Life at Mater Dei Catholic High School’s International Residence

If attending a top-ranking high school with incredible facilities, enjoying year-round warm weather and living in an amenity-filled residence sounds like your ideal study abroad experience, look no further than Amerigo Signature school Mater Dei Catholic High School, located just outside of San Diego.  

With 1036 total students, 30+ AP and Honors Courses and unique programs in Entrepreneurship, Technology and Science, Mater Dei Catholic High School truly offers something for every kind of student. And the international student residence provides students with an incredible space to study, relax and hang out with friends.

“My favorite thing about the campus is the positive environment created by the staff, the students and the teachers,” said Oscar Castaneda, Director of Operations for Amerigo San Diego. “We like to have fun, and we also like to get our things done.”

 Learn more about what life is like at the international residence below.

LIFE AT THE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RESIDENCE

Amerigo’s international high school students attending Mater Dei live in a beautiful, amenity-filled luxury apartment building located just a quick drive away from campus and the heart of San Diego.

The apartment complex features a 24-hour gym that includes a wide range of equipment, a spa and a heated pool that students can enjoy year-round. Students can also enjoy amenities like multiple study rooms, a golf simulator and a pool table.

Each student residence includes in-unit laundry, a dishwasher, granite counter tops and central air conditioning. Each apartment has access to Google Nest, so the temperature of the apartment can easily be controlled through the phone.  

A personal chef cooks the students’ meals during the week, with some of the students’ favorite dishes including grilled salmon, pork with roasted vegetables, teokbokki, chicken wings and more. On the weekends, students enjoy meals catered from local restaurants, which the Amerigo campus staff works closely with students on to ensure everyone has a say in what is served.

“The people are really what makes the campus special,” Oscar said. “But the location and the amenities help too!”

The residence is just a quick drive away from 10+ different beaches, which students can enjoy year-round thanks to San Diego’s famous weather. Students also have access to incredible local universities – including University of California - San Diego (#28) and University of San Diego (#98). Students have opportunities to take part in hands-on research at the universities through Mater Dei’s elite science program.

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University Support  

Amerigo San Diego students have gotten into some top universities – including University of California – Berkeley, University ofIllinois – Urbana-Champaign, University of California – Santa Barbara, Penn State and many more.

“Here at Amerigo San Diego, we have a University Guidance Advisor (UGA) who specifically works with our students, preparing them for college, giving them support for essay writing, helping them with applications and securing them letters of recommendation to make sure that they’re ready to go when it’s time to apply to university,” Oscar said.

The Amerigo UGA works closely with the Mater Dei Catholic College Counselor, who also works closely with students, even providing international student-specific workshops in the residence for students to learn more about universities.

Additionally, students living at the Amerigo residence receive academic support in the residence after school, with content-based lessons available to students to go over material that they learned in school. Students also all take part in two hours of studying in the evening, where Amerigo staff helps to make sure that students are on track.

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A COMMUNITY ATMOSPHERE

The Amerigo international students at the residence enjoy a family-like community atmosphere where everyone feels free to be themselves.

“We all like to talk with each other and learn from each other,” Oscar said. “Together, we’ve created a safe space for students where they feel welcome, and they want to be here.”  

In addition to eating meals together, studying together and hanging out together, all Amerigo students and staff also take part in a monthly community check-in at the residence, where students receive updates about activities, information about residence policies and the chance to learn more about a monthly topic that help students grow emotionally. Past topics have included Mental Health, Self Care, Affirmations and more.  

On the weekends, Amerigo also offers international students a wide range of weekend activities for them to explore their new home while having fun together.

“We offer a lot of weekend events for students,” Oscar said.“Things like paddle boarding, kayaking and university visits. Because we’re in San Diego, you also have options like bonfires, beach trips, SeaWorld, amusement parks, trips to local sports teams, bowling, go-karting, movies, restaurants and more.”

Ultimately, Oscar said, the Amerigo residential staff provides students with the opportunity to grow both academically, as well as emotionally.

“There’s an understanding from all of our campus staff that we are here to guide students and teach them,” Oscar said. “We’re taking on that parental role. We all have the common goal of making sure that students are successful and safe – not just academically, but also making sure that they’re ready when they leave the program and go to university. We want to see that personal growth and help them grow. We want to help them turn into a young, responsible adult.”

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Interested in learning more about attending Mater Dei Catholic High School? Click here to find out more.

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