About us

Who we are

We are a nonprofit private school established in Texas and accredited by TradSchools. We promote a traditional Catholic, proud of Hispanic heritage, classical liberal arts educational culture through interinstitutional educational initiatives in-person, virtual, or distance learning, while respecting and promoting the regional identity of each project.

We are a team of educational management professionals who joined forces upon discovering the plight of many families across Hispanoamerica due to inadequate educational legislation in their countries. Our journey began by providing legal support to institutions continent-wide, eager to secure deserved recognition for their early, primary, middle and high school distance learning. Accredited and nonprofit, our initial goal was to certify this homeschooling alternatives, offering the legal and educational benefits of an American certification, ensuring their students had optimal access to higher education, whether in their home countries or in the United States.

We soon received requests for other established schools across the Spanish-speaking world that could also benefit from an American Classical High School certification. We developed a proposal for schools worldwide to offer their students a virtual study alternative based on our curriculum, allowing them to access the wisdom inherited from the classics and obtain a high school certification from a US private school.

Now, we also promote projects for the establishment of in-person affiliated schools with an approach suitable to the identity of each region. For this, we need more support than ever, as a nonprofit organization based on faith, we cannot obtain governmental funding, and we trust that God’s providence will soften the hearts of all good souls.

Javier Gutiérrez Fernández-Cuervo
Headmaster

As a blessed husband and father, I am a university lecturer in Rhetoric, Ethics, and Citizenship, dedicated to promoting and coordinating Catholic education projects since 2015, as well as to farming lands – albeit clumsily but with great enthusiasm. With a Master’s degree in Family Educational Guidance from the International University of La Rioja, a Postgraduate degree in Didactics of Social and Political Sciences from the CEU Cardenal Herrera University of Valencia, and a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the Pontifical Urban University of the Holy See, I currently research pre-revolutionary Hispanic educational models.
María del Pilar Presbítero García
School Administrator


First of all, I am a wife and mother of two beatiful little girls. I also serve as the Coordinator of the Youth Political Training Program at the Center for Governance of the San Pablo Catholic University. I hold a Master’s degree in Leadership and Management of Educational Centers from the International University of La Rioja, with a specialization in Personnel Management from ESAN University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from San Pablo Catholic University. Currently, I specialize in process improvements in educational institutions and the administration of virtual teaching platforms.
Matthew Scullin
Operations Manager

My foremost passion lies in educational initiatives, starting with my family, which includes my wife and our three children. Leveraging my background in civil service within social services, I bring a wealth of experience to my role as Director of Operations at Empel Academy. Proficient in project management, team leadership, and community outreach, I oversee logistical aspects, dedicated to facilitating positive transformations and ensuring seamless operations. My commitment aligns with our institution’s mission of delivering outstanding education grounded in Catholic principles, Hispanic traditions, and liberal arts.

Our identity

“Empel” Academy
Our name, Empel Academy, is inspired by Mount Empel, located in the Dutch lands that once belonged to Spain.

It honors the miracle that the Virgin Mary performed in the battle of December 8, 1585, in favor of the Spanish tercios and the defense of the Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. We aspire to be like that small mount of Empel, offering refuge and the company of the Virgin to institutions in their struggles. We do so humbly, recognizing that the mount is nothing without her, but with her, it can be the platform for a precious miracle: the opportunity to educate our children in a holy manner in a world that often profanes the innocent.

‘¡Tan grande milagro!’
Our motto is inspired by Admiral Hohenlohe-Neuenstein’s words after such an extraordinary defeat.

‘Tal parece que Dios es español al obrar tan grande milagro.’ ‘It seems that God is Spanish to work such a great miracle.’ We believe every small advancement of our school is a tremendous miracle. From forming our founding team to obtaining accreditation, each step is miraculous. Assisting families in educating their children in Christian piety for their soul’s salvation through our affiliated institutions, whether in-person, virtual, or remote, is also miraculous. We aim for this spirit of awe, wonder, and grace to permeate all our endeavors.

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