Fr. Sauer Academy students plant new growth in their garden
Of the various aspects of St. Ignatius that have soared to new heights over the past few years, the Fr. Sauer Academy exemplifies a key way the mission and community of SI has grown. Many students have passed through the Fr. Sauer Academy, but there are some who may not know the stories of FSA’s students, faculty, and alum.
The Fr. Sauer Academy was created in 2017 to provide educational opportunities to economically disadvantaged students in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Academy began with one class of 6th graders in 2017 and now is a fully-enrolled middle school for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Many key faculty and staff members have been integral in shaping Father Sauer since its beginning to now: including Ms. Bayze (principal of FSA) and Mr. Geraghty (the viceprincipal of FSA).
Fr. Reese, — SI's President — was integral in the founding of FSA. He remarked, “St. Ignatius College Prep is making a significant difference in the lives of Fr. Sauer Academy students, they are making a difference in the life of St. Ignatius College Prep and as with all our students they will have the gifts to make a profound difference in our world.” In fact, the Fr. Sauer Academy has blossomed over the last six years with members of the initial class soon to be seniors at SI. Alumni from FSA are heavily involved on the SI campus.
One such alum is Donovan Wu '25. He highlighted FSA teacher, Mr. Geraghty, as one of his FSA saying, “He was the teacher that everyone liked and he provided support for his students when needed, no matter how big or small. Personally, I think he helped me develop most as a person when it came to growing and learning from my mistakes.”
Coming from FSA where there is only one class per grade and transitioning into high school at SI can be a big leap for many, but Donovan wouldn’t change a thing about his journey. He recalled, “Adjusting to the new environment definitely wasn’t easy, but I’m pretty happy with where I am today. The emphasis on building relationships with peers continues to stick onto me the most.
Today’s FSA’s students have only continued to blossom into SI leaders, with alums of the first class now serving as presidents and vicepresidents for the BSU and ALAS (and many other organizations on campus). Many of these alums continue to come back to the FSA community as tutors and mentors.
Ms. Bayze highlighted the supportive care and connection that students and faculty share, which leads to success in academic and extracurricular spaces. “The best representation of what the FSA students accomplish can be seen in the current high school students,” Ms. Bayze added. “We have graduates involved in all areas of the school — performing arts, affinity groups, campus ministry, sports, Honors and AP classes.” The FSA principal spoke with excitement and optimism about the future of Fr. Sauer Academy students, stating, “Our students see the opportunities that are waiting them once they graduate from the FSA and are accepted to SI. Our biggest hope is that our FSA students will know, from the start, that they are supported and recognized.”
Mel Hua ’23, Philip Luongo III ’23, Reilly Moriarty ’23, Jack Stecher ’23 & Jack Quach ’23 are Vol. 71 Editors-in-Chief