As a 13-year-old, Josephine’s life took an unexpected turn that left a lasting impact on her. Going into 8th grade, Josephine’s mother transferred her to De Marillac Academy. Josephine was unhappy about the change since it meant she wouldn’t graduate with the classmates she had spent all of grade school with at her former school, St. Charles Borromeo. However, that quickly changed for Josephine that summer, when De Marillac students attended summer school at Sacred Heart Cathedral. There, she met and connected with students who would become her classmates. Beyond friendships, what Josephine didn’t realize at the time was that by joining the De Marillac community, she and her family had entered into a 15-year commitment with the school, a partnership that extended far beyond the classroom, including the opportunity to attend Sacred Heart Cathedral.

This long-term partnership not only shaped her academic journey but also laid the foundation for the values and sense of purpose she would fully embrace during her time at SHC. Though Josephine learned many lessons during her time at SHC, the most important lesson she carried on was grounded in its Lasallian-Vincentian Catholic tradition and its deep commitment to service. Through service learning opportunities and the school’s motto, “Enter to learn, Leave to Serve,” she developed a clear sense of purpose and a calling to help others. Learning about the school’s founders shaped her understanding of equity, dignity and compassion. Their commitment to accessible education and opportunity left a lasting impression, one that continues to guide her work today. Today, she serves as the Stewardship Manager, a role that represents a full-circle moment, uniting her passion for education, service and relationship building.

Several teachers played an important role in her development as a student at SHC. Former teacher, Ramsey Musallem, her junior year Chemistry teacher, transformed what could have been an intimidating subject into one of her favorite courses. His passion for chemistry was infectious, and he made a point to connect with students individually, supporting both their academic growth and personal development. Equally influential was Jim Jordan, her freshman and junior English teacher. While she had always enjoyed writing and reading, his belief in her voice helped her realize that her work was worth sharing. That validation gave her the confidence to continue honing her craft.

After graduating from high school, she built a nine-year career in banking and financial services in different neighborhoods of San Francisco, working in retail banking, operations and fraud analysis while staying deeply engaged in the Tenderloin through nonprofit and mutual aid work. Though she was grateful for the experience to work in banking and financial services, as it allowed her to serve clients from all walks of life, Josephine felt called to make a change. Around the same time she enrolled her eldest daughter at De Marillac Academy, she reconnected with the school’s Director of Graduate Support and took a leap of faith by applying for the Development Assistant role in the Development Office despite coming from a different job sector. In 2022, Josephine began her role as a part-time Development Assistant. She enjoyed the role so much that in 2023, she applied and stepped into the full-time Development Manager role. Then in January 2024, subsequently, she was offered the expanded role of Stewardship Manager. 

As Stewardship Manager at De Marillac, Josephine wears many hats. When first taking on the role of Development Assistant, she was tasked with building a standardized stewardship program that ensures all donors and stakeholders receive meaningful, consistent engagement that sustains and grows support for the school. The role has continued to expand during her tenure and now includes fundraising, marketing, event management, database administration and alumni relations. Josephine is part of a two-person team, and she has the opportunity to use creative problem-solving to develop new, authentic ways of telling the De Marillac story while honoring the students, alumni and families.

In addition to her full-time role at De Marillac, Josephine remains active in community leadership as a program director with Collective Action for Laborers, Migrants, and Asylum Seekers (CALMA), a 100 percent volunteer-led mutual aid organization supporting day laborers and migrant families and as a board member of Tandem, Partners in Early Learning. She also helped establish three Little Free Libraries in San Francisco and Oakland, centering books by BIPOC authors to reflect and affirm local communities. 

As a mother of three girls and a lifelong learner now pursuing an Associate in Arts in Social Justice: Chicanx and Latinx Studies, she offers Sacred Heart Cathedral students this piece of advice: “At times, taking a different path than my peers brought moments of doubt, but it also pushed me to take chances, develop a strong work ethic and build confidence in myself. Trust that your journey is your own and know that growth often happens when you step outside of your comfort zone.”