St. Joseph students receive advice, thanks
Friday, Jun. 03, 2016
Christine Young/Intermountain Catholic
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OGDEN — St. Joseph Catholic High School Class of 2016’s 42 seniors graduated May 27 during the commencement ceremony at St. Joseph Church.
They received $3.1 million in scholarships and grants and were accepted to more than 60 colleges throughout the nation.
Chad Loosemore, a SJCHS history teacher, gave the keynote address and advised the graduates with his laws for a happy life.
“Be honest; there is no other way to be,” Loosemore said. “Be kind, be respectful and be courteous to others. Be confident and help others; this actually helps your soul and your self-esteem. Dream. Dreams drive us. Be excited for every day and pursue your dreams. Enjoy life with optimism; it’s a choice you make.
“Always know you can overcome anything,” Loosemore continued. “Let things go. Take responsibility for your life and your mistakes and live by God’s moral code; it’s a gift. If you follow God’s moral code, you will be happy.”
In that same vein, Monsignor Colin F. Bircumshaw, diocesan administrator of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, who presided over the commencement exercise, reminded the seniors that the “values of the world are different than the values of the Catholic Church.
“You will be bombarded with reasons why the Church is out of touch with reality; stay in touch with God and maintain a pure heart by weekly attendance at Mass so that God will know who you are,” Msgr. Bircumshaw said. “Don’t worry about what people say about you or names they might call you; follow Jesus and cling fast to your faith.”
The goal of attending St. Joseph CHS “has been not just a career, but a calling, a vocation; not just a diploma, but discipleship; not just what you seniors have gotten, but what you will be giving through the Gospel,” Msgr. Bircumshaw said. “So, as you commence on a new segment of this journey we call life, don’t forget that regardless of where you are going after high school or college, or your vocation, your final destination is still heaven.”
In Principal Clay Jones’ address to the Class of 2016, he said, “you are closing a chapter in your life, but don’t make it the best chapter, let it be a great lead to an end. I will have plenty of great memories of this past year,” he said as he recalled some of the humorous incidences he had with the graduates. “Thanks for a wonderful first year [as principal], one I will never forget and one I hope you will remember fondly!”
Valedictorian Chris O’Brien compared high school to one big race – the mile – consisting of four laps, with the first “getting to know each other,” he said. “At end of our first lap, all of us felt confident in ourselves.
“With the second lap came AP classes and late nights,” he continued. “We pushed through to the third lap. About halfway through the third lap, some of us started feeling aches and pains. The ACT. This monster made some of us question all the hard work we had put in. For others, it was a sign that all the hard work and dedication were beginning to pay off. By the end of the third lap, some of us wanted to drop out, but one lap remained. In the first half of our final lap we signed up for other races around the country. Now, here we are, crossing the finish line, getting ready for our next race. I wish you all good luck in future races.”
Sean Letendre, the Class of 2016 salutatorian, said he didn’t have any advice for his classmates; instead, he thanked them for being his friends from preschool, when he started at St. Joseph Elementary. He also thanked them “being so loving,” he said. Those whom he has known since preschool, or those who have joined SJCHS in the last two years, “each of you has loved me like a brother and I thank you for that,” he said. “Our class is full of leaders, athletes, scholars, actors and artists; we have students who will pursue careers in engineering, flying, medicine, business, the military and politics, to name a few. For those who will still be attending St. Joe’s, good luck, make us proud, we believe in you!”
SJCHS Class of 2016 awards
The Luis Angel Magaña Huerta Award is given to students who have successfully completed seven or more AP courses throughout four years of high school. This year, the award was presented to Joshua Almony, Sean Letendre and Christopher O’Brien.
Department awards:
Music: Kaitlyn Dronoff
Social Studies: Sean Letendre
English: Robert Joseph
Science: Chris O’Brien
Mathematics: Sean Letendre
Modern Language: Maria Rios
Performing Arts: Bryant Eddy
Visual Arts: Margaret Maher
Physical Education: Preslee Gannon
Computer Science: Sean Letendre
Service: Ethan Durbano
Theology: Kaili Kashiwaeda
Track Academic All State Awards went to Sean Letendre and Christopher O’Brien.
Tennis Academic All State Awards went to Tanner Evans, Robert Joseph and Ethan Durbano.
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