SMU welcomes students from Chicago San Miguel

San Miguel student Elizabeth Leon and Saint Mary’s University student Cindy Nava grab lunch during a welcome reception on the Winona campus. Twenty-three San Miguel students are visiting SMU this week to get a taste of college life.

WINONA, Minn. — Sixth-graders from the San Miguel School in Chicago are visiting the Winona campus of Saint Mary’s University through Thursday, Oct. 8. San Miguel is a Christian Brother’s mission school, part of a nationwide network of schools dedicated to teaching underserved populations of urban and rural school children. The Chicago school, located in a Mexican-American immigrant neighborhood, serves primarily children whose first language is Spanish, but they are also fluent in English.

The goals of the four-day visit are to acquaint these children with college life and begin to inspire them to consider post-secondary education. Saint Mary’s students – particularly education students – also receive the opportunity to work with urban children from another culture.

While in Winona, these students stay with Saint Mary’s host families. Saint Mary's and San Miguel maintain a close relationship. Many Saint Mary’s alums work or volunteer in the San Miguel Schools.