach less. Some commentators have estimated that it would take a 10-hour teaching day to cover the material in the standards of many states, especially California. The Third International Math-ematics and Science Study (TIMSS) pointed out that while United States mathematics and science textbooks address over 100 percent more topics than those books in Germany and Japan, those students significantly outperform our students.

Similarly, the need for assessment is a vital part of any accountability system. Measurement of progress is accepted by most educators as an important part of their professional responsibilities. Measuring the attain-ment of state standards and reporting the results to the public, which pays the bill, is crucial in a democratic society.

However, assessment practices that have been legally required by most states have created more darkness than light for taxpayers because the data that is report-ed is flawed in the following ways:

The federal assessment standard is based only on reading and math.

Obstacles in education continueto hold us bac k

FAC

ULT

Y FO

RU

M

By reassessing our nation’s educational standards, public schools still have a chance to bring our students up to par

by Robert Ferrera, Ph.D. Professor, School of Education and Leadership

www.ndnu.edu

much hope that the future will be much brighter. At the risk of sounding very naïve, I would like to point out the following example of a ray of light:

A set of national Common Core Standards has been created by teachers, parents and community leaders. They clearly state student expectations at each grade level. This addresses the inequity that now exists among states.

The Common Core Standards are fewer in number and go into greater depth than present state standards. They focus on core conceptual understandings from K-12 and give teachers the time needed to teach and students time to learn. This addresses the desire that schools want to develop students who can think as well as recall.

The Common Core Standards require a different and more comprehensive assessment system than we cur-rently have. Students must demonstrate that they under-stand and can actually connect their learning to real life situations. Educators call this performance assessment and it is very costly because a machine can’t score these types of tests.

So even though there are many obstacles ahead, most of which are economic, I remain optomistic. I believe we will find a way to be held accountable in education in a way that will have positive results for our students, who really are what it’s all about.

Dr. Robert Ferrera

Practically all students are measured the same way. Students who have disabilities, unless they are extremely severe, and students who have not devel-oped grade-level proficiency in English are tested along with all other students and their results are used in the collection of data that is reported.

Most of the data comes from responses to multiple-choice questions, which limits the level of thinking one can measure. The results cannot give a true picture of the cognitive development of the students or their ability to do more than recall facts and complete simple tasks.

Draconian punishments are meted out to school districts and schools which do not achieve the prescribed results. They are labeled as failing schools and after five years are forced to take actions, such as closing school or converting to charter schools, that have not proven to be in the best interests of stu-dents or their families.

Unfortunately, many professionals in the field feel like pig farmers who, in their quest to fatten their stock, resort to continually weighing them instead of feeding them. Testing students will have little impact on achievement unless resources are provided to address the student needs revealed by the assess-ment.

As bleak as this picture might appear, I do have

8 NDNU Today

I n the spring of 2011 the parents, teachers and ad-

ministrators of Belle Air Elementary School and

the San Bruno Park School District found themselves

in a fairly desperate situation. Belle Air is located in

one of the poorer parts of San Bruno and about 90

percent of the student body is made up of what is

referred to as English language learners. That means

that English is not the primary language spoken at

home; for most of those children that is Spanish.

They would soon be entering their fifth year under the cloud of program

improvement under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. In short,

that meant they had to take drastic measures to improve their school’s perfor-

mance on state-administered standardized tests or run the risk of losing their

school. A committee of parents, teachers and administrators met to consider

their options, one of which was to close the school. Instead, they chose to

invite the NDNU School of Education and Leadership to come in and imple-

ment a program that would allow them to continue operating.

The plan designed by Dr. Robert Ferrera, head of the multiple subject

credential program, and Dean of the School of Education Joanne Rossi had a

number of major elements including providing consulting for the administra-

tors and teachers, placing a student teacher in every classroom

8 NDNU Today

FEA

TUR

ESTO

RY

Right: Student teacher Jillian Hansell ’13 works with third graders on vocabulary

Saving Belle Air How teachers, parents and NDNUturned around a failing school

www.ndnu.edu

“This whole environment is

incredibly positive for the teachers

and for the kids.”

Saving Belle Air How teachers, parents and NDNUturned around a failing school

10 NDNU Today

with professional supervisors for every

level, and providing after-school tutor-

ing. In addition a senior member of the

NDNU faculty, Prof. Ferrera, would

spend half his time on the Belle Air

campus.

Everyone involved expected that

with a lot of hard work, the program

might turn the school around in a couple

of years. They were wrong. It took just

one year. When the state released the

scores of the annual standardized tests,

Belle Air had raised its score by 50

points, one of the best performances of

any school in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The improvement was so great that the

school was granted “safe harbor,” mean-

ing that if it continued to show improve-

ment for one more year and met the state

standard, it would be out from under

the yoke of program improvement. In

addition to helping turn around a failing

school, the plan had some benefits for

NDNU.

“When district superintendent (Dr.

David Hutt) first approached me about

this project my ears perked up because

the dean and I for many years have been

talking about having a laboratory school,

where we would have a cadre of student

teachers in one location. Planning could

be more intense with master teachers

and the university supervisors could

have a bigger role to play in guiding the

development of the student teacher,” Dr.

Ferrera recalled. He added that this ar-

rangement with Belle Air is a huge boon

for NDNU’s student teachers because of

the extra time they get to plan and work

with master teachers and supervisors.

Fourth grade teacher Meghan Clark

agrees.

“I think they get a lot of good expe-

rience from being in our school. Back

when I was a student teacher, I didn’t

see this level of collaboration and focus

with English language learners that I

think they’re getting to see,” she said.

She noted that having a student teacher

allows her to provide more differentiated

instruction to her 30 students. She and

her student teacher are able to break the

class into small groups for both English

language and math. That, and the after-

school tutoring, are some of the biggest

advantages of the program.

Student-teacher Josh Wellman,

whose girlfriend — an NDNU credential

graduate and master’s student got him

interested in teaching, — is assigned to

a second grade class this semester after

having worked in a fifth grade class last

semester. He found the move from fifth

grade, where he was very comfortable,

to second grade very challenging both

because he had to adjust to a differ-

ent teacher with a different style and

because learning how to relate to smaller

kids took him out of his comfort zone.

“The things I used to do with the fifth

graders don’t work with the second

graders,” he said.

“This whole environment is incred-

ibly positive for the teachers and for the

kids,” he said. “We are planning and

coordinating schedules and aligning ev-

erything so the grades really work well

together.”

So far, it’s all worked and NDNU and

the school district are in the process of

negotiating an extension of the contract.

“Now I’m doing what I really love...” Student Teacher Kelsey Baxter ’12 working on vocabulary with fifth graders, just one year after starring for the women’s soccer team.

www.ndnu.edu

M aria Majka knows exactly what

kind of teacher she’s getting when

that person has a credential from Notre

Dame de Namur University.

“Well-prepared, high quality and

ready to go,” said Majka, principal at

Baywood Elementary School in San Ma-

teo, California. Indeed, several teachers

at the schools where she has served as

principal the past few years had earned

their credentials at NDNU.

“Even my own daughter went

through the NDNU program,” Majka

said. “She’s a teacher at a private school

on the San Francisco Peninsula.”

NDNU’s teacher-credentialing and

master’s programs have built a well-

justified reputation for developing high-

caliber educators, many of whom cur-

rently work in public and private schools

throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

NDNU’s programs combine first-rate in-

struction with mentoring and field work

to turn out quality teachers, specialists

and administrators.

Much of the programs’ success also

comes from NDNU’s partnership with a

number of schools and school districts

to train the university’s student teach-

ers, such as the novel collaboration with

Belle Air Elementary in San Bruno.

Moreover, the programs address

the latest education

policies in the country

such as the Common

Core State Standards

and place high im-

portance on exposing

student teachers to

multicultural and

nontraditional school

settings, which reflect

California’s increas-

ingly diverse youth

population.

“Principals tell

us our students are much more highly

trained (than those from other pro-

grams), so they don’t have to do a lot of

orientation with them,” said Joanne Ros-

si, dean of NDNU’s School of Education

and Leadership. “Quite a few times, our

student teachers get hired at the school

(where they did classroom training).”

Those with undergraduate degrees

can apply for the multiple subject pro-

gram if they want to teach elementary

school or the single subject credential to

work in a high school.

NDNU’s Wide Influence on Bay Area Education

Left: Student-teacher, Josh Wellman ’13, teaching language arts to his second graders.Above: Lisa Gemma and her third graders at Belle Air.

by Neil Gonzales

12 NDNU Today

NDNU also offers an education spe-

cialist credential for those who want to

teach special-needs students and admin-

istrative services credentials for those

seeking to be an administrator such as a

coordinator, principal or superintendent.

The graduate programs offer master’s

degrees in education, special education

and school administration.

In all these programs, student teach-

ers find exceptional professors, small

class sizes, personalized attention and

other support, university leaders said.

“Our faculty is stellar and highly

qualified,” Rossi said. “All have been out

in the schools, which brings more rich-

ness to the courses.”

The programs also make sure their

student teachers are up on the most

recent changes in the educational

landscape. For example, a top concern

among public schools today is phasing

in the Common Core State Standards, a

national curriculum in English-language

arts and math for kindergarten to 12th

grade that California adopted in 2010.

The single subject program has simi-

larly tackled the new standards. “We

have had several meetings in the Educa-

tion Department to study the Common

Core Standards,” said

Lu Chang, director

of the single subject

program. “We have

revised most of the

evaluation forms we

use now to incorpo-

rate the standards.”

That, says teach-

er-education expert

Margaret Gaston, is

a mark of a good cre-

dentialing program.

A solid program

also provides “a real

depth of understand-

ing on how to reach

a very diverse student population,” said

Gaston, former president of the Center

for the Future of Teaching and Learning

in Sacramento.

In addition, such a program is able

to build teacher-development systems

in cooperation “with schools and school

districts to ensure novices have the sup-

port to thrive,” she said.

What has become a hallmark of

NDNU’s programs is that kind of

relationship with other educational

organizations across the Bay Area. That

collaboration gives student teachers the

opportunity to apply what they’re learn-

ing at the university to actual working

classrooms.

“We have more than 30 school

districts in San Mateo, Santa Clara and

Alameda counties that take our student

teachers and would-be administrators,”

Rossi said.

Student teachers need to do two

semesters of field work — one more than

what many other programs require, she

said.

NDNU’s programs also emphasize

giving student teachers experience

at multicultural or underperforming

schools because in California “they

are more likely to be in classrooms of

diversity when they get a full-time job,”

she said.

In this arrangement with other

schools, a student teacher teams up with

an experienced educator in the latter’s

classroom. The student teacher first

observes how the instruction is carried

out in that class before becoming more

involved in the planning and execution

of lessons.

“By the end of a semester, the student

teacher does solo planning and teach-

ing for a week or sometimes more,” said

Majka, who has worked with NDNU’s

aspiring educators for several years now.

“But they still have the support of the

master teacher. An advisor from NDNU

also comes regularly.”

Both student teachers and the host

school benefit from the partnership, Ma-

jka said. “We get student teachers com-

ing with the newest strategies” while

they receive the expertise of veteran

educators, she said. “I always look at it as

a good blending of new techniques with

tried and true experiences.”

Having a student teacher also helps

raise student achievement at the school

because there is one more adult looking

after the children in the class.

That benefit is particularly pro-

nounced at Belle Air Elementary, where

there is a student teacher in every

classroom.

www.ndnu.edu

A Conversation with Sarah Coyle ’98 MA’10

While she insists that she deserves no more praise than any other teacher,

it’s obvious that Sarah Coyle is someone special. The Roosevelt Elementary School (Redwood City, CA) teacher was named 2013 San Mateo County Teacher of the Year for Elementary School, and recognized for her enthusiasm, creativity and her amazing ability to build up the confidence of her students, as well as their academic performance. Sarah sat down with NDNU Today and gave us a lesson in what makes a Teacher of the Year.

Q: Why did you become a teacher?A: My friends were going back to school

to get their master’s degrees, so I said to them, “Why don’t I take care of your kids?” I had so much fun doing day care; it was like having a big family. One morning my son

came to me and told me he didn’t want to share his toys with the other kids, and

that he thought I should be a “day care teacher.” I’ve been teaching

since 1999.

Q: What do you love about teaching?

A: I teach sixth grade. I tried kindergarten but I can’t sing little kid songs. I love beingwith young adults all day. They’re honest. Their emotion, how they

feel, it’s raw. They don’t have the brick

walls up like adults do.

Q: Why are you successful as a teacher?A: I think about what I want my own kids

to experience. Do I want them to be bored stiff or do I want them to be laughing?

I truly believe every child can do; you just have to figure out a way in.

Even though I was named “Teacher of the Year,” I don’t want to be labeled. We all work our butts off because we love the children.

Q: What role has NDNU played in the way you teach?

A: When I was working on my credential I had educational psychology with Anabel Jensen, and she made it very clear that every child is different. Even though there are standardized tests, you have to teach each child differently. That has been a constant in my classroom.

Q: What else is in store for you?A: I got my master’s in creative writing

from NDNU in 2010, and for my final project I worked on this novel that I’ve had in my mind forever. The novel focuses on a family — mom, dad and son. The mother has a personality disorder; she’s an artist and a phenomenal woman. When she’s on her medication she can’t do anything but when she’s off it then she’s a dynamo. I’m going to look for a publisher. It’s time.

Q: Has anything changed since you were named Teacher of the Year?

A: Not really. There have been a lot of people calling to congratulate me, of course. But I don’t walk around wearing a crown or a sash. Although … I really wanted a crown.A

Q ALUM

NISTO

RY

14 NDNU Today

...from Ski Bum to CFO

Before Rich Boragno decided to get his MBA at

NDNU (then College of Notre Dame), he ex-

pected to learn things that would be useful to him

in his business life. He didn’t expect that one class

would change the focus of his career and that anoth-

er would prove to be a dry run for a real life assign-

ment that would ultimately define his career.

Back up a few years. Boragno had been working

as a stock broker since graduating from Cal Poly, San

Luis Obispo in 1994. While stock broker sounds like

a glamorous calling, it really means you’re a salesman

and most of the calls you make are of the cold variety,

picking up the phone and trying to sell securities to

someone to whom you’ve never spoken before.

“After a few years I figured cold calling wasn’t my

forte so I decided to become a ski bum for a winter,”

he says with a chuckle, recalling the short break he

took at Mammoth Mountain while he figured out

what he wanted to do with his life. “I decided I still

wanted to be in investments but more in portfolio

management.” That led to several years working as

a portfolio analyst at Wells Fargo and a smaller firm

in Palo Alto. That experience convinced him that he

needed to get his MBA.

“It was either MBA or CFA and I thought getting

an MBA would just open up more doors in case I

ever wanted to get out of investments. So I went to

NDNU — College of Notre Dame at the time — and

it was a great program for people who were profes-

sionals working 60 hours a week and going right to

class after work. It was a pretty intensive two and a

half years of my life,” he recalls.

During the course of his studies, Boragno took a

corporate finance class taught by Clifford Wallace,

a Silicon Valley banker, which probably changed the

course of his business life.

“His class was great; he broke down the balance

Coming in from

the Cold

Clif Bar sponsors many sporting events and the most successful woman’s mountain bike team in the world, aptly named, The Luna Chix.

www.ndnu.edu

sheet and the cash flows made it really tangible from

a financial perspective,” Boragno recalls. “So after that

I was thinking, ‘well you know I want to work with

something tangible, a product,’ and I made the switch

to corporate finance.”

When he graduated, a close friend, Myles Mc-

Cormick ’98, another NDNU MBA alumnus, helped

find him a job as a financial analyst “so I could learn

the ropes.” He learned them well enough to be able to

make a leap a couple of years later to a small, relatively

young company that was making a name for itself by

selling a quality product and doing things differently,

Clif Bar & Company. Founded in 1992, the company

makes the CLIF Bar and other nutritious and organic

foods, popular with cyclists, climbers and other active

people. The company needed someone to create a new

finance group, a very significant responsibility, which

appealed to him. But it was the company’s business

model, built on what it calls the Five Aspirations —

Sustaining our Business, our Brands, our People, our Commu-

nity and our Planet — that really attracted Boragno.

“At the time we only had an accounting group but

there wasn’t any financial analysis or planning or bud-

geting or reporting. That was something the company

needed to help drive decision making,” he says. “So,

one, I could build the finance group from the ground

up and have a lot of exposure and, two, I was an avid

skier at the time and an aspiring cyclist and just really

wanted to get behind the product I was working for.”

He didn’t know it at the time but there was an-

other lesson he’d learned while at NDNU — in his

capstone course, where he created a business plan for

a winery startup — that would prove even more valu-

able than the corporate finance course. “I just remem-

ber it was very intensive. I wished I had more time to

do it because it was really fun. I was envious of some

of the other students who didn’t have full-time jobs.

It really taught you to get your hands dirty, to get into

the numbers and translate the reality of the business

plan to the finance plan, bring it all together and pres-

ent it in a package,” he says.

That experience gave him most of the tools he

would need to help save his company, just two years

later. “That business class was in 1998 and then in

2000 there was one day when the CEO brought me

in and said, ‘I’ve got two bombs to drop on you.

One, the company is being sold and two, your boss

is no longer here. I need you to help me sell the

company.’”

He credits the skills he acquired in that cap-

stone project for seeing him through what proved

to be a very demanding time. “It was great training

because I’ve had to do that at Clif many times. The

training from the capstone course helped me trans-

late a financial plan to strategic buyers and numer-

ous bankers over the years.”

“It was one of those (situations) where you’re

anxious, and excited, but you’re also a little fearful.

But I saw it as an opportunity for me to do some-

thing (important) so I said I’m just going to do it.”

Ultimately the owners decided not to sell and

Clif Bar not only remained independent, but also

became one of the fastest growing companies in

the area with a compound annual growth rate of 17

percent. Boragno is proud of the company’s growth

and what he’s done to contribute to it, primarily

the team he’s built and his 2007 promotion to chief

financial officer (CFO).

“It’s been great. I feel like I’m a homegrown

leader at Clif and I mesh well with people who are

coming in from the Quaker’s of the world and the

Pepsi’s and Diageo’s.”

Another source of great satisfaction is the role

he played in creating the company’s employee

stock ownership plan. “Other than all the debt

recapitalizations which have been great to keep

the company private – is the ESOP we installed in

2010. Installing an ESOP is a very complex transac-

tion. It’s an emotional transaction for the share-

holders and the people who are receiving the ESOP

benefit.”

“I’ve been very lucky,” says Boragno, who lives

in Castro Valley with his wife Manette and two

children. “Opportunities have come along at just

the right time in my life.” And he was well pre-

pared for them!

16 NDNU Today

Save the DateSa Julie Pilgrimage: Celebrating the Heritage of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur

June 17–28, 2013

France and Belgium

Come join us on a journey through northern France and Belgium, tracing the history of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Atten-tion will be given to the places important in the life of St. Julie Billiart, Foundress of the Congregation, and to some of the historical events in our history. We will go to Namur where the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Notre Dame will welcome us, celebrate Mass with us and share the excitement of the new Heritage Center completed recently and containing the names of every woman who ever entered the Congregation.

For more information, please download packet.

Shakespeare Festival

August 6–9, 2012

Ashland, OR

‘Tis time to plan our next trip to Shakespeare Country. You and your friends are invited to join us for our 12th year enjoying the wonders of Shakespeare in Ashland, Oregon. We will be staying at the Windsor Inn with its outdoor pool and spa and gather at our favorite

EVENTSTRAVELUPCOMINGAlumni

16 NDNU Today

October 11-13, 2013Get involved with planning your reunion. Email your interest to [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you!

Alumni Reunion & Family Weekend

Save

th

e D

ate

Julie Pilgrimage: Celebrating the Heritage of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur

June 17-28, 2013

France and Belgium

Come join us on a journey through northern France and Belgium, tracing the history of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. We will go to Namur where the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Notre Dame will welcome us.

Shakespeare Festival

August 6-9, 2013

Ashland, OR

You and your friends are invited to join us for our 12th year enjoying the wonders of Shakespeare in Ashland, Oregon. We will be staying at the Windsor Inn with its outdoor pool and spa and gather at our favorite Alex's Restaurant for a welcome dinner before the performance of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The next evening, we will see "Cymbe-line," and on Friday afternoon, "King Lear." Dr. Vince Fitzgerald will host seminars to prepare us for the plays.

For more information on all alumni events: www.ndnu.edu/alumni

Celebrat ing Luminarie s Who Light the WayALU

MN

IEV

ENTS

Marie A. BattonPresident’s Legacy Award

Recognizes individuals who understand the critical importance of providing educational access and academic excellence for all our youth and who have, through their actions and selfless giving, ensured that current and future generations of students have access to a quality education.

Hon. Rosanne Foust ’02 Alumna of Distinction Award

Recognizes an alumnus who has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in his or her personal and professional pursuits and represents the core values of an NDNU education – leadership in service, a deep respect for the individual, and promoting social justice.

Hon. Mike Nevin Community Spirit Award (posthumous)

Recognizes an individual who shares NDNU’s commitment to promoting the values of social justice through community engagement. The award publically recog-nizes citizens who “live” these values, and have selflessly given their time, energy and resources to improve the quality of life for others.

www.ndnu.edu

City lights

Notre Dame de Namur University

2013 President’s Gala

May 10, 2013 Marie A. Batton President’s Legacy Award

Council Member Rosanne Foust ’02 NDNU Alumna of Distinction Award

Honorable Mike Nevin Community Spirit Award (posthumous)

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.ndnu.edu/gala

For details on sponsorship opportunities, please call (650) 508-3484

Celebrat ing Luminarie s Who Light the WayBenefitting the NDNU Fund

18 NDNU Today

CLASSNOTESNDNU Alumni

1960sKathleen Mirante ’62

When Kathleen was 10 years old she read about women doc-tors and knew that was what she wanted to be. Her mother took her to the library to find out how a girl could become a doctor. Kathleen realized she would need to study hard and get good grades. She was valedictorian of Blanchet High in Seattle, which brought her to the attention of College of Notre Dame, where she was offered a full scholarship. At that time, in the United States, medical schools only admitted two women in each entering class. So, Kathleen applied and was admitted to the Women’s Medical College in Philadelphia, founded in 1850 by Dr. Eliza-beth Blackwell for the purpose of educating women in medi-cine. This college is now called Drexel University. Kathleen graduated from medical school in 1971 and was a cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente in Fon-tana, CA for 29 years, retiring in 2005. She now splits her time between Southern California and Seattle and enjoys travel-ing, gardening and keeping up with life-long friends. Kathleen is especially grateful to Sister Catherine Julie, Sister Kathleen Murray, Sister Gerard Marie and Sister Anna Voss for seeing her potential and helping her achieve her dream.

Dr. Anna Harriette (Wollard) Sever ’62 Anna still has her cap and gown from when she graduated in 1962; some things must be kept! Marianne is enjoying her

Aimese Hurley ’01Aimese is teaching kindergar-ten at Tripoli World Academy in Tripoli, Libya. Her mother, Linda Rocha, wanted Aimese’s classmates to know about her adventures.

Francesca Camus ’05Francesca spent the last three and a half years performing in Las Vegas as a strolling opera singer at the Venetian and Pala-zzo Hotel and Casino. She also performed with various blues and jazz bands at Mandalay Bay, Mandarin Oriental and Planet Hollywood. Francesca is cur-rently performing for a six-star luxury cruise line, Silver Sea, on their largest ship in the fleet of six, the Silver Spirit. She is one of six singers performing an opera show, a motown show, an ABBA show and LEGENDS Impersonators show, as well as her solo cabaret with a wide range of songs from opera to jazz to pop music. The Silver Spirit has taken Francesca all over the Mediterranean, the coast of Africa, the Bahamas, and soon Central America and the Polynesian Islands.

Connor Michael Barr ’08Since graduating, Connor has been working at Mazda Race-way Laguna Seca, which is one of the top 10 racetracks in the world. Several renowned mo-torsport events take place there every year, including MotoGP, World Superbike and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, the largest historic race of its kind in the United States. Con-nor began his career at Laguna Seca in 2007 as a marketing intern and was promoted to marketing assistant right before

graduation. He is now the business development man-ager, overseeing all corporate development including sales, partners, sponsors, new media marketing initiatives, social media and the website.

2010sJesse Wilkerson ’10

Jesse is enjoying his work for Genentech in Hillsboro, OR. He recently returned to campus to attend an alumni vs. student lacrosse game and stopped by to visit Dr. McAlexander. He told her that he is now doing some of the same experiments and routines for Genentech that he did in the NDNU lab. He enjoyed reminiscing with her.

Scott Sweetnam ’12 Before Scott graduated, he heard there might be a few positions opening up at NDNU. Following graduation he left for Europe and upon his return he set up an interview with the Business Office. After anxiously awaiting the call, he received an offer on Thursday, July 26 and started the following Monday, July 30. It was a very fast jump into the full-time position, and he was “speed-trained” in the Business Office procedures as everyone moved in three weeks later. He now holds the position of staff accountant and is quite comfortable now, but still learn-ing new things every day.

family including one grand-daughter who just received her first communion and another who is in college and has a class in surfing. “Did we ever have a class like that?” says Marianne, who remembers 18 units of work!

1990sKristen Jensen-McNamara ’99 Kristen attended UCLA and San Francisco State before attending NDNU but had not completed her degree. She attended NDNU (then College of Notre Dame) at night while working at Oracle during the day. After graduating she worked in several indus-tries — all in high-tech. After eight years in high-tech, she decided to go back to a career she had in her twenties. She is now branch manager at United American Bank in San Mateo, CA. Working for a community-based bank allows her to im-merse herself in the thriving Bay Area community while deliver-ing a personalized, customer-fo-cused experience for each client. Kristen noted, “My education at NDNU was by far the most rewarding and applicable to my work. The business curriculum at NDNU continues to enable me to effectively communicate with my clients and to make well-informed business decisions every day.”

2000sCatherine Burkett ’00 and Matt Bocchino ’02

Catherine and Matt were mar-ried in 2008. They have two daughters.

Stay in touch! We would love to hear what is new with you! Please send us an email at [email protected] or call us at (650) 508-3501 and let us know what you have been doing since you left campus.

18 NDNU Today

In Memorium

Alumni

Phyllis Ann Outzen ’04

www.ndnu.edu

Evelia Chacon ‘08 and Shaun Ferreira ‘09, married on August 11, 2012 in

the NDNU Cunningham Chapel.

Claire V. Karoly Ard ’10 Claire married Criss Ard on October 20, 2012 at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. They met during the summer of 2009 at Mariners Point Golf Course in Foster City, CA, where Criss plays golf and Claire occasionally sings karaoke on Friday nights. They have Kate Smith MAE ’09 to thank for introducing them! Kate and Laura Woodruff ’12 were a part of Claire’s wedding party. Claire continues to work at NDNU in the Communications Office and sings with a local band, the JackAces. facebook.com/JackAces

Jenni Harmon ‘08 married Gabe Cienfuegos on September 15, 2012.

CLASSNOTESNDNU Alumni

Marriages and Unions

• New marriages/unions/engagements?• New jobs/promotions?• New additions to your family?

Email [email protected].

Jessica Bull ’07 Jessica recently became engaged to Shaun Hansen. They have two sons, three-year-old Kaden and five-month-old Parker.

Lauren Tannous ’10 Lauren became engaged to her fiancé Jon Weisgerber on July 5, 2012. He proposed to her in the lobby of the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco after seeing a production

Engagements

of their favorite musical, American Idiot. Their wedding will be October 13, 2013 in San Francisco. Lauren currently works at Mills High School as the drama director in the fall and technical director in the spring, as well as an instructional aide in the special education department. She also works as the resident lighting designer for Young People’s Teen Musical Theatre Company in San Francisco. Lauren and Jon currently reside in San Bruno, but plan to move after their wedding.

Kendall Bruce ’12 Kendall is engaged to William Robowski and they are planning a wedding in July 2013. She is a very busy new grad! She is currently teaching math, science and life skills at Fusion Academy in Los Gatos, CA. Her classroom setting is very unique with a 1-to-1 ratio and she is able to make the curriculum specific to each individual student. Kendall is also attending Santa Clara University, working on her Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Education with a focus on curriculum development as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching and a multiple subject credential.

www.ndnu.edu

• Receiving duplicate

mailings?

• Need to change your

mailing address?

• No longer wish to

receive a print copy?

Email [email protected]

Office of University AdvancementNotre Dame de Namur University1500 Ralston AvenueBelmont, CA 94002-1908(650) [email protected]/giving

Help others enjoy the advantages of an NDNU education.

You can shape the future of current and future NDNU students with your support. Your gift helps the university’s mission and funds scholarships, academics, athleticsand many other unrestricted projects in greatest need of support.

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20 NDNU Today

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NDNU Yesterday

A beautiful day to gather in the Quad. Anyone remember this or recognize a classmate? Let us know what you know at [email protected].

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