Don Bosco Technical Institute (commonly called "Bosco Tech" or "The Tech") is an all-male (grades 9-12),

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

Rosemead, California Rosemead is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2021 census, it had a population of 50,245, currently dropping. Rosemead is part of a cluster of cities, along with Alhambra, Arcadia, Temple City, Monterey Park, ...

, combining college-preparatory academic courses and technological education. The academic curriculum allows students to meet, or exceed, the admission requirements of the

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, ...

California State University The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a public university system in California. With 23 campuses and eight off-campus centers enrolling 485,550 students with 55,909 faculty and staff, CSU is the largest four-year public univers ...

and most other four-year colleges and universities throughout the country.

Background

Don Bosco Technical Institute (Bosco Tech) was established as a high school in 1954 through the cooperative efforts of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles The Archdiocese of Los Angeles ( la, Archidiœcesis Angelorum in California, es, Arquidiócesis de Los Ángeles) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in th ...

, the

Salesian Society , image = File:Stemma big.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms , abbreviation = SDB , formation = , founder = John Bosco , founding_location = Valdocco, Turin ...

, as well as industrial and business leaders of the

Greater Los Angeles Area Greater Los Angeles is the second-largest metropolitan region in the United States with a population of 18.5 million in 2021, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino Coun ...

. Bosco Tech offers a wide variety of extracurricular activities as well as sports. The school is based on

values. Students of any faith or religious persuasion may attend. The school is located in the

San Gabriel Valley The San Gabriel Valley ( es, Valle de San Gabriel) is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, lying immediately to the east of the eastern city limits of the city of Los Angeles, and occupying the vast majority of the eastern part ...

, 10 miles (16 km) east of

downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) contains the central business district of Los Angeles. In addition, it contains a diverse residential area of some 85,000 people, and covers . A 2013 study found that the district is home to over 500,000 jobs. It is ...

, just north of the

Pomona Freeway Pomona may refer to: Places Argentina * Pomona, Río Negro Australia * Pomona, Queensland, Australia, a town in the Shire of Noosa * Pomona, New South Wales, Australia Belize * Pomona, Belize, a List of municipalities in Belize#Stann Creek Dist ...

(SR 60) in the city of

. It occupies approximately thirty

acre The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imp ...

s. At the time the school was founded the area was known as South San Gabriel. City borders around it were changed, and it is now in Rosemead.

Academics

Academically, the school sees other local schools ( Loyola, La Salle,

Crespi Crespi (the Italian form of "Crispus") is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Benedetto Crespi (d. 725 AD), archbishop of Milan * Consuelo Crespi (1928–2010), model and editor of ''Vogue Italia'' *Cristoforo Benigno Crespi (1833 ...

, St. Francis, Bishop Amat, Serra, Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary, and

Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

) as peers, though none have the technology education offered by the Tech. Don Bosco Technical Institute is also close in proximity to two other Salesian-based high schools,

Salesian , image = File:Stemma big.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms , abbreviation = SDB , formation = , founder = John Bosco , founding_location = Valdocco, Turin ...

Boyle Heights Boyle is an English, Irish and Scottish surname of Gaelic, Anglo-Saxon or Norman origin. In the northwest of Ireland it is one of the most common family names. Notable people with the surname include: Disambiguation *Adam Boyle (disambiguation), ...

and St. John Bosco in Bellflower. Its students hail from all over the Greater Los Angeles area, with some students traveling more than an hour's commute each day to the school. Bosco Tech offers 6 Honors and 16

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

(AP) classes from freshman to senior year. Advanced Placement courses at Bosco Tech include: *

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

* Calculus AB *

Calculus BC Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus (also known as AP Calc, Calc AB / Calc BC or simply AB / BC) is a set of two distinct Advanced Placement calculus courses and exams offered by the American nonprofit organization College Board. AP Calculus AB cover ...

Chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

* Computer Science A * English Language and Composition * English Literature and Composition *

Environmental Science Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physics, biology, and geography (including ecology, chemistry, plant science, zoology, mineralogy, oceanography, limnology, soil science, geology and physical geograp ...

Human Geography Human geography or anthropogeography is the branch of geography that studies spatial relationships between human communities, cultures, economies, and their interactions with the environment. It analyzes spatial interdependencies between social i ...

Macroeconomics Macroeconomics (from the Greek prefix ''makro-'' meaning "large" + ''economics'') is a branch of economics dealing with performance, structure, behavior, and decision-making of an economy as a whole. For example, using interest rates, taxes, and ...

* Physics C: Mechanics * Spanish Language and Culture * Spanish Literature and Culture *

Statistics Statistics (from German language, German: ''wikt:Statistik#German, Statistik'', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of ...

* United States Government and Politics *

United States History The history of the lands that became the United States began with the arrival of the first people in the Americas around 15,000 BC. Numerous indigenous cultures formed, and many saw transformations in the 16th century away from more densely ...

Honors courses at Bosco Tech include: *Biology *Chemistry *English 1-2 *English 3-4 *English 5-6 *World History

Technology

In addition to the academic program, all students are required to participate in the school's pre-engineering/technology program and declare a major in one of six technology fields: * ACE —

Architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

and Construction Engineering * BMET —

Biological Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary in ...

Medical Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...

, and

Environmental Technology Environmental technology (envirotech) or green technology (greentech), also known as ''clean technology'' (''cleantech''), is the application of one or more of environmental science, green chemistry, environmental monitoring and electronic device ...

* CSEE —

Computer Science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...

and

Electrical Engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

* IDEA —

Integrated Design Integrated design is a comprehensive holistic approach to design which brings together specialisms usually considered separately. It attempts to take into consideration all the factors and modulations necessary to a decision making process. A few ...

Engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

and

Art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

* MAT —

Media Arts New media art includes artworks designed and produced by means of electronic media technologies, comprising virtual art, computer graphics, computer animation, digital art, interactive art, sound art, Internet art, video games, robotics, 3D pri ...

and

Technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...

* MSET — Materials Science, Engineering and Technology All entering freshmen are required to attend a mandatory summer program prior to their ninth-grade year. This program includes a five-week Principles of Engineering class and an intensive math, English and study skills seminar. The seminar is similar to the summer bridge program offered at most universities and prepares students for the rigors of Bosco Tech's math and science curriculum. BoscoTechAdminBld1 2

In the fall semester, the freshmen enroll in three, six-week introductory technology courses chosen from the school's six technology departments. After their first semester of study, freshman students will select a technology major. They will remain in that major for the duration of their ninth-grade year and for the proceeding three years. It is important to note, the sequential nature of the technology coursework makes it difficult for transfer students after the tenth grade and will require all transfer students to complete summer coursework.

Athletics

The athletic teams participate in the Camino Real League and the Del Rey League. The school's rivals are Mary Star of the Sea, Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary, and La Salle High School. The Athletic Program at Bosco Tech consists of: *Baseball *Basketball *Cross Country *Football *Golf *Soccer *Tennis *Track & Field *Volleyball

Student life

Clubs and Organizations

Since the opening of the school, it has offered a variety of diverse student organizations and clubs, including: The school has been recognized for its renowned debate team, which has competed and placed successfully in local and national debate tournaments, even though mainly composed of underclassmen. For the first time in the school's history, it sent a Public Forum Debate Team to the National Championships held in June 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This team was composed of junior classmen Evan Godfrey and Aris Govjian. The school also has a special relationship with its "sister schools": Ramona Convent in

Alhambra The Alhambra (, ; ar, الْحَمْرَاء, Al-Ḥamrāʾ, , ) is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the ...

;

San Gabriel Mission High School San Gabriel Mission High School is an all-girls Catholic College Preparatory high school located on the grounds of the fourth mission of California, which was founded in 1771 by Franciscan priests and often used by Junipero Serra as his headquar ...

in San Gabriel; and Alverno in

Sierra Madre Sierra Madre (Spanish, 'mother mountain range') may refer to: Places and mountains Mexico *Sierra Madre Occidental, a mountain range in northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona *Sierra Madre Oriental, a mountain range in northeastern Mexico *S ...

; The school participates with its sister schools in several activities and organizations: *The Bosco Tech Yell, Cheer,

Pep flags Pep flags, also known as flaggies, short flags, small flags, or twirl flags, is the performing art of twirling one or two flag(s) as part of a choreographed routine. In the early 21st century, some school flag squads have implemented a third or e ...

and

Mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...

program *The yearly March for Hunger, by walking from

Salazar Park Ruben F. Salazar Park (formerly Laguna Park) is a park in East Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. It is administrated by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. The park is located at 3864 Whittier Boulevard, about e ...

in Los Angeles to

Santa Monica Beach Santa Monica State Beach is a California State Park operated by the city of Santa Monica. Description The beach is located along Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica. It is long and has parks, picnic areas, playgrounds, restrooms, as well as s ...

while raising money for the Los Angeles Catholic Worker's Hospitality Kitchen with Ramona Convent,

Damien High School Damien High School is an all-boys Roman Catholic high school in La Verne, in the U.S. state of California named for Saint Damien of Molokai. The school had its first graduating class in 1963. Each of Damien's freshmen classes draws from an avera ...

La Verne, California La Verne is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 31,063 at the 2010 census, down from 31,638 at the 2000 census. History The European history of the area dates back to the 1830s when Ygnacio Palomares ...

and St. Paul High School in

Santa Fe Springs, California Santa Fe Springs (''Santa Fe'', Spanish for "Holy Faith") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. The population was 16,223 at the 2010 census, down from 17,43 ...

*As of the 2019-2020 year, Bosco Tech's Music Program and the FRC Robotics Club now take in students from sister schools to participate.

Music program

The music program at Bosco Tech consists of: *Marching Band *Wind Ensemble *Percussion Ensemble *Jazz Band *Jazz Honor Band *Music Appreciation Music education was emphasized as one of the main focuses of Don Bosco's educational approach. Therefore, since the school's birth in 1955, the "Bosco Tech Royal Techmen Marching Band" became the school's first and oldest extracurricular activity. Bosco Tech's music program was founded in 1957. Its most famous band director was Brother Eugene Burns, who directed the band from 1957 to 1978. In the 1970-1971 season, the auxiliary units were formed by San Gabriel Mission only until 1980s, when girls from Ramona Convent joined the units. The band had marched 70+ members in the 1970s, but, in recent years, band membership has averaged 35–40 members. Despite its relatively small size, the marching band and the auxiliary units have scored high points in their division and have even received sweepstakes. The marching band is known throughout the state as "the band with the cannon". Its trademark cannon, made on the school premises, was fired and pulled by two students in front of the band during band reviews and parades in various Southern California cities, such as

Arcadia Arcadia may refer to: Places Australia * Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney * Arcadia, Queensland * Arcadia, Victoria Greece * Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese * Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...

Temple City Temple City, officially the City of Temple City, is a city in Los Angeles County, California located northeast of downtown Los Angeles and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. Temple City is part of a cluster of cities, along with Pasadena, ...

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, Montebello,

Azusa Azusa may refer to: Relating to California From a Native American language, likely Tongva ''Asuksagna:'' *Azusa, California, a city in the United States *Azusa Pacific University, a Christian-based institution in Azusa, California *Azusa Street Rev ...

and

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. The band has also appeared in the

Los Angeles County Fair The Los Angeles County Fair is an annual county fair. It was first held on October 17, 1922, and ran for five days through October 21, 1922, in a former beet field in Pomona, California. Highlights of the fair's first year were harness racing, ...

, a

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

football game, the California 500 Speedway in

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Disneyland's "

America on Parade America on Parade ("AOP") was a temporary replacement for Disneyland's and the Magic Kingdom's The Main Street Electrical Parade ("MSEP") for the United States Bicentennial and for Disneyland's 20th and The Magic Kingdom's 5th anniversaries. Like ...

Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ( ...

, San Francisco's Columbus Day Parade, the Hawaii Invitational Music Festival, the

Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten field centers. Since December 1968 ...

Sea World San Diego SeaWorld San Diego is an animal theme park, oceanarium, outside aquarium and marine mammal park, in San Diego, California, United States, inside Mission Bay Park. It is owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. SeaWorld San Diego ...

and

Universal Studios Florida Universal Studios Florida (also known as Universal Studios or USF) is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Primarily themed to movies, television and other aspects of the entertainment industry, the park opened to the public on June 7, 1990 ...

. During the Winter of the 2017-18 school year, the band's membership grew to 48 members. During this time there were more students involved in the band than the football team. The next year, in the 2018-19 school year, the band opened its registration to its sister schools:San Gabriel Mission and Ramona Convent, as those schools did not have proper music programs. For the first time in 61 years, the Bosco Tech Music Program features players of both genders.

Culture

* One of the school's original cheers celebrated the inherent "

geek The word ''geek'' is a slang term originally used to describe Eccentricity (behavior), eccentric or non-mainstream people; in current use, the word typically connotes an expert or enthusiast obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit. In th ...

" status of the students at a technical high school. * In 1975 Bosco Tech paid $200 to the then "garage-band"

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...

to perform at a campus music show. *

Black Eyed Peas Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo (rapper), Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie (singer ...

performed at Bosco Tech's end-of-year dance back in 2001 *

filmed the music video for their song "Big Love" during the summer of 2018 at Bosco Tech. * The current mascot, the

Tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...

, was adopted after a student vote in 1986. The historic mascot of the school is the "Techman." *The school has one of the oldest high school

Kairos Kairos ( grc, καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning 'the right, critical, or opportune moment'. In modern Greek, ''kairos'' also means 'weather' or 'time'. It is one of two words that the ancient Greeks had for 'time'; the other bei ...

retreat programs in Southern California. Students have been going on the retreat since the 1980s. Twice a school year, during fall and spring, the students participate in the Salesian Spirit Games. In these games the 6 technologies compete against each other in different sports. Each grade level is given a sport to compete in: *Volleyball (Freshman) *Soccer (Sophomores) *Basketball (Juniors) *Football (Seniors) The winner of the Salesian Spirit Games is awarded the Salesian Cup. In addition to sports, the 6 technologies compete for spirit. The Tech with the most spirit displayed throughout the games wins the Spirit Cup.

Notable alumni

* Wayne Engelstad, former NBA Basketball player,

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

* Paul Crespo, media commentator * Jose Luis Gonzalez, founder of Goez Art Studio, 1969, the first Chicano arts organization that was developed to promote the work of Chicano artists. * Michael Garciaparra, former professional baseball player *

Ken Gushi is one of Japan's top competitors in the sport of Drifting (motorsport), drifting. Born in Okinawa, Japan, but raised in San Gabriel Ca, he was taught by his fatheTsukasa Gushiat the age of 13 with a Toyota AE86. Ken has become the youngest compe ...

, professional drift car racer (attended, but did not graduate) *

Josh Lakatos Joshua David "Josh" Lakatos (born March 24, 1973) is an American former Olympic target shooter. He was born in Pasadena, California. Career At the 1992 Olympic Trials, Lakatos did not make the Olympic team, finishing in seventh place. At the 19 ...

, former Olympic target shooter and semi-professional Quarter Midget race car driver. *

Alex Meruelo Alex Meruelo (born March 27, 1964) is a Cuban-American billionaire who holds business interests in banking, real estate, media, restaurants, food, casinos, and professional sports. He is the owner of Meruelo Group, as well as Meruelo Media, whic ...

, owner of the

Arizona Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...

Nick Spano Nicola Fortunato Spano (born March 16, 1976 in Los Angeles, California) is an American acting coach and former actor. Spano is best known for his role as Donnie Stevens in the Disney Channel Original Series ''Even Stevens'' and Disney Channel O ...

, actor *

Michael Trevino Michael Anthony Trevino (born January 25, 1985) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as List of The Vampire Diaries characters#Tyler Lockwood, Tyler Lockwood on The CW, The CW's ''The Vampire Diaries''; and as Kyle Valenti in Roswe ...

, actor *

Jay Hernandez Javier Manuel Hernandez Jr. (born February 20, 1978), known professionally as Jay Hernandez, is an American actor and fashion model. After making his television debut in NBC's '' Hang Time'', Hernandez made his film debut opposite Kirsten Dunst ...

, actor (attended, but did not graduate)

References

{{authority control Boys' schools in California Roman Catholic secondary schools in Los Angeles County, California Rosemead, California Salesian schools Salesian secondary schools 1955 establishments in California Educational institutions established in 1955 Catholic secondary schools in California