ALUMNISPOTLIGHTSMVC CENTENNIAL DETAILSIMPACT REPORTINFORMATIONAUTUMN 2025 ISSUECENTENNIALWEEKENDSPIRITUALLIFEALUMNISPOTLIGHTS6
Page 1 1A MESSAGE FROM Grethen cortes ChIEf advancement OfficerAs part of our Centennial Celebration, we invite you to contribute to our collection of 100 Lives of Significance by nominating individuals who exemplify MVC’s core values – Make Christ Known, See Every Person, Craft Beauty, and Laugh Together. Please submit nominations using this form. Thank you for being an important part of the MVC story. We look forward to celebrating this milestone with you.With appreciation,Gretchen Cortes (Alumna, Class of '98)Dear MVC Alumni,I have the privilege of welcoming you to this issue of the Messenger - a newsletter for MVC alumni and an enduring link between Mustangs of yesterday and today. This January marks the beginning of our Centennial Celebration – 100 years of Christ-centered education. Our alumni community is a vital part of this legacy, and we are grateful for the many ways you continue to support and represent MVC.Please save the date for Centennial Weekend, taking place October 1 - 3, 2026. It will be a special time to reconnect, celebrate our history, and look forward to the next 100 years. During Centennial Weekend, we will honor a special group of faculty and alumni whose lives have made a lasting impact on the MVC community. More event details will be posted on our website, so be sure to check back over the next few months.
Page 2 1CONTENTS• Centennial Kickofi• MVC Centennial Weekend• Alumni Spotlights• Former Teacher Spotlights• Fine Arts Events• Spiritual Life• Memory Lane• Mustang Socials• The MVC FundPages 3-4Pages 5-6Pages 7-8Pages 9-10Pages 11-12Pages 13-14Page 15-16Page 17Page 18TABLE OF
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On Monday, January 12, all 900+ MVC students and employees gathered in Mustang Stadium to offcially kick offl our school's Centennial Celebration. Preceded by a press conference introducing local media and community leaders to MVC's history and the Centennial Honorees we'll be celebrating throughout the next year, the entire school gathered - wearing offcial \"Centennial swag\" - to commemorate the historic moment and ask God to bless the celebrations that have only just begun!Page 4
Page 5 1Join us in October 2026 as we celebrate 100 years of God’s faithfulness at Monte Vista Christian School. For a century, we’ve seen His guiding hand, abundant blessings, and sustaining grace over our students, stafi, and community.FEATURING CURRENT STUDENTS & ALUMNIDon Price Performing Arts ChapelCentennial weekend October 1Worship Concert
Page 2Page 6HONORING MVC’S LEGACY & THOSEWHO BUILT ITMonterey Beach HotelFOR ALL MUSTANGS - PAST, PRESENT, & FUTUREMVC Campus HALFTIME CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONMustang StadiumOctober 2GalaOctober 3VintagePicnicOctober 3FootballGame
Travis Nelson &AlumniAshley malone ‘13Page 7Q: Can you describe your life after MVC both personally and professionally?After graduating from MVC, we both pursued missions work separately (Travis in Hawaii/Palau, Ashley in Haiti). After a gap year of working with non-profits overseas, we attended college at PBAU in West Palm Beach, Florida. During our college years, we cultivated meaningful community, explored what creativity meant to us at the time, got married, and never skipped a beach day. Once we found our footing back in California, COVID hit and we lost our jobs. Thankfully, this became a time to reinvent and just go for it (with so much support and help from our families and community), so we opened up our own little cofiee shop right in Watsonville - Honeylux Cofiee. In the same year we opened our doors, we became parents to our wonderful daughter. Now it’s been 5 years of truly winging it, believing in each other, and dreaming up more - and now with a cutie little son as well! SPotl
Q: As MVC celebrates its 100th anniversary, what stands out to you as a meaningful piece of its history and legacy?My parents (Travis) attended Monte Vista when they were in high school, so my family has been going to MVC for generations. Our kids will likely be going there as well one day. My parents graduated in 1984 & 1985. They both had Mrs. Tarr for chemistry. Twenty-seven years later I also took Mrs Tarr’s chemistry class! My parents actually got married on MVC’s campus. So personally there is a lot of history & legacy in my own life & family. In fact, Ashley & I also met there. It doesn’t just feel like just another school campus; it genuinely feels like a second home.Ashley- Honestly, for the vast majority of my time at MVC, I took it for granted. I was met with teachers and stafi who ofiered academic wisdom, cared about me when I didn’t really care for myself, and showed up with continual grace. It’s really hard to pinpoint an exact moment, but so much of my senior year was a huge stepping stone into the woman I really wanted to become - thanks to friends and teachers that I had. It’s cool to be involved, and to care, and to advocate for things that matter to you, and I wish I would have done more of that! ,Q: How did your experiences at MVC shape you? Are there any specific lessons or moments that still resonate with you today?Travis: I just remember how much the teachers & stafi cared about the students. It was truly a blessing to be a student there. I definitely got into some trouble a few times but the stafi was always looking out for me & making sure I landed back on my feet.Q: Were there any teachers, coaches, or mentors at MVC who had a significant impact on your development? How did they influence you?Ashley- Yes, yes, and yes. Ms. McCrae was full of the best energy. Just being around her and hearing her speak motivated me to be joy-filled and unapologetically myself. Devin O’Donnel and Alison O’Donnel are two of the best humans I’ve ever known. They ALWAYS spared time in their very busy lives to invest in me and listen to me, and be mentors in my life. Mike and Amy Rivas also were monumental in my years at MVC. They were essentially like my other parents who helped me process big life things! And if you’re a student there now, you don’t know how lucky you are to have Erin Torr on your side and available to you. She loves and advocates for students harder than anyone I know. Travis- Dr. Dehner had the biggest impact on my life. I was a die hard choir kid. I wasn’t great in school, but I was a decent enough singer. I tried to spend the majority of my time in the choir room. Although I definitely took it for granted at the time, looking back those were some of the most impactful & influential years of my life. Alley Faulk also was a massive mentor for me. He tutored me in chemistry and music. They both taught me how to work hard on my craft, to be dedicated & sincere in that pursuit. Lonzo Caves was also an amazing example of what a good father & husband looks like. I learned much by the way he lived. The O’Donnels & the Rivas also had big impressions on my life!Page 8
Marsha- I was a full-time teacher and science department head, and I spent ten years advising CSF (California Scholarship Federation) and NHS (National Honor Society). I was also a class advisor. The classes I taught during my time at MVC were physical science, biology, general chemistry, honors chemistry, AP chemistry, and physics. During my earlier years, I helped fill in at the dorm when necessary and supervised Saturday work calls where the dorm kids would spruce up the campus. At least two summers, I worked in the dish room for the summer camps.Page 3Q: What were the various roles and responsibilities you filled during your time at MVC? Kent- Many of my fondest memories center on resident student events—hot pot dinners, the formal resident student Christmas dinner on campus, graduation parties, driving lessons, Operation Christmas Child trips over Thanksgiving Break, co-leading a resident student Bible study during chapel breakout times with Mrs. Tarr. SPotlformer TeacherKent- My teaching journey at Monte Vista began with four math classes and two basic programming classes in the computer lab which had twelve computers with no hard drives. Floppy disks were the norm. The Lord graciously worked all things together for good by sending a more knowledgeable IT instructor to MVC which opened the door for me to be a full-time math teacher. I also enjoyed several summers working with Walt Kechter, Jack Yant, and Gonzalo Rodriquez on the paint crew. Q: Was there a specific moment or student you remember when you reflect on your time here?Marsha- It was fun to announce our engagement in our weekly stafi meeting. I stood up to tell the stafi that Miss Dunlap would not be returning to MVC. (I had already served for 25 years at MVC, so it came as a shock for people to hear this announcement.) Once the gasps and mumbling subsided, Kent announced that Miss Dunlap’s replacement would be Mrs. Tarr. There were gasps of glee and lots of hugging. If I were to mention all of the special boarding and day students and the specific moments we shared together, there would not be enough space to hold the stories. Oh, how I enjoyed the giggles and growth, the hurdles and victories. I love each of them as my own and count myself blessed beyond measure to have walked life together with them during my 43 years at Monte Vista Christian School.Page 9
Marsha & KentTarrQ: What did you enjoy most about your ministry at MVC? Marsha- The beautiful campus. Being a part of “family life” with many stafi and dorm kids living on campus. We ate meals together, had chapel services together, and went on numerous field trips. The trips down to Southern California with the dorm students to work in the Operation Christmas Child Processing Center over several Thanksgiving Breaks were especially meaningful and fun. In the 70’s and 80’s I enjoyed hanging out in what was called “The Circle,” which was the campus soda shop and student store that was located where the middle school stafi room now exists. Special people like John and Lorna Sailer, Don and Martha Price, and Paul and Glenda Lyons came alongside me to mentor me. Page 104Q: Looking back on MVC over the years, what do you think has been the biggest evolution or change in the way we operate as a school?Both- The age of technology found MVC going totally digital in 2010. We were the first high school in the nation to go totally one-to-one with iPads. Many visiting educators came to campus to see “how it was done.” Books became digital, lockers were removed, and what used to be called the library became the ARC (Academic Resource Center).
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Page 134Spiritual life at MVC continues to grow through a mix of weekly small group community, student leadership, and shared chapel experiences. This year students can choose from eleven difierent chapel small groups that meet weekly and are organized by grade level and interest. These groups range from discussion-based communities and indentity-focused devotionals, to student-led as well as worship team experiences. Together, they create space for students to ask real questions, build relationships, and explore faith in practical, personal ways.In addition to small groups, MVC hosts large venue chapels which some high school students, and all middle school students, attend. This year we are diving deeper into the fruit of the Sprit, Galatians 5:22. Spiritual leadership is also cultivated through MVC’s Christian Student Leadership Training, including Discipleship and Bible Leadership courses that prepare students to lead chapels, retreats, and campus-wide spiritual events. This includes Spiritual Emphasis Week, a week each spring dedicated to diving deeper into spiritual development as a school collectively. Supporting this work is atwelve- student High School worship team which leads worship once a month, as well as the MVC Care Team who ensures that spiritual formation remains intentional, student-driven, and deeply rooted in community. SPIRITUAL LIFE
Page 104Stations of the Cross is an MVC tradition in which during the week leading up to Easter students reflect on Jesus’ death and resurrection.MVC has our own Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter, which dozens of students join each semester. Student-led clubs such as Bible Study Club and Serve Club are available for students to join.Page 144.Lorem ipsu
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Page 17Stay connected with Monte Vista Christian School and your fellow Mustangs! This page is your hub for all things MVC: follow us on social media, visit our website, and stay up to date with the latest news, events, and happenings at MVC. Whether you’re near or far, these links make it easy to stay involved with the MVC community. Don’t miss out on opportunities to reconnect, give back, and celebrate what God is doing through MVC.InstagramFacebookWebsiteWe love hearing from our fellow Mustangs! In the next issue of The Messenger, we will feature Mustang Notes. Alumni, send snapshots and short updates about where life has taken you whether it's career milestones, new adventures, growing families, or just a life update. Submit your photo and a few sentences about what you’ve been up to; we're proud to showcase the journeys of our Mustang family! Submit your Mustang Notes to [email protected]
Click HERE to GiveThe mvc fundThe MVC Fund supports students by allowing MVC to expand programs, develop teachers, recruit a diverse student body, renovate facilities, enrich athletics and fine arts opportunities, and more. Your contribution shapes the future of our school and empowers learners to achieve their highest potential through Christ-centered educational excellence.*Donors who give $2,500+ will become members of The 1926 Club and will receive the following:-Invitation to the annual appreciation event hosted by our Board of Trustees and Head of School-Regular communication from MVC leadership-Featured in MVC’s annual Impact Repor