Name, Catholic School(s) attended, years graduated:

  • Bryan Burgoz
  • St. Louis the King Catholic Elementary School ’05
  • Bourgade Catholic High School ‘09

Background:

As a proud native of Arizona, I was born and raised in the northwest Glendale/Phoenix area. I attended St. Louis the King from kindergarten through eighth grade before attending Bourgade and graduating in 2009. I graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Communication Studies in 2014.

During my final year of college, I was invited to serve on an alumni engagement committee at Bourgade. The committee gave me an opportunity to re-engage with the school and learn about its marketing efforts and desire to hire a Marketing for Enrollment position to help increase enrollment. I applied and was offered the position in July 2015 serving in that role until 2017 when I became the Director of Advancement. This past summer, I left Bourgade for an opportunity with Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona; however, Bourgade will always hold a special place in both my personal and professional journey.

What impact did Catholic schools have on you and your family?

Both St. Louis the King and Bourgade truly served as a home for my family. There were always school functions going on and opportunities to get involved. I’m thankful for my parents’ willingness to stay active in both school communities through fall festivals, service projects, sporting events, and much more. It was during those experiences that my family had a chance to connect with other families who have become some of our best friends. My time in Catholic schools has continually shaped loving friendships and aspects of community that I don’t know would have been possible in a different educational environment.

SLK and Bourgade also fostered amazing academic experiences. The dedication of teachers and staff was always noticeable even through my eyes as a student. I remember constantly feeling supported and seeing the holistic approach toward formation; it was deeply impactful to have the opportunity to impart that approach during my time as a staff member at Bourgade.

I’ve always appreciated that Catholic education fosters a culture of faith formation. A safe space to discuss spirituality is becoming ever-important as the world evolves. I feel that SLK and Bourgade always created an environment for spiritual growth and saw that nurturing culture continue when working as a staff member.

What is one or two special memories of your Catholic School Experience that you would like to share?

Some of my fondest grade school memories come from the parish’s annual fall festival. In addition to the rides, games, and food, the fall festival was a time when the entire community came together. The fall festival also brought exciting new chapters of growing up.

At Bourgade, my best times were usually out on the baseball field. Bourgade baseball holds such a special place in the school’s history and I was fortunate enough to be a part of a rich stretch of success. Beyond the diamond, the annual Disneyland trip and spirit week dress-up days rank high among my best memories. Even when we were “too cool for school”, there was always so much spirit around campus and an activity or event to get involved in. Many of my best friendships started at Bourgade and have continued because of the awesome times we shared together. We continue to tell stories from high school even as we enter our mid-30s!

Accomplishments:

Though I’m incredibly proud of what I was able to accomplish as a student, none of it compares to the impact that I feel I made while serving Bourgade as a staff member. Having been fresh out of college in my first grownup job, I was overjoyed at the opportunity to continue building meaningful relationships for Bourgade. Introducing new families to an experience that I believe so deeply in made work not seem so much like work.

Working with an incredibly dedicated team in 2017, we were able to enroll the largest freshmen class in the past 10 years. I’m also proud to have helped develop a brand identity for the school that still continues to hold strong.

I’m excited to share that my better half and I got married in November of last year and we’re looking forward to doing some traveling as newlyweds!