Edgar Alfonzo is in his first year as interim principal of St. John Paul II Catholic Preparatory School (JPII)in northeast Minneapolis. Alfonzo is the second Latino in history to become principal of a Catholic grade school in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. His cultural background serves him well at St. John Paul II, where 75 percent of the student body is Latino.
Alfonzo grew up in Venezuela and immigrated to Minnesota in 2004. He holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Hamline University in St. Paul and a law degree from Universidad Católica Andres Bello in Caracas, Venezuela. He has 15 years of combined experience as a lawyer and a nonprofit manager, as well as more than 10 years of teaching and school administration experience — including several years at Catholic schools in the Twin Cities.
“At JPII, our mission is to educate the whole child — mind, heart and soul — but our school is more than that,” Alfonzo said. “Parents tell me choosing JPII gives them the peace of mind that comes from knowing their children will be nurtured in a happy, safe learning environment.”