Why I Give Back
(This article first appeared in the Belen Jesuit Alumni Magazine, Winter 2020 edition)
I remember my first day at Belen Jesuit in Little Havana very well. I was an incoming seventh-grader. I was coming to Belen from Pinecrest Elementary School. I was terrified because I did not know one other incoming seventh-grader that year. I was assigned to Mrs. Tavel’s 7A homeroom class and that is where my Belen journey began back in 1979.
I remember my first day at Belen Jesuit in Little Havana very well. I was an incoming seventh-grader. I was coming to Belen from Pinecrest Elementary School. I was terrified because I did not know one other incoming seventh-grader that year. I was assigned to Mrs. Tavel’s 7A homeroom class and that is where my Belen journey began back in 1979.
“Lefty” was the first person I can recall meeting that day as he lined us up outside in the patio. To say it was a humble campus is an understatement. Wow! Little did I know at that moment, what a tremendous positive impact Father Jose Maria Izquierdo, S.J., would have on me during my next six years at Belen. Shortly thereafter, I met “Rip”. He called me into his office that first week of seventh grade to introduce himself to me and I can still remember clearly just how comforting, welcoming and warm Father Luis Ripoll, S.J. was to me during those crucial first days in this brand-new environment.
Long after I graduated from the “new” Belen in 1985, I kept in very close contact with both of those Jesuits. Their impact on my formation as a ‘Man for Others’ is palpable. Fr. Izquierdo and Fr. Ripoll are the first two people that came to mind when I was asked to write this reflection for the magazine. Of course, there are others such as Carlos “Barq” Barquin, Coach Richard Stuart and my good friend Father Guillermo “Willie” García-Tuñón, S.J. Over the years, and on multiple occasions, I have expressed to them how grateful I am for their collective LIFELONG dedication to our beloved Belen! How could I not give back after witnessing their example and their direct impact on the formation of so many young men at Belen?
Long after I graduated from the “new” Belen in 1985, I kept in very close contact with both of those Jesuits. Their impact on my formation as a ‘Man for Others’ is palpable. Fr. Izquierdo and Fr. Ripoll are the first two people that came to mind when I was asked to write this reflection for the magazine. Of course, there are others such as Carlos “Barq” Barquin, Coach Richard Stuart and my good friend Father Guillermo “Willie” García-Tuñón, S.J. Over the years, and on multiple occasions, I have expressed to them how grateful I am for their collective LIFELONG dedication to our beloved Belen! How could I not give back after witnessing their example and their direct impact on the formation of so many young men at Belen?
My closest friends today are the same guys as back then, my Belen friends. The bonds we made at Belen so many years ago remain unbreakable today. The times we shared at Belen, both good and bad; successes and failures, made us into the men we are. We have gone on to enjoy successful careers and build families together, continue to participate in each other’s lives, and even raise a few additional Belen students together. These friendships are also examples of why I give back.
God has graciously blessed me with countless gifts. For this, I remain grateful every single day. Health and emotional well-being, adoring parents and sister, a terrific marriage to the love of my life, Tessie, and three healthy and loving children Nicole, Ricardo Louis ’18, and Valentina Mayo. As much as I enjoyed my years at Belen, I enjoyed my son Ricky’s Belen years even more. Entrusting Ricky’s education and his formation in the Jesuit tradition at Belen was a very easy decision for me. This has become even clearer now after witnessing how he has continued to thrive and excel during his first year away in college at Georgetown University. Ricky’s best friends from the class of 2018 are like my own sons and I am eager to see what their future holds. These young men are also among the many reasons that I give back.
Belen will always hold a very dear place in my heart. Supporting Belen Jesuit, its students, faculty, administration, athletics, and development with my time and with my family’s resources, will always remain a top priority. If you have been impacted by Belen either as an alumnus or parent then I urge you to give back as well.
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@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 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 sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.