BC Alumni Newsletter

November 2023
 Eagle Spotlight
Laura (Caccavone) Rico ‘02
Burke Catholic Guidance Dept.
Girls Tennis Coach

One of my favorite high school memories was being

on the Varsity Tennis Team. It was a great experience
and how I met my very best friend Kristen Smith
(Barone) who also graduated with me in 2002 (see pic-
ture). When the opportunity to Coach tennis was pre-
sented to me I was really excited. Burke had not had a girls team in several ,

years. What made it even better was coaching with my colleague and friend
Katie Conroy (another Burke alum!). Together, we built an awesome tennis pro-
gram and had a great season. Our first day of practice we had only 4
girls registered and on our last day we had a team with a full roster of 10! (See the
pictures below to see how it started vs. how it ended). Overall, it was a great
first season and we had truly exceptional girls on our team. I am really looking
forward to coaching the team again next year and we are hoping to continue to
grow the team every year.
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Eagles Spotlight
Kathleen Conroy ‘12
Burke Catholic Guidance Dept.
Girls Tennis Coach

It is amazing to say that I am a School Counselor and coach

at Burke Catholic! I love coaching the Varsity Girls Tennis
team and helping students as a School Counselor. I also have
the privilege of working and coaching with fellow BC gradu-
ate Laura Ricco.

In 2012, I finished my studies at BC. While there, I was on the

tennis team and involved in the Yearbook and the Spanish Club. These activities shaped my
love for sports and community. After BC, I went to Mount Saint Mary College for Human
Services and Long Island University for my Master's in School Counseling. College life was-
n't just about studying for me—I kept playing tennis. I played in college and became an as-
sistant coach at the Mount for three years.

But it was the caring environment at BC that led me to school counseling. Mrs. Albarino, a
Guidance Counselor during my time at BC, was the kindest, warmest, and most under-
standing person, and she always provided an inviting and positive space when you needed
it. She positively influenced my high school experience, and I wanted to be that person for
future students. Mrs. Albarino is also why I even knew to apply for a school counseling job
at BC. She messaged me as soon as she heard there would be an opening and told me to
send my resume in. This is now my fifth year as a school counselor at BC.

Working and coaching at BC is ful-

filling. Coaching the tennis team is es-
pecially rewarding. Most of the girls on
our team had never even picked up a
racket before, and that was how I start-
ed playing tennis; in my freshman year
at BC, it has been a full circle moment
to teach them how to play tennis.

This isn't just a job; it's like coming

home.
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Eagle Spotlight
Matthew Cushing ‘17
BC Football Coaching Staff

My favorite classes at Burke had to be history with Mr.

McGinnis and religion with Mr. Kelly. And, of course,
every class I had with my good friends, who I still talk
to and hang out with. I played football, both winter
and spring track, and was part of NHS and student
government.

After Burke, I followed my brother, Stephen, to Misericordia University. At Mis-

ericordia, I played football for 4 years and coached for 1. After those 5 years, I
came back home. I currently bartend and manage XXXXX in Warwick.

Coach Hasbrouck always said he’d have a spot open for me to coach, so I decided
to go back and coach football and winter/spring track. Being a part of the Burke
family has always been a huge part of my life, and now coaching with people like
Timmy Pezzulo, Coach Pezzulo, Coach Frey, Coach Grasso, and, of course, Coach
Hasbrouck is a fantastic experience.
But I’d have to say the best part of my time at Burke was playing with my older
brother, Stephen ‘ 15, and the best part of coaching has been coaching my younger
brother Kevin ’25. Burke is truly a place for family.
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Eagles Spotlight
Sara (Rickard) Fandl ‘01
BC Director of Student Activities
Girls Varsity Soccer Coach
I have so many memories of my years at BC. Some of my favorite memories are
playing soccer (for Mr. Turner), basketball practice on Saturday mornings at
8am after eating 20 donuts supplied by Coach Douthit, and running track in
the spring but trying to time "getting my water off of the bus" coincidently
with the 400m race. In my senior year, my little sister had the privilege of play-
ing on the varsity soccer team with me. Winning a Section Championship with us on the same field was in-
credible. We had five sets of siblings playing together on that team, which has to be some sort of record. Also,
I didn't think it would be a fun memory when I was in school, but now I wish it were still the norm: having
ONE PAY PHONE to connect with the outside world. No cell phones or social media, just 1-800- COLLECT
(WITH MY PARENTS NEVER ACCEPTING ANY OF MY CALLS).

Playing Division I soccer was my main goal for as long as I can remember. Our Burke community of coaches,
administrators, teachers, and counselors did nothing but support and fuel that dream of mine. They gave me
all the tools I needed to succeed at the next level. I received a full athletic scholarship to play soccer at DI Uni-
versity at Albany.

I am married to my favorite Burke alum - Chris Fandl (00'), and we have three
boys, Brady (16), Kellan (13), and Tanner (10). Kellan just started 8th Grade here at
the BCA and couldn't be happier. I have had the privilege of coaching the girls' var-
sity soccer team for 13 years. It has been so rewarding seeing these outstanding stu-
dent-athletes go on to do great things. I wouldn't want it any other way. Last year,
Burke got a whole lot more fun when I was hired as the Director of Student Activi-
ties. Our fearless Athletic Director, Adam Kless, and our famous award-winning
Football Coach/ Dean of Students, Aaron Hasbrouck, are especially thankful for my
daily presence!

I love being a part of this Burke Catholic family and am so proud to call myself an Alumni.
 ,

20th Reunion
The Class of 2003
A message from Nicole Manno

"The future of every community lies in capturing the passion, imagination and
resources of its people"
-Ernesto Sirolli

Deirdre Dillion and myself coordinated events individually to reunite with

our classmates we graduated with, successfully connecting 15 people in person and over 50 people by
phone or email, and this will not be our last event either. It is proved difficult to get people together, who
moved, who is working, who is traveling but the attempts were made and both attempts were beautiful ex-
periences.

What we were able to achieve was that no matter the distance or where we are in life there are people that
will always show up how they can.

While we were able to reminisce about life back in the early 2000's we were also able to see where each
others were now, who is married, divorced, has kids, jobs and all things that really make up our lives now.
We are no longer tied to the way it looked in high school, we get to essentially meet new people and see
where we can make the connection.

The given is that we are getting older and wiser and able to walk out of the high school class we were part
of into the alumni group we belong in.

Our story is ever evolving and I look forward to updating you all with more gatherings as they happen. Stay
tuned

-The ONE AND ONLY Nicole Manno

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BC Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

Not just a party; a celebration of the connections that make our community special

Get ready to jingle and mingle at BC's 3rd Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party!

Join us for a night of festive fun, fabulous friends, and fashion disasters at our "Fashion Nightmare Before
Christmas" extravaganza! Put on your ugliest Christmas sweater and get ready to sleigh the night away.

Indulge in a delicious array of food, sip on seasonal drinks, and satisfy your sweet tooth with our delightful
desserts. It's a feast fit for Santa himself!

And guess what's new this year? We're bringing in some fantastic holiday vendors to kick off your Christ-
mas shopping! Get a head start on finding the perfect gifts for your loved ones while enjoying the merry at-
mosphere.

So dust off that ugly sweater, mark your calendar, and prepare for a night filled with laughter, joy, and may-
be a few fashion faux pas. This is one holiday party you won't want to miss!

See you there, and let's make it a holly, jolly night to remember!

(Tickets may be purchased at the door)

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Eagles Hoboken Reception 2023

“Years may come and go, here's one thing I know. all my life, You're a friend of mine. “
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Exciting News...
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A Message from the Class of 1973

The Class of 1973 held their 50th reunion in September of 2023. A great time was
had by all! The Class of 1973 has started a Fund to honor the memory of Mr. John
Dolan, a beloved Burke Catholic Faculty member who died in 1972.

The scholarship/s will be awarded to a student/s who has demonstrated good

character, good citizenship, and has an interest in the study of history.

We have currently raised over $7,000.00. To contribute:

John S. Burke Catholic Class of 73 Reunion Fund
C/O Peg Cullen
4 Longview Terrace
Goshen, NY 10924
Or: Zelle@JSBclass73@yahoo.com
(Margaret Cullen is the name on the account)
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Happy Thanksgiving to our Eagle Family!

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“The most precious memories in my heart

are the ones that we created together.”
- unknown
 Class of ‘87
36 Year Reunion
That’s a wrap on the John S. Burke Class of '87 reunion weekend. Delancey's on Friday night with WAY too
many beers and dinner at Limoncellos on Saturday night. See if you can see the surprise guest in the photo in
front of the bar at Limoncellos! He’s so cool - he had to wear sunglasses! What a surprise! Lol.

Thanks to everyone who came. It was great to see all of you! For everyone who wasn’t able to make it - we all
missed you! We even tried to face time a few of you at dinner.

Our 40th is only 4 years from now. From the immortal words of Johnny Nilsen on Friday night “we’re all go-
ing to start dropping like flies soon” so it’s important to go to these reunions.

So until next time - peace out Class of ‘87. We are the best!

Thanks to Mr. Debold for making an appearance. It’s always great to see him!
- Len
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BC Alumni Reunions!
We have a few reunions in the planning stages.
You can find contact information on the next few pages and look for information
to be posted in the coming weeks on the alumni page of our website.

Calling the Class of 1985!

A few folks have reached out looking to get a committee together
to start planning our next reunion. If you are interested in help-
ing to kick off the planning please email
Karen Dwyer at kdwyer@burkecatholic.com
 The BC Connection
The BC Connection every Friday at noon.
You can connect at 1110 AM or 93.5 FM
Innovation. Education.
Milestones
Timothy Verlin ‘01- obtained a new certifica-
tion: Prompt Engineering from Vanderbilt Uni-
versity.
Zoe Malley ‘15- started a new position as Execu-
tive Assistant, Senior Associate at BNY Mellon.
Xiaoriu (Jessica) Qu ‘15– started as Clinical Die-
tician at Wayne Memorial Hospital, Goldsboro,
NC.
James Juliano ‘18– started a new position as
Payroll Administrator at Tower Holdings Group.
Matthew Bernhardt‘19- started a new position
as Parking Enforcement Officer at University of
New Hampshire.
Job Opportunities
Michelle Lenzi ‘14– Director of Recruiting at
Northwestern Mutual
Looking for even more to be thankful for? Bring
the skills you already have to a workplace that
rewards hard work. Being a financial representa-
tive means you set your own schedule and get to
help people reach their goals. Join our team and
discover a game-changing career. Message me to
get started; michelle.lenzi@nm.com
We are compiling a list of all our BC Alumni authors and their works.
If you would like to be included please contact
kdwyer@burkecatholic.org

A writer never has a vacation.

For a writer life consists of either
writing or thinking about writing.
~Eugene Ionesco
BC Alumni Giving

ReVitalize, ReEngage, ReConnect

Office of Alumni and Advancement

Your gift will have an immediate impact on all BCHS students.

Light the way for today’s students, so that they can find their way to impact
the world.

To make your gift today, please visit

www.burkecatholic.com

To double the impact of your donation check to see if your company participates in a matching
gift program - please visit

https://doublethedonation.com/BCHS
 If you would like to be in-
cluded in the next news-
letter or have a Milestone
or story you would like to
share, contact Karen Dwyer:
kdwyer@burkecatholic.org

Contact Information
John S. Burke Catholic High School
Office of Admissions, Alumni and Advancement
80 Fletcher St, Goshen, NY 10924
(845) 294-5481 ext 132

burkecatholic.com
facebook.com/burkecatholichighschool
facebook.com/BCadmissionsandadvancement
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