JDCHS commencement
DRAPER — Family and loved ones filled the Juan Diego Catholic High School auditorium and gym to overflowing May 25 to support the school’s graduating class. As the 216 seniors entered to the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” and found their seats, the air was filled with expectation, excitement and, on the part of the graduates themselves, a little nervousness.
After the opening prayer by Holy Cross Sister Catherine Kamphaus, associate superintendent of Utah Catholic Schools, and the Pledge of Allegiance, Salutatorian Ian Pascual welcomed the dignitaries, faculty, families and friends. During his comments, he urged his classmates to make the day a celebration of who they had become and how hard they had worked to get there.
“The most important part of today is not for us to receive a fancy paper confirming that we have officially graduated high school,” he said. “The most important part of today is for us to celebrate the fact that, after four years of hard work, we have grown into well-rounded, intelligent and strong individuals.”
Pascual spoke of the positive changes that he had seen in himself since entering the school as a shy freshman.
“I distinctly remember deciding not to run for freshman class officer because speaking in front of a crowd of 200 people scared me too much,” he said. “Well, look at me now, Freshman Ian.”
He compared his own transformation to the changes that had taken place in the entire class and asked his classmates to recall the many great experiences they had enjoyed at Juan Diego CHS.
“What we will remember are the feelings that we shared with the people around us; the stress we felt when we took our first final; the pride we felt when we screamed the fight song at a football game; the joy we felt when we sang ‘Sanctuary at Mass’ (or more like, screamed ‘Sanctuary’ at Mass); the comfort we felt smiling to familiar faces in the halls; the love we felt at Kairos and the strength we feel right now, knowing that we are actually graduating,” he said.
He closed by thanking God for his “guidance, inspiration, and all the gifts bestowed upon every person in this graduating class.”
Valedictorian Abigail Whittington then spoke and shared how the examples of some of her peers, teachers and her own sister Katie and their passions in life have inspired her.
“No one makes it to that ever-elusive finish line without first experiencing failure, but then choosing to hang on tight to their passion as it draws them into their future,” she said. “Our passions are what guide us during those dark times – they are what allow us to feel capable, to feel strong.”
“I’d like to think that passion is what makes your heart beat a little faster, your breath catch a little longer, and your dreams appear a little sharper,” Whittington said. “Passion is what drives you during the times you think you might not make it. Passion is what excites you, inspires you, moves you.”
She urged her classmates to follow their passions.
“When passion strikes us, we must not be afraid to follow it,” she said. “To my fellow graduates, life is best lived fully, and doing what we are passionate about is essential to that fullness.”
“As your heart takes flight into your future, remember the spirit that guides you, the family that loves you, and the passion that formed you,” she said in closing.
After the speeches, Mark Longe, Utah Catholic Schools superintendent, and Galey Colosimo, JDCHS principal, presented the graduates with their diplomas and medallions.
This year’s graduates have collectively performed 15,000 hours of service and will receive a combined $19.5 million in scholarships. They have cumulatively been accepted to more than 70 colleges and universities, and two will enter branches of the U.S. military.
© Copyright 2025 The Diocese of Salt Lake City. All rights reserved.
Stay Connected With Us