| "You, like John the Baptist, are sent by God to prepare the way for him, and to provide the means whereby he may enter your hearts and those of your pupils. Since John began his mission by retreat, prayer, and penance, practicing what he sought to teach others, so you also, since you have to prepare the hearts of others for the coming of Christ, should first dispose your own heart for an increase of zeal, that your words may have an effect upon those whom you teach." (St. John Baptist de La Salle)
Advent is such a beautiful, yet challenging time of the year. I appreciate the call to slow down, take deep breaths, and pray as John the Baptist instructed us to do, even when it seems nearly impossible.
For all of us balancing home life, work life, and personal health, retreating, praying, and seeking forgiveness is exactly what we need to do for the benefit of all in our lives. Advent is a time to pause and prepare, a time to reflect on where our hearts need bandaging, how our words and actions affect others, and how to build up a relationship with God. Despite the challenge of “doing it all,” this call is a gift worth embracing.
May God bless you all during this Advent season!
Sarah Maher
Director of Mission
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DLSNC Featured in Portland Business Journal
Because a DLSNC education is not just about classroom learning but also about learning in a professional work setting, we are thrilled by our growing relationship with the Portland Business Journal (PBJ). Our Corporate Work Study program (CWS) actively forges Portland’s future leaders starting at age 14. Thus, participation in PBJ’s December 5th special section on workforce development was a natural fit.
As longtime head of our Corporate Work Study operations, Aiyana Ashley was, of course, the natural choice to represent the school. She was a panelist in a filmed roundtable discussion along with four other selected leaders, and focused on the special qualities and potential of our student workers. Her simple leadership formula: “Trust in the abilities of our youth, and don’t dismiss the value of mentorship,” is a perfect summation of our unique program, which makes the resumes of our students markedly different from those of most of their peers.
After the experience, Ms. Ashley shared, “The opportunity to speak on the PBJ panel was meaningful because we don’t want our school and CWS to remain a hidden gem. We are an essential part of the community as we are the only school in Oregon actively building a strong, diverse talent pipeline for the workforce of tomorrow.”
Check out the PBJ workforce development roundtable here.
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Get Ready For Cheer Season!
Since 2022, when her daughter, Taylor McCollum, was a senior, Stephanie Grimsley has contributed to our community spirit by literally creating spirit. And lots of it! Coach Grimsley has led our Cheerleading Club, ensuring that cheer is part of our basketball home games, and she just can’t stop coming back, even though Taylor is now about to graduate from college. “After Taylor graduated, I came back for the seniors. And now it’s for the younger ones—I’m crazy about all of them, honestly,” Coach Grimsley shared at a recent practice. This year, we have our most robust group with 12 club members, led by co-captains Kandyce Brown ‘26 and Micah Leary ‘27, each of whom has been in the club since its inception.
According to James Broadous II, Head Men’s Basketball Coach, “It definitely is energizing having cheer part of the action in the gym. Sometimes the team can be down by 15 points, and the girls are still cheering up a storm.” Coach Grimsley added, “Cheer allows kids who want an active way to be involved in the DLSNC community to fit in, even if they are not into sports. I hear over and over, ‘I feel like I’m the same as the basketball players, I’m important.’ I love seeing how much they want to contribute to school spirit.”
As co-captains, Kandyce and Micah are responsible for teaching everyone else the cheers and leading them on the court. “It requires getting the younger kids’ attention. And then keeping their attention,” Kandyce explained. Micah continued, “Everybody has different learning skills. If my teammates want help, I ask, ‘How can I help you, not what can I help you with?’ Therefore, I know I’m helping efficiently.”
What does the Cheer Club bring to Kelley Court? Kandyce thinks “it brings a lot of energy to the crowd, showing how much we care about our school community.” Micah shared that this year it will bring “some shocking new things. I can’t really spill a lot. Just know it’s going to be exciting, and everyone is going to be like, I didn’t know that person has that talent.”
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Alums in the ClassroomOn December 5th, two exceptional alumni from the Class of 2019 returned to campus to speak to both Engineering classes about their careers in STEAM fields —Theo Aclan and Stephanie Enriquez Isais. Theo, now a test engineer working on electrically powered trucks at Hyster-Yale, started his presentation by explaining that finding financial stability through his job has always been a major goal for him. He went on to describe his time at the University of Portland, majoring in Electrical Engineering, and how his DLSNC CWS positions, as well as his participation in the MECOP college internship program, helped prepare him for his successful job search.
Stephanie spoke fondly about her time at Occidental College, where she designed her own major—a combination of Computer Science and Interaction Design. She currently works for Meta in the field of Digital Production Design, where she helps design operating systems for virtual reality headsets. Stephanie mentioned the DLSNC Engineering class and Robotics program, the ACE mentorship program, and summer courses in Computer Science as important steps along her journey. She highlighted her CWS placement at GBD Architects as helpful for getting her excited about design. She concluded with the advice, “Internships are crucial!” --Amy Lacks, Director of STEAM Programming & Science Department Chair
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The Knight's Blog by Arturo Isais Perez '27
Las Posadas is a cherished nine-night Latin American Christmas tradition that reenacts Mary's and Joseph's search for shelter. It began in the 16th century in Mexico, introduced by Spanish friars. Starting on the 16th of December, people gather together and carry statues of Mary and Joseph to acknowledge the Nativity story. When they reach their destination, they are welcomed into the home with food, music, and a piñata.
Ms. Cabrera, who grew up in El Salvador, decided to bring the tradition here when she became a Spanish teacher at De La Salle North Catholic. Ms. Cabrera shared, “As a school, we pride ourselves on our diversity. Anytime we can highlight or celebrate and share in each other's culture, I believe it builds community. The tradition resonates especially with me now as it highlights the immigrants' plight to find safe harbor.”
The Posadas celebration took place on December 17th and included a potluck, where students and their families had the opportunity to bring homemade dishes that resonated with their culture or background. There were also crafts taught by students and homemade products for sale from a few of our student entrepreneurs.
Here are some thoughts from my classmates about this tradition: “To me, the Posadas represent the birth of Jesus along with Salvation. Growing up, I've always celebrated Posadas. I would play music while walking next to a structure of the Virgin Mary. When we arrived at our destination, we would honor and celebrate the birth of Jesus. The Posadas bring me a time of gratitude and positivity.” Stephanny Castillo Portugal ‘27
“To me, the Posadas are a time of celebration with family and friends. It's also about remembering, along with honoring, the Virgin Mary and Joseph for taking care of baby Jesus.” Anahi Huertas ‘27
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Snippets from the CWS World←“I attended the Portland Business Journal Corporate Philanthropy awards with Sofia Hernandez Pulido ‘27 and our Cambia supervisor. First, we helped people find their seats, and then the head of Cambia introduced us to the whole room as the company’s DLSNC interns. It was big because there were a lot of very important people there. The day was a way for us to see how Cambia is recognized for its ethics and how they help the community.” Rosmery Onofre Cervantes ‘27
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“At KPFF, we came together in November to→ celebrate with a Friendsgiving lunch, and we were thrilled to have KyMani Davies '28 join us. KyMani kicked off the holiday spirit by creating his own gingerbread house design, showcasing his creativity and initiative. We love cultivating future leaders like him, giving them space to grow, contribute, and shine. We’re also looking forward to an upcoming site visit and the time KyMani will spend with other teams, helping him explore different aspects of our work and inspiring potential future career paths.” Karen Matsuoka, Business Operations Specialist, KPFF
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Selfie with a Supervisor!
Get a peek into the Corporate Work Study (CWS), the unique program that sets DLSNC apart from other schools in Oregon by hearing the perspectives of individual supervisors and their student associates.
This month’s supervisor/student team is from LifeWorks NW, which has been partnering with us for almost 20 years. On Thursdays (plus one Monday per month), Administrative Program Director Keya Akil supervises Junior Micah Leary, who is in her second year at LifeWorks.
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How have you grown by supervising DLSNC Student Associates like Micah?
The students help in our childcare area while the moms are busy with their treatment program work. It’s been wonderful to have them be part of our work for so many years. Sometimes, if a teacher calls out sick, the DLSNC students are our saving grace. Honestly, sometimes the students are teaching the parents here how to parent. It is amazing to see them pouring out love to individuals they don’t really know. For me, it is phenomenal to watch the students grow so much over their three years here. (The work requires a lot of maturity, so we only start with sophomores.)
Quite a few of them have studied early childhood development in college, and then they come back to work for us in summers and during school. We also always hire at least one current DLSNC student to work over the summer, and they are paid regular head teacher pay because they’ve already done all of the certifications and have experience. That might be Micah this year. She is really hard-working and shows such consistency. She’s always positive—no matter how frustrated she might get, she never gives up on any kid. (Keya Akil)
How are you growing this year, working as a Student Associate at LifeWorks?
Working with kids and helping people, that really resonates with me. I plan to major in social work, so this experience is making me more sure of that goal. I think the top three qualities I’ve been gaining at LifeWorks are patience, awareness of people’s differences, and learning to focus on the bigger picture of what’s happening in the classroom, not just on one kid. I’ve done a lot of trainings, preparing to be in the classroom. It does get stressful. If you’re in a group with five babies, and everybody’s crying, you’ve got to work with each one individually because they are crying for different reasons. It’s just a matter of taking your time and putting effort into it. That’s what I’m learning from working with my co-workers there.
I can’t blame the kids for what they do. They are little kids, their brains are not developed, just like mine isn’t as an older kid. I can’t be like “that kid is bad.” I’ve got to take time to work with each one of them. Even if they hit, kick, fuss, fight, I have to respect them. I always try to assert more patience and redirect them, which I do quite a lot. (Micah Leary ‘27)
What’s the coolest thing about working with DLSNC and its Student Associates?
The LifeWorks treatment program serves mainly black and brown patients. It is really important to me to have the students see the effects of addiction, but also see that recovery is possible. If they haven’t already, they will have addiction touch their lives in some way. Being here, they are exposed to what it takes to change that path. They can be resources out in their communities, and I think that is really powerful. (Keya Akil)
What’s the coolest part of your job at LifeWorks?
All the moms tell me that I’m doing a good job with their kids, and the kids are excited to see me. It makes me smile when I see them smile. It’s comforting. Those smiles always help me get through the day. It’s my favorite part of going to work.
I’ve learned that you can’t judge anybody based on their past decisions and behaviors. Nobody makes a planned decision to get an addiction. To get out of it, you have to take time and use the resources and help provided. It really makes me happy seeing the clients taking care of themselves so that they can take care of their kids. I am genuinely proud of the moms who have graduated from the program during the time I’ve been there. I’m like dang, this is good news. (Micah Leary ‘27)
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