The Seeds of Vocation Nurtured in Catholic Schools

An alumna of Saint John the Baptist School in Milpitas and Presentation High School in San Jose, she credits the generosity of her Catholic School ‘village’ — especially the donors who provided financial aid — with nurturing her early desire to give back. “My mom instilled this idea of always giving back to the community because we had received so much.” During her senior year at Presentation High School, she attended her first Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice in Washington, D.C.

Alyssa recalled what struck her most. “I always heard my teachers say, ‘Love your neighbor,’ but at the Teach-in, I learned tangible ways to do that.” Hearing stories from leaders like Fr. Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, deeply moved her.

“He talked about going to the margins so that they disappear and no one is left outside the circle of compassion.” This, for her, is part of what defines ‘kinship’: treating everyone as part of God’s family. “As a young person who had received so much support, that message resonated. I wanted to be part of that kind of kinship.” Altogether, Alyssa has now attended nine Ignatian teach-ins, which continue to shape her ministry.

Experiencing Kinship on an International Stage

Alyssa’s career journey to meet those on the margins, locally and internationally, began during her university years when she traveled overseas.  During her junior year at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), she studied abroad in Argentina. After graduating from LMU, she joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, where she spent 2 years in Belize City, living and working at a parish school.

She admits, “Honestly, I couldn’t have even told you where Belize was on a map when they offered this opportunity to me. But something special was waiting for me there.” Despite the unexpectedness of her placement, Alyssa truly believes that the Holy Spirit led her to a place where she experienced kinship on a deeper level. “Since then, I have been filled with the conviction that people should not have to earn their friendship, kindness, or hospitality. That is how the families in Belize treated me and how Jesus calls us to be.”

Alyssa returned to California to continue her Jesuit education, earning a master's degree in nonprofit administration from the University of San Francisco, and she now works to create the same sense of kinship that she’s experienced abroad here in the Bay Area.

A Homecoming Enriched by Faith and Service

Alyssa explained that kinship simply means: “If I would do it for my family, I will do it for you.” For her Cristo Rey family, she now works to make immersion trips possible for a school community made up of predominantly low-income families, which feels particularly and personally meaningful. “These are students who might not otherwise have access to immersion trips or service experiences, and now I get to help create these opportunities for them, the same way someone created those for me.”

Andria Bengtson, Principal of Cristo Rey, remarked on Alyssa’s work. “Alyssa has helped us move forward with truly living out our Jesuit mission to be — and shape our students to become— people for and with others. She is transforming our community through her leadership and with the humor she brings every day. We are so glad she's here.” Cristo Rey President Silvia Scandar Mahan affirmed, “Alyssa truly understands the importance of relationships and listening, and this deepens her impact. In a short time at Cristo Rey San José, she has done so much to strengthen our offerings for students and the mission formation of our staff.”

Returning to the Bay Area also means she is witnessing her immediate family grow, as she finds herself surrounded by a circle of young nieces. “There are little people watching me closely now,” she shared with a big smile. Being a newlywed herself has also added a layer of joy and responsibility to her vocation, and her two worlds overlap when she brings her nieces to campus. “I’m proud to bring them to campus, to show them what a Catholic school community looks like, and to model this life of service.”

Working at Cristo Rey, Alyssa’s relationship with God is constantly strengthened. "I am renewed in our daily prayer and examens, through Mass with our community, and through witnessing the students giving back to their community. I feel grateful to God for bringing me back to my home and family in the Bay Area, and through the grace of the Holy Spirit, I found my way back to Catholic, Jesuit education, which also feels like a homecoming. I pray that God will continue to guide my path and always use me as an instrument of peace and justice in this world.”

From the Ignatian Solidarity Network website:

The O’Donnell Award, given yearly, honors individuals ages 23-33 who have 1) received an undergraduate degree from a U.S. Jesuit university, and 2) demonstrated significant social justice leadership in their communities.

Being honored by the Ignatian Solidarity Network carries profound significance for Alyssa. “ISN has shaped me for over fifteen years,” she reflected. “To be recognized by people who helped form me, I felt such deep gratitude.”