DISP

Impacting diversity through philanthropy

The Gonzales Family

For many of us, the story of coming to the United States is one of opportunity and sacrifice. We all know families whose journeys began with parents or grandparents coming to this country, and the Bay Area especially, to make a new life and to live the American Dream. Eric and Amparo Gonzales’s story is one of many who persevered and capitalized on their education to build a family and better their communities. Eric, born and raised in Vallejo, was a student-athlete with big dreams of playing football in college. Amparo spent her childhood in Fairfield after emigrating to the Bay Area with her parents from the Philippines. Both Eric and Amparo attended public schools and would be the first in their families to attend college, before they met at Solano Community College where Eric was studying business and playing football. If he hadn’t broken his ankle, life would have turned out very differently. This injury was a turning point and instead of relying on athletics, Eric turned towards academics. With his father’s GI benefits, he transferred to UC Davis to finish his degree in Managerial and Agricultural Economics. After graduating, Eric & Amparo were married at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Napa. The newlyweds bought their first home in Green Valley and soon after, their children, Jonas ’20, Nina ’23, and Jace

were born. They became attracted to Justin-Siena after shadowing on a “Brave for a Day.” As they met with faculty, staff, parents, and students, it became clear that Justin-Siena could provide something special - a campus community that truly sees, knows, and loves their students. While Jonas acclimated to high school, Eric and Amparo were embraced by the parent and volunteer community at JustinSiena. They became parent ambassadors, and ultimately, Eric was invited to be an inaugural member and Chair of the JustinSiena Parent Association (J-SPA). The more they invested in Justin-Siena, the more Eric and Amparo literally gave of themselves.

Moving DISP Forward

The Gonzales family’s generosity launched the Justin-Siena’s Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship Program (DISP). As the founding sponsors, the Gonzales family’s support of Justin-Siena’s ongoing diversity and inclusion efforts will change lives in Napa, Solano, and Sonoma counties. With an inaugural cohort of seven Justin-Siena students this fall, Eric’s nearly 25 year professional career in wealth management will provide mentorship and job shadowing opportunities. Long term, the goal is to attract more businesses and families as DISP sponsors who share the same passion for diversity and philanthropy as the Gonzales family. Justin-Siena’s Core Principles and its current Strategic Plan call for the promotion of an inclusive community that provides access to students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnicities. Simply stated, DISP activates our core mission and purpose. Eric shared, “As the son of Filipino immigrants who only became naturalized because of my father’s service in the US Army, I know the impact that race, ethnicity, and heritage can have on educational and economic opportunities. I was raised to see my diversity as a strength. It is what propelled me through school to become the first in my family to go to college here in the United States.”

Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship Program

The Program’s mission is to provide these students with access to a Lasallian education and to build the social and human capital within each student to succeed and give back to the community at large. The Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship includes an annual award of up to $2,500 to offset the student’s tuition at Justin-Siena. Recognizing the transformative power that Justin-Siena was having on their children, and following over a year of planning, the Gonzales family’s generosity launched the

Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship Program

(DISP) aimed at ensuring a diverse student body that is representative of our region. “Ultimately, this scholarship will contribute to Justin-Siena having an even more diverse student body, reflecting the changing demographics of the counties we serve,’’ affirmed Alicia Valdivia, Director of Admissions.