2025-26 Arrupe Fellows 

My name is Aurora Ruiz De La Rosa and I am a junior majoring in Child Studies and Psychology, with a minor in Studio Art. I am so passionate about education. My love for children and teaching led me to pursue a career as an educator. I’m grateful to be in the Arrupe Fellowship, as it has allowed me to return to support my community on the East Side of San Jose while also learning from them. I am currently working at Ida Jew Academy Valley Vista, an elementary school located in Eastside San Jose. Every minute I spend engaging at Ida Jew Academy is a joy that just keeps me motivated to keep learning and getting to know more of the students and staff. I aspire to make an impact in the field of education because I think education is not just about absorbing information, but giving meaning to learning, as well as creating special connections with one another.

I feel fortunate to be able to support Spanish-speaking students in navigating classroom activities or even just to be someone for them to talk to in their native language. Supporting English Language learners is another one of my passions, and it feeds my soul whenever I’m able to help them in any way I can.  I’m looking forward to this experience will help me get to know myself more in this field of education, as I am putting my heart and soul into this experience to grow personally and professionally. I’m looking forward to working with different grade levels and developing other skills needed to be an effective teacher for future generations.

Major
English
Minor
Urban Education 
Arrupe Placement
Wilcox High School

My name is Claire Hong and I am a junior at SCU studying English and Urban Education. I love anything matcha/hojicha related, traveling with friends, and faithfully rooting for the SF Giants. On campus, I am involved in the Honors program, ASG, the HUB writing center as a writing tutor, and the Santa Clara Review as a poetry editor. 

I have always been passionate about social justice issues and love that we are encouraged at SCU to connect and serve the community around us. I initially took my ELSJ class in Fall of 2024 at Wilcox High School, where I was placed in the English Language Learner (ELL) classes with teacher Yana Costa. Immediately, I was drawn to the chaotic classroom environment: students hurriedly typing up questions on Google Translate to ask, choruses of voices repeating back English text, and the class gravitating towards Mrs. Costa, showing her their new bag, inviting her to their JV baseball game, and announcing their new higher grades in their Chemistry class. I was amazed by how well Mrs. Costa knew her students, how she navigated fun and learning in her classroom, and her genuine care and concern for each and every student that walked in her class. Almost in a full-circle moment, I was taken back to my own experience learning English as a Second Language in school, and the teachers I encountered who supported my learning and passion for literature. With these reflections in mind, I jumped at the opportunity to go back to Wilcox in the Winter and Spring quarters of 2025, and again for the Arrupe Fellowship program. 

Currently, I engage with the same cohort of students on a daily basis, acting as a teacher's aide for Mrs. Costa. The opportunity to get to know each student and see their immense growth throughout the year is definitely the most exciting and special aspect of this program. Despite the notion that I am expected to guide and impact these students, I often find that I learn and receive much more through my interactions with them. Hearing about their lives, their excitement when learning class material, and their genuine honesty and liveliness is something that I have come to look forward to. I am so thankful that I am able to be a part of the Arrupe Fellowship program and am deeply moved by the way that I have learned so much about the community, met so many individuals that I would never have met otherwise, and gained a broader, more compassionate perspective on education and service.

Major
Biology and Neuroscience
Arrupe Placement
Peterson Middle School

My name is Dorothy Clerk (she/her), and I’m a senior at Santa Clara University double majoring in Biology and Neuroscience. My family is from Osu, Ghana, but we currently live in Redlands, California.

This year, I’m engaging at Peterson Middle School, where I work mainly with sixth-grade students in math. I decided to pursue the Arrupe Fellowship because I’ve always enjoyed tutoring and helping others learn—especially in math and the sciences. Through this experience, I hope to explore what makes a well-rounded education and how I can contribute to creating one. I’m really excited to be part of this year-long fellowship and to continue learning and growing alongside my students and peers.

Major
Psychology
Minor
Political Science and Philosophy
Arrupe Placement
Recovery Cafe

Hi, my name is Jordan Dantzler, and I use she/her pronouns. I am a third-year Psychology major with minors in Philosophy and Political Science. I was born and raised in Santa Clarita, California, but moved to the Bay Area in search of new experiences and opportunities for growth.

My academic and personal interests center around social justice and the criminal justice system, which strongly fuel my passion for my current placement. Through Santa Clara University’s immersion programs, I had the opportunity to spend time in New York with Thrive for Life, an organization that assists individuals recently released from incarceration in pursuing education and building community upon re-entry into society. While in New York, I had the privilege of hearing heartfelt stories from one of America’s most underrepresented populations, which deepened my understanding of resilience and systemic inequity.

My community engagement through Arrupe has been with the Recovery Café, a day center that began in Seattle and now has locations across the nation. The Recovery Café serves individuals experiencing homelessness, substance use, trauma, and mental health challenges. When I applied to become an Arrupe Fellow, I sought a space where I could learn about the intersections of social justice and legal policy through firsthand experience and meaningful relationships.

Major
Management and Psychology
Minor
Public Health
Arrupe Placement
CORAL Afterschool Program

I am a senior at SCU majoring in psychology and business management with a minor in public health. I am passionate about advocating for equitable education services for children with special needs, and collaborating with Catholic Charities has been a great way to get firsthand experience working in a school setting. My interests also include research on early development and learning: I am currently working in SCU’s language learning lab, where we study early language development, so it’s interesting to also observe this in a school setting!

As an Arrupe fellow, I support teachers and students at the CORAL after-school program. Whether it be helping with math homework, literacy, art, or learning new games, I am grateful for the opportunity to engage with students and learn from them and their teachers.

I decided to pursue the Arrupe Fellowship after having such a great experience volunteering with CORAL during my sophomore year. Coming back years later and reuniting with my previous classroom while also meeting new students has given me the unique opportunity to interact with students at multiple points in their elementary school career. I am now working primarily with the Kindergarten class, and I appreciate being a part of their first years of school. 

I am looking forward to continuing to get to know the students, teachers, and staff and building relationships that last throughout the year. Last summer, I also helped with the end-of-school event, which was a great way to get to know the families, and I am looking forward to possibly having a role in that as well!