Joe Venegas, Jr.:
CLASS OF 1974
El Modena High SchoolClass of 1974
Orange, CA
California State University - EducationClass of 1985
Long beach, CA
Ca State University at Long BeachClass of 1982
Long beach, CA
Saint Joseph SchoolClass of 1970
Santa ana, CA
Joe's Story
Life
Since graduating from El Modena H.S., I've done quite a lot of things...coached Track and Field, coached Baseball, traveled Europe, dived some of the most beautiful oceans and seas, I was blessed by Pope John Paul II, I've worked with, and seen all sorts of celebrities, heads of State, (George Bush, Al Gore, Premier of China, etc.) been in a Boomer Boat, and an LA class Attack sub, been in a M-1A Top-Secret Tank, on a Pershing Missle Base in Europe and graduated from CSULB, and finally,... got married and had three boys. (it had to happen eventually) I currently am a History teacher in SAUSD. Definitely not something anyone can do. I am happily married ('88) to my wife Valerie, (SAHS class of '81-does anyone ever put anything different? I mean if you do, you're probably toast!) with three boys, Joe III, Javier, and Jarod. I am part-time baseball coach, helping out at Century HS, where I currently teach. I am also a High School and Little League Umpire. I've attended MLB Umpire camps and I also graduated from the Western Region Umpire School, (Jan. '08) something that was physically and mentally exhausting! I help out as an Instructor with District-30, and with the High School Assoc. (OCBOA) as a result. I also help out Tim O'Donoghue (of Tustin HS Baseball fame) at his baseball camps and clinics.) My family and I love to go to both Dodgers and Angel games, but love the Dodgers infinitely more! We travel as a family, with one of our favorite destinations being Monterey, Calif., and visiting Baseball Cities. I still live in Orange, right near El Modena, just down the street from where my parents live.
School
I came to El Modena HS straight out of Catholic School. (St. Joe's in Santa Ana) When I got there...it was WOW! The girls were in mini's...well I was amazed I was able to walk around at all! Cross-Country and Track was where I excelled. I played baseball in the spring/summer, and had a blast doing it. Our summer teams routinely beat the Elmo varsity back then. I earned my Varsity letter my soph. year for running a 2:02 880 at an Invitational, and winning in the Varsity race. The Cross-Country team were a bunch of wild guys. Yeah, I know we were geeks, but when we were together we did some wild stuff. The only thing I was scared of were the girls. What can I say...I was super introverted back then. Now, or rather today, well that's a whole different story. I got to see Irvine and Anaheim Hills before they put in all the houses. I saw Jim McKelvy chase down a deer. I remember the old Chapman grade. Gutowsky, our coach, yelling out our times. Mr. Parker, the Track coach, and his marooon colored sports jacket. Our training camps in Tahoe, where we learned about women. High School was okay-not real fun-but okay. Santa Ana College was great. I learned alot from Howard Brubaker the track coach then. I really got to know him later, but he was a man's man. I later ended up at Long Beach State where I was a member of the Theta Chi fraternity. A wild time-that was. I loved the campus and of course "The Nugget," our on campus bar. Great deals on beer and pizza! Went to Europe for awhile after...Expand for more
graduating, then came back and worked as a graduate asst. at LBSU and as a part time instructor and coach at SAC. That was where I met my wife to be. After subbing in various districts, I ended up in Santa Ana. I 've worked in different positions in the District, but currently teach Social Studies to High School 10th graders. I am at Century HS, and am thoroughly enjoying the twilight of my career. This is where I'll probably finish out my "illustrious" career as a teacher.
College
It all started with me going to Santa Ana College and running for Howard Brubaker. Our first time meeting everyone on the team was a week at Big Bear for our training camp. Brubaker would drop us off 10-15 miles out and then tell us to "run back." We got everything. Shoes, sweats, more shoes, and a meal ticket to eat whatever we wanted in the cafeteria. (which was awesome in those days.) We even got our own locker room. I still have a clipping from Eddie West (a Register Sports Writer) called 'West Winds' that touted us as having one of the best teams ever. Well, on paper anyway. Kevin Kuroda, John Goeke, Keith Witthauer, Bill Graves, Joe Rust, Joe Frisbie (aka WHAM-O)...what a group of characters! Oh, I forgot, school. Well it was alright, I lasted about two years, and then I decided I was tired of running and dropped out. But, I came back 4 1/2 yrs. later. More mature, and having seen the world. Well now school was important. I remember Dan Goldman, what a great Bio teacher, Dick Gorrie in First Aid-another great teacher-My psych teacher, Mr. Pezzetti-these men really made it seem to easy, but I think my attitude towards learning changed. And Brubaker...once he heard I was back in school, wanted me on the track team. I had told him no, but he said all I had to do was show up for the meets, and I would get my own hotel room! Of course I said yes, and went on to have one of my most memorable years in track. At one meet I won the javelin, took 3rd in the discus, and then stepped on the track to take a third in the 880. I transferred to Long Beach where I discovered "The Nuggett," our bar on campus. School was okay, met some great people, but most of all was inspired by my History professors, Dr's., David Crockett(a great grandson) and Irving Ahlquist. There were a couple of others, such as David Wurzer in the P.E. dept. who encouraged me to do different things, that I was a bright guy, and others I can't remember their names who were also instrumental. But school, those all-nighters in the library, our 'new' computer lab with the computer cards, and it was always going down. Our famous study group, that many wanted to join but couldn't. I played intra-murals, and we had one of the best all-around teams..."The Unknowns." I did some graduate assistant work in the PE dept., and had a great time doing it! By the time I graduated, I was working part-time at Santa Ana College as a PE instructor. I'd work at Long Beach in the morning, then haul butt down the 405/22 in the afternoon while wolfing down something to eat. I eventually had, needed a full-time job, and started working for SAUSD, where I continue to work today.
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