I grew up at Cathedral, literally. My father Sam Govea worked at La Cate for 26 years, spending his last 12 years there as Principal. I spent an immense amount of my childhood at the school, which gave me the unique perspective of seeing and getting to know many different classes and many different Irishmen.

While the faces of the men who roamed the halls of the school changed, the spirit within them never did. The camaraderie, brotherhood, and pride that each man felt towards the school is infectious and rubs off on the next class walking into their footsteps. This is the soul of Cathedral, the culture of success, unity and faith that is bred into each and every man over their four years at the school.

I graduated from Cathedral in 2006, where I was Student Council President, played varsity basketball, and was a member of National Honor Society. My graduation from La Cate was a bittersweet moment for me, ever since I could remember, all I had ever wanted to do was be in the Zoo, to be that young man in my blazer that everyone else recognizes, to be surrounded by my brothers; and that time had come and gone, but what was left were the lessons and memories that the teachers and my classmates had instilled in me, lessons that still drive me today.

After high school, I attended Boston University earning a dual-degree (Political Science and American History) in 2010. After graduating from college, I spent several years as a Special Projects Coordinator in the Federal Government Affairs Division of the Texas Department of Transportation, after TX DOT I was able to live out a life-long dream and teach. I taught Economics and American History at one of Cathedral’s fellow Lasallian schools, St. Michael’s High School in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I am now in the midst of obtaining my law degree from Loyola New Orleans College of Law, which I will finish in May of 2017.

“What are you proudest of?”
I am proudest of the fact that I was able to give back to the Lasallian community by teaching at St. Mike’s. It was a wonderful feeling and it gave me purpose to know that I had the opportunity to help mold young people’s lives in the Lasallian tradition that gave me so much.

“What lesson from Cathedral do you carry with you?”
There are so many different things that I remember on a daily basis that helps to guide me, however the one that sticks out most in my mind, is to believe in yourself. Cathedral gave me the moral and scholarly toolbox to deal with any challenge that may present itself.

“Do you have a message (lesson/observation) for a current Cathedral student?”
Take full advantage of every opportunity that presents itself to you, no matter how inconvenient, or how time consuming. You never know what your effort may lead to, or what difference it may make in someone else’s life; and to make sure to take in the small things in life, enjoy your time here, know that from here on out you never walk this road alone, you have the Cathedral brotherhood walking next to you every step of the way. Viva La Cate!!