Marijo Rymer ’64 has been appointed to the St. Pius X High School Board of Trustees. She also serves as president of the Board of Disability Rights New Mexico, the state’s protection and advocacy organization providing legal services for persons with disabilities and older New Mexicans, and as a docent at Casa San Ysidro in Corrales.
The Sacred Bridge by Anne Hillerman ’67 debuted at #6 on the New York Times Best-Seller List after its launch on April 12, 2022. Opening at #6 is Anne’s highest debut ever. Hillerman continues the Navajo detective stories her father Tony Hillerman made popular. Her debut novel, Spider Woman’s Daughter, received the Western Writers Spur Award as best first novel. That book and the six novels that followed were all New York Times best sellers.
The first five recipients of the Coach Mike “Papa” Brown MSA Scholarship were announced in April 2022. There were nearly 50 entries for the scholarship awards given in honor of boys basketball coach Mike Brown ’64, who led Albuquerque Academy to six consecutive state championships from 1989 through 1994. He died June 30, 2021, from a rare kind of Parkinson’s called Multiple System Atrophy or MSA. The scholarship fund was created by his family, including his wife Carol Hanosh Brown ’64, to benefit senior student athletes in Albuquerque Public Schools who carried at least a 3.5 GPA and planned to attend college or vocational school by the fall after their high school graduation. Scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $1,000 were awarded were Shaelyce Hann of Highland, Brandon Cabaniss of La Cueva, Dylan D’Arco of Sandia, Cade Wallin of Volcano Vista, and Aelea Thomas of Highland.
Dr. Christopher Hovorka ’82 accepted a new faculty position as director of the inaugural orthotics and prosthetics program at Midwestern University, a health sciences university located in Glendale, Ariz. In his new role, he has been working with a dedicated team of physicians, prosthetists, orthotists, therapists, and engineers to develop the new program, curriculum and facilities, and to expand the faculty/staff. He’s enjoying being closer to family in New Mexico – especially after spending many years farther away to pursue professional training and career advancement in the Northwest, Midwest, Northeast and Southeast parts of the country.
Mari Tapia Ramos ’87 and Kris Tapia ’93 with their father Joe Tapia Ramos have started a tech school called The Tri Group. The school will help kids with economic and technical disadvantages learn computer applications.
Seton Hall University Athletics Hall of Fame inducted volleyball standout Jennifer (Cheshire) Petersen ’94 on June 9, 2022. Jennifer graduated as Seton Hall’s all-time kills leader (1,379) and still ranks fourth in program history over 20 years later. She is also the program’s all-time leader in points scored (1,738) and ranks second in aces (190). To this day, she is still one of only three Pirates to record a 30-kill match. In her freshman season, she was a member of the Pirates squad that set the program record for wins in a season with 31, and in her senior season, she was named first-team All-BIG EAST and CoSIDA Academic All-America.
Kayla Moehn ’19 completed her junior year at New Mexico State University majoring in genetics and philosophy. In the summer of 2021, Kayla participated in the BRAiN program, a collaboration between NMSU and the University of Colorado conducting research at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado. She also served two terms in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 as Chief Justice of Associated Students of New Mexico State University Supreme Court. The Court is charged with hearing a variety of complaints, cases, and trials. Additionally, Kayla has been accepted to a paid internship at Princeton University in New Jersey conducting neuroscience research during the summer of 2022.
Isabella Sais ’19, a fashion design major at Kent State University, completed a semester at the school’s New York City fashion campus during spring of 2022. She was selected by her professors to submit a collection to the Council of Fashion Designers of America scholarship program and completed a design internship with Fluer du Mal, a lingerie and ready-to-wear brand based in SoHo. She will return to Ohio to complete her bachelor of fine arts degree in fashion design during the 2022-2023 school year.
Cameron Martinez ’20 officially made the move to D1 volleyball transferring from MiraCosta College to St. Mary’s College, where she will play beach volleyball in 2022. She also earned Second Team All-Conference honors at MiraCosta in 2021.
The Class of 1960 enjoys the permanently unique status of being St. Pius X’s first graduating class. During the 2021-2022 school year, these alumni celebrated important milestones, 80th birthdays.
Remembering alumni and family of alumni who have passed away in recent months. Please email your announcements to Jean Marie Skipp at jskipp (at) spxabq.org.
Appointed interim vice president for student affairs at the University of North Dakota in October 2021, a career in higher education has taken Dr. Beth Hellwig ’72 around the world.