Named last fall as the first "Champion for Character" school by the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section, St. John Bosco High School officially received its honor at a Feb. 1 school assembly.

CIF-SS Commissioner Dr. Jim Staunton presented a flag to the student body, recognizing that the Bellflower all-boys' secondary school was selected from 567 other schools for the award.

"We believe that students should play sports to learn all the positive lessons from participating: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship," said Staunton. "Those are the six pillars of character that this school has worked very hard to teach and to exemplify and to model for all of you."

In his remarks, Bosco principal Patrick Lee said the six pillars are posted around campus, brought up every day by coaches and teachers, tested in the classroom and, hopefully, embodied by students.

He pointed out that Bosco had been passing on these bedrock Gospel values since it opened 66 years ago.

"The award shows that we can successfully partner with students, parents and the community at large to build Catholic character," he said. "Together we teach it, enforce it, advocate it and, both internally and externally, model it."

San Pedro Region Auxiliary Bishop Alexander Salazar praised the students for giving their school and each other a wonderful gift.

"Be men of character, men of good will, people who do the right thing because it is the right thing to do," he urged. "And make yourselves really shine forth as the one school in the archdiocese that has received this great, great award."

Varsity Club president Domingo Castellanos and student body president Matt Magar accepted the CIF character flag on behalf of their school. Castellanos, a senior from Norwalk who lettered in football and track, told The Tidings that his coaches were more interested in him and his teammates becoming better persons than star athletes.

"Coming in here, I was really, really shy," he acknowledged. "I was like really scared to talk to anybody. And with sports, I got to make all these new friends. You make a brotherhood out of it."

Magar didn't play any sports at Bosco. But the 17-year-old senior from Downey says he also came out of his shell and found himself during high school.

"I think we got this award because we've reflected the Gospel message this school is built upon," he said. "I think it's something in the spirit of the school overall --- a presence of something more than this world.

"I don't think you'll find one senior who has not changed from the moment they stepped into Bosco --- spiritually, intellectually."