How El Camino Is Forming Faith, Family, and Community at Brillante Academy
“Mom, I want to make an altar.”
When Saira heard her second-grade daughter Fatima say this, she paused. The Catholic faith had always been important in their home, but she had never wanted to force it on her children. “It’s going to come to them,” she said.
And for Fatima, it had.
Saira smiled, “I just thought the whole concept of the altar was beautiful. She goes there to kneel down and pray.”
Fatima had seen the small prayer table during her El Camino classes, Brillante Academy’s after-school faith program. Inspired, she wanted one of her own. So her mother ordered a statue of Our Lady of Fatima—her namesake—and she carefully arranged a candle and rosaries around it.
“Every time I go to El Camino, there’s a little prayer table,” Fatima said. “So I wanted to do that at home, too!”
For Fatima and many other Brillante students, what began as an after-school program had become something more, a spark of faith carried beyond the classroom.
Faith That Becomes Personal
When Brillante Academy launched in 2023, El Camino was introduced as an optional after-school program to help students deepen their Catholic faith through structured lessons, activities, and play.
In just a few years, the impact is unmistakable. This academic year, El Camino has doubled in size.
“I think that we’ve doubled in size because parents have helped us spread the word,” explained Brillante’s Interim Principal and former Director of Texas Programs, Cynthia Valencia. “And not only that, I think when parents see what the children are learning in El Camino, I think it makes them feel whole. I have a lot of parents who’ve said, ‘Although I’m not Catholic, I want my child to learn about God, about the virtues.’”
Parents are noticing it at home. Students like Fatima, who has been a Brillante student for three years now, are bringing prayer into their daily lives. Her mother, Saira, chose Brillante because bilingual learning and faith mattered deeply to her.
“I am 100% Mexican, so I do want my children to be able to speak Spanish, to be able to understand Spanish, not to lose that touch. El Camino was also one of the factors for choosing Brillante. For me, it’s not just education. We believe that you also need God… it goes hand in hand.”
Even so, she was surprised by how much Fatima absorbed through El Camino.
“Honestly, she was teaching me about saints that I didn’t even know. I was like, ‘Well, Fatima, how do you know all of this?’ That’s been beautiful to witness,” she said. “She doesn’t attend CCD, so I thank El Camino for that.” Saira even sees Fatima teaching her cousins to pray.
Beyond El Camino, Saira is grateful that Brillante keeps parents involved as the school grows. “It’s teamwork. Parents, students, and teachers. I like that it’s a growing school. My daughter is in her third year at Brillante, and I feel like she is growing with the school.”
“God Chose Her”
There is an undeniable bond that forms between students and the Seton Teaching Fellows who lead El Camino classes. First-grader Fernando and his PreK-4 Fellow Irma are a shining example, both part of El Camino’s founding year.
Fernando’s natural heart for virtue at such a young age amazes those around him. Although known for his funny personality, he speaks about God with conviction: “I love knowing about God. I’m going to follow God forever.”
Irma, who has since joined Brillante’s full-time staff as School and Programs Associate, shared, “He’s the kind of student who stands up for justice if something is unfair. Or if somebody gets hurt, he’s willing to go and give a hand. He’s just that wise in a way. He’s recognized by the whole school.”
A strong reader, Fernando loves reading Bible stories and acting them out during El Camino activities. Irma recalls that in his Prek-4 class, he would always be the one to read to his peers, and he was always so excited.
“I like reading the Bible because then I get to know all about God.” He rattled off a few of his favorite stories: “David and Goliath, the story of creation, Daniel and the Lion’s Den, and Joseph and the Colorful Coat.”
When the opportunity came for Fernando to be baptized, he chose someone very special to be his godmother: Ms. Irma.
When asked why, his answer was simple. “I didn’t choose her. God chose her.”
“It was an honor that I could guide Fernando,” said Irma. “Fernando was my student, and now he’s so much more than that. I get to be close to his family, and I’m rooting for him and praying for him all the time.”
“One thing that I always tell him is, ‘God loves you. You know I love you, but God loves you more.’ So whenever he sees me now, he’s like, “Guess what? God loves you more.’”
The day of his baptism was full of joy, with his whole family in attendance. Irma remembers, “He was very prepared and so excited the day of. I gave him a little gift basket and a cross that I was able to get blessed by a priest.”
An Essential Support System
Irma continues to mentor Fernando, taking him to Sunday mass, followed by lunch, a trip to the park, or a playdate with her nieces and nephews.
“I’ve been able to pick him up after school if needed or care for him for a few hours during the weekend. I’m always just there wanting to provide that support for his family.”
Fernando’s family is one of many who have come to value and rely on El Camino for safety and support after the school day. Irma expressed, “If there’s anything that you need or if anything happens, you know that you have a big support system. This is a safe place to come and feel loved and feel seen.”
Whatever challenges parents face at home, at work, or in their communities, Brillante has become a source of stability, love, and care.
Formation That Goes Both Ways
For the Seton Teaching Fellows, El Camino is more than a program they lead—it’s a mission that transforms their faith as well.
Stepping into Viviana’s El Camino classroom, her second- and third-grade students are calmly coloring to peaceful worship music. A second-year Fellow, Viviana has been inspired to pursue her master’s in elementary education.
“I know that in the future I want to teach theology. I want to use my degree to teach about the faith, the Eucharist, and the saints, and how children can incorporate that into their lives. It’s just so rewarding. They’re so curious all the time, they love God, and they want to love others.”
Living in community with other Seton Teaching Fellows has helped Viviana lean into her faith. “I always had a desire to live with a Catholic community that would continue to help me grow in my faith, and help me not give up because this is a really hard mission. My roommate Rose inspires me to be a woman of God every day.”
First-year Fellow George, who teaches El Camino to first graders, has found grace in the challenges he has faced this year. “I didn’t realize how hard it was going to be. But it’s been very rewarding. God has always provided the graces. He gives me what I need to get through.”
He finds encouragement in communal prayer with the other Fellows, including their nightly decade of the rosary. “We offer it up for all of our intentions, for our student disciples, for all the Lord’s disciples.”
The Brillante teachers are another source of encouragement. George shared, “I feel very supported by the teachers here. You know that you’re loved and cared about. The first teacher that comes to mind is Ms. Ruiz, who was a founding teacher here. It’s been great to witness her motherly care and inspiring to see how she interacts with the students.”
The witnesses of these Brillante parents, students, staff, and Fellows show the transformative impact of the school community and El Camino formation. The campus has become a place where children encounter God, where families find community and support, and where faith is carried from the classroom into the home.
And that transformation is clearly seen in the faces and hearts of each student, from Fatima’s homemade altar to Fernando’s love for God and others. As Irma shared, “These children showed me the depths of God’s heart.”
