The choice to attend St. Lawrence Seminary is an intensely personal one. It often involves many influences, including the student’s preferences, the parents’ concerns, family connections to the school, and more. However, for all high school students who attend SLS, the choice is one that has the opportunity to transform their lives. For one current student, senior Jose Mercado, the choice was an easy one once he’d visited the Hill and certainly one that has transformed his life.

Tell me about your family background. Where are you from and what is your family like?

I live in West Allis, which is a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with my mom and dad and two younger sisters (one is 14 and the other 11). My dad is a cook at a Mexican restaurant, and my mom is a stay-at-home mom. Both my parents were born in Mexico and immigrated to the United States; my dad came when he was 17. They were looking for a better life and better opportunities to make money.

Where did you attend school before coming to St. Lawrence Seminary?

I attended Longfellow Elementary school, which is actually right across the street from my house. Then I attended Frank Lloyd Wright Middle School. They are both public schools in the West Allis-West Milwaukee School System. The schools I went to were both safe and academically challenging.

So if you thought you were getting a good education, what made you consider attending SLS?

I wanted to get away from the drama of the public school setting and be able to focus on my academics. I was looking for a place where I could get in touch with myself and learn who I was without worrying about outside influences. Changing the environment was the best way to do that for me personally. My sisters both still attend public schools in Milwaukee.

Can you describe your family’s religious life?

We go to church every Sunday, and we celebrate all of the sacraments. We’re active in our church — St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Milwaukee. It’s a pretty big community and holds both English and Spanish Masses. My mom is a cantor, and both of my parents belong to religious groups at the church.

How did you learn about SLS?

Well, I knew about it because my cousin, Jesus Moctezuma, went to school at SLS and graduated from here. I also met Mr. [Christian] Saldivar through family friends at my church. He was an alumnus of the school, too, and he talked about how much he liked it. It’s interesting because now Mr. Saldivar is a recruiter here, but then he was just an alumnus sharing his own experiences.

Did you come on a weekend visit to get to know the school? Do you feel that helped you make the choice to come here?

I did come on a visit. It helped a lot. I realized that what I was looking for was here. I knew I’d have a real ability to focus. I also realized that without any brothers at home that I’d get to have that kind of experience here.

What are some activities that you are involved in on the Hill?

I play on the varsity soccer team and have played soccer here for four years. For the last three years I’ve also been on the basketball team and the track team. I’m a member of the cooking club and reading club. If I’m not doing one of those things, I like to work out and play in the gym. My favorite ministry on the Hill is helping with the Special Olympics bowlers in Fond du Lac. I love whenever I get to see them smile or have fun. When I see them smile, it helps me realize I don’t have to be perfect to be happy.

If you could summarize some of the best and more challenging parts of life on the Hill, what would they be?

One of the biggest challenges is how busy it can be. Finding free time is something you have to work in. But when I do find myself with some free time, I love to just walk around campus. Hanging out with my friends, seeing what’s going on in different places, finding things to do — it isn’t hard to fill that free time. The pizza in the canteen is great.

What is something that surprised you about life on the Hill?

It’s not hard to live with other boys. Like I said, I felt like I got to have brothers that I wouldn’t have had at home. In fact, one of the best things about living here in the dorms is that you get a solid feel for how you’ll live in college and independently. Before I left home, I thought, “I hope this doesn’t suck.” I realized I just had to do it, and I’m so glad that I did.

If you could give future students advice for what to expect when coming to the Hill, what would you tell them?

You shouldn’t expect that a lot of things will just happen for you. You have to work towards what you want to accomplish and not just expect it to happen… I guess that’s probably true for all of life.

Looking to the future, what do you think it holds for you? Any thoughts of a religious vocation?

I didn’t come here thinking I’d be interested in a religious life. I mean, I’ve definitely been opened up to it more since being here, but I don’t think that’s a path I want to follow. But I understand it’s God’s call, so I’m still open to listening for that. Of course I want to go to college, though. Right now, I’m thinking of attending Marquette University [in Milwaukee] or Carroll University [in Waukesha]. They’re both close to home. Marquette has good scholarships for students from SLS. I visited Carroll a couple of times and really like the campus. I want to study physical therapy wherever I end up.

For Jose, the decision to come to SLS was an easy one. The Hill encapsulated the atmosphere he was looking for. He found not only a strong academic environment, he met boys who would become his brothers, and he got to grow the seeds of faith life his family had planted. What story will you be able to tell about why you chose St. Lawrence?