Roadmap to the Future
(This article was initially published in The President's Report | 2024-2025. Click here to read the publication.)
This past school year, Belen Jesuit continued advancing the priorities outlined in our Strategic Plan with unwavering momentum. As a community, our Wolverines are forging ahead—excelling in academics, athletics, service, and spiritual formation—while laying the groundwork for an even brighter future. From transformative campus improvements to innovations in teaching and learning, professional development, and student leadership, Belen Jesuit is experiencing a season of tremendous growth.
This past school year, Belen Jesuit continued advancing the priorities outlined in our Strategic Plan with unwavering momentum. As a community, our Wolverines are forging ahead—excelling in academics, athletics, service, and spiritual formation—while laying the groundwork for an even brighter future. From transformative campus improvements to innovations in teaching and learning, professional development, and student leadership, Belen Jesuit is experiencing a season of tremendous growth.
“It can be easy to get lost in all the progress that’s being made throughout the campus because of the speed at which we are doing it, but let’s not take anything for granted,” said Fr. Willie García-Tuñón, S.J. ’87, President. “Behind every project and accomplishment is a team of people dedicated to ensuring Belen succeeds. We are blessed with a community that believes in our mission, values, and vision. I am grateful to everyone—faculty, staff, parents, alumni, students, grandparents, and more—for helping to make this progress possible. We are soaring to new heights, and I, for one, am excited to see what’s to come!”
As we reflect on a year of remarkable milestones and look ahead with anticipation, here’s a snapshot of where we’ve been—and where we’re going.
OUR STUDENTS
In 2024–2025, Belen Jesuit welcomed 1,356 students, including 198 seniors in the Class of 2025. This extraordinary group of young men leaves behind a legacy marked by academic distinction, athletic achievement, brotherhood, and purpose.
Over 100 students earned accolades through the College Board National Recognition Programs. The National Merit Scholarship Program recognized eight finalists and 19 commended students. Collectively, the Class of 2025 received 403 scholarships—excluding Florida Bright Futures—amounting to an impressive $22.27 million.
Athletically, our Wolverines made history. Cross Country secured its eighth consecutive state championship and 16th overall. Track & Field claimed its first state title since 2007. Swimming standout Chris de Angulo ’26 won the state title in the 100-yard breaststroke. Crew dominated as Scholastic State Champions and competed at the Henley Royal Regatta in London. Fifteen student-athletes signed national letters of intent to compete at the collegiate level.
In the arts, the Concert Band earned a Superior Rating and Bronze at Festival Disney, while the Jazz Band brought home a Superior Rating and 1st Place at Orlando Fest. Troupe 4666 had an incredible showing at the annual District 8 Thespian Competition with several students scoring in the highest category (Superior), and two performances receiving Top Honors—a perfect score.
Our Chess team placed second in the K–12 Under 1100 division at the Florida Scholastic Championship and later earned fifth place nationally in the K–12 Under 1200 division. Notably, freshman Ubaldo Naranjo became Belen’s first representative in the Championship Division of the National Scholastic Championship and the first-ever international competitor at the North American Youth Championship.
The Model United Nations team competed in nine national conferences, including Indiana University, Notre Dame, George Washington University, McGill University in Canada, and an international event in Barcelona, Spain. The team earned 41 individual awards, including three Best Delegations, four Best Delegates, nine Outstanding Delegates, and twelve Honorable Mentions.
Belen’s Academic Team triumphed in the International Academic Competitions and brought home county trophies in both the Miami-Dade History and Geography Bees. In the Middle School, our Geography Club placed third in the 2024 ISSF Middle School Geography Bee, competing against peers from across South Florida.
The Key Club was honored with 42 awards at the District Education and Leadership Conference, including Third Place for the Single Service Award and the Signature Contest Award, a testament to our students’ deep commitment to service and leadership.
SPIRITUAL FORMATION
At Belen Jesuit, Jesus Christ remains the cornerstone of all we do. This year, the Office of Mission and Formation continued to lead our community in deepening its relationship with God through a variety of meaningful experiences—including Spiritual Reflections, retreats, Rosaries, Eucharistic Adoration, and schoolwide Masses that unite us in faith and fellowship.
At the academic level, the Theology Department has begun a systematic rollout of a new curriculum across all grade levels, designed to help students grow in their understanding of Catholic teachings and strengthen their spiritual foundation.
Our Spiritual Counselors and Jesuit priests remain a steady source of wisdom and encouragement, offering spiritual support not only to students but also to faculty and staff. From the classroom to the playing field, from service work to extracurriculars, our commitment to “finding God in all things” continues to shape a community grounded in the Gospel and animated by the mission of the Society of Jesus.
CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS
The 2025 baseball season marked the soft debut of Maury Park. While the final touches are underway, players and fans alike enjoyed brand-new turf fields, dugouts, and bleachers. A grand opening and formal blessing are expected next spring.
Summer renovations brought renewed energy to our learning spaces, with updates to three classrooms in the Raúl and Nidia Rodríguez Science Pavilion and two administrative offices in the Shanley Family Administration Building. The football field was also updated with new turf and a fresh design.
Perhaps the most symbolic transformation will be the opening of Wolverine Plaza—a vibrant new gathering space uniting de la Cruz Stadium, Maury Park, Nike Hill, and Hernández Field. The plaza features covered seating areas and woll inckude a stunning 700-pound, 6-foot Wolverine statue. A tribute to state champions past and present is also displayed by sport in the plaza. The design is both functional and inspiring, with a clear nod to our athletic legacy and an invitation to future greatness. The plaza seamlessly connects with the renovated Café Belen, enhancing student life and campus cohesion.
COMING SOON
Set to begin in May 2026, Phase One of the Student Center renovation will reimagine a significant area of campus. The project will start with a redesign of the Senior Section and include a new façade and entrance for the José Milton Foundation Main Building.
The existing Ramón Guiteras Memorial Library and School and College Counseling offices (now called the Kadre Counseling Center) will all be transformed into the dynamic and modern Student Center—a true hub of activity, connection, and support for all Wolverines. Over the next two to three years, we will see this new, versatile area come to fruition, serving every member of the school community.
Launching after Tombola 2026 will be a new website. MyBelen will remain as is, but the forward-facing website, belenjesuit.org will be completely redesigned. The goal is to infuse functionality, ease of reading, and navigation with cutting-edge technology, including smart search capabilities, animation, and data-driven insights.
JOIN US
Help shape Belen’s future by supporting the Fund for Belen. Every gift, no matter the size, propels us toward the vision outlined in our Strategic Plan. We are building something extraordinary—and we need your help to make it a reality. To make a contribution or learn more, please contact Phil Fernández ’94 at ffernandez@belenjesuit.org or 305-804-7683.
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: communications@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: communications@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba, by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the school's property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit is situated on a 34-acre site in western Dade County, just minutes away from downtown Miami.