St. JoSeph MadiSoN

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Number of graduates: 61

– Number of students going to 4-year colleges: 48

– Number of students going to community colleges: 12

– Number of scholarship recipients: 60

– Notable next steps: USMA West Point; Montana State; Three military

– Total amount of scholarship money offered: $2,730,214

– Total amount of scholarship money accepted: $2,063,174

– Total amount of service hours completed by senior class: 2,146 hours

– Notable service projects: Day of service at the Carmelite Monastery

– STAR Student/Teacher: Thomas Klopman and Dr. Ron May

– National Merit Commended: Thomas Klopman

ST. JOSEPH MADISON

VALEDICTORIAN: MARY LEE TOPIK

AVERAGE: 4.306 – ACT: 33

From her speech: Our efforts have led us to this ending, our graduation from high school, and it can be bittersweet to leave behind a place you’ve spent countless hours in, willingly or not. We must remember that we close the door on high school, not to walk away from this chapter of our lives, but to grow even further into the best version of ourselves.

Endings facilitate new beginnings, so this graduation isn’t truly the end of our education, even if some of us wish it were so. This end creates a new beginning to explore ourselves in new environments, deepen our knowledge and spiritual life, and broaden our understanding of the worlds we hope to enter.

I would encourage all of you to take advantage of this new beginning to get to know yourself better, try new things and be open to new friendships. We cherish the experiences of high school, but know that there is something bigger and better out there for us. We just have to have courage to find our place in this next part of our journey.

Church: St. Paul Catholic Church, Flowood

Favorite service project: Playing flute for my parish.

Plans to attend: Louisiana Tech

Plans to study: Aviation Management

Awards/honors: National Honor Society; Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society; Rho Kappa Honor Society; Tri-M Honor Society; and the National English Honor Society

Activities: Student Legislative and Band

Favorite subject: Chemistry

SALUTATORIAN: LAUREN NICOLE ABADIE

AVERAGE: 4.258 – ACT: 31

From her speech: After learning I was the salutatorian last Thursday and that I needed to write a speech by Monday, I put off writing until 10 p.m. Sunday because I didn’t know how to start or what to even talk about. Then it hit me. Maybe I should talk about procrastination and punctuality.

I found three reasons why being on time is important, whether it be completing an assignment or just getting to class. First, it shows respect for your teachers, employers, and even friends. You want them to know that you're dedicated, that you appreciate their efforts, and that their time is important. Second, being punctual reduces stress. I can vouch for this one. I’ve stressed for about a week about this speech, and I wish I started working on it sooner. Lastly, your reputation is at stake. If you’re always showing up late or missing deadlines, you start to look sloppy, and it seems that you can’t be bothered to make an effort.

Now, I know what some of y'all are thinking, "What authority does she have speaking to me about time management when I see her pulling into the school parking lot at 7:59 a.m. or doing her homework the class before its due?" or as Coach Poe once asked, "How is it you live five minutes away from the school and still show up late?” I don’t have a good answer to those questions, but for future reference, the front office only allows one excuse for “car trouble.”

Church: St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Madison

Favorite service project: I enjoyed cleaning up and making life a little easier for the sisters at the Carmelite Monastery.

Plans to attend: Mississippi State University

Plans to study: Chemical Engineering

Awards/honors: National Honor Society; National English Honor Society; Mu Alpha Thea; Tri-M Music Honor Society; and National Science Honor Society

Activities: Softball; Marching Band; Orchestra; Chess Club

Favorite subject: Math

“Sirviendo a los Católicos Hispanos de la Diócesis de Jackson desde 1997”