CALEXICO — Sixty-three eighth-graders graduated from Our Lady of Guadalupe Academy, a joyous event that marked the end of the academic year at a school that is both enriched and challenged by the U.S.-Mexico border.
Virtually all of the students were born in the United States but live in Mexicali. They crossed the border daily to attend school. On June 5, their families crossed once more to gather at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church for the bilingual baccalaureate Mass and commencement ceremony.
Many students and their families received recognitions at the graduation.
Seven students earned a Presidential Award for academic achievement, which came with a message from President Donald J. Trump read publicly. Nine additional students, with near-perfect GPAs, received awards for academic excellence.
A total of 19 students, who attended parochial school from transitional kindergarten to eighth grade, were recognized as Fidelity Students. And five families with graduates were recognized for schooling all of their children in parochial schools.
The principal, Sister Maria Elvia González, noted why parents chose to send their children to OLGA, as the school is known.
“There are a lot of schools in Mexicali that are bilingual, but ours is also bicultural,” she said, “and because of this, our students can succeed either in the U.S. or Mexico.”
The classes are taught in English, however, the school celebrates the Mexican culture, observing such holidays as Mexican Independence Day and Día de los Muertos.
Beyond language skills the school offers, the parents want an education grounded in Catholic values, the principal said.
“My parents wanted me to learn my Catholic faith and go to a good academic school, so they decided OLGA was the best one,” said Ricardo Borunda, the class valedictorian. “The Catholic values we have learned and all the memories we have made in this school are what I will take away from my time at the school.”
Borunda, like the other two students interviewed by The Southern Cross, said he will be attending Vincent Memorial Catholic High School, also in Calexico, next year.
Jurgen Banda was one of the 19 Fidelity Students who had attended OLGA since transitional kindergarten. He pondered the greatest lessons he’s taking with him.
“I learned I should be responsible for my work, and I shouldn’t leave things to the last minute,” he said.
Fellow graduate, Lauren Cadena, expressed mixed emotions as her time at the school came to an end.
“I feel really happy because I’ve made it this far but I’m really sad because I’ve been here since kinder,” she said. “I’ll always remember all the friendships I had with everyone and all my teachers. I really love that they really took care of me.”
She, too, noted the role of faith in her education. “Catholic school (brings us) closer to God and Jesus.”
Since January of 2025, Trump Administration has conducted a massive campaign to detain and deport undocumented immigrants across the country, including in the border region. The new policies have made life more challenging for those who cross the border regularly, including long wait times both northbound and southbound, and greater review by U.S. Customs agents.
The school made some adaptations to ensure the students can start the school day on time, said the principal, Sister González.
She said the school has seen a dip in attendance numbers in the last two years. A total of 420 students attended the school in the academic year that just ended. She said the school “works hard to maintain” a student body of at least 400 students.
Despite the challenges, the principal said Mexican parents want their students schooled in the U.S.
She said, in the past, Mexican parents would have their children attend junior high in Mexico, but “now they want them to come here, so we have a waiting list for the seventh grade.”
