Returning to His Roots

Sao "Johnny" Kue ’05 was one of 13 students to attend the inaugural year of San Miguel School, a Lasallian middle school in Providence, R.I., that serves boys from challenging backgrounds.

“When I was young, the Asian gang violence in Providence was really high, and my parents didn’t want me in that environment,” he says. “For boys of color in neighborhoods like the one I came from, there weren’t many pathways for success. At San Miguel, I was inspired to achieve any goals I had for my future.”

Now, 30 years later, Kue’s back at the school as associate executive director and graduate support director, helping today’s students find the right high schools and future pathways, whether that’s going on to college or joining the workforce. “We have a lot of good kids who come from a variety of adverse situations, and we try to put them in the best position to succeed," he says. "I love working with them.”

After middle school at San Miguel, Kue went to La Salle Military Academy in Oakdale, N.Y., on a full scholarship. One of his favorite high school teachers, Kellie Lindskog ’88, was a Stonehill graduate, and she encouraged him to apply.

“I had never visited the campus. I just took a leap of faith,” he says. Kue majored in criminology and discovered that the best way to be proactive about preventing crime was through education. He also met his wife, Virginia Ba ’23, at Stonehill, and they were married at the Chapel of Mary on campus. Their son, Kaiden, graduated from San Miguel in June.

“I always wanted to help kids stay on the right path,” Kue says. “Now I'm blessed with the opportunity to do that every day.”