Dear Students,
I hope your semester is going well! I am reaching out today to share some exciting news about an innovative project that extends Saint Mary’s Lasallian tradition into the community: the development of the Blessed Santiago Miller School of Trade and Technology.
The Blessed Santiago Miller School is an independent Lasallian Catholic trade and technical high school currently in development. Beginning in ninth grade, it is designed to provide high school students with hands-on, skilled trades education grounded in Catholic values, preparing them to enter the workforce with an associate’s degree while offering additional future educational pathways upon graduation.
You can read the full press release detailing this announcement here.
With this announcement, it’s likely that you may have questions about how this may impact you and your Saint Mary’s education. I want to reassure you that your student experience, academic programs, and campus resources remain our highest priority. This project is fully funded by a restricted gift from a group of anonymous benefactors committed to Catholic education and the dignity of work. It operates independently and will not take resources away from your classes, student services, or campus activities.
As we look ahead to the future, I am eager to witness the numerous ways the Blessed Santiago Miller School will strengthen Saint Mary’s by introducing new pathways for future students to join our community. I invite you to continue to read more about the initiative as it continues to progress at smumn.edu/skilled-trades-education, or to contact Mary Spring, director of secondary school initiatives for the Blessed Santiago Miller School at mspring@smumn.edu if you have questions about the project.
Thank you for making Saint Mary’s a vibrant place to learn and grow.
God bless you,
Father James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D.
President
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
