Class of 2020

Sophie DiLeva- Team Captain
My name is Sophie DiLeva and I was on the Mary Star Varsity Swim Team for 3 years. My favorite memory from my experience on the swim team was the annual Swim-a-thon whet we swam as many laps as we could to raise money for our team and got to have a big potluck after. My advice to any first year swimmer would be to focus on your own progress and set goals for yourself, and don’t compare your goals to other people’s goals. From swimming I have learned to push myself and how to trust myself as an athlete.

One accomplishment I am proud of is being Team Captain of the Swim Team. It is a sport I never expected myself to try and I am glad I chose to return every year. I loved being able to support our team and I was grateful to be selected as a leader of our team. Another accomplishment I am proud of is participating in ASB during my high school career. ASB has allowed me to grow as a leader, as a student, and as a Catholic. Being able to plan school events and participate in school spirit weeks caused me to love my school more than I already did and showed me how I can be a better Catholic by helping others.

After high school, I plan on attending the University of Oregon with a major in Communications, and possibly a minor in education. I have many ideas for my future including working in public relations or advertising and marketing, or maybe even someday becoming a teacher and working with kids. I want to thank my teachers and coaches for always being huge role models for me and helping me to see that God has big plans for all of us. I know that my coaches and teachers have always been there for me and I was always able to come to them if I ever needed to.

Sierra Salas
Hi, I’m Sierra Salas. I have been on the swim team for three years. The best memory I had during my swim season was on Fridays when we would play with the pool toys and play sharks and minnows after we swam our regular sets. To all new and first year swimmers, my advice to you would be to push your limits and swim that extra 50 because it is all worth it in the end. I have learned from swimming that perseverance is more than just not giving up, but rather the strength and endurance you need to keep going.

During my years at Mary Star, I am proud of my involvement in the school as the Commissioner of Campus Ministry. I had the pleasure of serving as a campus minister all four years and it has granted me the opportunity to have a voice in different activities we can do throughout the school year. In terms of academics, I am very proud of being on the Principal’s Honor Roll all eight semesters on top of taking seven AP courses in total.  Lastly, I am most proud of taking on a new sport I’d never would have thought I would join, which was swimming.  I enjoyed the past two seasons of pushing myself and making new memories that will carry with me throughout my lifetime.

After high school, I will be attending University of Oklahoma with an intended major of Human Health and Biology under the Pre-Optometry program. I aspire to start my own practice as an Optometrist in the future. I would like to thank my parents for all their love and support the last four years, my Grandma for being a strong rock for my faith, and coaches Mary Rose, Tom, and Megan for all the encouragement and strength you have shown me the past two years.

Jenna Miloe
My name is Jenna Miloe. I have been swimming for 2 years. My favorite swimming memories were the fun Friday's where when we would do relays and have a potluck afterwards. My advice to a first year swimmer would be to do your best and try your hardest. You will grow throughout the season; don’t think you need to be perfect at the beginning. I have learned a lot on self-motivation through swim because when you are racing it’s you and only you that is driving you forward to win the race.

I have accomplished a lot in my 4 years at Mary Star. I have been on Principal’s Honor Roll all 8 semesters, am a CSF Sealbearer, and am apart of the National Honors Society, National Beta Club, and Mu Alpha Theta. In sports, I received CIF Second Team All-League for my Senior basketball season and Most Valuable Female Swimmer for the 2019 swim season. Along with being a student-athlete, I am on Mary Star’s ASB, happily providing for our student body.

This fall, I will be attending the University of Oregon. I plan to enter into their Business Administration major with an emphasis in Sports Business. I want to eventually earn my MBA and go into a career in sports marketing. I want to thank my family for always supporting me in all I do, my coaches for motivating me and teaching me life lessons I would have never learned if I didn’t play sports, and to my teachers for getting me to where I am today academically. Without any of you, I would not be the individual I am. Thank you!

Antonina Campbell
I’ve been on the swim team for 2 years. My favorite memory of swimming was my first swim meet. The coaches and my teammates were so supportive and just the adrenaline rush of competing in my first race was amazing! To any first year swimmers, I would tell them to keep an open mind, push yourself to do your best and most of all just have fun. Being on the swim team has taught me a lot of self discipline and helped me gain confidence in myself to do things outside of my comfort zone. (Like diving off the block)

A few accomplishments that I am most proud of are receiving Principal’s Hinor Roll  all four years of high school and receiving the Coach’s award for my soccer team my Junior and Senior year.

My plans after high school are to attend Point Loma Nazarene University and become a  Registered Dietician. Thank you to my teammates and Coach Mary Rose, Coach Megan, and Coah Tom for always encouraging me and cheering me on from the pool deck! Also,  thank you again coaches for helping me improve in swim, but for also showing me how swim teaches people great qualities to have in life like confidence, courage, and hard work!

Juliana Gentile
I’ve been a part of the Varsity Swim team all four years at Mary Star.  A swim memory of mine was at the swim banquet at the beach at PBC when Esteban started crying because he got an ash in his eye when he was presenting his secret swimmer gift.  My advise to new swimmers would be to keep with the program and show up to as many practices as you can, and lastly, remember it’s is a fun sport! 

I’m proud of my accomplishments of being on honor roll, NSHSS and the National Beta Club.  Also, I’m proud of having a job all through high school, swimming on Varsity all four years,  while maintaining strong grades. 
After high school I plan on attending Harbor College then transferring to a university to attain my Bachelors in Marketing and Advertising.  Also, I plan on getting my Masters in Business Administration.

 Lauren Mitchell
My name is Lauren and I’ve been on the swim team for two years and I started junior year, my favorite memory on the swim team is when we all sang karaoke on the way back from an away meet.   My advice to a first year swim member is to just keep pushing when your tired because that’s how you will get better.  Swimming has taught me to persevere no matter how cold or tired I may feel and that it doesn’t matter if you are the best at something as long as you see your own improvement overtime.

I became Captain of the Cheer team my Senior year after being a four year Varsity member while maintaining principles honor roll every semester. While doing this I was also involved in Squire Roses and ASB. I participated in Academic Decathlon for three years and received four medals my sophomore year as well. Junior year I received the Coach’s Award for cheerleading. Sophomore year I was a Mary Star Fiesta Queen Candidate during which I raised money for Mary Star of the Sea parish through selling raffle tickets throughout the summer.

I’m planning on attending UC Davis in the fall to major in political science, after that I would like to go to law school with aspirations of reforming our judicial system which is currently being used as a tool for discrimination as African American males are incarcerated at seven times the rate as White males. According to the Fourteenth Amendment defendants should not be treated differently due to their race, although the difference in conviction rates is evidence of a violation of this clause.   I would like to work as a lawyer in order to help change these statistics and practices which have had crucial societal implications that are contributing to a cycle of incarceration.

I would like to thank my parents for always pushing me and never letting me quit.  I would like to thank the rest of my family and friends for their support throughout my high school career.  And lastly, I would like to thank my coaches for their wisdom and guidance.

Brianna Jolon
My name is Brianna Jolon and I have been on the  swim team for three years. My favorite memory of swim is the bus rides back from the swim meet. We would do karaoke, laugh, and spend time together. My advise to the future swimmers is when things get tough just keep swimming. It will be hard and challenging at first but you can do it! What I’ve learned most from swimming is that there is always room for improvement but it will take awhile. I started from the slow lane to practicing with the fastest swimmers ever.

A few accomplishments that I’m proud of is receiving principal honor roll or special awards from the school’s departments like English and Social Studies. I am also proud of the fact I was able to do swim and get recognition for doing it.

My plan after high school is that I will attend the University of California, Riverside. Go Highlanders! I will be majoring in biology on a pre-med track. Once I attend and graduate from medical school, I want to become a  cardiothoracic surgeon (a.k.a a heart surgeon). I want to thank God, for always answering my prayers and guiding me to the right path. I want thank my parents, friends, and my best friend (Marissa) for always being there for me and motivating me to be my best self. I want to thank my coaches for pushing me and seeing potential in me these past few years. Lastly, I want to thank my team for making me think why I am at swim everyday and why I do it. I am glad to call them my family and my home!

Nico Campbell
My name is Nicolas Campbell. I have been on the Mary Star swim team all four years of high school. My best swimming memory was getting first place at the Narbonne meet in the 500 freestyle swim. What I learned most from swimming is discipline and it is the first sport I have truly loved to do.

One of my best accomplishments in swim was getting the Coach’s award, Junior year. Another accomplishment of mine was making the Varsity team Sophomore year. The accomplishment I'm also proud of was volunteering to swim the 500 freestyle swim Junior year.

My plans after high school are to go to Cal State University Dominguez Hills and get my Biology degree. After this I plan to attend medical school and become a doctor. I would like to become a Psychiatrist or Obstetrician. I would like to thank coaches Mary Rose Fink, Tom Fink and Coach Megan. I would also like to most importantly thank all my friends and family who encourage me and inspire me to do great things. I would also like to thank God for blessing me with a great life and people who care for me.

Esteban Meza
Hi my name is Esteban Meza and I've been on Mary Star swim team for four years.  My best swimming memory was swimming at CIF for our relay team my sophomore year. My advice for first year swimmers will be don't be afraid to push yourself even more to succeed. I've learned that swimming is more than a sport and that it can help you find a job.

The accomplishment I'm most proud of is making CIF for swimming and getting an award for the Academics ceremony.

My plans after High school are to work at a pool or a beach and be a lifeguard and also attend El Camino College  and finish my studies.

John Bastasch
My name is John Bastasch. I have been on the swim team for 2 years. My favorite memory with the swim team is when we all were singing on the bus after our last meet of the season. My advice to a first year swimmer would be to try your hardest in everything you do, and always try to improve. One thing I have learned is that swimming is very useful to know in life, especially when you live by the beach.

I have earned Principal's Honor Roll and CSF all four years at Mary Star. I have been accepted to over 12 colleges, and received a merit scholarship from Gonzaga University.

My plan after high school is to attend Gonzaga University and major in Communication Studies. After college, I hope to find a job in sales.

I want to thank my parents, my family, Mary Star of the Sea and all the staff, and most importantly Coach Mary Rose for being an awesome swim coach!

Olivia Vuoso
My name is Olivia Vuoso  and I joined the swim team in my Sophomore year of high school leading me on an amazing journey with the team for three years. I have so many memories from being on the team, but my favorite would have to be when there was a random dog on the pool deck on day at practice that was discovered between two kayaks, and we spent the rest of practice chanting for the dog to be freed while coach Mary Rose frantically ran around the pool deck trying to catch him to call his owner. Advice I would give to new swimmers would be to not be afraid to trust the coaches when putting you into new events at swim meets, they know a lot more about your ability then you realize and you might even surprise yourself with how good you end up doing in the event.

Some highschool accomplishments that I am proud of myself for achieving are not so much academic, but instead the things I got to learn about myself after I found a sports that I really felt I made a connection with, creating an art piece that I am extremely proud of even though we did not get the opportunity to have our in person art show, and challenging myself with academic courses that I never thought that I would take that led me to getting honor roll and principles honor roll a couple times.

I had hoped to move to Ireland this coming school year to further complete my art portfolio in hopes of attending art school and late becoming an art therapist, however due to Covid-19 my plans have changed a little. Instead of leaving I will be taking a gap year to complete my portfolio here, and hopefully gain some work experience with a job while I am still home. I would like to thank my parents, without their support I wouldn’t be in the place I am today and I am incredibly grateful for them, and the swim team, from Sophomore to Senior year, for giving me a second family that I’ve created countless memories with.

Gabriel Villanueva 

My name is Gabriel Villanueva and I have been on the swim team for two years. My best swimming memory was my first practice because I was beginning to learn how to swim properly with proper form. My advice to a first year swimmer is that you should keep coming even though you think it is too hard because you will eventually get the hang of it. The one thing that I have learned most is perseverance will get you through in whatever situation.

Accomplishments that I am proud of in high school are getting good grades and playing at least two sports throughout the years.

My plans after high school would be to attend Cal State Dominguez Hills majoring in Computer Science. Looking further, I would hope to become involved in developing software for other people or companies.

Katie Sestich
Hi, my name is Katie Sestich and this is my second year on swim.  My favorite memory of swim is the unconditional support from all teammates, fun Friday’s and the pot lucks. My advice to a new swimmer is to push yourself because it will pay off in the end and to always have a good attitude. What I have learned most from swimming is that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.

During my 4 years at MSHS, I’m most proud of keeping up my grades.  I’ve been on honor roll all 3 years and Principal honor roll my senior year.  I’ve enjoyed cheer, track, and student council.

I’ll be attending Mount San Antonio after high school with aspirations of becoming an Air Traffic Controller.  I am so grateful to all of the coaches and teachers that have impacted my life, thank you!

Tyler Glover
My name is Tyler Glover. I’ve been on the swim team for 1 year. Even though I’ve only been in swim for only a year I’ve made so many memories. My favorite memory was my first meet. Even though I didn’t win any races it was still a fun experience,  especially being with all of my friends. What I have learned from swimming is that it takes a lot of practice to get good at something and you have to put in the time and effort to get at that point

Some of my accomplishments, are  I achieved the honor roll my freshman year and I was the swim team photographer
After high school, I want to finish college and major in psychology. I also want to start music producing on the side.

I honestly want to thank the coaches in swim for making my high school year even more fun then it was. Even though we had all those hard practices, it was still a fun experience from being on swim.

Makayla DiLeva
Hi my name is Makayla DiLeva and i have been on swim for one year. My best swimming memory this year was doing my first 100 at the San Pedro meet because I had a lot of nerves before and having my teammates hype me up was exciting. Since this is my first year doing swim, I had a lot to learn. The really exciting thing I learned from swim is learning how to dive off the block. For the new swimmers, my advice is to stay focused on what your goal is and try to get better every practice.


A few achievements I’ve made throughout high school are all very rewarding to look back on. I was really excited to be soccer captain this year and was very honored to be in that position. Receiving Honor Roll for my Freshman and Sophomore year, then improving and receiving Principles Honor Roll my Junior and Senior year, was very satisfying to see my improvement and hard work throughout the year.

After high school, I’m planning on going to Marymount California University and majoring in Criminal Justice. I aspire to be in the FBI and work in the counterterrorism department. I would like to thank all the Coaches at swim for always sticking with me and helping me learn throughout the season. Thank you for also keeping in contact with all of us during this tough time especially after loosing a good portion of our season. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to join swim this year and I’ll always cherish the memories I’ve made.

Johann Rosas
My name is Johann Rosas and I’ve been on the swim team for 3 years.  My best swimming memory is when we would have a free day on “fun Friday’s”.  My advice for under classmates is to work hard and accomplish your goal no matter how hard it gets.  I’ve learned through swimming to know new people and to build up new friendships. 

I’m proud of the service hours I accomplished While at Mary Star and for participating in two sports; four years on the football team and three years on the swim team. 

After high school I plan on attending El Camino College, continuing my studies and playing football. 

Daniel Aguilera
My name is Daniel Aguilera.  I have been on the swimming team for 3 years and my best memory was the mystery gift exchanges that we had at the end of the year.  For any new swimmer, my advice would be to just keep going to practice. The first practices are tough and you just need to get through th. One thing that I learned from swimming is dedication and the importance of going to practice everyday after school to train to become a better swimmer.

I have been on honor roll many times and have been on the Varsity Soccer four years, Swimming Varsity 2 years, and the Criss Country team.  And I was also involved on the green team.

After high school I’ll be California State Dominguez Hills and majoring in computer science.  I want to thank our coaches who without their help I probably wouldn't have been a swimmer. They have been some of the most supportive coaches I’ve ever had and they have an amazing dedication to this sport and the school's swimming program.  Thank you coaches for all the help you have given me these 3 years.

Madryne Alario 

My name is Madryne Alario. I’ve been on the swimteam for two years. My best swimming memory was when a cute little dog snuck into our pool deck area, and my coach and some teammates spent a good 45 minutes trying to catch it and calm it down while the rest of us tried to keep swimming. My advice to a first year swimmer would be to keep at it. All of us were slow, constantly out of breath, and getting confused at swim meets when we first started. Swimming has taught me to always be trying to improve myself for the good of myself and my team. It taught me that you can’t cheat improvement: you only get out of something what you put into it. If you want to become a better swimmer, you have to put in the required time and effort.

Some of my achievements include being elected Class President, being a part of our school play, and receiving a gold medal in the National Latin exam that only around 200 people out of 60,000 receive.

My plan after highschool is to take a gap year to devote to volunteering and side classes in music and art. I plan on attending Thomas Aquinas to receive a Liberal Arts degree and then pursue law and become an attorney. I would like to thank all the teachers and coaches I’ve had at Mary Star. Even if, by my own fault, I didn’t learn course material, I learned many lessons on respect, hardwork, and selflessness from you. You have always made me feel like you care about my well being and success in life. Thank you for all the time and commitment you’ve put into my education. I know it is a sacrifice and an underpaid position, but I have hope you will be repaid with graces from Heaven. And I have a special thanks for Ms. Dever for being an amazing, caring, and generous principal.

Bernadette Tew
Bernadette was on the swim team three years. She joined with her twin sister Emily and her sister Megan joined the following year.  Like her sister Emily, Bernadette contributes to many A relays swimming Back, Free and specializing in Breast stroke.  Her advise to new swimmers is to challenge yourself in workout, don’t complain at the hard sets, and to smile when Coach moves you up to the faster lanes.

She was on Cheer team all four years of high school and was on  Principal’s Honor Roll all 8 semesters while taking eight AP Courses & eight honors courses.  She’s a member of the Mu Alpha Theta, National Beta Club & is a California Scholarship Federation Seal Bearer. 

She will be attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with an intended major in Animal Science and plans to become a Vet in the future. 

Emily Tew
Emily was on the swim team three years. She joined with her twin sister Bernadette and her sister Megan joined the following year. Emily contributed to many “A” relays swimming Back, Free and specializing in Breast stroke.  Fun fact, both sisters are great breast strokers and her mom was a swimmer who also swam Breaststroke. While an inaugural member of the Minion Lane, she loved when Coach moved her to the fast lanes. 

In addition to swim, Emily has been on the Cheer team all four years.  She’s also been on Principal’s honor roll all 8 semesters And wrapped six AP courses & eight honors courses.  She’s a member of Mu Alpha Theta, National Beta Club & is a California Scholarship Federation Seal Bearer.

She will be attending University of Oklahoma with an intended major of Business.