Community Prayer Breakfast Honorees Announced
February 8, 2023


We are excited to announce that Amanda and Patricio Sampayo ’00 and Dr. Emilio Hernandez '72 have been selected as this year’s recipients of the 2023 President's Distinguished Community Service Award. They will receive this award during the 12th Annual Community Prayer Breakfast on Friday, March 3rd.

At SJA, Amanda chaired the Religious Studies Department and taught Social Justice, World Religions, and Women’s History. She served on the United Way Board from 2012-2018 and currently serves on Brownsville Wellness Coalition, Planned Parenthood Cameron County and Friendship of Women.

 

After graduating from Harvard College with an A.B. in Economics, Patricio partnered with his father and brother to start Centro Medico Internacional in Matamoros, where he has been managing director since 2005. In 2011, Patricio was appointed to the Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of Brownsville, where he helped preserve and develop affordable housing for our community’s most vulnerable families as its Chairman for 9 years.

Dr. Hernandez has been practicing dentistry for over 40 years. He was the first chairman of the inaugural SJA school board in 1998 and then later served from 2012 to 2019. He served on the Finance committee for 21 years from 1998 to 2019. He has served the community by sitting on over 10 different boards. He is a founding member of the Academy for Sports Dentistry created in 1981. For 42 years now, every August, he fabricates 25-30 mouth guards for each of the six football programs at BISD and SJA.

Big Future Ambassadors & MIT Program at SJA

October 29, 2024
Exciting news from Saint Joseph Academy! We’re thrilled to announce that Ari Aguirre and Sofia Guerra, both 11th graders, have been accepted into the BigFuture® Ambassadors program for fall 2024! BigFuture is a fantastic resource that helps students explore careers, colleges, scholarships, and more, all for free. Plus, with the BigFuture® School app, they can access personalized guidance and connect with educational institutions. Additionally, we’re proud to share that Iker Balli has achieved a significant milestone by being accepted into the MIT program after a lengthy application process that included essays and letters of recommendation. He will be visiting MIT soon! Please join us in congratulating our new ambassadors and Iker on these amazing achievements!

SJA Summer Project: Student Outdoor Space

August 23, 2024
This summer, our campus was enhanced with a new outdoor gathering space designed for students. Thanks to the generous funds raised during St. Joseph's Day, we were able to invest in high-quality outdoor furniture that now adorns this inviting area. The new space provides a refreshing environment where students and teachers alike can unwind and engage in conversation amidst the beauty of our campus. The decision to use these funds for creating an outdoor gathering spot was a collective one, reflecting our community's commitment to fostering a vibrant and supportive environment. The thoughtful design of the area not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of our surroundings but also encourages more frequent interactions and leisure activities outdoors. This new addition will become a cherished part of our campus, offering everyone a perfect blend of functionality and scenic enjoyment.
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Big Future Ambassadors & MIT Program at SJA

October 29, 2024
Exciting news from Saint Joseph Academy! We’re thrilled to announce that Ari Aguirre and Sofia Guerra, both 11th graders, have been accepted into the BigFuture® Ambassadors program for fall 2024! BigFuture is a fantastic resource that helps students explore careers, colleges, scholarships, and more, all for free. Plus, with the BigFuture® School app, they can access personalized guidance and connect with educational institutions. Additionally, we’re proud to share that Iker Balli has achieved a significant milestone by being accepted into the MIT program after a lengthy application process that included essays and letters of recommendation. He will be visiting MIT soon! Please join us in congratulating our new ambassadors and Iker on these amazing achievements!

SJA Summer Project: Student Outdoor Space

August 23, 2024
This summer, our campus was enhanced with a new outdoor gathering space designed for students. Thanks to the generous funds raised during St. Joseph's Day, we were able to invest in high-quality outdoor furniture that now adorns this inviting area. The new space provides a refreshing environment where students and teachers alike can unwind and engage in conversation amidst the beauty of our campus. The decision to use these funds for creating an outdoor gathering spot was a collective one, reflecting our community's commitment to fostering a vibrant and supportive environment. The thoughtful design of the area not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of our surroundings but also encourages more frequent interactions and leisure activities outdoors. This new addition will become a cherished part of our campus, offering everyone a perfect blend of functionality and scenic enjoyment.

New PA System at SJA

August 23, 2024
Campus safety is at the top of any school's list. With that in mind, a PA system is one of the most critical assets a school needs. With the need for up-to-date communications and state-of-the-art security systems, SJA has made a massive move to achieve a safe and secure campus with the inclusion of a brand-new PA system. The fantastic organization that helped achieve this goal is PAWs (Parents at Work). Funds raised by PAWS in the 2023-2024 school year through their revenue from the Bloodhound Café went to purchase this new system for the school. SJA can now send announcements to the school mass or even an individual classroom if necessary, thanks to this new and more updated system. Public address, intercom, paging, mass notification, emergency notification, and synchronized clocks are only a few things that this new PA system will bring us. This system, which can be used on a desktop, laptop, and smartphones, will significantly enhance our school's safety and communication. Additional speakers and new / updated hardware will increase the sound and make it more audible, providing a sense of reassurance and confidence in our safety measures. In addition, new infrastructure is being installed to ensure this system will be completely new inside and out. This new PA system, called Telecor, is currently being fitted across campus. With the help of PAWs and our amazing SJA families, we have made gracious bounds to ensure that SJA continues to be the best choice for our students. It's a testament to our collective efforts and commitment to school safety and communication. We are proud of what we have achieved together.
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