You won’t find Mr. Miles Colago, Holland Christian High School’s principal, on any social media since he quit it a couple of years ago. But you can find him on Strava, and see from there how much he loves running, usually around 6 am, and usually posting about 4 miles a day. And if you Google him, you’ll find that he was quite the Calvin University soccer star back in his day. From the Holland Sentinel last spring, you can learn that he came to HCHS at the beginning of this school year after seven years at The Potter’s House School where he served as an assistant superintendent, interim middle school principal, and high school English/Worldview teacher.
But you don’t learn from all those sources that he grew up in Minnesota, where his grandparents immigrated from the Philippines. His grandfather had been a doctor, and he and his wife lived through the horror and destruction that was WW2 in the Philippines, and wanted to have a new beginning as a small-town family doctor in western Minnesota. Or you don’t learn how Miles is the youngest of four children, attended the local public school in his hometown, and became a Christian when he was 16, thanks to the one choir friend who visited him after he broke his knee his sophomore year in a soccer game. And that was when he started reading and rereading the Bible cover to cover, attending multiple church services, participating in Bible studies, and reading Christian books, including those by John Piper who preached then at nearby Bethlehem Baptist.
Miles said that he majored in English at Calvin because it was the hardest subject for him. He thought about law school, but was drawn to education back then already, starting with tutoring several students in the inner city of Grand Rapids. Miles graduated with a B.A. in English and Secondary Education with a minor in International Development Studies, and then went on to earn his M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Calvin University.
Miles started dating his wife, Sarah, after he broke his leg in a soccer game, which, as he explained, “helped because she has a soft spot for injured people.” Sarah was also a Calvin student at the time, and came from the same Massachusetts hometown as our HC athletic director, Dave Engbers. Miles and Sarah married the June after college graduation, and then moved to the Dominican Republic to teach together at Santiago Christian High School. However, missing their US family, they came back to Michigan after a couple of years to settle down and start a family. They have three young kids, Malachi and Aaliyah, and new baby Mariyaah Galilee Ruakh born this past September.
Miles enjoys his job as principal at HCHS because he’s passionate about HC’s mission and vision, and he values getting to work more directly with students, parents, and teachers. He is excited about the board’s “Better Together in Christ” initiative of thriving as a place of belonging and discovery for all families, and enlarging the racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity within our community.
Besides running, Mr. Colago reads a great deal, and is interesting and engaging to talk to for students and parents alike—so please introduce yourself to him at the Showcase on Monday, and get to know a bit of what makes Holland Christian such a great place to learn and grow!
