Class of 2014 receives recongition for achievements

Alison Foley, Junior, Staff Writer|May 23, 2014

Senior Class President, Hannah McCarthy, presents the Senior Gift to Principal Camille Jowanna.

Senior year has come to an end, and graduation festivities are in full swing. On Tuesday, May 20, 2014 the Honors Convocation for the class of 2014 was held. The purpose of the Honors Convocation is to recognize the seniors and their achievements.

A plethora of awards were handed out during the ceremony. Cristina Snyder was recognized for having completed the most service hours out of her whole class; an astonishing 895 hours during her four years at Academy.

The National Merit Scholar Finalists from Academy were Gabrielle Madden, Emily Rodriguez and Carly Stagg. To achieve this prestigious honor, the girls placed in the top ½% to 1% nationally on the PSAT, which was taken during their junior year.

Senior Class President Hannah McCarthy presented the school with a gift from the senior class. The senior class worked all year; holding different events to raise money for the senior endowment. The class of 2014 really outdid itself by raising a grand total of $73,175. This total surpassed the Class of 2013 endowment of $63,697.

One of the most poignant moments of the ceremony was the farewell to beloved art teacher, Mrs. Sharon West. Sister Lisa Perkowski spoke about how Mrs. West has left a lasting legacy on Academy. Hannah Crall adds,“You have impacted the lives of Academy students more than you can ever realize.” During this sentimental goodbye, Mrs. West was presented with a gift of thanks for all of her hard work over her 25 years at Academy.

The biggest honors of the event were saved for last. Elise Heiman was named Salutatorian and will be continuing her at the University of Florida next year. Heiman was also awarded the American Legion Award, and recognition for the highest average in Spanish. The Valedictorian of the Class of 2014 was Mariah Diaz. Diaz also earned the highest average in English and Science. She will be attending Duke University in the fall.

The students and faculty of Academy are overwhelmingly proud of the accomplishments of the Class of 2014 and wish them the best of luck in the future.

Academic Awards:

Highest Honors in Academic Core Subjects:

History-Allie Reichert

Spanish- Elise Heiman

Math- Natalie Hahn

Latin-Natalie Hahn

English- Mariah Diaz

Science- Mariah Diaz

Salutatorian– Elise Heiman

Valedictorian– Mariah Diaz

Senior of the Year Award– Siobhan Plummer

American Legion Award- Elise Heiman