2016 Alum Jon Colarelli Leads Post-Graduate Life of Service
Jon Colarelli, a graduate of the ACE 2016 cohort, has taken a nonconventional business major path after graduation. While most alumni begin work at various companies around the Valley, he has devoted his career to service and education.
After graduation, Jon joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) for a year in Baltimore. There, he was a paralegal at the Public Justice Center and helped protect underserved tenants in the area from risks in the housing industry. Although he says that his year with JVC was a challenging one, he also appreciated the opportunity to learn and grow. Jon says that he is a different person than when he first started, mostly because he is more aware of applying the four pillars of Jesuit philosophy -- community, social justice, spirituality, and simplicity -- into his daily life.
After a year with JVC, Jon applied for the Residential Teaching Corps at Cristo Rey High School in San Jose. His main motivation is his interest in working with schools that serve low-income students and he hopes to work in education policy someday. By staying in contact with the Cristo Rey network throughout college and in Baltimore, Jon was able to hear about the Residential Teaching Corps. Jon says that his favorite part of the job is the dynamic nature of teaching; he never feels that the work is boring. Another aspect that Jon enjoys is his ability to see students in many different contexts from coaching on the school basketball team to classroom learning. Thanks to Jon for sharing his input and experiences with the ACE network.