Jo Anne Jeffre-Disney Class of 1971
Jo Anne Jeffre-Disney graduated from San Gabriel Mission High in 1971. She attended Pasadena City College and received an Associate Arts Degree in English in 1974. She transferred to California State University, Los Angeles and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English in 1976. Jo Anne made a career at Cal-State, L.A. working in the Financial Aid Business Office, the Financial Management Office, and the Department of Public Safety. During that time, she served as California State Employees Association Chapter 311 President for 10 years and wrote articles for the “University Times” and the “University Employee.”After 29 years at the university, in 2005 she took an early retirement to become a caregiver for her mom and began a second career in writing. She worked as a Proofreader and Feature Writer for Core Media Group and then transferred to the “San Gabriel Valley Weekly” as the Calendar Editor and Feature Writer. Jo Anne came back to Mission in 2010 working with International Students, tutoring them in English and writing. In 2012, she began the Writing Internship Program at Mission, where students were invited to write articles and be published in the “Mid Valley News,” where Jo Anne was the Editor and Feature Writer. The program has flourished and continues today, where students are now writing for the online newspaper, “SGV Now,” where Jo Anne is also their Feature Writer. According to Jo Anne, “I am so proud to be a part of the Mission High Community. My Catholic education at Mission taught me how to overcome life’s challenges, especially the loss of my husband and dealing with my mom’s dementia. My faith continues to sustain me and give me strength. It feels good to give back to the school that nurtured my writing abilities. I enjoy working with the students and seeing their excitement when they see their names in print. Writing has always been my first love and now I am living that dream.”