JOHN H. FRANCIS POLYTECHNIC HIGH SCHOOLSUN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, CLASS OF 1982
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REUNION NEWS: 2007 marked 25 years since we all graduated from Poly. However, there was no reunion set for that year so you didn't miss anything. Our next reunion will be the 30 year reunion in four years, which would be 2012. We will be about 48 years old then. Geez. . .
CLASS NAME: Elysians
CLASS SONG: One Day In Your Life
CLASS MOTO: Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice: It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.
WHERE ARE THE CLASS OF 1982 GRADUATES NOW?
Principal Lupe Sonnie transferred to Lincoln High School and recently retired. Assistant Principal Marguerite La Motte, is an elected member of the Los Angeles Unified School District School Board.
Senior Class President Derrick Isa received his Bachelor's degree in exercise science from USC, A Master of Physical Therapy degree from Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles & Chapman University in 1989, and his Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professionals in 2005. He runs a successful business Telesis Physical Therapy. Senior Class Vice-President Steve Shiba is a successful dentist in Encino.
David Gutkind works for Fortanasce & Associates in Arcadia as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. Greg Sutalo operates a successful trading card store. Bruce Nomoto (CSUN) , Kevin Endo (USC) and Virgil Mireles (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) are employed at JPL in Pasadena. Bruce and Kevin work in the Business Administration and Mireles works in the Engineering Department.
Poly Band member Mike O'Gara (UCLA) is a Deputy District Attorney and is seeking election to become a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge. Mike appears to be the front runner. He has raised more than $60,000 while his runoff opponent raised less than $14,000. See Mike's speech.
Margaret Garcia attended UCLA and earned her PhD at UC Berkeley in Educational Psychology. She is an Associate Professor at Cal State LA. She also serves on the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and have participated in developing the new standards for training school psychologists in California. Ronald K. Watanabe went to UCLA where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and then went to the Southern California College of Optometry where he received his doctorate in Optometry.
Drill Team Captain Suzanne Hilgendorf attended Cal State Northridge and then lived in Germany for a few years, where she worked for the Wall Street Journal and AP Dow Jones News Service. She moved back to the States to earn her PhD at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She was an Assistant Professor of German at Wayne State University in Detroit for several years, and this past February she moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where she is an Associate Professor of Linguistics at Simon Fraser University.
Ingrid Rushing (CSUN) is currently the President/CEO of a Family Home Agency called Community Options in Van Nuys. Community Options provides support services for developmentally disabled adults living in Southern and Central California. Yvonne Sanchez is a mortgage lender and a realtor with ZIP Realty. She has three children.Poly Optimist Editor Patricia Motzko is a Web Manager for Oregon Health & Science University in Portland Oregon. Poly Optimist Editor George Kita is a Juvenile Lawyer in Los Angeles. Luis Torres is a LAPD Detective. He also plays in a band on the weekends. Laurie Javier is a pharmacist. Jaime Rodriguez graduated from USC with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Both Mark Alson and Mike Roberts went onto Medical School and became Medical Doctors. Mark Alson went to UC Irvine and majored in Biological Sciences and graduated from UC San Diego Medical School. He is a successful radiologist in Fresno. Mike Roberts went to UCLA and majored in Biology and graduated from Georgetown Medical School. He is a Board Certified Anesthesiologist who works and lives in Santa Monica, CA. Mike has been married for 12 years and have three sons. Eloisa Andal works for the California Wellness Foundation. She is a senior program assistant.
Nina Jackson earned a degree from Cal State University Dominguez Hills and is a junior high school teacher. Darryl Martin works as a wharehouse manager and is pursuing a music career in writing and producing. Johnny Satterfield graduated from USC with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and has his own business. Albert Johnson works for a Limousine Company. Lori Wada reportedly works as a school teacher. Tony Patton works for UPS.Poly basketball player Robert Kunkle is a manager for Amway and lives in Belding, Michigan. Amy Goto is married and lives in Northridge. Cindy Vellins is married with two kids. Poly Optimist Editor & Singer Nancy Schmeltzer is married and lives in the Bay Area in Northern California. Felicia Nelson works as an inspector for the Department of Health.
Linda McCloud has four kids and married to an architect for the past 17 years and living in the Chatsworth area. Trisha Kitchen is married with two kids. Lori Garrison is a mother of five. She is a supervisor of the Radiology Dept. of a hospital where she works as a Radiology Technologist.
Darlene Kohler is married with two kids. Brett Parrick is married with three kids. Don Ross is married with three kids. Joyce DeCastro has four kids. Rebekah Tacket is married with four children. Janice Knight has been married for about 23 years and has one kid.
Lillian Benavides is a dental assistant. LaJuan Allen is a professional writer. She has been married since 1986 and have 4 sons. They moved to Kansas in 2007 where her husband and two oldest sons got jobs. She recently completed a book for children which will soon be published. She is now working on a second book.
Poly High Cheerleader Rosanna Petrilli is a school teacher. Phillip Yoshino is a manager in a major grocery chain store. John Nava is married with three kids. Brian Friedman is general manager and part owner of a Lexus Car Dealership. Ruth Rosales is a homemaker and very active with her church.
Kathleen Redmond is married with two kids. Bill Wigodsky is married with two kids. Mary Masciotra has two kids. Felicia Johns has one kid. Karen Wampler is married with two kids. Brenda Felt is married with one kid.
ALUMNUS FROM OTHER YEARS INCLUDE: Poly Optimist sports writer Matt Piazza (Class of 1981) was one of the greatest sports writers that came from Poly. He worked for the Los Angeles Daily News covering high school sports and junior college games and occassionally was assigned to cover the L.A. Dodgers. He is school teacher. He dabbled in politics in the Norwalk / La Mirada area. He has two kids. His daughter made the cover of Maxim Magazine.
Award Winning Los Angeles Times Staff Writer Eric Sondheimer got his start in journalism as Sports Editor of the Poly Optimist. He has interviewed some of the greatest High School Sports players including former Granada Hills quarterback John Elway. Basketball Hall of Famer Gail Goodrich led Poly High School to the City Championship before eventually playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.
One of Poly's most well known celebrity is William Hung who is best known for his American Idol performance of Ricky Martin's hit song "She Bangs." He never made it past the first round. Of course Hung got the last laugh -- earning more than one million dollars in record sales. He also developed a huge fan base and is recognized every where he goes. Fans have even made marriage proposals to him. William is currently 24 years of age and currently attending CSUN.
Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley is also a graduate of Poly High School.
Popular Places:
1. Perry's Mexican Restaurant
2. Original Tommy's Hamburgers
3. Jack in the Box
4. Bob's Big Boy
5. Baskin Robbins
6. Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour.
MUSIC FROM THE 1980's.
1. Keep On Loving You, REO Speedwagon
2. Heart Breaker, Pat Benatar
3. Sukiyaki, A Taste Of Honey
4. The Best Of Times, Styx
5. Take It On The Run, REO Speedwagon
6 . Back in Black, ACDC
7. Too Much Time On My Hands, Styx
8. Who's Crying Now, Journey
9. Whip it, Devo
10. Don't Stand So Close To Me, Police11. Billy Squire - Everybody wants you.
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