Colegio San Carlos

Colegio San Carlos is an all-male, private, bilingual (English and Spanish) school in Bogotá, Colombia. The school has been recognized as the source of many national leaders.^[1]

The school works under the auspice of the Roman Catholic Benedictine Monasterio de Tibatí. It enrolls 1,400 students in grades Transition through 11th grade which is equivalent to 1st through 12th grades or a combined Primary and Secondary education in the United States. The school has welcomed students from all religions and walks of life since its inception. However, an IQ test and other examinations are also usually required for acceptance in the school.

The school is named after Saint Charles Borromeo and its motto, Ora et Labora (Pray and Work), is based on the teachings of Saint Benedict.

History

In April 1960, Abbot Ignatius Hunkler received an invitation from Colombian Archbishop Luis Concha Córdoba to establish a boys school in Bogotá. The Abbot in turn invited him to Assumption Abbey in Richardton, North Dakota, in order to present this proposal to the monastic community. He went there, and the monks agreed to accept the task. As a result, monks Lawrence Wagner, Frederic Mundt, Anselm Ruelle and Adrian Mundt were sent to Puerto Rico in June to learn Spanish. They arrived in Bogotá on August 6, 1960, the same day the city was celebrating its date of foundation -(it was founded in 1538). They immediately began preparations to run the school. Colegio San Carlos opened its doors on February 4, 1961. Since its inception in the 1960s, the school has been educating future scientists, politicians, doctors, lawyers, engineers, artists, architects and many others to be leaders in their professions and their communities.

CSC

^[2]

San Carlos is highly recognized in Colombia for consistently placing some 15% of its graduates in universities throughout the world. Some of the prestigious schools that San Carlistas have attended include: MIT, UC Berkeley, Stanford University, Cornell University, UCLA, Georgetown University, Lehigh University, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, Cambridge University, Oxford University, Architectural Association School of Architecture and the London School of Economics.

Even though the school has not adopted any international teaching system such as the AP or IB, its high-profile compulsory curriculum ensures a high-quality, fully bilingual, homogeneous education for its pupils. All graduating students must take the ICFES national standardized exam. Students wishing to study abroad are encouraged to sit for standardized tests such as the SAT or the ACT.

In 2011 the school celebrated its 50th Anniversary. At the time, 3,404 students had officially graduated from CSC. ^[3]

Colegio San Carlos has consistently ranked 1st among the ten most important schools in Colombia.^[4]

Notable alumni

• Luis Alberto Moreno, President of the Inter-American Development Bank
• Luis Carlos Sarmiento Jr., CEO and President of Grupo Aval^[5]
• Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, Current President of Colombia and sole recipient of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. Former Minister of National Defense (Studied at CSC until 9th Grade). Santos completed high school studies while serving for the Colombian Navy (Armada in Spanish) in the city of Cartagena.
• Andrés Cabas, Musician
• Mateo Camargo, Musician, guitarist of Madina Lake
• Andrés Cepeda, Musician (Studied at CSC until 8th grade)
• Miguel Gómez, Photographer^[6]
• Andrés Pastrana Arango, Former President of Colombia (1998-2002)
• Mauricio Rodríguez Múnera, Former Ambassador of Colombia to the United Kingdom^[7]
• Francisco Santos Calderón, Former Vice-President of Colombia (2002–2010)
• Carlos Serrano, Musician
• Juan Pablo Shuk, Television and Film Actor in Spain and Colombia.
• Gabriel Silva Luján, Former ambassador of Colombia to the United States, Minister of National Defense, and General Manager of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia
• Luis Ernesto Gómez, Labor Viceminister of Colombia.

Sports

The school belongs to the UNCOLI (Union of International Schools in Bogotá) Association.^[8] Students are encouraged to participate in athletics from a young age, especially in soccer, basketball, volleyball and track and field competitions. Competitive tournaments with other UNCOLI schools are available in the following age categories:

• Mayores (Grades 11 and 10)
• Juvenil (Grades 9 and 8)
• Infantil (Grades 7 and 6)
• Pre-Infantil (Grades 5 and 4)
• Benjamines (Grade 3, non-sanctioned)

The school is equipped with 5 full sized soccer fields, 8 outdoor basketball courts, 5 outdoor volleyball courts, a 400m outdoor track and 2 multi-purpose indoor gyms used for basketball and volleyball competitions. In Soccer, Basketball and Volleyball, the school has won over more than 250 titles in its history, making it the most successful school in the UNCOLI tournament's history.

MUN

The school is one of the founders of MUNs in Colombia. Sacmun is actually one of the best models in the nation and its delegates are an example of discipline, respect and humility.

References

External links

• Official website
• Assumption Abbey Richardton, North Dakota
• CSC Alumni Association
• SACMUN (San Carlos Model United Nations)