Dinner Raises Over $650k for San Miguel Academy

Rev. Connell and Rev. Leahy with the evening’s IMPACT Honorees, special guests, and San Miguel Academy graduates who are breaking the cycle of poverty through education.
Rev. Connell and Rev. Leahy with the evening’s IMPACT Honorees, special guests, and San Miguel Academy graduates who are breaking the cycle of poverty through education.

NEWBURGH – San Miguel Academy of Newburgh held its 21st Annual Defying the Odds Scholarship Dinner on Friday, November 7, 2025, at Westchester Country Club, raising more than $650,000 in support of its mission to break the cycle of poverty through education.

Founded by Rev. Mark Connell, San Miguel Academy is a faith-based educational services program that is 100% privately funded. More than 300 guests gathered to celebrate this year’s IMPACT Honorees: Donato Guiseppi, San Miguel Program Board Chair; Thomas Weddell, Managing Partner of RBT CPAs; and Na’Sah Dabbs, San Miguel Academy Class of 2017 and a recent graduate of Boston College. The event was co-chaired by Ann Mara Cacase, Sheila Mara, and Julie Pipolo.

A highlight of the evening was the announcement of a formal partnership between San Miguel Academy of Newburgh and St. Benedict’s Preparatory School of Newark, N.J. Separated by 70 miles but united in mission, the two Catholic schools share a deep commitment to breaking the cycle of poverty through education and faith. Since 2010, San Miguel Academy graduates have attended St. Benedict’s, where they have continued to thrive academically, spiritually, and personally. The new agreement formalizes a long-standing collaboration that has opened doors, changed trajectories, and strengthened both school communities.

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