The Academy of the Immaculate Conception (, generally abbreviated as AIC, or simply ''La Inmaculada'') is a
coeducational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
Catholic school
Catholic schools are Parochial school, parochial pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest parochial schools, religious, no ...
located in
Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Mayagüez (, ) is the ninth-largest Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in Puerto Rico. It was founded as Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Mayagüez (Township of Virgin of Candelaria, Our Lady of Candelaria), and is also ...
. Founded in 1905, it is among
Puerto Rico's oldest institutions of learning. Though established by the
Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul
The Company of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (; abbreviated DC), commonly called the Daughters of Charity or Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, is a society of apostolic life for women within the Catholic Church. ...
, since 2015 it is owned and operated by the ''
Colegio Católico Notre Dame'' in
Caguas
Caguas (, ) is a city and municipality in central eastern Puerto Rico. Located in the eponymous Caguas Valley between the Sierra de Cayey and Sierra de Luquillo of the Central Mountain Range, it is bordered by San Juan and Trujillo Alto to ...
.
The school is divided into two buildings in the same complex, one, located at 852 Road 108,
Miradero, Mayagüez, has classrooms from
Pre Pre-Kindergarten till
fourth grade
Fourth grade (also 4th Grade or Grade 4) is the fourth year of formal or compulsory education. It is the fourth year of primary school. Children in fourth grade are usually 9–10 years old.
Argentina's equivalent
In Argentina, the minimum age ...
, while the other, at 850 Road 108, ranges from
fifth grade
Fifth grade (also 5th Grade or Grade 5) is the fifth or sixth year of formal or compulsory education. In the United States, this is mostly the last grade of primary school, but for some states, it could be the first year of middle school. Primary ...
up to
twelfth grade
Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...
. With the San Carlos School in
Aguadilla
Aguadilla (, ), founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city and municipality located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is s ...
, it is one of two
Redemptorist
The Redemptorists, officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (), abbreviated CSsR, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brothers). It was founded by Alphonsus Liguori at Scal ...
-founded schools in the
Mayagüez diocese. The school is a participant in the Free School Selection Program since its inception in 2019.
History
In 1904, as a consequence of the entry of
American women into Puerto Rican society, itself a result of the
Treaty of Paris that ended the
Spanish–American War
The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
, sisters belonging to the order of
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul from
Emmitsburg, Maryland
Emmitsburg is a town in Frederick County, Maryland, United States, south of the Mason-Dixon line separating Maryland from Pennsylvania.
Founded in 1785, Emmitsburg is the home of Mount St. Mary's University. The town has two Catholic pilgrim ...
, arrived in Puerto Rico.
The following 8 September 1905, at the behest of the
Redemptorist Fathers,
six sisters of the order, including Sister Mary Padden Cassini, opened Puerto Rico's first parochial. Originally named ''Academia San Vincente de Paul y La Candelaria'', after the founder of the order and the
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...
of
Mayagüez, it was later renamed to its present name.
Originally it only taught
primary levels, with 360 students enrolled in its first year.
Later on, the sisters opened a second school, the ''Colegio del Carmen'', in the Playa sector of
Mayagüez barrio-pueblo, which closed down in 1998.
Due to an increase in enrollment, the school acquired and moved into a larger building next to the previous location of the Casino de Mayagüez on
Méndez Vigo Street.
It was in this location where Sister Mary Padden Cassinni organized the precursor to the school cafeteria in Puerto Rico,
earning her the distinction of being considered the mother of
school cafeterias in Puerto Rico.
In 1908, the school started a two-year business
and in 1913, the school held an Island Fair (Feria Insular), which featured oil paintings and textile work. The school building was destroyed by the
1918 San Fermín earthquake.
After the earthquake, there were 26 students enrolled in the
Junior Red Cross, contributing $6.50 in donations. Nonetheless, the school reopened in a temporary wooden building in September 1921. The following year, it expanded to include a four-year
secondary school
A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...
.
In 1923, ''La Inmaculada's'' impact was summarized thus:
The school received accreditation for the first time from the
Puerto Rico Higher Education Commission () in 1926.
It was at ''La Inmaculada's'' auditorium in 1942, where parents of students at the
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
The University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (UPRM) or Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (RUM) in Spanish (also referred to as Colegio and CAAM in allusion to its former name), is a Public university, public land-grant university in Mayagüez ...
gathered to send a telegram to then-dean
Joseph Axtamayer, requesting his resignation. The school moved into a new building on
José de Diego Street in 1957, enrollment reaching 1,300 students, including 400 high schoolers, during the next decade. At this time, the faculty was composed of sisters from the founding order, Redemptorists Fathers and lay teachers. The knight mascot as well as the blue and white colors were adopted officially by ''La Inmaculada'' in 1966. In 1968 the school commenced construction on its present site in
Miradero and started seeking
Middle States (MSA) accreditation. On March of the following year, an MSA visiting committee evaluated the school and granted accreditation, while the following August the Miradero building was inaugurated with the relocation of the ninth to twelfth grades. The complex was expanded by the construction of a gymnasium in the early 1970s. In 1975, the Vincentian sisters announced their departure from the school. An annex to host the seventh and eight grades was built in 1986, and the following year, improvements to the sports facilities were carried out.
Faced with the concern of an earthquake, ''La Inmaculada'' offered a seminar in September 1992 to train teachers and officials of the Mayagüez district of the
Department of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
in the possibility of a seismic event.
Starting in January 1994, a new elementary school was being built in the Miradero complex, opening in September 1995.
To celebrate its centennial, the
Senate of Puerto Rico
The Senate of Puerto Rico () is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate, together with the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, control the legislative branch of ...
congratulated ''La Inmaculada'' via a resolution in 2005.
On 14 February 2015, former student and
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
athlete
José Juan Barea
José Juan Barea Mora (born June 26, 1984) is a Puerto Rican basketball coach and former player. He played college basketball for the Northeastern Huskies men's basketball, Northeastern Huskies before joining the Dallas Mavericks in 2006 and b ...
, went to ''La Inmaculada'' to inaugurate the José Juan Barea Cup in basketball.
Hurricane María, earthquakes and COVID-19
''La Inmaculada'' was the victor in both the first women and men's volleyball tournaments after
Hurricane María in 2017. In the former, the school beat the
Colegio San Benito, while in the latter they won over the Colegio San Augstín.
On 10 March 2018, the school was host to the Puerto Rico Oratory League's (Liga de Oratoria de Puerto Rico) competition. The following August, José Juan Barea, donated 500 desks, worth over $300,000, between ''La Inmaculada'',
CROEM, the
Añasco Art and Music School and Juan Lino Santiago School in
Aguada.
The
2019–20 earthquakes in the south of Puerto Rico caused damage to the school. This was concentrated towards the elementary school building, where several second-story classrooms had fissures. The school theorized that they might use air-conditioned trailers to offer classes.
On 9 February 2019, a grassland fire occurred behind the
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez's Civil Engineering building, which is adjacent to ''La Inmaculada'' and close to the
Dr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo. The following October, a student threatened a school shooting over
Snapchat
Snapchat is an American multimedia social media and instant messaging app and service developed by Snap Inc., originally Snapchat Inc. One of the principal features of the app are that pictures and messages, known as "snaps", are usually availa ...
as vengeance for alleged bullying. This would have happened during the school's annual
pep rally
A pep rally, pep assembly or pep session is a gathering of people, typically students of middle school, high school, and college age, before a school sporting event. The purpose of such a gathering is to encourage school spirit and to support ...
. The school denounced it to the
police
The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
, who determined that there was no crime committed. It was also referred to the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
, who also determined there was no criminal activity. Additionally, it was referred to the Minor's Advocate, with the school making press release determining that since it was referred, it no longer involved the school.
Since August, the school is a participant in the Free School Selection Program, underwhich students can receive a cost-free education in a private institution for one or two years.
In February 2021, there was an alleged case of
cyberbullying
Cyberbullying (cyberharassment or online bullying) is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic means. Since the 2000s, it has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers and adolescents, due to young people's increased u ...
by male twelfth grade students who were
photoshopping female students' faces onto other bodies.
School community
Accreditation
Since 1926, it has been accredited at times by the
Puerto Rico Education Council, as in 2016 it was not, but by 2021 it had regained its accredited status.
In addition, since 2015, the school has also been accredited by
Cognia.
Even though ''La Inmaculada'' received initial accreditation from the Middles States Association in 1969,
as of 2021, it no longer holds said distinction.
Student organizations
Students' organizations include:
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society (NHS) is one of the oldest, largest, and most widely recognized cocurricular student organizations in American high schools, with 1.4 million members.
The purpose of the NHS is to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to ...
,
Clubs
Club may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Club (magazine), ''Club'' (magazine)
* Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character
* Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards
* Club music
* "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea''
Brands a ...
and
Student Council
A student council (also known as a student union, associated student body or student parliament) is an administrative organization of students in different educational institutes ranging from elementary schools to universities and research or ...
. The school's film club co-hosts the short film school festival ''Ponte los Cortos'' ("Put on the Shorts") at
Cabo Rojo's Exclesior Cinema-Theatre.
The school's Knights Athletic Association hosts an annual Athlete's Night to recognize the school's athletes and coaches.
The school's cheerleading team has received donations from the government, such as $500.00 from the
Legislative Assembly for uniforms and other costs. Since
Antonio Fas Alzamora is an alumni, there was a strong bond between the Legislative Assembly and the school during his incumbency, such as when two
Girl Scouts from the school occupied senators seats symbolically during a day in March 1996. Four years later, the twelfth grade class visited the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
, where senators
Rafael Luis Irizarry Cruz and
Miriam J. Ramírez de Ferrer highlighted that their respective children had all graduated from the institution.
''La Inmaculada'' is one of six schools in Puerto Rico that maintain an agreement with R2DEEP, the Recruitment, Retention and Distance Education in Engineering Program, which permits high school students participate in university-level courses and receive grades from the
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
The University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (UPRM) or Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (RUM) in Spanish (also referred to as Colegio and CAAM in allusion to its former name), is a Public university, public land-grant university in Mayagüez ...
.
The school hosts alumni initiatives, such as Héctor Alexis Vargas' ''Patinero'' ("Skater") Foundation.
School personnel
List of school officials
* Zoé–principal ( 1968)
* Andrés Spacht,
CSsR–Director-Pastor ( 1986)
* Dr. Antonio Hernández,
CSsR–Director-Reverend ( 1994)
Notable faculty
*Nuelsy Mojica- Is the greatest teacher the school has. She knows everything about it, having graduated from the high school. Many students have great appreciation for her. She also is the Student Council moderator, and has been for many years. We <3 Moji.
* Anibelle Altieri–former Biology teacher, taught at age twenty in ''La Inmaculada'' while raising two children, teaching physics at
CROEM and completing her Master's. Recipient of the best
bariatrician in Puerto Rico award for ten consecutive years (1999–2009).
*Myrna Lugo Torres–former-10th grade teacher, founder of ''Fundación para el Desarrollo Integral de la Mujer'' and former-president of the Cabo Rojo House of Culture.
*Christine Matos Pagón–physical education teacher and coach.
*Omar Palermo Torres–Spanish teacher and writer.
* Nellie Vera Sánchez–former high school teacher, received the
National Heritage Fellowship
The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States government's h ...
at age 95, noted for her ''
mundillo'' craftwork.
Graduating Classes by Year
Notable alumni
* Elba A. Acevedo Pérez (Class of '86, High School)–lawyer and assistant prosecutor.
*Gabriel Alcaraz Emanuelli–former-
Secretary of Transportation and Public Works of Puerto Rico
The secretary of transportation and public works of Puerto Rico () leads the Department of Transportation and Public Works of Puerto Rico and leads all efforts related to transportation and public works in Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), ...
.
*Pablo Iván Altieri Nieto (Class of '65, High School)–cardiologist and chair
University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine's Cardiovascular Medicine department.
*Arnaldo Ruiz (Class of '90, High School)–former-member of the
Puerto Rico Tourism Company
The Puerto Rico Tourism Company (, or simply ''Turismo'') is the government-owned corporation in charge of tourism matters and regulations in Puerto Rico. The company was created during Governor Luis A. Ferré's administration (1969-1973) to coo ...
board.
*
José Enrique Arrarás Mir–first chancellor of the
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
The University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (UPRM) or Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (RUM) in Spanish (also referred to as Colegio and CAAM in allusion to its former name), is a Public university, public land-grant university in Mayagüez ...
(1966–1971), former president of the
Puerto Rico Olympic Committee
The Puerto Rico Olympic Committee (COPUR, ) is the National Olympic Committee for Puerto Rico. It oversees Olympic-sports in Puerto Rico, and selects the Olympic team which represents the island. It was founded by Julio Enrique Monagas, and was ...
(1973-1977), former-
Secretary of Housing of Puerto Rico (1973–1976), former ''
Liga Atlética Interuniversitaria de Puerto Rico'' Commissioner (2002–2018).
*
J.J. Barea (5th–11th grade student)–NBA player.
*Roberto E. Biaggi Busquests (Class of '65, High School)–businessman and former member of the
University of Puerto Rico's board of trustees.
*Lorraine M. Biaggi Trigo (Class of '88, High School)–judge.
*
Lucy Boscana Bravo–actress, considered the "First Lady of
Puerto Rican Theatre."
*
Orlando Bravo–billionaire businessman, co-founder and managing partner of
Thoma Bravo
Thoma Bravo, LP is an American private equity and growth capital firm based in Chicago, Illinois. It is known for being particularly active in acquiring enterprise software companies and has over $130billion in assets under management .
It ...
.
*Lirelis Casiano–volleyball athlete and daughter of
Eddie Casiano.
*Fermín M. Contreras Gómez (Class of '84, High School)–former-Puerto Rico Insurance Commissioner.
*Omar M. Contreras Gómez (Class of '86, High School)–former-member of the
Puerto Rico Tourism Company
The Puerto Rico Tourism Company (, or simply ''Turismo'') is the government-owned corporation in charge of tourism matters and regulations in Puerto Rico. The company was created during Governor Luis A. Ferré's administration (1969-1973) to coo ...
board.
*José M. D'Anglada Raffucci (Class of '90, High School)–former-director of the
Senate President's legal advisors office and judge.
*Antonio de Vera Fernández–former-
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization.
CEOs find roles in variou ...
of the
American Red Cross
The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...
in Puerto Rico.
*Manuel Díaz Pérez (Class of '19, High School)–Armando "Mandy" Cañizares athlete of the year prize recipient
and
Barton Bulldogs soccer athlete.
*Fernando E. Fagundo Fagundo (Class of '65, High School)–former-
Secretary of Transportation and Public Works of Puerto Rico
The secretary of transportation and public works of Puerto Rico () leads the Department of Transportation and Public Works of Puerto Rico and leads all efforts related to transportation and public works in Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), ...
.
*Carlos Fajardo Heyliger–artist and university professor.
*Antonio Faría Soto–former-
Commissioner of Financial Institutions.
*
Antonio J. Fas Alzamora–longest-serving
legislator
A legislator, or lawmaker, is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are often elected by the people, but they can be appointed, or hereditary. Legislatures may be supra-nat ...
in the history of Puerto Rico.
*José Feliciano Babilonia–vocalist and
reggaetón
Reggaeton (, ) is a modern style of popular and electronic music that originated in Panama during the late 1980s, and which rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s through a plethora of Puerto Rican musicians. It has evolved fr ...
singer better for his artistic name, "El Joey."
*Néstor S. García Sotelo–lawyer and former-district attorney.
*Lizandra Irizarry Otaño (Class of '89, High School)–lawyer and assistant prosecutor.
*Viviani López Rivera–second-place winner at the Hispanic Heritage Contest (''Certamen Herencia Hispana'').
*Eric William Mamery–radio presenter, publicist and son of
Gilbert Mamery.
*Carlos A. Marín Vargas (Class of '91, High School)–former-president of the Puerto Rico Labor Relations Board.
*Tamara del C. Martínez Rosado (Class of '96, High School)–lawyer and assistant prosecutor.
*Alberto Medina Carrero–writer and lawyer.
*Agnes Mojica–chancellor of the
Inter American University of Puerto Rico's San Germán Campus.
*Pier Paolo Montaperto Rodríguez (Class of '93, High School)–lawyer and assistant prosecutor.
*Eurípides Quiñones–former-
CORCO Production Services Superintendent.
*Juan Ramírez de Arellano Cardona–5th grade competitor at the Puerto Rico Mathematical Olympics.
*Camille Rivera Pérez-former-Director of the
House of Representatives' Legal Advisors Office and judge.
*Derick Rosado–2017 most valuable male volleyball player.
*Eddie Ruiz Santana–2019 Knights cup recipient.
*Nashira Ortiz–2017 most valuable female volleyball player.
*Francelis Ortiz Pagán (Class of '92, High School)–assassinated San Juan prosecutor.
*Maribel Sánchez Muñoz–former-Family Relations Advocate.
*
Luis Santaliz Capestany (Class of '39, High School)–
Las Marías mayor (1945–1948), delegate to the
Constitutional Convention (1951–1952) and
Senator for the IV district (1961–1969).
*Héctor A. Santiago González–former-Associate Commissioner of the Puerto Rico Public Service Appeals Commission.
*Ellen Marie Santiago Quiles–
OneWest Bank Vice President.
*Ángel J. Seda Comas–former-Vice president (1983–1985) and member of the board of the
Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company
The Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO) — (or simply ''Fomento'')— is a government-owned corporation of Puerto Rico authorized and empowered to attract private capital to Puerto Rico to establish trade, cooperatives, ...
.
*Juan B. Tomasini Parés (Class of '81, High School)-cultural advisor at the
Office of the Governor's Office of Education, Culture and Sports.
*José Vallenilla Villafañe–radio presenter, better known by his artistic name, "Funky Joe."
*Héctor Alexis Vargas (Middle school graduate)–skater, ''Patinero'' Foundation promotor, also known as "Chagy Vargas."
*Manuel Vera Vera (Class of '91, High School)–Administrative Judge of the Aguadilla Court.
*Ana Vilella–retired Eugenio María de Hostos, Mayagüez school science teacher.
Notes
References
External links
Official website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Academia de la Inmaculada Concepcion
1905 establishments in Puerto Rico
Catholic secondary schools in Puerto Rico
Catholic schools in Puerto Rico
Education in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Educational institutions established in 1905
Vincentian schools