Buena Gente
April 23, 2020
Launch the media gallery 1 playerA few years ago Augie Cerna ’65 came up to me after a softball playoff game in Three Rivers and offered his congratulations. I told him how much we appreciated his making the trip to support us, after all he had no immediate family on the team and Three Rivers is over an hour away from San Antonio. He then handed me $100 and told me to get the girls something on the way home. Augie has since shown his generosity since that first time in Three Rivers a couple of more times after playoff games.
His kindness has extended itself outside our athletic world as well. This year alone Augie has rallied his fellow Dinosaur grads and twice prepared meals for our faculty. They tell us that they do this to show how much they appreciate the hard work that we do for our students. I’m sure if we were to ask Augie what his motivation is that he gives of his time and resources he would probably say that he believes in our school and its mission. Not only is Augie a graduate but his son Jacob and his granddaughter Dianna are alumni as well, so Augie has had a front row seat for many years.
My mom and pop would sometimes characterize some of the people who crossed their lives as “buena gente.” A vendor at our bakery, or a plumber, or the guy who sold them their insurance, really anyone who had the potential to treat them typically, but instead went out of their way to do a better job; to be more kind and responsible; to just be better people. Needless to say, Augie Cerna comfortably fits this characterization of good people and Holy Cross continues to succeed because we are blessed to find so many kind souls who enrich our lives.
It’s very clear that we continue to make great strides in our mission to get kids ready for the challenges that await them because of our alumni who serve on our school board, the many alumni who continue to contribute financially, the hard-working parents who bless us with the great kids who walk our halls, and, ultimately, those people who many would clearly see as buena gente.
Thanks Augie.
Coach Cedillo
