Santa Clara University’s annual senior toast was held in the Mission Gardens on Friday afternoon, celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2026.  At the ceremony, the University’s Vice Provost of student life Jeanne Rosenberger announced that Leavey School of Business student Charles Silver ’26 had been selected as the class’s esteemed valedictorian.  Silver, a management major completing his bachelor of science in commerce, was recognized as a member of the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit Honor Society, the Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honor Society and the Leavey Scholars Program. He was also acknowledged for his leadership in outdoor club Into The Wild, and his contributions to the Santa Clara community as an Ignatian Fellow. Rosenberger also announced the recipients of the prestigious St. Clare and Nobili medals, which are bestowed to seniors “judged outstanding in academic achievement, personal character, school activities and overall contribution to the University.”  The St. Clare Medal went to Claire Krebs ’26. A double major in neuroscience and philosophy with a minor in biology, Krebs was recognized for her impact on the Santa Clara University community through her many academic and extracurricular involvements.  In addition to serving as senator, senate chair and most recently president of the University’s Associated Student Government, Krebs was honored as a Hackworth Fellow, a student leader for the Santa Clara Community Action Program and as the Safe Walk SCU coordinator. Krebs is also an honors student and a Johnson Scholar.  The Nobili Medal was awarded to Jalen Paige ’26, an honors student and Johnson Scholar majoring in computer science.  Paige was recognized for his many roles on campus; he serves as co-chair of the Black Student Union, as a board member of the Association for Computing Machinery, and as an analyst for the Santa Clara Investment Fund. Through his work with the Black Student Union, Paige helped further initiatives such as the Black Bronco Network, a group dedicated to supporting and connecting Black Santa Clara University students, faculty, staff and alumni.  📝: @kyliebenn 📷: Dylan Ryu + @ninaglickphoto

Santa Clara University’s club sailing team ended its season by trading its usual college dinghies for a heavier boat, a shifting course and a race that had the Broncos needing to find their sea legs fast. The team competed on May 20 in a keelboat regatta at Encinal Yacht Club in Alameda, California, where Chase VanDerveer ’27, Lauren Laird ’29, Joaquin Torres ’29 and Lorenzo Maino ’29 finished fourth out of five crews in a field of mostly local sailors. The race was outside their normal competition schedule. Unlike the smaller dinghies used in many college regattas, keelboats have a fixed keel beneath the boat that provides stability and helps crews handle stronger winds, shifting conditions and longer tactical races. For the Broncos, the format was a change of tack. VanDerveer said the 22-foot keelboat weighed about 3,200 pounds, much more than the 200-pound boats the team normally races. “I treated it like a dinghy, and not a big boat like it is,” VanDerveer said. That lesson came after what VanDerveer called a “tactical mistake” on the first windward leg. Nevertheless, he was happy the crew got practice in. Torres, who competed in his first keelboat race, said the format kept him busy. “Compared to the dinghies, it’s a lot more engaging,” Torres said. “There’s just more stuff to do, and there’s always something going on.” Maino served as the tactician, watching the course and other boats while VanDerveer steered. “I’m giving information and giving them calls on what to do,” Maino said. The wind also refused to stay anchored. VanDerveer called the conditions “shifty,” saying sailors had to “connect the dots” between stronger patches of wind before those patches changed direction. The regatta capped a year of growth for the club, which VanDerveer said has grown to about 20 active members. The same crew expects to compete in match race qualifiers in Long Beach next year. “Our first race next year will actually be pretty similar,” Laird said. “It’ll be on keelboats like this one.” This regatta proved a valuable learning experience ahead of the team's competition next fall, helping them avoid the mistakes they made this time around. 📝+📷: Dylan Ryu