"The Troubadour"
The Troubadour: Spring 2025 Volume 1
Throughout the year, we’re excited to bring you meaningful updates, special stories, and inspiring features that celebrate the vibrant spirit of our 85 year Troubadour community. From alumnae spotlights and campus events to new ways to stay connected, this feature is a space to honor the legacy, sisterhood, and ongoing impact of St. Francis—both in our local community and beyond.
Thank you for staying connected with St. Francis – Enjoy!
Run for a Cause: Alumnae Doing Good
Four inspiring St. Francis alumnae ran the 2025 Los Angeles Marathon to honor Natalie Giorgi and raised nearly $12,000 for children with food allergies, showcasing resilience, compassion, and a deep commitment to service.
Hats off to four 2018 alumnae—Kathryn Agustin, Marianne Hayes, Caroline Ow, and Cameron Parra— who laced up their shoes to run the Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, March 16. Their hard work and dedication for their first marathon are true markers of the resilience, compassion, and commitment that St. Francis instills in our students. The girls ran to raise funds for the Natalie Giorgi Sunshine Foundation. Natalie Giorgi tragically passed away from an allergic food reaction at 13 years old.
Spring into Sisterhood: A Day of Connection, Creativity, and Troubie Spirit
St. Francis High School welcomed over 80 future Troubies for Spring into Sisterhood—a fun-filled day of crafts, spirit activities, and new friendships that gave sixth and seventh grade girls a joyful glimpse into the vibrant heart of our community.
On Friday, March 28, the St. Francis High School campus came alive with laughter, energy, and the unmistakable spirit of sisterhood as more than 80 sixth and seventh grade girls joined us for our annual Spring into Sisterhood event.
Alumnae Spotlight: Carol Hood ‘69
Carol Hood ’69 reflects on how St. Francis High School nurtured her values of compassion, service, and lifelong learning—guiding her impactful career in mental health and inspiring others to follow their own North Star.
“Follow Your North Star”
As the second child of six it was a natural progression for Carol Hood, Class of 1969, to go to St. Francis High School after graduating from All Hallows Parish School. Throughout life Carol has led with a creativity and life-long learning spirit. Attending St. Francis High School reinforced the values her parents and family instilled in her to do what you can to care for others. Carol truly embodies her parents’ principles and the prayer of St. Francis by sowing love, hope, light and peace throughout her years of serving others.
Alumnae Spotlight: Christina Milanes ‘11
From St. Francis High School to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Christina Milanes ’ journey showcases how a foundation in leadership, confidence, and community empowered her to help lead the groundbreaking Mars Sample Return mission.
Christina Milanes’s career has taken her from the classrooms of St. Francis to one of the most exciting frontiers in science and technology: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Currently working on the Mars Sample Return mission, Christina is part of a team aiming to bring the first samples from Mars back to Earth. Before joining NASA, she spent seven years at Boeing, working on satellite communication system. Christina’s work in aerospace engineering is both innovative and inspiring—and it all started with the foundation she built at St. Francis.
Alumnae Spotlight: Ashley (Jones) Santillan ‘13
Ashley (Jones) Santillan ’13 shares how the sisterhood, support, and values she found at St. Francis High School shaped her journey—from student to pediatric nurse, and now doctoral candidate—serving others with compassion and purpose.
“We were strangers, starting out on a journey”
When I interviewed Ashley (Jones) Santillan, Class of 2013, I felt as if we had truly similar St. Francis High School experiences, where we met lifelong friends and were encouraged to follow our passions, even though our graduation years spanned over a decade apart. Her warmth, charisma, and especially her love for others radiated through the phone. She exudes the deep, gratified happiness of those who are relentlessly following their passion.
Alumnae Spotlight: Sharon Burk ‘17
Sharon Burk ’17 turned personal adversity into purpose, earning a PhD in cancer research in Italy while supporting her family through illness—embodying resilience, brilliance, and the spirit of service nurtured at St. Francis.
Woo Hoo! That’s the spirit that many of Sharon Burk ’17’s K63G8 classmates would immediately recognize—and Sharon has truly exceeded every expectation her peers had for her. After graduating from St. Francis, Sharon pursued a double major in Molecular and Cell Biology, and Italian Studies at UC Berkeley, where she earned the prestigious Departmental Citation for outstanding achievement by a graduating senior. She humorously remarks that reading Dante was her way of unwinding.
Alumnae Spotlight: Siena Marois ‘24
Siena Marois ’24, UC Davis engineering student, is turning her passion for robotics into real-world impact—earning national recognition through STEMSEAS, co-founding a marine conservation startup, and inspiring future engineers to protect our planet.
Troubie is One of 12 Selected for STEMSEAS Program
Siena Marois ‘24, a freshman at UC Davis and a double-major in electrical and computer engineering, is no stranger to challenges and accomplishments. This spring, Siena’s passion for engineering and her drive to make a meaningful impact led her to an extraordinary opportunity—she was one of only 12 students chosen nationwide to participate in STEMSEAS (Student Experience Aboard Ships), a prestigious, ship-based, six-day exploration experience that takes undergraduates aboard an NSF-funded research ship to engage in hands-on activities in geoscience, oceanography, and marine technology.
Troubies Building a Better Future
St. Francis Troubies showcased their entrepreneurial spirit at the NAWBO/JA High School Showcase, earning top honors for innovative projects like the Puzzle Project and TYMEE app—proving the future of business is bright and female.
Members of the St. Francis Troubies Who Mean Business Club put their innovations and entrepreneurship in the spotlight earlier this year. Six Troubies participated in the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and Junior Achievement (JA) High School Entrepreneurship Showcase in January, and two of our teams won first and second place.
STEM Day Celebration
In celebration of National STEM Week, St. Francis welcomed over 100 local 5th–8th graders for a hands-on STEM Day filled with exciting experiments, creative challenges, and real-world science led by our inspiring Troubies.
In honor of National STEM Week, St. Francis held a special celebration for 5th–8th graders in the community to engage in real-world applications of STEM concepts. On Saturday, March 22, more than 100 kids from around the area joined in exciting activities to gain new interests and skills in science, technology, engineering and math. From hands-on experiments to creative engineering tasks, students engaged in a variety of activities that made learning fun.
Celebrating Our Student Athletes: Future Collegiate Stars
St. Francis proudly celebrates student-athletes who signed their National Letters of Intent, committing to compete at top colleges and universities. These dedicated Troubies showcase excellence in both athletics and academics.
This past fall, St. Francis proudly celebrated a remarkable group of student-athletes who signed their National Letters of Intent (NLI) and officially committed to compete at the collegiate level. These talented Troubies have not only excelled in their respective sports, but they’ve also demonstrated incredible dedication, discipline, and perseverance in balancing athletics with academics. Their hard work has earned them opportunities to continue their athletic careers at top universities and colleges across the country.
A Piece of My Heart: A Powerful Tribute to the Women of the Vietnam War
St. Francis Troubies brought the powerful play A Piece of My Heart to life, honoring the experiences of women who served in the Vietnam War. Their emotional performance, supported by a dedicated cast and crew, left a lasting impact on the audience.
This spring, our talented Troubies brought A Piece of My Heart, a deeply moving play by Shirley Lauro, to life on stage. They truly immersed themselves in the stories of women who endured one of the most challenging and often overlooked chapters of American history: women who served in the Vietnam War. Their performance of Lauro’s powerful work, based on real stories from the Vietnam War, was a testament to their dedication, passion, and ability to bring history to life in a way that connected deeply with the audience.
2025 Crab Feed Dinner & Dance: A Night of Fun, Fundraising, and Community
The St. Francis community came together for a memorable Crab Feed Dinner & Dance on January 25, 2025, filled with delicious food, exciting auctions, and dancing, all in support of our Troubies.
On January 25, 2025, the St. Francis community came together for another unforgettable Crab Feed Dinner & Dance. Alumnae, along with current parents and parents of alums gathered for a memorable evening in support of our incredible Troubies.
A Legacy in Full Bloom: 42nd Annual Auction
The St. Francis community gathered on March 8th for the annual fundraising auction, "Legacy in Bloom," raising over $325,000 to support students and enhance classrooms for future learning.
Saturday, March 8th was an evening to remember, as hundreds of alumnae, parents, faculty, and community members gathered at St. Francis for our annual fundraising auction. This event has become more than just a fundraiser—it’s a celebration of what truly makes St. Francis special: our strong, supportive community and our collective commitment to the future of our students.
2025 Career Day: A Resounding Success
On March 28, 2025, St. Francis hosted its inspiring Career Day, connecting students with alumnae and professionals from 25 career fields, featuring a keynote from Brandy Daniels Bolden ’91.
On Friday, March 28, we were thrilled to welcome more than 60 Troubie alumnae and St. Francis parents back to campus for our 2025 Career Day. This inspiring event gave our students the opportunity to explore a wide range of professions and begin building meaningful connections for their future. With 25 career fields represented, students attended two interactive breakout sessions and were moved by a powerful keynote address from Brandy Daniels Bolden ’91, Chief Customer Officer at SMUD.