TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Each month we focus on a Southern Arizona non-profit with our Giving Project.
As October comes to a close, we want to remind you this month we're raising funds in support of Santa Theresa Tile Works.
Santa Theresa is operated as a non-profit by Imago Dei Middle School—a tuition free private school downtown helping kids from low-income families.
"I never thought to actually work with the kids. Now that I am, I'm like you know this actually is kind of my calling," recent college grad Keyla Niebla told me.
Niebla found that calling after volunteering at Santa Theresa Tile Works and working with the low-income students from Imago Dei.
She herself is a product of Imago Dei, and credits the school with helping change the course of her life.
"During high school I was coming back and seeing how can I help because they did so much for me and I wanted to return it," says Niebla.
She recently graduated from Grand Canyon University, but continues to help out at Santa Theresa Tile Works. She says she shares in their mission to provide hands-on art classes for kids from low-income families.
"They would have never thought to make a tile or work with clay anywhere else. It was cool to see them get excited about things that they wouldn't get to see," Niebla says of the kids.
RELATED: Santa Theresa Tile Works offers artistic exploration to Tucson-area students
Now she's thinking about pursuing a masters in teaching.
"I'm grateful that Imago Dei helped me nurture that," says Niebla. "Otherwise, I don't know what I would have been doing."
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Pat Parris is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. He is a graduate of Sabino High School where he was the 1982 high school state track champion in the 800 meters. While in high school and college, he worked part-time in the KGUN 9 newsroom. Share your story ideas and important issues with Pat by emailing pat.parris@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
