Santa Clara Magazine

Xavier Romano M.A. ’92 writes, "After taking on a consultancy in Saudi Arabia during the 'Arab Spring' near the Yemen boarder, and witnessing one Tahrir Square protest in Cairo, I found myself back in California in April 2012 taking on the role as Fresno campus director of Alliant International University. After more than a year in Fresno I have a newfound respect for Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and a dozen years in the 'wilderness' of Illinois while at Knox College! Good to be back in California—and my time in the Middle East prepped me well for the heat of Central California.  ;-)"

L.A. County Deputy Public Defender Luis Rodriguez ’89, J.D. ’92 is running unopposed for president of the State Bar of California for 2013-2014. Rodriguez, the current vice president, was admitted to the State Bar in 1994 after attending college and law school at the University of Santa Clara. He is a former president of the California La Raza Lawyers Association, the Mexican American Bar Association and the Latino Public Defenders Association. MABA, which Rodriguez headed in 2001, issued a congratulatory statement calling him “an exemplary role model for the next generation of Latino/Latina lawyers in the State of California.”

Thomas E. Bertelsen Jr. MA ’93, a longtime benefactor and board member of the Jesuit School of Theology, has helped launch a $230,000 endowed scholarship fund for the Berkeley-based school, in honor of Oakland Bishop Emeritus John S. Cummins.

Michelle Andre '96 writes, "After working for the Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera as the Director of Membership & Marketing for the past four to five years, I was recruited to head up the new marketing department (as director of marketing) for an international market research firm called Decipher. I am traveling all over the world and loving the new challenges in a new industry for me. It is putting to great use my MS in IMC from GGU too, in addition to my undergraduate degrees from SCU. And I am in the 12th year of owning my own 'side' business, Andre Design & Marketing. We also welcomed our new baby daughter home from Russia early in 2012, Nadia Marie. She just turned 2 years old on May 4. She joins big brother, Niko, who will turn 7 on June 13. A photo is attached of our daughter Nadia on her second birthday with her brother Niko on the far left, and my identical twin sister's son, Ivan, in the middle."

Joseph Westfall '97 is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Houston-Downtown. He and his wife have two-year old twins, Oliver and Eloise, and welcomed a third child, Dorothy, on May 19, 2013.

Birgitta Delurgio Hughes ’97 and husband Allen Hughes—their second child, a daughter, Faith Marie Hughes, on Oct. 22, 2012. She joins brother Rhys Delurgio Hughes, 2. The family lives in Kirkland, Wash. outside of Seattle.

 Imelda (Wong) Kortens '98 and Jediah Kortens welcomed their first baby boy, Jackson Robert Kortens, into the world on April 30, 2013.