ClassNotes

Freshman Dorm: Campisi

Lauren Renfort ’03 married Chris Alberts on June 18, 2011, at Cordevalle Resort in San Martin, Calif. Also in attendance were fellow SCU alums Hadyn Renfort ’07 (Groomsman), Lane Renfort ’12 (Groomsman), Barbara (Dieckman) Orellana '03 (Bridesmaid), Janice (Yee) Swearingen ’03, M.A. ’06 (Bridesmaid), Julie Angelo ’09 (Bridesmaid), Christian Pfrommer ’03, Michael Maclaren ’03, Heather (Stark) Rainusso ’03, Lindsay Gray ’12, Jason Mueller ’07, Adam Suleman ’07, Andrew Swearingen ’03, M.S. '07, and Carlos Orellana ’01.

Freshman Dorm: Graham 100

Nicki (Pichel) Nabasny ’03 writes that she and Mike Nabasny '03 moved to Chicago in July 2011. Nicki is currently the director of external relations at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and Mike is director of sales, Midwest at Wildfire, a division of Google. They have a daughter, Mia, born Dec. 30, 2011, and are expecting their second child in August 2013.

Michelle Cwirko-Godycki '03 is the new associate director, Marketing & Communications for Alumni Relations. In this role, Michelle will oversee all marketing, communications, social media, and career networking strategies for Alumni Association programs, events and services.

Former NCAA All-American and two-time Major League Soccer (MLS) Champion Ryan Cochrane ’03 has been named assistant men's soccer coach at Santa Clara. Cochrane capped off an outstanding collegiate career at SCU by helping the Broncos reach the 2003 NCAA College Cup Final Four. He went on to enjoy nine-years playing professional soccer, which included winning a pair of MLS titles with the Houston Dynamo.

"There is no doubt Ryan is going to help this program grow and become better," said Santa Clara men's soccer head coach and Bronco Hall of Famer Cameron Rast. "First and foremost, his background as a player is exceptional. He just finished up his professional career and was already transitioning into coaching, so it's a natural fit."

A native of Portland, Ore., Cochrane became one of the most accomplished players in school history during his three years on SCU's Mission Campus (2001-03). Cochrane started every game he was available for, serving as the team's central defender. He earned Soccer America Freshman All-America honors in 2001 and All-America Honorable Mention recognition in 2002. 

In 2003, Cochrane anchored a Bronco defense that posted 12 shutouts, went 16-4-4, won the West Coast Conference Championship and advanced to the NCAA College Cup Final Four in Columbus, Ohio. He was named an NSCAA/adidas Second Team All-American in 2003 and a M.A.C. Hermann Trophy semifinalist.

More recent, during his last two years playing professionally, Cochrane served as an assistant coach at the collegiate level with San Antonio's Trinity University in 2012 and at Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. in 2011.

Steve Braccini '99, J.D. '03 and his wife, Teresa, welcomed their first child into the world on March 20, 2012, a son—Angelo Antonio Braccini. The family resides in the Willow Glen area of San Jose. Steve is a trust and estate litigator with Hopkins & Carley, APLC in the firm's San Jose and Palo Alto offices.

Ron Hansen M.A. ’95, M.Div. ’04 is this year’s recipient of the Evil Companions Award, which honors a writer who hails from the West or writes about it. Hansen is an Omaha native who teaches literature at Santa Clara University. He has earned numerous honors in his four decades as a novelist, essayist and short-story writer, including the status of creating one of the longer and more intriguing titles in contemporary fiction: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

Michael Baranick '04 and Erin (Rieger) Baranick '04 welcomed their first child, Nolan James, on Oct. 4, 2012. The family lives in Seattle.

Timothy Reed J.D. '05 and I-Lan Emily Lin welcomed their first child, Gavin Weixiang Reed, on Sept. 9, 2012.

Angelina Ramos ’05, a former pop music star, now teaches a leadership class at ACE Charter High School in San Jose, Calif. From Union City, Ramos decided to leave the glamorous life of a singer after fifteen years to return to her roots in the Bay Area. Read more here.

Rebecca (Regan) Freeman '05 and Peter Freeman were married in Golden, Colo., on Sept. 22, 2012.

Rev. Robert Ballecer M.Div. ’05, who is known as the Digital Jesuit because of his knowledge of technology and his high profile online and on social media networks, was profiled in the San Jose Mercury News on Nov. 30.

Recently Ballecer was named director of the Center for Apostolic Technology, and for the last three years, he has served in Washington, D.C., as the director of national vocation promotion, overseeing the Jesuits' efforts to encourage young men to consider the priesthood.

Read the full profile online.

Lindsey Hart ’06 and Jonathan Saxon on Oct. 27, 2012. The wedding party included SCU alumni Katie Reedy ’06, Kendall Craver ’06, Claire Bickenbach ’06, and Chrissie (Moreno) Smith ’05. Also in attendance were Maggie (Kaufman) Coffey ’07, Marisa (Randazzo) Fillmon ’06, Drew Gulick ’06, Francesca (Zanfini) Koscielak ’06, Brian Koscielak ’06, Varant Ovanessoff ’06, Alex Rhodes ’06, Blake Twisselman ’05, and Michael Vincent ’06. The couple lives in Chicago, Ill.

Mike Pienovi ’06 and his wife, Kate, have recently moved to Shanghai, China, where Mike is pursuing a carrer as a TI technical sales engineer. After receiving his electrical engineering and marketing bachelor's degrees from Santa Clara University, he has been working to support TI's American-based customers with design sites in China. His attempt to build a bridge between the American and Chinese teams has lead both teams to new prospects, applying both the business and technical asepcts tothe job.

Toriana S. Holmes '06 is an associate practicing bankruptcy law at the law firm of Severson & Werson, P.C. in San Francisco.

Boaz Ronkin MBA ’07 joined Ensighten, a Tag Management System provider, as senior director of product marketing. He brings in extensive background in marketing optimization, personalization, and web analytics.

Emiko Burchill J.D. ’07 was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown ’59 as special assistant for policy at the California Natural Resources Agency. Burchill was a contract attorney at Olson Hagel and Fishburn LLP in 2012. She was an executive fellow at the California Fair Political Practices Commission from 2011 to 2012 and was an intern at the office of Assemblymember Toni Atkins in 2011. Burchill was a volunteer attorney at My Sister's House from 2010 to 2011 and an attorney at the law offices of McDowall Cotter from 2007 to 2009.

Marcella Reynolds ’08 writes, "For the last year I have worked at Table Mountain Rancheria as the environmental administrative assistant. I have now been promoted to environmental specialist within the Government Affairs and Environmental Department."

Stephanie Marquez ’08 writes, "After working in the California Central Valley in the Alumni Relations Office at the University of California, Merced for over four years now where I manage the Student A, I recently accepted a new job opportunity in San Diego, CA. I am so thrilled to relocate and start working in the Alumni Relations Office as the Development and Alumni Relations Coordinator at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in January 2013. Following my experience working in higher education I realized that working with undergraduate students is my true passion and calling. I am in the process of applying to graduate school for next fall, now that my aspiration is to begin studying Higher Education Leadership at the University of San Diego."

Freshman Dorm: Swig

Emily (Moody) Wilcox ’03, MBA ’09 and husband Lee celebrated the birth of their first child, Abigail, on Aug. 18, 2011. The family lives in San Jose, Calif., where Emily works as the alumni and external relations director for the Leavey School of Business at SCU.

Tae-Woong Koo J.D. '09 has been named president of the Korean American Bar Association of Northern California. Koo is an intellectual property attorney at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, based in Palo Alto. Koo's practice focuses on prosecution, protection, enforcement, and monetization of intellectual property rights.

Jim Kopas '09 and Genna Forster '09 are happily engaged. The wedding will be at Mission Santa Clara in the Summer of 2013.