The La Cañada Thursday Club will present seven young women on Dec. 29 at the Bal Blanc De Noël celebration.
Serving as master of ceremonies for the evening is Tri Fritz, who is the father of a former debutante. Fritz is the director of adult religious education at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Pasadena. He also dedicates his free time to better the lives of residents at St. John of God Retirement Center, the homeless at the St. Francis Center, and he is the stadium announcer for the football, basketball and baseball teams at Maranatha High School.
Joani Bartoli-Porto, Thursday Club president, will present the traditional Camellia charm to each debutante as a gift from the Club. Following the presentation, the debutantes will dance the customary first waltz with their fathers.
Rachel Fritz is chair of the Bal Blanc de Noël, along with Jeanie Kay as pageantry chair. Alison McQuay and Julie Milbrodt are co-chairs of the Les Fleurettes Modern Debutante Program.
For more information on the program, visit lacanadathursdayclub.org/debutantes-1.
Wren Cecilia Cochran Allen
Wren Cecilia Cochran Allen is the daughter of Heather Cochran and David Allen. Her escort is her brother, Boone Cochran Allen. She is the newsletter liaison to the Thursday Club for her Les Fleurettes class.
Wren is a senior at La Cañada High School. She has a long-standing passion for art and has focused her extracurricular time honing her skills in multiple media. This past summer, she was accepted by the portfolio review committee into a competitive studio art program at the Maryland Institute College of Art.
Wren is a member of the Art Honor Society. She has already sold more than 75 art commissions in digital art. Wren volunteers as the social media manager for a Pasadena-based cat rescue organization, Lifeline for Pets L.A. She is very proud to increase the rescue group’s online awareness and companion animal adoptability. Wren plans to attend a university in the fall. She has not yet declared a major, but is interested in psychology and history, as well as studio art. Wren would like to have a career that mixes art with business, perhaps as an entrepreneur.
Maria Gaby Boutros
Maria Gaby Boutros is the daughter of Maya and Gaby Boutros. Her escort is Patrick Maroun. She is vice president of her Les Fleurettes class.
Maria is a senior at Flintridge Sacred Heart. She is the social media manager of the school newspaper Veritas. She is a student Ambassador where she welcomes new girls and their families to the school campus. Maria is also on the board of the Fashion Fits Club and is an active member of the mental health and awareness and student mission committees. Maria is part of FSHA’s afterschool dance crew, the Ultimate Dance Crew, where she has performed in her school’s annual dance concert.
Outside of school, Maria is a part of the Maronite Youth Organization where she helps the Lebanese community. Maria plans to attend a local university in the fall and study psychology. She hopes she can have a career where she can help individuals who struggle with mental health to find cures and manage their challenges.
Sionainn Keira Davis
Sionainn Keira Davis is the child of Kelly and Christopher Davis. Sionainn’s escort is Rosalie Ahern. Sionainn is events coordinator for the Les Fleurettes class.
Sionainn is a senior at La Cañada High School. Sionainn is especially proud of all the time spent organizing the school’s extensive collection of costumes. In February, Sionainn will be designing make-up for the fairies in the production of “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and part of the chorus in the spring LCHS production of “Beauty and the Beast.” Sionainn also assembles and paints sets for the many plays and musicals produced by La Cañada Playhouse.
Sionainn’s early love of dance led to the Color Guard and has acted as a leader and mentor in the group by teaching flag and rifle skills to aspiring middle school students. Sionainn plans to attend a university to earn a degree in technical theater and hopes to one day work in theatrical set design and concert lighting.
Allison Ann Ingrassia
Allison Ann Ingrassia is the daughter of Sara and Steven Ingrassia. Her escort is Richard Gray Cucullu. She is secretary of her Les Fleurettes class.
Allison is a senior at La Cañada High School. She loves theater and has enjoyed being part of the drama program. This year, she will play Puck in Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Allison is also member of the Varsity Comedy Sports Team improvisation group.
Allison is currently captain of the girls wrestling team. She began club wrestling in junior high and after joining the high school team in 9th grade, developed a recruiting program with two other students that led to a full women’s wrestling roster.
She grew up an active participant All Saints Church in Pasadena’s youth group and has been involved in the youth choir and acolyte program. Allison plans to attend a university in the fall and would really like to study abroad. She hopes to study business with a marketing emphasis.
Grace Marie Jeandron
Grace Marie Jeandron is the daughter of Debra Jeandron, M.D., and Tracy Jeandron. Her escort is her brother, Grant Christopher Jeandron. She is class historian for her Les Fleurettes class.
Grace is a senior at La Cañada High School. She started Hand in Hand, a peer-to-peer group that aims to support students who have Individualized Education Programs learn how to self-advocate and assimilate to the middle and high school experience. She is also very interested in using available technology to help different types of learners.
Grace has worked the last two summers as a counselor at Spartan Allstars Sports Camp, which is located at the LCHS campus.
Grace is planning to attend a small liberal arts college on the West Coast where she will explore psychology, kinesiology and education. She hopes to pursue a career in the overall wellness of children, which could possibly be a school counselor, physical education teacher, or a therapist.
Alina Marie Perez
Alina Marie Perez is the daughter of Angelica and Tony Perez. Her escort is Giuliano Lampasona. She is president of her Les Fleurettes class. Alina is a senior at Flintridge Sacred Heart. She is part of the mental health and awareness committee, which meets once a month to talk about ways to help with stress and anxiety and promotes healthy ways of living.
Alina has played volleyball throughout high school. She began on the school’s team freshman year and has played for San Gabriel Elite club teams throughout high school.
Alina completed her Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouts. Her Gold Award project was fundraising for and providing an Automated External Defibrillator to the Thursday Club.
Alina loves living in California and hopes to attend one of its many highly regarded universities. She plans on pursuing a degree in law and finance.
Isabella Rose Vargo
Isabella Rose Vargo is the daughter of Christine Clark and Mark Vargo. Her escort is Shane Michael Clark. She is publicity chair for her Les Fleurettes class.
Isabella, or Bella, is a senior at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy. Bella has always been interested in fashion, both in studying design and wearing nice clothes. She is a member of the Fashion Fits Club. Bella is a member of the Mental Health Awareness Committee.
Bella has been a member of Girl Scouts since the first grade. She is currently working on achieving her Gold Award. Her project is building a mud kitchen for the children at Community Center preschool. For the last two summers, Bella participated in the La Cañada Girl Scouts Camp as a camp counselor.
Bella plans to attend a university in California and study hotel management with a minor in psychology. She hopes to pursue a career in hospitality, so she can travel the world learning about new places and helping others.
First published in the December 21 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
