New Year. New Lessons. New Adventures.

I think 2015 was the year of lessons. My last blog was about what I learned from Novali joining the cross country team. I still reflect and I think having a teenager living with me has been one of my biggest life lessons yet. Luckily I have some time before I get more teenagers.

For me 2015 was the year of hard work... I was challenged more professionally than ever before.

Ribbon Cutting on Western Ave. 

I learned more about fundraising and development; something I never thought I would do. In a one-day fundraiser we brought in what my non-profit would normally bring in all year! Whew. We had a banner year and are ending the year with approximately $250k in cash (and cash equivalent). That is 10 times more than we had when I started!

I learned more about economic development and most importantly about community engagement. I helped South Bend with a nearly 3 million dollar improvement project. It wasn't easy, and some of the issues we ran into pushed me emotionally more than ever before. It was a project we worked long and hard on, and I was honored to be a part of it, and proud that I rose to the challenges during the project and expanded my horizons.

Go Adams XC! 

I am learning to draw the line... I told IUPUI that I can't teach anymore. I do enjoy it, and the money is nice, but I just need my evenings more free to be home. I turned down some committee appointments and just want to focus. Drawing the line and saying now isn't something I do often.

Personally I learned how strong my kids are. I got to see Novali grow up so fast and just jump right in the mix in high school. Winning awards and facing challenges has shown how strong of a young woman she has become. I get to each morning watch Cruz hop out of the car and walk into school by himself... such a big kid! Mari continues to talk more, wrestle harder, and show her strong personality daily. So a great bunch of kids I have been blessed with.

So what is coming in 2016? Adventure!

The first week of January I will be spending on the US/Mexico border in Arizona. I am going with a group from Notre Dame and we will cross the border, hike the desert, and learn about everything happening on the border. It will be emotionally hard, intellectually stimulating, and a once in a life time opportunity to see how I can help and be further engaged.

This year I accepted an appointment to the Board of Directors of the Morris Performing Arts Center. Yeah me, on the board of a major performing arts center, who'da thunk it? I am excited to bring a different perspective and give input to this important group.

For La Casa I have a major project on the horizon... We have three major three-year funding proposals we need to receive and get some other pieces to fall together for some major changes to be possible.

Whew... I told my staff that I want 2016 to be the year of fun! I hope they, and others hold me to that! I am excited for my adventures that are planned and for more that I am sure are coming! Come along with me... see you in 2016!

Cross Country Lessons

Go Eagles!

This fall Novali had her first season of cross country. She always liked to run with me, I think mostly because the runs are fundraisers, but still she would do the occasional 5k with me. She was entering a new high school, new city, and I thought it would be a great way for her to make friends before school started.

I think athletics is a great way for students to learn leadership skills, to learn to balance a hectic schedule, to learn to work with different types of people, and of course to learn a little about GRIT. Life isn't easy, neither are sports, and learning to handle challenges in a sport make you better at handling challenges in the real world.

Novali did well, great actually. She made some good friends, and this week I saw that at the annual sports banquet. Her friends, teammates, coach... all together and I was proud of what she accomplished. She ran her first 5k of the season in 38 minutes... and she cut her time down an impressive ten minutes and ended the season running a 28 minute time. She learned she can push herself.

I also learned a lot... its a sport I really know nothing about it. I always loved running, but it conflicted with soccer. I had to learn the sport, learn new county parks, and I also got some great leadership lessons from the sport.

Novali taught me how strong she is. She started the season weeks after everyone else, she joined without any training and had to jump right in. She didn't know anyone at the school, on the team, and she worked hard to run and fit in. All while being a successful student. She balanced it all and did it well.

My favorite leadership lesson was about sportsmanship.

When the team runs, many parents and spectators run around to points on the course to cheer on their student. I got my exercise running to points along the course to encourage Novali. Well one time near a spot as she passed a girl from another team, and I heard the other girl say, "Good Job" and Novali replied, "You to".

Until then I always thought Novali was just out there running alone, working on her best time. I realized she wasn't, everyone out there was in it together. Yeah I am sure it is more contentious towards the front, but it really was great to see the sportsmanship.

Her season ended, she made some good friends, she kept up her grades and is looking forward to the next season. We ran a 5k last weekend, and will do some training in the off season... proud of her and I am looking forward to next season. GO EAGLES.

No Longer The New Guy

Well today it is two years... two years since I became a full time employee of La Casa de Amistad.

I technically started in mid August part time helping in the evenings, doing some training, and telling people that I was the new guy at La Casa. Today I am officially two years old and wow it feels like just yesterday, but also like I have been in this office all my life.

Cruz at La Casa

I know why it feels like I just started... cause I am excited for everyday here at work. I am excited that I am still learning and growing. I am excited that I know this humble place is making a difference. I am excited to see construction equipment on a once dilapidated neighborhood. I am excited to tell folks my son is a graduate of our Yo Puedo Leer class. I am excited to attend events and proudly share with people where I work and what we do.

I know why it feels like I have been here all my life... cause it feels right. It feels right when I get to represent our community in places where we haven't typically had a voice. It feels right that daily I get to listen to community needs and help explain those needs to people who have the ability to help solve them. It feels right when I help our community solve its own problems. It feels right when we get to tell a parent that we can help them with their child, and that things will be alright.

I am excited and it feels right because I am where I am supposed to be. I am in a place where my talents are put to good use. I am in a place that I get to help others put their talents to good use. I am in a place where this amazing team that surrounds me puts our work before us and goes about finishing that work together.

So to the community... thanks for accepting this not-Latino-looking-Spanglish-speaking-kinda-white guy into the community. Your trust means more to me than anything.

So to my team... not sure any of you read my blog, and I hope I tell you face to face enough... Thank you for making me love my job. Thank you for your sacrifices and for all you do for our community

So to my board... thank you for believing in me, and thank you for stepping up when others won't, for helping out when others can't, and for keeping me focused.

Mostly to my family... for dealing with the long nights, for understanding my schedule, and for being just as much a part of the important work of this place as I am. For where one of us is, we all are, and when one of us succeeds we all do. Thank you for your sacrifices.

Back to School Bravery

This week was hectic for the South Bend Centellas clan... both Cruz and Novali started new schools. Novali into High School and Cruz into a new preschool. Lots of school lists, information from the school, planning driving routes and figuring timing out... hectic.

It was nice that my parents were here to help, but yesterday I took them to the airport to fly out to Boston to visit my brother Andres and his newest addition to the family, Liam Centellas. So today we were on our own.

Each morning Cruz would say he is scared. First two days Heather went with us and she walked him in, third day I drove him myself and I walked him up. Today he said he was scared as we packed up the car. He asked about just going to his other school instead... but I told him not to worry, that he is brave and that he would have fun again (each day at pick up he says he had fun). He smiled when I told him he was brave.

So Cruz and I rode to school and dropped off Mari first. Then we started the routine to do drop off for Cruz at his new school. As we pulled up front he said, "Papi, I can walk by myself", and he did.

Hopped out, put on his book bag, and walked into school. I didn't even get a waive.

Bravery comes in lots of forms. Sometimes it is a fireman running into a fire, but sometimes it is a little four year old putting on his backpack and walking into school. Sometimes it is a teenage girl, who just moved towns to a new school and without knowing a soul walked into a big scary high school.

We often under estimate our kids, or don't give them credit for how hard some of these things can be... but we also have to balance not giving them an easy out. We have to give them opportunities to learn how strong they are, and give them chances to show us how much stronger they are than we could have ever imaged.

One Proud Papi Today.

Anniversaries and Priorities

Today D and I have been married for six years. We've been together for over ten years, so this milestone while fun it is one of many, and one of many more to come.

So what makes it work? I was reflecting on it all week... got a few different blog ideas during the process but I realized one thing that we do that makes it work, we have the same priorities. When we met in grad school, we dated, we lived apart, we lived close, we worked a lot. We made it work because we knew we both had priorities and in that stage in life you get pulled in a lot of different directions.

Today we celebrate six years of marriage and I think of all the times our priorities came together to make things work is why things have not just lasted so long, but will continue to go well.

We got married in a simple ceremony in Bad Axe, MI. We didn't have to spend a ton of money to have a good time (don't worry, we all had a good time...). The money we saved was the downpayment on our house and paid for some of the important updating the house needed. Priorities.

We have a new roof instead of a new kitchen. We never painted our bedroom, but all the kids rooms are painted and updated, and even our guest room was totally redone. Priorities.

Our kids and family are our priority, and we sacrifice for them without question. It makes it work for us, and while a brand new kitchen would be nice, I don't notice it when I come home and Mari races into my arms at the kitchen door. Prioriries.

We aren't rich, but without question Heather encouraged me to take the La Casa job even though it was a lot less money. Heather could make more somewhere else I am sure, but the tuition benefit for the kids is more important. Priorities.

Thanks Babe, I know things aren't perfect; someday we will have the dream kitchen, and my Datsun will be on the track, and we will redo our bedroom, and we won't have to offer to change a poopy diaper... until then morning muffins, chasing toddler babies and garden flowers will do. Priorities.

Love You. Happy Aniversary.

135,000 Miles and $15,000 Jetta

Broken window...

Last week the Jetta window went off track... and I popped it back in and I thought it was fine. Well Sunday night late the window popped off track again and as I tried to put it back... thump... it fell all the way down in the door. No way to pull it back up, it was getting dark... and so I threw a tarp over the car and did some online research on how to fix it...

We own a 2003 VW Jetta GLS. It was a big step for D, she bought the car on her own, financed it, shopped for it, and negotiated the deal. We got it certified VW, with less than 30,000 miles on it.

Well... tonight I spent some time getting close and personal with the Jetta. I had torn apart the door panel to try and fix the window. I had called our local VW dealer and they couldn't get it in until Friday... WHOA... plus it was $120 just to tell me what is wrong. My research told me it was probably the clips. I couldn't find that part online though was my worry... So I left work early and pulled out the tools. It took a while, door panels are tricky, but with some youtube vids and online forum help I got it apart and started to trouble shoot. Once apart, I saw that the clips looked fine, I just had to pull the window (harder than it sounds) and then reset it in place and tighten the clips. With Ds help we got it done...

Torn apart door

Then I worked on the AC for a bit... its been broken for years, and last year I charged the freon but it stopped soon after so I figured it wasn't freon. Well tonight I trouble shooted and caught a blown fuse, which didn't fix it... but then recharging the freon got it going! So it was two things... but lets see how slow the leak is and I hope it keeps running.

So why did I work so hard to fix the Jetta? It has been in the family for nearly 10 years... and paid off now for a long time. I did some quick math and I would guess it saved us about $15,000 in car payments. WOW! So I don't mind dealing with AC that doesn't always work, or a window that gets stuck... or spending some time in the heat fixing the window. Worth it.

So I also hope that I get to teach Novali how to drive in it... this could be her first car. Lets see how it goes... Go Jetta Go!

Cruz Morning Routine

Well today my morning routine was different... I went to work alone and it felt weird.

September 2014

For the past 9 months part of my morning routine was taking Mari to daycare, and then bringing Cruz with me to La Casa for Yo Puedo Leer. We enrolled Cruz in our preschool class called Yo Puedo Leer, which means "I Can Read". The class is designed for Spanish speaking 3 and 4 year olds to get ready for kindergarten. The unique curriculum, which is proprietary to La Casa, teaches the kindergarten prep materials in both languages. Our success at getting kids ready for kindergarten wasn't the only reason I put him in it, I really wanted Cruz to learn more Spanish since we don't speak it at home. What he learned, and I learned, was a whole lot more.

The first month or so Cruz cried at drop off, he would do that at daycare as well and hated switching rooms and new teachers. Most kids don't like transition, but I realized there was a little more to it here at La Casa. In the fall the kids didn't speak much English, and Cruz didn't speak Spanish... he was left out and it was hard.

At first I felt bad for him, and wanted to see what I could do to help... you know, typical parent instinct. Then I thought, this would teach him to be flexible, teach him grit, teach him not to give up. I moved to the US and was forced into school right away and didn't speak the language. I survived it, and I think experiences like that teach you to be resilient. Cruz made it through, and in no time made good friends with his class, and learned some Spanish.

My Graduate

I really enjoyed getting to see him each morning. Him waving as he walked by my door on the way to get a drink. Hearing him saying over and over... "Ms Ana, Ms Ana, Ms Ana"... when asking the teacher a question. Being able to pick out his voice when the class was singing. Or beaming the one day when giving a tour that I walked into the classroom while he was standing at the board using the pointer and doing his alfabeto. I for sure will miss the drive to ECDC at lunch time and having him sing Dos Elefantes for me.

It was fun being there while he was growing up. Seeing him become confident, watching his shy personality come out, hearing him sing new songs, and just watching him learn. I will miss his "Adios Abuelita" to our classroom Foster Grandparent as we left each day.

Well summer will be different as he will be all day at ECDC. I won't get our midday drive, or see him during the day. I am a really proud papi and glad we had this fun time together as the rest of his schooling won't be as close.

Baby Giant

We always make comments about how big Mari has gotten, or how fast she is growing. Well on Wednesday morning Cruz made the comment when she was climbing out of her high chair (yes on her own) that... "Look! Mari is a Baby Giant!"

Well later that afternoon Mari had her 12 month wellness visit with the doctor. As usual everywhere she goes people love her ginger hair as soon as she pops out of her car seat. Then they notice her cute little teeth coming in and great smile.

The doctor when she saw her was like wow... thats a big baby! Well Mari was in just over the holiday break for an ear infection so it wasn't like it had been that long. Well in those barely two months Mari grew three inches! Whoa...

Well the official tale of the tape... Mari is 32 Inches tall and 20 Pounds. That makes her 99.9 percentile in height, and 75 percentile in weight.

So yeah, I guess Cruz was right, Mari is a Baby Giant! Well Mari is for sure DeCourval Strong...

Then she also got shots and she always takes them like a champ. When she got her flu shot she just barely grunted and mean mugged the nurse. This time she got three, and by the second one was crying... its always hard as the dad I am the one who has to hold her still while the nurse gives the shot. Then D is the one who consoles my baby...

We are glad to have a healthy baby ginger giant.

Leaving a Legacy

Yesterday I heard one of my favorite community leaders give some awesome advice, and today came the news that a great community leader passed away. So I had to stop and reflect, and then I figured I needed to connect the two.

At a United Way panel yesterday Mayor Pete made some comments about coming together in the new focus of the United Way to combat poverty. He made a statement that I connected to and he said it in a way that really got me thinking.

Mayor Pete said something to the effect of, that often times the hardest thing for a leader to do is to decide the things they aren't going to do... I have always told students they are constantly making decisions, and it is the ones when you decide not to act, in which you are really acting, and your indecision is a decision to support the status quo. His view on the similar thing got me thinking also about leadership bandwidth... we can't always fight all the fights, and sometimes showing our resolve through focus can be powerful.

Then this morning came the news the Father Hesburgh passed away. Undoubtably one of the best leaders this community has seen, and one of the top in the country. His mark on Notre Dame, catholic education, South Bend and this country can be felt in many ways. The famous picture of him standing with MLK is iconic. Was he perfect? No. Did he fight every fight? No. Did he win a lot of his fights, absolutely.

It got me thinking about fights and cheerleaders. Someday I will write a blog about that... Hesburgh fought some great fights, sometimes he was a great cheerleader, and he helped build an amazing world class institution. He was though silent on certain items and Notre Dame lagged behind on some critical social issues. Does that make him not a good leader.... no it means he picked his battles. I talked recently with a former student who talked of his disappointment that ND didn't fight XYZ battle, and the comments from Pete yesterday, the news of Hesburgh's passing all made these items come together.

God Bless to a great man. He did what he could do. I never had a chance to talk to him, but I sure he knows how much he changed lives, and I hope Notre Dame continues to honor his legacy of making a difference in this world through their institution. God Bless.