Congratulations Alumni!

Forty-six St. Michael students earned diplomas in the school’s first commencement ceremony Thursday night in the St. Michael gym (to expand the picture above, go here).   Valedictorian Caroline Zitnik encouraged her classmates by quoting St. Augustine, saying “As we part from one another, let us not part from Him.”  The ceremony ended with the singing of the school’s new alma mater, “Hail Thee, St. Michael,” followed by the traditional throwing of the caps. 

Two days earlier, the school celebrated baccalaureate Mass at St. Lawrence Church, with Archbishop Rodi, the school’s founder, as the main celebrant. The Archbishop expressed great pride and gratitude in what St. Michael had become, congratulating the seniors for their leadership and spirit in beginning the school. As a symbolic gesture linking the present to the past, he used the crozier of Bishop Michael Portier, the first bishop of Mobile in 1825, for whom the school is named.  At the end of the Mass, the “Rodi Ideal Graduates” of the class were announced— Maggie Lollis and Griffin Mahoney—and both gave heartfelt reflections about their experiences here. A reception hosted by the junior class parents followed in the parish hall. 

Faustin Weber, school principal, was effusive in his praise for the class: “God has blessed this school in so many ways: through the leadership of the bishop and superintendent, in the support of our Church and pastors, by the trust placed in us by our first parents, and through the generosity of our donors. But perhaps our greatest blessing has been this class, which has truly helped us build a culture here that is optimistic, inclusive, spirited, quirky, hard-working (most of the time!) and faithful. We will remember them fondly.” 

In early May, at the School Academic Awards ceremony, College Counselor Dr. Keith Lindley announced that the 46 graduates had accumulated over 4.1 million dollars in scholarship offers, with just over 70% of the class earning scholarships. After introducing each senior and where they intend to go to school, individual award winners were announced. 

Here’s a quick run down of the senior’s individual honors: 

• Caroline Zitnik, school valedictorian
• Hunter Williams and Griffin Mahoney, co-salutatorians
• “Summa Cum Laude” graduates (perfect 4.0): Caroline Zitnik, Hunter Williams, Griffin Mahoney and Alexander Vick
• “St. Michael Scholar” graduates (3.8 weighted GPA or higher, 4 or more A.P. classes, 3 or more languages): Luke Bosarge, Stirling Faulkner, Virginia Hannahan, Maggie Lollis, Griffin Mahoney, Ryan Russo, Alexander Vick, Gia Vollmer, Hunter Williams and Caroline Zitnik
• The “Christian Service Award” to James Zapata
• The “Athletic Achievement Award” to Chloe Walker
• The “Fine Arts Achievement Award” to Colette Murphy
• The “Gwen Byrd Leader of the Year” Award to Maddie Parke
• The “Rodi Ideal Graduates,” Maggie Lollis and Griffin Mahoney

As a final piece of good news, our co-salutatorians, Hunter Williams and Griffin Mahoney, have both decided to enter the seminary for the Archdiocese of Mobile next year!  We are proud of them!

Congratulations to a remarkable first class!