On March 30, 2023, Ms. Cobb, the president of Loretto Academy, announced that Mr. Homero Silva would be retiring from his role as principal at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.

Mr. Silva became Loretto’s High School Principal in 2017. 

As a part of the Loretto community, Mr. Silva has always inspired students to appreciate the magic of learning.

On the morning announcements, students will recognize Mr. Silva’s voice as he encourages them to conquer every day with an open mind and positive attitude. 

Although Mr. Silva battled cancer during his tenure at Loretto, it is evident that he approached every situation with optimism. 

With the Loretto community supporting him along his recovery journey, Mr. Silva remained determined to uphold Loretto’s Tradition of Excellence. 

Through his actions, Mr. Silva continues to embody Loretto’s Four Core Values of Faith, Community, Justice, and Respect.

There is no doubt that Mr. Silva’s leadership will continue to inspire the Loretto community for years to come. 

Q&A with Mr. Silva

• What is your favorite Loretto tradition?

“I think my favorite Loretto tradition is not one that we see and not one that we do when we go to an assembly. My favorite tradition is to empower women, and I have seen that firsthand; that is the reason I selected Loretto for my daughter. Maybe that’s the reason I ended up marrying a girl from Loretto. My sisters also came here, and I see how they are different from my cousins because they received a Loretto education and have a different sense of voice. I think that’s my favorite Loretto tradition; it’s unspoken, but I need to make it implicit.” 

• What is your greatest Loretto memory?

“I have so many! Every day brings a new memory. One of them is going to be the Women’s Conference. I created another memory when I organized a conference for parents six years ago. We advertised it in the newspaper, and I hired an author (Sergio Troncoso) from El Paso, who is currently a professor at Yale University, as the keynote speaker. The title was ‘The Impact of Choosing a Catholic Education.’

Another favorite memory of mine is when we published a book for the teachers. During COVID, all the teachers wrote a poem, and we printed it. 

This year, I’m going to do two more publications: The prayers from the morning announcements, and I’m currently working with the English department to publish the best writings from students. Those are the memories I take with me.”

• Why do you believe in the mottos, “The Power of One” and “The Magic of Learning”?

“When I think of our students standing on stage and delivering a message, that is the power of one person. If that one person connects and changes somebody’s mind, it changes the world. 

For example, when Mother Praxedes started this school, it was one person who had a vision and thought she could make a difference. That’s how the power of one changes one community; that community changes the world.

When I understand someone else’s thinking, that’s the Magic of Learning. That moment you understand education and what you are learning, it’s a magical moment, and that changes everything.”

• What is a contribution you’ve made to the school that you hope will live on?

“I consider myself a trained “change agent”. I just happen to have this job with the title of “principal.” As a change agent, how do I close the 100-year cycle so that Loretto continues to grow and evolve? 

I have changed the way we work, the way we approach, and the way we function as a team. Although everyone may not always agree with it, everything I say and do is with a very clear intention. I think this is a good time to retire because it will close the cycle and allow somebody else to take Loretto up to the next level.”

• How special has it been to be principal at the same school your wife, daughter, and sisters graduated from?

“The women in my family are very proud of that fact. I always tell people that I’m the only boy in my family who went to Loretto; in a different capacity, but we did it, and I love that. When my daughter came here, she graduated in 2001; a year before Ms. Cobb. I had no idea that one day I would work here.

I’ve had the opportunity to work in our community, and the reason I became a teacher was because I thought certain communities needed some of that work. I wanted to make it happen here, so I closed my dental practice and moved into teaching. 

Many of my family members didn’t understand why I went from playing the role of a doctor to playing the role of a teacher, but I think that playing the role of a teacher is so important.” 

• What will you miss the most about Loretto?

“The drama. But that’s at every level, not only with the students. We can all be dramatic at some times. Maybe even me too! There’s always something going on. 

For example, on Senior Prank Day, first, we had mariachis. Afterward, I thought, ‘Okay, come on people, we need to get to work!’ And then they leave and there come the belly dancers. But those are the kinds of things I will miss.”

• Do you hope to remain active in the Loretto community?

“ I hope so. I believe in the work that the Sisters of Loretto do. When you look at the Core Values, the Sisters see Justice and make sure to fight injustice. They fight for justice all of the time. The Sisters of Loretto tend to be more radical in pushing people to think a little differently. I believe in those things too, so I think I will continue that close connection to what the Sisters of Loretto started. 

When Sister Buffy took me to visit the nuns in Kentucky, I met nuns who were lawyers, doctors, and psychologists. The role of women has changed over time, and they even opened it up to men. Men can join, but they are called ‘Co-members of Loretto’. The Sisters of Loretto keep adjusting and adapting to the circumstances of the modern world, which are connections I think we all need to be attentive to.” 

• What is the most important piece of advice you would want your successor to know? 

“I hope that when they find someone, I recommend they find someone who is creative, innovative, and somebody that knows the work that we’re doing. Once they find that person, I am going to tell them please continue to push our community to think outside of the box. Continue to make a difference in our community. 

Whoever they hire will know how to do the basic principal things, but how do you run a school and help it to be different? In El Paso, we have many high schools, and they are all very good. So what makes us different? And so, we need to keep that going. The sisterhood makes us different, the clubs, the traditions, the religion component, fighting for justice, service, work; all of those things make us unique.” 

• What do you want your legacy at Loretto Academy to be?

“The phrase that we said at the Women’s Conference: ‘Reading will change your life and writing will change the world’. I do believe that. 

This year, our motto was ‘Earn your wings.’ Some of you have been here since elementary school, or middle school, or maybe you started here in high school. But you are all going to earn your wings. It’s been a great experience for me, and I’m grateful to have had this opportunity.”

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Since stepping into the role as principal, Mr. Silva has without a doubt upheld the tradition of excellence and showcase students achievements. 

Through his morning announcements, he encourages students to try their hardest and submit to the magic of learning. 

Students, teachers, and administrators are in Mr. Silva’s corner to support him during this time of transition.

As the Loretto community says goodbye to Mr. Silva, we look forward to welcoming the succeeding principal with open arms.