Interprepas 2026 kicks off with energy and a spirit of camaraderie

Diana Alonso

The sound of cheers, drums, and bugles marked the beginning of Interprepas 2026. From the first minutes, the energy of hundreds of students filled the Pedro Arrupe Auditorium at ITESO, the venue for the first time of this event, which is celebrating its fifteenth edition.

Delegations from various high schools within the Jesuit Associated Schools Network (RCAJ) filled every space in the venue. Amid applause and cheers, athletes, artists, and students gathered to begin four days of competition and camaraderie.

“Today we want to make our motto a reality […] We are brought together by sports, culture, camaraderie, and above all, the opportunity to connect,” said the students who led the opening ceremony. They also emphasized that the event aims to go beyond competition: “We believe that fraternity is built on simplicity, on cheers, on respect, on encouragement, on mutual care, and on the joy of sharing.”

The opening ceremony was attended by María Antonia García Sanjinés, executive secretary of the RCAJ; María del Pilar Rodríguez Martínez, director of Community Integration at ITESO; and Guillermo Gatt Corona, president of ITESO, AC, representing Alexander Zatyrka Pacheco, SJ, rector of this institution. Also present were directors of the participating institutions, who accompanied their delegations at the start of the meeting.

Mónica Durán Labrador, director of ITESO High School, emphasized the spirit of hospitality that guides this year's event. “We're not only opening the doors of this incredible campus, but also the doors to the heart of our university […] You're going to compete, create, act, sing, run, and discover that there's someone from another high school who likes exactly the same things you do, someone with whom you can share the joy of victory and support each other when you have to wait for another opportunity.” She stressed that beyond the results, the true meaning of the event lies in the camaraderie.

In addition to Durán, the presidium included Omar Ordaz Moreno, director of the Ibero Tlaxcala Preparatory School; Ana María Laviada Hernández, general director of the Ibero Mérida Preparatory School; Omar Coronado Navarro, director of the Atotonilco Regional Educational Center (CERA); Mónica Durán Labrador, director of the ITESO Preparatory School; Graciela Flores Alcocer, director of the Ibero Preparatory School; Alejandra Alpuche, director of the Ibero Puebla Preparatory School; and José Antonio Brito Solís, director of Community Formation and Integration at the Loyola University of the Pacific.

Following the opening ceremony, the event continued with an artistic presentation that included music, singing, and dancing, accompanied by the ITESO cheerleading squad. The event concluded when the mascots of each institution took to the stage, generating euphoria among the audience.

This marked the beginning of Interprepas 2026, a space that, during the next three days, will bring together students from different regions of the country to live together, compete and recognize themselves as part of the same community.