Editor’s Note: The following interview was done by Marjorie Stoneman on behalf of Whitewater Unites Lives (WUL).

In 2008, Juan Garcia was a Whitewater High School graduate who never dreamed of being a director at a private boarding school in Wisconsin. And yet his life-path led him to St. John’s Northwestern Academies, where he is currently the director of admissions.

“It doesn’t matter where your starting line is – growing up in Whitewater is a privilege, and if you work hard nothing is impossible regardless of your living situation or your immigration status. Your work ethic will open doors,” said Juan.

Juan is an American citizen, born in Illinois. His mom immigrated from Mexico City, Mexico and his father from Cuscatlán, El Salvador – they met while his father was on his journey to the United States.

His father first worked in Chicago and then the family moved to Palmyra because his dad worked in the fields there. Several years later they moved to Whitewater because of their close ties to the St. Patrick Catholic Church.

Juan is fluent in Spanish because his mom only spoke Spanish, and that is what they spoke at home. He learned English in school. He said being the primary English speaker in his family made it difficult to get involved in extracurricular activities at Whitewater schools. Juan attended Lincoln Elementary School, Whitewater Middle School and Whitewater High School. “The experience is challenging because you always have the pressure of needing to help your parents with simple things like setting up a doctor’s appointment and translating this or that,” said Juan.

Juan explained that every student has a different starting-line. Many third and fourth-generation American students know their paths and plan to attend college or join a trade. Others like him had fewer resources to help determine their futures. He said many of his high school friends already knew their life-plan during high school, while he was trying to determine what he would do the day after graduation.

After high school, he tried two semesters of college at Blackhawk and determined that, at the time, school was not for him. He then joined the military and served active duty for 3 ½ years, then transitioned over to the Army Reserve where he became a drill sergeant and Army recruiter. At the same time, he attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and earned a degree in Criminal Justice.  Commissioning to an officer was always a dream of his and in April of 2024 he earned the rank of Second Lieutenant. He was sent to South Korea for his first duty station and was able to travel to many states and countries during active duty.

He first applied to St. John’s to be a “dorm dad” because of his drill sergeant experience, but the school needed a bilingual counselor, so he ended up in the admissions department, and thus his admissions career was launched six years ago. All of his work and education has led to his current job as director of admissions for St. John’s Northwestern Academies, a private co-ed school.

Juan attributes his success to a strong support system, including his mother, his wife Wendy (a 2013 Whitewater High School graduate), and his three children (ages 6, 3, and 1). His family provides him with unwavering love, encouragement, and motivation, inspiring him to strive for excellence.   

St. John’s was voted the number one Christian high school in the state in Niche 2025 Best Schools. As the director of admissions, he is responsible for the 225 students enrolled there and keeps in close contact with their families. This includes 94 international students and their families.

Juan has been able to travel to many different countries through his job, meeting with families around the world. He says that many of the international students know English already before they come to St. John’s. But, he said, it doesn’t matter whether they know English when they arrive. No matter where they are from, every international student brings their language and culture. This opens up the minds and hearts of the U.S.-born students, who are able to learn more about other cultures, foods and more. He believes that sharing their varied cultural experiences and learning about their common humanity enriches everyone’s lives.