The members of the first graduating senior class of Ann Sobrato High School will receive their diploma Friday. Principal Richard Knapp is proud of the Class of 2007 because those seniors have established a welcoming culture and have set a positive tone for the growing student population.
Knapp explained that the most difficult part of creating Sobrato was the planning and development stage. He incorporated ideas from teachers, community members and school architects to build the best physical structure possible. However, Knapp feels that the people in the school, combined with the events that take place there, are more important than the building itself. His experience working at Sobrato has been very satisfying and exciting because he’s worked with such great staff and students.
Almost a decade ago, the Morgan Hill Unified School District identified a possible high school site for purchase in northern Morgan Hill, which had been owned by the Sobrato family for 15 years. John Michael Sobrato, Ann Sobrato’s grandson, said that his grandmother thought that the idea of building a high school in northern Morgan Hill was very compelling. So, Ann Sobrato decided to donate the land because she truly valued education and wanted to give the district a boost in its efforts to get the school constructed.
Ann Sobrato’s life is a testimony to her value for education and commitment to hard work. Born in Northern Italy, Ann only had a formal elementary education. She immigrated to the United States in her teens, married and ran a restaurant with her husband in San Francisco until her husband died when their son was 13 years old. She then moved to the Santa Clara Valley and started buying real estate. Since then, Sobrato Development Companies has become a major development company and the largest owner of real estate in Santa Clara County.
Ann Sobrato died in 2003, but her grandson has carried on the family tradition of supporting education and has followed the progress of this graduating class. John Michael Sobrato has words of wisdom to the graduating seniors: “Get as much education as possible in order to be able to prosper in Silicon Valley. It does not matter whether you go to a junior college or a four-year public or private school just as long as you strive for more education after high school. We are privileged to live in such a wonderful place, but it takes a good education to succeed here.”
The generous Sobrato family land donation enabled the Morgan Hill School District to finance a beautiful campus with state-of-the art appointed classrooms. Students enjoy the freedom to visit the 100 percent accessible quad/amphitheatre, the library, various patios and even the back grassy area for pick-up football. The well-equipped science labs, music department, performing arts theatre, journalism classroom and other specialized rooms have promoted learning opportunities for several thousand students.
Congratulations to the Sobrato Graduating Class of 2007 for a job well done in acquiring knowledge and establishing positive traditions for our community. But above all, thank you, Ann Sobrato, for your amazing gift.
Catherine Connor is a sophomore at Ann Sobrato High School. She writes a monthly youth column for the Morgan Hill Times. She can be reached at
ct*****@ao*.com
.
