Why I Give Back
(This article originally appeared in the Belen Jesuit Magazine, winter 2019 edition.)
Recently, my daughter Natalia called me from New York University. She told me that she met a boy from Belen, and after introducing each other, he asked, “Is your Dad the Belen guy?” She started to laugh and called to tell me about it. It wasn’t the first time this sort of thing has happened. By chance, we tend to run into either current students or alumni whenever we are out. I don’t pretend to be “The Belen Guy”, but I wear the badge of alumnus very proudly.
I have been blessed with a great life. I have a beautiful wife and healthy children. My parents were able to afford to send me to Belen so that I could get a great Jesuit education. They made a financial sacrifice but knew their sacrifice would pay off. What they didn’t know was that I was entering into a brotherhood that would change and shape my life. Today, I am still friends with those that I met as a seventh grader in Mr. Blanco’s Geography class in 1982. It didn’t matter if it was in class, in-between classes or on the athletic fields, the memories I have of my time at Belen are vivid. The essence of Belen remains true until this day. We are a family; we are a
Brotherhood.
I often wish I could go back to my years at Belen. Lucky for me, my son Luis is a member of the class of 2020 and I’ve been able to enjoy Belen all over again – albeit this time as a father. In fact, I find myself having to hold back on advice or pushing him to do something because I want him to have the same experiences that I had. My wife, at times, has to remind me that his experience is unique just as my experience was unique. I compare it to that little league baseball father that is living vicariously through his son. She’s right, but in my heart I feel that if anyone can leave Belen with 1/10th of the memories and experience that I walked away with, then they too will be blessed.
When I began my professional career, the first thing on my mind was how I could give back. That really shouldn’t be a surprise to alumni because service for others was instilled in us early on as students. I remember a seventh grade field trip to the Coral Gables Convalescent Home on 8th Street and what it meant to those residents. That trip helped set the foundation of what I wanted to do with my family, which is show them how to give back through service.
Over the years, giving back to my alma mater has taken on many different forms. I’ve enjoyed being present with my family during countless service events with the Alumni Association and with the school. Community service and outreach have been great examples for me to use with my children. It is important for them to know that we can share our blessings with others, and in doing so fill the cup of joy that I have in my heart.
Helping to organize Belen’s annual Fr. Izquierdo Memorial Golf Tournament and other alumni events gives me great pleasure because it unites a large group of alumni. Financial donations are an important component of giving. We give what we can, and when possible, we give more. One way in which I decided to give was to enter into the Belen Legacy Society. This allows me to maximize the gift that I made to Belen and ensure a significant impact. Many people think that planned giving is for the wealthy, but in actuality, it is available to anyone at any income level and can be done in a number of ways. For me, as someone that bleeds blue and gold, this made sense and I hope you consider it as part of your estate planning.
I can see how my passion for Ignatian tradition and Jesuit education has trickled down to my children. So much so, that my daughter – who is still a student at NYU – is already thinking of the ways in which she too will give back once she’s a professional. In fact, her college essay was entitled “Go forth and set the world on fire,” and as a “Belemita” I couldn’t have been more proud. She and my son understand that we are all challenged to go and serve and be the best versions of ourselves. We don’t view it as an obligation, it’s a part of who we are, thanks to the values instilled in me at Belen. I want Belen to continue to make a difference in many generations to come just as it did for me. Even though Belen is the best “bargain” in town, there are still many families that cannot afford tuition. I feel that it’s my duty to give some of what I’ve taken back so that there will be many “Belen guys” to make this world a better place.
Click here to read the PDF version of the winter edition of the magazine.
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: communications@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: communications@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba, by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the school's property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit is situated on a 34-acre site in western Dade County, just minutes away from downtown Miami.