Brian Gionta ’97 was inducted into the New York State Amateur Hockey Association Hall of Fame. David Culotta ’02 was appointed Chief Operating O cer of Prestige Capital Finance, LLC. Gigina “Gigi” Giorgi ’05 received the 2025 Rob Millisor Volunteer of the Year Award from Breckenridge Grand Vacations in recognition of her philanthropic e orts and dedication to serving the Summit County, Colorado, community. Major Daniella Pettinari ’06 was inducted into the Knight of the Honorable Order of Saint Michael. Pettinari is currently serving as Deputy Commander for Clinical Services at Lyster Army Health Clinic at Fort Rucker in Alabama. Patrick Cutter ’07 nished his 9th Boston Marathon this year with a time of 2:42:14. Todd Wingate ’08 was inducted into the 2026 Section V Football Hall of Fame. Terrence Shafer ’09 and the Flower City Tissue Mill (formerly run by his grandfather, Bill Shafer ’49) received the Supplier of the Year Award, voted on by members of the Retail Packaging Association. Christopher Bostick ’11 was inducted into the Section V Baseball Hall of Fame. Major Christian Henderson ’11 was promoted to Major in February 2026. For the past three years, he has served on the U.S. Army ROTC teaching sta at the University of Notre Dame. During that time, Notre Dame’s ROTC program earned three consecutive Ranger Challenge titles, competing against more than 50 universities nationwide, and received a 2024 Department of Defense award recognizing it as the top ROTC program in the country. Christian also earned his MBA in Spring 2025. He will complete his assignment at Notre Dame spring 2026 before beginning a 12-month deployment in Honduras supporting disaster relief and operations across Central America. Dr. Christopher“CJ”Von Bargen ’11 and his wife, Sabrina, welcomed twins Amelia Janes and Conrad Michael in October 2025. They join big brother Briggs and family pet Nellie in Charleston, where Dr. CJ owns Park Circle Orthodontics. Olivia Kelly ’15 shared exciting news this year, as she and her ancé became engaged during a summer trip to Ogunquit, Maine. The proposal took place along the scenic Marginal Way and was captured by a photographer who happened to be passing by. In a remarkable twist, the photographer, wearing Ray-Ban Meta glasses, recorded the moment and later shared it on social media, where the video quickly went viral, garnering millions of views. Olivia describes the experience as both serendipitous and unforgettable. Jalen Pickett ’17, NBA player, returned to Aquinas this summer to work out and spend time with current students, taking photos and signing autographs. Hannah Bardeen ’20 received the Dvorin Award for Excellence in Integrated Care at St. John Fisher University. Gabriel Giannini ’20 was named USTFCCCA and Empire 8 Athlete of the Week following the Heptathlon Championship. He also earned First-Team All-American honors with a sixth-place nish in the decathlon. Mackenna Brown ’22 recently nished her collegiate lacrosse career at Lock Haven University, ranking second all-time in program history with 99 career caused turnovers. Kyle Maier ’22 received an award presented by the Jandoli School of Communication at St. Bonaventure University for excellence in sports media. Emma Affronti ’23 was elected to serve as St. Bonaventure University Class of 2027 President for the 2026-2027 school year. Sienna Hinchcliffe ’23 set the University of Akron’s alltime leading goal-scoring record in women’s lacrosse. She was also named the Mid-American Conference Attacker of the Year. Sheldon “Tre” Walker ’24 was named to the 2026 First Team All-Liberty League Baseball Team following an outstanding season at Ithaca College. Dallis Jones ’25 nished second in the 100-meter dash nals with a time of 12.48 for Niagara University’s women’s track and eld team at the St. John Fisher Cardinal Classic. Molly O’Toole ’25 was named Female Newcomer of the Year at D’Youville University in women’s basketball. Share your good news! Share Your Good News! We would love for you to share your good news with us. Please visit www.aquinasinstitute.com/class-note or scan the QR Code. If you attach a photo, be sure to include all names of those pictured. Twins Amelia Janes and Conrad Michael to Dr. Christopher“CJ”Von Bargen ’11 and wife, Sabrina (pictured with big brother Briggs). Roman to Taylor ’16 and Brielle (Streber) Riggins ’16. Li’l Irish 25
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