Cara Garcia dedicates her life to serving the school. Many have seen her in the main office supporting students, helping staff members, or organizing school events. Garcia is a kindhearted member of the Riordan community, who never fails to make those around her smile.
At Riordan, Garcia serves as Operations Manager, liaison to the Board of Trustees, and an assistant to the president. Her responsibilities include leading main office operations, organizing meetings and agendas for the Board of Trustees, and assisting President Tim Reardon by managing his schedule and communications.
“My role is to ensure that all departments communicate the needs and expectations they have for their activities and events, so that we can inform our students and families of upcoming events or things that they can be involved in,” Garcia stated.
Her other tasks include managing the school calendar, creating the daily bell schedule, sending out the family newsletter, and running the school’s social media channels.
“I always see her working in her office, sending emails, and helping at events–doing a lot behind the scenes that most people don’t notice,” Blake Sturgeon ’28 said.
As a San Francisco native, Garcia is a graduate of St. Cecilia School and St. Ignatius College Preparatory. Before working at Riordan, she attended San Jose State University and worked in communication for Americorp, American Medical Response, and Stanford Life Flight.
Later, her children inspired her to work at Riordan because it allowed her to spend more time with family. As of the 2024-2025 school year, Riordan is home to both of Garcia’s sons, Brock Garcia ’26 and Sylas Garcia ’28. Brock emphasized that having his mom work at Riordan gives him a space to relax and the ability to know the staff members on a deeper level.
Sylas reflected on his mom’s character, stating, “My mom inspires me with strength, kindness, and dedication showing me what it means to be resilient and compassionate.”
Her husband, Ryan Garcia, is an athletic photographer for Riordan. His photography has inspired her to get more involved at Riordan by attending more sporting events.
When describing his wife’s commitment to Riordan, Ryan Garcia noted, “When she takes something on, she doesn’t just look to do what is expected, she looks to go above and beyond. She’s a W employee, no doubt.”
She believes that Riordan has the chance to become a really great school because everyone supports each other and wants to succeed, and she’s excited for the upcoming events that will make Riordan even more competitive with other schools.
One thing that Garcia wants the Riordan community to know about her is that she is so proud of our students, faculty, staff, and administration for the Marianist charism and how much growth has come since becoming co-ed.