San Miguel School Celebrates Graduation of the Class of 2021
Eighth-graders and their families gathered Sunday, June 13, to celebrate the graduation of the San Miguel School Class of 2021.
The graduation ceremony, hosted by St. John’s College High School in Washington, D.C., included a baccalaureate Mass presided by Msgr. John Enzler.
Msgr. Enzler, the CEO/President of Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of Washington and a member of the San Miguel School Board of Trustees, congratulated the graduates and their families for reaching this milestone poised for great futures. He extolled the foresight of parents to enroll their sons at San Miguel School and set them on a bright academic path.
San Miguel School President Maureen Appel also applauded the students for their dedication and hard work. This was the first in-person commencement for the San Miguel community in two years and only students and their immediate families could attend the exercises.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced in-person instruction to end abruptly in March 2020, this day seemed distant. This was a most unusual year, Principal David Palank said.
Palank also commended the graduates for their resilience. This group of “Miguel Men,” Palank explained, is unique as it weathered the pandemic and students navigated a mixture of virtual, in-person and hybrid instruction over the last 15 months. Those challenges made celebrating graduation in person even more meaningful, he said.
Palank shared how struck he was to see the entire eighth-grade class together for what was only one of the few times that happened this academic year. He also urged them to remain resilient, focused and continue their upward academic trajectories as they enter some of the Washington region’s most selective private high schools.
In keeping with annual tradition, San Miguel School recognized outstanding graduating students and the faculty for their work during the academic year.
This year’s St. John Baptist De LaSalle Award for highest grade point average recognized Marvin Castro as the valedictorian for the Class of 2021.
The Brother Alvaro Rodriguez-Echevarria, FSC Award for growth over the years attending San Miguel School recognized Ramses Callejas.
The Principal/President’s Award for Miguel Man of the Year recognized Jampiere Bonilla-Sosa, who most embodied the qualities of the Miguel Man.
The Charles and Louise O’Brien Award of Excellence in Teaching recognized Mrs. Diana Aguilar, a religion and art teacher who has worked at San Miguel School since the school was founded in 2002.
To cap off an in-person graduation ceremony after an unprecedented academic year, several members of the graduating class left the event to immediately get ready to play in a CYO soccer championship game. San Miguel came away victorious 2-0. A final win in an extraordinary year full of triumphs.