I have been privileged to have witnessed much at San Miguel High School. I’ve witnessed challenges, moments of excitement, and even miracles. It seems to never end.
For San Miguel, the 2007 – 2008 school year marks the 4th year of the schools existence. We have come a long way from our inaugural school year in 2004 – 2005. Evidence of how far we have come is what I witnessed at the District of San Francisco’s Lasallian Leaders Conference. Eleven of our students attended the conference which took place at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA from July 22 – July 29.
We arrived on the campus on the afternoon of July 22nd. Right away, the students were taken aback by this Lasallian college, getting a sense of the much larger Lasallian world. The first day meant settling in, icebreakers, and introductions.
One of the first activities the students participated in was the introduction of each school. Each school was responsible for introducing itself through some sort of performance. The SMHS students struggled a bit with keeping up with an idea. However, after much deliberation they had it figured out. Next thing I know, I see this group of students form a line and slither up onto the stage hissing like snakes, like VIPERS! There they were showing their pride in front of 130 other students. Their performance included sharing their names along with some sort of Mexican food, i.e. Jesus “Big Taco” Gonzalez. All 11 students introduced themselves as the formed a “V” on stage. Taking Tucson for what it is, the final student yelled, “La Migra” and all of them scattered off the stage. They had done it. They showed pride in their school, their culture, and their city.
The conference continued Monday with a long day. Students attended different workshops and presentations. Students also began to meet in their committees. As a way to practice the skills they were being taught, committees were formed based on different categories (Rally, Prayer, Media, etc…). These committees would be responsible for some sort of event or project on Thursday and Friday, the end of the week. It also allowed students to acquire ideas they could take back to San Miguel.
School group check-in time had been built into the week as a way for schools to discuss ideas, issues, and plan for the year ahead. Our first school check-in was solely based on checking in. Alma Mejia-Garcia and I had noticed the students were a bit culture shocked. Most of the students at the conference could be described as white, affluent young men and women. San Miguel students certainly looked different. None of the students brought up the issue and so I brought it up. Well, as soon as I brought it up it gave them the opportunity to open up about the issue. After some discussion, we decided we had to take some risks and challenge ourselves. I spoke to them of my own personal experience while a student at Cathedral High School. I told them that 7 years ago when I was attending similar conferences, no San Miguel existed; no De La Salle North Catholic existed. Cathedral was the oddball, Cathedral students were different. I explained to them that a turning point will happen during the week, it simply requires effort and patience. Well, I would have called this the turning point, they just took off!
I think throughout the week I was so amazed and humbled by the continual pride they showed in being San Miguel High School students. In seeing, Dominiqua Gamboa get up and talk about what makes San Miguel special. In seeing, James Hayes give a speech on Quality Education at San Miguel, saying “we are true to the original mission of St. John Baptist de La Salle.” Watching our students united at all times, yet not exclusive. They engaged people in conversations about what it means to be Lasallian. They questioned me on what it meant to be a Lasallian school. Yet, they could articulate it so well. I saw a conversion in each of the students to a stronger commitment to being Lasallian leaders, commitment to pride in San Miguel, and commitment to the Lasallian mission. I witnessed them bond and unite, showing support of each other. They were observers and learners throughout the week. Their confidence shot up. They lived with great faith and strengthened their faith.
When I asked students to share what they experienced, learned, etc…here is what they had to say:
“It was an eye opener about social justice…it matters!”
“Our connection with De La Salle North Catholic needs to build.”
“Even though schools have much more money to work with, we do awesome with less.”
“It was great to get to know each other.”
“Learning leaderships skills like FAIR and ARFF. The conference helped us get organized. It taught us not to put each other down. It taught us about respect.”
“I wish Je’re and Krystal could have been here.”
“It allowed me to become more spiritual. It gave us many ideas.”
“We need to be able to share our experience with Je’re and Krystal. It helped me with my self-confidence, but it also helped us as a group with self-confidence. It allowed us to build a family.”
“We can have fun dances. Improve our dances, yet not freak dancing necessary. It will be hard to go back and convince others.”
“I think we need a more structured model in terms of leadership to help us get more organized and coordinated. It gave me new ideas. It was motivating in doing more for people who need it.”
“It taught me how chaotic things could get. Being on the rally committee, things get out of control, seeing ideas thrown out and people left out.”
“It was very supportive and gave me new ideas.”
“Ditto on everything. There’s so much more to what we do, the reality of the bigger picture, do it for the right reasons.”
“We were more social and branched out.”
“Got ideas to be creative with our activities.”
“Confidence booster.”
“Bigger world out there, world doesn’t revolve around brown people, real world experience.”
“New ideas, organization of ideas.”
“More people doing the Lasallian thing in a different way.”
“We need to go back and breakdown differences.”
Well, it was great to see the energy of the student leaders as they processed their experience. Who are they? Do they get it? If there’s ever any doubt if our students don’t know who they are as San Miguel students or if they “get it…”
Listen to the words
Comin’ out of my mouth
You can find San Miguel
In the heart of the south.
Helping out the community
Is what we do
Even though we are surrounded
By the red and blue.
Those who are recruited
Are the chosen few
People less fortunate
Like me and you.
Drop out rates
At an ultimate high
While our homies and friends
See us pass them by.
It tuly is a mess
What they make of their lives
But at SMHS we
Keep dreams alive.
Down here in the double six o’ one
We keep education
Number one.
The CIP hook us up with a job
While we take over the world like a Lasallian mob.
On our way to work with
A shirt and a tie
All the kids start clownin’
But we know we look fly.
Respect is what we’ve always
Been taught to show
From our parents to our Brothers
This is all we know.
Peace, love, unity, having fun…
It’s all about being a Lasallian son.
Keeping faith in the Lord
Is what we do best
We put our lives in God’s hands
And forget the rest.
Before I end y’all can’t forget
San Miguel is the place to be
Targeting families with no money.
The students composed this for the talent show during the conference.
It truly was witnessing God’s grace.
