An interview with Director of Admissions & Outreach Erica Rego

Although Erica Rego’s official title is Director of Admissions and Outreach, she might as well be called “Director of Student and Family Success” at Saint Columbkille.

Her connection with families begins—but far from ends—with recruiting and enrolling prospective students and onboarding them to be part of the school community. In fact, she was in their exact shoes a few years ago when she chose Saint Columbkille for her own daughter, Sophie. Now, a proud freshman at Holy Cross, Sophie still considers Saint Cols her family. And like everyone, a year of necessary pandemic distancing left Erica more eager and appreciative of a future return to normal.

“I’m definitely a people person,” she says, and when it was safe enough for families and children to visit the school in-person, “it’s like I felt alive again.”

As seen across other Catholic schools in the region able to open for in-person learning, Saint Cols enjoyed a bump in enrollment. Rego finds joy and takes pride in the many families who have re-enrolled and who will get to experience Saint Cols in its full communal glory—from formal after-school activities to playful lingering on the playground into the afternoons.

“One thing I can tell you is that—across the board—once you’ve enrolled here, you are a part of the family,” she says. “It’s not just about the school—it’s about being a partner in bringing your kids up in life.”

For Rego, community care means wearing a variety of hats—from serving as a liaison and interpreter to the Portuguese and Spanish communities, to helping field questions about everything from health insurance to immigration issues to city bus schedules. Sometimes families arrive in the U.S. without having completed middle or high school themselves, making Saint Cols a launching pad for first-generation college hopefuls.

Like so many others on staff at Saint Cols, she’s inspired to fulfill God’s calling for her. And there’s been one mantra of compassion that she’s drawn upon throughout this challenging year: “Someone told me every time you’re helping someone to look at them and see Jesus’ face.”

Erica Rego, Director of Admissions & Outreach