CELEBRATING 25 YEARS WITH SISTER ALICIA CUARÓN!
Centro San Juan Diego congratulates Sister Alicia Cuarón (pictured right) on her 25th Anniversary as a religious sister! Sr. Alicia entered the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity on July 25, 1995, following a successful career in business and education. Becoming a sister gave Alicia the opportunity to focus on both her personal and spiritual mission to help Denver’s Spanish-speaking immigrant community. Her unwavering dedication resulted in the founding of Centro Bienestar of San José, which later became the Bienestar Family Services program at Centro San Juan Diego in 2004. Sr. Alicia was the director of Bienestar from 2004-2014. In 2008, she was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame. Most recently, she was featured in Rocky Mountain PBS’s series, Great Colorado Women and the Denver Catholic.
Many of the classes and services still offered at Centro San Juan Diego today would not have been possible without Sr. Alicia’s early support and involvement in this ministry. To commemorate both her dedicated service to Centro and further advance her life-long mission to educate and empower the Spanish-speaking community, Sr. Alicia partnered with Centro San Juan Diego once again to establish the Sr. Alicia V. Cuarón Education Fund in 2018. This fund directly supports Centro’s students in their pursuit of education and personal development for the betterment of their families and communities. Today, we invite you to join us in celebrating both Sr. Alicia’s 25th anniversary of religious life and her ongoing commitment to student success by donating to this fund here. Please read on to learn more about one of the many students who benefit from this fund. Thank you for your support!
MISSION IN ACTION: ACQUIRING NEW SKILLS TO ACHIEVE ONE'S DREAMS
Back in March, we shared a story about Rosa, a student who was taking both the GED and Small Business classes. When the courses shifted to an online platform after Colorado saw its first COVID-19 cases, Rosa relied on Centro's staff, her fellow classmates, and even her own son for both technical support and encouragement.
Now, four months later, Rosa is currently enrolled in Centro's online English as a Second Language class and shows no signs of slowing down. "I will keep moving forward, as long as you all are willing to put up with me!" Rosa laughs.
Equipped with new knowledge, Rosa feels better prepared and more confident navigating in a virtual world while advancing her career as well. She is using her new found computer skills to communicate with teachers at her children's school and currently works for a residential cleaning company. She hopes to launch her own business soon, and secure better salaries for her employees, because, "at the end of the day,” she says, “they are the ones doing the work!”
She looks forward to promoting her upcoming business using the knowledge gained from her Small Business and English courses to communicate with her clients. “I’m getting the hang of it! I’m so happy,” she says, noting that whatever she learns in her English class, she uses to send messages to her clients.
Rosa has faced several personal struggles over the past few months, including contracting COVID-19. But despite certain challenges, she keeps going. “To be actively learning has kept me from falling,” she comments. “I’m 53 years old and achieving what I have wanted to for years. It’s never too late. I can do it. I know I can do it!”
Rosa's continued pursuit of education to advance her goals is a beautiful testament to both her and Sr. Alicia's mission. Rosa's personal and educational growth over the past few months is apparent and we are excited to see what she accomplishes next! With support from Centro San Juan Diego and the Sr. Alicia Fund, even more women like Rosa can continue to achieve their dreams.
