Arkansas’ six Catholic high schools are holding commencement ceremonies during May, with honors for their valedictorians and salutatorians.
Conway: St. Joseph High School
St. Joseph School in Conway held its graduation May 12 at St. Joseph Church. Father Tom Byrne, CSSp, pastor of St. Joseph Parish, was the graduation speaker.
Rebecca Kay Reinhard, daughter of Matthew and Dee Reinhard, was the valedictorian and Megan Elizabeth Elsinger, daughter of Mark Elsinger and Mary Elsinger, was the salutatorian.
Reinhard plans to attend the University of Central Arkansas’ pharmacy program. Elsinger is planning on a career in writing and will attend Westminster College in the future.
Little Rock: Mount St. Mary Academy
Vicki Flynn, daughter of Robbie and Gary Flynn, will be the valedictorian at Mount St. Mary Academy during the graduation ceremony May 28 at Robinson Auditorium in Little Rock. Flynn will attend Westminster College.
The salutatorian is Laura Sharp, daughter of Diane and Brian Sharp. She will attend the University of Arkansas.
Angela Duran, a 1986 MSM graduate and president of the Southern Good Faith Fund, will be the speaker. Duran was named Arkansas Business’ 2006 Nonprofit Executive of the Year.
Little Rock: Catholic High School for Boys
Richard Andrew Fields was the valedictorian for the Class of 2007 at Catholic High School in Little Rock. Fields, son of Dr. Patrick and Merlie Fields, graduated May 25 in the school gym along with his other classmates.
Fields plans to major in biomedical engineering at St. Louis University. The salutatorian was Patrick James Russell, son of James and Mary Russell. He will major in English at the University of Central Arkansas’ Honors College.
The master of ceremonies for the graduation was Greg Alan Renick. The speakers were two members of the senior class, Stephen William Hart and Patrick Ryan Friend.
Morrilton: Sacred Heart High School
Amanda Hoelzeman and Brittany Horn are the co-valedictorians for the Class of 2007 at Sacred Heart School in Morrilton. The graduation was held May 20 at Sacred Heart Church.
Hoelzeman, daughter of Alan and Regina Hoelzeman, and Horn, daughter of Janis Horn and Ricky Horn, will attend the University of Central Arkansas.
Salutatorian Lindsey Hoyt, daughter of Todd and Amy Hoyt, also will be attending UCA.
Pine Bluff: St. Joseph High School
Three graduates from St. Joseph School in Pine Bluff were named the valedictorians for the Class of 2007. They are Helen Grace King, daughter of Dutch and Helen King; Sally Nixon, daughter of Dr. David and Ann Nixon; and Sarah Whitaker, daughter of Roy and Deborah Whitaker.
King plans to major in pre-medicine or psychology at the University of Mississippi. Nixon will study English at Belmont University Honors College in Nashville. Whitaker is planning to study equine science at Auburn University.
The three salutatorians are Karla Prieto, daughter of Jose and Maria Guadalupe Prieto; Miriam Ramirez, daughter of Maricela Alfaro, and Lea Whitlock, daughter of Jay and Jan Whitlock.
Prieto and Ramirez plan to study pre-medicine at the University of Central Arkansas. Whitlock will be studying marketing at UCA.
The St. Joseph graduation was held May 15 at St. Joseph Church.
Subiaco: Subiaco Academy
The 120th Subiaco Academy graduation was held May 19. The day began with a baccalaureate Mass in the Abbey Church and followed by the commencement ceremony in the Inner Court.
The valedictorian was Chris Gattis, son of Mary Stengel Gattis of Ratcliff. He will major in history and theology at the University of Notre Dame. The salutatorian was Joseph Thomas, son of Dr. Thomas and Dr. Philomena Joseph of Pocahontas. He will be a pre-medicine major at Hendrix College in Conway.
The commencement speaker was Abbot Lawrence Stasyszen, OSB, of St. Gregory Abbey and chancellor of St. Gregory University in Shawnee, Okla.
For a complete listing of graduates from Catholic high schools in Arkansas, see the May 26, 2007 print edition of Arkansas Catholic. Subscribe today for all the news, every week.
