Denver Catholic

B8 I GRADUATION MAY 15, 2013 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER Congratulations! 100% College Acceptance! Arrupe Jesuit High School Class of 2013 Juan Alfaro Alicia Aragon Megan Archuleta Stephen Archuleta Samantha Arzola Adrian Avila Ana Bustillos Steffany Carrillo Alonso Cervantes Juliette Cordova Michael DeHerrera Antonio Delgado Marquez Trang Aaliyah Duvall Nguyen Erick Escajeda-Estrada Erika Gallardo Dianna Gonzalez Cortinas Jessica Guardado Janet Hernandez Tatiana Herrada Jodie Huapaya Selena Huerta Antonio Huizar Simone Jackson Luis Jaquez Jennifer Khong Alissia Lara Monique Lucero Judith Luevano Juarez Rosalinda Madera William Major Jory Manzanarez Aero Marquez Sheila Martinez Angelica Medina Erick Medrano Paola Mejia Darby Mejia Juan Melgar Vanessa Mora Lauren Moreno Wanda Nevarez Christian Nuñez Francisco Olivas Jesus Ortiz Kristina Owens Crystal Palacios Maria Perez 8 Daniels Scholars 2 Gates Millennium Scholars Veronica Perez Esperanza Pinedo Christian Ramirez Carlos Ramirez Erin Rice Dayana Robles Elvia Robles Juana Rocha Lucero Rodriguez SanJuana Rodriguez Viridiana Rojo Arnaldo Saenz Luis Salas Lilia San Miguel Chelsea Sandoval Eric Sandoval Heriberto Santana Corrina Summers Jennifer Tamariz Bautista Jessica Tran Luis Trevizo Veronica Valenzuela Sheila Vallejo Melissa Vazquez Over $5.5 Million Earned in Merit-Based Scholarships GOOD SHEPHERD CATHOLIC SCHOOL Proudly Presents its Graduating Class of 2013 Katherine Margaret Barnes Emma Christine Bettridge Ian Daniel Bonnett-Leon Anne Marie Diqin Bruecker Rebecca Morgan Duffy Fisher Andrew Crews Ryan Patrick Ferguson Tatum Lizbeth Filsinger Sara Katherine Frosch Catherine Nicole Golinvaux James Cade Grote Robert Lester Hofstader Kassidy Shay Hogan Kate Marie Kachmer Elizabeth Ann Kamas Katherine Anne Libby Benjamin Minsung Mabry Eleanor Eve Mackintosh Jack Nicholas Moran Emma Adelaide O'Brien Caroline Cella Osborn Davis Edward Powell Alexander Thomas Restivo Jack Thomas Shanley Aman Arvino Singh Alec Lee Tiger Nina Belle Watson John Robert Weigand, Jr. Scott Michael Wiese Sophia Ildiko Woodward Cameron Anthony Velky-Wuethrich Emily Rose Wuttke "Good Luck and May God Bless You Always" 620 Elizabeth St., Denver, CO 80206 (303) 321-6231 C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s 2013 Graduates Emma Armstrong LillyAvery ErinBroderick CurtisDarrow RyanGross BryceHall ConnorKaro PrestonKarr CharliDavis Kaycee Kennedy LindseyFish JillKing Morgan Fleetwood CodyGallardo Maggie Krumholz DestinyLamb VanesaLang MorganLee LaurenPhillips AddisonPickard AveryRodriguez Jack Youngblood GRADUATION I B9 DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER I MAY 15, 2013 Grads' hearts ignited for service with a new roommate, new teachers, new classmates." Next fall, Kammer will atCatholic high schools in the tend Xavier University: a Jesuit, Archdiocese of Denver pre- Catholic university in Cincinpare students for the future nati, Ohio. not only through rigorous academics, but also by forming Kailey Rice, St. Mary's hearts and souls for service. Academy, Englewood As part of their education and Insight: seeing what's importformation, students partic- ant in life ipate in community service and mission projects that help Kailey Rice has spent all build a foundation for a life of four years of high school at St. service. Seniors from Catho- Mary's Academy as a memlic high schools in the Denver ber and active leader of the area shared service experienc- school's Outreach Club where es from their final year of high she has served on both local school, and how the lessons and international levels. they took from them have preAs president of the organizapared them for the future. tion, Rice coordinated school efforts that raised $2,000 for Ashlyn Kammer, Regis Heifer International. Heifer International is a global nonprofJesuit High School, Aurora Insight: make others feel it group that strives to end poverty and hunger by empoweraccepted ing families through gifts of Ashlyn Kammer spent two livestock and training. Rice has seen firsthand the weeks in New Orleans last February with a group from Regis suffering caused by poverty and Jesuit's girls' division helping hunger. She described a trip to rebuild the homes and lives the Dominican Republic, where of Hurricane Katrina survi- she served refugees and learned vors through the St. Bernard about environmental issues, as a pivotal experience that influProject. While it has been almost enced her drive to serve. "The highlight of my high eight years since the deadly hurricane decimated the ar- school years would be my ea—and many of the damaged service trip to the Dominican homes rebuilt—there were Republic," she said. "I worked also many homeowners who with Haitian refugee children, proved to be victims of con- built homes, and learned tractor scams. Consequently, about environmental issues shoddy repair work done by that concern our world today." The experience, which fraudulent contractors soon deteriorated, and needed to be proved to be life-changing, helped form her for the furedone. Kammer learned skills such ture, as well as gave her a more as putting up drywall, paint- clear understanding of her ing, installing baseboards and priorities. "This trip changed me as a using a nail gun as she helped rebuild "Miss Lorraine's" person and made me see what is important in life," she said. house. "We came in with no expe- "It gave me faith in myself and rience whatsoever," she said. the confidence I need to un"But the manager of the proj- derstand my purpose in life. "Service is a big part of that ect had full trust in us, and gave us the freedom to learn, purpose." During high school, Rice and at times, make mistakes, also volunteered with other which gave us confidence." The boost in confidence, community organizations, including Evergreen Christian while valuable, wasn't the most important lesson Kammer Outreach; and was the recipitook from her work in New ent of the 2013 Senior Community Service Award. Orleans. She will attend Gonzaga Uni"What struck me most was the sense of community and versity, a Catholic Jesuit univerhow accepting and grateful sity in Spokane, Wash., next fall. they were," she said of the community in the 9th Ward Marc Sallinger, Mullen High where they stayed at a volun- School, Denver teer house called Camp Hope. Insight: build a foundation of "In just two weeks, it felt like service learning 'home.' "Coming back, I wanted to Marc Sallinger, whose mothdo anything I could to make er is from Spain, has grown others feel as accepted as we up fluent in Spanish and long did there… including at college felt a call to serve the Latino BY DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER REFUGEE women of the We Made This nonprofit initiative at the African Community Center in Denver work on a project. Arrupe Jesuit High School senior Melissa Vazquez spent two weeks in March aiding women in making and selling their handmade projects. ASHLYN KAMMER (third from left, in the red T-shirt), a senior at Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, is pictured with classmates while working to repair houses in the St. Bernard Project in New Orleans last February. A GROUP of Bishop Machebeuf High School senior students take a day off from school to volunteer at The Carpenter's Cupboard, a food bank ministry in Wheat Ridge. Teachers Larry Padilla and Principal Jessie Skipwith joined the students on the school's Shut Down for Service Day when students and faculty volunteer their time to a charitable cause. THIS YEAR'S Bishop Machebeuf High School senior students Monica Paolucci, Michaela Dexter, Jackie Mock and Kelsey Moore show their emergency kits for newborns made to benefit patients at the Denver Health. Each senior must complete a community service project for graduation. CONGRATULATIONS 8TH-GRADE GRADUATES! population in the Denver metro area. He responded to that call initially by serving at the William E. Cope Boys & Girls Club in downtown Denver during summers, starting after his freshman year. There he cared for kids, tutored them, and learned from them. "It was extremely rewarding because not only did we help kids have a great summer," he said. "But I got to help them learn, and they taught me because I got to practice my Spanish with them, which was very helpful." As vice president of National Honor Society at Mullen, he helped organize volunteers for Denver's Force Elementary School, where the Boys & Girls Club has a beacon program. NHS collaborated with AP Spanish classes to provide Spanish-speaking Mullen students to help the Force students with homework. "We became mentors," he said, as the relationship blossomed not only through homework but sports and regular conversations about their days. "We really became like big brothers and sisters to them." He believes this foundation of service will carry him into the future, particularly when he starts at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles next fall. "I'll definitely apply (these experiences) being in L.A. next year," he said. "Mullen has such an emphasis on service learning… I think if I hadn't gotten such a strong foundation built, it would be easy to stray from helping others in college." of others beyond her own, she said. "I was stressed about paying for college but realized it's so easy to focus on my own issues. I decided this would be the best opportunity for me to step back and recognize the things that really do matter," she said. The experience made her more adamant about entering a field that serves others. Melissa Vazquez, Arrupe Vazquez said she will attend Jesuit High School, Denver Loyola University in ChicaInsight: everyone has a need go and enter the pre-medical Senior class student Melissa program. "I want to be able to impact Vazquez dedicated two weeks in March to help empower others." refugees. Before graduating from Ar- Michaela Dexter, Bishop rupe Jesuit High School, the Machebeuf High School, 18-year-old helped refugees at Denver the African Community Center Insight: all are equal under in Denver to craft and sell their God handmade products through the nonprofit initiative We All people are equal in digMade This. nity, learned senior Michaela "It was really humbling," Dexter. Vazquez said. The Bishop Machebeuf She spent her days tracking High School student learned inventory, cutting fabric to through her senior commumake purses and baby bags nity service project that the and advertising the women's downtrodden are humans with products. needs just like her. Aiding women from SomaIn April, Dexter volunteered lia, Congo and Burma desir- for Christ in the City Missioning to become seamstresses aries with fellow students to and sewing assistants made serve the homeless in downVazquez think about the needs town Denver. She attended a seminar on homelessness at Catholic Charities Samaritan House in Denver. Then she went with missionaries to hand prepared meals to the poor near City Park. "We were briefed on what to do," Dexter said. "Then we were handing out sandwiches and cookies, but at the same time we were invited to talk to them, which was the best part for me." Dexter and a classmate talked with one homeless man for more than an hour about his life and lessons learned. "He was dying for someone to listen to him," Dexter said. "I was amazed at how much advice he had for us. All he could say to us was, 'The decisions you make now will affect you the rest of your life.'" The experience gave her a chance to practice her faith and the core values of the high school, including service to others, she said. As a result, she said she will consider minoring in peace and social justice at Regis University, where she plans to attend in the fall. "So many times in our lives we're so judgmental," she said. "It's hard to realize that sometimes life does deal an unlucky card. But I've learned he's a human just as I'm a human." Abby Davidson Sam Davidson Gregory Fredrickson Morgan Headley Alex Herrera-Ortiz Alan Polly Dustin Quint Michael Sell Maria Swan Kennedy Timmerman Explore the St. Anthony Edge Faith-based Education Nurturing Community Family Environment Rigorous Academics Extracurricular Activities Competitive Athletics 324 South Third St. Sterling, Co 80751 (970) 522-7567 www.saintanthonysschool.org

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