“It Develops Boys into Men”: Staff Sergeant Josue Lopez Reflects on His San Miguel Education

Josue Lopez (SM ‘05) has a clear memory of his middle school self. “I was a knucklehead,” he admits. “Pretty hotheaded.”

Born in El Salvador, Josue moved to the United States with his family when he was seven years old. Growing up in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood, he attended public elementary school through fifth grade. Then, his mother enrolled him at San Miguel.

At first, Josue wasn't thrilled. The uniform, the workload, an all-boys school: none of it appealed to him. “I don't want to be here,” he remembers thinking.

Yet in reflecting on his time at San Miguel, he knows God put him there for a reason. 

The turning point was San Miguel’s first principal, Brother Francis Eells, FSC. “He was like a big brother that turned into a dad figure,” Josue recalls. “He actually fought for everybody that was there to stay in school by really working with parents.”

After graduating from San Miguel in 2005 and St. John's College High School in 2009, Josue worked night security and spent two years as a bilingual advocate for families and youth. Yet he felt called to something greater, a feeling that led him to the recruiter’s office. 

Now a staff sergeant, Josue is nearly 13 years into his career in the Marine Corps. His advice to San Miguel's young men is simple: "You're gonna be shy, you're gonna be scared. You just have to take that risk. You don't know what the future has for you, but I'm living proof."

His message to parents is just as direct. "Don't be scared. Take the risk. The risk has a lot of benefits, a lot of rewards," he says. "San Miguel doesn't just give you a good education. It develops boys into men."