Two families offer love and sacrifice for JDCHS graduate

IC photo/Linda Petersen

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Natalie Aboite sits surrounded by the people who made her dream of a Catholic school education a reality: her parents, Ana and Moises Aboite, and the Juarez family.

DRAPER — As Juan Diego Catholic High School graduates each received their diplomas on May 25, two families in particular beamed with pride as Natalie Aboite was presented with hers. It had taken the love and sacrifice of both families for her to reach this goal.

Natalie is the youngest child of Moises and Ana Aboite of Wendover. Although both parents understood the value of a Catholic education, it seemed impossibly out of reach for any of their children.

Older siblings Ana and Moises (both named after their parents) had gone through public school. The younger Ana went on to attend Utah Valley University and is now an elementary school teacher, while Moises Jr. is a cook at a local casino. The Aboites assumed Natalie would follow her siblings into the public educational system, as that seemed to be the only choice for her in their community, which is more than 100 miles from the nearest Catholic high school. (St. Marguerite Catholic School in Tooele serves grades pre-k through eight.)

The Aboites did not know that Father Marco Tulio Lopez, who was pastor of San Felipe Parish from 2012 to 2104 before being transferred to St. Andrew Parish in Riverton, had other plans. Fr. Lopez had been concerned about youth like Natalie and the limited opportunities afforded them and wanted to find a way to help.  

“While in Wendover there is a very faithful and smart community, there are only a few Spanish professional people,” Fr. Lopez said. “Most of the youth follow their parents’ example and end up working in the casinos.”

“There is a great difference between public and Catholic schools,” he said. “Catholic education is different culturally because we focus on God, the human being, family and society. We focus and build  good Christians and citizens. The Catholic schools want the children and youth to be not just successful professionals, but good children of God, because our final destiny is heaven.”

As he thought and prayed about the matter, he decided to help create the opportunity for Natalie to attend Juan Diego CHS. Because the school is close to 140 miles from Wendover, she would have to stay with a host family.

He first approached the Aboites who, while nervous about Natalie living away from them and concerned about how they could afford the school’s tuition, decided to get behind the idea.

“After seeing Ana struggle to get an education, we wanted to do more than that with the two others,” Ana Aboite said.

The Aboite family went to Draper and toured the Skaggs Catholic Center campus. Moises, Jr.  had just one year left of high school so his parents decided to leave him in public school, but Natalie really wanted to attend Juan Diego.

The next step was to find somewhere for her to stay. Newly assigned to St. Andrew’s, Fr. Lopez did not know many people, but one day as he celebrated Mass he received the inspiration that he should ask choir members Reuben and Mayra Juarez if they would take Natalie in.

After talking about it, the couple, who have three children of their own, Leonardo, 16, Anahi, 13 and Karol, 8, decided they wanted to support Natalie and agreed to the arrangement. Mayra said since they’ve married they have always had someone else living with them, so they felt they could make room for Natalie to be able to pursue her dream.

So, for four years, Natalie has lived with the Juarez family in Herriman while attending Juan Diego.

“They have done a wonderful job and have played a pivotal role in Natalie’s success,” Fr. Lopez said. “They were very open and have been very, very generous.”

Natalie and her parents said while it has been hard, the sacrifice has been worth it. Like the Juarez family, the Aboites have always opened their home to others who needed a place to stay.

Because of this experience with the Juarez family, “I realized what we’re always taught: When you take care of God’s things he will take care of yours. … When you are open to helping people around you, God is taking care of your needs,” Ana Aboite said.

High school diploma in hand, Natalie plans to attend Utah Valley University in the fall and to major in family studies. Once she graduates, she wants to find a way to put together enrichment programs for low-income families and to offer them in Wendover and similar communities.

She offered some advice for other teens who might be struggling. “What is meant to be will be,” she said. “For me, if something didn’t happen the way I wanted it to be … then it wasn’t meant to be. … I decided I was just going to keep going. Otherwise, there was no point me coming here in the first place.”  

At Juan Diego’s Baccalaureate Mass May 21, Bishop Oscar A. Solis presented the Aboites with the school’s Our Lady of Guadalupe award for their sacrifice, faith in education and inspiration to others. Ana Aboite said the recognition should also belong to the Juarez family because “without them we couldn’t have done anything.”