Spartan Spotlight Jenny Novoa Class of 1986
Spartan Spotlight
ICA Update
Spartan Spotlight Jenny Novoa Class of 1986
Mission driven organizations adapt over time to ensure they deliver on their mission promise . The key to success for all organizations is the consistency of support for and belief in the organization ’ s mission . Ultimately when a community shares belief and support for one mission , the mission is accomplished by the community . It is never one person . The ICA Cristo Rey community shares the belief and support of one mission which now spans generations , industries , and communities . This is a very special thing because ICA Cristo Rey is the community where true diversity comes together and accomplishes one mission together . This is why we look to the past with gratitude , live the present with passion , and look to the future with hope .
Mission is alive in people ’ s heart and made reality by action led with heart . Jenny Novoa ’ 86 exemplifies a woman of mission . Looking back on her time at ICA , she remembers the feelings of community , female power , and safe environment that expected Jenny and all her ICA sisters to come to learn how to be their best . She says , “ This environment became my expectation and this is the type of community I strive to build in all I do .” As Senior Director of Risk Management & Safety at Gap , Inc ., Jenny has had a great journey to shape with the ideals and values she learned from being a part of the ICA community . Although she sees and cherishes the gifts of the community , when she first began her high
Emely ’ 15 & Jenny ’ 86 at Gap , Inc . Corporate Headquarters in San Francisco
school career she wasn ’ t so open to it all . After her first year she left to go to Lowell , thinking that it would be easier on her family financially . After three weeks , Jenny called Sr . John Martin ( Sr . Johnnie ) who was principal at the time and asked if she could come back . Without hesitation , Sister Johnnie said she would figure it out and the next day Jenny was back on campus and finished her years on scholarship . She took full advantage of the opportunity and talks about how her history class with Mr . Vince Leach opened her eyes to the satisfaction of the challenge of academic rigor . Jenny says , “ Mr . Leach ’ s love of history motivated me and taught me how to embrace the challenge of learning new things . He was such a hard grader . In fact , I still have the paper I wrote my senior year in his class . The topic was how Watergate affected the office of the Presidency . I got the highest score in the class . In many ways that grade from Mr . Leach makes that paper more worthy of framing than most degrees !” Jenny ’ s experience not only taught her how to engage with challenging material , but more importantly taught her how to confidently stand up and stand out . Jenny credits the ICA community with building the type of environment which set high standards for her and her fellow sisters . Outside of ICA Cristo Rey , young women deal with the societal distractions that do not necessarily focus on their potential . Within the walls of our campus and the walls of their workplace , the young women of ICA
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Summer 2016