University of San Diego Magazine 75th Anniversary 2024

TOREROS MAKING WAVES MAY BE EDITED FOR LENGTH AND CLARITY. 1960s Alma Lyon (BA) retired. She previously worked for the County of Los Angeles Public Health Department as a microbiologist and Riverside County Department of Environmental Health. same house, we’ve decided to retire to Sedona, Arizona. Our two Scottish terriers will retire with us and enjoy the red rock views! We welcome the ability to worship in the Chapel of the Holy Cross.” 1970s Margaret Thrailkill (BA) writes, “After 48 years in Ramona, in the Debbie (Shattuck) Burke (BA) and her husband celebrated 51 years of marriage in 2023. “Fun to remember the great days at USD,” she writes. Broeck N. Oder (BA), ‘75 (MA) passed away on June 7, 2023, in Pacific Grove, California. 1980s Blaine R. Smith (BA) retired in 2021 after working for 39 years as a teacher, administrator and football coach. “I loved my years at USD,” he writes. Deborah Wolfe (JD) recently changed the name of her business to Wolfe Legal Solutions, PC to reflect that she is no longer engaged in litigation of legal malpractice suits. “I am now devoted to advising lawyers and law firms on legal ethics matters and acting as an expert witness on legal ethics and legal malpractice law in court for both plaintiffs and defendants.”

is in the beginning stages of launching a local program to support Filipino youth in Southern California. Titled “Brown Faces to the Sun,” the program will target Filipino American youth 16 to 21 years old and create a support network around art and Filipino culture. “‘Brown Faces to the Sun’ is borrowed, with permission, from the rap artist Ruby Ibarra,” said Zapanta. “That resonated with me. The sun is one of those images that you see in Filipino culture. It’s one that acknowledges a sense of self.” Zapanta plans to host creative workshops and artistic collaborations with local artists to help showcase Filipino culture. “I want this to be a creative way for the youth to rediscover their Filipino core values,” she said. “Working as a juvenile judge, I realized children who thrive through conflict are the ones who have a very strong sense of self.” Kapwa is the Filipino value of shared inner self. A person who treats another as a kapwa has a shared sense of identity and consciousness with that other person. For Zapanta, kapwa is the framework behind building her project. “In Filipino culture, you are not really your full self until you give back or pay it forward,” she said. “We are conditioned to watch out for each other. If we can implement that idea so we can talk about it more, can you imagine how valuable that would be for the [Filipino] youth trying to succeed?” •

“From small claims all the way up through multimillion-dollar civil lawsuits.” Zapanta was born in Hawaii and grew up in San Diego’s Paradise Hills neighborhood. She always had an interest in the law, which she credits to growing up in an immigrant, bilingual household. “It was incumbent on the grandkids to really help relatives navigate through the system, from filling out forms to medical care and immigration. All of these things are so important to understanding the rules to navigate the world.” However, it wasn’t until her senior year at USD when a friend applied to law school that pursuing a law degree seemed like an option. “What helped me was I really started to think about the ‘why’ behind the laws,” she said. “When I made that connection, that’s what drove me to pursue a career.” USD helped foster Zapanta’s growth and development, she said. “USD is such a special place. I went into college thinking I was going to learn and get my degree and quickly realized that it was about finding your values here and rediscovering what you stand for. It was a natural fit when USD awarded me a scholarship to go to law school. USD celebrates what makes its students unique.” The foundation’s award is considered a working award, meaning awardees are expected to reinvent themselves, pay forward and develop their global imprint with a global pitch project. As part of the award, Zapanta

Sandy Barsky (BA) is enjoying writing songs, studying music and delving into artificial intelligence. Carolyn (Jackson) Bowen (BBA) writes, “My husband and I have three adult children, all active in their chosen careers. We have five beautiful grandchildren that are a joy to our family. After retiring from AT&T, I chose to utilize my skills in negotiation and marketing in the real estate industry, so I joined Berkshire Hathaway. Aside from work, we spend much of our time with family on outings and vacations.” Scott McKay (BA) writes, “God is great, San Diego is good, Toreros are crazy. Cheers!” Catherine (O’Rourke) Delano (BA), ’90 (MAT) retired and moved to New England to be with family. “Best decision ever!” she writes. Mary DiMatteo (BA) retired after working for almost 50 years. She is now spending time traveling and visiting her parents. Jennifer Cazares (BBA) is a life coach, author and founder of the SHiFT Method of organizing. She has spent nearly a decade working with hundreds of clients affected by hoarding disorders, attention deficit disorder, traumatic brain injury and other factors associated with chronic disorganization. She uses her past careers, current passions and endless empathy to make meaningful, lasting, life-changing connections with her clients. Paul Lynch (JD), ’86 (MBA) and his wife, Kathy, are splitting their time between Boston, Massachusetts, and Seabrook Island, South Carolina. Meredith Alcock (JD) started her own firm in August 2022 and moved to a new space in January hyperactivity disorder, post-traumatic stress

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