David Robert Velarde, a sophomore at Pace High School walks through the halls as a third generation Spartan. David’s mother, Ana Villaraos (Bar-chen) is a Class of 1994 alumna and his grandmother Diana Diaz (Villaraos) is part of the Pace Class of 1971.
Velarde says the sense of community and family are some of the qualities that draw these generations to Pace.
“To be a Spartan means representing a wonderful school with a wide variety of people that have influenced this world,” said Velarde.
Velarde says that since he was little, his mother and grandmother would talk about what Pace has meant to them from being a part of St. John the Apostle Catholic Church and School.
He continued, “All we talked about was going to Pace and becoming Spartans”.
Velarde spoke with much pride about his mother’s (Ana Villaraos) involvement in sports including swimming, basketball, Key Club as well as the many retreats which left a mark on her faith. Velarde’s uncle Adrian Villaroz, is also a Pace alumnus, graduating as the salutatorian of the Class of 1993 who worked actively in leadership at Pace.
Like David Velarde’s family, there are many families who proudly have generations of Spartans who will be featured in the coming months. If you would like to share your story of Pace Generations, contact Elvita Reigosa, director of Public Relations at ereigosa@pacehs.com.