The Valley Catholic February 6, 2018 | Page 17

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS tvc.dsj.org | February 6, 2018 17 Deacon Rubén Solorio Named Next President of Sacred Heart Nativity Schools The Board of Directors of Sacred Heart Nativity Schools in mid-January announced the selection of Deacon Rubén Solorio as President in July 2018 succeeding Sonya Arriola. In a letter from Board of Directors Chair Katie Burke to the community, Deacon Solorio was described as “a highly regarded leader with a deep com- mitment to providing enthusiastic and mission-centered leadership.” Most recently, Solorio has been the Director of Individual Giving and Do- nor Stewardship at YMCA of Silicon Valley. For many years, he spent time working throughout the Diocese of San Jose in leadership roles at the Chancery, Sacred Heart Parish, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County and Sacred Heart Community Service, as well as a num- ber of other faith-based organizations. Solorio is a graduate of Bellarmine Col- lege Preparatory, the Graduate Program for Pastoral Ministries at Santa Clara University and completed the Deacon Formation Program followed by his ordination in 2012 in the Diocese of San Jose. Burke continued in the letter, “What impressed us while going through the extensive interview process was Rubén’s connection with the faculty, staff , parents and students of our com- munity. With 25 years of working in the Deacon Rubén Solorio Diocese, 10 of those directly with the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish community, Rubén is fully bilingual and bicultural and deeply understands the needs of our school community.” In addition, outgoing President Ar- riola was praised for her commitment. “Sonya has been a tenacious, com- passionate and strong director of the work at Sacred Heart Nativity Schools,” Burke said in the letter. “Please join us in thanking Sonya for her leadership and wishing her well in her future endeavors.” Solorio will begin job sharing with Arriola on March 1 to ensure a seamless transition. Sacred Heart Nativity Schools (SHNS) provide a transformative middle school education to low-income youth in San Jose and believe in breaking the cycle of poverty through education. Learn more about the Sacred Heart Nativity Schools at www.shnativity.org. Archbishop Mitty High School’s Outreach Program Volunteers at Sacred Heart Community Service By Harrison Peters ’18 Archbishop Mitty High School’s Out- reach Program strives to bring students of color together to engage in cultural, social, and educational activities. The program invites guest speakers to talk to students about current social events and to off er advice for life at college. The program also supports students’ academic and career goals by providing opportunities to sign up for college visits and college-prep enrichment programs. Students in Outreach work together to create a comfortable and engaging environment for student-members. There are two clubs within Outreach: the Latin American Student Union (LASU) and the African American Stu- dent Union (AASU). Both clubs focus on bringing students of color together through club events of their own and shared events. As a member of AASU, I have had the opportunity to serve as a representative for the Students of Color Reception and as a Mitty Ambassador for prospective students. From these leadership opportunities, I have helped answer students’ questions about the school and off er advice on how to suc- ceed at Archbishop Mitty High School. Students from the Outreach Program also volunteer their time at places like Sacred Heart Community Service. Re- cently, we spent a Saturday morning organizing and bagging food that the organization gave out to families in need. I personally volunteered as a part of Outreach because I like being aware of the state of my community. Commu- nity service allows me to be more aware of the current struggles of many people in the area and has given me insight into ways to help out. This volunteering opportunity has allowed students, like myself, to realize the reality of the state of their community and prompts us to take action and support organizations that work to improve it. The Archbishop Mitty Outreach Program has provided many oppor- tunities for me to pursue my academic goals and interests, helping me grow into a student who is prepared for col- lege and life after it. Reverse Mortgage Lending Limit is NOW $679,650! You may be entitled to more money! Las Posada Tradition Lives on at Saint John Vianney As a tradition for the past 25 years, the eighth grade students of Saint John Vianney School have hosted a Las Posadas procession throughout the entire school to re-enact the story of Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem. The eighth grade students sang “con gusto y fervor” as they processed in and out of each classroom asking each class if they had any room for them. As the students responded, “No! Go away! You are not welcome here,” the procession continued on to the next classroom in the same manner until they reached the church doors. Once inside the church, where the rest of the student body had quickly assembled, the students fi nally shouted, “Yes! Come in! You ARE welcome here!” The procession of students sat down, and the seventh graders gave a reflection on how we helped a variety of local organizations throughout our Advent Novena giving days. This long-standing tradition welcomes our families to join in this culminating event of the school’s Advent activities. It is very exciting for the students and reminds us to open our hearts to Jesus and to welcome and assist others in need. Also, our Proprietary Jumbo Reverse Mortgage Loan Program may offer you even more money! CALL Me! 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