Welcome, Yvonne Chavez, new Principal of St. John the Evangelist Catholic School

By Mary Lim 

This school year, St. John the Evangelist Catholic School in Tucson welcomed back one of its former and longtime teachers, Yvonne Chavez, as the new Principal. 

Chavez taught at St. John for seven years from 2010 to 2017 – five years in kindergarten and two years in 4th grade. She then worked for the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education and became the founding member of Pursuing Achievement Through Higher Education (PATH) Program. Chavez developed and implemented the PATH Middle School Graduate Support Program and the PATH Rising Summer Program for six years before returning this year to St. John the Evangelist Catholic School as principal. 

From her diverse experience in Catholic education, Chavez says her favorite part about Catholic education is that “Catholic schools incorporate faith formation into every aspect of the day.” As St. John’s school mission states to strive to “seek God in all things”, Chavez says she loves that Catholic education “really lives out the animating principle that God is in ALL things!” 

For Chavez, her own Catholic faith has been foundational in her life and in her career. The new principal says, “Faith is what anchors and drives me to be the best leader I can be for my school community.” Citing St. John the Evangelist School’s mission statement, she says that her faith is also what allows her to “support the school in leading students on the ‘path to college and Heaven!’” 

As she begins this new chapter of her career with St. John, Chavez’s prayer for all Catholic students and their families is “that we live out the values of our faith. That through the intercession of our Lady of Guadalupe and the saints and angels of God we become the people God created us to be.” 

When Chavez isn’t working at school or developing programs to support Catholic education, she is likely spending time with her family, which is her “favorite thing to do!” 

Please keep Chavez and St. John the Evangelist Catholic School in your prayers as they begin a new school year!