St. Benedict’s Preparatory School of Newark, N.J., and San Miguel Academy of Newburgh, N.Y., announced a formal partnership that builds on more than a decade of shared success helping students from underserved communities gain access to life-changing educational opportunities. The announcement was made on November 7 during San Miguel Academy’s 21st Annual Scholarship Dinner, themed “Defying the Odds,” at Westchester Country Club.

Separated by 70 miles, but united by mission, the two Catholic schools have long shared a commitment to breaking the cycle of poverty through education and faith. Since 2010, San Miguel’s graduates have found academic, spiritual and personal growth at St. Benedict’s in a partnership that has opened doors, changed trajectories and strengthened both school communities.

“School today isn’t just about transferring knowledge, it’s about creating experiences that help students understand themselves and their place in the world,” said Rev. Edwin D. Leahy, O.S.B. ’63, Headmaster of St. Benedict’s. “San Miguel Academy does that beautifully with its Hudson River–based curriculum, and it mirrors what we strive for at St. Benedict’s through our experiential education programs. We have much to learn from each other, and I hope from now on we’re not spoken of as ‘them’ and ‘us,’ but as ‘we’ because we’re in this together.”

St. Benedict's Preparatory School, founded by the Benedictine monks of Newark Abbey, is a college preparatory institution serving nearly 1,000 students across its co-ed K–8 and single-gender 9–12 divisions. Students take on key leadership roles in running the School, supported by mental health counseling and community-based traditions that define individual growth through team success.

Founded in 2006, San Miguel Academy serves boys and girls in grades 5–8 from underserved communities, preparing them for success at leading preparatory schools across the country. With an enrollment of 65 students, its mission is to help students envision and achieve a future far beyond their circumstances. Twenty-eight of San Miguel’s graduates have gone on to attend St. Benedict’s.

“Before starting San Miguel Academy, I visited St. Benedict’s for inspiration,” said Rev. Mark Connell, Executive Director of the San Miguel Program of Newburgh. “I knew our families wanted our school to help students achieve academically. But I also wanted to build into the core of our school the intense positivity, joy, community and hope that I saw created at St. Benedict’s. Now, 20 years later, as our board is asking how we can make a difference into the future, we are turning again to St. Benedict’s for collaboration because we share so much in common. We both know—in terms of lives transformed—what’s possible when we work together as a community.”

Through this agreement, the two schools will establish a working group of board and staff members to explore long-term collaboration; welcome one another’s board members to key events; share best practices in fundraising and pursue joint grant opportunities; exchange academic innovations, including place-based environmental education; and promote mentorship exchanges between the St. Benedict’s and San Miguel communities. The partnership will also include collaboration on governance initiatives, such as cross-board representation, and regular communication between leadership teams as discussions progress.

A Partnership That Transforms Lives: Where San Miguel-Benedict’s graduates are now:

Cory Arias-Cespedes ’20 — Rowed for both San Miguel Academy and St. Benedict’s before graduating from the Virginia Military Institute in 2025.

Brandon Pineda ’22 and Steven Palacios ’24 — Continued the crew careers they began at San Miguel’s and St. Benedict’s and now row for Dominican University New York. Brandon is majoring in business management and received the university’s Beacon of Hope Scholarship, while Steven is studying architecture and is the recipient of the Raymond Hill and Darla Sweet Scholarship.

Jonathan Recino ’24 — A St. Benedict’s graduate who entered the U.S. Naval Academy last year, joining his brothers Christian and Christopher—triplets who all graduated from San Miguel Academy in 2020 and were accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 2028.

The schools plan to convene the new partnership working group this fall and anticipate sharing updates on collaborative projects in the coming year.