St. HOPE: Home

9th Grade Academy scholars had the opportunity to participate in team building at UC Davis this quarter! Our scholars competed in various competitions in their advisory classes in order to strengthen their teamwork and build community, all with the ultimate goal of claiming the Dragon Cup! Our scholars had so much fun participating in team building activities on the UC Davis quad. We ended our team building activity with a picnic.

On the Monday before Thanksgiving, several St. HOPE teachers, staff, students and parents joined countless volunteers at the Sacramento Food Bank to help distribute turkeys and all the fixings to those in need. Thousands of people lined the streets of Oak Park to be one of many to receive the donation given in a nifty Sacramento Food Bank bag.

Underground Books had the honor of hosting renowned and critically acclaimed author Walter Mosley at the 40 Acres Complex for an enchanting evening at the bookstore and a fireside chat at the Guild Theater.

Mr. Mosley, who authored “Devil in a Blue Dress,” visited Oak Park to share his newest novel, John Woman, and talk about his career, writing projects, and insight as a crime-fiction writer.

Have you been to an event at the Guild recently?

Lately, the Guild Theater has been the place to be! The Guild Theater has provided so many events including movie nights, comedy shows, and even plays! Early this month, the Guild has hosted  events such as: Anthropology of Dia de los Muertos lecture, Fireside Chat with Walter Mosley, Specialty Coffee Panel, Cinderella Scholarship Pageant, and of course a movie every Tuesday by Popcorn Culture!

I’ve always dreamed about going to an HBCU. I was unsure about my experience at a predominantly white institution. I currently attend California State University, Sacramento and I have loved my experience thus far. Coming from a predominantly black high school, Sacramento Charter High School, the diversity of Sac State’s campus was truly a culture shock, but the levels of love and unity helped me overcome my worries about attending a local university. Sac state is a great campus and I have learned the importance of my presence on this campus.

Here at St. HOPE we find it very rewarding to recognize the outstanding commitment from our staff, which more than often go above and beyond to give scholars an unforgettable learning experience. With amazing staff like Mr. Sarabia, Sac High’s Visual Arts and Communications teacher, there’s no wonder why we have such amazing scholars.

This month we had the privilege of sitting down with veteran HOPEster, Mr. Sarabia, to hear a little about his story. Here’s what we captured:

Q: How long have you been here? How did you hear about St. HOPE?

Walking into the dimmed library, staff were greeted with the aroma of fresh fruit and the beat of exhilarating music. In one corner of the room, folks were sharing the benefits of meditation, in another, a barre demonstration was just starting. Samples of detoxifying juices and sunflower butters were passed around while staff worked on a community brainstorming project. This is the St. HOPE Annual Wellness Fair, an event designed for all St.