By Lisa Morales - Archbishop Curley Notre Dame HS
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO | Archbishop Curley Notre Dame Prep
Archbishop Curley Notre Dame alumni currently studying at Iona College present Christian Brother Jason Ford with his award; from left: Heli Montoto, '13, Roger Rojas, '12, Brother Ford, Jessica Velasco, '10, and Sanjay Singh, '11.
MIAMI | At the end of October, Christian Brother Jason Ford, campus minister at Archbishop Curley Notre Dame Prep, was honored at the second annual Campus Ministries Alumni Reception at Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y. The event recognizes commitment to faith, service, and justice and also helps raise funds in support of Iona's Kairos retreat, as well as the leadership and service work of Iona Student Ministers.
Jessica Velasco, Sanjay Singh, Roger Rojas and Heli Montoto, all graduates of ACND Prep currently studying at Iona College, presented the award to Brother Ford.
"To receive the award from four past students was an incredibly humbling experience," said Brother Ford. "To hear these young men and women express their gratitude for receiving a good Catholic education rooted in the call to service of Edmund Rice was in itself a reward."
Two students from this group were selected by Iona College's Office of Mission and Ministry to participate in Iona's annual trip to Zambia. Participants in the Zambia immersion program act as servant-learners and immerse themselves in the African culture and customs, while working alongside the Christian Brothers and community partners on educational initiatives in Mazabuka. The team also travels to Livingstone to visit wildlife game parks and Victoria Falls -the world's largest waterfall.
"Recently, Iona College added the slogan Move the World to all of its admissions materials," said Brother Ford. "The ACND graduates that are at Iona are clearly taking that message to heart. Jessica and Roger's choice to go to Africa is an example of the service they began to practice while at ACND, as members of the Edmund Rice Community, and have continued at Iona. They are truly listening to the message of Christ as lived by Blessed Edmund Rice."
This year marks the 29th year of service by the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers at ACND Prep. The Edmund Rice Christian Brothers North America (ERCBNA) have had a presence in this continent since 1876, first arriving in Newfoundland and, by 1906, in New York City. In 1940, Iona College (the only university run by the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers in the world) opened its doors.
Brother Ford noted the similarities between the two schools: "Today Archbishop Curley Notre Dame and Iona College have a lot more in common than one would first expect: both are small communities able to stay well connected with alumni; both are student-centered where faculty knows the students personally; and both have a sense of being a second home for their students. These reasons help to explain why so many ACND graduates have gone up to Iona and have been successful." 
Jessica Velasco, Sanjay Singh, Roger Rojas and Heli Montoto, all graduates of ACND Prep currently studying at Iona College, presented the award to Brother Ford.
"To receive the award from four past students was an incredibly humbling experience," said Brother Ford. "To hear these young men and women express their gratitude for receiving a good Catholic education rooted in the call to service of Edmund Rice was in itself a reward."
Two students from this group were selected by Iona College's Office of Mission and Ministry to participate in Iona's annual trip to Zambia. Participants in the Zambia immersion program act as servant-learners and immerse themselves in the African culture and customs, while working alongside the Christian Brothers and community partners on educational initiatives in Mazabuka. The team also travels to Livingstone to visit wildlife game parks and Victoria Falls -the world's largest waterfall.
"Recently, Iona College added the slogan Move the World to all of its admissions materials," said Brother Ford. "The ACND graduates that are at Iona are clearly taking that message to heart. Jessica and Roger's choice to go to Africa is an example of the service they began to practice while at ACND, as members of the Edmund Rice Community, and have continued at Iona. They are truly listening to the message of Christ as lived by Blessed Edmund Rice."
This year marks the 29th year of service by the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers at ACND Prep. The Edmund Rice Christian Brothers North America (ERCBNA) have had a presence in this continent since 1876, first arriving in Newfoundland and, by 1906, in New York City. In 1940, Iona College (the only university run by the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers in the world) opened its doors.
Brother Ford noted the similarities between the two schools: "Today Archbishop Curley Notre Dame and Iona College have a lot more in common than one would first expect: both are small communities able to stay well connected with alumni; both are student-centered where faculty knows the students personally; and both have a sense of being a second home for their students. These reasons help to explain why so many ACND graduates have gone up to Iona and have been successful."
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO | Archbishop Curley Notre Dame Prep
Christian Brother Jason M. Ford, Iona class of 2001, and Liz DeCecco, class of 2002, were honored at this year's Friends of Iona's Office of Mission and Ministry Homecoming Reception.
