Giving to St. Mike's
In Santa Fe, St. Mike’s is a tradition. Whether your family is made up of Horsemen or you’re the first in your line to walk these halls, kids in Santa Fe grow up looking forward to the day they get to go to St. Mike’s. Cheryl Pick Sommer (’83) evoked this beautifully in a recent speech at a St. Michael’s Foundation scholarship brunch:
“Think back to your childhood and imagine waiting for your turn for something—perhaps to hit the piñata, to get to bat in baseball, your turn to ride on the sled. For the next few minutes, remember that feeling of anticipation as your turn approached, and how important it was that you got your turn. I went to public school through the eighth grade, but there was no question about where I would attend high school. St. Mike’s was it! But I can vividly remember, when I was about twelve years old, worrying whether or not St. Mike’s would still be there when it was finally my turn. I don’t remember why I worried. St. Mike’s was quite successful when I was a child, and I certainly wouldn’t have had the intellect to understand the economics of school operation, but nonetheless I remember that feeling of hope and anticipation that my turn would really come.
“Like me, for many children today, St. Mike’s isn’t a choice, it’s the choice. And those children are feeling the same anticipation that I felt. But while my worry that St. Mike’s might not be there for me was largely irrational, many children in Santa Fe now have a real worry. They worry that the financial sacrifice for their families will be intolerable.”
As we hear so often these days, everyone is being forced to do more with less. This is as true at St. Mike’s as it is anywhere. Schools in general have been greatly affected by the changing economy. In the old days, the basic costs of education were books, paper, and pencils. The Brothers at St. Mike’s earned very little for their amazing dedication, and what they did earn was most often donated back to the school. Now, basic costs also include the purchase, maintenance, and upgrade of computers and electronic teaching resources, and salaries for an entirely lay staff and faculty (except for Bro. Joe Haras, who continues to bring our students into local schools through his service-learning class).
When you’re a school with a founding tradition that calls on you to keep tuition affordable, the inevitable tuition increases are painful to implement because you know how hard they are for families. Tuition increases in recent years have had a significant impact on our enrollment because not as many families can afford private school tuition, and the school has limited financial aid resources. For this reason, we have focused our efforts on fundraising for scholarships and the general operating fund.
Every donation to St. Mike’s helps us give more kids their turn. In the face of a changing world, St. Mike’s provides stability, tradition, and a standard of excellence. John Baptist de La Salle founded the Christian Brothers Schools to serve the poor and ensure that no matter what a child’s socioeconomic status, they would be able to get an excellent education. St. Mike’s remains the most affordable private school in town, but at this time we are unable to provide enough financial aid to make it an option for the neediest students. Many capable and eager learners cannot even consider applying to St. Mike’s because any amount of tuition is too much. Will you please consider making a gift to St. Mike’s today so that we can offer the St. Mike’s experience to as many of Santa Fe’s children as possible?
Click here to find out more about making a gift to St. Mike’s or contact Taylor Gantt, Director of Advancement, at (505) 983-7353 or tgantt@stmikessf.org.
You can mail donations to:
St. Michael's High School Foundation
P.O. Box 22563
Santa Fe, NM 87502