Carlos came to San Juan Diego Academy (SJDA) in third grade. Five years later, he proudly reports that his grades consist of “all As and just two A-minuses.” In addition to his academic successes, Carlos plays football for Catholic Central High School as a tackle, nose guard, and defensive end. While many in his life want him to take sports more seriously, Carlos’ priorities are his faith and education. “My brother and sister, my coaches… they all want me to focus on football - but I want to be an engineer.”
Joseline is a Junior at Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids, MI. She is an excellent student who plans to go to college to study business and has a part-time job. She and her siblings are San Juan Diego Academy students with bright futures whose journeys kicked off at San Juan Diego Academy. "I’m Catholic. We all have a shared belief on why things happen, I feel like we always have someone to go to, we can go to God and we can pray to him, we can go to the Virgin Mary. I think we have a reason to be here. I believe God sent us here to be one of his disciples, to be one to share our faith, to grow strongly in our faith, and to get everyone to get to heaven. It’s what I believe and have always believed, and been told.”
Yerik is 11 years old and has been attending San Juan Diego Academy since Kindergarten. “I want to be a dentist,” he said. When asked if he was sure, however, the 6th grader replied with a smirk “I don’t know, maybe.” But whether Yerik wants to pursue a career in the medical field, or changes his mind, one thing he's sure of is that he wants to go to Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids, and from there move on to College. This is a big shift in thinking since he started his K-8 education seven years ago...
The “Catholic School Advantage” is a large body of research that has consistently shown that students in Catholic and other private schools demonstrate higher academic achievement than students from similar backgrounds in public schools. This same body of research has shown that the poorer and more at-risk a student is, the greater the achievement gains in Catholic schools...
The neighborhoods surrounding our school have long served as an entry point into the city for new immigrants. This area still serves as a “gateway” to the city, but today the newcomers are largely of Latin American origin. With limited job opportunities and low wages, it is no surprise that nearly all our families live at or below poverty with over 1/3rd of households having income levels of $19,000 or less per year and 88% having income levels under $35,000 per year. Our school has the highest level of poverty of ANY private school in Michigan.... Read More
About San Juan Diego Academy
For over 150 years, Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Grand Rapids have educated the children of immigrants, helping them to build a new life. San Juan Diego Academy carries on this tradition by serving the educational needs of underserved children who live in some of our city’s most impoverished neighborhoods...