A Thankful Community Partner Spotlight

November 19, 2025

As we gather for the Thanksgiving season, we are reminded that gratitude is more than just a feeling, it is a tradition, passed down through generations and strengthened by our communities. At the Arizona Leadership Foundation, we are blessed to witness this spirit of giving every day through the schools and families we serve across Arizona.

This year, our reflections lead us to one of Arizona’s most historic educational treasures: San Xavier Mission School.

Nestled just west of the iconic San Xavier Mission in Tucson, San Xavier Mission School was founded in 1864, during the final year of the American Civil War, 48 years before Arizona officially became a state. For over 160 years, this school has been a place where culture, community, and education are woven together. Rooted in the Tohono O’odham Himdag (way of life), the school integrates the language, traditions, and values of the Tohono O’odham Nation into every aspect of learning. It is a living testament to resilience, a school that has endured, adapted, and thrived through wars, statehood, and generations of change.

Today, that legacy continues because of people who choose to give.

Earlier this fall, the Notre Dame Preparatory Mothers’ Guild carried on that tradition of community support by holding a school-supply drive for San Xavier Mission School’s elementary students. Thanks to their kindness, our Vice President, Ariana Muth, delivered a car full of supplies at the beginning of November. Ariana shared how moving it was to see one school community uplifting another, an act of generosity that feels especially meaningful during Thanksgiving. These contributions are more than notebooks and pencils; they are reminders that San Xavier’s 160-year history is still being written by people who care.

At the Arizona Leadership Foundation, we are proud to partner with schools across the state and humbled to be part of a legacy of service that stretches back more than a century and a half.

You can see more about the events ALF supports in the community here.