Sacrifice is a Gift

Daniel Rangel’s voice can be heard above his third-grade classmates every morning as they recite the ¡Sí, Se Puede pledge at San Juan Diego Academy:

“I am a student at San Juan Diego Academy. I am faithful, responsible, respectful, and dependable. I will succeed in school. I will graduate from high school, and I will go to college. ¡Sí, Se Puede! (Yes We Can!)”

Why is Daniel so confident when he recites the pledge? The family has a history of faith and success.

At the beginning, Catholic school education was not a part of the Rangel’s plan. However, when Faviola and Cesar’s oldest child, Antonio, was almost school-aged, a teacher suggested he would benefit from a smaller class size and more personalized attention as a kindergartener. They decided to enroll Antonio for a year at Holy Name of Jesus School – what is now San Juan Diego Academy – with the plan to move him to public school the following year.

Not only was Antonio very happy at school, but he was thriving.  Both parents were pleased with his progress in a Catholic school, though they worried how they could afford his tuition over the years.

Prepared to sacrifice for her children’s education, Faviola proposed they save their tax refund and apply it fully toward tuition each year. Through the support of tuition assistance provided by the Bishop’s Fund for Catholic Education and donors to the school, Catholic education was still a sacrifice for the Rangels, but within reach. Every year Faciola would tell Cesar, “Let’s just save our tax return one more year.” Eventually she did not have to ask because Cesar saw the benefits of their sacrifice.

To this day, their sacrifice is a gift to their children. Each of them possess self-confidence, a deep sense of faith, and a keen sense of responsibility to succeed in school and life. Antonio and Laura have graduated from Catholic Central High School (GR) and continued on to Grand Rapids Community College. Daniel is looking forward to following in his siblings’ footsteps on his educational journey, maintaining his confidence along the way. For Faviola and Cesar, it has been a tremendous blessing to watch their children grow and develop over the years, thanks in part to the financial support they have received from our Catholic community.