class of makes history

1st Black valedictorian, legacy salutatorian represent BNI spirit

Q & A with Ayanna Wash, valedictorian

• Planning to major in biology and eventually attend medical school to pursue a career as a surgeon

• Member of Drama Club, band (marching, jazz, mariachi, brass choir), Biology Club, choir

• Favorite teachers/classes: Mrs. Konkle (theatre), Mrs. Acosta (Spanish), Mr. Miller (calculus)

Hannah Evenson, left, has been named salutatorian. A legacy student and star on the volleyball team, she is the daughter of BNI alumnus Chuck Evenson ’93 and his wife, Mary. Ayanna Wash, right, has been named valedictorian. Already a scholar, thespian and musician, she now also becomes BNI’s first Black valedictorian. She is the daughter of Adrianna Lopez.

How did you feel when you learned you were valedictorian? I felt extremely happy and relieved. I was proud that all my hard work and determination had paid off. I was very excited. I was surrounded by my friends whom I care about very much.

How does it feel to be Bishop Noll’s first Black valedictorian? I feel honored and proud to become Bishop Noll’s first Black valedictorian. I am glad to be a part of Bishop Noll’s history and hope to be a symbol of strength and intelligence that others can look up to.

What legacy do you hope to leave here in relation to that?

I hope to become an example that students can do anything they put their minds to if they work hard. I hope to be someone others can look up to as a model and for hope.

What high school accomplishment(s) are you most proud of?

I am very proud of becoming the president of the band and the first chair trumpet. I am also proud of becoming the vice president of the Drama Club and being able to participate in our many shows and events as both an actor and a member of the set crew.

What advice would you give future Warriors?

Don’t let anyone else tell you what you can and cannot do or who you can or cannot be. You define yourself. All the hard work and determination and painful days pay off, as long as you don’t give up. You will make it to where you are meant to be as long as you push through and follow your heart.

Hannah Evenson, salutatorian

• Planning to attend Aurora University to continue her volleyball career and study actuarial science and finance

• Volleyball player, past tennis player

• Member of Student Athletic Council, retreat leader and has participated in various clubs such as Business Club, Engineering Club and Ski Club

• Favorite classes: Science, math, STEM and biology

• Favorite teachers: Mrs. Acosta, Ms. Dostatni, Mr. Miller, and Mr. Joseph

“When I learned I was salutatorian, I was shocked and did not expect to hear my name called. It was very rewarding, though, to know that all my hard work, challenging classes, stress, and dedication paid off in the end … I am most proud of my academic and athletic accomplishments throughout high school. I maintained my GPA and a very tough class load while also setting multiple school records in volleyball.”

2023 Graduates with Distinction

Bishop Noll Institute has announced its Graduates with Distinction for the class of 2023. These top academic seniors all earned a 4.0 or above GPA. These grades also determine valedictorian and salutatorian.

Pictured first row, from left: Juliana Barrera, of East Chicago, attended St. Stanislaus; Itzury Becerra, of East Chicago, St.Casimir; Maria Carbajal, of East Chicago, St. Stanislaus; Jacob Cardenas, of Hammond, St. John Bosco; Rebecca Carlos, of Hammond, St. John Bosco; Marissa Casares, of East Chicago, St. John the Baptist; Alyssa Colon, of Lansing, St. Casimir.

Second row: Hannah Evenson, of Chicago’s Hegewisch neighborhood, St. John the Baptist; Yessenia Hernandez, of

East Chicago, St. Stanislaus; Kinnedi Lewis, of Gary, St. Stanislaus; Genesis Medina, of Calumet City, St. Casimir; Sophia Mendez, of Whiting, St. John the Baptist; David Perez, of Hammond, St. Stanislaus; Adriana Puente, of East Chicago, St. Stanislaus; Keira Quinlan, of Chicago, Annunciata.

Third row: Maria Emilia Quiroga, of Schererville, St. Thomas More; Viviana Rosas, of Hammond, St. Casimir; Nyree Ruiz, of Hammond, St. Casimir; Adriana Torres-Cruz, of East Chicago, St. Mary’s Griffith; Aleni Vasquez, of Hammond, St. Stanislaus; Ayanna Wash, of Hammond, St. John Bosco; Gwyneth Wragg, of Lansing, homeschool; Jacob Ziobro, of Calumet City, St. John the Baptist.

Not pictured: Gabrielle Merritt, of Schererville, Clark Middle School.

Marching Warriors bring home honors from bowl trip

After starting the new year in the sun and sand of Florida, the Marching Warriors returned a little wiser, a little prouder and with a few more trophies to display. Kicking off 2023 in style, the band competed and performed at the ReliaQuest Bowl game at Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The band received several individual and group awards, including a second-place silver placement and trophy among a field of bands from across the country. The band’s flag corps (top photo), drum major and solo performers, featuring singers and guitarists, received a first-place trophy.

“It’s one thing to compete against bands in your area locally, but quite another to compete nationally,” band director Rocco Carioto said. “It raises the bar for the program and the students, and lets them know how far they can push themselves.”

“The awards are nice and they worked hard to get them, but the real prize is the journey it took us to get here with the show’s preparation, teamwork, individual responsibility to learn the show and to fight through fatigue to be the best version of themselves,” Carioto said. “They can tap into those values and experiences as they go through life and meet life’s challenges.”

Freshman trombonist Ben Pachowicz, said, “It was beyond an amazing experience to go with all of the band to Tampa and compete. I’m proud of all my friends for all the work we did and what we achieved.”

Special guest

Mr. John Trafny, retired Bishop Noll history teacher, visited DC U.S. History class on Dec. 8 to talk with students about the 81st anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Mr. Trafny’s father was at Pearl Harbor during the attack, and Trafny shared photos and stories about his father’s involvement in World War II.

Mr. Trafny taught social studies for 30-plus years at Noll. Before his teaching career, he worked at U.S. Steel and was in the Army. He has authored several books focusing on the Calumet Region, specifically around Gary, where he grew up.

Teacher honors

Congratulations to Mary Albrecht, Introduction to Engineering and Design teacher, on receiving recognition from Allen Law Group for excelling in teaching through dedication, compassion and knowledge. We couldn’t agree more. The teachers at Bishop Noll do more than just educate—they inspire.

Fall play

In November, the Drama Club presented Eurydice, a modern retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice brought to life. The show starred Iris Romero and Brian Barragan. Save the date for the spring musical, Little Shop of Horrors, which will be performed the weekend of April 14,15,16. Visit bishopnoll.org for more information and ticket sale links.

Profile of a Warrior: Q & A with Noah Hahn

Not only is freshman Noah Hahn a straight-A student who scored in the 99th percentile on the PSAT test, he also excels on the mat, on the ice, on the field, and on the computer.

Noah has found his niche at BNI as a varsity wrestler and a male lifter for the Cheer Team. Outside of BNI, he is a figure skater, speaks fluent Japanese, and has learned how to do basic computer programming.

Noah, who attended Montessori Children’s Schoolhouse in Hammond, said he chose Bishop Noll because he wanted to attend a Catholic high school.

He answers these questions:

What has been your favorite class/teacher at BNI?

I like most of my classes, so I’m having quite a hard time deciding between Biology with Ms. Dostatni and Chinese with Mrs. Niu. I love learning biology and Ms. Dostatni has a great class and a fun personality. Chinese is also a lot of fun, especially with the trip to Chinatown.

What do you enjoy about the wrestling program?

Wrestling has let me stay fit and active, which is something I enjoy. Along with that, going to meets and tournaments is always thrilling, and winning is a great reward to all the hard work I put in.

When and where did you start to study Japanese?

I learned Japanese as a baby alongside English because my mom is from Japan. Before COVID, I visited my grandma in Japan every year for a few months during summer break. I even went to school there because they end late.

How did you get into figure skating?

I started when I was 8, because my mom was pushing me to do some extracurriculars and I thought that skating would be a unique choice.

When I was 11, I went to Provo, Utah, for the ice dance nationals where I placed fourth. I got first for all three of the preliminary competitions. I’ve also got first place in every other competition I’ve skated in.

Anything else you’d like the BNI community to know about you?

I started learning how to code when I was 7. I can now do basic programming in Java, C, C++, and I’m proficient in Python. I’ve also built my own computer. As some random other things, I designed the first Montessori yearbook in 8th grade, and I won the school spelling bee in 4th grade, and the school science fair in 6th grade.