The gloomy skies and rain did not stop parents and potential students from attending the first ever Central Catholic open house on Saturday morning. The event consisted of several tables which showcased many different clubs, departments, and even some experiments done by members of the Science department in their labs. Dean of Students at Central Catholic, Ali Goljahmofrad, when interviewed earlier this week, did not have an expected number for the event and said that regardless, administration was ready. “This is the first time that we will have participated in a city-wide open house. We do not expect a numbered turn out for this event. We are ready to handle anywhere from one person to a thousand people.”

The idea of “recruitment” for the school with this open house, is not even an idea of Goljahmofrad. He says he thinks more of this as a ‘showcase,’ than a recruitment process. “I think this is a wonderful opportunity to showcase what we are doing on this campus. That is one thing I do think sets Central Catholic apart. We have six-hundred boys, less than a hundred faculty and staff, but because our community support is so strong, we offer things on this campus that three-thousand student high schools do not even offer.” Bethany Herman, the Director of Enrollment, says the event for sure is a good recruitment tool for the school, and says that building relationships are crucial to people who have an interest in Central Catholic. “I think it is a fantastic way for families to engage with the different elements that make Central Catholic who we are. When they come onto our campus, more than likely, we are able to show them our hearts, from our students to our teachers and it’s an opportunity to build relationships and that is what really matters. That is what the potential student will remember when they came to this campus and felt as they attended such events as our open house, and continue on and want to be apart of what we are offering.”

Boys and their families were definitely amazed with event. A potential Central mother, Cynthia Lopez, says that she thinks Central Catholic is the school for her son. “I really do think it is for him and I am hoping that we make that choice. He seems very interested in the school and prepared as well.” Some parents, are still on the fence about the school. That is why this open house is such a good event to attend, according to potential parents Jackie and Eric Ornelas. “This is something we have always wanted our son to look into, but we knew as parents there were some things that we couldn’t effectively teach him, and now we know it’s here, and that they could probably teach him best. We are not completely sure if the school is for him, and that is what we are trying to figure our. Hopefully soon it will come true.”

One section of the open house that caught the attention of many people was the JROTC table. SFC (Ret) Bradford, a JROTC instructor and former member of the United States Army, thinks that this is a great way to show people what Central Catholic JROTC is all about. “I have talked to several young men today, and some I have seen already that have come to eighth grade visits or even came to some camps. They seem to still be excited to remember who we are and what we have done, and I think this is just a great way to build the corps.”

Visiting families were also able to get familiar with the myriad of sports and athletic organizations that Central has to offer students. The Athletics Department had students and coaches on hand in the new Kahlig-Cowie Convocation Center gym to represent the wide variety of teams and sports that are available to students at Central Catholic.

If you did not have a chance to make it to the open house, you can schedule a campus tour or a shadow day by using the school’s website www.cchs-satx.org or by calling the enrollment office at (210) 576-4359.