Colegio El Camino

25 Years of Academic Excellence

Twenty-five years ago, three pioneering developers in the southern Baja started to think about how they were going to educate their children. Cabo San Lucas was then a small town that had no options that met their needs. To solve the problem, the Díaz Rivera, Coppola Joffroy, and Parr Bennett families founded Colegio El Camino, on October 4, 1983.

Thanks to the families’ combined efforts and fundraising activities, Colegio El Camino became a reality. Located near the back entrance to the Pedregal neighborhood in Cabo San Lucas, the school opened with fifteen students, four classrooms, and play areas initially without ground cover or shade.

From these beginning, Colegio El Camino has been characterized by careful attention to the details of education: personalized teaching, trained personnel, and teaching methods that encourage student participation. In 1986, the school’s first class completed elementary school, and in 1989, El Camino was the first private school in Cabo San Lucas to open a high school with certification from Mexico’s Secretary of Public Education.

Growth in enrollment was gradual. Each year, more local families entrusted their children’s education to El Camino. Once at the school, students developed the academic and personal skills that have allowed them to serve in a wide variety of professional positions.

During the past few weeks, several special activities have been dedicated to celebrating Colegio El Camino’s twenty-fifth anniversary. Festivities were kicked off by a special ceremony at the school. Attending dignitaries included Ernesto Ibarra Montoya, Municipal Delegate of Cabo San Lucas; Salvador Castro Ojeda, Head of Regional Services for the Secretary of Public Education in the Los Cabos municipality; Francisco Flores Zendejas, Supervisor of Secondary Schools in the Los Cabos municipality; Leticia Díaz Rivera, President of Colegio El Camino’s board of trustees; Alberto Coppola Joffroy, Manuel  Díaz Rivera, Marina Parr de Perdomo, members of the board of trustees; Mario Almaguer Valenzuela, representative of the school’s board of directors; and Zulma Váquez de Vizcaíno, president of the board of the parents association.

Contests were held to select a logo and video to commemorate the occasion. The winner in both categories, alum Valdir Corte, used visual images to reflect the school’s meaning: friendship, communication, honor, and above all, preparation for life.

Festivities were closed with a dinner dance attended by alumni, their parents, members of the board of trustees, and members of the board of directors. The event revolved around unforgettable memories at the institution.

Twenty-five years after its founding, Colegio El Camino is proud to have prepared seventeen graduating classes, earning the distinction as one of the best schools in the southern Baja.

by Cristina Chowath

The article was originally published in ESCAPES #2, you can see it online here.