Groundbreaking Ceremony

Jesuit High School celebrated a Special Blessing & Groundbreaking Ceremony on Wednesday, May 20 for Phase III of its campus master plan: a state-of-the-art Science Center and an innovative Student Activities Center featuring a Dining Hall.

These phenomenal new facilities are made possible by transformational capital gifts. The Jenkins Science Center is named in honor of Carole & Richard “Steve” Jenkins ’75, and the Schellman Student Activities Center is named in honor of Lauren & Chris Schellman, P ’20, ’24, ’27. Jenkins and Schellman made extraordinary gifts to Jesuit of $5 million each – the largest in the history of the school.

The Leal Family Dining Hall, which will be part of the Schellman Student Activities Center, is named in honor of Stacey & Ron Leal, P ’09, whose longstanding commitment and generosity to Jesuit has included capital gifts of more than $1.2 million and annual leadership support of Jesuit’s Gaudiosa gala.

(Click here to view a dynamic video rendering of Phase III. View photos from the ceremony below.)

At the ceremony, the Jenkins, Schellman, and Leal families all participated in the ceremonial shovels-in-the-dirt breaking of ground for the building site and new facilities. Located approximately where the MPR and Building 6 have been, Phase III will have a lasting impact on generations of Jesuit Tigers.

“These facilities will strengthen our ability to form young men intellectually, spiritually, and in community,” said Jesuit president Fr. Vincent Giacabazi, S.J. “They will ensure that Jesuit continues to fulfill its mission in ways that are relevant, rigorous, and rooted in faith.”

The Jenkins Science Center will elevate how the school engages students in discovery – through cutting-edge laboratories, collaborative environments, and the tools needed to prepare students for high-level collegiate work and careers in science, research, and medicine.

The spacious and dynamic Student Activities Center and Dining Hall will play a vital role in enhancing the student experience.

“Learning does not happen only in classrooms; it happens in conversation, collaboration, and shared experiences,” said Debbie Pacheco, Jesuit’s assistant principal for academics. “These spaces will foster connection and strengthen the relationships that are central to our students’ personal and spiritual growth.”

Creative Contractors will lead the construction effort, which is expected to be completed in the fall of 2027. The classic building designs were created by PBK Architects and will complement other recent major construction at Jesuit such as Gonzmart Hall, the Chapel of the Holy Cross, and the Antinori Center for the Arts.

At Wednesday's ceremony, student council president Robert Bogle '26 welcomed everyone to the event, and Jesuit's board chair, Bill Muir Jr., P '19, as well as with assistant principal for academics Debbie Pacheco and school president Fr. Vincent Giacabazi, S.J., addressed the gathering.

Father Giacabazi, along with Mr. Giovanni Diaz, S.J. and Mr. Justin Kelley, S.J., gave the blessing of the ground site. Making the ceremonial shovels-in-the-dirt groundbreaking, in addition to Carole and Steve Jenkins, Lauren and Chris Schellman, and Stacey and Ron Leal, were Bogle, Muir, Pacheco, and Father Giacabazi.

Jesuit’s campus master plan was launched a decade ago, and the first two phases were supported by the $50 million ‘For Greater Glory’ campaign. Phase I included Holy Cross Chapel at the heart of campus; Gonzmart Hall, the school’s enduring presence along Himes Ave.; the beautiful Oliva Courtyard connecting them; and a stately perimeter wall that gives the school a collegiate aesthetic. The centerpiece of Phase II was the striking and elegant Antinori Center for the Arts, a 32,000-square foot facility that has transformed the arts at Jesuit since its completion in 2023.