Dear Friends of Cristo Rey,

It is with immense joy that we announce this year’s Rey of Hope theme: 10 Years of Igniting Dreams. At this year’s event – on March 21st – we will celebrate our decade-long commitment to nurturing the minds and spirits of our students in the tradition of St. Ignatius of Loyola. 

The success of these last ten years has been possible because of your unwavering belief in our mission. Your steadfast partnership has served as the cornerstone for our students’ dreams to flourish. 

Please join us at Rey of Hope as we gather to commemorate ten years of illuminating pathways, nurturing aspirations, and most of all, igniting dreams. Thank you so much for being an integral part of our school community’s journey to transformational change!

Sincerely,

Silvia Scandar Mahan

President

Last Fall, the Cristo Rey San José (CRSJ) Board of Directors unanimously elected Nick Noviello as Board Chair, recognizing his significant contributions since joining in 2020. Nick, a Managing Director at Crosspoint Capital, was Vice Chair and brings extensive financial and operational expertise from his senior executive roles at Symantec Corporation and NetApp, Inc. The Board also appointed Jim Burns, who currently serves as Chair of CRSJ's Corporate Work Study Board. Jim is a seasoned Silicon Valley executive with over 35 years of experience, known for his roles at HP, Accela, and Silver Spring Networks. Two new board members also were appointed: Steve Gomo, former CFO of NetApp, Inc. and experienced board member, bringing valuable industry insight and board experience, and Mary Beth Riley, former Principal and Head of School at Notre Dame High School in San José, who joins with an extensive education leadership background.

We are so grateful for Nick and Jim’s service and warmly welcome Steve and Mary Beth to the CRSJ family. We appreciate all these individuals do for our students and our school! Visit our website to read the full announcement.

We are excited to share the Jesuits West Winter 2023 Issue, which shares stories of how the Holy Spirit brings life and togetherness to the faith journeys of many individuals, including CRSJ Board Co-Chair Emeritus B.J. Cassin (pictured on far left with John A. Sobrato and CRSJ students), and the special bond between CRSJ Board Member Fr. Chi Ngo, S.J. and his brother Fr. Chu Ngo, S.J. (see page 24 for the profile on the Ngos).

Aside from being one of our school's founders, B.J. and his wife, Bebe, are major supporters of Jesuit works, the Jesuit West Province, and educational institutions like the Cristo Rey Network. In 2000, they established the Cassin Educational Initiative Foundation with a $22M gift which helped support and launch 25 Cristo Rey high schools and 34 NativityMiguel middle schools in underserved communities nationwide.

Nearly 93% of the Class of 2024 has been accepted to at least one 4-year university!

Special thanks to our college counselors–Stephanie Mendoza, Anna Villalobos-Silva, and Rose Rumery–for their endless support and encouragement of our students’ college journeys! Up next is evaluating the various financial aid packages that seniors have started receiving and meeting with families to assist in the evaluation process. In addition, our alumni advisors, Luis Heredia and Jocelyn Medina, will be teaching critical topics to succeed in higher education such as time management, self-advocacy, and navigating campus resources. All part of our school mission of helping students get ‘to and through College’!