On Nov. 1, Loyola’s Virtual Open House invited future students and their families from all across Southern California to showcase what Loyola High School has to offer. Over 552 families joined the webinar from their homes. The event started with an introduction from Loyola’s Director of Admission, Angela Reno. 

Reno stated, “The main purpose of this event was to give a taste of what Loyola has to offer through its academic, spiritual, and personal education.“

Because this was the first year holding the program online, organizers had to overcome a wide range of obstacles. Engaging potential students and parents thoughtfully and effectively proved to be the event’s main hurdle.

Reno says, “The way that she and the other organizers overcame obstacles when preparing was through changing and revising the schedule and presentations to be as direct as possible towards the parents and students. We were happy to have more participation from the families.”

School leaders kicked off the event with introductions and live Q&A followed by a faculty welcome that walked prospective families through Loyola’s varied course offerings. Cub Year One (CY1) managers closed out the program with a pre-recorded presentation on their roles at Loyola. 

Spanish teacher Kaitlin Collins Pardo, the organizer and planner of CY1, stated, “My role was to detail the program’s comprehensive orientation program, targeted at helping first-year students grow and understand the school better. I wanted to make this a memorable experience for all of the students that came.”

After the presentation, there was a live student panel, and several juniors and seniors answered questions about the school and their personal Loyola experiences.

Junior Charles Legaspi, who was featured on the student panel, stated, “The student panel was wonderful. I was able to share my experience at Loyola and show the passion that the students have for our school. When parents interact with the actual student body at Loyola, they are able to get a firsthand perspective on life at Loyola, and they can gauge how their son might develop if he goes to our school.” 

Extensive planning went into the Open House, and faculty found the virtual adaptation highly successful. Many teachers and staff also helped in assisting with the production of the virtual Open House. 

Reno stated, “There will be more webinars in the future and that all parents and students should attend as they dive more extensively into what Loyola is.”