News
A Proud Heritage and New Tradition
The Carlos Rosario International Charter School (C.R.I.C.S.), a non-profit institution dedicated to the education and vocational training of immigrants in the greater Washington Metropolitan area, has been seeking since 2002 to develop an Alumni Association for the benefit of all past and present students.
The purpose of the Association is to connect with the more than 50,000 former students and graduates who have passed through the school (in its three incarnations as; P.E.I.L.A., Gordon Center and most recently, C.R.I.C.S.).
The Rosario Center, in collaboration with the consulting firm SantiMarin & Assoc. (SM&A), has been working on this project since December of 2006. On February 22nd, the first Alumni Association meeting took place at the school with alumni who work there presently. These alumni employees were presented with the actions already taken to create and incorporate the association. On that chilly Thursday at 6 p.m. the auditorium began to fill up with alumni. Approximately twenty-five people attended the meeting. Some of them had already heard about the plans to incorporate the Alumni Association, but others scarcely knew about it. (Arturo Salcedo, an alumnus himself, is now processing and documenting this great event to immortalize the moment.)
As soon as they all sat down, Ms. Sonia Gutierrez, Executive Director and Founder of the school, gave them a warm welcome accompanied by a brief explanation on the reason for the meeting. She surveyed the audience and then inquired about those who were not there. Their colleagues (-ex-pupils of the school-) explained the reasons why some were absent.
Ms. Gutierrez began to encourage the students to support this effort in collaboration with the school. She stated that this was a way to seek unity among many of those who had attended, share the values and skills learned at the Rosario School, create a new political force and provide a service to the entire community. The value of the Alumni Association was made real to those who were present. In other words, the Alumni Association would become the “right arm and the flexing muscle” of the Rosario School and would make the entire academic program and other students to come much stronger and beneficial to the members and student body at large.
Carolina Marin of SM&A, provided a brief introduction and after her conclusion, gave the floor to Jose Gutiérrez who launched a power-point presentation on the organization of the alumni group. He explained the necessity of creating by-laws (rules) and naming Board members to run the association. He will also conduct a training for the Board of Directors in the future.
Mr. Gutierrez began to speak with them and immediately requested alumni collaboration. He asked them to think about a catchy cover page of the presentation and the interaction started. Then there was an explanation of the potential benefits and services the association would be able to provide to its members and, at the same time, the entire community. People listened and referred to the printed documents they had before them.
Once he finished his presentation, the audience heard the following words:
"All those who approve of this idea, please raise your hands!" and the hands of all the attendees rose at the same time. Again Mr. Gutierrez said: "Who will volunteer to take part in the first temporary Board of Directors, complete the incorporation and enact the by-laws? The initial Board must have five members, three of them founding incorporators of the Association.” Once again, several alumni volunteered to serve. Afterwards, with the type of loyalty and pride that are instilled into these alumni of the Rosario International Charter School, the group designated five former students from among those present as founding members of the Board of Directors.
The purpose of the Association is to connect with the more than 50,000 former students and graduates who have passed through the school (in its three incarnations as; P.E.I.L.A., Gordon Center and most recently, C.R.I.C.S.).
The following day, Friday 02/23/07 at 1:30 p.m. the very first incorporators signed the Articles of Incorporation before our own notary public, Ms. Gwenever Ellis, Business and Procurement Manager at Carlos Rosario. This group is known as the Rosario Alumni Association.
Cristian Argueta, Patricia Belbusti, James Zapata (Incorporators) and Gwenever Ellis (Public Notary) signing the Articles of Incorporation