Please join us in welcoming Gabriela Ricksgers-Giralt as the newest member of the Office of Catholic Schools! Gabriela began her role as Admissions Advocate on July 10.
Gabriela was born and raised in El Salvador and attended Catholic schools her whole life. Coming from a Catholic and bilingual household (Spanish and Portuguese), she thrived in faith formation and excelled in her studies of two additional languages - French and English. She lived there until she moved to Houston to attend the University of St. Thomas. There, she fell in love with the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas and began her studies in Business Management and Administration. Hearing the positive reviews about West Michigan from a family member who lived in Grand Rapids, Gabriela researched the area and applied for a transfer to Aquinas College.
After graduating from Aquinas College in 2016 and marrying her husband, they started a construction business where Gabriela acted as the business manager and marketer. She has also continuously worked as a freelance medical interpreter throughout the state of Michigan. Gabriela has two young children enrolled at Holy Spirit Catholic School, and when she saw a position open up in the Office of Catholic Schools, she felt called to further the mission to prepare students for learning and life.
“I am so excited about this job because I will be able to incorporate my faith into my daily life,” Gabriela says, “It completely aligns with my career goals. I’ve always felt that if there is anything I can do to help people AND get closer to God, I want to!”
“We are thrilled to have Gabriela joining our team,” says Dave Faber, Superintendent of Catholic Schools. “We are blessed to have another team member who is multilingual and able to communicate with our growing number of families in Catholic schools. I know Gabriela will be invaluable to families of all backgrounds and propel our recruitment efforts to another level.”
Please keep Gabriela in your prayers as she transitions into this important role!