Class of 2025
Juris Doctor Meredith Connolly is a dedicated environmental lawyer and policy advocate with over 15 years of experience advancing clean energy, climate resilience, and public health protections. For the past nine years, she has served as the Oregon Director at Climate Solutions, a clean energy nonprofit working to reduce climate and air pollution and build a thriving clean energy economy in the Pacific Northwest. Meredith has played a pivotal role in the passage of landmark climate legislation in Oregon, including policies to transition the state’s electricity grid to 100% clean energy and increase access to electric vehicles, solar, and energy efficiency for homes and businesses.
Prior to Climate Solutions, Meredith was a Climate and Energy Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), where she worked both domestically and internationally to advance renewable energy policies. Her work in India helped establish citywide heat action plans and early warning systems now implemented in most Indian states—initiatives credited with saving thousands of lives. Earlier in her career, Meredith practiced law in the private sector, including at Connolly & Malstrom, the local firm founded by her father.
Meredith was honored as one of the Portland Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 in 2020. She has also served her community through leadership and volunteer roles, including as a Board Member of the YMCA Camp Silver Creek Alumni Association, and as a three-year appointee to the Portland Utility Board overseeing the city’s water and environmental services. She also once volunteered for Portland Parks & Rec's Tree Inventory program, though she cheerfully admits tree identification was not her strong suit.
At Blanchet Catholic School, Meredith was actively involved in student government, serving as Student Body President her senior year. She was also a three-sport athlete in Varsity Soccer, Varsity Basketball (team captain), and Drama/Theater productions. Her volunteer work included time at Benedictine Nursing Home, community clean-up projects, helping decorate for dances, supporting the annual auction, and selling almond roca for school fundraising. She graduated as Valedictorian, was a member of the Honor Society, and helped lead the soccer team to a second-place finish at State in 2001.
Her academic and extracurricular pursuits continued through college and law school, where she volunteered for the Special Olympics, coached youth basketball, contributed to the Boston College Law Review, competed on the National Mock Trial Team, and was an active member of the Environmental Law Society.
Meredith and her husband Anthony Vigliotta, whom she married in 2008, live in Portland, Oregon with their three children. She has coached all three of their soccer teams over the years, continuing her passion for youth mentorship, teamwork, and community engagement.
Dr. Jared Houck is a board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician at Salem Hospital and a proud member of Salem Emergency Physicians Service. A native of Salem, Oregon, Jared graduated from Blanchet Catholic School as Salutatorian and Athlete of the Year before earning his M.D. from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He completed his Emergency Medicine residency at the Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Clinic Foundation program in Cleveland, Ohio—an intense training ground that shaped his clinical instincts and leadership in high-pressure environments.
Jared was drawn to medicine through a lifelong calling toward service, community, and curiosity about the human experience. Raised in a Catholic school system from elementary through high school, he credits much of his personal and professional development to the values instilled during those years—compassion, resilience, discipline, and service to others. Experiences like visiting senior residents through Friends of Benedictine taught him early on the power of presence and human connection, long before he ever wore a stethoscope.
Emergency medicine appealed to Jared for its fast pace, diagnostic challenge, and ability to care for patients from all walks of life. As the first physician to evaluate patients—often with limited information—he thrives in an environment that requires quick thinking, broad medical knowledge, and a calm presence. He believes the ER is a place where compassion and equity are practiced daily, and where clinicians have a unique responsibility to meet people where they are, often in their most vulnerable moments.
Throughout his training and career, Jared has remained committed to the idea that education should push people to grow—not just intellectually, but personally and spiritually. From the rigors of organic chemistry to life-or-death decisions in a trauma bay, he believes growth happens in discomfort, and that lasting lessons come from those who challenge us the most. He continues to carry the lessons of his mentors, patients, and peers into every shift, seeing each case as both a medical and human story.
Outside of medicine, Jared enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest’s trails, mountains, and coastlines. He and his wife Emily live in Salem, where they stay active in the community and enjoy raising their family. Whether in the emergency department or at home, Jared brings empathy, integrity, and humor to the people around him.
Jim and Lorna Monaghan are proud graduates of Oregon State University, where they first met and began a lifelong journey together. Married for 62 years, they have raised four children—Corrie Raffensperger, Kristin McCall, Kevin Monaghan, and Kelly Keudell—and have remained deeply rooted in their faith, family, and community.
Longtime residents of Salem, Jim and Lorna owned and operated a small construction company, contributing to the local economy and development. Beyond their business, they have been dedicated to service and education, with Jim serving on the boards of several community organizations, including the Salem Catholic Schools Foundation, Catholic Community Services, Capitol Manor Retirement Community, and Blanchet Catholic School.
Together, Jim and Lorna have always believed in the value of a Catholic education. They are strong advocates for its role in shaping young people of character, integrity, and civic responsibility. Their lifelong commitment to faith, family, and community continues to inspire those around them.
For over 20 years, Jim and Lorna have stood as pillars of support for the Blanchet community. True champions of Catholic education, the Monaghans have backed nearly every Blanchet event and initiative, including the annual auction, raffle, and fundraising campaigns. As esteemed members of the Archbishop Blanchet Society, their generous annual gifts have helped provide access to a Blanchet education for students who otherwise may not have had the opportunity. But their impact extends far beyond financial support. Jim and Lorna have been active participants in the life of the school—cheering from the sidelines at games, applauding from the audience at school plays, and attending cherished traditions like Grandparents Day. Their gifts of time, wisdom, and heartfelt encouragement have enriched the Blanchet community in countless ways.
In 2010, the Monaghans were honored with the President’s Award for their outstanding service and deep commitment to the school. Today, we are proud to recognize Jim and Lorna once again—this time with one of our highest honors—as they take their rightful place in Blanchet Catholic School’s Hall of Fame. Their legacy of generosity, love, and service is an inspiration to us all.
Stephen attended Sacred Heart Catholic Grade School in Gervais, Oregon, and graduated in the class of 2008 from Blanchet Catholic High School in Salem, Oregon. While attending Blanchet, Stephen was one of those students who took advantage of all that Blanchet offered. He was a standout on the football team, a solid student in the classroom, a star performer in various drama productions, and a leader among his peers. Stephen planned and constructed a picnic area at Keizer Rapids Park to achieve Eagle Scout with Boy Scouts of America Troop 121.
Stephen earned his bachelor's from Carroll College in Helena, Montana, with a degree in secondary education: social studies and a minor in theater. He taught in Tonasket, WA, Tillamook, OR, Beaverton, OR, and was most recently at Reynolds Middle School in Portland, OR.
Stephen’s love of sports and theater gave him great joy through coaching middle and high school athletes in football, track & field, and directing many school plays. He made lifelong friends everywhere he went.
Stephen William Sacchi, age 33, met a tragic death in a single-car crash on Saturday, December 24, 2022. He is greatly missed by his family, friends and all who knew him.
Dr. Nicolas Contreras graduated from Blanchet Catholic School in 2008 as Salutatorian of his class and received the Guido Caldarazzo Principal Award. He went on to attend Gonzaga University, where he graduated top of his class, majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Philosophy (2012). He earned national recognition during his time at Gonzaga with awards as the American Chemical Society Organic Chemistry Student of the Year as well as being awarded the prestigious position as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute junior investigator at Yale School of Medicine. He received his medical degree at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota on a full-ride scholarship (2016). He continued at the Mayo Clinic to complete his General Surgery Residency (2021). During his residency, Dr. Contreras received multiple awards recognizing his excellence in clinical and surgical care, including awards as the top surgical intern at the Mayo Clinic, the best overall surgical resident, and Chief Resident Teacher of the Year. He completed his fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Utah (2023). Currently, he is an Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Utah, Associate Program Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship, and Director of Esophageal Cancer Surgery at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. His practice and research focus on cancers of the chest, robotic surgery, lung transplantation, and surgical ethics. He has authored dozens of peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and abstracts.
Outside of his practice of cardiothoracic surgery, Dr Contreras has a passion for working with marginalized and underserved populations in the US and South America. He is also completing his Master's of Bioethics at Harvard Medical School alongside his current surgical practice.
His proudest achievement is being married to his wife, Lauren, and raising their two girls, Cecilia (3) and Lucia (2). They are expecting their third girl in December 2025.
One of the most remarkable seasons in Blanchet Catholic School history was rooted in years of dedication, beginning when several members of the 2017 Girls’ Basketball Team played together in youth leagues. Their chemistry and commitment carried through middle school and continued in high school with summer travel ball, including a memorable 2015 trip to a Wyoming team camp. After narrowly missing the state tournament in the 2015–2016 season, the returning players set their sights on a state title, working tirelessly throughout the offseason to make it a reality.
The 2016–2017 campaign began with a statement win over Valley Catholic and continued with strong regular season play, including a split with rival Salem Academy and a close loss to powerhouse Dayton. The Lady Cavs earned a co-league championship and secured a dominant first-round playoff win over Amity to reach the state tournament for the first time in five years. Entering as underdogs, they upset #4 seed Portland Adventist in a thrilling comeback, then defeated top-seeded Salem Academy in a near-perfect semifinal performance, advancing to the school’s first-ever state championship game.
Facing two-time defending champion Dayton, Blanchet’s tough defense kept them in the game despite trailing by 13 entering the final quarter. In one of the most dramatic finishes in state tournament history, the Cavaliers held Dayton scoreless for the final 7:30, capped by a clutch steal and basket by Ana Coronado and a final free throw by senior Sophia Poole to seal a 36–34 victory. The win earned Blanchet its first girls' basketball state title and a cascade of individual honors. The team’s grit, resilience, and unity throughout the season earned them a rightful place in the Blanchet Hall of Fame.