A movie director mulls over the script of his latest film while debating the final lines while thousands of miles away a baseball player soaks in the roar of the crowd as he warms up his fastball. Somewhere else in the world a renowned golfer is getting ready for hit final put, seconds away from his latest victory. Each of these men took vastly different paths to success yet they all share one uniting characteristic: they were once a Don.

The alumni at Cathedral Catholic High School have been a key contributor to the school’s reputation and income for decades. However, with the changing campus many alumni feel resistant towards the “new and improved” version of University of San Diego High School (Uni). With the last walls of the old campus tumbling down in 2008, there is no longer any physical memory of their high school years. The administration thinks that the trade of was worth it.

“Alumni are reluctant to like the new campus until they come and see it. The facilities here are so much better than at Uni, allowing the education quality to really improve,” said the head of the alumni board Mr. Tim Derenthal. One of those expansions was actually starting an alumni board which now has twelve board members who organize not only class reunions, but also events for current students as well.

Starting this year, there will be a career day for juniors held on May 28^th and featuring alumni who have been successful in their different professions. “I love the idea of Career Day,” said junior Mallory Ward. “It reminds us why we are working so hard in school; it will get everyone motivated for applications next year.”

The school is now seeing an influx of students whose parents once attended Uni. Mr. Steve Altamirano and Mr. Danny Wilson, both teaching at Uni since the 80s, have now held two generations of students in their classrooms.

Mr. Tom Rickling, one of the many faculty alumni, said “Cathedral is like a family that has just moved into a different house.” That feeling was shared by Uni’s first graduating class—the class of 1961—as they came and visited the class this past homecoming. When asked about their impression of the new campus one man, with his aged high school letterman jacket hanging from his shoulders, smiled and nodded his head saying, “It’s nice. It’s very nice.” The smiling faces of the long time graduates solidified the conclusion that the buildings may be different, but the spirit is the same.

Inspired by their predecessors to become the latest Don success story, the class of 2011 will become alumni of Cathedral in a few months.

Some Notable Alumni:

Mike Carey

Graduating Class: 1967

Profession: NFL official

Refereeing Pop Warner Games in the 1970’s led to the Major Leagues.  In 2007 Carey became the first African-American to referee a Super Bowl Game (Super Bowl XLII) at Qualcomm Stadium.

Cameron Crowe

Graduating Class: 1972

Profession: Director

Graduating at fifteen years old, Crowe soon became the youngest writer for Rolling Stone Magazine. In 1977 he went undercover as a High school student at Clairemont High School, chronicling his experiences in the novel Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story. The movie of the book, starring Sean Penn, was Crowe’s screenwriting debut and a surprise hit. His most well known films include Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous (which includes scenes filmed at Uni and for which Crowe won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar), Vanilla Sky, and Elizabethtown.

Phil Mickleson

Graduating Class: 1988

Profession: Golfer

Graduating in the same class as principal Mr. Michael Deely, Mickelson went on to become an internationally recognized golfer. At only 23 years old Mickleson won his first professional title at Torrey Pines, the same course he played on as a Don. This past April he won his third Masters tournament, defeating Lee Westwood by just three strokes.

Barry Zito

Graduating Class: 1996

Profession: Baseball player

As a senior Zito pitched 105 strikeouts in 84 innings, foreshadowing his future athletic stardom. After graduating from University of Southern California (USC), Zito was drafted by the Oakland Athletics, and in 2007 he signed a $126 million contract with the San Francisco Giants, for whom he now plays. With all of his success, Zito has still not forgotten the importance of charity—a lesson taught to every Don. His foundation, Strikeouts for Troops, donates $400 to military hospitals for every strikeout he makes.

Mark Prior

Graduating Class: 1998

Profession: Baseball player

Prior has played for the  Chicago Cubs from 2002-2006 and signed with the

San Diego Padres in 2008. That same year he visited Cathedral during its homecoming rally to visit with the students and sign autographs. He was recently signed by fellow Don alum and Yankees Assistant Billy Eppler to pitch in the New York Yankees organization.

from 2002-2006

Luke Walton

Graduating Class: 1998

Profession: Basketball player

Walton, son of NBA star Bill Walton, currently plays forward for the Los Angeles Lakers.  He played on the same basketball team as Mark Prior and Carlos Quenton.

Carlos Quentin

Graduating Class: 2000

Profession: Baseball player

As a Don, Quenin played on the basketball, football, and baseball teams. Baseball, however, proved to be his passion, and he continued his love for the sport at Stanford University. He went on to play for the Arizona Dimondbacks and then the Chicago White Sox where the fans nicknamed him “Q-perman.”

Justin Green

Graduating Class: 2000

Profession: Football player

Green earned a total of five varsity letters while attending Uni (two for basket ball and three for football) and was given the title “Most Athletic” by his peers.  At the end of his final season as a Don, he could claim 5,397 yards rushing, breaking the San Diego record. He played for the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals.