Our Purpose

Bishop Garcia Diego High School is a welcoming college-preparatory high school, highly regarded as the premier Catholic high school in Santa Barbara. We are a vibrant, co-educational secondary school that serves a diverse community of learners. Bishop Diego presents the Gospel and promotes a well-rounded, character-forming experience where every student is seen as an individual and is challenged to reach their God-given potential - mind, body, and soul.  Bishop graduates are resilient, socially conscious leaders, anchored by the core values of respect, perseverance, and compassion. Graduates understand the value and dignity of every human person, work to promote the beauty of God’s creations, and selflessly serve the poor and marginalized.  It is a Bishop Diego graduate who is prepared to lead, serve, inspire, and be the difference in our global community.

 

 

Bishop García Diego High School promotes a Christian environment open to students of all faiths. The school empowers young men and women, educated in Catholic beliefs, to implement the Gospel message in today’s diverse society. With service as a primary tenet, students are called to foster concern for others and are challenged to cultivate the leadership skills necessary to serve humankind and become mature, well-balanced adults.

Bishop recognizes that parents are the primary educators of their children. School personnel work with them toward the common goal of preparing the students to assume their multiple roles as members of a family, church, and profession. A rigorous college preparatory curriculum and co-curricular activities are the means of attaining this goal.

The school’s philosophy is implemented by a community composed of the Board of Trustees, Leadership Team, Faculty, Staff, Students, Parents, and Alumni, and is expressed through the school's core values: Respect, Perseverance, and Compassion.

Core Values

Respect, Perseverance, Compassion

Founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church, these Core Values are integral to the mission here at Bishop Diego High School. A Bishop education forms young men and women not just into excellent students but into people of character, as they are taught to lead lives guided by these Christian principles. We seek to develop students who recognize the inherent dignity of others. Realizing that we are all God's children created in His image and likeness leads to a deep respect for human life. We strive to respect all others no matter our differences of religion, race, background or worldview.

Life is full of unforeseen challenges, and here at Bishop we are equipping our students to meet these challenges with optimism and confidence that they can persevere no matter the trial. Perhaps most importantly of all, we are so proud of our Cardinals and the continual deepening of their compassionate and empathetic hearts. A Bishop Diego graduate is someone who takes on the mind and heart of Christ and embodies these characteristics in all areas of their life. 

In May of their senior year, seniors share a personal testimony of how they have grown in the school’s core values and share their wisdom with members of the school community as it pertains to success, relationships with people, serving others, among other possible topics. Seniors also participate in an exit interview, devised and standardized by the school, where the school seeks their input on what we do well and where we need to grow.