Chesterton Academy of Orlando was delighted to host our 2026 Gala on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel.

It was a remarkable evening—full of beauty, conviction, and hope—with more than 550 guests gathered in support of this mission.

Thanks to their generosity, we raised over $324,000 in a single night. Praise God!

We are living through a moment not unlike the one St. Benedict faced fifteen hundred years ago. As the Roman world crumbled—education fading, culture fragmenting—he didn’t panic.

His answer was to build.

He built communities rooted in prayer, learning, and virtue that would quietly carry forward the flame of civilization.

In our own time, we face a similar kind of upheaval. Young people are drifting from the faith, education has lost its deeper purpose, and new technologies like artificial intelligence are reshaping how we think, learn, and live.

The question before us is urgent:

How do we form young people not just to succeed, but to live well? To know the truth, love the good, and pursue what is beautiful?

Chesterton Academy of Orlando was founded to be part of that answer, to build a community where students become fully alive and are equipped to renew the culture.

And by God’s grace, that vision is already bearing real fruit. In just a few short years, we are already seeing the kind of transformation we hoped for:

• The spiritual life of the school continues to deepen. With nearly a dozen priests now regularly visiting campus, our students have frequent access to Mass and Confession—and the lines for Confession often stretch around the Chapel.
• We launched the St. Albert’s Society, a student-led initiative focused on science, math, and innovation. Even in its first year, students earned multiple medals and industry awards for their work in research, engineering, and design.
• And this year, the Chesterton Schools Network was awarded the prestigious Yass Prize—often called the “Pulitzer Prize of education”—a national recognition of excellence, innovation, and human formation.

These are not isolated achievements. They are signs of something deeper.

In a time when many young people are outsourcing their thinking to chatbots, our students are learning to think for themselves. While millions are drifting from the faith, our students are running toward Christ—toward the sacraments, into friendship, into lives of purpose.

This is what Chesterton Academy exists to do: not simply to educate, but to form young men and women who are fully alive.

And by God’s grace, that work is already well underway

Brandon Vogt, founder and chairman, shared a powerful vision for the school, framing this moment as a modern “Benedict moment,” a time not to retreat from a changing culture, but to build something lasting.

Drawing on the example of St. Benedict, he cast a bold vision for Chesterton Academy: a community where young people are formed to think deeply, live faithfully, and become fully alive—ready to lead in a rapidly changing world.

He also outlined several key initiatives that will strengthen the school’s future and expand its impact in the years ahead:

PROJECT 1 - Tabernacle ($2,500)

At the heart of our mission is the presence of Christ. A permanent, worthy tabernacle will allow us to reserve the Blessed Sacrament on campus, placing Our Lord physically at the center of our school and making the Chapel a place of daily encounter, prayer, and devotion.

PROJECT 2 - Permanent Altar ($12,000)

We currently celebrate Mass using a temporary altar. A permanent marble altar will provide a beautiful and fitting place for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It will deepen reverence, strengthen our liturgical life, and reflect the dignity of what takes place there each week.

PROJECT 3 - School Van ($20,000)

Formation doesn’t stop in the classroom. A dedicated school van will allow us to take students on pilgrimages, service projects, retreats, athletic events, and cultural experiences, extending formation beyond campus and into the wider world.

Together, these projects will strengthen the spiritual life of the school, enrich the student experience, and help us continue forming young men and women ready to lead with faith, wisdom, and joy.

The program continued with a performance by the Chesterton Academy student choir. Under the direction of Mr. Cristian Caiola, students performed Ecce Homo and the Salve Regina.

In his remarks, Brandon noted that when St. Benedict and the monks set out to rebuild civilization, they did so not only through books and learning, but through beauty, especially through song.

That tradition continues here. At Chesterton, students don’t just consume culture. They create it. Through sacred music and the fine arts, they learn to love what is beautiful and to bring that beauty into the world.

Following the choir, we heard powerful testimonies from members of the Chesterton community.

Seniors Isabela Bohorquez and Joseph Rabanal shared how the school has transformed their lives, forming them not only academically, but spiritually and personally. They spoke about discovering a love for truth, growing in discipline and friendship, and making the faith their own at Chesterton.

Together, these testimonies offered a glimpse of what makes Chesterton Academy so distinctive: not just education, but deep and lasting formation.

Our keynote speaker, Emily De Rotstein, delivered a compelling vision of the broader movement behind Chesterton Academy.

Drawing on her experience as Executive Director of the Society of G.K. Chesterton and a founding leader of the Chesterton Schools Network, she showed how what is happening in Orlando is part of something much larger—a rapidly growing, global renewal of Catholic education.

From a single school with just ten students, the Chesterton model has expanded to more than 70 schools worldwide, with dozens more in development. At its heart is a simple but powerful mission: to evangelize through education and form joyful, faithful leaders rooted in truth, goodness, and beauty.

Her message was clear: this is not just a school. It is a movement. These schools are rebuilding culture, renewing the Church, and transforming lives around the world.

The evening concluded with an invitation to step into this moment and help build something lasting.

By the grace of God, we are thrilled to share that total gifts and pledges exceeded $324,000!

That generosity will sustain the mission of Chesterton Academy and continue forming young men and women. And if we are able to close the remaining gap to reach our full goal, we will be able to move forward with key projects that will strengthen the spiritual life and long-term impact of the school.

If you feel called to be part of this mission, we would be deeply grateful for your support. Every gift helps form the next generation of saints, scholars, and leaders.

We are profoundly grateful to God for His abundant blessings. Again and again, He has shown His providence and care for this school. The 2026 Gala was yet another sign of His faithfulness.

This is our Benedict moment. And by His grace, we are building something that will endure.

We hope to see you at next year’s Gala!

Thanks to Victora Ybarra Photography for these wonderful photos!