DISP SCHOLARS

Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship Program

Scholars

The Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship Program financially supports and mentors students from traditionally underrepresented communities. The program’s mission is to provide these young scholars 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. Now in its second year, there are 11 DISP scholars from various ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds - four freshmen, five sophomores, and two seniors. Gage Garon ’25

Gage Garon ’25 joined DISP after the start of the school year last year. As a freshman, Gage arrived on campus with friends and classmates from St. Basil’s in Vallejo, feeling blessed beyond belief to come to Justin-Siena. His mother, Debra, told him about the school after visiting the campus and meeting the Admissions and Outreach staff and the Student Ambassadors; it felt like a great fit! After comparing financial aid packages with other schools, his parents committed to making JustinSiena work for their only child. Life for their family took a tragic turn in October, when Gage’s mother died unexpectedly. The loss of his mother had a profound impact on Gage and his father, and they doubted that attending Justin-Siena would continue to be financially possible. The creation of the Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship Program was their miracle. As Gage’s personal and academic profiles aligned perfectly with DISP’s mission and purpose, the school was able to increase Gage’s financial aid award. Now a sophomore, Gage enjoys being a member of the Asian American/Pacific Islander Club and Latinos Unidos, two new affinity groups on campus. Gage expresses credit to his father Steve, extended family, his St. Basil’s crew, and especially the Eric and Amparo Gonzales and DISP for keeping him in the school that he loves. “I am so thankful for everything you have done to make this program happen. Meeting the Gonzales family was an important moment. It shifted the next three years of my life and probably even longer. This program is helping so many students.”

“I am so thankful for everything you have done to make this program happen. It shifted the next three years of my life and probably even longer.”

When Skylar Williams ’25 arrived on campus, it just felt like home. Skylar remembers being on campus watching her older sister Symone Williams ’15 cheer. Skylar recalls, “I decided to come to Justin-Siena because my older sister was an alum and I became familiar with the community. I watched her develop into this academically strong person with her own thoughts about the world. It amazed me to see how Justin-Siena supported her and provided her with so many opportunities.” One of Skylar’s takeaways from being in the program is her realization that “DISP affirmed this sense in me that I have a responsibility to be a Justin-Siena Brave, to be a leader, not a bystander, on campus.” At the first DISP meeting last year when the scholars were introduced to founding sponsors the Gonzales family, Skylar recounts that “Mr. Gonzales asked us to shoot for the moon. I told him that I might want to audition for ComedySportz and run for Student Council. During our end-of-year meeting at his offices at Merrill Lynch, I was proud to share that I had done everything I had said I wanted to try. I felt like I had delivered on my promise to myself and to Mr. Gonzales.” Skylar continues to lead by example in LSL, Student Council, Student Ambassadors, ComedySportz, Cheer, and Track & Field.

“DISP affirmed this sense in me that I have a responsibility to be a Justin-Siena Brave, to be a leader, not a bystander, on campus.”

For transfer student Ma’El Blunt ’23, DISP meetings were one of the first places where he felt a sense of belonging last year. One of only a few African American students at his elementary school, he had experienced racism and exclusion. Though he felt he could outplay any kid on the court, he was always the last one picked for playground basketball games. Ma’El moved on to attend high school in Oakley; he loved his new school. Diverse and welcoming, it was also very big (nearly 2,500 students). When Covid hit in March 2020, the school shut down, the joy disappeared, leaving Ma’El to find another high school. At the same time, Ma’El’s brother Dallas Logwood ’25, then an eighth grader, was in the process of finding his high school. As a family, they decided to tour Justin-Siena. Ma’El recalls, “after visiting all the private schools in the area, it was our visit to Justin-Siena that stood out for us, especially the time we spent with Coach Tayson and Coach Granucci (former outreach associate and basketball coach). I knew immediately that I wanted to be here. Smaller and maybe a little less diverse than my previous high school, the community was still diverse enough for us to feel a sense of belonging.” In his time here, Ma’El has come to epitomize what it means to be a Justin-Siena Diversity & Inclusion scholar and a Brave. Along with being a Student Ambassador, he belongs to the Black Student Union, plays basketball, runs track, and participates in the promotion of inclusion and belonging. The appreciation Ma’El has for this school, the faculty and staff, and his classmates is palpable. And this community loves him right back; he was selected to join the Homecoming Court this year.

“Smaller and maybe a little less diverse than my previous high school, the community was still diverse enough for us to feel a sense of belonging.”

How DISP Matters

Our Lasallian mission calls each school or ministry to provide a human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor, and to embody our Lasallian core values of faith in the presence of God; quality education; respect for all persons; inclusive community; and concern for the poor and social justice. For the last year and a half, Justin-Siena’s Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship Program (DISP) has embodied these values in progressive ways.

To say that Justin-Siena is in the midst of a renaissance may sound dramatic, but in many ways, Justin-Siena is experiencing a rebirth and recommitment to its Lasallian Catholic heritage. From an envious tuition assistance program benefiting working and middle class families, to the commitment we are making in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across campus, Justin-Siena recognizes that to remain accessible and inclusive in an ever-evolving region of the Bay Area, we must be on the leading edge of progress.

In October 2022, Vice President for Advancement Andrea Flores invited Teah Celestin ’16 to speak to the DISP scholars about her personal journey at Justin-Siena; the ways in which she felt supported; and the ways in which she feels her own identity as a Jamaican-Caribbean woman may have felt unseen. Those experiences compelled her to become one of our most committed members on our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Advisory Council since its inception in late Spring 2020. Teah is the first of many alumni to be invited to speak to DISP scholars to share their academic and professional experiences with the students.

To be a loving, Christ-centered community in service to our students and families compels us to meet the needs of a diverse and dynamic campus. Investing in and empowering our students is just one of many paths that Justin-Siena prioritizes. Initiatives such as DISP expand our students’ consciousness of what is possible, while encouraging them to contribute to a more just and peace-filled world. The Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship Program’s lead sponsors are the Gonzales Family and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management whose four-year sponsorship follows students throughout their high school experience, supporting student growth and education via mentorship and job shadow opportunities. If you or your business are interested in learning more about how to become a DISP sponsor, contact Andrea Flores, Vice President for

Advancement at aflores@justin-siena.org.

Justin-Siena recognizes that to remain accessible and inclusive in an everevolving region of the Bay Area, we must be on the leading edge of progress.