Dear Friends of Nativity Prep,

As I begin the journey of serving as Nativity Prep’s third President, I am incredibly grateful for the alignment of our 20th Anniversary celebration. Anniversaries hold us accountable to both appreciate where we have come from and to dream about what we can be.

This past summer, we celebrated both our 20th Anniversary, Lighting the Way to A Brighter Future Gala, and a Community Anniversary Picnic, which included more than 200 people representing our students, families, staff, and alumni. Our Gala raised more than $275,000 dollars all of which will support our plan to increase our impact in the San Diego community.

Celebrating 20 years as an institution was once just a dream. Nativity Prep is now ready to pursue an even greater dream. A vision that includes more students, more families, and more services to support our students and their families’ pursuits. We invite you to be a part of this important work. In whatever capacity you can participate, whether it be time, talent, or treasure, we need you.

As the only all-scholarship Catholic school in San Diego, we solely serve first-generation students from historically under-resourced communities. We know their needs and we are positioned to meet those needs. When a student begins their journey at Nativity Prep Academy in the 6th grade we commit to supporting them all the way through their 11-year journey to their college graduation. This commitment to their potential makes all the difference.

In the United States, only 15% of First Generation students from historically underserved populations who start college, graduate from college (Pell Institute, 2021). In the last 10 years, Nativity Prep graduates are either matriculating towards or have graduated college at a rate of 83%! This means that when a sixth-grade student begins their journey at Nativity Prep, they are 5X more likely to graduate from college.

Nativity Prep is a special place; a beacon of hope for a world that desperately needs it. Our students work hard, meet high expectations and by doing so create opportunity in their lives.

If you are new to Nativity Prep, welcome! We invite you to join us on campus for a tour or to participate in a future community event. If you have been with us along our 20-year journey, thank you. We invite you to share the good work of this special place with your friends and family. Together we can do great things!

God bless,

Jessica Hooper