If parents are happy to celebrate the honors that their children have earned during this season of commencements, just imagine how thrilled we are at the Academy, as bits and pieces of those accolade stories come drifting back to the place where education began for so many high school seniors. This year we find ourselves inundated by the good news of year-end awards that have been heaped upon ourClass of 2011—now the Class of 2015.
Graduating Visitation Academy seniors—and members of the Academy Class of 2011.
For starters, three schools named our alums their Valedictorians: Erica Fada gave that farewell address at Visitation Academy, Taylor Heuermann did so at Barat Academy, and Justine Kaemmerlen at Villa Duchesne. Also honored at Villa was Mia Spezia, who was named Salutatorian, while Maddie Johnson was the Salutatorian at Incarnate Word Academy.
St. Louis U. High graduates, ASH Class of 2011
Some schools no longer use the terms of Valedictorian and Salutatorian but have converted their honors designations to degrees of “cum laude.” In those categories we have Elizabeth Cheli –magna cum laude from Duchesne High School, Will Travous – cum laude from Duchesne, Sam Wallut – magna cum laude from Orchard Farm High School, and Madeline Wappelhorst – summa cum laude from Duchesne.
Barat Academy graduates, Academy Class of 2011
With offers of scholarships to many universities cited, we will share here primarily those accepted by our alums. In alphabetical order—
Elliot Boerding received the Presidential Scholarship to St. Louis University and was accepted to the Honors College. He was also the recipient of a Bright Flight Scholarship and Vantage Credit Union and HBA Scholarships.
Elizabeth Cheli will be off to the University of Vermont with a Presidential Scholarship.
A volleyball scholarship will take Hannah Cherry to Northern Arizona University (in Division 1).
Cassie Delicath will participate in the Honors Program at Xavier University with a full scholarship. She plans to major in theater and business.
Entertainment and music business will be the focus of Rick Garner; he’s enrolled at Belmont University with an Academic Merit Scholarship.
Erica Fada received a Missouri Bright Flight Scholarship. She is bound for Northwestern in the fall.
Zachary Greco has been admitted to the Honor’s College with a Dean’s Scholarship to Texas Christian University.
At Edgewood College in Madison, Wis., Mary Hecht will participate in the Honors Program with the Virginia Francis de Paramo Scholarship, given at Visitation to a senior who exhibits leadership, primarily in service to the school but also in character and academic achievement.
Taylor Heuermann received the Villanova Scholarship and will attend Villanova University.
Dominic Himich will be at the University of Tulsa; he was awarded the Vision Scholarship, Honors College and Dean’s Scholarship.
St. Joseph’s Academy graduates, ASH Class of 2011Franny Hogan’s $1,000 scholarship to the school of her choice (Missouri State University) has the unique title of Riverblenders Sing for Scholarship.
An academic scholarship to the University of Illinois will take Mackenzie Hoffer to Chicago, where she will be playing on the Flames Division 1 women’s soccer team.
Lily Jensen is off to Loyola University in Chicago with an academic scholarship.
Nick Keesey won the Diversity Award from Mizzou. He also earned a Missouri Bright Flight Scholarship and a Western Union Scholarship.
Elizabeth Kenny will be at University of Missouri at St. Louis with both a Curator’s and a Bright Flight Scholarship.
Dennis Kluba was awarded an academic and athletic scholarship to Belmont University and will be playing for the Belmont Bruin’s Division I men’s soccer team.
National Merit Finalist, Mason Kruse will be in the Honors College at the University of Alabama with a Presidential Scholarship.
Elizabeth Lanham’s choice of the University of Tulsa is based on her Tulsa Vision Scholarship (for academic achievement, service and leadership at Viz), her Dean’s Scholarship and her National Merit Scholarship Commended Student Award. She also held the highest average in Spanish for four years.
Headed for University of Missouri at Columbia, Andrew Link goes with the Chancellor’s Scholarship, Missouri Bright Flight Scholarship and has completed the Cornell Leadership Program and Scholarship.
An academic scholarship will accompany Nikki Pallesen to the University of Arkansas.
Joey Raymond received the Missouri Bright Flight Scholarship and will attend Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Elon College granted Michaela Reynolds the Fellows Academic Scholarship.
Scarlett Sanchez will be attending Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She received the Loyola Marymount University Early Action Award, an Endowed Scholarship, and the Latino Alumni Association Scholarship.
Incarnate Word Academy graduates, Academy Class of 2011Christine Siampos will be attending Webster University on an academic scholarship.
Recipient of a Missouri Bright Flight Scholarship and a Presidential Scholarship, Jonathon Spray is off to Bradley University.
Staying closer to home, Julia Stefanescu (a member of the National Honor Society) will be in the Pre-Law Scholarship Program at St. Louis University on an academic scholarship. She has also received a Missouri Bright Flight Scholarship and is the recipient of the 2015 Mev Puleo Service Award at Visitation Academy.
Christian Stewart will go to Butler University with a Fairview Scholarship.
And Jillian Strickland received a Presidential Scholarship to William Jewell College as well as a scholarship for music and service/leadership and a music scholarship from Francis Howell North High School.
Athena Strother received the Presidential Scholarship to Creighton University, was accepted into their Honors Program, and was awarded a Missouri Bright Flight Scholarship.
Emma Thede graduated from Villa Duchesne with Honors Distinction, and won the University of Georgia Classic Scholars Award for “strong academic achievement.”
Rachel Walker, a National Merit Finalist, will be attending the University of Kentucky on the Patterson Scholarship (full ride with room and board) plus the Covidien Scholarship (a business scholarship given to National Merit Finalists).
A football scholarship takes Sam Wallut to Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Off to St. Louis University, Madeline Wappelhorst left Duchesne High School with the SLU Dean’s Tuition Scholarship and SLU Jesuit Community Award. Local scholarships included the St. Charles Kiwanis Club (Key Clubber of the Year) Scholarship, the Echele Family Endowment Scholarship, the Rho Chi Scholarship, the Epsilon Sigma Alpha International Outstanding Youth Scholarship and the American Legion St. Charles Post 312 Scholarship. By the vote of her senior class and the faculty Madeline was the 2015 graduation speaker.
The University of Mississippi awarded Patrick Waters the Competitive Edge Scholarship, the University of Mississippi Academic Excellence Scholarship, as well as another under the same title for non residents.
Leslie Wilson will be following the paths of her mother and father to Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri. She received the Hilltop Distinguished Scholar, the C-SC Legacy Award and the Fine Arts Scholarships.
Cole Yelich received a four-year, full tuition Navy ROTC Scholarship to the University of Notre Dame, in addition to a generous scholarship from the Notre Dame Club of St. Louis.
Villa Duchesne graduates, Academy Class of 2011
Rounding out many academic honors awarded the Academy Class of 2011, two of these graduating seniors were named among the 100 Top Missouri Scholars in the Class of 2015. This special recognition by the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals identifies the academic strengths of students along with their extracurricular activities and strong personal goals. The letter that came to Justine Kaemmerlen and Athena Strother, informing them of this honor, stated: “Your efforts are a tribute to the values instilled in you by your family, friends, teachers and administrators. I would also like to congratulate them and thank them for helping you to reach this memorable milestone.” Partnering with parents in the important work of educating their children is one of our most serious responsibilities. At times like these it is also very rewarding! Check back to see additional awards earned by the Academy Class of 2011.
CLICK HERE to see a list of ASH Class of 2015 High School Choices and ASH Class of 2011 College Choices.
