St. JoSeph GreeNville

– Number of graduates: 20

– Number of students going to 4-year colleges: 14

– Number of students going on to community colleges: 6

– Number of scholarship recipients: 19

– Largest scholarship awarded: $90,000 Leland Speed Scholarship to Mississippi College

– Notable next steps: Two students to attend Kentucky State University; Roury McCloyen will continue to compete in the National Junior Olympics in shotput and discus.

– Total amount of scholarship money offered: $3,143,724

– Total amount of scholarship money accepted: $620,486

– Total amount of service hours completed by senior class: 1,241

– Special honors: Mrs. Celeste DeAngelo was named STAR Teacher for the tenth time and entered the STAR Teacher Hall of Fame. Roury McCloyen is a six-time Junior Olympic All-American.

VALEDICTORIAN:

MARGARET ALEXANDRIA BROWN

GPA: 4.2273 – ACT: 25

From her speech: We are here today to celebrate our triumph, the accomplishment of graduating. But let us also celebrate the joy and laughter, the pain and tears, and all the other experiences we have shared along the way. Let us revel in the beauty that was high school and prepare ourselves for the wonders ahead in college, the military and the workforce.

Let us say thank you to our marvelous families, who have had nothing but love for each of us since our very beginning. Thank you to our wonderful friends who have become some of the best support systems possible. And thank you to our phenomenal teaching and office staff, who have held our best interests close to their hearts.

"Family of 2023," as we depart from this place, I have one final thing to say to you. This world will test you, and it will try to conform you to its ways. Don't let it. 1 Timothy 4:12 reads "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

No matter where you are, or what you are doing, someone is always watching you. Each one of us possesses a quality that someone can learn from. I challenge each of you to remain true to yourselves, and let God shine brightly through you.

Favorite service project: My favorite service project is my church’s food pantry. I love participating in the food pantry because it is an effective and safe way to give back to the community. It allows us to provide the less fortunate with much needed necessities each month.

Plans to attend: University of Southern Mississippi

Plans to study: Psychology

Scholarships: Academic Excellence Scholarship $20,000; ALA Girls State Scholarship $1000; Alpha Kappa Alpha Legacy Scholarship $200; Eta Phi Beta Sorority Inc $500; Freshman Designation-Based Girls State Scholarship $8000; Freshman Designation-Based Valedictorian Scholarship $8000; New Jerusalem Church Scholarship $500; Robert James Myles Memorial Scholarship $1000; Rotary Four Way Test Scholarship $1000; 100 Black Men Scholarship $1000; Total Monetary Value: $41,200

Awards/honors: Class Representative (10th Grade); Class Treasurer (7th and 9th Grade); Class President (8th, 11th and 12th Grade); St. Joseph School Best Actress 2021-2022; Participation and Advancement in the 2016 Mississippi Region III Science and Engineering Fair; Participation and Advancement in the 2019 Mississippi Region III Science and Engineering Fair; Participation in the 2019 Mississippi Science and Engineering Fair; State Level; Member of the National Society of High School Scholars;

Member of the National Honor Society; Member of Mu Alpha Theta; Mu Alpha Theta Vice President; Attended 2018 Ambassador Leadership Summit at Yale University; Valedictorian

Activities: Archery; Choir; Drama Club; Mayor's Youth Council; Musical Theatre; Softball

Favorite subject: Math

GPA: 4.1692 – ACT: 26

From her speech: We cannot be spectators to our own life, God gave us this life, and from this point on we have the freedom to follow him in his glory to have eternal life, to correctly use the cards we were given. ... We will forever remember our days playing on the playground at the old Lourdes, where multiple times a week the principal would have to talk to the boys about roughhousing. Or the days when ignorance was bliss. ... But that wasn’t living. We got a chance to live, a chance to change and to grow into the person God wants us to be, into a person that ourselves now will be happy to meet in the future. We can’t fold and look on from the outside, no matter how easy that seems. My grandfather realized that, our parents realized that now it is time for us to realize that giving up is not an option and acting like something we aren’t is not an option. We can no longer be ignorant, we have to face this world full force. But, we have an advantage. We grew up knowing God’s love, we grew up knowing the power he holds in this world, and no matter how young we were, we felt his love and his power, and no matter how old we get, ... his love will be there to guide us.

Now, class of 2023, my final note to you, is that wherever you are, no matter how much we’ve changed, whether we look the same or act different, we have a home within our class. We have memories, we have a kinship, we have love. Don’t forget us, don’t forget what we had during our time together, we’ve had a long journey, but now it is time to take a step in our own directions, where we can be free to follow God and live accordingly.

Church: St. Joseph Catholic Church, Greenville

Favorite service project: I really enjoy working at St. Vincent de Paul. I didn’t do it often, but this past year I was able to a few times and being part of the St. Joseph Parish in Greenville meant I knew a lot of the people working there and it was really great to work closely with people I go to Mass with on a weekly basis.

Plans to attend: Mississippi College

Plans to study: Administration of Justice

Scholarships: Mississippi College Leland Speed Scholarship $90,000

Awards/honors: Mu Alpha Theta President; National Honor Society; Salutatorian

Activities: Football Manager; Basketball Bookkeeper; Piano

Favorite subject: History or Calculus

– Number of graduates: 42

– Number of students going to 4-year colleges: 32

– Number of students going to community colleges: 10

– Number of scholarship recipients: 29

– Largest scholarship awarded: Three students each received the $90,000 Leland Speed Scholarship to Mississippi College

– Total amount of scholarship money offered: $754,106

RACHEL ANIELA DAHL

GPA: 4.58 – ACT: 34

From her speech: Mr. Blanche has a saying, “See the bagel.” It means to focus on the rewards of your efforts over the struggles of getting there. High school is hard. There’s always so many commitments to juggle on top of school work and maybe even a social life, and that’s not even counting all the crazy unexpected stuff like pandemics. But we got through it. ... Not only did we survive individually, we lifted each other up as a class. I would not have made it through without your support. I am so glad to be a part of the class of 2023, and I cannot imagine a better group of people to have grown up with. Thank you for always being kind, funny, hardworking, friendly, supportive and just overall amazing.

Church: Christ Episcopal Church

Favorite service project: Setting up fields and making sets at robotics competitions.

Plans to attend: Louisiana Tech

Plans to study: Cyber Engineering

Scholarships: ERDC Alumni

Association; Louisiana Tech

Presidential; Louisiana Tech Bulldog

Awards/honors: MAIS ACT Distinguished Scholar; STAR Student; Math & Science Tour-