by Michele Hutton, Development Associate, San Miguel School of Washington DC
San Miguel is becoming a tradition for the Callejas family, and Mateo Callejas, now in eighth grade, is forging a path all his own. “Mateo is a natural leader who brings positivity and energy to everything he does,” one of his teachers noted. “He shows up every day with a passion to achieve great things.”
There was no question in the summer of 2019 that Mateo wanted to attend San Miguel School in Washington DC. “San Miguel has been in my family for a long time,” he explained. Mateo’s uncle Emmanuel and his older brother Ramses had great success at San Miguel. Emmanuel is now the first graduate to serve on the San Miguel Board of Trustees. The Saint John Baptist de La Salle Fund helped make Mateo’s dream to follow his uncle and his brother at San Miguel a reality.
Mateo shines as an ambassador for the school, and he is often entrusted with giving tours to donors and speaking to stakeholders about his experience as a student. His favorite subject is science because “it helps us understand the world around us.” Mateo has also been a star on the soccer field since his first year at San Miguel.
Though he balances a full schedule and course load, Mateo remains focused, stating, “My goal this year is to get into a good high school and make my family proud.” We have no doubt that Mateo will succeed!
THE ST. JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE FUND seeks to ensure that a Lasallian education is available and accessible to those students most in need. Through an initial program of student sponsorship and a growing program of grants to identified schools, the Fund provides tuition assistance for students to attend a Lasallian school. With your support, we are now providing $845,000 annually for our students in need. All are welcome to join the Brothers and their Partners-in-Mission in this specially dedicated scholarship fund which continues to grow each year.