Last Friday, Cathedral had an all-school Mass to celebrate its seniors’ departure from Cathedral. One special part of this assembly is the Senior Awards Ceremony. Each year, Cathedral celebrates the outstanding accomplishments and character of its graduating seniors through many prestigious awards.
Brother Matt Rhegan, Math and Religion Educator, and Sister Ann Stewart, Social Studies Educator began the ceremony with the Father Jacque Dujarie Award, named after a French priest who dedicated his life to spreading faith and founded the Brothers of St. Joseph, which later became known as the Congregation of Holy Cross. This award was given to Sophia Siepka and Manny Egan, two seniors who have truly lived their faith and inspired others through their actions. Brother Matt said, “The Father Dujarie award is given to two seniors who have exemplified living and spreading their faith during their time at Cathedral.”
Kerry Nagle, Director of the LRC, announced the recipient of The Spirit of Jimmy Malone Award, named after a Cathedral graduate from 2006 who was known for his joyful spirit and unwavering perseverance. Senior Daisy Anderson was chosen due to her strong leadership and a commitment to the values of Holy Cross, embodying the same resilient spirit that Jimmy was celebrated for.
The Nancy Hartman Math Achievement Award was presented by, Math Educator, Lisa Ford. Nancy Hartman was a now-retired algebra and geometry teacher and made known the idea of never giving up especially in terms of her students. No matter what their academic abilities in math were, she made sure that each of her students tried their hardest. This award is given to the student who has shown Hartman’s determination and also has shown improvement in their math abilities throughout their time at Cathedral.
The award winners were Leopold Joniskan and Gillian Mendyk because of their embodiment of Nancy Hartman. They both attended the summer success program as freshmen due to gaps in their math background and have improved tremendously because of their unwavering commitment to learning. Due to this high achievement, the math department provided checks to Marquette University for Mendyk and Purdue University for Joniskan.
Cathedral has Senior Academic Awards, which are given to students who achieve top honors: Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Cum Laude. Summa Cum Laude, top 5%, included Oliver Berle, Reece Bonohomme, Kristen Castellino, Samuel Everly, Gabrielle Hadad, Briar Keehnm Danica Mclinn, Ryan Peterson, Emily Pohl, Olivia Uskert, William Wise, Lauren Wright, and Gregory Bishop. Magna Cum Laude, top 10%, included Sophia Beeson, Reina Brooks, Emily Cortese, Jill Dorsey, Elise Elpers, Katherine Lade, Isabella Miramonti, Mary Kate Pastorino, Justin Scott, Joseph Webb, Gideon Zawadzki, and Anna Moore. Cum Laude, top 15%, included Paul Arrthur, Anna Brennan, Dominico Busack, Christopher Dravis, Emma Drewry, Kathryn Kirschner, Alexander Lefebvre, Thomas Mariani, Jacqueline Quadrini, Veronica Rondinella, Jake Shelton, Addison Stanlet, Zayra Pallikan, and John Bradshaw.
Additionally, those who demonstrated exceptional academic ability through high scores on the SAT were recognized. These included National Merit Finalist Reece Bonhomme, Briar Keehn, and Emily Pohl, as well as Commended Scholars Alexander Lefebvre, Olivia Uskert, Sophia Beeson, and Gregory Bishop.
Awards were also presented to Thomas Mariani and Jude Klein who have received Military Academy Appointments and will be attending the Naval Academy in the fall. Art Awards were given to Chloe Shadiow and Sammy Moffatt for their commitment, dedication, and hard work in the arts throughout their four years at Cathedral.
On the athletic side, John O’hara was given the honor presenting several awards to distinguished student-athletes. The Athlete of the Year award is given to a male and female student athlete who has completed two or more varsity sports. The male award was given to Devaughn Slaughter, who is a 6A All-State Player, named City Athlete of the Year for football, holder of three school records in Track and Field, state finalist in six events, and more.
The female award was given to Kate Kubacki, who has played three sports at Cathedral, currently holds three school records, has been a state finalist in eight events, named All-State as a sophomore and a junior, and has competed at the highest level of Cross Country and Volleyball.
The Dezelan Award is named after Coach Papa Joe Dezlean who coached for 26 years at Cathedral. His dedication to Cathedral as a football coach, teacher, athletic director, alumni director, and board member for 56 years, showed his passion for the Hill. This year’s award winners were Nick Whitley and Abby Beasley who shared that same passion. O’Hara said, “The award is given to a female and male senior who demonstrates outstanding leadership, strong character, and is a positive role model.”
The St. André Bessette Award is given to a senior who dedicates her life to her faith and service and identifies with the core values of Holy Cross. This year’s award was given to Anna Brennan, who has been committed to serving her parish, school, and community through the hundreds of volunteer hours she has done.
The process for selecting the winner of each award is tedious as they have to take in consideration the whole senior class. Katie Lewis, Religion teacher, Senior Moderator, and member of SIT, said, “Some are selected by a group, others are voted on by all teachers. For example the coaches choose the athletic winners and the LSP department selects the student for the Malone Award.”
