Revamped & Energized: The Upgraded LSLO

Have you ever walked past Room 106 and wondered what goes on in there? All thanks to the new Lasallian Student Life Office staff, this room previously filled with old offices is now a fun community of students and faculty. Assistant Director Mr. Manolito Jaldon, Administrative Assistant Mrs. Aimee De Leon, Assistant Director of Student Life Ms. Anna Fernandez, Assistant Dean of Student Life Mrs. Cecilia Powers have made a tremendous change that has shaped part of the Christian Brothers community. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know each of these new Lasallian Student Life Office (LSLO) staff members, and the work they do is truly inspirational. 

Stumped on how this community has become so close so fast, I asked Mr. Jaldon what it took to transform the LSLO into a safe space for students. “I don’t know that I’ve done much to change it, but I think that the students have taken hold of the vision of what we want for the LSLO and they have made it grow,” he says. “From SRLT and offering meaningful retreats done by students and for students, to our Venaver projects, to rallies, to dances — we have just become the rocks along the pond that guide the water where it needs to go.”

This is an accurate representation as to what it means to be a part of the LSLO community. There is no superiority between staff and students — it’s one community that operates as a whole. They work together to fully serve the Christian Brothers community. Nobody works alone. The amount of support within one department is unmatched. 

Maci Mora (‘23), a teaching assistant (TA) within the LSLO, is able to speak from a student’s perspective on what it means to be a part of this family. 

“I really enjoy being behind the scenes for all the projects and seeing how the posters are made, how the retreats are put together and overall how the LSLO operates,” she excitedly remarks. “I’m close with all the staff here and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I appreciate the time each staff member takes to get to know the students here” 

I can personally attest to this. Any one of these amazing staff members will sit down and have a real conversation with any student. The connections within Room 106 are real and genuine.

“I enjoy my job. It doesn’t feel like work to me,” Mr. Jaldon states. “I enjoy being here.” 

The new LSLO staff has made an effort to get to know each and every student in the Christian Brothers community. The LSLO has transformed tremendously within the past year — and it’s not the result of one person. 

“One student at a time” Mr. Jaldon observes. “I don’t think it works when we just throw the net out and say hey all freshman. I think it literally takes Ms. Fern, Mrs. De Leon, Mrs. Powers and myself to go out there and just meet one student at a time and hear their story and hear where they come from. And that’s how Jesus did it. It seems like a proven method. He invited one person at a time to follow him.”

Students are constantly going in and out of the LSLO, looking for new opportunities to serve the CB community. Mrs. De Leon, Mr. Jaldon, Ms. Fernandez, and Mrs. Powers have set a strong example for the students here at CB. 

“I think what we work hard doing is leading with faith in the presence of God and recognizing that God is a part of all of us,” Mrs. Powers says. “As such, we want to welcome everyone and be a community of diverse learners who want to make a contribution to the school. This means doing service and having concern for the poor and including everyone — those are all qualities we want to nurture in student leaders. The five Core Principles should be our guide posts for everything that we do. And that is what we try to do here everyday”